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boxing, Premier Boxing Champions, Showtime, Showtime Boxing

RISING STARS AND TOP CONTENDERS SET FOR HIGH-STAKES MATCHUPS ON STACKED CANELO VS. CHARLO SHOWTIME PPV UNDERCARD SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

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Plus All-Action Rising Middleweights Elijah Garcia and

Armando Reséndiz Meet in Pay-Per-View Opener

Canelo Promotions Presents a Premier Boxing Champions

Pay-Per-View from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – August 25, 2023 – Three matchups featuring rising stars, top contenders and former world champions from 147 to 160 pounds will highlight a robust pay-per-view undercard leading up to the Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo undisputed super middleweight championship clash on Saturday, September 30 live on SHOWTIME PPV from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Canelo Promotions will present the Premier Boxing Champions Pay-Per-View.

In the co-main event, undefeated sensation Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr.,will take on hard-hitting top contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin in a 12-round super welterweight special attraction. The pay-per-view also includes former world champions Yordenis Ugas and Mario “El Azteca” Barrios going toe-to-toefor the Interim WBC Welterweight Title. Opening up the action at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT are rising middleweights Elijah Garcia and Armando Reséndiz squaring off in a 10-round attraction.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Canelo Promotions and TGB Promotions, are available through AXS.com. 

“These three matchups deliver everything boxing fans could hope for in a pay-per-view undercard and are worthy of the historic main event clash they will lead up to,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Each fighter stepping into the ring has an opportunity to catapult themselves to the top of their respective division with a win on September 30. Fans can expect to see all of these competitors give everything they have to emerge victorious on SHOWTIME PPV at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.”

A strong southpaw who at 22 has yet to come close to hitting his ceiling as a fighter, Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) blitzed then-unbeaten Joey Spencer in March, dropping him in round one before stopping him in round seven to earn the TKO in his sensational 2023 debut on the undercard of David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant on SHOWTIME PPV. A native of Casa Grande, Ariz., Ramos also owns back-to-back 10-round unanimous decisions over Brian Mendoza and Javier Molina in 2021, which he followed up by defeating Luke Santamaria and Vladimir Hernandez in 2022. Overall, the youthful Ramos has gained recognition with highlight-reel KOs, stopping seven of his last 10 opponents, showcasing his skills and ability to end his fights early. 

“I’m excited to be part of this huge card against a tough opponent on September 30,” said Ramos. “I know Lubin is training hard and coming to win, which will make for an entertaining fight. This whole card is stacked and we don’t want to disappoint, so the fans are in for a great night of boxing.”

The 27-year-old Lubin (25-2, 18 KOs) returned to the ring in June to deliver an impressive fifth-round stoppage of veteran Luis Arias, who had never been stopped previously. Lubin’s previous outing saw him go toe-to-toe in one of 2022’s best fights, as he traded knockdowns with fellow contender Sebastian Fundora on SHOWTIME in April 2022. Heading into the Fundora fight, Lubin had put together an impressive six-bout winning streak since a loss to then unified and now undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo in 2017, a run that included triumphs over Jeison Rosario, Terrell Gausha and Ishe Smith. A native of Orlando, Fla., Lubin turned pro at 18 years old in 2013 and became one of the youngest prospects to ever appear on the developmental series SHOBOX: The New Generation®,earning “Prospect Of The Year” honors from ESPN and Ring Magazine in 2016.

“I know the world will be watching on September 30 and I plan on winning in a big way,” said Lubin. “We’ve got a young and talented fighter in front of us, but I’m young and talented as well. The difference is that I’ve fought the cream of the crop of the 154-pound division. Doesn’t matter if it’s Olympians, top prospects, contenders or champions, I’ve taken them on. I have a big chip on my shoulder and I know that with this win, I’ll be in a mega fight. I’m training extremely hard and the whole world will see it pay off.”

Ugas (27-5, 12 KOs) will step back into action on September 30 for the first time since an April 2022 unification bout defeat to Errol Spence Jr. on SHOWTIME PPV. He established himself as an elite welterweight after returning from a more than two-year layoff in 2016 following back-to-back losses in 2014. He punched his ticket as a world champion in January 2021 after winning a WBA belt by defeating Abel Ramos in September 2020. He solidified his world-championship status in August 2021, when he stepped in for an injured Spence to defeat legendary future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision. Hailing from Santiago, Cuba and now living in Miami, Florida, the Olympic bronze medalist trains in Las Vegas with renowned coach Ismael Salas and owns victories over then undefeated fighters Jamal James, Omar Figueroa Jr. and Bryant Perrella, plus veteran contenders Thomas Dulorme and Ray Robinson.

“Both me and Mario Barrios have a lot to gain with a victory on September 30, so I know that this fight is going to be one to remember,” said Ugas. “I have tremendous respect for Barrios. He’s a true warrior who’s been in the ring with the best of them, but I have confidence that I’ll be victorious. I have a lot of fight left in me and my best skills will be on display in this fight. Patria y Vida, I fight for my people.”

The 28-year-old Barrios (27-2, 18 KOs) most recently scored a sensational knockout of Jovanie Santiago in February stopping Santiago in the eighth-round. Barrios’ previous fight was his welterweight debut as he dropped a hard-fought decision to former unified champion Keith Thurman in February 2022. The San Antonio-product, who now trains with top coach Bob Santos in Las Vegas, became a 140-pound world champion in September 2019, using his aggressive style to edge out Batyr Akhmedov and earn a unanimous decision. Barrios lost the super lightweight title in another action packed, highly competitive bout, as he was defeated by three-division and five-time world champion Gervonta Davis in June 2021.

“This fight is going to be a war, because we both fight with a lot of heart and neither of us ever backs down,” said Barrios. “I can’t wait to compete in a matchup like this on one of the biggest cards of the year. This is going to be a great night of boxing from start to finish and the Mexican fans can expect to see an explosive performance from ‘El Azteca’!”

Fighting out of Phoenix, Arizona, Garcia (15-0, 12 KOs) is one of 2023’s biggest breakout stars He burst onto the scene in March by blasting out the previously unbeaten Amilcar Vidal in the fourth-round to announce his presence at 160-pounds. The 20-year-old followed up that performance by dominating veteran Kevin Salgado on his way to a unanimous decision in April on the SHOWTIME PPV undercard of Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia. The precocious Garcia has moved fast since turning pro in 2020 and has knocked out six of his last eight opponents.

“This is my second fight this year on a huge pay-per-view card and I’m super excited and even more prepared than the first time,” said Garcia. “Reséndiz is a hungry fighter just like myself, so I have no doubt that we are going to put on a hell of a show for all the fans watching.”

The 24-year-old Reséndiz (14-1, 10 KOs) earned a career-best victory in his last outing as he stopped former unified champion Jarrett Hurd in the 10th and final round of their March showdown on SHOWTIME. Reséndiz led on all three cards when the bout was stopped due to a severe laceration on Hurd’s lip. A native of Nayarit, Mexico, he now fights out of Los Angeles and will look to make it three-straight wins since a close decision loss to Marcos Hernandez in September 2021. Reséndiz turned pro in February 2018 and made a successful U.S. debut in April 2021 with a decision victory over Quilisto Madera.

“I’m very happy to have this great opportunity to compete on such an important fight card,” said Reséndiz. “I’m excited to realize my dream of fighting in Las Vegas, just like my boxing idols that I watched on TV. I’ve had an amazing training camp that will help me look my best on September 30 and put on a performance worthy of the boxing legends who inspire me.”

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For more information visit sho.com/ppv and www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #CaneloCharlo, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing and www.Facebook.com/premierboxingchampions/.

boxing, Premier Boxing Champions, Showtime, Showtime Boxing

THREE SENSATIONAL UNDERCARD MATCHUPS HIGHLIGHT ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. YORDENIS UGAS SHOWTIME PPV® ON SATURDAY, APRIL 16

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Lightweight Contender Isaac Cruz Battles Former World Champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in Premier Boxing Champions Co-Main Event From AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
 
Rising Unbeaten Jose Valenzuela Takes On Former World Champion Francisco Vargas in Lightweight Duel
 
Unbeaten Cody Crowley Faces Veteran Contender Josesito Lopez
in Battle of All-Action Welterweights Kicking Off
Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
 
Tickets On Sale Now!
 
ARLINGTON, T.X. – March 17, 2022 – Three sensational matchups have been added to the SHOWTIME PPV lineup headlined by WBC and IBF world champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and WBA World Champion Yordenis Ugas squaring off in a welterweight title unification clash on Saturday, April 16 live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in a Premier Boxing Champions event.
 
The pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features exciting lightweight contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz taking on veteran former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in the 10-round co-main event.
 
The lineup also includes unbeaten Jose Valenzuela battling former world champion Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas in a 10-round lightweight fight, plus unbeaten Cody Crowley faces veteran contender Josesito Lopez in a 10-round duel of all-action welterweights that kicks off the telecast.
 
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Man Down Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com, the Official Ticketing Provider of AT&T Stadium.
 
“One of the year’s biggest events will feature a deserving pay-per-view undercard lineup loaded with consequential matchups that are primed to deliver drama and action,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Isaac Cruz showed against Gervonta Davis that he is a star in the making, and he’ll be looking to display those talents once again against an accomplished opponent in Yuriorkis Gamboa. Plus, another rising star in Jose Valenzuela will step up in competition against former champion Francisco Vargas, while Cody Crowley and Josesito Lopez will both bring their high-octane styles into the ring in what shapes up to be a ‘can’t-miss’ showdown to open the loaded SHOWTIME PPV.”
 
The 23-year-old Cruz (22-2-1, 15 KOs) will return to the ring after dropping a competitive decision against three-division champion Gervonta Davis on SHOWTIME PPV in December. A native of Mexico City, Cruz shot up the lightweight rankings in 2020, announcing his presence with an electrifying first-round knockout over veteran Diego Magdaleno in October. Cruz followed that up in 2021 by winning a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Matías Romero in March and by defeating former champion Francisco Vargas by decision in June. After making his U.S. debut in December 2019, Cruz went unbeaten in his next four bouts, appearing on SHOWTIME® three times in addition to beating Magdaleno on the Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz SHOWTIME PPV undercard.
 
“I can’t wait to be back in the ring and to fight at AT&T Stadium,” said Cruz. “I love the fans in Texas, they always give me tremendous support. My promoter, Manny Pacquiao, has fought at AT&T Stadium before and won both times. I’m excited to follow in his footsteps against a very accomplished former champion in Gamboa. I’m coming to show the fans why I’m one of the best lightweights in the world and to drive Gamboa into retirement on April 16.”
 
Gamboa (30-4, 18 KOs) is a former unified featherweight champion, holding the IBF and WBA 126-pound titles between 2009 and 2011. A native of Guantanamo, Cuba, he now lives and trains in Miami, Fla. He dropped a showdown against Terence Crawford in a 2014 Fight of the Year, before rebounding to win seven of eight fights. That run included victories over former world champions Jason Sosa and Roman Martinez, putting Gamboa back into world title contention. In his last two fights, Gamboa has dropped contests against current lightweight world champions, losing via 12th-round TKO to Gervonta Davis in 2019 and by decision against Devin Haney in November 2020.
 
“I always come to the ring to display my talents and April 16 will be no different,” said Gamboa. “It’s very motivating to be facing a young, strong opponent like Isaac Cruz. I’m going to test him and see if he can stand up to my power. I’m coming to win and make a big statement that I still have what it takes to become champion again.”
 
The 22-year-old Valenzuela (11-0, 7 KOs) now trains as a stablemate of unbeaten two-time world champion David Benavidez as he seeks to move from prospect to contender in 2022. Born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, Valenzuela turned pro in 2018 and rode a five-bout knockout streak before earning his first 10-round decision in a victory over Deiner Berrio in September 2021. Valenzuela capped off his breakout 2021 in December, dominating Austin Dulay on his way to a TKO in round four.
 
“It’s a dream come true to be on a high-stakes, stacked card like this,” said Valenzuela. “I’ve admired and studied Spence for a long time, especially because we’re both lefties. I can’t wait to get in the ring. I’m not overlooking or underestimating Francisco Vargas in any way. I’m expecting fireworks. You always get a big fight when two Mexican warriors go head-to-head, so I know the fans are going to be delighted with what they see on April 16.”
 
Fighting out of Mexico City, Vargas (27-3-2, 19 KOs) won a 130-pound title in 2015 by defeating Takashi Miura in one of the year’s best fights. The 37-year-old would go on to fight Orlando Salido to an action-packed draw before losing his title to Miguel Berchelt in another memorable affair. Vargas later defeated Stephen Smith and Rod Salka before losing in his rematch with Berchelt in 2019. Most recently, Vargas began campaigning at lightweight, scoring back-to-back victories over Ezequiel Aviles in 2019 and Otto Gamez in 2020, prior to dropping a decision against Isaac Cruz in his last fight in June 2021.
 
“It is an honor to be on such a big card with so many great fighters,” said Vargas. “I’m going to come prepared for this fight and ready to leave the ring with a victory. I know Valenzuela will be trying to make a statement, but I’m coming to do the same. As always, the fans can expect a tremendous fight from start to finish.”
 
Representing his native Ontario, Canada, Crowley (20-0, 9 KOs) returns to the ring after a sensational SHOWTIME debut in December 2021 that saw him beat the previously unbeaten Kudratillo Abdukakhorov by unanimous decision. Crowley had previously defeated Josh Torres in September 2020 following a 2019 run that saw him win a Canadian super welterweight title with a 12-round decision over Stuart McLellan in February before successfully defending that title with a dominant decision over Mian Hussain in October. The 28-year-old returned to fight in the U.S. for his last two fights after seven of his first eight pro fights took place in the U.S.
 
“After my win in December on SHOWTIME, I’m ready to accept the next challenge on my journey to becoming welterweight champion of the world,” said Crowley. “Josesito Lopez is always tough and he brings an exciting style to the table. Unfortunately for him, he will discover what 20 fighters before him have learned, which is that I will not be stopped from achieving my destiny. I want to thank my team for this opportunity to display my skills, heart and relentlessness on this great card at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.”
 
Lopez (38-8, 21 KOs) earned the nickname “The Riverside Rocky’’ because of his go-for-broke style in the ring. He has stepped in across from some of the top boxers in the sport, including champions Canelo Alvarez, Marcos Maidana, Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz. The 37-year-old from Riverside, California is always a tough out in the ring as noted by his narrow majority decision loss to then-champion Keith Thurman in 2019. Since that loss, Lopez has put together back-to-back victories, defeating John Molina, Jr. and Francisco Santana.
 
“I’m eager and very motivated to step back in the ring and prove myself as one of the best fighters in the world,” said Lopez. “I expect a stiff challenge from Crowley and the fans can expect to see me at my very best. I’m in great shape and ready to put everything on the line. You will definitely want to make sure you don’t miss my fight on April 16.”
 
For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #SpenceUgas, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.
boxing, Fox, Fox Sports 1, Robert Guerrero

YORDENIS UGAS DEFEATS MANNY PACQUIAO BY UNANIMOUS DECISION TO RETAIN WORLD WELTERWEIGHT TITLE IN FOX SPORTS PBC PAY-PER-VIEW MAIN EVENT FROM T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS

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YORDENIS UGAS STUNS MANNY PACQUIAO, WINS UNANIMOUS DECISION TO RETAIN WORLD WELTERWEIGHT TITLE IN FOX SPORTS PBC PAY-PER-VIEW MAIN EVENT SATURDAY NIGHT FROM T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
 
Robert Guerrero, Mark Magsayo & Carlos Castro Victorious In Pay-Per-View Undercard Action
& Frank Martin, Steven Torres & Jose Valenzuela Score Impressive Wins in PBC Action Live on FOX
 
Click HERE for photos from Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions
 
Click HERE for photos from Sean Michael Ham/TGB Promotions
 
Click HERE for photos from Scott Kirkland/FOX Sports
 
LAS VEGAS (August 22, 2021) – In a career-defining fight, Yordenis Ugas shone bright on the biggest of stages.
 
A boisterous crowd of 17,438 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas watched the underdog Ugas outbox and out-fight the great Manny Pacquiao to win a 12-round unanimous decision and retain his WBA Welterweight World title in the main event of FOX Sports PBC pay-per-view.
 
“I’m very excited but, most of all, I want to thank Manny Pacquiao for giving me this moment in the ring today,” Ugas said afterward. “I told you, I am the champion of the WBA and I showed it tonight.”
 
“I’m very emotional. A lot of people say Cubans can’t win the big fight. So, I’m very proud that I got this win for Cuba and showed what we are all about.”
 
Pacquiao, as always, was gracious in defeat.
 
“Congratulations to Ugas and his team,” said Pacquiao. “Thank you to all of you. I want to thank all my fans and the media. For many decades, the press, media and boxing fans were always behind us, supporting us. That’s why we’re here, why we became popular and why we accomplished our dreams as a fighter.
 
“I am a fighter outside and inside the ring. I look forward to returning to the Philippines and helping them during this pandemic.”
 
Ugas used his size, strength and length to keep Pacquiao guessing, slowly wearing down boxing’s only eight-division champ to win in decisive fashion.
 
Pacquiao, 42 (67-8-2, 39 KOs), promised a fast start and lived up to his word in the first, darting in and out with combinations. Unfazed, the 35-year-old Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs) maintained a tight guard. In the second, he unveiled his long left jab, alternating it up and downstairs as Pacquiao struggled to get inside.
 
Pacquiao began the third with a short left but Ugas silenced the crowd with power shots of his own. The Cuban began landing a looping right in the fourth, a punch Pacquiao struggled with the entire night.
 
Following a close fifth, Ugas regained the upper hand in the sixth, working the jab and delivering well-placed punches to the body. Two-way action brought the crowd to their feet in the seventh as they shouted “Manny! Manny! Manny!” Ugas remained poised, pushing the Philippine Senator back with more rights.
 
“My trainer, Ismael Salas, and I had a plan,” said Ugas. “We were going to move him around; we were going to use the jab and keep him off balance. That was the whole game plan.”
 
Ugas controlled the eighth, and the raucous audience responded to more punishing rights by Ugas. Sensing the fight slipping away, Pacquiao picked up the pace in the ninth. Still, the harder shots came from Ugas.
 
Early in the 10th, a Pacquiao left forced Ugas to clinch. The momentum was short-lived. Ugas had now found a home for his right and was throwing it with regularity. The 12th was particularly one-sided. Ugas repeatedly landed the right, hurting Pacquiao on several occasions and opening a cut near his left eye.
 
“The right hand was a shot I had planned to use on Manny,” said Ugas. “It kept working so I kept using it.”
 
The triumphant Ugas raised in his arms in victory as the bell sounded. Moments later, three judges scored the bout in his favor, one turning in a 115-113 card while the other two had it 116-112. 
 
“In the future, you may not see Manny Pacquiao in the ring,” Pacquiao said. “I don’t know. Let me rest first, relax and make a decision if I’ll continue to fight or not.”
 
“He’s a legend, one of the greatest fighters that ever lived,” Ugas said of his opponent. “I’ll always respect him not only as a great fighter but outside the ring. I also admire that he fights for his country, as I do. I want to free Cuba.”
 
In the co-main event, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (37-6-1, 20 KOs) battled his way to a 10-round unanimous decision over “Vicious” Victor Ortiz (32-7-3, 25 KOs).
 
All three judges scored the bout 96-94.
 
“It felt good to be back in the ring with fans and I definitely fed off of their energy,” said Guerrero. “I knew this was going to be an all-out war. Victor Ortiz brought the best out of me tonight. It was back and forth action the entire fight and I came out on top as I predicted.”
 
Much of the action was fought on the inside where Guerrero landed the cleaner shots. After a feel-out opener, Guerrero came alive in the second, stunning Ortiz with a series of power shots.
 
Round after round, the two former world champions unloaded short shots in close quarters with each refusing to take a backward step. Guerrero capped off his performance with a strong 10th frame, which proved to be the difference on the cards.
 
“I thought I won. It is what it is,” said Ortiz. “It was a close fight. He didn’t hurt me. A couple times I got caught off balance but that was it. I should have boxed a little better, but hey, he did what he had to do.”
 
“Now I’m ready to step up and fight anyone they put in front of me,” said Guerrero. “I have a lot left in me and I’m in this sport to win another world title. I dedicate this fight to my family and I give all the glory to my lord and savior Jesus Christ.”
 
In a star-making performance, Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo (23-0, 16 KOs) of the Philippines scored a spectacular knockout of Julio Ceja (32-5-1, 28 KOs), putting the former world champion away in the 10th round of their WBC Featherweight Title Eliminator.
 
“I just worked a lot on the straight punches,” said Magsayo. “I kept working it round after round and when I saw he was hurt, I followed up.
 
“I’m so glad for the outcome. I expected his style to make it happen and I expected a knockout tonight.”
 
It looked like it might be an early night when a counter left hook from Magsayo floored Ceja in the first. Mexico’s Ceja gamely rose and worked his way back into the fight, slowing Magsayo down with combinations to the ribs.
 
Ceja’s work paid off late in the fifth when a left uppercut introduced Magsayo to the canvas. The 26-year-old slugger made it to his feet. The bell sounded moments later.
 
Ceja attacked the body with abandon in the sixth and seventh but it was Magsayo who found his second wind late. His fast hands and feet allowed him to dictate the action in the eighth. He enjoyed an even better ninth, flashing his left in the forms of jabs and hooks.
 
With the fight seemingly hanging in the balance, Magsayo let it all hang out in the tenth. As Ceja sought refuge along the ropes, Magsayo uncorked a picture-perfect one-two flush on the Mexican’s jaw. Ceja sagged to the mat, helped along the way by another right. No count was needed. Referee Kenny Bayless ended the bout at 0:50 of the 10th round.
 
“I got knocked down and was surprised, but I focused my mind on what I wanted, a world championship shot,” said Magsayo. “It’s my dream today and now it’s coming true. Hopefully my next fight is a world title shot.”
 
In the pay-per-view opener, Carlos Castro (27-0, 11 KOs) turned in the finest performance of his career, stopping former world title challenger Óscar Escandón (26-6, 18 KOs) in the 10th round of their back-and-forth featherweight encounter.
 
“Escandón has been in there with the best. He’s gone a lot of rounds with world champions,” said Castro. “But it was just a matter of time, picking our punches. I sat down a little more on my shots. I’ve been with Manny Robles for only four months. With a little more time, I think we’ll be able to dominate the division.”
 
Castro used his height and reach to keep Escandón at bay early on. Escandón was game throughout. Late in the first, he pinned Castro against the ropes and buckled him with a hard left hook.
 
“I knew it was going to be a slow start,” Castro said. “Manny Robles taught me a lot, but a year and a half out of the ring, a new coach—it’s always different. Sparring and training is always different from fights, so I feel great and happy for the opportunity. I have to keep progressing.”
 
By the start of the second, Castro was back to using his jab and timely footwork. His punch output increased with each passing round.


Escandón began to show signs of wear in the fifth. Castro was now landing to head and body with regularity. Early in the seventh, Escandón was badly wobbled by a right hand. Castro pounced, unloading a series of power shots. Escandón countered with a wild left hook that missed. The force of the blow drove Escandón to the canvas. Referee Celestino Ruiz improperly ruled it a knockdown, which was later overturned and ruled a slip.
 
Castro sought to close the show but Escandón showed incredible heart, fighting him off until Castro was forced to retreat. The crowd roared their approval at round’s end.
 
Castro continued to dominate in the ninth. He closed the show in the tenth, landing another big right followed by a volley that floored Castro. Ruiz mercifully waved it off at 1:08 of the 10th round.
 
“I fought my heart out and gave my best effort, but it just wasn’t my night tonight,” said Castro. “I had him hurt in the first round, but I didn’t have enough time to finish him off. I give Castro a lot of respect, he’s a great fighter and showed great sportsmanship. I’m not done and I will be back.”
 
“What’s next is up to my promoters,” Castro said. “I’m going to take some time off to spend time with my family, thank my coaches and enjoy the victory.”
 
Preceding the pay-per-view, rising lightweight sensation Frank “The Ghost” Martin (14-0, 10 KOs) impressed again, pitching a 10-round shutout over Ryan Kielczweski (30-6, 11 KOs) in the main event on PBC action live on FOX and FOX Deportes.
 
All three judges scored the bout 100-90.
 
The 26-year-old Martin dictated the pace from the opening bell, working behind a southpaw jab and stepping in with combinations. Kielczewski was game but had no answer for Martin’s speed, power and athleticism.
 
In the co-main event on FOX, heavyweight prospect Steven Torres (5-0, 5 KOs) made quick work of Justin Rolfe (6-3-1, 4 KOs), pounding Rolfe until referee Robert Hoyle stepped in at 2:33 of the first round of their scheduled four-round bout.
 
In the FOX televised opener, touted lightweight Jose Valenzuela improved to 9-0 (6 KOs) with a fourth-round stoppage over Donte Strayhorn (12-4, 4 KOs).
 
The 22-year-old Valenzuela scored a knockdown early in the first when an overhand left sent Strayhorn staggering back. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. ruled that the ropes held Strayhorn up and administered a standing eight count.
 
In the second, Valenzuela showed poise as he pressed the attack behind his lefty stance. Strayhorn had his moments in the third round. However, the heavier blows came from Valenzuela, who poured it on until the bout’s end at 1:29 of the fourth round.
 
boxing, Fox, Fox Sports 1, Las Vegas, Premier Boxing Champions

ROBERT GUERRERO TRAINING CAMP QUOTES & PHOTOS

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“Victor Ortiz and I are both exciting fighters…everyone knows this is going to be a fan-friendly dog fight,” – Guerrero
 
Former World Champions Robert Guerrero & Victor Ortiz Meet In Clash of All-Action Welterweights Saturday, August 21 on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Undercard from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
 
Click HERE for Photos from Team Guerrero

LAS VEGAS (August 13, 2021) – Former multiple-division world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero previewed his upcoming showdown against fellow all-action brawler “Vicious” Victor Ortiz before they square off on the Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugas FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View undercard Saturday, August 21 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
 
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and MP Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through tmobilearena.com and axs.com.
 
The two former world champions are known for their aggressive styles and have been in numerous Fight of the Year candidates throughout their storied careers. On August 21 they meet looking to score a victory that will put them back in position to vie for a world title once again.
 
Here is what Guerrero had to say about the matchup, training camp and more:
 
On his upcoming matchup with Victor Ortiz:
 
“This fight has been a long-time coming, as I remember it was mentioned years ago, but never happened. I am excited for this bout since we both need a win, and the fans are very familiar with both of our styles. Victor Ortiz and I are both exciting fighters, and everyone knows this is going to be a fan friendly dog fight. Fighting Victor is the type of bout that got me excited to have a full professional training camp. I’m grateful to be fighting on this huge FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View card, and I’m going to give it my all.”
 
On his recent training camp with coach and father Ruben Guerrero:
 
“I have been working very hard for this camp, in fact, my father Ruben and I took camp to Las Vegas and brought along some young fighters to keep me motivated. I’ve been getting good sparring with DJ Zamora III, who is very fast. I’m feeding off all the young fighters that are training with me, and that is what keeps me fresh. You need to be around hungry fighters who are motivated to stay at this level, because it is easy to lose focus if it’s just you in the gym.”
 
On returning to the ring after a long layoff:
 
“At this point in my career, it is about getting the best fights. I got the rust off and now it’s about getting fights that get me and the fans excited. Everyone knows that when I fight, I bring it, and Victor Ortiz is an exciting fighter as well. I am at a point where I have done a lot in the sport, so I am not going to be fighting every other month like when I was a prospect. When you know how to fight, a layoff isn’t always a bad thing.”
 
On what a win will do for his career:
 
“A win here puts me in a position to get in contention for a world title, and that should be the goal of everyone who is fighting, to win a world title. If you’re not fighting to win a world title, you shouldn’t be in the sport. I want to win at least one more world title before it’s all said and done. It’s a lofty goal, but I believe in myself.”




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ABOUT PACQUIAO VS. UGÁS
Pacquiao vs. Ugás will see eight-division world champion and Philippine Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao taking on WBA Welterweight World Champion Yordenis Ugás in the FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View main event Saturday, August 21 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
 
The pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will see former world champions and all-action brawlers Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and “Vicious” Víctor Ortiz meet in a 10-round welterweight duel, unbeaten featherweight contender Mark Magsayo battle former world champion Julio Ceja in a WBC Featherweight Title Eliminator, plus undefeated contender Carlos Castro will take on former title challenger Óscar Escandón in a 10-round featherweight attraction that kicks off the pay-per-view.
 
How to Watch the Saturday, August 21, FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Fight 
Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugas
Main Card: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
 
TV: Available on all major U.S. & Canadian PPV providers, including
Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Fios, and Optimum, among others (U.S.);
as well as Rogers, Bell, Shaw, SaskTel and TELUS (Canada)
 
Streaming: FOX Sports App and FOXSports.com
 
Suggested retail price: $74.99 (U.S. & Canada)
 
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For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, 
www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.
boxing, Fox, Fox Sports 1

MANNY PACQUIAO VS. YORDENIS UGÁS VIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

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“Ugás is a champion because they gave him my belt. Now, we have to settle it inside of the ring,” – Pacquiao
 
“I’m fighting for my legacy, and for my country. This is the most important fight of my life,” – Ugás
 
Eight-Division Champion Manny Pacquiao Takes on WBA Welterweight World Champion Yordenis Ugás Headlining FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Saturday, August 21 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
 
Click HERE for Virtual Press Conference Recording
(Credit: Premier Boxing Champions; Password: W1Eg&*HL)

LAS VEGAS (August 11, 2021) – Eight-division world champion and Philippine Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and WBA Welterweight World Champion Yordenis Ugás previewed their championship showdown during a virtual press conference on Wednesday before they meet in the FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View main event Saturday, August 21 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
 
Ugás steps up to replace Errol Spence Jr. in the main event, as Spence recovers from an eye injury. Ugás had been preparing to make his first title defense in the co-main event and will now face the boxing legend Pacquiao in a career-defining fight, defending the same title that Pacquiao won when he defeated Keith Thurman in his last fight July 2019.
 
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and MP Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through t-mobilearena.com and axs.com.
 
Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday:
 
MANNY PACQUIAO
 
“I want to say that I’m praying for Errol to make a fast recovery from his injury. Health is always the priority and the most important thing. I did my best in training and in preparation for this fight, so I wanted to make sure my hard work was not wasted.
 
“Ugás was ready to fight and challenge me on August 21. So it’s a great thing that I can show off my hard work in the gym when we face each other on fight night.
 
“I’m not disappointed at all in what happened because my hard work will not be wasted. Ugás stepped up and is bringing his WBA championship into the fight, which I’m excited to fight for.
 
“I always consider myself a bipartisan boxer. I am happy to fight either right-handed or southpaw fighters. It’s no problem for me at all to switch the styles that I’m going to face.
 
“What I can say to the fans is that this is definitely not an easy fight. Ugás is a champion because they gave him my belt. Now, we have to settle it inside of the ring. I cannot take him lightly, because he’s the kind of fighter who will take advantage of that.
 
“I have a lot of people around me that motivate me to win this fight, especially for my family. I’m also very motivated to give the fans a great fight that they’re going to enjoy in the arena or watching on pay-per-view.
 
“In the end, I want to win the belts. I’m so excited for this championship fight and I don’t care if I’m the challenger or champion coming into it. We’ll see who is the champion after August 21.
 
“I know that Ugás is also very prepared for his fight because he was going to be on the undercard. If there was no Ugás on the undercard, it’s possible we would have cancelled the fight. It’s a good thing we had another welterweight champion on the card for this scenario that happened.
 
“The only danger for this fight is the change in stance. Both Spence and Ugás are aggressive fighters, which I like. We can create a lot of great action in the ring that the fans will love.
 
“I would tell the fans not to miss this fight. This is going to be a really good one. I’m sure that me and Ugás are going to give a fight full of action. I’m excited to see everyone in Las Vegas on August 21.”
 
YORDENIS UGÁS
 
“I’m feeling great and super excited to fight on this big stage. I’m ready to go get in the ring on August 21. I couldn’t be more excited for this fight.
 
“When I got the call that I was going to face one of the best fighters in history, it just pushed my excitement to new highs. I can’t wait to show everyone what I’m capable of.
 
“I also want to wish Errol Spence Jr. a safe and fast recovery. I hope he gets healthy soon and we see him back in the ring.
 
“I’m used to taking fights at the last minute. It’s really nothing new to me. Once I knew I was fighting Pacquiao, I got right back to work, because I’m always ready to fight anyone they put in front of me.
 
“I got elevated to being the WBA champion in January, but now we can say that whoever wins on August 21 is the true WBA Welterweight World Champion.
 
“It’s all about making adjustments at this point. I’ve had a lot of experience doing this before fights. It’s happened multiple times, so I’m truly prepared at all times to adjust to whatever comes my way.
 
“Fighting Manny Pacquiao is very significant to me. It means the world to me. I’m not fighting for the money, I’m fighting for my legacy, and for my country. This is the most important fight of my life.
 
“I’m well-aware that Pacquiao is the favorite. But at the same time, I’m a champion. Since I came back five years ago, I’ve overcome so much. I’ve faced so many strong opponents in order to get to where I am today. I have full confidence in myself and my ability to get a victory.
 
“When I went away from boxing, I was focused on family and spending time with my son. At that time, I never thought I would be defending a title against Manny Pacquiao. But for the past five years I’ve been one of the most active and successful boxers out there and I’m ready to prove myself once again.
 
“I’m a fighter not only inside of the ring, but outside of the ring I fight for the freedom of my people. That’s the most important thing to me. I hope everyone fighting for freedom in Cuba is safe and knows that I’ll be fighting for them on Saturday, August 21.
 
“Underestimating Manny Pacquiao is out of the question. He’s going to be ready. I have prepared to face the best so that I can become the best.
 
“This is going to be a great fight for all the fans. I’m planning on leaving everything in the ring. I can guarantee an amazing fight. We’re going to give a big gift to the fans on August 21. I’m leaving my heart out there for all my fans.”
 
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For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, 
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boxing, Fox, Premier Boxing Champions

MANNY PACQUIAO EDGES KEITH THURMAN BY SPLIT DECISION TO CAPTURE WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE IN PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS ON FOX SPORTS PAY-PER-VIEW MAIN EVENT SATURDAY NIGHT FROM THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA IN LAS VEGAS

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Yordenis Ugas Tops Omar Figueroa by Unanimous Decision; Sergey Lipinets Stops Jayar Inson in Two Rounds & Luis Nery Knocks Out Juan Carlos Payano in Ninth Round in Pay-Per-View Undercard

CALEB PLANT RETAINS SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE WITH THIRD-ROUND KNOCKOUT OF MIKE LEE IN FOX PBC FIGHT NIGHT MAIN EVENT PRIOR TO PAY-PER-VIEW

Efe Ajagba Defeats Ali Eren Demirezen by Unanimous Decision in Clash of Unbeaten Heavyweights on FOX

Click HERE for Photos from Stewart Cook/FOX Sports
Password: f0xb0x

Click HERE for Pacquiao vs. Thurman & HERE for Plant vs. Lee Photos from Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions

Click HERE for Photos from Stephanie Trapp/TGB Promotions

Click HERE for Photos from Sean Michael Ham/Mayweather Promotions

LAS VEGAS (July 21, 2019) – Boxing’s only eight-division world champion, Senator Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao dropped Keith “One Time” Thurman in round one and won a close split decision to earn a welterweight world title in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event Saturday night from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
 
“It was fun,” said Pacquiao. “My opponent is a good fighter and boxer. He was strong. I’m not that kind of boxer who talks a lot; we were just promoting the fight. I think he did his best, and I did my best. I think we made the fans happy tonight because it was a good fight.”
 
The sell-out crowd of 14,356 got treated to great action from the start, as an exciting first round was capped off by Pacquiao dropping Thurman for the first time in his career with a straight right hand late in the round.
 
“I knew it was too close,” said Thurman. “He got the knockdown so he had momentum in round one.”
 
Thurman made it into the second round but continued to have trouble with Pacquiao’s right hand, as the future Hall of Famer threw it successfully as a jab and a power punch throughout the fight. Thurman adjusted in the middle rounds and began to try to smother Pacquiao and walk him down, having success when he was able to get his combinations off before his opponent.
 
Despite blood pouring from his nose from round four on, Thurman was able to land powerful combinations on Pacquiao for much of the second half of the fight, but was never able to hurt Pacquiao or score a knockdown of his own.
 
“I wish I had a little bit more output to go toe to toe,” said Thurman. “I felt like he was getting a little bit tired, but he did have experience in the ring. My conditioning and my output was just behind Manny Pacquiao’s. I would love the rematch.”
 
In round 10, Pacquiao’s landed a strong left hook to the body that clearly hurt Thurman and forced him to spend much of the remainder of the round backpedaling. The CompuBox scores were indicative of the close nature of the fight, with Thurman out landing Pacquiao 210 to 195, while Pacquiao was busier throwing 686 punches to 571 from Thurman.
 
“I really love the fans,” said Pacquiao. “Thank you so much for coming here and witnessing the fight. I’m sure they were happy tonight because they saw a good fight. Even though Thurman lost, he did his best. He’s not an easy opponent. He’s a good boxer and he’s strong. I was just blessed tonight.”


Watch the round 10 highlight HERE
 
Pacquiao had a large advantage in jabs landed, connecting on 82 to Thurman’s 18. The 192 power punches landed by Thurman was the most in 43 Pacquiao fights that CompuBox has tracked. Round-by-round, the two fighters were only separated by more than five landed punches in rounds two, seven and nine.
 
After 12 rounds, the judges reached a split decision, with one judge scoring the fight 114-113 for Thurman, overruled by two judges scoring it 115-112 for Pacquiao, who captured the WBA Welterweight World Championship at 40-years-old.
 
“You get blessings and lessons,” said Thurman. “Tonight was a blessing and a lesson. Thank you everybody, and thank you Manny Pacquiao.”
 
“I think (I will fight) next year,” said Pacquiao. “I will go back to the Philippines and work and then make a decision. I do hope to be at the (Errol) Spence vs. (Shawn) Porter fight on September 28.”
 
The co-main event of the pay-per-view saw top contender Yordenis Ugas (24-4, 11 KOs) drop previously unbeaten Omar Figueroa (28-1-1, 19 KOs) on his way to a unanimous decision in their WBC welterweight title eliminator.
 
Ugas got off to a strong start, connecting on a straight right hand that sent Figueroa into the ropes, which he held onto so he didn’t hit the canvas, but enough that referee Russell Mora ruled it a knockdown.
 
“The fight played out how I thought it would,” said Ugas. “I came out strong and Figueroa was tough as well. This was similar to the fight everyone expected. I came out on top.”
 
Watch the highlight of the knockdown HERE
 
Figueroa recovered and was able to make it to round two, where he continued his strategy of coming forward to try to hurt Ugas on the inside. Ugas was able to control that action on the inside, landing numerous uppercuts to stun Figueroa. However, the inside fighting led to Ugas being deducted a point by the referee in round five for holding.
 
“Ugas fought a smart fight,” said Figueroa. “He was smothering me on the inside and holding. I thought the scores were too wide. I was following him and working the whole time. I felt like he only worked the last 30 seconds of the round, but I guess that was all it took.
 
“I didn’t have any problems with his size. I thought I was able to do my thing, but when he was holding me I couldn’t get my offense going.”
 
Despite that, and being warned later in the fight for delivering low blows, Ugas dominated the fight according to CompuBox, out landing Figueroa 229 to 131 and connecting with 28% of his punches, to Figueroa’s 22%.
 
“I knew Figueroa was a tough guy, so I didn’t want to waste my energy trying to take him out early,” said Ugas. “I was ready to go 12 rounds.”
 
After 12 rounds, all three judges scored the fight the same, 119-107 in favor of Ugas, who became the mandatory for the winner of the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter welterweight title unification.
 
“I’m extremely happy to be in this position to fight for the WBC title again,” said Ugas. “I will be ready for the winner of Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter.”
 
Additional action saw former world champion Sergey Lipinets (16-1, 12 KOs) score a highlight-reel knockout against Jayar Inson (18-3, 12 KOs) in the second round of their welterweight matchup.
 
Lipinets was originally scheduled to fight John Molina Jr., before Molina pulled out of the fight Friday morning due to a back injury. Inson, who was scheduled to fight on the non-televised undercard, stepped up to the challenge.
 
“When I first heard the news about Molina, I knew that I wanted to still fight on a show of this magnitude,” said Lipinets. “As far as fighting a southpaw, I’ve had so many amateur fights in my kickboxing career that I had no problem adjusting. It was just a matter of time. I also have sparred with great southpaws like Victor Ortiz throughout my career, so I was comfortable with the change in fighter.”
 
In an exchange early in the second round, Lipinets landed a clean left hook to Inson’s head, which sent the Filipino-fighter to the canvas. Although Inson got to his feet, referee Jay Nady waved off the bout 57 seconds into the round.
 
“I got hit and I slipped, that made it look worse,” said Inson. “When I stood up I thought I was fine and tried to raise my hands and show the referee.”
 
“Joe Goossen is an exceptional trainer and he just told me to work from a different direction facing a southpaw,” said Lipinets. “I just made sure to block his punches with my elbows. That was the only adjustment I had to make and it ended up working just fine.”
 
Watch the Lipinets KO highlight HERE
 
The opening pay-per-view bout saw undefeated former champion Luis Nery (30-0, 24 KOs) deliver a ninth-round knockout of former bantamweight champion Juan Carlos Payano (21-3, 9 KOs).
 
“I wasn’t really paying attention to how long the fight was going, I was just getting into a rhythm as it went on,” said Nery. “I had to work hard to get to him because he’s a good boxer. The longer it went, the better I felt. I put my punches together well once I got going.”
 
In a fast-paced duel of former champions, Payano had success early boxing the aggressive Nery, moving back to avoid his attack and landing his own offense against the knockout artist. Payano out landed or was even in punches landed for each of the first six rounds of the bout.
 
“I’m a warrior and I wanted to keep going and fight back every time he came forward,” said Payano. “My coach wanted me to stay behind my jab a little more.”
 
As the fight grew into the middle rounds, Nery began to increase the offense and was able to land power shots that slowed Payano’s ability to box from the outside. Nery hurt Payano early in round seven, eventually dominating the round, out landing his opponent 22 to 7.
 
“He was a very complicated fighter at the beginning, he’s a veteran, so I had to try to adapt to his style to see how I could get in,” said Nery. “In the fifth or sixth round I started gaining control of the fight and then that left hook came to the body which was devastating.”
 
“During the exchanges it was Nery’s second shot that was getting in,” said Payano. “We corrected the issue but then that body shot came in from nowhere and hit me in a rib that I had broken years ago against Raushee Warren.”
 
Round eight saw Nery continue to break Payano down, most notably landing a big left hand midway through the round that caused blood to pour from Payano’s nose. During an exchange in the ninth-round, Payano landed a devastating left hook to the ribs that put Payano down. He was unable to recover and referee Vic Drakulich halted the bout 1:43 into the round.
 
“I wanted to get him out early,” said Nery. “But this showed that I do have the experience to go into the later rounds and still take out my opponent. I showed that I have good defense and can make adjustments.”
 
Watch Nery’s knockout HERE
 
The FOX PBC Fight Night main event on FOX and FOX Deportes saw IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant (19-0, 11 KOs) retain his title with a dominant third-round knockout over previously unbeaten Mike Lee (21-1, 11 KOs).
 
“It went exactly how I planned it would go,” said Plant. “Absolutely. I’ve been telling you all week it wasn’t going to go 12 rounds and I stuck to my word and I tried to do that. I hope you guys had a good time.”
 
Plant got off to a fast-start, dropping Lee with a left hook late in the first round. The unbeaten challenger was able to recover and survive the round, but was hard-pressed to make up for the hand speed advantage of Plant.
 
You can watch Plant’s first knockdown HERE
 
“I think I have a high boxing IQ and I do this at a really high level,” said Plant. “So it was just about making adjustments. He’s a big, strong guy and he just came in here to give it his all.”
 
Lee looked to charge in hard against Plant and use his size and power to land a big shot and change the momentum of the fight. Plant was sharp and avoided the looping right hands that Lee was attacking with.
 
“The speed was the difference, he’s fast and very accurate,” said Lee. “I had some success with my right hands but wasn’t able to be consistent with it.”
 
In round three, Plant landed a vicious right hook early in the round that put Lee down for the second time. After a left hook appeared to connect and send Lee down a second time, referee Robert Byrd ruled it had come from a push and continued the fight once Lee got to his feet.
 
Plant had his opponent hurt and continued to press forward, eventually landing another left hook that put Lee down, this time forcing the referee to wave off the bout 1:29 into the round.
 
Watch the highlight of Plant’s TKO HERE
 
“I had no issue with the stoppage, that’s the referee’s job and I respect it,” said Lee.
 
After the fight, Benavidez was asked about a possible unification fight against the winner of the just announced Anthony Dirrell vs. David Benavidez WBC Super Middleweight Championship fight.

“Oh yeah, we can definitely unify,” said Plant. “I ain’t hard to get a hold of. I ain’t hard to make a fight with. Come see me. You know my advisor.”
 
The opening bout on FOX and FOX Deportes saw Efe Ajagba (11-0, 9 KOs) score a unanimous decision over Ali Eren Demirezen (11-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round battle of undefeated heavyweights. It was the first time that two unbeaten fighters from the 2016 Olympics faced off as pros.
 
You can find full fight highlights HERE
 
Ajagba used his jab and height effectively throughout the fight, landing 10 of 45 jabs per round, doubling the heavyweight average. However, an elbow injury and the accurate punching of Demirezen forced Ajagba to go the distance for the first time as a pro.
 
“This was the first fighter to take me the distance,” said Ajagba. “He was strong and could take my punches. My trainer just told me to keep using my jab and stay in the middle of the ring. 
 
“I hurt my elbow early on, so I couldn’t shoot my right hand like I wanted. But I won’t use that as an excuse. As a tall man I had to use the jab and if it went the distance, that was my best way to win.”
 
Demirezen thought the scorecards should have been closer and believed that his performance should have garnered him more than the decision loss. Demirezen was actually the more accurate puncher, landing 26% of his punches to 22% from Ajagba.

“I don’t agree with the scores, especially 99-91” said Demirezen. “It was much closer. I feel that at minimum, it was a draw. I knew I had to knock him out and that a knockout might be easier than winning by points. I thought it was a good performance but I can do better. I’d like to fight in the U.S. again.”
 
Ajagba’s activity from start to finish was impressive, as he threw 877 total punches, landing 191. While Demirezen was not far behind with 149 punches landed, he only out landed Ajagba in three rounds.
 
After 10 rounds of action all three judges scored the fight in favor of Ajagba, by scores of 99-91 twice and 97-93.
 
boxing, Fox, Premier Boxing Champions

KEITH ‘ONE TIME’ THURMAN BREAKS DOWN HIS NINE CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS AND EIGHT TITLE DEFENSES IN ADVANCE OF SATURDAY, JULY 20 SHOWDOWN AGAINST MANNY PACQUIAO

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Pacquiao vs. Thurman Headlines Premier Boxing Champions FOX Sports Pay-Per-View Event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas

“You’re going to see a world class performance on July 20 that has me standing alone on top of the division.” – Thurman
 
ST. PETERSBURG, FL. (July 8, 2019) – Keith “One Time” Thurman’s victories have always been the center of conversation. Even with nine championship fights and eight title defenses already under his belt, his Saturday, July 20 fight against Manny Pacquaio could prove to be the most significant, as he steps onto boxing’s biggest stage looking to capture a momentous victory.
 
Pacquiao vs. Thurman will pit the undefeated WBA Welterweight World Champion Thurman against boxing’s only eight-division world champion and Philippine Senator Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
 
The FOX pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and tickets for the event, which is promoted by MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased online through AXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office.
 
Coming off a majority decision over Josesito Lopez that ended a 22-month ring absence in January, Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs), 30, had won a close unanimous decision over former title holder “Showtime” Shawn Porter in June 2016 and a split-decision over two-division title winner Danny “Swift” Garcia in March 2017, adding Garcia’s WBC crown to his WBA version, before he vacated the WBC title due to injury.
 
Thurman broke down all of his title performances in anticipation of the fight that could cement his place amongst boxing’s best of this era.
 
KO 10 Diego Chaves, July 27, 2013, AT&T Center, San Antonio: The 24-year-old Thurman came off a near-shutout unanimous decision over former champion Jan Zaveck in March 2013 and faced an unbeaten Argentine interim WBA champion who was after his fifth consecutive stoppage win and had knocked out 18 of 22 opponents.
 
Thurman traded early power shots, controlled tempo with his athleticism and boxing ability and floored Chaves with a ninth round left hook to the liver before dropping him for the final time with a right hand in the 10th round. Chaves failed to beat the count as Thurman became a 147-pound titleholder.
 
“The Diego Chaves fight was the biggest fight of my career, elevating me to the WBA interim champion,” said Thurman. “I broke him down round by round and landed a beautiful body shot in the ninth round and after that it was a matter of time. That was a fight that earned me worldwide respect and was the start of everything for me.”
 
TKO 9 Jesus Soto Karass, December 14, 2013, Alamodome, San Antonio:Soto Karass’ previous victory was a 12th-round stoppage of two-time belt holder Andre Berto in a fight that saw him rise from an 11th-round knockdown. Hurt by a hard right in the first round, Thurman recovered, flooring Soto Karass with a left uppercut in the fifth and again from a powerful combination in the ninth as the referee ended matters.
 
“Soto Karass was coming off a victory over Andre Berto which made it an important measuring stick fight for me,” said Thurman, “He did open the fight by tagging me in the first round, but I dropped him in the fifth and again in the ninth and was able to finish him off for my first title defense.”


RTD 3 Julio Diaz, April 26, 2014, StubHub Center, Carson, Calif: In a one-sided beat-down, former champion Diaz took a knee from a left to the temple the second round and retired prior to the fourth from a body shot that caused rib damage. Diaz never fought again.
 
“That was a tremendous fight for me as the headliner in my first main event,” said Thurman. “Diaz was coming off of good showings against Shawn Porter, fighting Porter to a draw once, and Amir Khan, whom he dropped in their fight. I also had the opportunity to make a statement. I did that by stopping him in only three rounds.”
 
UD 12 Leonard Bundu, December 13, 2014, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas: A previously unbeaten 40-year-old switch-hitting veteran, Bundu (31-1-2, 11 KO) was dropped by a first-round right hand in a shutout victory (120-107 three times) for Thurman who ended an eight-month ring absence and was recovering from an injured left shoulder.


“Bundu was a switch-hitting awkward fighter. I switched [to southpaw] on him in the first round and dropped him with a right hand,” said Thurman. “I out boxed him and really gave the world a taste of how good of a boxer I am. It was an easy blowout.”
 
UD 12 Robert Guerrero, March 7, 2015, the MGM Grand Grand Garden Arena: Thurman entered this bout after having been elevated to the full champion before facing Guerrero (32-3-1, 18 KOs), a two-division title winner. He overcame a grotesque hematoma above his left eye from an accidental clash of heads, dropped “The Ghost” in the ninth-round, and lost a combined four rounds in PBC’s first ever main event.
 
“Guerrero had fought Floyd Mayweather and I was happy to have a common opponent with Floyd, so that I could prove to the world that I deserved a shot at Mayweather,” said Thurman. “I had to overcome that adversity of having that hematoma by knocking him down in the ninth round. That fight really raised my stock to another level.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
RTD 7 Luis Collazo, July 11, 2015, USF Sundome, Tampa: Thurman overcame a crippling left hand to the liver in the fifth round to become only the man to stop Collazo, a former champion who had gone the distance in losses to Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, Andre Berto and Amir Khan. In a homecoming fight, Thurman opened a deep gash over Collazo’s right eye with his own left hook, eventually resulting in the southpaw’s retiring on his stool after the seventh round.
 
“I was able to survive that body shot to perform in the next round. The fight was taking its toll on him though. I was becoming more comfortable and accurate as I physically broke him down,” said Thurman. “The arena was electric, and the love was amazing. It was a great homecoming to defend my world title near where I grew up in Clearwater, Florida.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
UD 12 Shawn Porter, June 25, 2016, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York:Thurman overcame a bullish former champion in Porter (26-2-1, 16 KOs) before an electric crowd, winning a give-and-take, blood-and-guts brawl by scores of 115-113, on all three judges’ cards. Highlights were Thurman’s clean right hand-left hook combination that buckled Porter’s knees late in the third round, a 10th-round left hook that did the same, and an even more vicious head-swiveling hook in Round 11 of a Fight of The Year standout from 2016.
 
“Our fight was tough, back and forth, but by no means was Shawn Porter going to take my title,” said Thurman.  “I pushed myself over the final rounds to make sure I’d be victorious in what was one of the ‘Fight of The Year’ contenders that year. That fight proved to everyone that I can win any type of fight, against any type of fighter.”
 
WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS HERE FROM PBC
 
SD 12 Danny Garcia, March 4, 2017, Barclays Center:  Thurman won a clash of 28-year-olds over the then unbeaten Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs), along with the WBC’s crown in just the 10th title unification in division history and only the third between a pair of unbeaten fighters. The crowd of 16,533 represented the highest attended boxing match at Barclays Center to date. Thurman’s movement disrupted the timing of Garcia, a Philadelphia-based fighter who was a unified champion at 140-pounds.

“This was two undefeated welterweights going toe-to-toe in the prime of their careers. Danny Garcia’s a sharp puncher who won the WBC’s vacant title that Floyd Mayweather gave up for retirement,” said Thurman. “But after beating Shawn Porter, I knew Danny would be an easy fight. This was my first chance to beat an undefeated world champion, and I came out swinging on him in round one to make a statement that his world title was about to be mine.”
 
WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS HERE FROM PBC

 
MD 12 Josesito Lopez, January 26, 2019, Barclays Center: Thurman ended an injury-hampered 22-month ring absence against Lopez (36-8, 19 KOs), scoring a second-round knockdown with a left hook, being hurt by a right hand in the seventh, and using his mobility and athleticism down the stretch for the victory.
 
“I was really nervous about making weight after walking around at 182 for the past two years,” said Thurman. “But even though I got hit and hurt in the seventh round, I knew my boxing ability would get me through. It was a relief to make it through that fight feeling strong and healthy and I’ve taken those feelings right into this training camp.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
Manny Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KOs), July 20, 2019, the MGM Grand Garden Arena: The 40-year-old Pacquiao has earned back-to-back victories over former champions by seventh-round TKO over Lucas Matthysse (July 2018) and unanimous decision Adrien Broner (January).
 
“Does Manny belong in the ring with a fighter in his prime? Is Keith Thurman still Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman after some vulnerability against Josesito Lopez?” said Thurman, rhetorically speaking. “Of course, I’d like to get the knockout or TKO, but either way, you’re going to see a world class performance that has me standing alone on top of a division that has so many great fighters. I’m trying to be that great, devastating champion once again, and come July 20, I will prove that I am.”
 
# # # Pacquiao vs. Thurman Headlines Premier Boxing Champions FOX Sports Pay-Per-View Event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas

“You’re going to see a world class performance on July 20 that has me standing alone on top of the division.” – Thurman
 
ST. PETERSBURG, FL. (July 8, 2019) – Keith “One Time” Thurman’s victories have always been the center of conversation. Even with nine championship fights and eight title defenses already under his belt, his Saturday, July 20 fight against Manny Pacquaio could prove to be the most significant, as he steps onto boxing’s biggest stage looking to capture a momentous victory.
 
Pacquiao vs. Thurman will pit the undefeated WBA Welterweight World Champion Thurman against boxing’s only eight-division world champion and Philippine Senator Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
 
The FOX pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and tickets for the event, which is promoted by MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased online through AXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office.
 
Coming off a majority decision over Josesito Lopez that ended a 22-month ring absence in January, Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs), 30, had won a close unanimous decision over former title holder “Showtime” Shawn Porter in June 2016 and a split-decision over two-division title winner Danny “Swift” Garcia in March 2017, adding Garcia’s WBC crown to his WBA version, before he vacated the WBC title due to injury.
 
Thurman broke down all of his title performances in anticipation of the fight that could cement his place amongst boxing’s best of this era.
 
KO 10 Diego Chaves, July 27, 2013, AT&T Center, San Antonio: The 24-year-old Thurman came off a near-shutout unanimous decision over former champion Jan Zaveck in March 2013 and faced an unbeaten Argentine interim WBA champion who was after his fifth consecutive stoppage win and had knocked out 18 of 22 opponents.
 
Thurman traded early power shots, controlled tempo with his athleticism and boxing ability and floored Chaves with a ninth round left hook to the liver before dropping him for the final time with a right hand in the 10th round. Chaves failed to beat the count as Thurman became a 147-pound titleholder.
 
“The Diego Chaves fight was the biggest fight of my career, elevating me to the WBA interim champion,” said Thurman. “I broke him down round by round and landed a beautiful body shot in the ninth round and after that it was a matter of time. That was a fight that earned me worldwide respect and was the start of everything for me.”
 
TKO 9 Jesus Soto Karass, December 14, 2013, Alamodome, San Antonio:Soto Karass’ previous victory was a 12th-round stoppage of two-time belt holder Andre Berto in a fight that saw him rise from an 11th-round knockdown. Hurt by a hard right in the first round, Thurman recovered, flooring Soto Karass with a left uppercut in the fifth and again from a powerful combination in the ninth as the referee ended matters.
 
“Soto Karass was coming off a victory over Andre Berto which made it an important measuring stick fight for me,” said Thurman, “He did open the fight by tagging me in the first round, but I dropped him in the fifth and again in the ninth and was able to finish him off for my first title defense.”


RTD 3 Julio Diaz, April 26, 2014, StubHub Center, Carson, Calif: In a one-sided beat-down, former champion Diaz took a knee from a left to the temple the second round and retired prior to the fourth from a body shot that caused rib damage. Diaz never fought again.
 
“That was a tremendous fight for me as the headliner in my first main event,” said Thurman. “Diaz was coming off of good showings against Shawn Porter, fighting Porter to a draw once, and Amir Khan, whom he dropped in their fight. I also had the opportunity to make a statement. I did that by stopping him in only three rounds.”
 
UD 12 Leonard Bundu, December 13, 2014, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas: A previously unbeaten 40-year-old switch-hitting veteran, Bundu (31-1-2, 11 KO) was dropped by a first-round right hand in a shutout victory (120-107 three times) for Thurman who ended an eight-month ring absence and was recovering from an injured left shoulder.


“Bundu was a switch-hitting awkward fighter. I switched [to southpaw] on him in the first round and dropped him with a right hand,” said Thurman. “I out boxed him and really gave the world a taste of how good of a boxer I am. It was an easy blowout.”
 
UD 12 Robert Guerrero, March 7, 2015, the MGM Grand Grand Garden Arena: Thurman entered this bout after having been elevated to the full champion before facing Guerrero (32-3-1, 18 KOs), a two-division title winner. He overcame a grotesque hematoma above his left eye from an accidental clash of heads, dropped “The Ghost” in the ninth-round, and lost a combined four rounds in PBC’s first ever main event.
 
“Guerrero had fought Floyd Mayweather and I was happy to have a common opponent with Floyd, so that I could prove to the world that I deserved a shot at Mayweather,” said Thurman. “I had to overcome that adversity of having that hematoma by knocking him down in the ninth round. That fight really raised my stock to another level.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
RTD 7 Luis Collazo, July 11, 2015, USF Sundome, Tampa: Thurman overcame a crippling left hand to the liver in the fifth round to become only the man to stop Collazo, a former champion who had gone the distance in losses to Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, Andre Berto and Amir Khan. In a homecoming fight, Thurman opened a deep gash over Collazo’s right eye with his own left hook, eventually resulting in the southpaw’s retiring on his stool after the seventh round.
 
“I was able to survive that body shot to perform in the next round. The fight was taking its toll on him though. I was becoming more comfortable and accurate as I physically broke him down,” said Thurman. “The arena was electric, and the love was amazing. It was a great homecoming to defend my world title near where I grew up in Clearwater, Florida.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
UD 12 Shawn Porter, June 25, 2016, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York:Thurman overcame a bullish former champion in Porter (26-2-1, 16 KOs) before an electric crowd, winning a give-and-take, blood-and-guts brawl by scores of 115-113, on all three judges’ cards. Highlights were Thurman’s clean right hand-left hook combination that buckled Porter’s knees late in the third round, a 10th-round left hook that did the same, and an even more vicious head-swiveling hook in Round 11 of a Fight of The Year standout from 2016.
 
“Our fight was tough, back and forth, but by no means was Shawn Porter going to take my title,” said Thurman.  “I pushed myself over the final rounds to make sure I’d be victorious in what was one of the ‘Fight of The Year’ contenders that year. That fight proved to everyone that I can win any type of fight, against any type of fighter.”
 
WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS HERE FROM PBC
 
SD 12 Danny Garcia, March 4, 2017, Barclays Center:  Thurman won a clash of 28-year-olds over the then unbeaten Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs), along with the WBC’s crown in just the 10th title unification in division history and only the third between a pair of unbeaten fighters. The crowd of 16,533 represented the highest attended boxing match at Barclays Center to date. Thurman’s movement disrupted the timing of Garcia, a Philadelphia-based fighter who was a unified champion at 140-pounds.

“This was two undefeated welterweights going toe-to-toe in the prime of their careers. Danny Garcia’s a sharp puncher who won the WBC’s vacant title that Floyd Mayweather gave up for retirement,” said Thurman. “But after beating Shawn Porter, I knew Danny would be an easy fight. This was my first chance to beat an undefeated world champion, and I came out swinging on him in round one to make a statement that his world title was about to be mine.”
 
WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS HERE FROM PBC

 
MD 12 Josesito Lopez, January 26, 2019, Barclays Center: Thurman ended an injury-hampered 22-month ring absence against Lopez (36-8, 19 KOs), scoring a second-round knockdown with a left hook, being hurt by a right hand in the seventh, and using his mobility and athleticism down the stretch for the victory.
 
“I was really nervous about making weight after walking around at 182 for the past two years,” said Thurman. “But even though I got hit and hurt in the seventh round, I knew my boxing ability would get me through. It was a relief to make it through that fight feeling strong and healthy and I’ve taken those feelings right into this training camp.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
Manny Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KOs), July 20, 2019, the MGM Grand Garden Arena: The 40-year-old Pacquiao has earned back-to-back victories over former champions by seventh-round TKO over Lucas Matthysse (July 2018) and unanimous decision Adrien Broner (January).
 
“Does Manny belong in the ring with a fighter in his prime? Is Keith Thurman still Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman after some vulnerability against Josesito Lopez?” said Thurman, rhetorically speaking. “Of course, I’d like to get the knockout or TKO, but either way, you’re going to see a world class performance that has me standing alone on top of a division that has so many great fighters. I’m trying to be that great, devastating champion once again, and come July 20, I will prove that I am.”
 
# # # Pacquiao vs. Thurman Headlines Premier Boxing Champions FOX Sports Pay-Per-View Event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas

“You’re going to see a world class performance on July 20 that has me standing alone on top of the division.” – Thurman
 
ST. PETERSBURG, FL. (July 8, 2019) – Keith “One Time” Thurman’s victories have always been the center of conversation. Even with nine championship fights and eight title defenses already under his belt, his Saturday, July 20 fight against Manny Pacquaio could prove to be the most significant, as he steps onto boxing’s biggest stage looking to capture a momentous victory.
 
Pacquiao vs. Thurman will pit the undefeated WBA Welterweight World Champion Thurman against boxing’s only eight-division world champion and Philippine Senator Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
 
The FOX pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and tickets for the event, which is promoted by MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased online through AXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office.
 
Coming off a majority decision over Josesito Lopez that ended a 22-month ring absence in January, Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs), 30, had won a close unanimous decision over former title holder “Showtime” Shawn Porter in June 2016 and a split-decision over two-division title winner Danny “Swift” Garcia in March 2017, adding Garcia’s WBC crown to his WBA version, before he vacated the WBC title due to injury.
 
Thurman broke down all of his title performances in anticipation of the fight that could cement his place amongst boxing’s best of this era.
 
KO 10 Diego Chaves, July 27, 2013, AT&T Center, San Antonio: The 24-year-old Thurman came off a near-shutout unanimous decision over former champion Jan Zaveck in March 2013 and faced an unbeaten Argentine interim WBA champion who was after his fifth consecutive stoppage win and had knocked out 18 of 22 opponents.
 
Thurman traded early power shots, controlled tempo with his athleticism and boxing ability and floored Chaves with a ninth round left hook to the liver before dropping him for the final time with a right hand in the 10th round. Chaves failed to beat the count as Thurman became a 147-pound titleholder.
 
“The Diego Chaves fight was the biggest fight of my career, elevating me to the WBA interim champion,” said Thurman. “I broke him down round by round and landed a beautiful body shot in the ninth round and after that it was a matter of time. That was a fight that earned me worldwide respect and was the start of everything for me.”
 
TKO 9 Jesus Soto Karass, December 14, 2013, Alamodome, San Antonio:Soto Karass’ previous victory was a 12th-round stoppage of two-time belt holder Andre Berto in a fight that saw him rise from an 11th-round knockdown. Hurt by a hard right in the first round, Thurman recovered, flooring Soto Karass with a left uppercut in the fifth and again from a powerful combination in the ninth as the referee ended matters.
 
“Soto Karass was coming off a victory over Andre Berto which made it an important measuring stick fight for me,” said Thurman, “He did open the fight by tagging me in the first round, but I dropped him in the fifth and again in the ninth and was able to finish him off for my first title defense.”


RTD 3 Julio Diaz, April 26, 2014, StubHub Center, Carson, Calif: In a one-sided beat-down, former champion Diaz took a knee from a left to the temple the second round and retired prior to the fourth from a body shot that caused rib damage. Diaz never fought again.
 
“That was a tremendous fight for me as the headliner in my first main event,” said Thurman. “Diaz was coming off of good showings against Shawn Porter, fighting Porter to a draw once, and Amir Khan, whom he dropped in their fight. I also had the opportunity to make a statement. I did that by stopping him in only three rounds.”
 
UD 12 Leonard Bundu, December 13, 2014, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas: A previously unbeaten 40-year-old switch-hitting veteran, Bundu (31-1-2, 11 KO) was dropped by a first-round right hand in a shutout victory (120-107 three times) for Thurman who ended an eight-month ring absence and was recovering from an injured left shoulder.


“Bundu was a switch-hitting awkward fighter. I switched [to southpaw] on him in the first round and dropped him with a right hand,” said Thurman. “I out boxed him and really gave the world a taste of how good of a boxer I am. It was an easy blowout.”
 
UD 12 Robert Guerrero, March 7, 2015, the MGM Grand Grand Garden Arena: Thurman entered this bout after having been elevated to the full champion before facing Guerrero (32-3-1, 18 KOs), a two-division title winner. He overcame a grotesque hematoma above his left eye from an accidental clash of heads, dropped “The Ghost” in the ninth-round, and lost a combined four rounds in PBC’s first ever main event.
 
“Guerrero had fought Floyd Mayweather and I was happy to have a common opponent with Floyd, so that I could prove to the world that I deserved a shot at Mayweather,” said Thurman. “I had to overcome that adversity of having that hematoma by knocking him down in the ninth round. That fight really raised my stock to another level.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
RTD 7 Luis Collazo, July 11, 2015, USF Sundome, Tampa: Thurman overcame a crippling left hand to the liver in the fifth round to become only the man to stop Collazo, a former champion who had gone the distance in losses to Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, Andre Berto and Amir Khan. In a homecoming fight, Thurman opened a deep gash over Collazo’s right eye with his own left hook, eventually resulting in the southpaw’s retiring on his stool after the seventh round.
 
“I was able to survive that body shot to perform in the next round. The fight was taking its toll on him though. I was becoming more comfortable and accurate as I physically broke him down,” said Thurman. “The arena was electric, and the love was amazing. It was a great homecoming to defend my world title near where I grew up in Clearwater, Florida.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
UD 12 Shawn Porter, June 25, 2016, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York:Thurman overcame a bullish former champion in Porter (26-2-1, 16 KOs) before an electric crowd, winning a give-and-take, blood-and-guts brawl by scores of 115-113, on all three judges’ cards. Highlights were Thurman’s clean right hand-left hook combination that buckled Porter’s knees late in the third round, a 10th-round left hook that did the same, and an even more vicious head-swiveling hook in Round 11 of a Fight of The Year standout from 2016.
 
“Our fight was tough, back and forth, but by no means was Shawn Porter going to take my title,” said Thurman.  “I pushed myself over the final rounds to make sure I’d be victorious in what was one of the ‘Fight of The Year’ contenders that year. That fight proved to everyone that I can win any type of fight, against any type of fighter.”
 
WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS HERE FROM PBC
 
SD 12 Danny Garcia, March 4, 2017, Barclays Center:  Thurman won a clash of 28-year-olds over the then unbeaten Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs), along with the WBC’s crown in just the 10th title unification in division history and only the third between a pair of unbeaten fighters. The crowd of 16,533 represented the highest attended boxing match at Barclays Center to date. Thurman’s movement disrupted the timing of Garcia, a Philadelphia-based fighter who was a unified champion at 140-pounds.

“This was two undefeated welterweights going toe-to-toe in the prime of their careers. Danny Garcia’s a sharp puncher who won the WBC’s vacant title that Floyd Mayweather gave up for retirement,” said Thurman. “But after beating Shawn Porter, I knew Danny would be an easy fight. This was my first chance to beat an undefeated world champion, and I came out swinging on him in round one to make a statement that his world title was about to be mine.”
 
WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS HERE FROM PBC

 
MD 12 Josesito Lopez, January 26, 2019, Barclays Center: Thurman ended an injury-hampered 22-month ring absence against Lopez (36-8, 19 KOs), scoring a second-round knockdown with a left hook, being hurt by a right hand in the seventh, and using his mobility and athleticism down the stretch for the victory.
 
“I was really nervous about making weight after walking around at 182 for the past two years,” said Thurman. “But even though I got hit and hurt in the seventh round, I knew my boxing ability would get me through. It was a relief to make it through that fight feeling strong and healthy and I’ve taken those feelings right into this training camp.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
Manny Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KOs), July 20, 2019, the MGM Grand Garden Arena: The 40-year-old Pacquiao has earned back-to-back victories over former champions by seventh-round TKO over Lucas Matthysse (July 2018) and unanimous decision Adrien Broner (January).
 
“Does Manny belong in the ring with a fighter in his prime? Is Keith Thurman still Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman after some vulnerability against Josesito Lopez?” said Thurman, rhetorically speaking. “Of course, I’d like to get the knockout or TKO, but either way, you’re going to see a world class performance that has me standing alone on top of a division that has so many great fighters. I’m trying to be that great, devastating champion once again, and come July 20, I will prove that I am.”
 
# # # Pacquiao vs. Thurman Headlines Premier Boxing Champions FOX Sports Pay-Per-View Event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas

“You’re going to see a world class performance on July 20 that has me standing alone on top of the division.” – Thurman
 
ST. PETERSBURG, FL. (July 8, 2019) – Keith “One Time” Thurman’s victories have always been the center of conversation. Even with nine championship fights and eight title defenses already under his belt, his Saturday, July 20 fight against Manny Pacquaio could prove to be the most significant, as he steps onto boxing’s biggest stage looking to capture a momentous victory.
 
Pacquiao vs. Thurman will pit the undefeated WBA Welterweight World Champion Thurman against boxing’s only eight-division world champion and Philippine Senator Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
 
The FOX pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and tickets for the event, which is promoted by MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased online through AXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office.
 
Coming off a majority decision over Josesito Lopez that ended a 22-month ring absence in January, Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs), 30, had won a close unanimous decision over former title holder “Showtime” Shawn Porter in June 2016 and a split-decision over two-division title winner Danny “Swift” Garcia in March 2017, adding Garcia’s WBC crown to his WBA version, before he vacated the WBC title due to injury.
 
Thurman broke down all of his title performances in anticipation of the fight that could cement his place amongst boxing’s best of this era.
 
KO 10 Diego Chaves, July 27, 2013, AT&T Center, San Antonio: The 24-year-old Thurman came off a near-shutout unanimous decision over former champion Jan Zaveck in March 2013 and faced an unbeaten Argentine interim WBA champion who was after his fifth consecutive stoppage win and had knocked out 18 of 22 opponents.
 
Thurman traded early power shots, controlled tempo with his athleticism and boxing ability and floored Chaves with a ninth round left hook to the liver before dropping him for the final time with a right hand in the 10th round. Chaves failed to beat the count as Thurman became a 147-pound titleholder.
 
“The Diego Chaves fight was the biggest fight of my career, elevating me to the WBA interim champion,” said Thurman. “I broke him down round by round and landed a beautiful body shot in the ninth round and after that it was a matter of time. That was a fight that earned me worldwide respect and was the start of everything for me.”
 
TKO 9 Jesus Soto Karass, December 14, 2013, Alamodome, San Antonio:Soto Karass’ previous victory was a 12th-round stoppage of two-time belt holder Andre Berto in a fight that saw him rise from an 11th-round knockdown. Hurt by a hard right in the first round, Thurman recovered, flooring Soto Karass with a left uppercut in the fifth and again from a powerful combination in the ninth as the referee ended matters.
 
“Soto Karass was coming off a victory over Andre Berto which made it an important measuring stick fight for me,” said Thurman, “He did open the fight by tagging me in the first round, but I dropped him in the fifth and again in the ninth and was able to finish him off for my first title defense.”


RTD 3 Julio Diaz, April 26, 2014, StubHub Center, Carson, Calif: In a one-sided beat-down, former champion Diaz took a knee from a left to the temple the second round and retired prior to the fourth from a body shot that caused rib damage. Diaz never fought again.
 
“That was a tremendous fight for me as the headliner in my first main event,” said Thurman. “Diaz was coming off of good showings against Shawn Porter, fighting Porter to a draw once, and Amir Khan, whom he dropped in their fight. I also had the opportunity to make a statement. I did that by stopping him in only three rounds.”
 
UD 12 Leonard Bundu, December 13, 2014, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas: A previously unbeaten 40-year-old switch-hitting veteran, Bundu (31-1-2, 11 KO) was dropped by a first-round right hand in a shutout victory (120-107 three times) for Thurman who ended an eight-month ring absence and was recovering from an injured left shoulder.


“Bundu was a switch-hitting awkward fighter. I switched [to southpaw] on him in the first round and dropped him with a right hand,” said Thurman. “I out boxed him and really gave the world a taste of how good of a boxer I am. It was an easy blowout.”
 
UD 12 Robert Guerrero, March 7, 2015, the MGM Grand Grand Garden Arena: Thurman entered this bout after having been elevated to the full champion before facing Guerrero (32-3-1, 18 KOs), a two-division title winner. He overcame a grotesque hematoma above his left eye from an accidental clash of heads, dropped “The Ghost” in the ninth-round, and lost a combined four rounds in PBC’s first ever main event.
 
“Guerrero had fought Floyd Mayweather and I was happy to have a common opponent with Floyd, so that I could prove to the world that I deserved a shot at Mayweather,” said Thurman. “I had to overcome that adversity of having that hematoma by knocking him down in the ninth round. That fight really raised my stock to another level.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
RTD 7 Luis Collazo, July 11, 2015, USF Sundome, Tampa: Thurman overcame a crippling left hand to the liver in the fifth round to become only the man to stop Collazo, a former champion who had gone the distance in losses to Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, Andre Berto and Amir Khan. In a homecoming fight, Thurman opened a deep gash over Collazo’s right eye with his own left hook, eventually resulting in the southpaw’s retiring on his stool after the seventh round.
 
“I was able to survive that body shot to perform in the next round. The fight was taking its toll on him though. I was becoming more comfortable and accurate as I physically broke him down,” said Thurman. “The arena was electric, and the love was amazing. It was a great homecoming to defend my world title near where I grew up in Clearwater, Florida.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
UD 12 Shawn Porter, June 25, 2016, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York:Thurman overcame a bullish former champion in Porter (26-2-1, 16 KOs) before an electric crowd, winning a give-and-take, blood-and-guts brawl by scores of 115-113, on all three judges’ cards. Highlights were Thurman’s clean right hand-left hook combination that buckled Porter’s knees late in the third round, a 10th-round left hook that did the same, and an even more vicious head-swiveling hook in Round 11 of a Fight of The Year standout from 2016.
 
“Our fight was tough, back and forth, but by no means was Shawn Porter going to take my title,” said Thurman.  “I pushed myself over the final rounds to make sure I’d be victorious in what was one of the ‘Fight of The Year’ contenders that year. That fight proved to everyone that I can win any type of fight, against any type of fighter.”
 
WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS HERE FROM PBC
 
SD 12 Danny Garcia, March 4, 2017, Barclays Center:  Thurman won a clash of 28-year-olds over the then unbeaten Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs), along with the WBC’s crown in just the 10th title unification in division history and only the third between a pair of unbeaten fighters. The crowd of 16,533 represented the highest attended boxing match at Barclays Center to date. Thurman’s movement disrupted the timing of Garcia, a Philadelphia-based fighter who was a unified champion at 140-pounds.

“This was two undefeated welterweights going toe-to-toe in the prime of their careers. Danny Garcia’s a sharp puncher who won the WBC’s vacant title that Floyd Mayweather gave up for retirement,” said Thurman. “But after beating Shawn Porter, I knew Danny would be an easy fight. This was my first chance to beat an undefeated world champion, and I came out swinging on him in round one to make a statement that his world title was about to be mine.”
 
WATCH FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS HERE FROM PBC

 
MD 12 Josesito Lopez, January 26, 2019, Barclays Center: Thurman ended an injury-hampered 22-month ring absence against Lopez (36-8, 19 KOs), scoring a second-round knockdown with a left hook, being hurt by a right hand in the seventh, and using his mobility and athleticism down the stretch for the victory.
 
“I was really nervous about making weight after walking around at 182 for the past two years,” said Thurman. “But even though I got hit and hurt in the seventh round, I knew my boxing ability would get me through. It was a relief to make it through that fight feeling strong and healthy and I’ve taken those feelings right into this training camp.”
 
WATCH FULL FIGHT HERE FROM PBC
 
Manny Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KOs), July 20, 2019, the MGM Grand Garden Arena: The 40-year-old Pacquiao has earned back-to-back victories over former champions by seventh-round TKO over Lucas Matthysse (July 2018) and unanimous decision Adrien Broner (January).
 
“Does Manny belong in the ring with a fighter in his prime? Is Keith Thurman still Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman after some vulnerability against Josesito Lopez?” said Thurman, rhetorically speaking. “Of course, I’d like to get the knockout or TKO, but either way, you’re going to see a world class performance that has me standing alone on top of a division that has so many great fighters. I’m trying to be that great, devastating champion once again, and come July 20, I will prove that I am.”
 
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boxing, Fox, Premier Boxing Champions

Multiple-Division World Champion Robert Guerrero & Former Featherweight World Champion Jesus Cuellar Enter the Ring In Separate Matches to Lead a Packed Undercard on Saturday, March 9 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California

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WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter Makes First Title Defense Against Mandatory Challenger Yordenis Ugas in Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes Main Event
 
CARSON, Calif. (March 4, 2019) – Multiple-division world champion Robert Guerrero returns to the ring to battle Colombia’s Hevinson Herrera in a 10-round welterweight bout, while former featherweight world champion Jesus Cuellar duels Colombia’s Carlos Padilla in an eight-round lightweight bout to lead a packed undercard on Saturday, March 9 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

 
The event is headlined by PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes show that will see WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter making his first title defense in primetime against mandatory challenger Yordenis Ugas in the main event of the broadcast beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Televised prelims on FS1 feature undefeated bantamweight prospect Damien Vazquez battles former world champion Juan Carlos Payano in an eight or 10-round attraction, while unbeaten welterweight prospect and 2016 Lithuanian Olympian Eimantas Stanionis will face once-beaten Sammy Figueroa in an eight round showdown on the telecast beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
 
In other undercard action, undefeated lightweight Rolando Romero (7-0, 6 KOs) meets Nicolas A. Velazquez (10-4, 3 KOs) in a four or six-round match that will be the TV swing bout on the FOX telecast and unbeaten featherweight Isaac Avelar(15-0, 10 KOs) clashes with Juan Antonio Lopez (12-5, 4 KOs) in a six or eight-round match that will be the TV swing bout on the FS1 prelims broadcast.
 
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com.
 
The 35-year-old Guerrero (34-6-1, 19 KOs) has a rich career filled with intriguing matches against some of the best boxers of this generation – Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia – and has won titles at featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight and welterweight. Fighting out of Gilroy, California, he will be taking on Herrera (24-16-1, 18 KOs) following a knockout victory over Adam Mates in December.
 
Cuellar (28-3, 21 KOs), who is from Buenos Aires, Argentina, won an interim featherweight title by defeating Claudio Marrero in 2013 that was eventually made the regular title as he made five successful defenses. He dropped the title the next year with a split decision loss to Abner Mares and followed that up with a TKO loss in a junior lightweight championship match against Gervonta Davis last April. The 33-year-old Cuellar is seeking to get back into the world title picture but first will have to get past Padilla (16-9-1, 10 KOs).
 
In other undercard bouts unbeaten super featherweight Viktor Slavinskyi (7-0-1, 4 KOs) takes on Mexico’s Angel Morrell (11-11-2, 4 KOs) in a six-round match, super featherweight prospect Jose Perez (6-1, 2 KOs) battles Carlos Trevino (6-13-1, 1 KO) in a four-round bout, unbeaten super lightweight prospect Ruben Rodriguez (4-0, 2 KOs) meets Jeremiah De Los Santos of Brownsville, Texas, who will be making his pro debut in the four-round bout.
 
Rounding out the action is unbeaten super lightweight prospect Justin Cardonadueling Phillip Bounds in a four-round affair, plus a pair of lightweights will be making their pro debuts as David Gomez of Huntington Park, California battles George Carranza in a four-round fight and Gabriel Muratalla of Fontana, California steps in for a four-round lightweight fight against Bryann Perez.
 
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boxing, Fox, Premier Boxing Champions

Unbeaten Bantamweight Damien Vazquez Takes on Former Champion Juan Carlos Payano & Rising Welterweight Prospect & 2016 Lithuanian Olympian Eimantas Stanionis Battles Once-Beaten Sammy Figueroa Saturday, March 9 in Premier Boxing Champions Prelims on FS1

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Beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT From
Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.

WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter Makes First
Title Defense Against Mandatory Challenger Yordenis Ugas in
Premier Boxing Champions on FOX & FOX Deportes Main Event

CARSON, Calif. (February 19, 2019) – Undefeated bantamweight prospect Damien Vazquez battles former world champion Juan Carlos Payano in an eight or 10-round attraction while unbeaten welterweight prospect and 2016 Lithuanian OlympianEimantas Stanionis will face once-beaten Sammy Figueroa in an eight-round fight on Premier Boxing Champions Prelims on FS1 Saturday, March 9 live from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California.
 
Prelims begin at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT and lead into a PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes show that’s headlined by WBC Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter making his first title defense in primetime against mandatory challengerYordenis Ugas.
 
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com.
 
Born in Colorado and training in Las Vegas, Vazquez (14-0, 7 KOs) is the younger brother of former three-time champion Israel Vazquez. The 21-year-old has fought professionally since 2013 and picked up two wins in 2018. He most recently won his first 10-round fight with a unanimous decision over then unbeaten Luis Gollindano last April.
 
Payano (20-2, 9 KOs) became a world champion in 2014 when he defeated Anselmo Moreno by technical decision before defending and then losing the title in a pair of exciting fights against Rau’shee Warren. Originally from the Dominican Republic, but training in Miami, Payano put together three-straight victories before losing a title challenge to unbeaten Naoya Inoue last October.
 
After representing his native Lithuania at the 2016 Olympics, Stanionis (7-0, 5 KOs) relocated to Southern California where he has trained while compiling his unbeaten record. The 24-year-old took a step up in competition last time out and dominated tough veteran Levan Ghvamichava to earn an eight-round unanimous decision last August on FS1.
 
The 28-year-old Figueroa (11-1, 4 KOs) returns to action for the first time since defeating Ismay Eynullayev in March 2017. The Puerto Rican fighter had picked up wins over previously unbeaten foes Javontae Starks and Fernando Paliza before suffering his only defeat to Miguel Cruz in May 2016.
 
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boxing, Fox, Premier Boxing Champions

FRANCISCO ‘CHIA’ SANTANA TO MAKE PBC DEBUT

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WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER ADDED TO THE TELEVISED UNDERCARD OF PORTER VS. UGAS – LIVE ON FOX – MARCH 9TH



Ventura, California: February 18, 2019


Francisco ‘Chia’ Santana (25-6-1, 12 KOs) will make his PBC debut on the televised undercard of the WBC Welterweight World Championship Fight between Shawn Porter and Yordenis Ugas live on Fox on March 9th at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.


Santana will face Arizona’s Abel Ramos (23-3-2, 18 KOs) in what promises to be an action packed battle between two aggressive fighters both coming off victories, with the winner in line to face an opponent from PBC’s deep welterweight stable later this year.


Santana, who is coming off one of the biggest upsets of 2018 when he defeated Olympic Gold Medalist and world title challenger, Felix Diaz, is currently ranked #14 in the WBC.


“It’s crazy how much can change in a year.” explains, Santana.


“Last year at this time I was coming off back to back controversial losses that I felt I had won. My promoter had dropped me. I couldn’t find a fight. I had been out of the ring for a year. It looked like my career was over. I actually landed the Diaz fight because a friend entered me in an online contest to be an alternate fighter for a WBC tournament. The fans voted me in and when a fighter was injured, I was bumped up into the main tournament. I knew no one was giving me a chance to beat Diaz who was the favorite to win the whole tournament but when I’m overlooked that’s when I’m the most dangerous. The win landed me in the WBC’s Top 15 rankings allowing me to now be able to fight for their world title. I believe I am only one or two fights away from that opportunity and no one is going to stand in my way.”


Having worked with several promoters throughout his 14 year professional career, Santana is happy to be featured on a major Premier Boxing Champions event.


“The amount of world class welterweights that PBC has is unreal, including 4 of the 5 current world champions. It’s literally a who’s who of the division. I’m beyond excited to be able to make my PBC debut on Fox in primetime on the undercard of the WBC welterweight title fight. I have nothing but respect for a fellow hard working fighter like Ramos and I expect a war but I intend to make a statement on March 9th and come out victorious.”


Santana, a Santa Barbara native who lives and trains in Ventura, California atKnuckleHeadz Boxing Gym with trainer, Joseph “Hoss” Janik, is a favorite amongst hardcore boxing fans for his relentless in ring style and his fight anyone, anywhere, anytime attitude that has seen him give multiple future world champions all they could handle. In addition, he’s widely considered one of the friendliest fighters in the entire sport.


“I follow the golden rule. Treat others how you want to be treated. I’m a boxer but I’m a also massive boxing fan. Nothing is better than going to the fights and talking boxing with other fans. I’m no different than them. I wake up and run. I go to work all day with an hour commute back and forth. I hit the gym at night. I spend what little time I have left with my family. Then I go to sleep exhausted. I haven’t caught many breaks in this sport but I still haven’t given up on my dream of being a world champion. In life or in boxing, my motto is train, fight, win. I think that’s something everyone can relate to.”
FRANCISCO ‘CHIA’ SANTANA CAREER HIGHLIGHTS


Former WBA International Champion
Has wins over 4 former world champions and challengers
Has a draw against world title challenger, Julian Williams
Has gone the distance with world champions like Jermell Charlo
Has taken the “O” from 3 different prospects including Eddie Gomez
His 1st round KO of undefeated Kendal Mena was ESPN’s #2 Play of the Day