IBF ORDERS HOLMES vs. LUBIN FOR WORLD TITLE ELIMINATOR
The stakes just got higher for undefeated prospect-turned-contender Andreal “Bossman” Holmes Jr., who is preparing to take on the undefeated Edwin Junior Jimenez of Springfield, Mass., by way of Haiti, on Thursday night, live on DAZN (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT). Should Holmes come out with a win in front of his hometown fans at Dort Financial Center in Flint, Mich., he will challenge the No. 3-ranked super welterweight contender and former WBC silver champion Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin for the No. 1 rank and mandatory position for the IBF 154-pound world title. The IBF informed representatives for Lubin and Holmes late last week. That title is currently held by undefeated, Russian-born Bakhram Murtazaliev who recently devastated and stopped Australian Tim Tszyu inside three rounds.
“I was really excited to hear the news from the IBF,” Holmes said. “It’s hard to put into words, to be honest, because this is everything that I have been working toward. This definitely puts more pressure on my fight this week but it’s good pressure.
“I’ve been in talks with my promoter, Dmitriy, and he’s been telling me he’s working on a significant opportunity so I could feel this coming. But it’s time now to tune everything out and dial in for this week’s fight. Where I am at in my life and in my career, I know that I need to perform at my best in every fight. Edwin is coming to try to beat me and take everything that I’ve been working for, and I am not going to let that happen.
“We’ll revisit my next fight and celebrate this milestone when the time comes. For now, I’ve got some business to tend to in Flint.”
The Salita Promotions boxing series, BIG TIME BOXING USA, is delivering on its mission statement: to present the next generation of prospects and contenders to a national and global audience. Following in the legacy of ShoBox: The New Generation, the renowned prospect-oriented series that ended with Showtime Sports last December, BIG TIME BOXING USA continues to provide a platform for young fighters in important matchups and reveal their compelling backstories along the way.
“We are grateful to receive this recognition from the IBF but we are not surprised,” said Dmitriy Salita, president of Salita Promotions based in Detroit. “This is what we set out to do when we launched the series earlier this year. It is remarkable, however, that we have helped achieve this level of notoriety for Ardreal in less than a year. And we are doing the same for many other fighters, especially, the excellent class of prospects who are coming up in Michigan at this time.”
BERNSTEIN’S “BIG TIME BOXING” PODCAST
Hall of Famer Al Bernstein has launched a new weekly video podcast featuring insightful interviews and commentary titled BIG TIME BOXING. Episodes are available now on the Salita Promotions YouTube channel. Bernstein recently spoke with rising women’s star and top-5 140-pounder Samanta Worthington (9-0, 7 KOs) to discuss her upcoming bout versus Jaica Pavilus (4-6-1, 1 KO) this Thursday. At just 29, Worthington, who goes by Sammy, is on the brink of fighting for a world title, and she shares her journey from amateur champion to professional standout.
Bernstein’s podcast guests are a mix of fighters, fellow commentators and boxing insiders. He recently spoke with legendary boxing commentator Jim Lampley as the two looked back at Lampley’s 50-year career and discussed past legendary fights such as Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas and Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao.
HOW TO WATCH: All of the podcast episodes can be watched on the Salita Promotions YouTube channel HERE. You can follow Bernstein on X @albernstein and on TikTok @AlBernsteinLive.
WORTHINGTON HAS SIGHTS SET ON KATIE TAYLOR
Surging Sammy Worthington (9-0, 7 KOs) from Folsom, Calif., by way of Lexington, Ky., will continue her way up the rankings on Thursday night if she can get past the durable Pavilus (4-6-1, 1 KO) of New York City in a super lightweight bout. The 140-pound division is ruled by unified champion Katie Taylor who made headlines just two weeks ago with her close unanimous decision win over Amanda Serrano in one of the year’s best fights. Worthington and her promoters, Claressa Shields and Dmitriy Salita, believe she is just one or two wins away from earning a mandatory fight with the champ, Taylor.
Worthington is currently ranked No. 2 in the IBF, No. 4 in the WBO and No. 6 in the WBC and WBA at 140 pounds.
WOMEN IN ACTION
In a 10-round off-TV bout, Caroline Veyre (pro: v-air) will step into the ring to face Gabriela Bouvier with the WBC International Featherweight title on the line. Bouvier, a former world champion, is known for her aggressive style and vast championship experience. Having previously shared the ring with current WBC Featherweight World Champion Skye Nicholson and recently competing in a WBC eliminator against Tiara Brown, Bouvier brings undeniable pedigree and grit to the matchup.
But don’t overlook Veyre, the Pan-American champion and Tokyo 2021 Olympian who is ready to make her mark on the international stage. This fight represents a high-stakes test of skill and determination, as Veyre looks to take the next step in her journey toward world championship contention.
CATCH ALL THE ACTION ON DAZN
The night of fights will air live globally on DAZN at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Corey Erdman will handle the blow-by-blow call, with International Boxing Hall of Famer announcer Al Bernstein joined by former IBF Junior Middleweight world champion Raul Marquez handling the commentary.
FOR THOSE IN FLINT Doors open at 5:30 pm ET with the first fight to begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale online HERE or the Dort Financial Center box office.
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ABOUT THIS WEEK’S SHOW
Salita Promotions returns to Flint, Mich., on Thursday, December 12 with the next edition of BIG TIME BOXING USA, the sport’s leading talent developmental series, featuring a fight card loaded with some of boxing’s top prospects, including Michigan’s Ardreal “Bossman” Holmes Jr., Joey Spencer and Da’Velle “Hitman 2.0” Smith.
This will be the sixth BIG TIME BOXING USA card since the series launched in February and is inarguably the series’ strongest lineup to date from top to bottom. All the action takes place at Dort Financial Center in Flint, with the top four bouts airing live on DAZN, the undisputed global home of boxing. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased online or in-person at the Dort Financial Center Box Office.
