PHILADELPHIA (Jan. 13, 2014) – Undefeated Heavyweight contender Bryant “By-By” Jennings (17-0, 9 KOs) is preparing for the biggest fight of his career when he faces fellow unbeaten, polish superstar Artur Szpilka (16-0, 12 KO’s). The bout will take place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, as the co-feature to Garcia vs. Burgos which will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, on Saturday, Jan. 25, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

With less than two weeks away from his showdown with Szpilka, Jennings reflects on training camp, making his HBO debut and fighting at Madison Square Garden for the first time.

“I’ve been in the gym since my last fight back in June so I’m ready to go,” he said. “My trainer Fred Jenkins and I have been grinding, working on new things, trying to improve on what I do best, which is to box my opponents ears off.

“I know Szpilka is a big star in him native country, but his “0” has got to go, and his fans must deal with him losing for the first time. I’m healthy and I feel I’ve improved my ring intelligence since I fought last.

“An opportunity like this, to fight on a big stage like HBO, is a dream come true,” Jennings continued. “When I first stepped in the gym, which was about five years ago, I always envisioned myself fighting on HBO. Now it’s time to show the world what Bryant Jennings is all about. I want to thank my promoters Gary Shaw and Antonio Leonard as well as my manager James Prince for getting me this opportunity. HBO needs some fresh heavyweight talent to showcase and I’m the one to take make it happen. I’m coming to win and win impressively.

“Everyone knows the Madison Square Garden is a place where many fighters have made their name famous. I plan to follow in the footsteps of the greats that have fought there before and continue on my path to greatness. God willing, everything goes as planned. Philadelphia will definitely be in the house and I want to personally thank all my fans for their support,” Jennings concluded.

January 12, 2014 – Gary Shaw Productions, Antonio Leonard Promotions and Team Bryant Jennings are all hoping Artur Szpilka can resolve his visa problems as it was reported that the polish fighter was deported back to his native land after he was stopped by the Department of Homeland Security at O’Hare International Airport. Bryant Jennings is scheduled to face Artur Szpilka on HBO January 25th.

“Team Jennings along with myself and Antonio Leonard are well aware of the visa problems Szpilka is having at the moment,” said Gary Shaw. “We are monitoring the situation very closely with Warriors Boxing Promoter Leon Margolis and hope this problem can get resolved very fast. This is a great fight between two undefeated ranked heavyweights and it would be disappointing if they are not able to fight. We are working endlessly to get Artur’s proper documents approved so they can meet January 25th on HBO.

December 15, 2013 – Gary Shaw of Gary Shaw Productions and Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing are happy to announce an agreement has been reached for rising heavyweight contenders Bryant Jennings (17-0, 9 KOs) and Artur Szpilka (16-0, 12 KOs) to meet in a 10-round showdown on January 25 in New York at Madison Square Garden Arena.

The undefeated pair will meet in an HBO-televised doubleheader, headlined by “Mikey” Garcia’s first defense of his WBO Super Featherweight Championship. The fight will mark the HBO debuts of both fighters.

Co-promoted by Antonio Leonard Promotions, Philadelphia’s Jennings, currently ranked #5 in the WBA and #4 in both the WBC and IBF rankings, will be returning from a seven-month layoff for this fight. Jennings who’s managed by James Prince, who also manages Andre Ward, was last seen in June of this year (his only fight of the year) stopping Russia’s Andrey Fedosov in round six. After competing five times in 2012, the time off has left Jennings eager to get back into the ring.

“It feels like I’ve been caged up for so long,” said Jennings. “I feel like I have all of this intensity built up inside of me and nowhere to release it. My hunger is so strong that not even killing it in the gym is an escape anymore and the only way to satisfy my hunger is to binge, January 25th will be a buffet. With every minute that passes it’s like my hunger grows and that is bad news for Artur Szpilka.”

Warsaw, Poland’s Szpilka, who’s co-promoted by Warriors Boxing and Ulrich Knockout Promotions, is currently rated WBA and WBC #14, was last seen in August, completing a two-fight ESPN-televised series with tough guy Mike Mollo. Szpilka visited the canvas in both fights against Mollo before scoring the KO with his super punching power from the southpaw stance.

“I look forward to the challenge,” said the popular Szpilka of the Jennings fight. “I have been improving with every fight and I am ready for anyone in the world. To take away his ratings in the world by beating him will move my career forward, so that is what I will do.”

“This is an incredible matchup between two undefeated heavyweights on the rise, they are both prideful countrymen and they are both on the fast track to the top,” said Gary Shaw. “Jennings has been on the radar a bit longer, but Szpilka has made a dent over the past year. This fight could steal the show based on the complementary nature of their styles. Bryant could’ve taken a lesser fighter with a more well-known name, or even one of the fading veterans still hanging around the heavyweight division, but instead he decided to get back in the ring and face a strong test. It’s a testament to both his dedication and competitive nature, I think it’s also foreshadowing for the kind of champion he will eventually be.”

“Artur makes all of his fights exciting by fighting to the level of his opponents, so prepare to see the best Artur Szpilka anyone has yet seen in the ring,” said Leon Margules. “He’s a tough Polish fighter with a dynamic style and a charismatic personality. A victory over Jennings will go a long way toward making him the star he was born to become.”

NEW YORK (December 16, 2013) — Undefeated two-division world champion and Ventura County Police and Sheriff’s Reserve Officer Academy graduate MIKEY GARCIA returns to the stage where he won his first world title 12 months earlier — The Theater at Madison Square Garden — only this time he’ll be defending his second world championship belt in as many weight classes. Garcia will put his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight title on the line against two-time world title challenger and current No. 1 contender JUAN CARLOS “Mini” BURGOS. Garcia vs. Burgos will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, Saturday, January 25, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will open with a 10-round battle between undefeated heavyweight contenders BRYANT JENNINGS and ARTUR SZPILKA.

These four warriors have a combined record of 96-1-2 (69 KOs) — a winning percentage of 97% and a victory by knockout ratio of 72%.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Banner Promotions, Thompson Boxing Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions, Warriors Boxing Promotions, Madison Square Garden and Tecate, tickets, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, go on sale This Friday! December 20 at Noon ET — THE perfect holiday gift for boxing fans. Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com. .

The non-televised undercard will feature New York’s favorite light heavyweight, undefeated Top-10 contender “Irish” SEANIE MONAGHAN, 2012 Puerto Rican Olympian and undefeated lightweight contender FELIX VERDEJO and undefeated super middleweight contender JESSE HART, the son of Philadelphia boxing legend Eugene “Cyclone” Hart. The trio of young contenders boast a perfect record of 39-0 (29 KOs).

“We are proud to be presenting Mike Garcia once again,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “We believe Mikey is the next big superstar in boxing and in 2014 that will become evident.”

“We are really excited for Juan Carlos Burgos and his opportunity to win the world title that he should have already had,” said Arthur Pelullo, president of Banner Promotions, who co promotes Burgos with Thompson Boxing Promotions . “Juan was given that very questionable draw against Rocky Martinez last January 25th at The Garden that robbed him of the title. Mikey Garcia is a tremendous fighter, but we feel that Juan has the tools and the experience to get the win and become the new Junior Lightweight Champion of the World.”

“Burgos is primed for a big year in 2014,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing. “He’s one of the more talented boxers in his division and he’ll prove that against Mikey Garcia.”

“I’m happy to be returning to the ring,” said Garcia. ” Burgos is a very good fighter. He did very well against Rocky Martinez at The Garden last January and I think he is deserving of this title shot. There is no question we will give the fans a very exciting fight.”

“I’ve been looking forward to getting back in the ring,” Burgos said. “We’ve had a strong training camp with excellent sparring sessions. I know Mikey is a tough boxer, but I’ve been putting in the work and I expect a win on January 25.”

“With his two titles won in three victories on Boxing After Dark in 2013,” said Peter Nelson, director of programming, HBO Sports, “Mikey Garcia joined an elite class of fighters who emerged throughout the past season as boxing’s rising stars. Now, we’ll see if he can keep up that momentum or if his challenger Juan Carlos Burgos can steal it for himself. Opening the show, two undefeated heavyweights, Bryant Jennings and Artur Szpilka, face off in their HBO debuts, a compelling addition to the season premiere.”

“Madison Square Garden is excited to welcome back one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world — Mikey Garcia — for another great night of world championship boxing,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Sports. “Garcia versus Juan Carlos Burgos along with Seanie Monaghan and Felix Verdejo will be a thrilling night for fight fans and a great way to kick off another exciting year of boxing at The Garden.”

Garcia (33-0, 28 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., returns to the ring having won 16 of his past 18 bouts by knockout and has not gone the distance in over three years. He became a two-division world champion in his last fight, stopping defending WBO junior lightweight champion Roman “Rocky” Martinez in the eighth round with a vicious body shot to the liver on November 9, in Corpus Christi, TX. Garcia won his first world title — the WBO featherweight championship — on January 19, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, dethroning two-time featherweight champion Orlando Salido via an eighth-round technical win that had Garcia winning virtually every round against the seasoned veteran. He was forced to vacate the title in his first defense, for not being able to make the 126-pound weight limit. Though drained, he was still able to rise to the occasion and knock out former two-division world champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez in the fourth round last June 15. Garcia, 26, had a great year in 2012 too, knocking out one-time world title challenger Bernabe Concepcion and former world champion Mauricio Pastrana, in the seventh and second rounds, respectively. He ended his 2012 campaign by knocking out former World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion Jonathan Barros in the eighth round. Garcia is trained by his father Eduardo Garcia and co-managed and trained by his brother, 2012 Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia, the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion.

Burgos (30-1-2, 20 KOs), of Tijuana, México, will be making his third attempt at a world title. After unsuccessfully challenging Hozumi Hasagawa for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title in 2010, he moved up to the junior lightweight division stringing together a two-year, five-bout winning streak, including victories over Luis Cruz for the NABO title in 2011, and former world champion Cristobal Cruz for the WBC Silver championship belt in February 2012. In July 2012 Burgos stopped undefeated Cesar Vazquez in the third round to catapult himself into the No. 1 contender position. Burgos challenged defending WBO junior lightweight champion Rocky Martinez on the same card that saw Mikey Garcia stop Orlando Salido. Unfortunately Burgos’ efforts were not rewarded the same way as both fighters walked away with a disputed draw despite Burgos landing 93 more punches than Martinez, according to CompuBox statistics, including 70 more power punches, and his 36% connect rate was 13% higher than Martinez. Burgos, who turns 26 on December 26 — Boxing Day — returns to ring world-rated No. 1 by the WBO.

Jennings (17-0, 9 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA, is picking up steam, winning four of his last five bouts by knockout. One of the brightest lights among U.S. heavyweight contenders, Jennings, 29, captured the USBA heavyweight title in June of 2012, winning a 10-round decision over Steve Collins. He successfully defended that title in December 2012, knocking out Bowie Tupou in the fifth round. He only had one fight in 2013 — a sixth-round stoppage victory of Andrey Fedosov in June. Collins, Tupou and Fedosov had a combined record of 71-5-1 when they faced Jennings, who enters this fight with a new managerial and promotional team. He is currently world-rated No. 4 by the WBC and No. 5 by the WBA.

Szpilka (16-0, 12 KOs), of Krakow, Poiland, enters this fight having won 10 of his previous 12 fights by knockout, including three of the four bouts he fought in 2013. He has picked up an American following thanks to his two nationally-televised knockout victories over Mike Mollo in 2013, where both men hit the deck in each of their action-packed fights. Another highlight for Szpilka was his 10-round unanimous decision victory over Brian Minto for the interim WBC Baltic heavyweight title. He enters this fight world-rated No. 14 by the WBC.

One of New York’s top boxing attractions, Monaghan (19-0, 12 KOs), of Long Beach, NY, is the reigning WBC Continental Americas light heavyweight champion. He captured that title in June 2012, knocking out Romaro Johnson in the eighth round, and has successfully defended it twice — via a 10-round unanimous decision in October 2012 and in his pay-per-view debut, on the Timothy Bradley vs. Juan Manuel Márquez welterweight champion card, by stopping Anthony Caputo-Smith in the third round. Monaghan enters this fight having won four of his last six fights by stoppage and world-rated No. 6 by the IBF and No. 10 by the WBA. He will be facing Fabio Garrido (19-4, 15 KOs), of Säo Paulo, Brazil, in a 10-round light heavyweight battle. Garrido, who has won his last three fights by knockout, captured the vacant Brazilian light heavyweight title on December 7, knocking out Ernesto Gonzalez in the first round.

Verdejo (9-0, 6 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, has not only transitioned from a stellar amateur, where he fought on Puerto Rico’s 2012 Olympic team, to an exciting professional, he has also ignited the passions of his island’s boxing fans who currently have no world champions representing them. In short, he is showing the potential for being Puerto Rico’s next big boxing star, following the lineage of Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto in attracting legions of fans to his all-action fights not only in Puerto Rico, but in New York, Las Vegas and Florida. Verdejo, 20, fought eight times in 2013 and only went the distance twice. He will be facing Lauro Alcantar (8-0, 1 KO), of Agua Prieta, México, in a six-round battle of undefeated lightweight contenders.

Hart (11-0, 10 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA , won all six of his 2013 fights by knockout, with only one of those bouts reaching the third round. Trained by his father, the highly-rated middleweight contender of the late ’60s and early ’70s Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, the younger Hart, 24, will be taking on durable veteran Derrick Findley (20-11-1, 13 KOs), of Gary IN. Findley, who scored a second-round TKO of contender Ronald Hearns in 2012, has gone the distance against undefeated contenders Matt Korobov, Gilberto Ramirez and J’Leon Love.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com www.thompsonboxing.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions, facebook.com/thompsonboxing or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing, twitter.com/thompsonboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #GarciaBurgos to join the conversation on Twitter.