Philadelphia (August 20, 2024)–A massive night of boxing comes to the Met Philadelphia on Saturday night, August 24 RDR Promotions rising star Isaiah Johnson (9-0, 7 KOs) of Sicklerville, NJ takes on the always-tough Andrew Rodgers (9-12-3, 3 KOs) of Elkhart, Indiana in a super lightweight bout.

The card is promoted by DRCO and RDR Promotions.

A huge undercard has been assembled that will feature many of the top prosects in the area.

Former world heavyweight title challenger Bryant Jennings (24-4, 14 KOs) of Philadelphia returns to the ring after a five-year hiatus as he takes on Joel Caudle (9-8-2, 6 KOs) of North Carolina in a bout scheduled for eight-rounds.

Also in eight-round bouts,. Avious Griffin 14-0, 13 KOs) of Chattanooga, Tennessee takes on William Jackson (13-4-2, 5 KO) of Cincinnati in a welterweight bout.

In a six-round fight, Erron Peterson (6-0-1, 4 KOs) of Philadelphia, PA battles Ashton Sykes 6-7, 2 KOs) of Columbia, Maryland in a middleweight fight.

In Four-round Bouts:

RDR Fighter Rashan Adams (7-1, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia fights debuting Harold McQueen of Lake Worth, Florida in a super featherweight bout.

RDR Fighter Nimal Farmer (5-0, 4 KOs) of Lindenwold, NJ takes on Maurice Clemons (3-6, 1 KO) in a welterweight bout.

Super featherweight Jabril Noble (5-0, 4 KOs) of Philadelphia takes on Nasir Mickens (2-4, 1 KO) of Philadelphia in a rematch.

Nasheed H. Smith (3-0, 2 KOs) of Washington, DC battles Christopher Brooker (16-14, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia in a light heavyweight fight.

Lemar Smith (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia fights Christopher Ortiz (0-0-1) of Las Piedras, Puerto Rico in a super lightweight bout.

Steven Grandy (1-0, 1 KO) of Houston takes on an opponent to be named in a super featherweight bout. Grandy’s twin brother Daniel Grandy (1-0, 1 KO) of Houston takes on Jak Johnson (1-4) of Newcastle, England in a super featherweight bout. The Grandy twins are 17 years-old and turned pro at 16.

Quincy Williams (2-0, 2 KOs) of Washington, DC takes on pro debuting Muzamir Semuddu. Semudddu was a Bronze Medal winner in the All-African Games representing his home country of Uganda.

Welterweight Tyreem Haywood (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia takes on Deo Kizito (3-6, 2 KOs) of Baltimore

Pro debuting super bantamweight Samaj Justice of Philadelphia will take on Joseph K Adorno Del Valle (0-1-1) of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico.

Tickets are now on sale beginning at $40.

https://concerts.livenation.com/event/020060CEBAC75225

The fight card will be streamed live on TrillerTV and BXNGTV.com.

MONTREAL (September 13, 2021) — A great World Boxing Council (WBC) World Championship fight will officially come to fruition on October 22nd, in the bewitching atmosphere of L’Olympia de Montréal, a renovated venue that has kept its captivating cachet. Those who will have the privilege of being there will attend a colorful show in an exceptional environment that they will not soon forget.

For the first time in history, the WBC Bridgerweight title, under 224 pounds, will be on the line. Adopted Quebecer and WBC No. 1 contender for the vacant WBC title, Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas (27-1, 19KO) will face American and No. 3 rated Bryant Jennings (24-4, 14KO), of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This is a major clash for the two fighters and their careers, which promises to be a risky, hotly contested contest. After all, the winner will become the monarch of this new division. This grand and historic showdown marks the return of American television to Canada for the first time since December 2018, as ESPN + retained the broadcast rights to the fight in the United States. In total, this prestigious gala will also be broadcast live in nearly 50 countries.

Rivas was ranked among the world’s top 5 heavyweights when he was selected as the No. 1 contender in the WBC’s newly created division. In his last fight this past March, he easily disposed of Sylvera Louis by retirement in the 3rd round. In addition, boxing fans remember the fight delivered by “Kaboom” in England on July 20, 2019, against Britain’s Dillian Whyte (25-1, 18KO), in his previous outing. Rivas lost by close decision, even though he knocked his opponent down in the 9th round. The loss was very bitter, especially when it became known that Whyte had allegedly tested positive for illegal substances before the fight without BBBofC intervention.

This will be the second clash between Jennings and Rivas, who fought an extremely contested duel on January 2019, in Verona, New York. Also broadcast by ESPN +, Rivas-Jennings I was virtually even after 11 rounds. At the start of the last round, Rivas attacked with an aggressive and intense push to send the American to the floor, and subsequently forced the referee to end the hostilities. Since that time, the Philadelphia boxer has been calling for a rematch.

Jennings has fought one fight since his first fight with Rivas, a decision loss to Rio Olympics silver medalist and mandatory world contender to champion Anthony Joshua, Joe Joyce (13-0, 12KO). Jennings is the only one to have crossed the line against the British giant. The scores of 115-112, 118-119 and 117-110 indicate that Jennings managed to win several rounds in this match, despite it being held in Joyce’s backyard in London.

A total of 6 boxing matches are planned for this magnificent evening.

The return of the charismatic Sébastien Bouchard (19-2, 8KO) is confirmed, He will be back in the ring for the second time in 2021, after suffering a major injury against Ayaz Hussain in Quebec in 2019.

Alexandre Roberge (1-1) and Francis Charbonneau (3-1, 1KO) caused a stir March 16th in their 6-round confrontation, which was won by Charbonneau via split decision. The two young boxers will pick up where they left off with another 6-round fight.

The evening’s other fights will be announced later this week.

The Oct. 22nd event, presented in association with Mise-O-Jeu, will mark the 49th world Championship fight promoted by GYM since its founding in 2004.

Tickets will go on sale this Saturday, September 18, at 10:00 a.m. ET on ticketmaster.ca. For group orders, contact GYM at 514-383-0666 extension # 5, or by emailing [email protected].

-30-

About Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM): Groupe Yvon Michel is a professional boxing promotion organization founded in 2004 by Yvon Michel, Alexandra Croft and Bernard Barré, each still active within the company, the most prolific organization in the history of professional boxing in Canada. Since its founding, GYM has promoted 158 events in Quebec, all broadcast in Quebec on RDS, TVA Sports or Radio-Canada, in addition to participating in 37 international events outside Quebec. Six boxers became world champions, Joachim Alcine, Jean Pascal, Adonis Stevenson, Artur Beterbiev, Eleider Alvarez and Marie-Eve Dicaire. Sixteen of the organization’s boxers have fought in 48 world championship bouts with an excellent record of 24 wins, 22 losses and 2 draws. During this period the major American television networks were more active than ever in coming to Quebec to broadcast GYM’s most important events. On 34 occasions, the major American networks presented a GYM event, an exceptional showcase of Quebec knowledge including HBO (8), Showtime (7), ESPN2 (10), Wealth TV (4), Spike TV (2), ESPN (1), CBS (1) and NBC Sports (1).

FACEBOOK: @groupeyvonmichel

INSTAGRAM: @groupeyvonmichel

TWITTER: @yvonmichelGYM

GroupeYM #RivasJennings2

HALL OF FAME promoter Frank Warren stages his bumper Heavy Duty card at London’s o2 Arena on Saturday (July 13) headed by the vacant British heavyweight title fight between Daniel Dubois and Nathan Gorman, live on BT Sport.

A press conference was held at the BT Studios this afternoon for the star-studded undercard that backs up the top of the bill fight.

Putney’s Joe Joyce defends his WBA Gold heavyweight title against Philadelphia’s former world title challenger Bryant Jennings. Clydach Vale star Liam Williams faces Frenchman Karim Achour for the vacant WBC Silver middleweight title. Croydon’s Sunny Edwards meets Mexican Hiram Gallardo for the vacant IBF International super-flyweight championship and Welling’s unbeaten Archie Sharp defends his WBO European super-featherweight crown against Cambuslang’s Jordan McCorry.

Here are a selection of quotes from today’s press conference.

FRANCIS WARREN 

“The card is fantastic from top to bottom. These guys are stellar fighters and will win world titles.

Joe against Bryant is a genuine 50-50 and with Bryant’s experience at world level he knows what it’s all about. Joe is the Juggernaut though. He has made exceptional progress and is even better now with Adam Booth training him.

“Sunny is super talented and when I spoke to Tommy Frank’s promoter about a British title fight he said; ’No’.

“We are being treated in the super-featherweight division with men like Archie, but he has a hard fight on Saturday. Jordan is a real test for any of our super-featherweights.”

When Liam wins, we will request he is rated in the top five by the WBC. He is really enjoying his boxing and motivated to get in the world title mix. He has bigger ambitions than he has ever had before.”

JOE JOYCE

“I’m good, ready, had a good camp and incorporated what Adam Booth has taught me and I’m really excited because this is a big fight against a credible opponent.

“This is the biggest fight of my professional career so far. Let’s see if he runs or goes toe-to-toe.

“It might be 1-0 to him with Adam, but now is redemption. Adam has taught me not to be a sitting target and get my head off line.

“I want to continue my 100 per-cent KO ratio and go 10-0 all by knockouts. I will be happy for it not to go the distance, but I am happy going 12 rounds. I just want to line them up and knock them over.

“The winner of Dubois v Gorman is an option and hopefully I will have time to get changed and come out to watch it after my fight. It is a 50-50 fight. Dubois is very strong and if he lands you’re in trouble. Gorman is a lot slicker.”

BRYANT JENNINGS 

“Joe pummels people but you could have pummel v pummel and if it’s gonna be rock ’n sock robot okay.

“It’s boxing and don’t ignore the possibility of anything happening. You can be almost chilling and suddenly over.

“I have always wanted the toughest fights so I’m not wasting my time. I have always wanted to know I belong there and this is that. I set out to win every single time.

“It isn’t in my DNA to lay down. That is something I can’t comprehend. To calculate the fact I am here to lay down they have got it wrong.

“His trainer Adam Booth has a thing with me and tried with Mike Perez but couldn’t. I won that fight. Joe’s trainer Adam and myself have history from that. I expect us both to bring our best.

“I have sparred Gorman. He is a phenomenal kid and the only way is up, but I can’t rate off sparring but he has potential. I haven’t watched Dubois.”

LIAM WILLIAMS 

“Everything is going perfect. The move to Sheffield to train was the best move of my career and came at the right time.

“I am performing, happy with performances but I need bigger name opponents. I am too good for these guys, but I have a hard fight on Saturday. Achour has never been stopped. He has great experience and knows his way around, but I am in good form, getting better, stronger.

“You are going to see a devastating performance and I will be the first man to stop him. All I’m doing in Sheffield is training and resting. I am living the perfect boxer life.

“I one-million percent believe I will win a world title in a year. I am a lot more confident in my ability. When you’re young and cut corners you question yourself. I am doing it right.

“People think I am stupid, but although Gennady Golovkin isn’t a world champion I would love to fight him. I fear no man.”

SUNNY EDWARDS 

“It seems I’m an avoided man by British fighters. It is frustrating as I would like to build my career the traditional way and win the British title, but that is not happening because I’m too much of a risk. I am open to fighting any British super-flyweight if it’s right.

“I have done the hard work to get on these TV bills and I want to stay busy. I’m in a good position and the only thing that can take that away is me not performing.

“I don’t study too much of opponents, but I just watch a bit and leave it to my trainer. Gallardo has never been stopped and won against unbeaten fighters. He is no mug and coming to win.

“I have never sold myself as a big puncher, but I am elusive enough that I don’t get too much damage.

“My Mum has had health problems but she will be there and I will box well enough for her to be happy. Her problems came five years ago and she is the perfect Mum. Maybe we’re living on borrowed time with her, but every day we get to see her and there are people in worst situations.”

ARCHIE SHARP 

“It’s not about me doing a better job than Sam Bowen on McCorry. I have just got to win in style.

“He says he has the physical strength, but they all say that. He is going to be shocked because I have got stronger from when I beat Lyon Woodstock in my last fight.

“My footwork is phenomenal and always has been. On Saturday you will see that he will try and rough me up, but I should make easy work of it.

“Nobody is coming to my hometown and taking my belt. I am also starting to show I can put people away.

“The super-featherweight division is on fire. Jamel Herring the WBO world champion has mentioned my name so let’s see where we are after Saturday.”

Tickets for ‘Heavy Duty’ featuring Daniel Dubois v Nathan Gorman for the vacant British Heavyweight Title, plus Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce v Bryant Jennings are on sale now. The show also features British Middleweight champion Liam Williams who clashes against France’s former European champion Karim Achour for the vacant WBC Silver middleweight crown. Super-flyweight sensation Sunny Edwards meets Mexican Hiram Gallardo for the vacant IBF super-flyweight title. WBO super-featherweight champion Archie Sharp risks his crown against Jordan McCorry. Returning after an impressive debut is Kent bantamweight Dennis McCann. Hamza Sheeraz, Mark Chamberlain, Jake Pettitt,, Mickey Burke Jr and Florian Marku add to an exciting line up and tickets are available via AXS.com, Eventim and Ticketmaster and are priced as below:
 
£300 – Hospitality
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Tier/Floor
£75 – Floor/Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tied

BRYANT JENNINGS INSISTS he is more than ready to counter the threat of the high-volume punching Joe Joyce and claims the Englishman needs to tighten his own defences.

The Olympic silver medallist Joyce is renowned for his relentless style of fighting, continually marching forward delivering punches from all angles.

Joyce, set to enter into double figures as a professional heavyweight, takes on the former world title challenger in the chief support of ‘Heavy Duty’ at the o2 Arena on July 13, headlined by the British title showdown between the unbeaten pair of Daniel Dubois and Nathan Gorman.

Jennings’ 24-3 is unconcerned over the prospect of taking on the Juggernaut, who he believes needs to keep his own guard up on the night.

“He’s gonna have shots coming right back at him and, the last time I checked, his defence is not as good,” said the American. “He can catch every punch – with his jaw!”

While Joyce is relatively new to the professional game with a record of 9-0, Jennings acknowledged that he was familiar with the name, although more through his online activity.

“I was aware of him and I am aware of everyone in my division, at least at a certain level. Once you get to a certain level, I know who you are and I may have seen you. He is somebody I was aware of – and was made aware of – based on the noise he was making on Twitter and stuff like that, rather than in the actual boxing ring.

“He came with the accolades and it kind of matched up, so he was just letting himself be known and that is how I knew about him,” added the 34-year-old, who states that his ambitions have not been diminished by suffering a loss in his last fight to Oscar Rivas in January.

“Personally that was just an obstacle that I understood I had to get over,” he reasoned. “Against it being a failed mission, I didn’t necessarily fail the plan. A lot of these guys had hundreds of amateur fights and they lost plenty of them. That was their way of gaining experience and gaining something from those losses they had.

“So when I lost, it was just a case of putting it behind me. Done deal. Was I going to sit there and cry about it or get up and move on? That is what I chose to do, get up and move on.

“The fight with Rivas does nothing to me mentally but, in the boxing game, it knocks you down and you lose position. Here it is also, people still love me and I am still that guy. I can live with myself, I’m good.”

Meanwhile, Jennings took a little time out to assess the merits of the fight he says has knocked him off top billing between Dubois and Gorman.

“Well I sparred Gorman a couple of times and he is a bright kid who is pretty good. I’ve heard of Daniel but I have never watched him.

“I just think it is a great match-up, those guys have spent a lot of time in the ring together and have sparred a lot – and they are the main event.

“They have to be something if I am on the undercard of them! I just think it will be a good fight.”

Tickets for ‘Heavy Duty’ featuring Daniel Dubois v Nathan Gorman for the vacant British Heavyweight Title, plus Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce v Bryant Jennings are on sale now. The show also features British Middleweight champion Liam Williams who clashes against France’s former European champion Karim Achour for the vacant WBC Silver middleweight crown. Super-flyweight sensation Sunny Edwards meets Mexican Hiram Gallardo for the vacant IBF super-flyweight title. WBO super-featherweight champion Archie Sharp risks his crown against Jordan McCorry. Returning after an impressive debut is Kent bantamweight Dennis McCann. Hamza Sheeraz, Mark Chamberlain, Jake Pettitt, Louie Lynn, Mickey Burke Jr and Florian Marku add to an exciting line up and tickets are available via AXS.com, Eventim and Ticketmaster and are priced as below:

£300 – (Hospitality)
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Tier/Floor
£75 – Floor/Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier

HEAVYWEIGHT sensation Joe Joyce will face his toughest test as a professional when he tackles former world title challenger Bryant Jennings on the ‘Heavy Duty’ show at The O2, London on Saturday July 13.

The Londoner is being fast-tracked to the top and a successful WBA Gold title defence against the American star will move him even closer to a world title challenge.

The potentially explosive encounter is the co-feature bout on a blockbuster card headlined by the vacant British heavyweight championship clash between young guns Daniel Dubois and Nathan Gorman.

Joyce (9-0, 9 KOs) annihilated another former world title challenger Alexander Ustinov earlier this month and admits: “This should be my toughest fight to date.

“Bryant Jennings has been in very big fights and he gave Wladimir Klitschko a tough night before he fought Tyson Fury.

Jennings (24-3-0, 14KOs) lost on points when he challenged Ukrainian great Wladimir Klitschko for his world titles at Madison Square Garden in April 2015.

He then lost to Cuban Luis Ortiz before going on a five-fight winning streak. That run ended in January with a 12th round setback against unbeaten Oscar Rivas, a fight many believe Jennings was winning until the dramatic final round.

Olympic silver medallist Joyce added: ”He is also probably Luis Ortiz’s best win.

“I respect Bryant for stepping up and taking this fight. I intend to send a statement to the heavyweight division on July 13th and it won’t be long before I get my hands on those big titles.”

Jennings holds good wins over former European Champion Alexander Dimitrenko, Artur Szpilka and Mike Perez. Victory on the road against Joyce will kick-start his world title hopes again.

The Philadelphia contender says: “This is a high-risk, good-reward fight. It makes getting in the ring worth it. I don’t mind the test. I don’t mind the challenge. That’s just who I am.

“I am the only one who can beat myself. Nobody can beat me. When I’ve lost, it’s been because of me, not my opponent.”

And Jennings warned this is just a start of a mission to topple British heavyweights adding: “I am ready to go now. The Oscar Rivas fight is in the past, and I’m ready for the challenge that’s ahead of me.

“After this, I’m coming after all the other UK heavyweights. They are the ones running the division.”

Promoter Frank Warren added: “World heavyweight boxing is absolutely flying at the moment and our Heavy Duty night on July 13th just got bigger.

“Bryant Jennings is a quality fighter who operates at world level and this is the perfect fight for Joe to showcase his credentials and put himself in the running for major titles.

“This is a step up in class for Joe and a mark of the progress he has made after just ten fights as a pro.

“It is the opportunity for him to post a big message to the heavyweight champions and contenders that a new force is rapidly making up the ground towards world title contention.

“This is a great fight added to what is already shaping up to being a fantastic card for the fans at the o2 Arena.”

Joyce v Jennings is promoted by Queensberry Promotions in association with Ringstar Sports and Top Rank.

Richard Schaefer of Ringstar Sports said: “The heavyweight division is the glamour division of boxing again. Indeed July 13th will be another glamorous night for Joe Joyce.

“With Bryant Jennings, he has the biggest and most dangerous opponent of his career but I am sure that ‘The Juggernaut’ will pass with flying colours and continue his march towards the heavyweight championship of the world.”

Bryant’s promoter Bob Arum added: “People will see how dangerous Bryant Jennings really is.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see him easily beat Joe Joyce. Bryant has fought the best heavyweights in the world, and Joe has seen nothing like him as a professional.”

Tickets for ‘Heavy Duty’ featuring Daniel Dubois v Nathan Gorman for the vacant British Heavyweight Title, plus Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce v Bryant Jennings are on sale now. The show also features British Middleweight Champion Liam Williams, super flyweight sensation Sunny Edwards and super featherweight contender Archie Sharp. Also returning after an impressive debut is Kent bantamweight Dennis McCann. Hamza Sheeraz, Mark Chamberlain, Jake Pettitt, Louie Lynn, Mickey Burke Jr and Florian Marku add to an exciting line up and tickets are available via AXS.com, Eventim and Ticketmaster and are priced as below:

£300 – (Hospitality)
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Tier/Floor
£75 – Floor/Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier

Oscar Rivas pulled off the biggest win of his career by stopping Bryant Jennings in the final round of their 12-round heavyweight at The Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Rivas was the more active fighter and in round 12, he turned up the heat and stepped on the gas with a hard combination on Jennings against the ropes until he put Jennings on the canvas. With Jennings hurt, Rivas jumped on Jennings as he landed some major power punches on the ropes that snapped the head of Jennings back, and the bout was stopped at 54 seconds.

Rivas, 234 lbs of Montreal is 26-0 with 18 knockouts. Jennings, 223 1/4 lbs of Philadelphia is 24-3.

“I worked hard for this fight, and this is the result we were looking for,” Rivas said. “Before the beginning of the last round, my coach reminded me how hard we had worked, and that motivated me to leave everything in the last round. I saw that the combination of a hook and straight right hand was landing, and I kept throwing it until I knocked him down.

“I demonstrated that I’m unbeaten for a reason. Now after this triumph, the boxing world will know my name. This victory puts me closer to being among the elites of the division. I want to write my name in the history of Colombian boxing.

Said Jennings: “It is what it is.”

Shakur Stevenson remained undefeated with a 4th round stoppage over Jessie Cris Rosales in a scheduled 10-round featherweight contest.

Stevenson dumped Rosales with a hard left, and Rosales was flat on his back, and the fight was called at 1:17 of round four.

Stevenson is now 10-0 with six knockouts. Rosales is 22-2-1.

“I want Warrington. I want to go England and fight in front of the fans over there. That would be a great fight,” Stevenson said. “I know that I’m ready for a title shot. At the same time, I am still growing and improving. I have a great team behind me.”

Robson Conceicao won an eight-round unanimous decision over Hector Ambriz in a super featherweight bout.

Conceicao, 130 1/2 lbs of Bahia, BRA won by shutout scores of 80-72 on all cards, and is now 11-0. Ambriz, 130 1/2 lbs of Ensenada, MEX is 12-9-2.

Jason Sosa survived an early to knockdown to comeback and take a 10-round unanimous decision over Moises Delgadillo in a junior lightweight contest.

In round one, Sosa was cut on the bridge of the nose. In round two, Delgadillo sent Sosa down with a clipping left hook. In round three, Delgadillo started to bleed around his left eye.

In round seven, Sosa turned the tide by knocking Delgadillo down with a body punch.

Sosa, 131 lbs of Camden, NJ won by scores of 97-91 twice and 96-92 to raise his mark to 22-3-4. Delagadillo, 133 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 17-19-2.

“I came from behind in this fight. He surprised me and knocked me down with a good punch, but I recovered and then I managed to knock him down and take control of the fight,” Sosa said. “I did not have any amateur fights, so I’m still learning a lot with each fight.”

I want {WBC super featherweight champion Miguel} Berchelt. I want that title that he has. It would be another great war between Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Two-time Indian Olympian Vikas Krishan made a successful pro debut with a 2nd round stoppage over Steven Andrade in a scheduled six-round junior middleweight bout.

Krishan pressured Andrade from the opening bell, and in round two, a hard flurry put Andrade on the canvas. A follow up flurry had referee Benjy Esteves to stop the bout.

Krishan, 152 lbs is 1-0 with one knockout. Andrade, 151 3/4 lbs of Cartersville, GA is 3-4.

“I want to thank my team for helping me have a successful professional debut,” Krishan said. “This is only the start of my professional journey. ‘The Indian Tank’ is coming.”

Fazliddin Gaibnazarov remained undefeated by stopping Ricardo Garcia after round four of their scheduled eight-round junior welterweight bout.

In round three, Gaibnazarov dropped Garcia with a right hook.

Gaibnazarov, 141 1/2 lbs of Berobod, UZB is 7-0 with four knockouts. Garcia, 142 lbs of Reading, PA is 14-5-1.

“I want to step up my level of competition now,” Gaibnazarov said. “I am ready for the top fighters at 140 pounds. My time is coming.”

Carlos Adames remained undefeated by stopping Juan Ruiz in round three in a schedueled eight-round junior middleweight bout.

Adames dropped Ruiz with a right to the body for the 10-count at 1:57.

Adames, 156 lbs of Santiago, DR is now 16-0 with 13 knockouts. Ruiz, 155 1/2 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 21-4.

“This is the new era of ‘El Caballo Bronco,'” Adames said. “I want to battle against the best. I already want to face a world champion. Anyone who does not want to face me, get out of the way because I’m coming for all the super welterweight world titles.”

• Bryant Jennings 225.25 lbs vs. Oscar Rivas 234 lbs
(NABF, NABO and IBF International Heavyweight titles – 12 Rounds)

• Shakur Stevenson 125.5 lbs vs. Jessie Cris Rosales124.5lbs
(IBF International and WBC Continental Americas Featherweight titles – 10 Rounds)

ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET)

• Jason Sosa 131 lbs vs. Moises Delgadillo 133 lbs
(Super Featherweight – 10/8 Rounds)

• Carlos Adames 156 lbs vs. Juan Ruiz 155.5 lbs
(Super Welterweight – 10/8 Rounds)

• Robson Conceicao 130.5 lbs vs. Hector Ambriz 130.5 lbs
(Super Featherweight – 8 Rounds)

• Fazliddin Gaibnazarov 141.5 lbs vs. Ricardo Garcia 142 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

• Cassius Chaney 250 lbs vs. Michael Glasscox 212 lbs
(Heavyweight – 6 Rounds)

• Vikas Krishan 151.75 lbs vs. Steven Andrade 152 lbs
(Super Welterweight – 6 Rounds)

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM), tickets priced at $79, $62, and $45, are available at the Turning Stone Resort Box Office by calling 315-361-7469 or online at Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com).

About ESPN+

ESPN+, which surpassed one million paying subscribers in just five months, is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports), domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie and more), exclusive Top Rank boxing, UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App, the leading sports app and the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans. The ESPN App is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation, delivering a rich, personalized experience that curates all of ESPN’s content around each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com

VERONA, N.Y. (Jan. 3, 2019) — Shakur Stevenson, the 21-year-old wunderkind who captured a silver medal for the United States at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will begin his 2019 campaign with his toughest professional bout to date.

Stevenson (9-0, 5 KOs) will battle Jessie Cris Rosales in a 10-rounder for the IBF Intercontinental and WBC Continental Americas featherweight belts on Friday, Jan. 18 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.

Stevenson-Rosales will serve as the co-feature to the Bryant Jennings-Oscar Rivas heavyweight main event, both of which will stream live beginning at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. The undercard, including the highly anticipated pro debut of former Indian amateur standout Vikas “The Indian Tank” Krishan, will also stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM), tickets, priced at $79, $62, and $45, are available at the Turning Stone Resort Box Office by calling 315-361-7469 or online at Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com).

“I am ready to fight the best featherweights in the world. 2019 is going to be a year to remember for me,” Stevenson said. “Rosales is a tough opponent, but he’s going to be no match for my speed and power.”

Rosales (22-1-1, 10 KOs), a 27-year-old native of Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines, will be making his U.S. debut against Stevenson. He is coming of a second-round KO victory in March against Ibrahim Balla (13-1 at the time) in Altona North, Victoria, Australia. The only blemish on his record came via second-round KO in 2017 to former two-division world champion Jhonny Gonzalez.

Krishan, the most highly decorated amateur in the history of Indian boxing, will take on Steven Andrade (3-3, 2 KOs) in a six-round super welterweight bout. A 26-year-old southpaw, Krishan represented his homeland at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and became the only Indian fighter in history to capture gold medals at both the Asian and Commonwealth Games. He made headlines at the 2012 Olympics for defeating Errol Spence Jr., only for the Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) to overturn the result a few hours later because of fouls that Krishan committed during the match.

“I was an amateur for a very long time, and the time was finally right to turn pro,” Krishan said. I do not take this opportunity lightly, and I look forward to showcasing my skills to boxing fans from around the world. I also want to show that Indians are not only good in medical studies, but we know how to fight as well!”

In other action:

Super welterweight contender Carlos “Caballo Bronco” Adames (15-0, 12 KOs) will take on the veteran Juan Ruiz (21-3, 13 KOs) in a fight scheduled for 10 or eight rounds. Adames is coming off a second-round destruction against Joshua Conley on the Terence Crawford-Jose Benavidez Jr. undercard Oct. 13 in Omaha, Neb.

Robson Conceicao (10-0, 5 KOs), a Brazilian who won a gold medal in front of his home fans at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will continue his march toward a 130-pound title shot in an eight-rounder versus Hector Ambriz (12-8-2, 6 KOs).

Former super featherweight world champion Jason Sosa (21-3-4, 15 KOs) will face the rugged Moises Delgadillo (17-18-2, 9 KOs) in a super featherweight bout scheduled for 10 or eight rounds.

Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (6-0, 3 KOs), who captured Olympic gold for his native Uzbekistan in 2016, will fight Ricardo Garcia (14-4-1, 9 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight bout. Garcia has never been knocked out as a pro.

Heavyweight prospect Cassius Chaney (14-0, 8 KOs) will look to extend his KO streak to four against Michael Glasscox (6-2-2, 5 KOs) in a six-rounder.

To subscribe to ESPN+, visit https://watch.espnplus.com/sports/.

VERONA, N.Y. (Nov. 20, 2018) — Bryant “B.Y.” Jennings is itching for another heavyweight world title shot. The 34-year-old Philadelphia native has won five consecutive bouts, four by knockout, and is intent on making an emphatic statement.

Jennings will put his IBF International and NABO heavyweight belts on the line in a 12-round showdown against the unbeaten NABF champion Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas on Friday, Jan. 18 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. In the 10-round co-feature, undefeated featherweight sensation and 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson will face an opponent to be determined.

Rivas’ participation in the bout is contingent on him defending his NABF title on Dec. 1 against Fabio Maldonado in Quebec City.

Jennings-Rivas and the Stevenson bout will stream live at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. The undercard will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM), ticket information for this world-class night of boxing will be announced shortly.

“I’ve been in this situation before. This is not a tall order at all,” Jennings said. “The job is to stay focused. I’m going to keep grinding and not take anybody lightly. Talk is cheap.”

‘‘I’ve waited for this opportunity for a very long time,” Rivas said. “Jennings is an excellent boxer. He is a world-class fighter and exactly the kind of challenge I was hoping to face. It is now time to take care of business and step up for the real challenges.’’

“I am ready to begin 2019 where 2018 left off,” Stevenson said. “This will be the year where I take my career to the next level. The fans are going to be in for a treat. It’s my time to shine.”

Jennings (24-2, 14 KOs), a former football, basketball, and track star at North Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin High School, did not pick up a pair of boxing gloves until he was 24 years old. He turned pro following an abbreviated 17-fight amateur career and quickly rose the ranks despite his limited experience. He fought valiantly in a 2015 title shot against Wladimir Klitschko, pushing the future Hall of Famer the distance in front of 17,056 fans at Madison Square Garden. Following a TKO defeat to Luis Ortiz later that year at Turning Stone Resort Casino, Jennings took 20 months off, returning to action in August 2017 under the Top Rank banner.

Since then, he has been one of the busiest heavyweight contenders as he seeks another shot on the world championship stage. In his last bout, Aug. 18 in Atlantic City as the headliner on an ESPN-televised card, Jennings recovered from a fourth-round knockdown to stop longtime contender Alexander Dimitrenko in the ninth.

Rivas (24-0, 17 KOs), a former Colombian amateur standout who now lives in Montreal, has fought all but two of his professional bouts in Canada. A nine-year pro, he transitioned to the paid ranks following a 2007 Pan American Games silver medal and quarterfinal berth at the 2008 Olympics. At 31 years old, the athletic, 240-pound Rivas is in his physical prime. He won the NABF title on Sept. 28, 2017 with a spectacular first-round stoppage against former world title challenger Carl Davis Drummond. In his last outing, May 19 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, he wore down Herve Hubeaux and prevailed via 10-round unanimous decision to retain the NABF title.

Stevenson (9-0, 5 KOs), a proud native of Newark, N.J., authored one of the great United States amateur careers. At the 2016 Olympics, Stevenson earned a silver medal following a controversial 2-1 decision loss to Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez in the championship match. Using that heartbreak as motivation, Stevenson soon showed why he is considered among the sport’s rising stars. He went 5-0 with three knockouts in 2018, and in his last fight, Oct. 13 on the ESPN-televised undercard of the Terence Crawford-Jose Benavidez Jr. main event, he knocked down Viorel Simion three times en route to a first-round TKO. Simion, 21-2 entering the fight, had never been knocked down as a pro.

Use the hashtag #JenningsRivas to join the conversation on social media.

To subscribe to ESPN+, visit www.plus.espn.com.

Bryant Jennings got off the deck to come back and stop Alexander Dimitrenko in round nine of the their scheduled 12-round heavyweight bout at The Ocean Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey

In round four, Dimitrenko put Jennings on the canvas with a hard right to the head.

In round eight, Jennings landed a perfect left hook that buckled and eventually put Dimitrenko on the canvas. Jennings ended things in the next round when Jennings landed a booming uppercut that dropped Dimitrenko, and the fight was stopped immediately at 1:56.

Jennings, 225 lbs of Philadelphia is now 24-2 with 14 knockouts. Dimitrenko, 257 lbs of Hamburg, GER is 41-4.

“I was prepared for a tough 12 rounds,” Jennings said. “I did what I had to do. I was in great shape. He’s a big dude. He’s not as slow as I thought. I made adjustments, and I got the job done.”

Said Dimitrenko: “I wanted to continue the fight. I don’t know why the referee stopped it.”

Jesse Hart made his case for a rematch with Gilberto Ramirez with a 3rd round stoppage over Mike Gavronski in a scheduled ten-round super middleweight bout.

In round three, Hart dropped Gavronski with a jab that was followed by a booming right hand. Seconds, later, it was another crushing right that sent Gavronski down, and the fight was stopped at 52 seconds.

Hart, 168 lbs of Philadelphia is 25-1 with 21 knockouts. Gavrnski, 166.5 lbs of Tacoma, WA is 24-3-1.

“When I looked at his eyes after the first knockdown, he got real scared,” Hart said. “He started holding, grabbing. With a guy like that, he got real scared. He was fighting for survival. There’s a difference between fighting to win and fighting for survival.

“{Ramirez is} who I want. Give me a chance to redeem myself. He’s talking about going up to 175. Why? I’m right here! Come on, man. Stop with the excuses. I’m right here in front of you.”

Shakur Stevenson remained undefeated by winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Carlos Ruiz in a featherweight bout.

Stevenson, 127 lbs of Newark, NJ won by scores of 80-72 on all cards, and is now 8-0. Ruiz, 126 lbs of Mexico City, MEX is 16-5-2.

“It was a good performance against a tough guy,” Stevenson said. “I did what I had to do and made it easy. He showed me some things in there. I boxed him and didn’t take any unnecessary chances. We’re looking forward to the next one.”

Christian Carto remained undefeated by winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Javier Gallo in a bantamweight bout.

Carto, 120 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 80-71, 80-72 and 79-73, and is now 16-0. Gallo, 119 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 25-16-1.

“I was looking for {the knockout}, but it didn’t come,” Carto said. “Next time, I need to set shots up instead of loading up on one big one.”

Thomas LaManna won an eight-round unanimous decision over Matthew Strode in a super welterweight bout.

The two waged a war on the inside with each getting in some clean shots.

In round five, LaManna scored a knockdown with a right hand to the top of the head. In round eight, Strode was deducted a point for hitting in the back of the head.

LaManna, 150 lbs of Milville, NJ won by scores of 79-71 on all cards, and is now 26-2-1. Strode, 149.5 lbs of Marion, SC is 25-7.

Joseph Adorno remained perfect by stopping Augustine Mauras in round one of their scheduled six-round lightweight bout.

Adorno dropped Mauras with a hard left that followed by a vicious combination. Mauras was hurt and Adorno jumped on him. Adorno landed about 10 hard shots that forced the referee to step in at 1:39.

Adorno, 133 lbs of Allentown, PA is 9-0 with 9 knockouts. Mauras, 130.5 lbs of Lawrence, MA is 6-5-3.

“I’ve been working for five weeks. We had a great game plan,” Adorno said. “He’s gone the distance with tough fighters, and we knew it would be a tough fight. The hard work showed tonight.”

Oleksandr Teslenko remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Avery Gibson in a heavyweight bout.

In round one, Teslenko dropped Gibson with a right hand.

Teslenko, 216.5 lbs of Toronto, CAN won by scores of 58-55, 59-54 and 60-53, and is now 14-0. Gibson, 247.5 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is 9-9-4.

Former 130-pound champion Jason Sosa (21-3-4, 15 KOs) got back in the win column with a unanimous decision against Reynaldo Blanco (14-5, 8 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Sosa knocked down Blanco twice in the eighth round and prevailed by scores of 78-70, 77-72, and 79-69.

• Bryant Jennings 225 lbs vs. Alexander Dimitrenko 257 lbs
(Vacant NABO and IBF International Heavyweight titles – 12 Rounds)

• Jesse Hart 168 lbs vs. Mike Gavronski 166.5 lbs
(NABF Super Middleweight title – 10 Rounds)

• Shakur Stevenson 127 lbs vs. Carlos Ruiz 126 lbs
(Featherweight – 8 Rounds)

• Christian Carto 120 lbs vs. Javier Gallo 119 lbs
(Bantamweight – 8 Rounds)

• Jason Sosa 131.5 lbs vs. Reynaldo Blanco 132.5 lbs
(Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

• Thomas LaManna 150 lbs vs. Matthew Strode 149.5 lbs
(Super Welterweight – 8 Rounds)

• Joseph Adorno 133 lbs vs. Agustine Mauras 130.5 lbs
(Super Featherweight – 6 Rounds)

• Oleksandr Teslenko 216.5 lbs vs. Avery Gibson 247.5 lbs
(Heavyweight – 8 Rounds)

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with EC Boxpromotion, remaining tickets, priced at $127, $77, $52, and $37 (including facility fees), are on sale now. Tickets are available at the Ovation Hall box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 800-745-3000.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo,@ESPNDeportes
Use the hashtag #JenningsDimitrenko to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to exclusive Top Rank boxing content, programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.
###

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Aug. 16, 2018) – Boxing is being featured for the first time at the recently opened Ocean Resort Casino (formerly Revel), which is located steps from the Atlantic City boardwalk.

Heavyweights will take center stage on Saturday evening when Philadelphia’s Bryant “B.Y.” Jennings faces Alexander “Sascha” Dimitrenko in the 12-round heavyweight main event. In the co-feature, Philadelphia native Jesse “Hollywood” Hart will defend the NABF super middleweight title in a 10-rounder versus Mike Gavronski. Jennings-Dimitrenko and Hart-Gavronski will be broadcast on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET, with the entire undercard to be shown on ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Shakur Stevenson (7-0, 4 KOs), the 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist will headline the ESPN+ portion of the card against Carlos Ruiz (16-4-2, 6 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout.

The fighters and Top Rank CEO Bob Arum gathered Thursday for the final press conference. This is what they had to say.

Bob Arum

“This is a terrific card because any time you highlight Philly fighters, you’re going to get fights. Philly fighters bring the heat. They’re exciting.”

Bryant Jennings

On whether he still has the hunger: “If you’re not hungry, you don’t eat. And if you don’t eat, then you starve. If you starve, then you die. And I want to live. I’m hungry. I didn’t eat. I need to eat. Just make sure it’s vegan. In fact, it don’t gotta be vegan because Saturday, I’m eating Russian!”

On whether he’s a different fighter following back-to-back defeats in 2015: “Every fight is a different fight. As you grow, things change. You make changes as you grow in your sport and your craft. So, yeah, I’m a different fighter.”

On fighting taller fighters like Dimitrenko: “As a kid, I was told, ‘never tell your secrets.’ You thought I was about to say something {laughing}?”

Alexander Dimitrenko

“This is a great opportunity for me. I’m here to win this fight. I’m 36, and I have big plans. I want to win this fight. I look forward to make this fight and to show what I can.”

Jesse Hart

On his 2017 title loss to Gilberto Ramirez: “I never looked at it as a loss. I always look at it as a lesson. I think I’ve raised my IQ of boxing. It gave me a better outlook on being in that position, and I think it just gave me a lot more to look at toward the sport of boxing, not just the championship of the world. I learned a lot from that fight. That fight taught me a whole lot.”

On his father, perennial former middleweight contender Eugene “Cyclone” Hart: “{Winning a world title for him} motivates me a lot. When I’m up at 4:15 in the morning out there doing my road work, that’s the first thing that comes to my mind, getting a world title for my father. That’s the motivation. I think that’s the motivation for myself, and to be the best.”

Mike Gavronski

On fighting so often in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington: “Because that was the only thing I could do at the time. But, you know, now I’m here, and I’m happy to be here.”

On his fighting style: “A great show. Every time out, I come to perform. I come to fight. One way or another, you’re going to love me at the end of the day.”

On his advantages against Hart: “I don’t know. These are my kind of people. Blue collar workers. The crowd will eventually be on my side. I’m pretty sure. I would hope so. And, you know, we’re running and gunning. That’s all we can do.”

Shakur Stevenson

“When I was younger, I used to come {to Atlantic City} all the time. We used to come here for vacations and stuff, and I came here to watch the {Bernard Hopkins-Antonio Tarver} fight. I don’t know. I’m excited. I can’t wait to fight.”

ESPN, 10 p.m. ET
Bryant Jennings vs. Alexander Dimitrenko, 12 rounds, vacant NABO and IBF International heavyweight titles

Jesse Hart (champion) vs. Mike Gavronski (challenger), 10 rounds, NABF super middleweight title

ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET
Shakur Stevenson vs. Carlos Ruiz, 8 rounds, featherweight

Christian Carto vs. Javier Gallo, 8 rounds, bantamweight

Jason Sosa vs. Reynaldo Blanco, 8 rounds, lightweight

Thomas LaManna vs. Matthew Strode, 8 rounds, super welterweight

Joseph Adorno vs. Agustine Mauras, 6 rounds, super featherweight

Oleksandr Teslenko vs. Avery Gibson, 8 rounds, heavyweight

# # #
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with EC Boxpromotion, remaining tickets, priced at $127, $77, $52, and $37 (including facility fees), are on sale now. Tickets are available at the Ovation Hall box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 800-745-3000.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo,@ESPNDeportes. Use the hashtag #JenningsDimitrenko to join the conversation on social media.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Aug. 15, 2018) – Bryant “B.Y.” Jennings and Jesse “Hollywood” Hart are born-and-bred Philadelphia fighters hoping for another world title shot.

Jennings (23-2, 13 KOs), who challenged Wladimir Klitschko for the heavyweight title in 2015, will face Alexander “Sascha” Dimitrenko (41-3, 26 KOs) on Saturday at the Ocean Resort Casino’s Ovation Hall in the 12-round main event. Hart (24-1, 20 KOs), who dropped a unanimous decision to Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez last year for the WBO super middleweight title, will face Mike Gavronski (24-2-1, 15 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature. With a win, he hopes to earn another shot at Ramirez.

Jennings-Dimitrenko and Hart-Gavronski will be televised LIVE on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET. All undercard bouts, including 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson (7-0, 4 KOs) against Carlos Ruiz (16-4-2, 6 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout, will be streamed on ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

The ESPN+ broadcast will also include former world champion Jason Sosa (20-3-4, 15 KOs) against Reynaldo Blanco (14-4, 8 KOs) in an eight-round super featherweight bout; Atlantic City’s Thomas LaManna (25-2-1, 9 KOs) versus Matthew Strode (25-6, 9 KOs) in a eight-round super welterweight bout; and Philadelphia bantamweight prospect Christian Carto (15-0, 11, KOs) against Javier Gallo (25-15-1, 13 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

At the Atlantic City PAL gym on Wednesday, many of the fighters from Saturday’s card worked out for the media. This is what they had to say.

Bryant Jennings

On fighting Dimitrenko: “I’m expecting him to come out better than he did in his previous fights. I expect him to have the will to win, wanting to establish his name and his legacy.”

On being the ESPN headliner: “I try not to look at all that. I’m just glad that I’ve been fighting consistently and to still be ‘alive’ in this boxing game. All of those other things are great, absolutely wonderful.”

“I’m just grateful for the opportunity, grateful for the consistent fighting schedule. I’m just looking to win and climb the heavyweight ladder. I let everything fall into place once the results come in.”

Alexander Dimitrenko

“It is very important for me to be here, to fight live on ESPN against Jennings. I will do anything to win this fight. I am here to win this fight. I prepared myself very well. It’s an honor to fight here in America. Everybody watching will get a great show. Saturday night can’t come soon enough. I am ready to fight.”

Jesse Hart

“The Atlantic City market is one of the best markets in the world because it’s so rich in boxing history. Mike Tyson fought Michael Spinks here. Before the market went to Las Vegas, it was all Atlantic City. This is boxing roots. This is boxing heritage.”

On being close to another title shot: “You always look at what’s in front of you. You never look at what’s ahead. That’s what my dad {Eugene “Cyclone” Hart} always tells me. To do that, you have to focus on the now, not the future. If you get ahead of yourself, you may miss what’s in front of you.”

On Mike Gavronski: “I have nothing derogatory to say about him. I think he’s alright. I don’t see anything special about him, but it is what it is.”

Mike Gavronski

“I’m absolutely ecstatic. A lot of hard work has gone into this, but there’s more hard work to do. I need to keep my head in it, and that’s about it.”

On being the underdog: “I don’t even worry about that stuff. I’m just going to stick to what I know and do what I do.”

Shakur Stevenson

“I got a lot of family and friends coming. I plan on putting on a heck of a show. I feel like every time I’m on the east coast, I have my best performances. I’m coming off two straight knockouts, and I’m going to get my third in a row on Saturday night.”

“I feel like I’ve waited my whole life to win a world title. That would be a dream come true. I’m ready to move into the top 10 and take on anyone who has a belt.”

Christian Carto

“I’m just worried about this fight. After that, I can sit back and relax and enjoy the rest of the show.”

“I’m fighting a guy who has been around. I’m ready for what he brings. I bring an exciting, fan-friendly style to the ring. I know I’ll have a ton of support from my family and friends.”

Thomas LaManna

On fighting on ESPN in his hometown: “It feels great. They could’ve put anyone else on the card. I’m glad that they recognized all of the hard work that me as an individual put in to my craft, marketing myself, and the fan base that I bring to the table. On Saturday night, I’m going to perform in front of everybody. It’s a big platform. It’s pretty cool getting all of this notoriety and exposure and stuff, but I learned now not to let the hype get to me. I’m focused on what I have to focus on, and that’s my fight.”
# # #

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with EC Box Promotion, remaining tickets, priced at $127, $77, $52, and $37 (including facility fees), are on sale now. Tickets are available at the Ovation Hall box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 800-745-3000.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo,@ESPNDeportes. Use the hashtag #JenningsDimi to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to exclusive Top Rank boxing content, programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (June 27, 2018) — Heavyweight contender Bryant “B.Y.” Jennings was born and bred in Philadelphia, but on Saturday, August 18, he aims to bring some of that Philly firepower to the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

Jennings (23-2, 13 KOs) will face off against Alexander “Sascha” Dimitrenko (41-3, 26 KOs) for the WBO International heavyweight title in the 12-round main event at the Ocean Resort Casino’s Ovation Hall. This will be the first boxing event at the Ocean Resort Casino, a state-of-the-art resort property set to open tomorrow, June 28.

In the co-main event, Philadelphia native Jesse “Hollywood” Hart (24-1, 20 KOs) will defend the NABF super middleweight title in a 10-rounder against the battle-tested Mike Gavronski (24-2-1, 15 KOs).

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets, priced at $127, $77, $52, and $37 (including facility fees), will go on sale Friday, June 29 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets will be available at the Ovation Hall box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 800-745-3000.

Jennings-Dimitrenko and Hart-Gavronski will be televised LIVE on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET, and all undercard bouts will be streamed on ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

“Dimitrenko is a big, competitive fighter,” Jennings said. “I worked very hard to gain my position in the heavyweight division. Every fight for me is a risk. While I’m confident in myself, I don’t take any opponent lightly. Boxing fans can expect me to bring my best.”

“I am looking forward to this fight, as this is an opportunity to advance in the heavyweight division,” Dimitrenko said. “I love to train and push myself to the limit. I want to be great. I’ve never had so much fun in boxing. The fight against Jennings comes at just the right time, and I will take advantage of this opportunity.”

“I’m excited to be back in Atlantic City. I know that my hometown fans will show up, and I will put on a spectacular performance,” Hart said. “Gavronski is a good test. He’s durable, and I know this fight will be great for boxing and boxing fans.”

“It’s a wonderful place to showcase my talents. This is what you live for,” Gavronski said. “Hart is a tough guy who can do a lot of nice things. I just think I can do them a lot better. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. I am willing to fight anybody. I love the challenge.”

Jennings is a heavyweight with momentum, having won four consecutive bouts since making his Top Rank debut last August. In his last bout, April 28 in Philadelphia against Joey Dawejko, he won a 10-round unanimous decision. Ranked No. 8 by the WBO, a win over Dimitrenko will move him closer to a second world title shot. Jennings put the heavyweight division on notice on April 25, 2015, when he gave unified champion Wladimir Klitschko a tough test en route to a decision loss. Following a knockout loss to Luis Ortiz later that year, Jennings took a 20-month break from the ring before signing with Top Rank.

Dimitrenko, a longtime contender, turned pro in 2001 and won the first 29 bouts of his career before dropping a majority decision to Eddie Chambers on July 4, 2009 in a WBO title eliminator. He won the European heavyweight title in 2011 with a fifth-round TKO over Yaroslav Zavorotnyi and made two successful title defenses. Following a third-round stoppage loss to eventual WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker in October 2016, Dimitrenko went 3-0 in 2017, including a first-round stoppage of then-undefeated prospect Adrian Granat.

Hart’s nickname may be “Hollywood”, but he is a Philadelphia fighter to the core. His father is Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, a former middleweight contender who thrilled Philadelphia fight fans in the 1970s with pitched battles against the likes of Bennie Briscoe and Bobby Watts. Hart has won two consecutive bouts since dropping a unanimous decision to Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez for the WBO super middleweight title last September. In his last bout, April 28 in Philadelphia, he knocked out Demond Nicholson in the seventh round to keep his hopes of a Ramirez rematch alive. Hart’s world title quest will go through Gavronski, a native of Tacoma, Washington, who is riding a five-bout unbeaten streak dating back to November 2015.

On the undercard (ESPN+), 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson (7-0, 4 KOs) will face Carlos Ruiz (16-4-2, 6 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout. Stevenson last fought June 9 in Las Vegas on the Terence Crawford-Jeff Horn undercard, knocking out Aelio Mesquita in the second round.

Former WBA super featherweight champion Jason Sosa (20-3-4, 15 KOs) of Camden, New Jersey, will take on Reynaldo Blanco (14-4, 8 KOs). Sosa, who has dropped two in a row, is seeking to get back into contention in the 130-pound division.

Philadelphia fan favorite Christian Carto (15-0, 11 KOs) will square off against Tijuana, Mexico, brawler Javier Gallo (25-15-1, 13 KOs) in an eight-round bantamweight fight.

Atlantic City’s Thomas LaManna (25-2-1, 9 KOs) looks to extend his five-bout unbeaten streak against Matthew Strode (25-6, 9 KOs) in an eight-round super welterweight bout.

Joseph Adorno (7-0, 7 KOs), who is also scheduled to fight July 7 in Fresno, California, will see action in a six-rounder.

And, in a heavyweight special attraction, Oleksandr Teslenko (13-0, 11 KOs) will fight an opponent to be determined.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing,facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes

Use the hashtags #JenningsDimitrenko and #HartGavronski to join the conversation on social media.

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The ESPN+ lineup includes 18 exclusive, live Top Rank events per year, dozens of fights from other Top Rank undercards, an unmatched library of the greatest fights in boxing history, and two exclusive, original boxing programs: The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays) and In This Corner (twice monthly).

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An intriguing heavyweight battle between former champion Joseph Parker and former world title challenger Bryant Jennings will square off on August 18th in Atlantic City, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“They’ve both agreed to the fight and the paperwork has been sent to both camps,” Top Rank’s Carl Moretti said. “It’s an interesting fight between two of the top heavyweights in the world. The winner really is positioning himself to be in a better position.”

PHILADELPHIA–Isaac Dogboe got off the deck from a 1st round knockdown to comeback and score 3 knockdowns of his own and captured the WBO Super Bantamweight title with an 11th round stoppage over Jessie Magdaleno in a battle previously undefeated fighters at The Liacaouras Center.

Magdaleno struck 1st as in round one, he floored Dogboe with big combination that followed a flush straight left.  Dogboe steadied himself and began to win rounds and get back into the fight.  He drew even in round five, when he landed a perfect counter right that sent Magdaleno to the canvas.  Magdaleno took punishment throughout the balance of the round and the momentum was trending towards Dogboe.

The fight was close heading into the championship rounds, but Dogboe made sure no judges were needed as he dropped Magdaleno with a thudding body shot that sent Magdaleno to the canvas.  A left hook to the head ended things as Magdaleno went t the deck for a 3rd and final time, and the bout was waved off at 1:38.

Dogboe, 121.1 kbs of Accra, GHA is now 19-0 with 13 knockouts.  Magdaleno, 122 lbs of Las Vegas is 25-1.

Jesse Hart stopped Demond Nicholson in round seven of their scheduled 10 round super middleweight.

In round three, Hart scored two knockdowns.  The 1st coming from an overhand right.  The 2nd came from a right on top of the head.

In round seven, Hart landed six big punches while sending Nicholson across the ring and eventually on the canvas.  Nicholson argues with referee Shawn Clark.  Nicholson got yo his feet, but clark waved off the bout at 2:26.

Hart, 167.8 lbs of Philadelphia is 24-1 with 20 knockouts.  Nicholson, 167.6 lbs of Laurel, MD is now 18-3-1.

In a battle of Philadelphia based heavyweights, former world title challenger Bryant Jennings won a 10-round unanimous decision over Joey Dawejko.

Jennings, 225.6 lbs won by scores of 98-92 on all cards and is now 23-2.  Dawejko, 233 lbs is 19-5-4.

Shakur Stevenson stopped Patrick Riley in round two of their scheduled eight-round featherweight bout.

Stevenson dropped Riley with a straight left in round two, and then finished him off with a flurry, and the bout was stopped at 1:35.

Stevenson, 125.7 lbs of Newark, NJ is 6-0 with 3 knockouts.  Riley, 124.6 lbs of Dallas, GA is 12-1.

Robson Conceicao won a six-round unanimous decision over Alex Rynn Torres in a super featherweight bout.

Conceicao, 130.5 lbs of Bahia, BRA won by scores of 60-54 on all cards is now 7-0.  Torres, 130.6 lbs of Calgary, CAN is 6-2.

Christian Carto remained undefeated by winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Edwin Rodriguez in a bantamweight bout.

Carto, 118.7 lbs of Philadelphia win by scores of 78-74 and 77075 twice, and is now 15-0.  Rodriguez, 118 lbs of Ponce, PR is 8-5-1.

Kent Cruz and Mohamed Rodriguez fought to a split draw in a eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Veruz took a card 78-75.  Rofriguez took a card 77-75, and a 3rd card read event at 76-76.

Cruz, 141.7 lbs of St. Louis is now 14-0-1.  Rodriguez, 143.5 lbs of San Luis Potosi, MX is 11-4-1.

Joseph Adorno took out Jorge Padron in the 1st round of their scheduled six-round super featherweight bout.

Adorno landed a hard right to the body that sent Padron to a knee for the ten-count at 1:11 of round two.

Adorno, 132.6 lbs of Allentown, PA is 7-0 with 7 knockouts.  Padron, 131.8 lbs of Agua Prieta, MX is 3-2.

Marcel Rivers stopped Ronald Logan in the 2nd round of their scheduled four-round junior middleweight bout.

Rivers chased Logan around the ring, and the fighters got tangled.  Logan feel and seem to hurt his foot and he could not continue at 49 seconds.

Rivers, 150.1 lbs of Philadelphia is 5-0 with 4 knockouts.  Logan, 153.5 lbs of New York is 0-3.

PHILADELPHIA (April 26, 2018) — The verbal haymakers were flying Thursday afternoon as World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior featherweight champion Jessie Magdaleno and No. 1 contender Isaac Dogboe faced off at the final press conference for their world championship main event, Saturday at The Liacouras Center.

Magdaleno vs. Dogboe headlines a card with plenty of Philadelphia flavor. Amateur rivals Bryant ‘By-By’ Jennings and Joey Dawejko square off in a 10-round bout to decide Philadelphia heavyweight supremacy, while Jesse ‘Hollywood’ Hart, son of Philadelphia middleweight legend Eugene ‘Cyclone’ Hart, continues his march to another super middleweight title shot against Demond Nicholson in the 10-round co-feature.

Magdaleno-Dogboe, Jennings-Dawejko, and Hart-Nicholson will be televised LIVE on ESPN and stream in English and Spanish on the ESPN App at 7 p.m. ET. Undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+, available on the ESPN App, beginning at 4 p.m. ET. ESPN Deportes will air the fight at 10 p.m. ET.

Dogboe heated things up when he called Magdaleno “the worst world champion ever” before questioning whether he could make the weight.

“You look worse than me,” Magdaleno responded. “You look like an alien.”

Dogboe mentioned that Magdaleno had blocked him on Facebook when the fight was announced.

“I guess I send shivers into people’s spines,” Dogboe said.

“I can’t beat him any uglier than he already is,” Magdaleno said. “He’s dog ugly. Come Saturday, we’re going to give him the name that he deserves…. the ugly Dogboe.”

Then, things got really personal.

“When I knock you out cold, that’s when I’m going to feel really sorry for your son, your little son, because he’s going to be crying seeing his father {knocked out} cold,” Dogboe said.

“Don’t bring my son into this!” Magdaleno said. “I’ll knock your ass out right now. I’ll slap the sh*t out of you.”

Said Dogboe: “Save it for Saturday.”

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Peltz Boxing, tickets, priced at $100, $65 and $35, are ON SALE NOW and can be purchased at The Liacouras Center Box Office and www.liacourascenter.com, or by calling Peltz Boxing at 215-765-0922.

The undercard will feature some of the sport’s most dynamic young talents, including 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson (5-0, 2 KOs), who will be taking on Patrick Riley in an eight-round featherweight bout. This is the second fight of 2018 for Stevenson, who is coming off a shutout unanimous decision victory over Juan Tapia on Feb. 16 in Reno, Nev.

Philadelphia native Christian Carto (14-0, 11 KOs) will face Edwin Rodriguez of Ponce, Puerto Rico, in an eight-round bantamweight bout. Carto is a Philadelphia legacy, as his grandfather and multiple great uncles fought in the paid ranks. This will be his 12th appearance in his hometown as a pro.

Knockout artist Joseph Adorno (6-0, 6 KOs), who has five first-round knockouts on his ledger, will fight Jorge Padron in a six-round super featherweight bout.

This is what the fighters had to say.

Jessie Magdaleno

“We’re ready for Saturday night. I know this is coming. I hope he’s ready because I came ready. I don’t want no excuses. He’s going to get the ass whooping he deserves. I’ve been waiting to fight him. All that trash talk on social media, I hope he puts it up on Saturday night because I’m ready. I’m ready to give him what he deserves.”

“I {trained} alongside Oscar Valdez and a couple other stable teammates. Just being there with them pushed me harder and harder”

“Each fight, I get stronger and stronger, mentally and physically.”

Isaac Dogboe

“I can sense fear in Jessie Magdaleno already. He can say whatever he wants to say, but when he gets in the ring, he’s really going to find out.”

“This camp, they started all this social media {stuff}. Look, you can’t go into the playground to play with the big boys, and later on, you go crying about it. When you want to do something, you have to come prepared.”

“I guess now he finally his balls to step up to the plate, accepting this fight. i hope come Saturday night he’s prepared and doesn’t complain about anything.”

Bryant Jennings

“In boxing, we always understand our duties. Our goal is to go out and win the fight. Once the fight is made, once you agree, once you sign that paper, then you know exactly what you have to do. I only have to worry about my responsibilities.”

“I fought at Madison Square Garden {against Wladimir Klitschko} in front of 17,000 people, but I still don’t remember it. I still never lived it. My homies can tell you right now. The whole crowd was cheering… I’m like, ‘Damn, I wish I was there! I was in it, but I wasn’t there because I had my mind so focused on what I needed to do focus on. So I don’t add that pressure until it’s over.”

Joey Dawejko

“I’m ready to go, man. I wish the fight was last week. I have the week to mentally prepare. I’m in the best shape of my life. I’m ready to go 10 if I have to. We’ll see what happens. I’m the better fighter. I’m the better puncher. I’m a better boxer. So, we’ll see how it goes.”

“There’s no feeling out round with me. I go right at him and fight my fight. I make quick adjustments, so I don’t need a feeling out round. I’ll feel him out in the first ten seconds. No. I don’t want to do 10. I can if I have to, but I don’t want to do it. I’m going to knock him out.”

“I’m a great boxer too. I can box. I don’t have to knock you out. Right now, I’m in the shape to box every round hard and do what I have to do.”

Jesse Hart

“They got me in absolutely perfect condition. It’s all about me now. Its about my mind. It’s about my attitude going into that fight.”

“Demond Nicholson is a good fighter. I can’t take nothing away from him. But I want to perform, be great. You have good fighters and you have great fighters. I’ve been getting ready in the gym.”

“We’re working on a lot of mental things with me. I can’t get away from my game plan. Last time I fought here (against Dashon Johnson), I got caught up in that crowd. Sometimes I want to show them that I have enough heart and that I can be in a knockdown, drag-out fight. I may be pushed to that point again, and I want people to know that the heart is there.”

“What can I say? We know who the main event really is. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I think the show is great. Bryant Jennings and Joey Dawejko is a great match-up, but a lot of people want to see Jesse Hart. They want to see how I grew from the {Gilberto} Ramirez fight.”

Demond Nicholson

“People say that Jesse Hart is a knockout artist, but in this fight, I’m going to have to become a knockout artist myself.”

Christian Carto

“It’s a great card to be on, and I’m excited to be fighting on it with other great fighters. It’s exciting to be fighting on a card this big.”

Shakur Stevenson

“This Saturday, I’m going to put on an amazing show. This dude should not make it out of eight rounds.”

Joseph Adorno

“I’m excited to have a lot of my family and friends in the crowd. I know they’re going to be supporting me.”

Philadelphia, PA: When heavyweights Bryant “By By” Jennings and Joey “The Tank” Dawejko square off in their 10-round heavyweight bout Saturday, April 28, it will revive memories of the some of the great all-Philly matchups that helped to make the Quaker City one of the leading boxing centers in the country.
The Jennings-Dawejko match is one of three bouts at the Liacouras Center at Temple University to be televised live by ESPN, beginning at 7 pm EST. The card is being promoted by Top Rank and Peltz Boxing.
Topping the show is a 12-round contest for the WBO junior featherweight title between defending champion Jessie Magdaleno, of Las Vegas, NV, and mandatory challenger Isaac Dogboe, of Accra, Ghana. The 10-round semifinal features Jesse Hart, of Philadelphia, against Demond Nicholson, of Laurel, MD, for the vacant NABF super middleweight championship.
First live fight begins at 4 pm EST and all undercard bouts will be streamed on the ESPN App.
Always a leading center for boxing, Philadelphia built its reputation by matching fighters from different neighborhoods in front of large, enthusiastic crowds. Artist Jim Meehan’s drawing (above) lists several of those great matchups, among them the classic 1928 showdown at Shibe Park between Hall-of-Fame junior lightweight champion Benny Bass and unbeaten crosstown rival Harry Blitman in front of 24,000 raucous fans.
“My dad went to that fight with his dad,” promoter J Russell Peltz said, “and he’d always tell me about it. My dad went to school with Harry Blitman and he never got over the fact that Blitman smoked cigarettes and still was successful as a fighter. My dad sat on the second row and he used to tell me about the sweat that flew off Blitman’s hair every time Bass nailed him.”
Bass, who boxed from 1919 to 1940, won by knockout in six rounds and went on to a career record of 158-29-6 with 72 K0s. Blitman, who boxed from 1926 to 1934, finished at 53-11-4, 25 K0s, including a victory over Hall-of-Fame lightweight champ Tony Canzoneri.
“There were so many great all-Philly fights that you simply cannot list them all,” Peltz said. “The heavyweight bout between a couple of Joe Louis victims, Al Ettore, of West Philadelphia, against Gus Dorazio, of South Philly, belongs on that list, as well as the world lightweight title fight between Hall-of-Famer Bob Montgomery and Wesley Mouzon, who had knocked Montgomery out three months earlier in a non-title fight.”
Peltz, who began promoting in 1969, rates the first meeting between middleweights Bennie Briscoe and Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, a 10-round draw late in 1975 at The Spectrum, as one of the greatest action fights in Philly’s long and storied boxing history.
“Now we’ve got Jesse Hart, Cyclone’s son, on the card,” Peltz said. “I believe Jennings vs. Dawejko is the biggest all-Philly matchup in 36 years. That goes back to 1982 when Jeff Chandler successfully defended his WBA bantamweight title by knocking out former high school classman Johnny Carter in six rounds at the Civic Center. We’ve had some good ones since then, but none as big as Chandler vs. Carter.
“A lot of 21st century boxing ‘experts’ don’t like to see all-Philly fights. They wonder why we would want to knock off a local attraction. I guess they’d rather me import some scrub from the South or the Midwest to get his brains beat out. They’d rather watch that than a competitive all-local fight. The most recent major local showdown was in 2010 when junior middleweightDerek Ennis beat Gabriel Rosado at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. Guess who got knocked off in that one? The winner, Ennis, who soon faded from the scene. The loser that night, Rosado, went on to climb the ladder and make a lot on money and he’s still going strong.
“Jennings vs. Dawejko is my kind of fight. I guarantee there will be more action in one round than there was in 12 rounds of the recent heavyweight unification match between Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker.”

PHILADEPHIA (March 22, 2018) — There will be no Brotherly Love when JESSIE MAGDALENO defends his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior featherweight title against No. 1 contender ISAAC DOGBOE on Saturday, April 28, at The Liacouras Center.

The Magdaleno-Dogboe fight will headline a card with plenty of local flavor, as Philadelphia heavyweights BRYANT “BY-BY” JENNINGS and JOEY DAWEJKO rekindle an old rivalry, and Philadelphia native JESSE “Hollywood” HART continues his drive back to a world title challenge when he faces DEMOND NICHOLSON in a super middleweight bout.

Appearing on the undercard will be 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson (5-0, 2 KOs) of Newark, N.J., in an eight-round featherweight bout against Roxberg Riley (12-0, 6 KOs) of Dallas, Ga.

Magdaleno-Dogboe, Jennings-Dawejkoand Hart-Nicholson will be televised LIVE on ESPN and stream in English and Spanish on the ESPN App at 7 p.m. ET. Undercard bouts will stream on the ESPN App beginning at 4 p.m. ET. ESPN Deportes will air the fight at 10 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Peltz Boxing, tickets, priced at $100 (ringside), $65 and $35, are ON SALE NOW and can be purchased at The Liacouras Center Box Office and www.liacourascenter.com, or by calling Peltz Boxing at 215-765-0922.

Magdaleno (25-0, 18 KOs), a southpaw from Las Vegas, won the world title with a unanimous decision over four-weight world champion Nonito Donaire on Nov. 5, 2016. Last April, he made quick work of Adeilson Dos Santos, stopping the Brazilian contender in the second round. He was scheduled to fight on Nov. 11, but an injury kept him out of action. Magdaleno rested and recovered, looks forward to defending his title.

Magdaleno and Dogboe, however, are not strangers. The two sparred years ago in Las Vegas, with each man claiming to have gotten the better of the sessions.

“I feel like this going to be a very exciting fight. I’m excited to be defending my title for the second time,” Magdaleno said. “All the fans are going to see a great fight from Jessie Magdaleno. I’m going to do things the fans have never seen from me. I have a great undefeated opponent in front of me. Someone’s ‘0’ has got to go, but mine isn’t going anywhere.”

Dogboe (18-0, 12 KOs), a 2012 Olympian from Accra, Ghana, won the interim WBO junior featherweight title on Jan. 6 in Accra, thrilling the hometown fans with a fifth-round TKO of former world title challenger Cesar Juarez. A sweeping left hook knocked Juarez down, and referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight. Dogboe has won four of his last five fights by knockout.

Jennings and Dawejko will battle it out in classic neighborhood battle, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in Philadelphia in decades.

“In my opinion, Dawejko vs. Jennings is the biggest Philly vs. Philly fight in 36 years,” said Hall of Fame promoter J Russell Peltz, president of Peltz Boxing. “I have to go all the way back to 1982 when Jeff Chandler defended his WBA world bantamweight title against former high school classmate Johnny Carter in a nationally televised fight from Pennsylvania Hall at the Civic Center. There have been other outstanding all-Philly fights since then, but they pale in comparison to Dawejko vs. Jennings. Plus, Dawejko beat Jennings in the amateurs, and that’s just one of several subplots in this matchup.”

“I’m very excited for this all-Philly battle, to get the opportunity to put on for my city,” Jennings said. “Hopefully, when this is a success, we’ll be able to bring boxing to the city on an even bigger scale. After I beat Joey Dawejko, I hope to one day fight for, and defend, the heavyweight title in Philadelphia.”

The rivals have come a long way since their amateur days when Dawejko defeated Jennings in Jennings’ third amateur fight.

“The judges said he won, but I really won,” Jennings said.

As for Dawejko, he remembers things differently.

“It was the last fight of my amateur career, and I know he felt he won,” Dawejko said. “I already knew I was turning pro. I didn’t care about the fight, and it was an easy win. If he feels he got hosed in our amateur fight, I’m gonna down that motherfu**er in our pro fight.”

Jennings (22-2, 13 KOs), born in North Philadelphia, didn’t start boxing until December 2008, when he was 24 years old. His amateur career spanned only 17 fights, but he found success rather quickly as a pro. He won his first 19 bouts before challenging heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko on April 25, 2015, at Madison Square Garden. Jennings gave Klitschko one of the toughest tests of his championship reign, ultimately dropping a unanimous decision. Following a seventh-round TKO loss to Luis Ortiz on Dec. 19, 2015, Jennings took a 20-month sabbatical from the ring. He signed with Top Rank and has won two fights in a row. In his last bout, on Feb. 16 in Reno, Nev., Jennings knocked down Akhror Muralimov five times en route to a third-round stoppage.

Dawejko (19-4-4, 11 KOs) is riding a seven-fight unbeaten streak dating back to May 8, 2015, when he lost a unanimous decision to Amir Mansour. He is no stranger to Philadelphia crowds, having fought there 10 times as a pro. In his last bout, on Dec. 1, he beat the previously undefeated Kelvin Nunez via eight-round decision to win the vacant WBC FECARBOX belt.

Hart (23-1, 19 KOs) is a former amateur standout, winning the 2011 National Golden Gloves and U.S. National championships at 165 pounds. A 2012 U.S. Olympic alternate, Hart turned pro in 2012 and won his first 22 bouts prior to challenging Gilberto Ramirez for the WBO super middleweight title on Sept. 22, 2017. He fought valiantly that night, ultimately dropping a close unanimous decision. Hart last fought on the Ramirez-Habib Ahmed undercard on Feb. 3, knocking out Thomas Awimbono in the opening round. Against Nicholson (18-2, 17 KOs), he is facing one of the division’s most fearsome punchers.

Hart is trained by his father, Philadelphia boxing legend Eugene ‘Cyclone’ Hart.

“I’m very excited to fight in front of my hometown people,” Hart said. “My dad will definitely be there, and even more exciting is my daughter, Halo, will be there. She hasn’t been to a fight since 2014, so this night will be extra special.”

Nicholson, a native of Laurel, Md., turned pro in 2013 after going 110-15 in the amateur ranks. Two fights ago, on June 9, 2017, he dropped a hotly contested eight-round split decision to the undefeated Steve Rolls but rebounded with a second-round stoppage of Josue Obando on Aug. 25. Nicholson has 10 first-round knockouts on his ledger and hopes to bring that power to the ring against Hart, the WBO’s top contender.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing, Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo @ESPNDeportes. Use the hashtags #MagdalenoDogboe, #HartNicholson and #JenningsDawejko and to join the conversation on social media.

Ray Beltran won the vacant WBO Lightweight title with a tough 12-round unanimous decision over Paulus Moses at the Grand Sierra Hotel in Reno, Nevada.

It was a grueling contest that saw Moses have some success with hard rights and a nice jab that cut Beltran under both eyes.  Beltran swept the latter part of the fight, and that titlted the scores in his favor to the tune of 117-111 twice and 116-112.

Beltran, 134 1/2 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is now 35-7-2.  Moses, 134 lbs of Namibia is now 40-4.

Egis Kavaliauskas remained undefeated and stopped former interim world titlist David Avanesyan in round six of their scheduled ten round welterweight bout.

Kavaliauskas landed a hard right in round six that hurt Avanesyan.  Kavaliauskas jumped on his prey, and landed a hard flurry of power shots and the fight was stopped.

Kavaliauskas, 146 1/2 lbs of Lithuania is now 19-0 with 16 knockouts.  Avanesyan, 147 lbs of Russia is 23-3.

2016 Olympic Silver Medal winner Shakur Stevenson remained undefeated by winning an eight-round unanimous decision over Juan Tapia in a featherweight bout.

Stevenson, 125 1/2 lbs of Alexandria, VA won all cards 80-72 and is now 5-0.  Tapia, 124 1/2 lbs of Brownsville, TX is 8-2.

In a battle of undefeated lightweights, 2016 Olympic Gold Medal winner Robson Conceicao won a six-round unanimous decision over Ignacio Holguin.

Conceicao, 132 1/2 lbs of Bahia, BRA won by scores of 60-52 on two cards and 60-54 and is now 6-0.  Holguin, 132 3/4 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 4-1-1.

Sagadat Rachmankulov made a successful pro debut by stopping Noel Esqueda in round five of their scheduled six-round welterweight bout.

Rachmankulov hammered Esqueda with a hard left hook and a left to the top of the head that had Esqueda buckling, and referee Jay Nady stopped the bout at 1:51.

Rachmankulov, 148 lbs of Kazakhstan is 1-0 with 1 knockout.  Esqueda, 148 lbs of Wichita, KS is 8-5-2.

Former world title challenger Bryant Jennings dropped Akhror Muralimov four times en roue to a 3rd round stoppage in a scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round one, Jennings scored two knockdowns. In round two, Jennings dropped Muralimov with a right hand. Jennings dropped Muralimov with a hard right in round three. He finished it off with another knockdown, and the fight was stopped at 1:22.

Jennings of Philadelphia is now 22-2. Muralimov is 16-4.

ALexander Besputin stopped Wesley Tucker at 3:00 of round five of their scheduled eight-round welterweight bout.

Besputin is 9-0. Tucker is 14-2.

NEW YORK, NY–The highly anticipated bout between Vasyl Lomachanko and Guillermo Rigondeaux did not live up to it’s lofty expectations as Lomachenko dominated the first six-rounds and subsequently Rigondeaux bowed out of the fight citing a left hand injury.

Lomachenko was the clear aggressor in the fight and befuddled Rigondeaux and had him on the defensive from the outside.  Rigondeaux was holding excessively and was docked a point in 6th round.  Rigindeaux claimed he had pin in his left wrist and called it a night before the 7th bell rang.

Lomachenko is now 10-1 with eight knockouts.  Rigindeaux is now 17-1.

Michael Conlan won a six-round unanimous decision over Luis Fernando Molina in a featherweight bout.

Conlan of Belfast, IRE won by scores of 60-54 and is now 5-0.  Molina of Pablo Podesta, ARG is 4-4-1.

Chri4stopher Diaz remained undefeated as he registered 4 knockdowns in under three rounds of their scheduled ten round junior lightweight bout.

Inound one, Diaz landed a booming right that sent Cruz to the canvas.  In round two, it was a right that sent Cruz to the canvas for a 2nd time.  Diaz followed up with a huge six punch combination that sent Cruz down at the end of the round.  Diaz opened up round four with a left hook that wobbled and sent Cruz down for a fourth time and the fight was stopped at 37 seconds.

Diaz of Barranquitas, PR is 22-0 with 14 knockouts.  Cruz of Port Chester, NY is 18-3.

2016 Olympic silver medal winner Shakur Stevenson stopped Oscar Mendoza in round two of their scheduled four-round featherweight fight.

Stevenson continuously landed hard left hands until referee Sparkle Lee ended the bout at 1:38.

Stevenson of Newark, NJ is 4-0 with 2 knockouts.  Mendoza of Santa Maria, CA is 4-3.

Mikaela Mayer remained undefeated with a four round majority decision over Nydia Feliciano in a featherweight bout.

Mayer of Los Angeles won by scores of 40-36 twice and 38-38,  and is now 3-0.  Feliciano of New York is 9-9-3.

Jose Gonzalez and Adan Gonzalez fought to a six-round majority draw in a featherweight bout.

Adan took a card 58-56 while two cards were at 57-57.

Jose Gonzalez of New York is 8-0-2. Adan Gonzalez of Denver is 3-1-2.

Bryant Jennings stopped Don Haynesworth in round three of their scheduled eight round heavyweight bout.

Jennings caught Haynesworth with a short clipping right that wobbled Haynesworth and the bout was stopped at 2:29.

Jennings of Philadelphia is mow 21-2 with 12 knockouts. Haynesworth of Greensboro, NC is 13-2-1.

Bryant Jennings stopped Don Haynesworth in round three of their scheduled eight round heavyweight bout.

Jennings caught Haynesworth with a short clipping right that wobbled Haynesworth and the bout was stopped at 2:29.

Jennings of Philadelphia is mow 21-2 with 12 knockouts. Haynesworth of Greensboro, NC is 13-2-1.

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (June 23, 2017) — Top Rank® announced that it has signed two-time world heavyweight championship challenger BRYANT JENNINGS to an exclusive promotional agreement. Co-promoted by Antonio Leonard Productions and co-managed by James Prince and Josh Dubin, Bryant (19-2, 10 KOs), from North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been way from the ring since his two consecutive world title challenges in 2015, which included a valiant effort in his first world title shot, going the distance against unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

“I’m the best-conditioned heavyweight in boxing and my ultimate goal is to win a world title for Bob Arum at Top Rank. He deserves it,” said Jennings. “And being with Top Rank means I will get an opportunity to fight for a world title. I have the strength, desire, experience and the smartness in the ring to get that world title. This is such an opportunity for me being with Top Rank.”

“The heavyweight division is wide open now and it’s a great opportunity for Bryant to return to boxing after twice battling for the heavyweight title,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “In this present landscape, a busy heavyweight contender with a few quality wins can find himself in title picture very easily.”

“With Top Rank, Bryant Jennings will become the face of the American heavyweights. He is that great,” said Leonard. “Bryant’s ultimate goal is to get a world heavyweight championship for Bob Arum and Top Rank.”

“I am glad to align Bryant with the best promoter in boxing,” said Prince

“I am thrilled that Bryant has a chance to re-ignite his career with such a talented team at Top Rank,” said Dubin. “They know how to position Bryant for another run at the heavyweight world title. James and I are confident that Bryant will indeed be world champion with Top Rank leading the way.”

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, or facebook.com/trboxeo,and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, or twitter.com/trboxeo.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, heavyweight contender Bryant Jennings has signed with Top Rank.

“We can do some decent business with him,” Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum told ESPN on Monday. “We’re going to build him back up, and we think he’s competitive with guys like Joseph Parker, Andy Ruiz and maybe even [world titleholder] Anthony Joshua — although Joshua looked pretty awesome against [Wladimir] Klitschko, even though he was in trouble for a little while. Jennings, when he gets back in the saddle, fits in with guys like that.”

“I’m the best-conditioned heavyweight in boxing, and my ultimate goal is to win a world title for Bob Arum at Top Rank. He deserves it,” said Jennings, who is vegan. “And being with Top Rank means I will get an opportunity to fight for a world title. I have the strength, desire and the smartness in the ring to get that world title. This is such an opportunity for me being with Top Rank.”

“I thought [Jennings] did very well with Klitschko, but more than that, he’s a pleasure to be around,” Arum said. “He’s a real credit to boxing. He’s the kind of guy that I think can do well and do well for boxing. He’s like an all-around guy.”

“James Prince and Josh Dubin understood what we’re going to do for Jennings, and they didn’t gouge us,” Arum said. “We’re looking forward to a long and good relationship with him.”

“With Top Rank, Bryant Jennings will become the face of the American heavyweights. He is that great,” Leonard said. “Bryant’s ultimate goal is to get a world heavyweight championship for Bob Arum and Top Rank”

“I am thrilled that Bryant has a chance to reignite his career with such a talented team at Top Rank,” Dubin said. “They know how to position Bryant for another run at the heavyweight world title. James and I are confident that Bryant will indeed be world champion with Top Rank leading the way.”

Luis Ortiz scored an impressive 7th round stoppage over Bryant Jennings in a Heavyweight bout at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Ortiz rocked Jennings with straight left in round one and once again in round three with a combination in round three.  Jennings showed tremendous resolve by landing some solid shots inside that seemed to throw Ortiz of his game.

In round seven, Ortiz landed a thudding left that sent Jennings down face first.  Jennings was able to continue but for not much loner as two more lefts sent him stumbling into the ropes and the fight was stopped at 2:41.

Ortiz, 239 lbs of Cuba is 24-0 with 21 knockouts.  Jennings, 229 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia is 19-2.

Former Featherweight champion, Nicholas Walters and Jason Sosa battled to a dubious 10-round majority draw

Walters focused on the body and landed some crisp shots inside.  Sosa was wobbled in round five from a short right on the inside.  Sosa showed heart but Walters was accurate on the inside and landed 113 more punches then Sosa.

Somehow Sosa won a card 96-94 while two cards read even at 95-95.

Walters, 129 1/2 lbs of Montigo Bay, JAM is 26-0-1.  Sosa, 130 lbs of Camden, NJ is 18-1-4.

Gabriel Rosado pounded out a 10-round unanimous decision over former world champion Joshua Clottey in a Middleweight bout.

Rosado, 158 lbs of Philadelphia, PA won by scores of 97-93 twice and 96-94 and is now 22-9. Clottey, 157 lbs of Bronx, NY is 39-5.

Former world champion, Yuriorkis Gamboa won a 10-round unanimous decision over Hylon Williams in a Lightweight bout.

Gamboa, 133 lbs of Miami, FL won by scores of 98-92 twice and 96-94 and is now 25-1. Williams, 133 lbs of Houston, TX is now 16-2-1.

Follow all the action as Luis Ortiz battles Bryant Jennings for the WBA Interim Heavyweight title.  The action begins at 10:15 PM ET / 7:15 PT with a Super Featherweight bout between former world champion Nicholas Walters and Jason Sosa

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Round 1 Ortiz working the body…Straight left hurts Jennings..Big left hurts Jennings again..Jennings wobbling..God body shot..

Round 2 Jennings lands a combination..right..Uppercut from Ortiz..Uppercut from Jennings..

Round 3  Big left hurts Jennings..Combination from Jennings…

Round 4 Ortiz lands a left…2 Uppercuts from Jennings

Round 5 hard uppercut from Ortiz

Round 6 Combination for Ortiz

Round 7 Body shots from Jennings..Straight right from Jennings..HUGE UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES JENNINGS..BIG RIGHT AND JENNINGS STUMBLES INTO THE ROPES..ONE MORE SHOT AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 Good left hook to body from Walters..Left to body..Hard body..left to body and right from Sosas..Right from Walters

Round 2 Hard left from Walters..Right..left to body..Uppercut..Uppercut..Sosa lands a right uppercut..Good body shot

Round 3 Walters lands a jab

Round 4 Walters lands an uppercut on the inside

Round 5 Hard right wobbles Sosa..2 rights and uppercut from Sosa..Hard body shot from Walters..

Round 6

Round 7 Hard body shot from Walters..Vicious left hook to the body

Round 8 Walters lands a right down the middle

Round 9 2 hard rights from Sosa..right on the inside..Walters lands a body shot..Hard right and left hook from Sosa

Round 10 Right lead from Walters…

96-94 Sosa, 95-95 on 2 cards….DRAW

Punches:  Walters: 281-622    Sosa: 168-873