By Norm Frauenheim–

A couple days after 40-year-old New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter began a long goodbye to baseball with the first stop in a farewell tour, 49-year-old Bernard Hopkins talked during a conference call Thursday about a new beginning in the cruelest game of all. Jeter got golf clubs, cowboy boots and a Stetson as big as the old Astrodome before a game in Houston. That’s a lot better than a punch in the face, which is about the only thing Hopkins can be sure of getting on April 19 in a fight with light-heavyweight Beibut Shumenov, who was a four-and-a-half-year-old kid in Kazakhstan when Hopkins lost his pro debut in October 1988.

Hopkins has been fighting for so long that it’s getting hard to remember what boxing was like before him. Indeed, the youngest generation of fans and fighters have never known the sport without Hopkins, who has been around since Ronald Reagan and at this rate might still be fighting after Barack Obama moves out of the White House. Truth is, there are some in his own generation who would be happy to see him retire. They’d even buy him the boots, Stetson and clubs if he would.

But Hopkins fights on, in part out of familiar defiance, in part for an ongoing pursuit of history and, mostly, because he can.

There’s a compelling argument that Hopkins continues to fight at the highest level because of a shallow pool of world-class talent. There are fewer good Americans than ever. But an arrival of tough and talented fighters from Eastern Europe, Kazakhstan and other locales have turned that shrinking pool into dangerous waters. At light-heavyweight, there’s Haitian-turned-Canadian Adonis Stevenson and Russian Sergey Kovalev. They were supposed to fight each other in a bout that was near the top of the fans’ wish list. But Kovalev-Stevenson wound up in the trash, right next to Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr., when Stevenson signed with Al Haymon and moved across the street, from HBO to Showtime. Only the promotional feuds are older than Hopkins.

But there are plenty of reasons to think fans will continue to watch Kovalev and Stevenson, even if they don’t fight each other. To wit: The audience for Kovalev’s seventh-round stoppage Saturday of Cedric Agnew exceeded one million, according to HBO. In an HBO doubleheader on November 30, 1.305 million watched Stevenson beat Tony Bellew and 1.254 million saw Kovalev beat Ismayl Sillah.

Kovalev or Stevenson? Stevenson or Kovalev? Doesn’t matter. For Hopkins, they are just different sides of the same coin. Against either, the likely expectation is that Hopkins would finally encounter his own mortality. That, of course, was the expectation in 2008 against Kelly Pavlik, now retired and never the same after Hopkins did what few thought he could. No wonder Hopkins sounded so confident Thursday. The same circumstances are on the horizon.

“Been there, done that,” said Hopkins, who sounded as if he were anxious to be there and do it once more.

Stevenson’s move to Showtime for a May 24 bout with Andrzei Fonfara sets up a showdown with Hopkins if he beats Shumenov, a 30-year-old fighter who is hard to judge mostly because of a small sample. Shumenov, who reportedly had more than 100 amateur bouts, has only answered a professional bell 15 times for a 14-1 record with nine KOs.

“It’s bad to think beyond April 19 and Beibut Shumneov, but the Stevenson fight is going to be mentioned,” said Hopkins, who will be able to put an AARP card next to his Costco card when he turns 50 next year on January 15. “It’s out there. It’s been out there since Stevenson came on board to eventually unify titles.”

There was no hint of a farewell in anything Hopkins said. He wouldn’t know how to say goodbye to a threat anyway. He’ll let younger guys do that.

PHILADELPHIA (April 3, 2014) – IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard
“The Alien” Hopkins is pleased to announce that he and Golden Boy Promotions have made a significant donation to fund the completion of the previously announced Joe Frazier statue that will stand nine feet tall outside of Xfinity Live in Philadelphia’s sports stadium complex (corner of Patterson and 11th Street). Hopkins, a friend of the Frazier family and a Philadelphia boxing legend in his own right, is set to once again showcase his fighting roots when he steps into the ring on Saturday, April 19 against WBA and IBA titleholder Beibut Shumenov at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. live on SHOWTIME®.

“Seeing this statue built has meant a great deal to me for a very long time,” said Hopkins. “I have always felt strongly that Smokin’ Joe has a rightful place in Philadelphia history and that should be honored. We have a ‘Rocky’ statue and Rocky isn’t even real. Joe Frazier embodies the Philadelphia fighting spirit and I am so happy to be able to pay homage to him in this way.”

“When Bernard asked us to make a donation to help build the Joe Frazier statue in Philadelphia, we did not hesitate,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “We firmly believe in preserving the great history and heritage of our sport and there is no better way than honoring some of the legends that have paved the way for the fighters today. Joe Frazier is one of the all-time greats and we are pleased to be a part of this project.”

The Frazier statue will become part of Philadelphia’s public works of art as voted on by Philadelphia’s Art Commission. The statue, designed by local artist Stephen Layne, will mirror Frazier’s reaction after knocking down Muhammad Ali during their 1971 title fight at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and is projected to be unveiled between Thanksgiving and Christmas of this year.

Members of the Frazier family will publicly thank Hopkins and Golden Boy Promotions for their contributions on Thursday, April 17 at the Hopkins vs. Shumenov final press conference at Hamilton Live (600 14th St. NW) in Washington, D.C.

# # #

Hopkins vs. Shumenov, a 12-round fight for the IBF, WBA and IBA
Light Heavyweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Casamigos Tequila. In the 12-round co-features, Shawn Porter defends his IBF Welterweight World Title against Paulie Malignaggi and Peter Quillin puts his WBO Middleweight World Title on the line against Lukas Konecny. The live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale now and available online at http://www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3 p.m.-10 p.m. ET.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 17, 2014) – Two world championship fights on one night is great for boxing fans. But Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME believe that three is even better. So, on Saturday, April 19, joining the title fights between Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins and Beibut Shumenov and Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin and Lukas Konecny there will be a battle for the IBF Welterweight World title between champion Shawn “Showtime” Porter and former two-time and two division word champion and current NABF Welterweight titleholder Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi, making this tripleheader at the D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C. a must see.

“I fought hard to get this title. Paulie says he wants it, but is he willing to go through me to get it?” said Porter, who won his crown with an impressive win over Devon Alexander last December. “Fighting Malignaggi is like fighting Alexander. They don’t have the strength or power to keep me away, and I will steamroll Paulie on my way to victory April 19.”

“I’m excited to be back in a title fight so soon after my win over Zab Judah. I will become a three-time world champion on April 19,” said Malignaggi. “Porter is a good fighter and I’m sure he’ll be a champion again in the future, but he doesn’t have the tools or experience to beat me.”

A native of Akron, Ohio, unbeaten Shawn “Showtime” Porter (23-0-1, 14 KOs)
showed on Dec. 7, 2013 that all of the rave reviews he received since his amateur days were well deserved, as he scored a 12-round unanimous decision win over Devon Alexander to win the IBF Welterweight World title. The win followed impressive professional victories over Julio Diaz, Phil Lo Greco and Alfonso Gomez that put Porter at the top of the 147-pound weight class. Now the 26-year-old begins his reign on April 19 against “Magic Man.”

When he’s not winning awards for his commentating work on SHOWTIME broadcasts, NABF Welterweight Champion Brooklyn’s Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi (33-5, 7 KOs) is proving that, at 33, he’s still one of the top welterweights in the world. Winner of six of his last seven bouts, with the only loss coming via split decision to Adrien Broner last June, Malignaggi was in top form when he defeated Zab Judah last December, and on April 19, he has the opportunity to become a three-time World Champion.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com and follow on Twitter at @Therealbhop, @Kidchocolate, @ShowtimeShawnP @PaulMalignaggi @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SHOSports and @Swanson_Comm , follow the conversation using #HopkinsShumenov and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Hopkins vs. Shumenov, a 12-round fight for the IBF, IBA and WBA Light Heavyweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Casamigos Tequila. In the co-features, Peter Quillin puts his WBO Middleweight World Title on the line against Lukas Konecny in a 12-round bout and Shawn Porter faces Paulie Malignaggi in a 12-round welterweight bout for his IBF World title. The live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale now and available online at www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3 p.m.-10 p.m. ET.

NEW YORK (March 12, 2014) – IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard Hopkins and WBA Super World Champion Beibut Shumenov continued their media tour on Wednesday at Lucille’s Bar & Grill inside B.B. King’s Blues Club in New York to formally announce their world championship unification on Saturday, April 19, live on SHOWTIME® from the DC Armory in Washington, D.C.

At 49-years-old, “The Alien” Hopkins (54-6-2, 32 KOs), of Philadelphia, is looking to become the oldest fighter in boxing history to unify world titles, while Shumenov (14-1, 9 KOs), of Shymkent, Kazakhstan, is aiming to become the fastest fighter to unify the light heavyweight division with only 15 professional fights under his belt.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® co-main event, undefeated WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (30-0, 22 KOs), of New York, will defend his title for the third time when he meets former interim WBO Junior Middleweight Champion Lukas Konecny (50-4, 23 KOs) of the Czech Republic.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, went on sale today at 10 a.m. ET and are available online at http://www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. ET.

Below is what the participants had to say at Wednesday’s presser:

BERNARD HOPKINS, IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion:
“Look at your age and look at mine. You want to risk this being done again, that you’ll be living to witness it? That’s like waiting for another black president. I wish you luck. I’m not risking that.

“You talk boxing. I live boxing. One thing that’s important to live in boxing is the lifestyle. So there’s noting that I’m doing that you haven’t written, because most of you have been writing about me for 10 years or more.

“I could have come out here with a walker, taken my teeth out, and then have him help me up to the seat there and play right into the old man syndrome. But I’m not going to play games with you.

“This is something that you’re going to remember, tell your grandkids, someone younger, someone in the boxing game, someone not in the boxing game. This is not only my personal achievement in history, but this is something that you can pass down to your kids. You can pass down to anyone you care to pass it down to. I can tell my son who’s two years old, Bernard III,that this is the legacy he inherits from me.

“Let’s talk about Father Time. He’s a son of a bitch. He is. Father Time is undefeated because time is undefeated. That’s the fight that I can’t win and nobody on this earth can win. I’m not fighting Father Time. That’s why me and Father Time really have no problem. There’s no war going on.

“So at the end of the day, Father Time says to me, “Have fun, you’ve got time.” Everyone asks me about my age because their stomach is out this big. Because they’re eating bagels. Because they’re drinking wine. Enjoy yourself. That’s what you want to do. But when you see me, don’t be envious, be motivated. Be energized, woman or man. And say to yourself: how can I start to be like him? How can I take a page out of his book and have a long life and play with my grandkids?

“When you see me April 19 in D.C. on SHOWTIME, be inspired. Be inspired that if you’re near 40, if you’re over 40, if you’re over 50, over 60, that it’s never too late to change your lifestyle. It’s only too late when you’re dead.”

BEIBUT SHUMENOV, WBA Super and IBA Light Heavyweight World Champion:
“I’m very excited that I’m fighting one of the greatest fighters ever. That’s the way for me to show the world that I am the best in the world. Don’t miss out on April 19. It will be a history-making event.

“Bernard has his legacy, but I am looking to build my own legacy. But don’t forget that I am here to make history, too.

“This is a great opportunity to show the world that I am one of the greatest champions in boxing. He’s considered the best light heavyweight champion but this is my opportunity to show the world that I am the best light heavyweight.

“My main goal is to unify all the titles, but right now I’m 100 percent focused on my fight with Bernard Hopkins. It’s the most important fight in my life and it will be the hardest fight in my life.

“Bernard is a boxing genius. He is a legend. He has the highest boxing IQ and skills ever.”

PETER QUILLIN, WBO Middleweight World Champion:
“Preparation for this fight has been awesome. I believe in being in the best shape.

“Some people say that I shouldn’t be on undercards, but I’m on Bernard’s undercard and I am working to be a legend like him.

“B-Hop is a legend. Every time he steps into the ring he creates a legacy and history. I’m working toward that.

“I do this to be the best I can be. My father came from Cuba in 1980 and came here for opportunity and now he is able to see his son live out his dreams and be the middleweight champion.

“I do this every day to be an inspiration.

“A lot of people need an inspiration. I’m going to go out there and try my best no matter what.

“If I need to take a loss to learn about myself then I’m willing to do so. Until then, I’m just going to keep on winning. We’re going to keep on putting on awesome fights and keep on fighting on SHOWTIME.

“I want to be the best fighter, the best father, the best husband and the best son I can be and I hope you all keep on supporting me.”

NAZIM RICHARDSON, Hopkins’ Trainer:
“I agree that this is a historic fight. Everything Bernard does now is historic. Every interview, every walk out is history. Every move he makes is history, not just inside the ring, but outside of the ring.

“He could walk out tomorrow, beat Beibut Shumenov and say I’m done. He owes us nothing and gives us everything.

“I have a lot of respect for Mr. Shumenov. Shumenov is a young 30. He did everything with such a fast learning curve. He’s not someone who is worn down.

“He is already a champion and a guy who is moving that fast and has that kind of enormous focus to be in the front and be the best. But now, not throwing the word around, you’re dealing with a legend.

“Come out to the fight because you’re going to see two men on two different paths that are going to collide on April 19.”

TEAM SHUMENOV:
“Training camp is great, Beibut is incredible. Beibut is ready because of his intelligence. He’s an attorney. He’s highly intelligent and he studies more than anyone ever. His fight IQ is through the roof.

“You will see how prepared Beibut is. He’s ready to do it.

“B-Hop is great; he has tremendous longevity in the sport. He’s a wizard. But everything comes to an end and that duration will be April 19.”

BRUCE BINKOW, COO & CMO of Golden Boy Promotions:
“Any time Bernard Hopkins steps into the ring it’s a historic event.

“I think this is a great opportunity for a young champion like Beibut to make his mark on history as well by attempting to take down a legend.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME SPORTS:
“We’re very proud to be hosting and televising another Bernard Hopkins fight. The word icon is used quite a bit — thrown about very casually — within sports, within entertainment and music. Bernard is one of the few personalities, the few athletes where the term accurately applies.

“He is a legend in the sport. His accomplishments speak for themselves. Any time Bernard fights it is an event, it’s an occasion, and ‘History at the Capitol’ is a very accurate term.

“Having said all of that, Beibut is a young, hungry, strong challenger – a champion in his own right. Those of you who saw him on SHOWTIME in San Antonio had to be impressed. He’s a very intelligent young man, a very intelligent fighter, a very strong fighter. I would dare to say that he’s going to be one of the toughest challengers that Bernard has faced in quite a while. So I’m looking forward to a very strong main event on April 19.

“I’m also excited to have Peter Quillin back on the network again fighting Lukas Konecny. I think it’s particularly appropriate that we have Quillin on the undercard here, in that Peter is attempting to follow in the rather large footsteps that Bernard Hopkins has started. That is, to start and campaign as a middleweight, where Bernard spent so many years and defended his title for a world-record number of times.”

GREGORY A. O’DELL, President & CEO of Events DC
“On behalf of fight fans in Washington, D.C., we are honored to have a championship experience come back to the District. This fight validates the quality of Washington, D.C. as a fight capital.

“This is the third championship fight we’ve had in 14 months. Thank you for recognizing that D.C. is a fight town.

“Over 20 years ago, a slightly younger fighter fought on the RFK campus. We are thrilled that he will be returning on April 19 and we hope to see more fights in Washington, D.C.” [On Bernard Hopkins]

IBF Welterweight champion Shawn Porter will defend his title against former two-division belt holder Paulie Malignaggi on April 19th in Washington, D.C. as part of a championship tripleheader that will be televised on Showtime according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“This is a very meaningful fight for Paulie and for Shawn,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “I think it’s a very attractive fight in the ring as well. To be paired up with Hopkins is absolutely fantastic. I’m happy for the fans, for the fighters and for Showtime. Three world title fights. I think it’s going to be one of the biggest cards in Washington D.C., in quite some time.”

“It’s great for Shawn Porter because he is fighting one of the most recognized names in the sport of boxing,” Schaefer said. “People know Paulie Malignaggi, so for Shawn Porter to go in the ring with someone of the name recognition and resume of Paulie Malignaggi, should he win, it would be a big feather in Shawn’s cap. It would be a big win for him.

“For Paulie Malignaggi it’s a tremendous opportunity to win another world title. It really is amazing. When I think back to 2010, when most people had written Paulie off after he lost to Amir Khan, he came to see me in Los Angeles and said, ‘I’m not done, contrary to what everyone says. I really want to be with Golden Boy.’ I believed in him and since then Paulie has had some of his biggest fights and accomplishments.”

“I’m excited about this fight and excited to get back in the ring for my first defense,” Porter told ESPN.com. “I was thinking about it last night. I’ve had [regional titles] and it was just a matter of winning those fights to get to the bigger title fight. Now, this is a matter of holding onto something, holding on to this title. I’ve been looking at Paulie’s fights on YouTube and at his record. He has fought everybody and he’s still trying to do it. I won’t allow him to screw me and take me to school.

“I see him trying to beat me with his speed and trying to move against me. I know me and my father (trainer Ken Porter) will have a great fight plan consisting of a lot of things we did against Devon Alexander. I think it will be an exciting fight for fans. We knew what we wanted to do against Devon — contain his speed and movement and limit what he likes to do. Same thing goes with Paulie. The difference here is because Paulie has so much experience, he’s not going to allow me to just do anything. He’s going to fight back. From round 1 to the end, it will be a fight of making adjustments. You have two guys coming in who really want it and who both legitimately have what it takes to win the fight.”

“I’ve seen Porter through the years,” Malignaggi told ESPN.com. “He’s a young fighter, an improving fighter. He’s gotten better over the years and is maturing into a good solid pro. I’m excited about the chance to win my third world championship. I’ve been through a lot of naysayers. A chance to win a world title for the third time is special and a motivator and something a lot people didn’t expect from me. I’m here and I’m looking to make good by winning a third championship.”

Porter-Malignaggi was made possible when the IBF approved Porter’s application for an exception to his mandatory defense against Kell Brook of England. April 19 is 12 days beyond the window by which Porter could have made an optional defense without an exception, but that did not match Showtime’s schedule.

The IBF granted the exception under the condition that Porter and Malignaggi agree in writing that the winner will make his next defense within 90 days against Brook, as long as Brook wins his stay-busy fight against Alvaro Robles on Saturday in Liverpool, England.

“We had to wait for the IBF for their ruling and they ruled, so the fight is on,” Schaefer said. “Both fighters will agree with the ruling of the IBF. Whatever the IBF ordered is fine and both fighters will agree to whatever the IBF stipulates.”

Said Porter, “Right now it’s Paulie for me. After this fight, it would be Kell Brook. Unless something happens Kell brook, he’s supposedly the next guy.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 11, 2014) – IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard Hopkins and WBA Super World Champion Beibut Shumenov held a press conference on Tuesday at The W Hotel in Washington, D.C., to formally announce their world championship unification on Saturday, April 19, live on SHOWTIME® from the DC Armory.

At 49-years-old, “The Alien” Hopkins (54-6-2, 32 KOs), of Philadelphia, is looking to become the oldest fighter in boxing history to unify world titles, while Shumenov (14-1, 9 KOs), of Shymkent, Kazakhstan, is aiming to become the fastest fighter to unify the light heavyweight division with only 15 professional fights under his belt.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® co-main event, undefeated WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (30-0, 22 KOs), of New York, will defend his title for the third time when he meets former interim WBO Junior Middleweight Champion Lukas Konecny (50-4, 23 KOs) of the Czech Republic.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, went on sale today at 10 a.m. ET and are available online at http://www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. ET.

Below is what the participants had to say at Tuesday’s presser:

BERNARD HOPKINS, IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion:

“I’m looking to put on something special. Because my thing is, you’re only as good as your last fight. Here in D.C. you’re only as good as your last vote. At the end of the day, I’ve realized that you can be a champion yesterday, but if you dwell on yesterday you will never go forward.

“I’m pretty sure that a lot of people don’t know who Shumenov is. And I tell them he’s a fast guy who is rising in the sport of boxing quickly. He comes to fight and he comes to win.

“You haven’t seen guys rise this quickly in boxing for many years. You usually see 30 or so fights before a guy gets a world title. But I’m not reading into all that stuff. All I know is that the guy signed up to fight a world champion. And he has something that I need to be the undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world. He’s in the way of that.

“Not only is he in the way, I have to use a lot of other things that motivate me even more to be successful on April 19. This fight is about my legacy. I unified the middleweight division and now my goal is to unify the light heavyweight division.

“I am blessed to be here through hard work and disciplinee. Shumenov will learn from this fight because he’s still young and he still has some experience to gain after this fight. But I’m not playing him cheap and I’m not playing him short because anyone who steps in the ring with Bernard Hopkins has the skill to be a world champion.

“I believe I’m the most feared fighter in the world or maybe the last 15-20 years in spite of my age. Love me or hate me, people understand how dangerous I can be to a fighters’ career moving forward.”

BEIBUT SHUMENOV, WBA Super and IBA Light Heavyweight World Champion:
“I’m very excited that I’m going to fight one of the greatest fighters ever. I know that I’ve never faced anyone on his level and I know it’s going to be the hardest fight of my life. But I will do whatever it takes to win this fight. And I’ll do anything possible and impossible to get the victory.

“People will find out on April 19 that I belong in the elite level. That I am the best light heavyweight champion in the world. I’m looking to make a statement to the world.

“I’m confident, he’s confident. You have to be prepared for all styles. I never faced anybody at Bernard’s level. I consider him the best light heavyweight champion. And he is in my way to prove that I am the best light heavyweight champ.

“It’s a dream of mine to have this kind of opportunity. I’ve been ready to fight at this type of level for several years and now I have this platform to show off all my skills.

“I was honored to see the ambassador of our country [Kazakhstan] here. I have a lot of fans here in the U.S. and Las Vegas and all over the country.”

NAZIM RICHARDSON, Hopkins’ Trainer:
“When you’ve been in the game so long that you outlive your nickname … well, this guy has been in boxing longer than the ‘Executioner.’ Now he’s ‘The Alien.’

“It’s been an honor and a pleasure to actually watch him culminate into the type of athlete that he is today.

“A lot of people don’t understand our sport and they don’t understand that 30 in boxing is old. This guy is ancient. You have to sit back and realize how impressive this is.

“Beibut is just an exceptional athlete. If you look at this fast pace he’s been on you have to respect it and the success he’s had.

“But no one can ever tell you what you see when you climb into those ropes and you look across the ring and it’s not a fighter, it’s not a fighter that fights well, it’s not a champion, it’s not an elite-lever fighter. When you look across that ring and you see an absolute legend, no one can tell you what that’s like.

“I hope that we can appreciate this guy [Hopkins] while he’s here. Every single thing this guy does in this sport is history. Every press conference he has, every mouthpiece he puts in his mouth. Everything he does in this sport now is absolute history.”

BRUCE BINKOW, COO & CMO of Golden Boy Promotions:
“D.C. is becoming a hotbed for big fights and we’re excited to bring this world championship unification to our nation’s capital.

“Every time Bernard Hopkins fights it’s a historical event and we also have a world champion who is looking to make his mark and history by taking Bernard’s belt.

“Shumenov has successfully defended his title five times, and this April he gets an opportunity to add his name to the history books if he can do what very few people have done and beat Bernard Hopkins.

“I could remind you that Bernard won his middleweight title in 1995 and successfully defended it 20 times. But what’s really amazing is that Bernard has had a spectacular last couple of years. He’s already twice become the oldest man to win a major world championship and in 2013 he had one of his greatest years ever.

“I believe that if a baseball, football or basketball player was performing anywhere near the level that he is performing at his age he would be in a lab being studied by science. It’s absolutely unbelievable. “

SCOTTIE IRVING, Chairman of D.C. Boxing Commission:
“We’re very happy to have this world title fight here in Washington D.C. When we had the Peterson fight back in January we talked to Bernard and Golden Boy Promotions about having another fight back here in D.C., but what we didn’t know was that Bernard was going to fight here himself.

“What I think that came from was as he walked around the DC Armory, he saw he had a lot of fans enchanted with his boxing career that wanted to see him fight in D.C. So we’re happy to bring this world championship event to D.C. and we’re looking forward to a great fight.”

# # #

Hopkins vs. Shumenov, a 12-round fight for the IBF, IBA and WBA Light Heavyweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, April 19, at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona,AT&T and Casamigos Tequila. The live SHOWTIME telecast will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are on sale now and are available online at http://www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. ET.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 7, 2014) – Washington, D.C. is known as a city where history is made. On Saturday, April 19, another historic event will take place in the nation’s capital when IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard Hopkins faces WBA World Champion Beibut Shumenov in an attempt, at 49-years-old, to become the oldest fighter in boxing history to unify world titles. The DC Armory, the site of several championship boxing matches in the last year, will host the return of the future Hall of Famer to the capital for the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® main event (9 p.m. ET/PT delayed on the West Coast).

In the co-main event, popular undefeated WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin defends his title for the third time when he meets WBO European titleholder and former interim WBO Junior Middleweight Champion Lukas Konecny. Quillin has been one of boxing’s most exciting competitors over the last few years; scoring 11 knockdowns in his last three title fight wins. In Konecny, he will be in the ring with a crafty and experienced veteran, a former Olympian who has never been stopped.
Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, go on sale today at 10 a.m. ET are available online at http://www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. ET.

“It’s no secret that my one of my biggest goals has been to unify the titles and getting to do that in a city where I have a lot of history is the best-case scenario,” said Hopkins, who defended his middleweight title with a seventh-round technical knockout of Robert Allen in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 6, 1999. “I’m coming back to break another record by unifying the title and I’m looking to get my first knockout since I fought Oscar De La Hoya in 2004. I know Shumenov is tough, but I’m tougher and I’m not going to let him make a name for himself by being the one to stop me.”

The legendary Hopkins made his first attempt at a world title in Washington, D.C. in 1993 when he lost to Roy Jones Jr. at RFK Stadium, just steps away from the DC Armory. A year later, he faced Segundo Mercado in neighboring Landover, Md. and won the IBF middleweight world title, which he held for over a decade.

“I am very excited that the fight is going to happen against one of the greatest fighters ever,” said Shumenov. “I am going to do everything possible and impossible to get the victory.”

“I can’t wait to get back in the ring and defend my title once again,” said Quillin. “I’m excited to be fighting in front of the great fans in D.C. and I will give them a show on April 19. Konecny is an experienced challenger, and you can’t overlook anyone with 50 wins, but I’m going home with the title, and I’ll be looking for another knockout.”

“I have a lot more experience than Quillin and the fans will see that on April 19,” said Konecy. “This is my first fight in the U.S. and I don’t plan on going home without that belt. Every fighter dreams of fighting for and winning a world championship, and I am thankful for the chance to do that against Peter Quillin.”

“The fans in D.C. have been enthusiastic and supportive of the sport whenever we’ve brought an event there, and I know they will love this championship doubleheader,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Bernard Hopkins continues to amaze everyone with his performances in the ring, but when he faces Shumenov, he’ll have to pull out all his veteran tricks to keep his amazing streak going. This may be the toughest test he’s faced at light heavyweight.”

“Coming off of a very successful fight card in January, we are pleased to welcome back Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME to the historic DC Armory,” said Erik A. Moses, managing director of Events DC’s Sports and Entertainment Division, which manages the DC Armory and RFK Stadium. “D.C. is a great fight town, and hosting a fight of this caliber will certainly add to the rich history of professional boxing in the nation’s capital. It’s great to see the DC Armory come alive again with big-time boxing, and we look forward to continuing this tradition.”

Boxing’s elder statesman, Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins (54-6-2, 32 KOs) continues to achieve remarkable goals in the world of boxing-and has done just that since turning pro in 1988. But he has amazed even more with his exploits over the last few years, as he twice became the oldest man to win a major world championship in the ring. Now 49-years-old, the pride of Philadelphia, Pa., had one of his best years yet in 2013, defeating Tavoris Cloud in March to win the IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship, and then successfully defending his title in October with an exciting win over Karo Murat. On April 19, the future Hall of Famer returns in an attempt to unify the 175-pound title. Additionally, as a partner in Golden Boy Promotions, Hopkins has undertaken out-of-the ring promotional duties that further solidify him as one of the most recognized and revered figures in the sport.

A native of Shymkent, Kazakhstan who now fights out of Las Vegas, 30-year-old Beibut Shumenov (14-1, 9 KOs) made his way to the top of the light heavyweight division with lightning-fast speed, winning his IBA title against Byron Mitchell in 2009, in just his eighth professional fight before adding the WBA title by defeating Gabriel Campillo two fights later in 2010. Since then, Shumenov, a 2004 Olympian for Kazakhstan, has successfully defended his title five times, defeating Vyacheslav Uzelkov, William Joppy, Danny Santiago, Enrique Ornelas and Tamas Kovacs. But this April, Shumenov gets his opportunity to make a name for himself in the history books if he can defeat Bernard Hopkins.

Proudly wearing the championship belt of the division Hopkins once ruled, New York’s
Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (30-0, 22 KOs) has gotten his reign atop the 160-pound division off to a rousing start with a decision win over Hassan N’Dam for the WBO crown in October of 2012, then going on to successful defenses twice with stoppages of Fernando Guerrero and Gabriel Rosado. Now ready to take on the challenge of Konecny, the 30-year-old boxer-puncher–who also owns wins over Winky Wright, Craig McEwan, Jesse Brinkley and Fernando Zuniga-is eager to begin his 2014 campaign with another knockout victory.

A five-time National Champion for the Czech Republic who also represented his nation in the 2000 Olympics, 35-year-old Lukas Konecny (50-4, 23 KOs) will make his United States debut on April 19 after years of fighting Europe’s best. Konecny plans on making it a memorable visit as he challenges for the WBO Middleweight World Championship. A former interim WBO Junior Middleweight Champion, Konecny made a permanent move to 160 pounds in 2013, and after winning the WBO European Title with a win over Karim Achour and successfully defending it by defeating Moez Fhima, he put himself in line for world title honors against Quillin.

Hopkins vs. Shumenov, a 12-round fight for the IBF, IBA and WBA Light Heavyweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, April 19, at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com and follow on Twitter at @THEREALBHOP, @KIDCHOCOLATE and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #HopkinsShumenov and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

LAS VEGAS (December 264, 2013) – Reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) Super and International Boxing Association (IBA) Light Heavyweight World Champion
Beibut Shumenov (14-1, 9 KO’s) celebrates his fourth anniversary as world champion next month but he really didn’t arrive on the worldwide boxing scene until this past December 14th in his SHOWTIME debut.

The 30-year-old Shumenov set a light heavyweight record for capturing a world title in the fewest career fights, 10, when he won (Jan. 10, 2010) a 12-round decision over Gabriel Campillo in Las Vegas. Shumenov’s fifth successful world title defense was an impressive performance over previously undefeated challenger Tomas “Tomi Kid” Kovacs (23-1, 14 KOs) on “Danger Zone,” headlined by Marcus Maidana’s upset of Adrian Broner, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Shumenov, the 2004 Kazakhstan Olympian who lives in Las Vegas, dropped Kovacs at the end of round one with a picture-perfect left hook to the European champion’s chin. The powerful Kazak briefly switched to southpaw in the second round, decking Kovacs with a left uppercut, and referee Rafael Ramos halted the fight at the 2:55 mark of the third round after a battered Kovacs was knocked down for the third time in the fight.

Although he hadn’t fought in more than a year, Shumenov showed little ring rust, if any at all, as he patiently stalked Kovacs, who Shumenov expected to be aggressive from the opening bell. “From watching some of his past fights,” the 30-year-old Shumenov explained, “I expected him to come forward and fight inside. I was prepared to counter him, but he fought defensively and I had to set him up. I feinted a lot more than in my past fights, moved better, and I eventually got him.

“My goal has always been to unify and Golden Boy and Showtime are going to give me that opportunity. We tried to make a couple of unifications and different fights that for one reason or another fell through. We tried to made unification fights with [Nathan] Cleverly and [Chad] Dawson when they held belts, but they weren’t interested in fighting me. I tried to unify with a scheduled fight against [then WBO champion Juergen] Braehmer but he ran out of town three days before our fight.”

The winner and still world champion, Beibut Shumenov
(photo by Tom Casino / SHOWTIME)

Aligning himself with Golden Boy and Showtime has positioned Shumenov for a potential unification fight with International Boxing Federation (IBF) Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, who has the same promoter and fights for the same network as Shumenov. Hopkins attended Shumenov’s fight in San Antonio and went on record saying he wants to fight Shumenov for both belts in late March or early April.

“Bernard Hopkins is a legendary fighter and it would be an honor to fight him,” Shumenov added. “He said he wants to fight me, I want to fight him. If I had my choice of unifying against any of the other world champions in the 175-pound division, I would pick Bernard Hopkins because he is a six-time world champion who is headed to the Hall of Fame. Hopkins already proved that age isn’t an issue and maybe he isn’t human. The other two world champions, [WBC, Adonis] Stevenson and [WBO, Sergey] Kovalev, only became world champions this year and they haven’t beaten opponents at their peaks like Hopkins has so many times. Stevenson beat Dawson after [Andre] Ward destroyed him and [Tavoris] Cloud wasn’t the same after Hopkins fought him. Kovalev won his title from Cleverly, who I had been trying to fight for a few years because he had been built up and had never fought a top guy.

“I want to prove that I am the best 175-pound champion in the world and the way to do that is to beat the other champions. I think if fans really support having one world champion in our division, maybe all sides can get together to do a tournament with the winner of a fight between me and Hopkins going against the Stevenson-Kovalev winner. It’s been done before.”

Fans may friend Beibut Shumenov on his Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/BeibutShumenov.

Adrien Broner 144.4 – Marcos Maidana 146.2
Keith Thurman 145.8 – Jesus Soto Karass 146.2
Leo Santa Cruz 121.4 – Cesar Seda 121.6
Beibut Shumenov 175 – Tamas Kovacs 174.4

SHOWTIME EXTREME – Live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Ricardo Alvarez – 140.4 Pounds
Rod Salka – 138.8 Pounds

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Robert Easter, Jr. – 133.6 Pounds
Hardy Paredes – 135.4 Pounds

NEW YORK (Dec. 4, 2013) – Beibut Shumenov is a former amateur standout in Europe and represented Kazakhstan in the 2004 Olympic Games. The WBA Super Light Heavyweight World Champion, he became the fighter with the fewest professional fights to win a 175-pound world title when he captured the crown in his tenth start.

On Saturday, Dec. 14, Shumenov (13-1, 8 KO’s) will make his Golden Boy Promotions debut and his fifth title defense when he faces unbeaten Tamas Kovacs (23-0, 14 KO’s) of Slovakia, in the opening bout of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING quadrupleheader live on SHOWTIME® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It is the second of back-to-back four-fight telecasts on SHOWTIME. This Saturday, Dec. 7, friends-turned-foes and former World Champions Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi fight for Brooklyn bragging rights when they meet in the featured match at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

In the eagerly awaited main event on Dec. 14, popular, colorful, undefeated rising superstar Adrien “The Problem” Broner faces the toughest test of his career when he risks his WBA Welterweight World Championship against hard-hitting Marcos “El Chino” Maidana. In addition to Shumenov-Kovacs, there are two more 12-rounders on the stacked card: Undefeated WBA Interim Welterweight World Champion Keith “One Time” Thurman defends against dangerous Jesus “El Renuente” Soto Karass and undefeated WBC Super Bantamweight Champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz defends against Cesar Seda.

Shumenov,a personable, humble 6-foot-2, 30-year-old who has lived in Las Vegas since 2007, grew up with his father, an accountant, mother, a school teacher, and younger brother in a one-unit home when Kazakhstan was a part of Russia. His parents were business-minded and hard-working, frequently putting in 10-to-12-hour days, and were often on the road.

Shumenov nearly died when he was less than a-year-old. While under the care of his aunts, he was fed spoiled milk. Two weeks later, when his father returned Beibut was blue-faced and had to be rushed to the hospital. They could not locate a vein and had to give him IV through the head. His parents were told he would die.

He survived, but was a sickly child for years. He was unable to play sports until he was nearly six when he started taking Taekwando, karate, wrestling, Muay Thai and kickboxing. He mostly kept involved in the family’s businesses. He and younger brother, Chingis, were to become attorneys. Beibut once worked as a clerk for a judge in Kazakhstan and Chingis once worked as a prosecutor and is the current Deputy Mayor of Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

After watching a Mike Tyson fight on television, Shumenov turned to boxing at the age of 13 and quickly established himself as a fighter with ability. In the amateurs, he went 180-20 pounds. There were enormous expectations for him to bring home the gold in the Olympics. He won his first fight, but broke his hand in the process and then lost his second bout.

“I broke my right hand in the fight that I won,” Shumenov said, “But I wasn’t able to punch with it and lost my second fight against the guy from Turkey. Before the Olympics, I fought the guy and won.”

The defeat demoralized Shumenov. “I quit boxing after the Olympics,” he said. “I couldn’t handle the loss. Everyone was so confident I’d win the gold medal. There was so much pressure. So after returning home in 2004 I quit to concentrate on the family businesses. Even though I suffered a broken hand, I felt I’d let so many people down, including my father, mother and country. But I always maintained my condition.”

In 2006, Shumenov returned to the ring with an eye on the 2008 Olympics, but after dominating his opposition he was urged by a former coach to turn pro, which he did at age 24 on Nov. 17, 2007.

Shumenov won his initial eight starts, suffered his lone defeat on a 12-round majority decision to defending WBA light heavyweight champion Gabriel Campillo, then reversed the result in a rematch on a controversial 12-round split decision in his tenth outing on Jan. 29, 2010.

Here’s more of what the physically strong, aggressive-minded Shumenov had to say about his life, career, Golden Boy and upcoming bout against Kovacs:

On signing with Golden Boy Promotions after basically promoting all his fights with the exception of his pro debut…

“I’m very excited and really appreciate what Golden Boy is doing for me. I finally get to show the world my boxing skills and that I am the best light heavyweight in the world. Really, to get this opportunity on a big card like this, on SHOWTIME, has brought a whole new level to my training.

“I’m so thankful for Golden Boy and SHOWTIME. Since signing with Golden Boy in late September, I’ve felt like a weight has been lifted. I always wanted to be on a major network when I was promoting myself (he and his brother formed KZ Event Productions), but everything was coming out of my pocket. It got frustrating and very stressful for me to try and do everything and the business outside the ring. It was taking away from what I needed to do inside the ring.

“Before, I was my own manager, trainer, fighter and promoter. I’m still my own trainer but I feel very confident. I don’t have to think about promoting, only the preparation for the fight. It is a great relief.”

On his goals…

“My main goal is to unify all the titles. I’ve always wanted to fight for world titles against other great champions. Sure, I’d fight Bernard Hopkins. I’d feel very honored.”

On what this fight means to him…

“This is by far my greatest opportunity. I’m going to try to win impressively. That’s how you get popular. That’s what the exposure of fighting on SHOWTIME can do. This is like starting over as far as opportunity goes on this kind of platform. I want to utilize my skills. I’m comfortable. I’ve trained hard and enjoyed my preparation. I feel everything’s going well. There’s no pressure. I’m very focused.”

On this being his fifth title defense yet first fight in 18 months and only fourth since July 2010…”The reason I’ve fought so little was because I only wanted big fights, and I was trying to do it on my own with no promoter. We tried a long time to make a unification with (Chad) Dawson and (Nathan) Cleverly when they were champions. I tried to reach out to their promoters. I thought I was close against Cleverly, but he disappeared on me. Dawson disappeared, too. I thought I had a unification with Juergen Braehmer when he was WBO champ but he also just disappeared.”

On what he knows about Kovacs…

“To be honest, I haven’t seen many of his highlights on tape but I know he’s an aggressive, come forward fighter that throws a lot of punches. I’m sure he’ll try and make it exciting. But I have the style and the knowledge to fight against anyone. I’m a power puncher-boxer. I have a lot of power but l like to show my skills. I feel confident against any style. I’m excited to get back in the ring and I’m really looking forward to this fight.”

On leaving the family business to return to boxing…

“Our family is very close. I’m sure I get my drive from my parents. Every business decision we make is a family decision. If my parents had their way, I wouldn’t fight. They would prefer I run our family business. They’re very proud of me, but I’m sure they’d rather me be involved in more business-related ventures than to be in this kind of sport. I only plan to fight a couple more years.”

“For me to get this far is an accomplishment. Kazakhstan was not an easy place to grow up. I broke my hand in the Olympics and a few other things on the streets.”

On coming to America…

“I chose to move to Las Vegas to live and train because it is the boxing capital of the world. When I first said I was coming by myself to the United States, my dad laughed. He thought I’d be here about a week and was just coming to party.

“The first English I learned came from watching movies. I watched all kinds of movies for about six months and then hired a tutor, who worked with me for two months. My favorite movie is ‘The Godfather.’ ”

ABOUT “BRONER VS. MAIDANA”:
“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBA Welterweight World Championship taking place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T, Casamigos Tequila and Grudge Match. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman will defend his interim WBA Welterweight World Championship against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz will put his WBC Super Bantamweight World title on the line against Cesar Seda in a 12-round bout and Beibut Shumenov faces Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight World titles. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25, $20 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are available at the Alamodome box office, or through Leija*Battah Promotions by calling (210) 979-3302 or emailing m@leijabattahpromo.com or online at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000.

LAS VEGAS (November 3, 2013) – Team Challenge has World Boxing Association (WBA) Super and International Boxing Association (IBA) Light Heavyweight World Champion Beibut Shumenov (13-1, 8 KO’s) in its corner to help KO Crohn’s & Colitis.

Shumenov, who makes his fifth world title defense Saturday, December 14 on SHOWTIME, airing live from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, has been named Honorary Captain of Team Challenge, Southwest Chapter.

“I’m proud to be involved with such a worthy group like Team Challenge,” Shumenov said. “I hope that it will help increase awareness of this terrible disease and raise funds for Crohn’s and Colitis research and education. I hope other fighters will join me to KO Crohn’s and Colitis.”

Shumenov takes on undefeated, WBA No. 14-ranked Slovakian challenger Tamas “Tomi Kid” Kovacs (23-0, 14 KO’s), the former World Boxing Organization (WBO) European and World Boxing Federation champion, Dec. 14 on SHOWTIME.

“Beibut’s support of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America means so much to our organization and the people we serve,” noted Team Challenge National Manager, Aaron Castens. “He’s an accomplished fighter and knows that the 1.4 million Americans battling Crohn’s and Colitis are in a fight for their lives. His generosity and willingness to make a difference for our patients is exceptional. In the past five years research has shown overwhelming promise that we will soon have better treatment options and ultimately a cure. Thanks to Beibut’s contributions to our Team Challenge program, we are one step closer to ending this fight.”

The 30-year-old Shumenov, who lives and fights out of Las Vegas, represented his native Kazakhstan at the 2004 Olympics in Greece. In 2010, he set a light heavyweight record for capturing a major world title in the fewest amount of career fights, 10, by winning a 12-round decision over Gabriel Campillo. Shumenov has successfully defended his WBA/IBA titles four times against No. 1 mandatory challenger Viacheslav Uzelkov (DEC12), three-time world champion William Joppy (KO6) and multi-world title challengers Danny Santiago (TKO9) and Enrique Ornelas (DEC12).

“Fans may friend Beibut Shumenov on his Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/BeibutShumenov.

“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBA Welterweight World Championship taking place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Grudge Match. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman will defend his interim WBA Welterweight World Championship against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz will put his WBC Super Bantamweight World title on the line against Cesar Seda in a 12-round bout and Beibut Shumenov faces Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight World titles. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25, $20 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are available for purchase at the Alamodome box office, or through Leija*Battah Promotions by calling (210) 979-3302 or emailing m@leijabattahpromo.com or online at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000.

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 25, 2013) – As the Thanksgiving holiday quickly approaches, the boxers participating in the back-to-back quadruple headers on Saturday, Dec. 7 and Saturday, Dec. 14 live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING took time out of their training camps to share some of the things they are thankful for this holiday season. While turkey, stuffing and yams may not be on their Thanksgiving menus, they are all in agreement that there is much to be thankful for.

PAULIE “THE MAGIC MAN” MALIGNAGGI, Former Two-Time, Two-Division World Champion (Training in Brooklyn, NY)
“[I am thankful for] My family and my true friends, especially those that have stuck with me from the start.”

“SUPER” ZAB JUDAH, Former Five-Time, Two-Division World Champion (Training in Las Vegas, NV)
“I am thankful for this time and that I get to be together with my family.”

DEVON “THE GREAT” ALEXANDER, IBF Welterweight World Champion (Training in St. Louis, MO)
“I am very thankful just to be living and in the position I’m in to help a lot of kids and inspire them too. I’m really thankful for so many things in my life, but I can’t mention them all because then the list would go on and on. I do want to say that I am thankful for my team and Golden Boy Promotions for getting me the best opportunity possible. Many peoplewant to be in the position that I am in and I am glad that I am one of them!”

SHAWN “SHOWTIME” PORTER, Top Welterweight Contender (Training in Las Vegas, NV)
“I am most thankful for family because they are the most important thing to me.

ERISLANDY “EL ORO DE GUANTANAMO” LARA, WBA Interim Super Welterweight World Champion (Training in Houston, TX)
“I am most thankful for being in the United State of America and for the freedom I have been given.”

AUSTIN “NO DOUBT” TROUT, Former WBA Super Welterweight World Champion (Training in Houston, TX)
“First and foremost I am most thankful for God, the Son of Jesus. Also, I am thankful for the love from my family, friends and fans. I have so much that I am grateful for including my health and career that allows me to provide for family.”

SAKIO “THE SCORPION” BIKA, WBC Super Middleweight World Champion (Training in St. Louis, MO)
“I am most grateful to have my family. Also, I am thankful that I have my health and a roof over my head because in this world there are a lot of disabled and homeless people.”

ANTHONY “THE DOG” DIRRELL, Super Middleweight Contender (Training in Del Rey, FL)
“I am most thankful for my family and getting this world championship title opportunity. What I have been through has been amazing with the cancer (Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma) and the motorcycle accident. Having the opportunity to recover and fight for the title means a lot to me.”

ADRIEN “THE PROBLEM” BRONER, Undefeated WBA Welterweight World Champion (Training in Colorado Springs, CO)
“I am thankful to God for giving me the ability to take care of family, friends and children.”

MARCOS “EL CHINO” MAIDANA, Former WBA Intercontinental Welterweight Champion (Training in Oxnard, CA)
“I’m thankful for this opportunity that Golden Boy Promotions is giving me. I’m really excited about this fight because of the many more opportunities that will come my way if I win. I’m also grateful to the fans, all the Mexican fans that are showing me their support.”

KEITH “ONE TIME” THURMAN, Undefeated WBA Interim Welterweight World Champion (Training in Clearwater, FL)
“I am most thankful for my career in boxing. Boxing is the only job that I have ever had and the only job I have ever wanted and I am truly grateful for that.”

JESUS “EL RENUENTE” SOTO KARASS, Top Welterweight Contender (Training in Los Angeles, CA)

“I am most thankful for my life and my family. I am grateful to have the love of my wife, kids, parents and siblings. I have the best in life with them. I am also grateful for my health.”

LEO “EL TERREMOTO” SANTA CRUZ, Undefeated WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion (Training in Los Angeles, Calif.)
“I am most thankful for my family, especially my brother. He still suffers from his illness [lupus], but he is doing much better. I am also thankful for my promoter Golden Boy Promotions, my manager Al Haymon and his hard working staff and my fans for supporting me in becoming a champion. Without any of them I wouldn’t be where I am at today.”

CESAR SEDA, Super Bantamweight Title Challenger (Training in Salinas, Puerto Rico)
“I am thankful to God for my health and all of the good things in life that have happened to me and my beautiful family. I know that this Thanksgiving I won’t be able to be with my wife, kids, mother or my grandparents and the rest of my family, but they understand the sacrifice that I am making for their good. This Thanksgiving I pray that God blesses the whole world and that he brings a lot of peace. I am so grateful for the new opportunity he gave me to fight for a world title again.”

BEIBUT SHUMENOV, WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion (Training in Las Vegas, NV)
“As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I am most thankful for my family. My father and mother raised me to be the person I am today and the continuous love and support from my brother, Chingis.”

TAMAS “TOMI KID” KOVACS, Top Light Heavyweight Contender (Training in Budapest, Hungary)
“I am very thankful for my family and feel very grateful every day to see my kids and my wife. When I am preparing for a fight my family is always on my mind and in my heart. In my career I am very grateful for the opportunity that I can fight for the WBA title.

# # #

ABOUT “MALIGNAGGI VS. JUDAH”:
Malignaggi vs. Judah is a 12-round fight for the NABF and NABO Welterweight titles taking place on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Super Judah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T, Casamigos Tequila and Grudge Match. In the co-featured bout, Devon Alexander puts his IBF welterweight title on the line in a 12-round bout against Shawn Porter, Erislandy Lara defends his interim WBA Super Welterweight title in a 12-round fight against Austin Trout and Sakio Bika defends his WBC Super Middleweight title against Anthony Dirrell in a 12-round bout. The SHOWTIME telecast begins at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT immediately following ALL ACCESS: Broner vs. Maidana which begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT. The telecast will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

ABOUT “DANGER ZONE: BRONER VS. MAIDANA”
“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBA Welterweight World Championship taking place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T, Casamigos Tequila and Grudge Match. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman will defend his interim WBA Welterweight World Championship against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz will put his WBC Super Bantamweight World title on the line against Cesar Seda in a 12-round bout and Beibut Shumenov faces Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight World titles. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25, $20 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, went on sale today, Thursday, Oct. 31 at 10 a.m. CT and are available at the Alamodome box office, or through Leija*Battah Promotions by calling (210) 979-3302 or emailing m@leijabattahpromo.com or online at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000.

SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 31, 2013) – An enthusiastic crowd of boxing fans showed up for a public press conference on the floor of the Alamodome today as Golden Boy Promotions formally announced DANGER ZONE, a blockbuster event highlighted by a highly anticipated matchup between undefeated WBA Welterweight Champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner and former WBA Junior Welterweight Champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana live on SHOWTIME® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) on Saturday, Dec. 14.

The 12-rounder between rising superstar Broner (27-0, 22 KO’s), of Cincinnati, and the always-dangerous, hard-hitting Maidana (34-3, 31 KO’s), of Margarita, Santa Fe, Argentina, tops a stacked fight card to close out what has been record-breaking year on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®.

Other Dec. 14 matchups: unbeaten Keith “One Time” Thurman (21-0, 19 KO’s), of Clearwater, Fla., will defend his interim WBA Welterweight Championship against Jesus “Renuente” Soto Karass (28-8-3, 18 KO’s), of Los Mochis, Mexico, undefeated Leo Santa Cruz (25-0-1, 15 KO’s), of Los Angeles by way of Huetamo, Mexico, will risk his WBC Super Bantamweight world title against southpaw Cesar Seda (25-1, 17 KO’s), of San Juan, P.R., popular former world champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz (29-4-2, 22 KO’s), of Oxnard, Calif., will make his long-awaited return to the ring against an opponent to be determined, and WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Beibut Shumenov (13-1, 8 KO’s), of Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Shymkent, Kazakhstan, defends his title against Tamas “Tomi Kid’’ Kovacs (23-0, 14 KO’s), of Galanta, Slovakia.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® (6:30 p.m. ET.PT).

Tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25, $20 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, went on sale today, Thursday, Oct. 31 at 10 a.m. CT and are available at the Alamodome box office, or through Leija*Battah Promotions by calling (210) 979-3302 or emailing m@leijabattahpromo.com or online at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000.

What the fighters and executives said Thursday:

Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions
“On Dec. 14, we have a celebration. A celebration of boxing at the highest level with the best fighters fighting the best opposition. This is what Golden Boy is all about. But it also is a celebration of San Antonio. New York at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Los Angeles at the Staples Center, Las Vegas at the MGM Grand and San Antonio at the Alamodome. That’s right. San Antonio is now one of the top-four premiere destinations for boxing in the United States. And our company, in partnership with local promoters Jesse James Leija and Mike Battah, are committed to bringing big-time boxing to this market on a regular basis.

SHOWTIME is going to continue the tradition of the best fighting the best. And on Sat. Dec. 14, Santa Claus is coming to town. I want to thank my friend Stephen Espinoza, the General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports and the chairman of CBS Corporation, which is the parent company of SHOWTIME, Leslie Moonves. His commitment and passion for boxing is second to none. And he has allowed us the opportunity to stage these incredible events on SHOWTIME.”

Jesse James Leija, Former World Champion and Texas boxing legend
“Between Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions, it’s possible to have great fighters to promote and bring up as champions but none if this is possible without the San Antonio fight fans.”

Mike Battah, President of Leija*Battah Promotions
“As of now we have $500,000 in sales, so we know that we have brought these fights to the right city [San Antonion]. On December 14, the fight fans here will get all of the excitement they are looking for when these guys go into the ring and give their best.”

SHOWTIME Spokesman Chris DeBlasio
This fight card is truly stacked. I feel like we have been saying that a lot lately in the past two years. But this, five major fights featuring this level of talent is perhaps the best of a great bunch.

SHOWTIME has quickly emerged as the premiere destination for big-time boxing. Through the close working relationship between Stephen Espinoza (Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports) and Richard Schaefer, SHOWTIME has become the home of the best fighters in the most competitive divisions in boxing today.

As a result, our subscribers have responded by tuning in in record numbers. To date, the top-five of the most watched SHOWTIME boxing events in our nearly 30 year history in this sport have all occurred in the last 13 months. So far this year, our average viewership for SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is up more than 23 percent. And dating back to 2011, our average viewership is up a remarkable 62 percent. There is no doubt that this incredible trend will continue when we deliver the strongest fight card of the year, on Saturday, Dec. 14, live on SHOWTIME.”

ADRIEN BRONER, Undefeated WBA Welterweight World Champion
“I have to thank God. He blessed us. And now it’s back to work. Like I’ve said before, I’ll fight whomever you all want me to fight. The next one is going to be the same way. After I (expletive) him up on Dec. 14, I’ll fight whomever you want.

(Regarding Maidana’s versatile training with renowned trainer Robert Garcia)
You can train different. You can lift weights with your teeth. You can push cars for two months straight. That doesn’t matter. I got the skills to pay the bills and I got enough will, my last name could be Smith.

There are a lot of people who hate me but the haters are going to love me at the end of the day. They just don’t know it yet. On Dec 14 I hope my haters become fans. You’ll love me eventually because I love all y’all.

I want to acknowledge the troops (members of the U.S. Military in attendance at the conference). I train in Colorado Springs. And I had the opportunity to go to Kuwait and Afghanistan to meet the troops a while back. And while I was sleeping, I could feel the ground shaking. We were getting bombed and I didn’t even know it at the time. That (expletive) over there is for real. Y’all are real fighters and y’all have given us the opportunity to do what we do. So, I thank you.

It’s going to be a hell of a fight. I can promise you this. It’s going to get ugly. I am talking Sam Cassell, Tyrone Hill ugly. It’s going to get ugly. I don’t know if he’s faking that he doesn’t speak English. But after Dec 14, he’ll speak English. I am going for the knockout. Strap up.

(On what Maidana brings to the ring)
He can hit. But Mark McGuire can hit too. But if he can’t hit nothing, his power shot becomes irrelevant. I want him to be 100% in this fight. I don’t want any excuses.

(Regarding his knockout prediction)
The Argentine fighters are strong for six rounds. They can’t go much past six. This fight is over shortly after the sixth.

Who is doing it like me? Nobody.”

MARCOS MAIDANA, Former WBA Junior Welterweight Champion
“This is a fight I wanted. I wanted to fight the best, the champion. And Adrien Broner is the champion so I am going to come prepared. I am very enthused. This is for the championship of the world. I am going to win. I am focused and will be 1000% ready.

Every fight, I have changed and I’ve improved my arsenal. Come Dec. 14, you are going to see a champion in Marcos Maidana.

(The key to beating Broner)
The key is to throw a lot of punches. Pressure him. Kick his ass. And that’s what I am going to do.

(On nuances in preparing for this fight)
I have not changed my style because this is who I am and that is how I fight. But Robert (Garcia) has sharpened my skills. He’s given me more composure in the ring and helped me to pick my shots and be even more aggressive than before.”

KEITH THURMAN, Undefeated WBA Interim Welterweight World Champion
“One Time. I am just so happy to be here. I am back. I am back in San Antonio to give another great performance. My motto is knockout for life. I am not called “One Time” for nothing. I come to bring the hurt. Fighters think they know what they’re getting into when they step into the ring. But no one can prepare for this. I am a beast. Dec. 14 is what I live for. That action. Getting hit, taking hits, giving hits. Seeing if they can take my hits, which they can’t do for long.

I am honored that Soto Karass took this fight. I am honored. There are a lot of guys that won’t take this fight. It gets me excited to know that I am going to meet someone like me in the ring. A true warrior. Someone that lives for the fight. Just like me, he’s not afraid of nobody.

I have to skip Thanksgiving. Sacrifices, sacrifices. But I can’t wait for Dec. 14. It’s going to be a special night.

There isn’t anything he can do to challenge me. No one can test me. I am testing you and you’ll fail. I come with a passion, drive, desire and will. Not just ordinary will, but the will to be champion. You’ve seen that will in my last fight. And Soto Karass is the type of fighter that can bring that out in me again. Once that comes out, it’s over for him.

(On ability of Soto Karass to challenge him)
He’s tough. Some people say he’s really tough. But when it comes to boxing, it takes skills. It’s nice to be tough but tough isn’t tough enough. If you don’t have the skills, it doesn’t matter. You have to be well rounded in this sport. I showed my versatility in my last fight and I’ll show you more on Dec. 14.

Other than Mayweather, you are looking at the best welterweights in the world (on this card). Adrien Broner is the world champ. I am Interim Champ. Marcos Maidana is ranked No. 1 by the WBA. This division is packed. I just happen to be one of the most talented.”

JESUS SOTO KARASS, (28-8-3, 18 Kos) Challenging for WBA Interim Welterweight Title
“Thank you. Especially to you, the people of San Antonio for letting me return and fight in this great city. I am excited to be back. And fighting Keith Thurman. I have seen him fight. We’ve been on the same cards before so I know what he has and he knows what I have. Come Dec. 14, I am going to bring it. I am coming to take that title back to Los Mochis (Mexico).

He has the same heart but the difference is that I have bigger balls.

I respect him but once we get into the ring, I don’t have that respect any more. My corner and myself will make adjustments once we get into the fight. I am going to war in the gym. I have bruises from the gym because I am preparing myself very well.

Mentally, I know that I need to train hard and be ready. I need to be successful and win in order to provide for my family.

There is no pressure. I know what I have to do. I have to attack and go to war in order to win this fight.”

LEO SANTA CRUZ, Undefeated WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion
“Thank you for bringing me to Texas. I always heard that I should fight in Texas and now I am here. I am going to give the fans what they want. Thank you for putting me on big shows. I am thankful for having the chance to be seen by so many people.”

CESAR SEDA, Super Bantamweight Title Challenger
“The opportunity to fight for this world title is a big deal for me. I am going to come prepared. I am going to continue with the great tradition of Mexico vs. Puerto Rico. I know I am not the favorite. I am not fighting at home. So I am going to do everything possible to come to PR with my hand raised up.”

VICTOR ORTIZ, Former WBC Welterweight Champion
“I shot a movie. I did “Dancing With Stars,” but through all that, in the back of my mind, I kept telling myself that I will be World Champion again. And that’s why I am here. Enjoy these fights. We have some of the greatest fighters of this era up here, so you are in for a treat. I will be world champion again, like it or not. Step aside. I am here.”

BEIBUT SHUMENOV, WBA Super Light Heavyweight World Champion
“I am excited. I am honored. I am looking forward to showing my skills.”

# # #

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and leijabattahpromo.com, follow on Twitter at @AdrienBroner, @ChinoMaidana, @KeithThurmanJr, @LeoSantaCruz2, @VICIOUSortiz @GoldenBoyBoxing, @LeijaBattahPR, and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #DangerZone and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/LeijaBattah and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 31, 2013) – WBA Welterweight Champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner and former WBA Junior Welterweight Champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana are no strangers to facing the most feared competitors in the sport of boxing. On Saturday, Dec. 14, in a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® mega-bout to air live from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, the bold and brash Broner and the punching powerhouse Maidana will enter the DANGER ZONE like never before, with “The Problem” defending his title against the Argentine knockout artist determined to wrap championship gold around his waist once again.

Who will emerge from the DANGER ZONE unscathed? Will it be the fast and precise Broner or the aggressive and powerful Maidana? The world will find out on Dec. 14.

“Maidana is one-dimensional and not in my league,” said Broner. “I’m a Ferrari and he’s a go-kart and my fans will see that in my return to Texas. It’s been over four years since I’ve fought there and I’m going to put on a show. Watch me light Maidana up like a Christmas tree on Dec. 14.”

“Everyone knows that Broner has a big mouth, but that doesn’t bother me, because his mouth can’t fight for him,” said Maidana. “Whether he has the guts to stand in front of me or if he runs I’ll definitely go for the KO and either way, I’m leaving the ring with the belt.”

“On paper this is the classic boxer versus puncher matchup, but Broner is also willing to stand and trade and Maidana can box, so I’m expecting this to be a Fight of the Year candidate to end 2013,” said CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer. “There’s a lot on the line for both fighters and I can’t wait to see who comes out of the DANGER ZONE with the belt.”
“With five amazing fights and boxing’s top stars, I can’t think of anyplace better to have this event than in San Antonio,” said President of Leija*Battah Promotions Mike Battah. “As shown with the Canelo Alvarez-Austin Trout fight, this is a city that loves and supports the sport, and I can’t wait to see the Alamodome filled once again on Dec. 14.”

“This has been an outstanding year for boxing on SHOWTIME, and I can’t think of any better way to end 2013 than with a stacked card like this one. Adrien Broner vs. Marcos Maidana is a dream matchup between two of the biggest names in the welterweight division. Keith Thurman and Jesus Soto Karass are two of the most aggressive, hard-hitting fighters in any division,” said Executive Vice President & General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports Stephen Espinoza. “We’ve also got one of the sport’s top young fighters in Leo Santa Cruz. Add in the return of Victor Ortiz, and it’s clear that this truly is a can’t-miss event. It’s a pay per view-quality event without the pay per view price tag.”

In the co-main event, one of boxing’s top young stars, Keith “One Time” Thurman, will meet his toughest challenge yet when he defends his interim WBA Welterweight Championship against Mexico’s Jesus “Renuente” Soto Karass.

“Soto Karass is a tough guy, there’s no question about that, and I respect him a lot,” said Thurman. “But his style is tailor-made for me and I expect to defend my title and win by knockout.”

“Thurman is a young, talented fighter with good power,” said Soto Karass. “But as I proved in my fight with Andre Berto that when I’m on top of my game, no one can beat me. I will become a world champion on Dec. 14.”

Before Thurman and Soto Karass battle it out, the WBC Super Bantamweight Championship will be on the line when defending champion Leo “Teremoto” Santa Cruz battles Cesar Seda.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring and making my debut in Texas against Cesar Seda,” said Santa Cruz. “Seda is a quality fighter and a top contender, but I’m not ready to give up my belt to him or anyone.”

“I admire Santa Cruz for his talent and his accomplishments, but styles make fights, and I have the style to beat him and bring the world championship back to Puerto Rico,” said Seda.

The stacked card’s opening world championship fight pits Kazakhstan’s Beibut Shumenov against unbeaten challenger Tamas “Tomi Kid” Kovacs in a 12-round bout for Shumenov’s WBA Light Heavyweight Title.

“I am excited to be back in the ring and to compete on such an amazing event,” said Shumenov. “It’s been a long time for me, and I’m hungry to beat Kovacs in impressive style and retain my title.”

“It has been my dream to fight in the United States against the best in the world, and on Dec. 14 I finally get my chance,” said Kovacs. “Shumenov is a great champion, but I am confident in my ability to take his title.”

Plus, in a special 10-round super welterweight attraction former Welterweight World Champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz makes his much anticipated return to the ring.

“It’s great to be back and I can’t wait for my return on Dec. 14,” said Ortiz. “I’m stronger and better than ever at 154 pounds, and the world will see that when the bell rings.”

Tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25, $20 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, go on sale on Thursday, Oct. 31 at 10 a.m. CT and are available for purchase at the Alamodome box office, or through Leija*Battah Promotions by calling (210) 979-3302 or emailing m@leijabattahpromo.com or online at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000.

Cincinnati’s Adrien “The Problem” Broner (27-0, 22 KO’s) is boxing’s latest superstar, a charismatic and talented fighter who has made it clear with his performances that he’s here to stay. A five-year pro, the 24-year-old boxer-puncher won his first world title in 2011 when he knocked out Vicente Martin Rodriguez for the WBO Super Featherweight crown and he added the WBC Lightweight belt when he scored an eighth-round technical knockout over Antonio DeMarco in 2012. But Broner’s greatest feat came when he jumped from 135 to 147 pounds in June, defeating Paulie Malignaggi to win the WBA Welterweight Championship. On Dec.14, he makes his first defense against the biggest puncher he’s ever faced.

Thirty-year-old Marcos “El Chino” Maidana (34-3, 31 KO’s) isn’t just one of boxing’s biggest punchers; he’s also consistently amongst the most exciting fighters in the game today, one who has specialized in Fight of the Year-worthy battles against the best the sport has to offer. Hailing from Margarita, Santa Fe, Argentina, Maidana first emerged on the world scene in 2009, when he won the interim WBA World Junior Welterweight Championship with a stunning sixth-round technical knockout over Victor Ortiz. After three defenses of his title, Maidana lost a 2010 Fight of the Year candidate to Amir Khan, but he regained the belt with another classic against Erik Morales in 2011. Since then, Maidana – now competing at welterweight – has won four of his last five, all by knockout, most recently halting Josesito Lopez in six rounds on June 8.

A former amateur standout who compiled over 100 wins, Keith “One Time” Thurman (21-0, 19 KO’s) owns the kind of power that has made the boxing world take notice. On a tear since returning in 2012 from an injury-forced layoff, the 24-year-old from Clearwater, Fla. has made a statement with his trio of recent victories, as he’s scored a technical knockout over Carlos Quintana, shut out Jan Zaveck and won the interim WBA Welterweight Championship with a 10th-round knockout over Diego Chaves. On Dec. 14, he makes his first title defense.

One of the most respected veterans in the sport today, 30-year-old Los Mochis native Jesus “Renuente” Soto Karass (28-8-3, 18 KO’s) has been in some classic fights over the years, going toe-to-toe with the likes of Marcos Maidana and Andre Berto. The Berto fight in July was particularly important for him, as the 12-round technical knockout win (his fourth in his last five bouts) earned him the world title he has craved since turning pro in 2001. He promises that he won’t let this chance slip away.

Boxing’s breakout star, Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz (25-0-1, 15 KO’s) has already earned world championships in two weight classes, despite being just 25-years-old. A native of Huetamo, Mexico now living in Los Angeles, Santa Cruz’s fan-friendly attack has garnered him followers from around the world, and after his 2013 knockouts of Alexander Munoz and Victor Terrazas, the latter victory earning him the WBC Super Bantamweight Championship, he shows no signs of slowing down in his quest for boxing greatness.

A native of the boxing-rich island of Puerto Rico, San Juan southpaw Cesar Seda (25-1, 17 KO’s) initially made his name in the fight game with a successful run at 115 pounds, where he won the WBA Fedecaribe and NABO titles before losing for the only time in his career against WBO Champion Omar Narvaez in April of 2011. Since that bout, the 27-year-old Seda has gone up in weight and won five straight fights, two by way of knockout, earning him a title shot on Dec. 14.

A true boxing phenon who won a world title in just his 10th pro fight, Shymkent, Kazakhstan’s Beibut Shumenov (13-1, 8 KO’s) has been one of the sport’s great success stories following an impressive amateur career that saw him represent his country in the 2004 Olympics. Now living in Las Vegas, Nev., the 30-year old WBA light heavyweight world champion has successfully defended his belt four times, most recently by decision against Enrique Ornelas in June of 2012. On Dec.14, he returns to the ring.

Unbeaten as a professional, 36-year-old Tamas Kovacs (23-0, 14 KO’s) is a seasoned veteran who’s finally getting his shot at world championship glory. A WBF and WBO European champion thus far in his five-year career, the Galanta, Slovakia native is coming off of two 2013 victories over Peter Vecsei and Said Mbelwa, and he would love to close out the year by bringing a world title belt back home to Europe.

One of boxing’s most charismatic young stars, 26-year-old “Vicious” Victor Ortiz (29-4-2, 22 KO’s) has made headlines in and out of the ring, first as a former welterweight world champion who has engaged in memorable battles with Andre Berto, Floyd Mayweather, Marcos Maidana, Antonio Diaz, and Josesito Lopez; but also as a member of the cast of ABC’s hit series “Dancing With The Stars.” Now with his dancing shoes put away, Ortiz has the gloves back on and makes his highly anticipated return to the ring.

“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBA welterweight world championship taking place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, is promoted byGolden Boy Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Grudge Match. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman will defend his interim WBA welterweight Championship against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz will put his WBC super bantamweight world title on the line against Cesar Seda in a 12-round bout and “Vicious” Victor Ortiz will make his much anticipated return to the ring. Plus, Beibut Shumenov faces Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA light heavyweight title. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME®at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and leijabattahpromo.com, follow on Twitter at @AdrienBroner, @ChinoMaidana, @KeithThurmanJr, @LeoSantaCruz2, @VICIOUSortiz @GoldenBoyBoxing, @LeijaBattahPR, and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #DangerZone and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/LeijaBattah and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.