Hassan N’Dam scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Curtis Stevens in an IBF Middleweight elimination bout at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California.

N’Dam boxed well from the outside and never let Stevens get on track with power shots.

It was N’Dam that scored the only knockdown when he landed a short right hand in round eight that sent Stevens to the canvas. Stevens landed his best punch later in the round when he landed a hard left hook to the war.

N’Dam continued to win rounds by jabbing and moving. Stevens made once last stand in the 12th round as he tried to land a power shot that would turn the tide but was no no avail as N’Dam won by scores of 119-108 and 116-111 twice.

N’Dam, 158 lbs of France is now 31-1. Stevens, 158.8 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 27-5.

Fredrick Lawson remained undefeated by scoring a 10-round unanimous decision over Ray Narh in a Welterweight bout featuring fighters originally from Ghana.

Lawson scored a knockdown in round two when Narh walked into a left hook and was sent to the canvas.

In round eight, Lawson landed hard left to the head that hurt Narh and a right to the body that sent Narh down face first.

Lawson, 147.8 lbs of Chicago won by scores is now 99-89 twice 95-93 and is now 23-0. Narh, 146.6 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 26-6.

Miguel Marriaga scored a 6th round stoppage over Christopher Martin in a scheduled 8-round Featherweight bout.

Marriaga dominated and cut Martin over his left eye in round four from a big over hand right. marriaga dropped Martin in round six from a seven punch combination. Marriaga finished Martin with a hard flurry in the corner and the bout was stopped at 2:37 of round four.

Marriaga, 125.6 lbs of Colombia is now 19-0 with 17 knockouts. Martin, 125.8 lbs of San Diego, CA is now 28-4-3.

ESPN2 will televise live the 12-round IBF World Middleweight Championship fight between titleholder Sam “King” Soliman (44-11, 18 KOs) and former Middleweight titlist Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor (32-4-1, 20 KOs) in an ESPN Boxing Special presented by Corona Extra on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 9 p.m. ET. The winner of the championship bout will face the winner of tonight’s Hassan N’Dam vs. Curtis Stevens IBF Middleweight eliminator fight in an ESPN Boxing Special at 9 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+ and WatchESPN.

“With the excitement over the rise of Gennady Golovkin, the anticipation over Miguel Cotto’s next move, and Peter Quillin’s power play in vacating the WBO belt, the Middleweight division is white hot right now from an interest- level standpoint,” said Brian Kweder, ESPN senior director, programming and acquisitions. “Equally as interesting has been the return of Jermain Taylor to the division so we are excited to provide fans with two consecutive ESPN Boxing Specials to finish painting the Middleweight picture.”

The October 8, show, from the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss., will also be televised live on ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra. Both shows will be also available via WatchESPN. The card promoted by Warriors Boxing.

Commentators:
Todd Grisham and analyst Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action for ESPN2, while Pablo Viruega and analyst Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes. Claudia Trejos and Leopoldo González will anchor the ESPN Deportes studio. Bi-lingual reporter Bernardo Osuna will present live reports and interviews for both ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

Main Event:
Australia’s Soliman won the IBF Middleweight title in his last fight by defeating then-titleholder Felix Sturm. Soliman, a former kickboxing world champion, was also a participant in the 2007 season of The Contender reality television show.

“Jermain Taylor — he’s been there, done that. He’s been a world champion himself,” Soliman said. “I’m excited about the fact that I’m fighting a guy who has won all the belts – I’m keen on doing that! He’s done what I’m looking forward to doing myself. It’s a rich scalp for me.”

Taylor of Arkansas — a former undisputed WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF and The Ring Middleweight world champion — is coming off a seventh-round TKO win over J.C. Candelo. Taylor has fought top-level opposition throughout his career including, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch, Kelly Pavlik, Cory Spinks, and Bernard Hopkins.

“Things have come full circle for me — I have another shot to become a world champion, and I’m not going to let this opportunity pass by without being victorious,” Taylor said. “I’ve made a bunch of mistakes in boxing, losing to fighters I shouldn’t have lost to because of a lack of training, but I’m ready to clear all that up. With hard work and dedication, I’ll be 110 percent ready. I think Sam Soliman is a great fighter. He’s had a great career and he comes to fight, but I have to go in there and beat the hell out of him.”

Co-Feature:
The 10-round co-feature will pit Super Middleweights “The Matrix” Andre Dirrell (22-1, 15 KOs) from Flint, Mich., fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla., against New York’s Nick “The Machine Gun” Brinson (16-2-2, 6 KOs). Dirrell, a former Super Middleweight world title challenger, scored a fifth-round TKO win over Vladine Biosse in his last fight, while Brinson is looking to rebound from a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Dominic Wade.

About ESPN Boxing
ESPN is home to ESPN Friday Night Fights and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates (Spanish version), a weekly boxing series which runs between January and August and showcases some of the best bouts in the boxing industry. Friday Night Fights began on October 2, 1998 and Noche de Combates (formerly Viernes de Combates) began on January 10, 2004. ESPN began televising boxing on April 10, 1980 when weekly boxing returned to television for the first time since 1964, with the debut of Top Rank Boxing on ESPN.

This Wednesday Oct. 1 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, King Sports will pit boxing’s highest-ranking middleweights (Hassan N’Dam 30-1 18 KOs and Curtis Stevens 27-4 20 KOs) against each other in a mandatory bout to earn a shot at the IBF Middleweight World Championship Belt, currently held by Sam Soliman (44-1 18 KOs).

The event at Barker Hangar promises an epic night of fights that will be televised on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. King Sports will pull from an unprecedented talent pool that includes Interim World Cruiserweight Champion Youri Kalenga, and No. 7 Heavyweight in the world, Charles Martin (18-0-1 16 KOs) to create an exciting night of boxing.

Earlier this year, King Sports announced the return of big-time fights to Southern California on a frequent basis and this event, the second in the series, more than lives up to that promise. King Sports stunned the boxing world by winning the sealed bid against Main Events for the right to promote this important middleweight fight.

“I was just as shocked that we won the bid,” said Michael King, president of King Sports. “On the other hand, it’s important fights like this one that we promised to deliver, and will continue to deliver, as we develop and expand our lineup of world- class fighters and events from King Sports.”

“We bought the rights to this major fight and we’re thrilled to have it,” said Brian Kweder, Head of Boxing programming at ESPN. “Over the past several months, King Sports has proven itself a legit player in the space, and we are proud to partner with Michael King on his first televised event. Without question we’re expecting an outstanding lineup of fighters.”

Tickets can be purchased through
Ticketmaster by calling
1-800-745-3000.
Doors open at 5:00pm
First Bout at 6:00pm.

For more information on King Sports
and the October 1 event please visit
www.kingsportsworldwide.com.

Todd Grisham and analyst Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action for ESPN’s previously announced ESPN Boxing Special presented by Corona Extra airing live on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and WatchESPN. The show from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., will feature a 12-round IBF eliminator between Middleweight contenders Hassan “El Fenómeno” N’Dam (30-1, 18 KOs) and Curtis “Showtime” Stevens (27-4, 20 KOs). The winner of the bout will earn the right to fight for the IBF Middleweight title, currently held by Australia’s Sam Soliman. The card is promoted by King Sports.

ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra will also present the card live on broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+ and will televise the card on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 10 p.m. on ESPN Deportes. Pablo Viruega and analyst Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights for Noche de Combates, while Claudia Trejos and Leopoldo González will anchor the studio. Bi-lingual reporter Bernardo Osuna will present live reports and interviews for both ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

Main Event:
France’s N’Dam, a former Middleweight titlist, has won his last three fights, including a 10-round unanimous decision win over Fulgencio Zuniga in April.

“I think Curtis Stevens is a great fighter – he’s unbelievably strong and can knock you out with either hand. But, I think he’s limited when it comes to fighting a boxer like Hassan,” said N’Dam’s manager Gary Hyde. “I think the key to this fight is just Hassan being himself. He’s got lovely lateral movement and he’s a fantastic boxer. He’s got the Ali-Leonard style, and that’s what he should stick with against Stevens.”

Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Stevens, who challenged current Middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin for his belt in 2013, has won his last two fights and is coming off a 10th-round TKO win over 2008 Olympian Tureano Johnson.

“I really expect Curtis to be super explosive,” said Stevens’ trainer Andre Rozier. “He knows that this is a title eliminator which will bring him to fighting the winner of the Jermain Taylor-Sam Soliman fight. So he’s literally right back in the title hunt with two steps to go – two really very short steps. I think we’re going to see a very explosive performance that ends in a big knockout.”

Co-Feature:
Wednesday’s 10-round co-feature will pit undefeated Welterweight Fredrick “General Okuna” Lawson (22-0, 20 KOs) of California against New York’s Ray “The Emperor” Narh (26-5, 21 KOs). In his last outing, Lawson scored a sixth-round TKO win over Mohamed Kayongo, while Narh is looking to rebound from a 10-round split decision loss to Chris van Heerden.

Opening Fight:
Wednesday’s show will open with an eight-round bout between undefeated Featherweight Miguel Marriaga (18-0, 16KOs) of Colombia and California’s Chris Martin (28-3-3, 9 KOs).

ESPN2 will televise live the 12-round IBF eliminator fight between Middleweight contenders Hassan N’Dam (30-1 18 KOs) of France and Brooklyn, New York’s Curtis Stevens (27-4 20 KOs) as part of an ESPN Boxing Special on Wednesday, October 1, at 9 p.m. ET. The winner of the bout will earn the right to fight for the IBF Middleweight title, currently held by Australia’s Sam Soliman. The show from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., will also be carried live on broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+ and WatchESPN. The card is promoted by King Sports.

“Over the past several months, King Sports has proven itself a legitimate player in the boxing world, and we are thrilled to televise this fight,” said Brian Kweder, ESPN sr. director, programming and acquisitions. “We’re pleased to be part of Michael King’s first televised event, and without question we’re expecting an outstanding line-up of fights including Stevens vs. N’Dam.”

Commentator assignments and further details regarding the fight card will be announced in the near future.

About ESPN Boxing
ESPN is home to ESPN Friday Night Fights and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates (Spanish version), a weekly boxing series which runs between January and August and showcases some of the best bouts in the boxing industry. Friday Night Fights began on October 2, 1998 and Noche de Combates (formerly Viernes de Combates) began on January 10, 2004. ESPN began televising boxing on April 10, 1980 when weekly boxing returned to television for the first time since 1964, with the debut of Top Rank Boxing on ESPN.

Philadelphia, PA: Tonight when Curtis “Showtime” Stevens (26-4-0, 19 KOs) of Brooklyn, NJ and undefeated Tureano Johnson (14-0, 10 KOs) of Nassau, Bahamas square off at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, boxing fans will find out if Tureano can live up to all the smack talk he was throwing in Curtis’ direction at Wednesday’s press conference. Johnson said, “Come Friday night someone is going to get bitch-slapped. I am going to enjoy this but I cannot say the same for him. Let’s pray I don’t put him in the hospital.” Below is the scouting report for tonight’s ten round middleweight match-up between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Tureano Johnson:

Curtis “Showtime” Stevens
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Category
Curtis “Showtime” Stevens
Tureano Johnson
Age
29
30
Record
26-4-0, 19 KOs
14-0-0, 10 KOs
Strength
Stevens has one punch power.
Johnson has an undefeated record and a strong amateur background
Weakness
Curtis doesn’t perform as well in the ring with a boxer.
Tureano has only fought lesser competition.
Experience
Stevens had over 300 amateur fights.
Johnson spent most of his amateur career in Cuba with top prospects. He also competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Power
The edge here goes to Curtis because he has power in both hands.
If Johnson puts his punches together he has decent power.
Speed
Curtis puts his combinations together well.
The edge goes to Tureano with regards to speed.
Endurance
The edge here goes to Stevens because he has been 12 rounds once (Jan. 29, 2010 – unanimous decision loss to Jesse Brinkley) and 10 rounds three times (Jun. 16, 2007 unanimous decision loss to Andre Dirrell; Mar. 22, 2007 unanimous decision win over Darnell Boone; and Dec. 1, 2006 unanimous decision win over Dhafir Smith).
Johnson has never been past eight rounds. In his last fight which was against an undefeated fighter, he defeated Willie Fortune, Feb. 22, 2013, via unanimous decision. This was his only eight round fight.
Accuracy
The edge here also goes to Curtis because he puts his punches together and he has a jab.
Johnson tends to be a bit wild.
Defense
Even money with regards to defense because Curtis tends to leave himself open.
Both fighters are straight forward and for both their biggest attribute is their offense.
Chin
The edge here goes to Curtis who has been down and has gotten back up.
Johnson has never been down so there is a question about how he will react if Curtis knocks him down.
Style
Curtis comes out. He is the finisher and is going to come right at his opponent. If he hurts his opponent he is going to finish him. He fights like it’s personal.
If Tureano hurts Curtis will he know how to finish him? It is unsure whether or not he has that killer instinct.
Intangibles
Stevens didn’t need to take this fight. He could have waited for a more established opponent. He took a fight with the first guy that wanted to get in the ring with him. He is a fighter.
Johnson wanted this fight when other guys won’t dare get in the ring with Curtis. He was talking smack during the press conference so he is trying to win the fight before he gets in the ring
The Match-Up
Curtis could have decided to sit and wait for the big fight but instead he decided to take on an undefeated prospect which is dangerous. Johnson could have gone on fighting lower class boxers and padded his record. If Johnson beats Stevens it would put him right in the top ten mix in the middleweight division
1. If Tureano Johnson decides to go out there and box will Curtis Stevens be able to cut off the ring and do what he does best?
2. Johnson has never been down in his career if Curtis knocks him down how will he react?
3. Is Stevens overlooking this fight and looking to the bigger fights?
4. Will Johnson’s amateur experience benefit him in this fight?

Curtis Stevens replied to Johnson by simply saying, “I will go in there just take care of business. Yes, he’s undefeated but he’s fought 14 softies. This time he is going to be in there with the real thing.”

Tureano Johnson
Photo Courtesy of:
PhillyBoxingHistory.com

Main Events’ Matchmaker Jolene Mizzone said, “Tonight’s fight says a lot about both these guys. Curtis could have decided to sit back and wait for the big fight. Tureano Johnson took the biggest step up in his career by finally getting in the ring with a fighter of Curtis’s caliber. He could possibly lose his undefeated record.”

Kathy Duva, Main Events’ CEO said, “Curtis is a fighter; he wants to be in the ring. He took this fight even though he didn’t have to. Johnson will find out tonight if he belongs among the elite middleweights.”

About April 4th:

The event features a ten-round bout for the USBA Heavyweight Title between Steve “USS” Cunningham and USBA champion Amir “Hardcore” Mansour live on NBCSN Fight Night from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. The Fight Night broadcast will begin at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT. The card is presented by Main Events and Peltz Boxing in association with BAM Boxing and Joe Hand Promotions. The undercard includes a ten round middleweight match-up between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Tureano Johnson. Tickets are on sale now at www.comcastTix.com and the Liacouras Center Box Office.

NBC Sports Live Extra:

NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT on April 4th.
Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

All NBC Sports Network live events live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

Philadelphia, PA: Curtis “Showtime” Stevens took a relaxing vacation after his first round knockout of Patrick “The Machine” Majewski on January 24 at Resorts in Atlantic City, NJ and now he is faster, stronger, rested and ready to take on Tureano Johnson Friday, April 4 at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. Stevens, who vowed to stay busy this year, spent two weeks in Mexico and Jamaica following his fight at Resorts. However, even while he was having fun in the sun, he stayed in constant contact with Main Events’ Matchmaker Jolene Mizzone, “While I was away Jolene kept in contact with me. She asked me if I wanted to fight and I told her I was off for two years so now I want to get right back into it. I wasn’t playing around.”

Stevens Against Findley
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Stevens, 29, just moved to a new place on the water in Queens and has been running stairs and on the beach as part of his new conditioning regime. He said, “I feel good. I have been training very hard. We wanted to make my legs stronger so I can get lower and weave his shots.” However, Curtis does not think Tureano Johnson is going to be a problem for him. When asked about Johnson he said, “This guy likes to fight. He slaps a lot. He’s got looping shots. But don’t leave your seat when the TV lights come on because you might miss it. Don’t blink. Have your popcorn and your soda ready beforehand because I am about to put on a spectacular showcase come April 4.”

Showtime vs. Ayala
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

When asked about fighting in Philadelphia, the Brooklyn native said, “Philly is the boxing capital so I am really excited to be fighting there. They like to fight in Philly and I love that. I have a lot of fans in Philly. I grew up with Karl ‘Dynamite’ Dargan, we were in the amateurs together, so I know all of his family. A lot of my fans from New York and Brooklyn are going to come out there and make the drive to show their support but I have fans in Philly too.”

This will be Showtime’s fifth Fight Night appearance and he is undefeated on the program (first round KO of Patrick Majewski on Jan. 24, first round KO of Saul Roman on August 3, 2013, eighth round UD over Derrick Findley on April 20, 2013 and first round KO of Elvin Ayala on January 19, 2013). When asked about fighting on Fight Night, Stevens replied, “I love NBC Sports. I love NBC because the world gets to see me. I am grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to perform for the whole world. Me and Cunningham were on Fight Night together when he fought Tyson Fury and I beat Derrick Findley so I am glad we get to share the spotlight again on Fight Night April 4.”

Curtis Knocks Out Roman
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva said, “I love Curtis’ attitude. There are few things better for a promoter than a fighter who will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime. Curtis has the heart of a champion, even if he doesn’t have that belt just yet.”

Jolene Mizzone, Main Events’ matchmaker said, “Fighting an up-and-coming undefeated opponent is always dangerous for a fighter so Curtis needs to be on point in order for him to get closer to a world title fight.”

About April 4th:

The event features a ten-round bout for the USBA Heavyweight Title between Steve “USS” Cunningham and USBA champion Amir “Hardcore” Mansour live on NBCSN Fight Night from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. The Fight Night broadcast will begin at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT. The card is presented by Main Events and Peltz Boxing in association with BAM Boxing and Joe Hand Promotions. The undercard will include a ten round middleweight match-up between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Tureano Johnson. The remaining undercard fights will be announced shortly. Tickets are on sale now at www.comcastTix.com and the Liacouras Center Box Office.

NBC Sports Live Extra:

NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT on April 4th.
Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

All NBC Sports Network live events live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

Philadelphia, PA: Friday night at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA a stacked and diverse undercard will fire up the crowd for the main event between Philadelphia’s own Steve “USS” Cunningham (26-6, 12 KOs) and Delaware native Amir “Hardcore” Mansour (20-0, 15 KOs) and the co-feature between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens (26-4, 19 KOs) and Tureano Johnson (14-0, 10 KOs). The undercard features two Main Events’ debuts and a Subway® commercial star before the NBCSN Fight Night broadcast begins at 10:00 PM ET.

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva said, “We are so excited to welcome Acevedo and Barrera to the Main Events’ family on this tremendous show at the Liacouras Center. Philadelphia has been the home of so many great boxing events and we are proud to bring this stacked undercard to the city. It should be a great night so make sure to get there early so you don’t miss a minute of the action.”

Jose Acevedo
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events
Main Events will debut two of their newest signings. First, Puerto Rican Roberto Acevedo (8-1, 5 KOs) will take on Lee Campbell (6-0, 3 KOs) of Laurenburg, NC in an eight round light heavyweight match-up. Acevedo is coming off the stunning first round knockout upset on January 24 over Ilshat “The Sherriff” Khusnulgatin at Resorts in Atlantic City, NJ. The undefeated Campbell is coming off a six round majority decision win over Anthony Mack in Tunica, MI on August 24, 2013.

Sullivan Barrera
Photo Courtesy of: phillyboxinghistory.com

Cuban Sullivan Barrera (10-0, 6 KOs) will also make his Main Events debut when meets up with Larry Pryor (7-7, 4 KOs) of Washington, DC. Barrera is coming off a sixth round unanimous decision win over Joell Godfrey on December 14, 2013 in Miami, FL. Pryor has not fought since March 12, 2011 when he defeated Mark Tucker in an eight round unanimous decision at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

In a six round light heavyweight match-up Mike Lee (11-0 6 KOs) of Chicago will take on Peter Lewison (6-0. 5 KOs) of the Caymon Islands. In addition to boxing, the undefeated Lee has appeared in several Subway® commercials. This will be his first fight since September 15, 2012 when he defeated Paul Harness via unanimous decision in Las Vegas, NV. Lewison is also undefeated and coming off a six round majority decision victory over Mike Sawyer in his hometown of Georgetown, Cayman Islands on October 26, 2013.

Hassan Young
Photo Credits:
Bryanna Carzo/BAM Boxing Promotions

In another Pennsylvania match-up Philadelphia’s own Hassan Young (5-1-1, 2 KOs) will face off against Evincii Dixon (3-4-1, 1 KO) of Lancaster, PA in a six round junior welterweight battle. Young is coming off four straight victories dating back to December 8, 2012. His last victory was a six round unanimous decision victory over Justin Johnson at Resorts in Atlantic City, NJ. Dixon is coming off a second round knockout loss to Sukrab Shidaev in Boomall, PA on December 21, 2013.

Wauchula, FL native Edner Cherry (31-6-2, 17 KOs) will face off against Robert Osiobe (14-8-4, 6 KOs) of Ughelli, Nigeria in an eight round super featherweight match-up. The veteran Cherry is coming off a sixth round TKO of Vicente Escobedo at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ on February 16, 2013. Osiobe is coming off of three straight losses (8 round split decision against Ashley Theophane on December 6, 2012, 8 round unanimous decision against Jamal James on August 16, 2013 and 8 round unanimous decision against Mark David on July 5, 2013).

Philadelphia’s own Khalib Whitmore (5-0, 4 KOs) is also scheduled for a four round light heavyweight fight but his opponent is still to be determined.

Main Events’ matchmaker Jolene Mizzone said, “This card is a diverse mix of seasoned opponents and up-and-comers. These up-and-comers will have to step up against tough competition in order to move forward. Also, NBCSN will tape the undercard for the Future Stars show so these fighters know that a key performance could get them noticed and one step closer to the big fights.”

The undercard is subject to change.

About April 4th:

The event features a ten-round bout for the USBA Heavyweight Title between Steve “USS” Cunningham and USBA champion Amir “Hardcore” Mansour live on NBCSN Fight Night from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. The Fight Night broadcast will begin at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT. The card is presented by Main Events and Peltz Boxing in association with BAM Boxing and Joe Hand Promotions. The undercard will include a ten round middleweight match-up between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Tureano Johnson. Tickets are on sale now at www.comcastTix.com and the Liacouras Center Box Office.

NBC Sports Live Extra:

NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT on April 4th.
Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

All NBC Sports Network live events live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

New Jersey (March 24, 2014) – Gary Shaw Productions undefeated middleweight contender, Tureano Johnson (14-0, 10 KOs) is training hard for his upcoming bout with Curtis “Showtime” Stevens (26-4-0, 19 KOs) taking place at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA on Friday, April 4th. Johnson vs. Stevens, a ten-round bout, will be will be televised on NBCSN “Fight Night” as the co-feature to Steve “USS” Cunningham (26-6-0, 12 KOs) vs. Amir “Hardcore” Mansour (20-0-0, 15 KOs).

Johnson, who resides in Hollywood, Florida, by way of Nassau, Bahamas, was part of the 2008 Bahamas Olympic Team. After having a decorated amateur career in which he worked alongside the Cuban National Team for the eight years, Johnson has developed into an outstanding professional, winning convincingly in all of his fourteen pro fights. He feels confident in his ability to defeat Stevens, who’s ranked #11 by the WBC and IBF.

“I would like to thank my promoter, Gary Shaw, for making this fight possible. On April 4th, the world will be introduced to Tureano Johnson. This has been a long, hard road for me filled with blood, sweat, and ruthless determination. I have been begging for this opportunity to pit my skills against the so-called best in my division. However, it is easier said than done in this world of boxing. No one would fight me until now. I respect Curtis Stevens. He is a strong, hard-punching fighter who has been in with the best. But he can’t and won’t beat me. To all the fans, don’t miss this fight on NBC Sports. I’m sure it is going to be a throw-back fight. It has been said that I’m not the most “technical” fighter out there. Well it’s true. I like to mix it up, throw hard punches, and get a little barbaric in the ring. I’m coming to fight and win impressively. After April 4th, I know I will get the fights I deserve.” said Johnson.

One of the best fighters to ever come from the Bahamas, Johnson will have to shake off the rust, being that he’s been out of the ring for over a year.

“The long layoff will finally be coming to an end and it won’t be a problem. I’ve had so many fights as an amateur that boxing is like riding a bike for me. I’ll know what to do as soon as I step in the ring. My body is well rested and I’ll be 100% healthy going into this fight.” Johnson concluded.

Promoter Gary Shaw feels Johnson is a star in the making as he stated, “Tureano Johnson is a very special fighter with an incredible work ethic. With that being said, he’ll have every opportunity to showcase his skills on the big stage. Against Stevens, I expect he’ll be tested, but I know he’ll adapt to anything he brings, and win the fight. This will be another excellent fight, one the fans will not want to miss.”

Philadelphia, PA: Less than three months after middleweight Curtis “Showtime” Stevens (26-4-0, 19 KOs) knocked out Patrick Majewski in the first round at Resorts International Casino and Hotel, he will take on the undefeated Tureano Johnson (14-0-0, 10 KOs) at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA on Friday, April 4th. The Stevens-Johnson ten round fight will be the co-feature on the NBCSN Fight Night card that features the heavyweight showdown between Steve “USS” Cunningham (26-6-0, 12 KOs) and Amir “Hardcore” Mansour (20-0-0, 15 KOs).

Stevens, who just celebrated his 29th birthday on March 10th, vowed to stay busy this year, “This is my life and my job. I like to fight and I don’t want to have a break too long. I could get a little bit too relaxed. Hopefully I can go six times this year.” “Showtime” fought four times in 2013 with a 3-1 record with two knockouts. And after his first round knockout of Majewski on January 24th he is ready for Johnson, “I am back to the old Curtis. It looks like he likes to fight. He likes to stay in the paint, in the dog house and get it on. He looks like a more aggressive Derrick Findley so this fight I might just stay toe-to-toe.”

Hall of Fame matchmaker, J Russell Peltz said this about the match-up: “This fight features Curtis Stevens, one of the most exciting middleweights in the division. It is going to be an explosive fight!” Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva said, “We love Curtis. NBC loves Curtis. Everyone is thrilled that he’ll be back on Fight Night so quickly. Johnson fought on the undercard of one of our Fight Night cards (Adamek vs Chambers at the Prudential Center on June 16, 2012) and I was impressed by what I saw. This should be a good one.”

Johnson, 30, originally from Nassau, Bahamas, defeated Willie Fortune via unanimous decision in his last fight at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, CA on February 22, 2013. Tureano has only had three fights go the distance in his career (all unanimous decision wins) and has a 71% knockout-to-win percentage. However, Stevens is not intimidated, he said, “He has a lot of knockouts but when you check the guys that he has knocked out its guys with records that are like 6-30. That is what he is supposed to do. If he wasn’t knocking them out I believe that would be a problem.”

Tureano Johnson
Photo Courtesy of Gary Shaw Productions
This will be Johnson’s first ten round fight. This will also be Johnson’s first fight as a co-feature on a national broadcast. He said, “I would like to thank Main Events and my promoter, Gary Shaw, for making this fight possible. On April 4th, the world will be introduced to Tureano Johnson. This has been a long, hard road for me filled with blood, sweat and ruthless determination. I have been begging for this opportunity to pit my skills against the so-called best in my division. However, it is easier said than done in this world of boxing. No one would fight me until now. I respect Curtis Stevens. He is a strong, hard-punching fighter who has been in with the best. But he can’t and won’t beat me. To all the fans, don’t miss this fight on NBCSN. I’m sure it is going to be a throw-back fight. It has been said that I’m not the most “technical” fighter out there. Well it’s true. I like to mix it up, throw hard punches, and get a little barbaric in the ring. I’m coming to fight, win impressive, and after April 4th, I know I will get the fights I deserve.”

“Showtime” is training for this fight in his hometown of Brooklyn, NY. He said, “I like training in Brooklyn because I am more comfortable. It is home to me; my mind is clearer when I am around positive energy. I can’t be too secluded and bored. I need to be around family and friends. So I can just go about my day as regular as possible. It is best to just keep home and have fun.”

About April 4th:

The event features a ten-round bout for the USBA Heavyweight Title between Steve “USS” Cunningham and USBA champion Amir “Hardcore” Mansour live on NBCSN Fight Night from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. The co-feature will be a ten round fight between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Tureano Johnson. The Fight Night broadcast will begin at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT. The card is presented by Main Events and Peltz Boxing in association with BAM Boxing and Joe Hand Promotions. The undercard fights will be announced shortly.

NBC Sports Live Extra:

NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT on April 4th. Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

All NBC Sports Network live events live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

Former world title challenger Curtis Stevens showed no ill effects of his title losing effort to Gennady Golovkin, needed just 46 seconds to obliterate Patrick Majewski at the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City.

It was ominous from the first punch for Majewski as he was dropped by a non-descript jab. Clearly hurt, Stevens dropped Majewski for a 2nd time after a barrage of punches that was finished off by a left hook. The fight was finished when another flurry of punches landed that sent Majewski down for a 3rd and final time.

Stevens, 161 1/2 lbs is now 26-4 with 19 knockouts. Najewski, 160 1/2 lbs of Atlantic City is now 21-3.

Hasan Young scored four knockdowns en route to a six round unanimous decision over Justin Johnson in a Welterweight bout.

Young scored two knockdowns in round two, one in round’s five and six and cruised to the victor by scores of 60-50 twice and 60-51.

Young, 141 lbs is 5-1-1. Johnson, 141 1/2 lbs is now 6-6-4.

Curtis Stevens – Patrick Majewski
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

THABISO MCHUNU – OLANREWAJU DURODOLA

Thabiso Mchunu – Olanrewaju Durodola
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24th NBC SPORTS NETWORK FIGHT NIGHT

RESORTS INTERNATIONAL CASINO AND HOTEL ATLANTIC CITY

Sherifi – July
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events
6 Rounds – Cruiserweight
Sevdail Sherifi, Albania, 9-2-3, 8 KO’s, 198 lbs.
vs.
Venroy July, St. Catherine, Jamaica, 15-1-2, 6 KO’s, 198 lbs.

Perez – Campfort
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events
8 Rounds – Junior Middleweight
DeCarlo Perez, Atlantic City, 11-2-1, 4 KO’s, 156.5 lbs.
vs.
Wilky Campfort, Haiti, 15-1, 9 KO’s, 156.5 lbs.

Khusnulgation – Acevedo
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events
8 Rounds – Light Heavyweight
Ilshat “The Sheriff” Khusnulgatin, Ft Lauderdale, FL, 10-0, 6 KO’s, 173.5 lbs.
vs.
Roberto Acevedo, Bayamon, Puerto Rico, 7-1-4 KO’s, 175.5 lbs.

Romero – Serrano
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events
4 Rounds – Light Welterweight
Wellingtn Romero, Newburgh, NY 1-0, 136 lbs.
vs.
Ismael Serrano, Bethlehem,PA, 1-0, 136 lbs.

Young – Johnson
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events
6 Rounds – Light Welterweight
Hassan Young, Philadelphia, PA 4-1-1, 2 KO’s, 141 lbs.
vs.
Justin Johnson, Pittsburgh, PA, 5-5-4, 141.5 lbs.

Rideout – Latham
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events
6 Rounds – Heavyweight
Mark Rideout, Philadelphia, PA, 4-0-1, 1 KO, 241 lbs.
vs.
Fred Latham, Pittsburgh, PA, 4-0, 2 KO’s, 257.5 lbs.

Thabiso Mchunu
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

Olanrewaju Durodola
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events
10 Rounds – NABF Cruiserweight
Thabiso Mchunu, Natal, South Africa, 13-1, 9 KO’s, 198.5 lbs.
vs.
Olanrewaju Durodola, Lagos, Nigeria, 15-1, 14 KO’s, 199.5 lbs.

Curtis Stevens
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

Patrick Majewski
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events
10 Rounds – Middleweight
Curtis Stevens, Brooklyn, NY, 25-4, 18 KO’s, 160.5 lbs.
vs.
Patrick Majewski, Radom, Poland, 21-2, 12 KO’s, 161.5 lbs.

# # #

MEDIA CREDENTIAL PICK UP: Friday, 1/24 – beginning 5:45PM ET at Resorts Casino Box Office

FIRST FIGHT: 7:00PM ET – Subject to change.

ABOUT FRIDAY, JANUARY 24TH
Friday, January 24th at Resorts International Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ features a ten-round middleweight battle between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Patrick “The Machine” Majewski in the main event.

The ten-round Cruiserweight co-feature between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Olanrewaju “God’s Power” Durodola, will be for the vacant NABF Cruiserweight Title. Six additional fights are planned for the undercard, all fights subject to change.

Doors are scheduled to open at 6:45 PM ET, First Fight at 7:00 PM ET. The main event and co-feature will be broadcast 10:00 PM ET on NBC Fight Night on NBCSN. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing, Dibella Entertainment and Showpony Promotions.

Tickets are priced at $75 and $50. They can be purchased at the Resorts International Casino and Hotel Box Office, 800-736-1420; at TicketMaster 800-745-3000 or online (key word: Main Events); and at Peltz Boxing 215-765-0922.

FIGHT NIGHT ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night on Friday, Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. ET.

Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Coverage airing on NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

FOLLOW US:
www.mainevents.com
Twitter: @main_events or twitter.com/main_events
Twitter: #FightNight
Facebook:facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing
facebook.com/NBCSports

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

Twitter: @ResortsCasino or https://twitter.com/resortscasino

tlantic City, NJ: This afternoon five fighters joined Main Events CEO Kathy Duva center stage to discuss Friday night’s fight on NBCSN Fight Night live from Resorts Casino and Hotel. Main event fighters Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Patrick “The Machine” Majewski were joined by co-feature combatant Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu. Mchunu’s opponent Olanrewaju “God’s Power” Durodola was not present because weather complications delayed his flight. Undercard fighters Ilshat “The Sheriff” Khusnulgatin and Robert Acevedo also participated live via Ustream to discuss Friday night’s big event.

You can view the press conference online at http://www.ustream.tv/mainevents.

The top quotes and press conference Q&A are highlighted below.

Patrick Majewski: “This is my shot in the middleweight division, to start existing in the middleweight division. Curtis Stevens is a known fighter. I’m not yet. To be known I have to pass through him. I am ready to get it on.”

Patrick Majewski
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

Kathy Duva, Main Events CEO: “Curtis . . . proved in (the Gennady Golovkin) fight that he belongs in . . .the elite of the middleweight division. And he made it clear to us that he wanted to get back in the middleweight title picture as soon as possible. This one really should be a brawl.”

Curtis Stevens: “Come Friday it is my road to redemption. I just have to go in there and not think so much and let my hands go. Friday starts my way back to the top of the elite in the middleweight division.”

Curtis Stevens
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

Kathy Duva, Main Events CEO, speaking of Mchunu – Durodola fight:
“This is the kind of fight that I am really proud of. We are going to be able to introduce this division to the boxing world and to the casual fans. I think everyone is going to be richer for it.”

“I think that the winner of this fight in particular, and maybe even the loser, are going to be factors in the cruiserweight division for a long time.”

Kathy Duva
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

Thabiso Mchunu: “I am ready to go. . .My opponent has quite a good record and I hope he is ready for what I am going to bring for him. I hope to put on a good show . . . on Friday night.”

PRESS CONFERENCE Q&A
Question for Patrick Majewski: Do you think that you are prepared for Curtis Stevens’ power?

Patrick: “I don’t think, I know! When I agreed to this fight I knew what he is capable of. I better be ready and I am feeling ready.”

Question for Curtis Stevens: Sometimes people historically have letdowns in a comeback fight. You just lost a big fight to Gennady Golovkin do you feel prepared to win this fight?

Curtis: “Well if I wasn’t prepared I wouldn’t have taken the fight. I just came off a loss so why would I want to lose again? I trained very hard. Like I said before I thought a little too much in my first title match. I overthought and not reacted so my job is no thinking just reacting.”

Question for Curtis Stevens: Do you think you should have picked an easier fight for your comeback fight?

Curtis: “Nothing is easy. Waking up in the morning isn’t easy. Walking out of my building isn’t easy. I didn’t sign up for nothing easy. I am a top elite middleweight and once again if I am going to be middleweight champion of the world so why not take an elite fighter on like Majewski. I am sure ready to be back where I am supposed to be.”

Question for Thabiso Mchunu: They say Durodola’s name is “God’s Power” how will you combat this power?

Thabiso: “Well I can also punch myself. Believe me I can punch harder than he can. I am a smart boxer and I believe in my boxing ability more than my power but I can also punch.”

Thabiso Mchunu at Final Presser
Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

REMINDER
WEIGH-IN: Thursday, 1/23 – Fighter report time 2:30PM ET, On scale 3:00PM ET. Resorts Casino and Hotel Starlight Room

Weigh-in will be streamed live beginning 3:00PM ET
http://www.ustream.tv/mainevents

ABOUT FRIDAY, JANUARY 24TH
Friday, January 24th at Resorts International Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ features a ten-round middleweight battle between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Patrick “The Machine” Majewski in the main event.

The ten-round Cruiserweight co-feature between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Olanrewaju “God’s Power” Durodola, will be for the vacant NABF Cruiserweight Title. Six additional fights are planned for the undercard, all fights subject to change.

Doors are scheduled to open at 6:45 PM ET, First Fight at 7:00 PM ET. The main event and co-feature will be broadcast 10:00 PM ET on NBC Fight Night on NBCSN. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing, Dibella Entertainment and Showpony Promotions.

Tickets are priced at $75 and $50. They can be purchased at the Resorts International Casino and Hotel Box Office, 800-736-1420; at TicketMaster 800-745-3000 or online (key word: Main Events); and at Peltz Boxing 215-765-0922.

FIGHT NIGHT ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night on Friday, Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. ET.

Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Coverage airing on NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

FOLLOW US:
www.mainevents.com
Twitter: @main_events or twitter.com/main_events
Twitter: #FightNight
Facebook:facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing
facebook.com/NBCSports

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

Twitter: @ResortsCasino or https://twitter.com/resortscasino

Fight Venue:
Resorts Casino Hotel – Superstar Theatre
1133 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
1-800-772-9000

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Middleweight contender Curtis “Showtime” Stevens, 25-4, 18 KOs, may have lost his last bout, a middleweight title challenge against the top 160-pounder in the world, Pound-for-Pound contender, and undefeated champion, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, but the Brooklyn-born knockout artist is ready to go right back to work Friday night in Atlantic City, NJ against tough Patrick “The Machine” Majewski, 21-2, 12 KOs.

Their ten-round middleweight fight at Resorts International Casino Hotel, is the feature bout on the season-opener of the popular nationally televised boxing series, Fight Night, on NBCSN. Also on the broadcast, which begins at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT, is a ten-round cruiserweight battle between Thabiso Mchunu, 13-1, 9 KOs, of Natal, South Africa, and Olanrewaju Durodola, 15-1, 14 KOs, of Lagos, Nigeria, in West Africa.

Curtis Stevens
Stevens, with his reputation as a big puncher, has been a fan favorite over the past few years, when his showy displays of power toppled excellent opponents like Saul Roman, Elvin Ayala and Romaro Johnson. So devastating is his punch that finding an opponent who can last more than a single round has been an issue of late. Since 2010, only Derrick Findley managed to last the full distance with Stevens.

Atlantic City’s Patrick Majewski, who is renowned for his chin and a high-pressure style that is not so different from Golovkin’s, should provide Stevens with a serious test in the wake of that world title bout with GGG. If Stevens has lost so much as a step, Majewski is tough enough to dish the New Yorker his second straight defeat.

However, Stevens is eager to start another knockout streak and to prove he is still a force in the middleweight division. Majewski may be a tough customer, but Stevens believes that the Polish-born fighter is merely a road block to his next title fight.

Curtis had this to say about the upcoming fight against “The Machine”, “I feel good, I am just ready to get in there and get back to where I was at.” He added, “I have to go in there and destroy him. I just have to do what I do best.”

This NBCSN boxing double header kicks off the third season of Fight Night, and promises more of the same thrilling action that has made the series the most popular boxing program for the past two years.

ABOUT FRIDAY, JANUARY 24TH
Friday, January 24th at Resorts International Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ features a ten-round middleweight battle between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Patrick “The Machine” Majewski in the main event.

The ten-round Cruiserweight co-feature between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Olanrewaju “God’s Power” Durodola, will be for the vacant NABF Cruiserweight Title. Six additional fights are planned for the undercard, all fights subject to change.

Doors are scheduled to open at 6:45 PM ET, First Fight at 7:00 PM ET. The main event and co-feature will be broadcast 10:00 PM ET on NBC Fight Night on NBCSN. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing, Dibella Entertainment and Showpony Promotions.

Tickets are priced at $75 and $50. They can be purchased at the Resorts International Casino and Hotel Box Office, 800-736-1420; at TicketMaster 800-745-3000 or online (key word: Main Events); and at Peltz Boxing 215-765-0922.

FIGHT NIGHT ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night on Friday, Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. ET.

Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Coverage airing on NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

FOLLOW US:
www.mainevents.com
Twitter: @main_events or twitter.com/main_events
Twitter: #FightNight
Facebook:facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing
facebook.com/NBCSports

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

Twitter: @ResortsCasino or https://twitter.com/resortscasino

Fight Venue:
Resorts Casino Hotel – Superstar Theatre
1133 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
1-800-772-9000

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Polish middleweight Patrick “The Machine” Majewski, 21-2, 13 KOs, knows quite well that his opponent Curtis “Showtime” Stevens is a power puncher, but Majewski is ready to bring his own rock-solid abilities into the ring when the two 160-pounders clash at Resorts International Casino Hotel, in Atlantic City, NJ, in the ten-round main event on the live season debut of NBCSN Fight Night, Friday, January 24th.

Curtis “Showtime” Stevens, 25-4, 18 KOs, powered his way up the rankings and into a world title fight but the Atlantic City-based Majewski has a granite chin and a reputation for applying wilting pressure in the ring. He has proven himself to be a formidable force, especially in the late rounds, when his conditioning and aggressiveness begin to take over. Regardless of whether or not “The Machine” knocks his opponent out, he tends to walk through their punches and eventually wear them down in the later rounds.

Photo credits to Mike Gladysz
Despite Stevens’ status as a heavy-handed KO artist, Majewski is confident he has what it takes to hand the Brooklyn native his second consecutive loss. About Stevens’ notorious knockout power, Majewski said, “I’ve got to be prepared for Stevens and be aware. He has big knockout power. I know this.” He added, “I just got to be careful not to get clocked with anything.”

In his most recent bout, Stevens gave WBA/IBO Middleweight Champion Gennady Golovkin a spirited challenge, but lost by eighth round TKO. Majewski dropped a decision to Patrick Nielsen in his last outing and, like Stevens, will be determined to win in Atlantic City.

With both boxers in need of a victory, and with their respective no-nonsense styles likely to generate serious action, this fight figures to get 2014 started with a bang. Fans love nothing more than watching two fighters who like to go right at each other in the ring and they will get that with the Stevens-Majewski matchup.

Photo credits to Mike Gladysz

In addition to having the home crowd advantage, the six-foot Majewski will also have the edge in both height and reach. If Majewski can indeed take Stevens’ shots and keep the New Yorker pinned against the ropes, he could have the recipe for an upset.

When asked about the Friday, January 24th fight, Majewski said, “I am always going to bring a good performance and an exciting fight.” He added, “It is going to be a night full of fireworks and excitement.”

ABOUT FRIDAY, JANUARY 24TH
Friday, January 24th at Resorts International Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ features a ten-round middleweight battle between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Patrick “The Machine” Majewski in the main event.

The ten-round Cruiserweight co-feature between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Olanrewaju “God’s Power” Durodola, will be for the vacant NABF Cruiserweight Title. Six additional fights are planned for the undercard, all fights subject to change.

Doors are scheduled to open at 6:45 PM ET, First Fight at 7:00 PM ET. The main event and co-feature will be broadcast 10:00 PM ET on NBC Fight Night on NBCSN. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing, Dibella Entertainment and Showpony Promotions.

Tickets are priced at $75 and $50. They can be purchased at the Resorts International Casino and Hotel Box Office, 800-736-1420; at TicketMaster 800-745-3000 or online (key word: Main Events); and at Peltz Boxing 215-765-0922.

FIGHT NIGHT ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night on Friday, Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. ET.

Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Coverage airing on NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

FOLLOW US:
www.mainevents.com
Twitter: @main_events or twitter.com/main_events
Twitter: #FightNight
Facebook:facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing
facebook.com/NBCSports

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

Twitter: @ResortsCasino or https://twitter.com/resortscasino

Fight Venue:
Resorts Casino Hotel – Superstar Theatre
1133 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
1-800-772-9000

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

Atlantic City, NJ – The popular NBCSN Fight Night series kicks off 2014 from the Superstar Theatre at Resorts International Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ on Friday, January, 24, 2014. Programming will begin at 10:00 PM EST. The main event will feature a ten-round middleweight brawl matching power against pressure when Brooklyn’s own Curtis “Showtime” Stevens (25-4, 18 KOs) takes on Patrick “The Machine” Majewski (21-2, 13KOs).

“We are excited to deliver the action-packed Fight Night to our fans for a third season with the 2014 debut featuring a top-flight card highlighted by middleweight contender Curtis Stevens’ return to the series,” said Gary Quinn, NBC Sports Group vice president of programming.

Main Events CEO, Kathy Duva, added: “I really can’t wait to kick off the 2014 NBCSN Fight Night season! The card that we’ve put together for Friday, January 24th should be great. Both Stevens and Majewski have something to prove, so this looks to be a sensational match-up. We’re also bringing Thabiso Mchunu back, and then, on March 15th (9-11pm) we’ll finally see the Tomasz Adamek vs. Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov match that was originally scheduled for November 16,2013. We also may have some surprises up our sleeves for the end of the year!”

Adding some further excitement to the main event, Patrick Majewski, originally of Radom, Poland, is currently residing in Atlantic City and this will be his first fight in front of his adopted hometown crowd. Majewski seeks to make a statement after his loss to Patrick Nielsen in Denmark this past September while Curtis Stevens is looking to bounce back from his loss to Gennady Golovkin at Madison Square Garden in November.

The co-feature will include a battle between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu (14-1, 10 KOs) of South Africa and Olanrewaju “God’s Power” Durodola (15-1, 14 KOs) of Nigeria in a ten-round match-up for the NABF cruiserweight title. Mchunu made his U.S. and Fight Night debut in August 2013 with his unanimous decision upset over “Fast” Eddie Chambers at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. Durodola is coming off eight straight knock-out victories Only one of his 16 bouts has ended in a decision, so don’t expect this one to go the distance!

FIGHT NIGHT ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night on Friday, Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. ET.

Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Coverage airing on NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

COMMENTATORS: NBC Sports Group’s Fight Night broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Kenny Rice, analyst B.J. Flores and reporter Chris Mannix will call the action from Atlantic City.

About Fight Night: NBC Sports Network’s Fight Night series is collaboration between NBC Sports Group, Main Events and Hall of Fame matchmaker J Russell Peltz. The series premiered on January 21, 2012 and featured six original broadcasts on NBCSN and one broadcast on NBC in 2012. In 2013, a total of five original broadcasts aired on NBCSN and two original telecasts aired on NBC.

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.

# # #

ABOUT FRIDAY, JANUARY 24TH
Friday, January 24th at Resorts Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ features a ten-round middleweight battle between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Patrick “The Machine” Majewski in the main event.

The ten-round Cruiserweight co-feature between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Olanrewaju “God’s Power” Durodola, will be for the vacant NABF Cruiserweight Title. Six additional fights are planned. Undercard will be announced shortly.

Doors will open at 7:00 PM ET, First Fight at 8:00 PM ET. The main event and co-feature will be broadcast 10:00 PM ET on NBC Fight Night on NBCSN. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing, Dibella Entertainment and Showpony Promotions.

Tickets are priced at $75 and $50. They can be purchased at the Resorts International Hotel and Casino Box Office, 800-736-1420; at TicketMaster 800-745-3000 or online (key word: Main Events); and at Peltz Boxing 215-765-0922.

FIGHT NIGHT ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night on Friday, Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. ET.

Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Coverage airing on NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

FOLLOW US:
www.mainevents.com
Twitter: @main_events or twitter.com/main_events
Twitter: #FightNight
Facebook:facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing
facebook.com/NBCSports

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

Twitter: @ResortsCasino or https://twitter.com/resortscasino

Fight Venue:
Resorts Casino Hotel – Superstar Theatre
1133 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
1-800-772-9000

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

Atlantic City, NJ: The Stevens-Majewski fight scheduled for Friday, January 24th on NBCSN live from Resorts Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ marks the first of many explosive middleweight match-ups awaiting boxing fans in 2014. The red hot middleweight division saw some memorable bouts in 2013 and is jam-packed with exciting champions and contenders that will produce some wild match-ups this year.

Gennady Golovkin is arguably the top middleweight fighter in the world and in 2013 he showed the world why with four wins all coming by knockout (Gabriel Rosado, Nobuhiro Ishida, Matthew Macklin and Curtis Stevens). In 2014, the WBA champion is expected to face some tough contenders starting with his fight against Osumanu Adama in February.

WBC and lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez defeated Martin Murray in Argentina in April 2013 but was sidelined due to injuries for the rest of the year. He is expected to face former three-division world champion Miguel Cotto in June. Cotto, for his part, will seek to make Puerto Rican history by dethroning the champ to win a world title in his fourth division.

WBO champion Peter Quillin also defeated Fight Night alum Gabriel Rosado in 2013 in a controversial tenth round stoppage. It remains to be seen what the WBO champ will do in 2014.

After successfully defending his IBF title four times, Daniel Geale lost his belt to Darren Barker in August. Barker then lost to former WBA world champion Felix Sturm in Germany in a stunning second-round knockout. Sturm had previously lost the WBA title – that he successfully defended for six years – to Geale in 2012 via a split decision loss. Geale is scheduled to face Garth Wood in February from Australia but has been calling for a rematch with Sturm for a chance to reclaim the IBF title.

The would-be contenders for the middleweight crown begin their campaigns for a title shot on Friday, January 24th from Resorts International Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, with the much-anticipated fight between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Patrick “The Machine” Majewski. The Stevens-Majewski fight will be a “put up or shut up” fight for both men as both are coming off recent defeats.

Stevens lost his last fight at Madison Square Garden to Gennady Golovkin. Stevens has taken the shortest break of any of Golovkin’s 2013 KO recipients since his eighth-round knockout in November before getting back in the ring again. When asked about the match-up Stevens said, “It’s time for me to get back in the ring.” He added, “It is my goal to eliminate all of the middleweights in the division and get another crack at the title; I am ready for anything Majewski might throw at me. When I get in the ring there will be no overthinking, I am just going to do what I do best.”

Majewski lost via unanimous decision to Patrick Nielsen in twelve rounds in September after winning four in a row dating back to April 2012. “The Machine” said, “I need this big challenge. I realize winning this fight against Curtis Stevens can push me up in the ranks of the middleweight division. I do not intend to fail, believe me I have been training and studying very hard and I am ready to pass this test.”

NBC Sports Group’s Fight Night’s play-by-play announcer Kenny Rice said, “I think this has the potential to be a very interesting fight. We all know that Curtis Stevens is a supreme KO artist. A decent proportion of Majewski’s wins [52%] have also come via knockout. I think the two of them feel they have a lot to prove in this fight.” He added, “Stevens will want to reestablish himself in the middleweight division and Majewski will see this as a vehicle for solidifying a position in the division. There are a lot of good scenarios that can develop when you have two hard hitting guys; we could be in for some fireworks.”

Both men will come out swinging with something to prove on the 24th. In this tough middleweight division a loss for either fighter could mean they will get lost in the shuffle of contenders looking to move up the ranks – including Patrick Nielsen who has yet to make his US debut, David Lemieux fighting out of boxing hot spot Montreal and Marco Antonio Rubio who is the WBC’s mandatory opponent and is awaiting his shot at Sergio Martinez following the Martinez-Cotto fight in 2014. Other middleweight challengers include former champions Darren Barker and Daniel Geale and past contenders Martin Murray, Matthew Macklin, Andy Lee, Sam Soliman and Bryan Vera. Upcoming prospects include Max Bursak and Danny Jacobs.

B.J. Flores, NBC’s boxing analyst said, “Curtis was on nobody’s radar two years ago and now people definitely know the name Curtis Stevens. He came on with Main Events, fought on NBC three times and the next thing you know he is fighting Golovkin, the best middleweight in the division. Not everyone can bounce back from a loss like that; Curtis has a lot to prove in this fight.” He went on to say, “This fight against Curtis will be Majewski’s chance to step up and get on the middleweight map; if he wants a chance at a title he needs to beat Curtis. It is a make or break fight for both guys.”

Boxing fans and networks can mix and match any of the champions or contenders in the middleweight division for a heart-stopping fight. This level of parity and excitement is what makes for historically great boxing. The sport has not seen a batch of potential middleweight stars like this since the 1980s with Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns and Roberto Duran. It is also reminiscent of the great heavyweight division of the 1990s including Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe. And it all begins live from Atlantic City on Friday, January 24th on NBCSN Fight Night.

ABOUT FRIDAY, JANUARY 24TH
Friday, January 24th at Resorts Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ features a ten-round middleweight battle between Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Patrick “The Machine” Majewski in the main event.

The ten-round Cruiserweight co-feature between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Olanrewaju “God’s Power” Durodola, will be for the vacant NABF Cruiserweight Title. Six additional fights are planned. Undercard will be announced shortly.

Doors will open at 7:00 PM ET, First Fight at 8:00 PM ET. The main event and co-feature will be broadcast 10:00 PM ET on NBC Fight Night on NBCSN. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing, Dibella Entertainment and Showpony Promotions.

Tickets are priced at $75 and $50. They can be purchased at the Resorts International Hotel and Casino Box Office, 800-736-1420; at TicketMaster 800-745-3000 or online (key word: Main Events); and at Peltz Boxing 215-765-0922.

FIGHT NIGHT ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night on Friday, Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. ET.

Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Coverage airing on NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

FOLLOW US:
www.mainevents.com

Twitter: @main_events or twitter.com/main_events

Twitter: #FightNight

Facebook:facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing

facebook.com/NBCSports

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

Twitter: @ResortsCasino or https://twitter.com/resortscasino

Fight Venue:
Resorts Casino Hotel – Superstar Theatre
1133 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
1-800-772-9000

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

ATLANTIC CITY – When the popular nationally televised live boxing series Fight Night returns for its Friday, January 24th season opener on NBC Sports Network, the co-feature bout will be an intriguing clash for the NABF championship belt between two African cruiserweights. South African Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu, 14-1, 10 KOs, meets Olanrewaju “God’s Power” Durodola, 15-1, 14 KOs, of West Africa, in a 10-round fight at Resorts International Hotel and Casino, on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Durodola stepped in when Garrett Wilson was forced to pull out of the bout due to an injury. The fight is the main supporting bout of a card headlined by the 10-round middleweight encounter between Curtis Stevens and Patrick Majewski.

Thabiso Mchunu, of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, burst onto the US boxing scene in August with a surprising one-sided points victory over proven contender Eddie Chambers of Philadelphia. It was Mchunu’s first fight in America, and he pulled the major upset on the same Fight Night series, before a shocked US TV audience.

The victory sent a message to the rest of the cruiserweight division that Mchunu was the latest title threat in the 200-pound class. The 6-year pro had posted many other victories, but this one was heard around the globe. He takes his next step toward a title shot on January 24th, against another tough African fighter.

The little-known Olanrewaju Durodola hails from Lagos, Nigeria, but now fights out of Kansas City, KS. He’s packed in 16 fights, all in the US, since turning pro in 2011, and will look to make his name in the sport, by fashioning his own upset introduction against Mchunu. His big opportunity comes after Mchunu’s original opponent, Philadelphian Garrett Wilson, was forced out of the high-profile fight due to injury.

“I want to thank NBC, Dibella Entertainment and Main Events for giving me this opportunity to win the NABF title and to put myself in position for a world title.” said Durodola. “The NABF title has been held by so many fighters who have become world champions and I will not let Mchunu get in the way of my goals.”

Durodola added, “I respect Mchunu as an elite boxer but he has not faced anyone with the skills and power I will bring on January 24th.”

All but one of Durodola’s wins have come by knockout, and like Mchunu, has only lost one bout in his entire career. On paper, these two punchers look quite similar, but physically there are differences. At 6′ 2″ tall, Durodola will tower over Mchunu, just 5′ 8″. However, Mchunu, world ranked #4 (WBC), #8 (WBO), #10 (IBF), and #15 (WBA), clearly proved that size was not a factor against the 6′ 1″ Chambers. Plus at 25 years of age, Mchunu is 5 years younger than Durodola.
The 10-round fight should be interesting, with both fighters eager to impress fans and establish their reputation as the best rising star in the cruiserweight division.

Six additional fights are planned to be added to the Friday night card which is promoted by Main Events, Peltz Boxing, Showpony Promotions and Dibella Entertainment.

Tickets are priced $75 and $50. They can be purchased at: Resorts International Hotel and Casino Box Office; 800-736-1420; at TicketMaster, Click here to connect to TicketMaster or cut and paste this link: http://www.ticketmaster.com/main-events-boxing-and-peltz-boxing-atlantic-city-new-jersey-01-24-2014/event/02004B8BF6BBA488?artistid=1940738&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=33&tm_link=artist_msg-0_02004B8BF6BBA488; and at Peltz Boxing 215-765-0922.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Tickets are officially on sale for the January 24th explosive double header to take place in the Superstar Theatre at Resorts International Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. The main event is a 10-round middleweight contest between hard-hitting contender Curtis Stevens, 25-4, 18 KOs, and the iron-jawed Patrick Majewski, 21-2, 13 KOs.

The 10-round co-feature bout is another exciting matchup. South African cruiserweight, Thabiso Mchunu, 14-1, 10 KOs, takes on Philadelphia crowd-pleaser Garrett Wilson, 13-7-1, 7 KOs, in what figures to be an interesting clash of styles.

Six additional fights are planned to be added to the card which is promoted by Main Events, Peltz Boxing and Showpony Promotions.

Tickets are priced $75 and $50. They can be purchased at the Resorts International Hotel and Casino Box Office, 800-736-1420 and at TicketMaster. Click here to connect to TicketMaster or cut and paste this link: http://www.ticketmaster.com/main-events-boxing-and-peltz-boxing-atlantic-city-new-jersey-01-24-2014/event/02004B8BF6BBA488?artistid=1940738&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=33&tm_link=artist_msg-0_02004B8BF6BBA488

Fight Venue:
Resorts Casino Hotel – Superstar Theatre
1133 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
1-800-772-9000

Home New – Updated Feb 2024

Saturday on the small stage at Madison Square Garden, before a crowd of 5,000 – in a city of 8.3 million – a throng one euphoric commentator described as both “electric” and “jumping,” Kazakhstani middleweight titlist Gennady “GGG” Golovkin scored a corner stoppage over Brooklyn’s Curtis “Showtime” Stevens at the end of round 8, after dropping Stevens in round 2, and battering him for what 18 minutes followed. It was another fearsome beating administered another barely ranked opponent, by Golovkin, a beating to inspire still more fearless commentary.

One must wonder if Gennady Golovkin’s interpreter tells him what expectations now rest their weight on the boyish Kazakhstani’s juicy deltoids, the hope a television network now kindles that he will be an all-time great, whatever defensive limitations he might have, however late their campaign for his greatness started. If Golovkin is going only on his perception of what is said to him by HBO talent in fighter meetings, in English, a language he does not yet speak coherently – “OK, man, I respect box, I respect everybody,” he said after Saturday’s fight, “I respect everybody athletes, I respect everybody sports, you know, this is a sport for me, first, hey man, going to home just tell your parents just, ‘Hi, I come back, thank you’” – he may not grasp yet the gravity of others’ expectations, of the investment, financial and reputational, boxing’s most powerful network now makes in him. Golovkin likely does not, or he would fight with greater urgency than he showed Saturday against Curtis Stevens, a chinny man he struck nearly 300 times en route to a corner stoppage quite similar to the one he scored on Gabriel Rosado in January.

Golovkin (28-0, 25 KOs) just required 96 seconds longer to bring Stevens to justice than did Marcos Primera (20-28, 13 KOs), a man who has not won a single contest since stopping Stevens more than seven years ago, evidence of nifty matchmaking at least. That Golovkin’s official promoter, K2, has as its figurehead Wladimir Klitschko implies a cautious approach to matching a man whose unofficial promotional company, HBO, finds an extraordinary number of openings every telecast and ring announcement to mention Golovkin’s record-breaking knockout percentage as champion, which would be more meaningful, if not quite meaningful, if Golovkin actually were the middleweight champion, or at least if there were not already a lineal middleweight champion who was not Golovkin and whose reign as champion did not precede Golovkin’s by four months. Or does it violate decorum to mention such a thing in the throes of this, our fourth orGGGy of 2013?

Asked to call-out a postfight opponent, Golovkin wisely chose a limited fellow titlist already promised to another network and a champion already promised to Miguel Cotto. Good boy: when spring of 2014 finds Marco Rubio or Max Bursak on the bill, it will demonstrate only that Golovkin is so feared neither Peter Quillin nor Sergio Martinez had the courage to ply limited wares before Golovkin’s marketplace of pain – an absurdity in the case of Martinez, a man who fought but once at 160 pounds before decisioning the lineal middleweight champion of the world, before spearchiselling a guy, Paul Williams, who held boxing’s Most Avoided title after decisioning that moment’s Most Feared titlist, Antonio Margarito. Much as it may warm this instant to project fear on Martinez’s inactive fighting spirit, it’s not likely a guy who needed 500 punches to stop Rosado and Stevens on their feet makes “Maravilla” sleep fitfully on his leopard-skin satins.

So here’s a callout worth making: Andre Ward. Before we say once more about a guy who this year laid waste to two career 154 pounders, at middleweight, before April Fools’ Day, he will “fight anyone from 154 pounds to 168,” we might at least give him a tryout with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., whom, it says here, Saturday night’s Golovkin would need 1,200 punches to stop, or else put him directly in the ring with Ward, a prizefighter who, we might remember for the sake of comparison, is 22 months younger than Golovkin.

The year Golovkin captured a silver medal in the Olympics, Ward won gold. And in the 25 months Ward beat Mikkel Kessler, Allan Green, Sakio Bika, Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch, winning the Super Six tournament, Golovkin beat Mikhail Makarov (10-0), Milton Nunez (21-1-1), Nilson Julio Tapia (14-2-1), Kassim Ouma (27-7-1) and Lajuan Simon (23-3-2). For all Golovkin’s prowess in sparring sessions, it is instructive to recall in the moment Golovkin was racing through Simon, Ward was preparing to beat Froch – as proper a juxtaposition of the words “untested” and “tested” as exists in prizefighting from 154 pounds to 168.

Golovkin is entirely effective at beating up men who retreat and nearly as effective at causing their flight. But even Curtis Stevens, whose eyes rolled grotesquely sideways when a Golovkin left hook bounced his head off the blue mat in round 2, was able to neutralize at least temporarily Golovkin’s attack, and place a few decent shots of his own, by muscling forward to a range at which Golovkin does not seem nearly comfortable as he is at middle distance.

Andre Ward is the current best in our sport at getting to an opponent’s chest, discomfiting him, and removing all traces of menace; in a match with Golovkin, Ward would clinch, headbutt, shoulder and infight, and he would snatch the spirit from Golovkin the very way Bernard Hopkins did to Felix Trinidad, at the very moment Trinidad was both more dominating and more tested than Golovkin is now. Or perhaps he would not; perhaps Ward, too, would succumb to Golovkin’s relentless fiststorm, justifying fully half the credit Golovkin enjoys for what fantastical beasts his partisans currently see him hypothetically slaying.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

HBO replays: Sunday, Nov. 3 (9:15 a.m.) and 4 (11:15 p.m.)

HBO2 replays: Sunday, Nov. 3 (4:45 p.m.) and 5 (11:45 p.m.)

All times are ET/PT.

Follow all action LIVE from ringside as WBA Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin defends his title against hard punching Curtis Stevens. The action begins at 10pm est / 7pm Pac with a showdown of undefeated Magaomed Abdusalamov battles Mike Perez

12 ROUNDS–WBA MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE..GENNADY GOLOVKIN (27-0, 24 KO’S) VS CURTIS STEVENS (25-3, 18 KO’S)

ROUND 1Good left from Golovin..Good left and right from Stevems..10-9 Stevens

Round 2 Hard jab from Golovkin..Hard right…right AND BIG LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES STEVENS…19-18 Golovkin

Round 3 Blistering uppercut from Golovkin..Golovkin jabbing…overhand right..right followed by left to the body...29-27 Golovkin

Round 4 Golovkin lands a right to the body…Good left hook from Stevens..Counter left hook..Hard left to body from Golovkin..and another…Stevens takng shots in the corner and comes put to land 3 hard rights off the ropes and Golovkin takes them well…39-36 Golovkin

Round 5 Hard right from Golovkin..Stevens comes back with 2 good shots…Stevens lands 2 more power shots…Hard body shot from Golovkin..left hook to head..hard right..48-46 Golovkin

Round 6 Hard inside fighting from both…Golovkin starting to batter Stevens on the ropes.58-55 Golovkin

Round 7 Good right from Golovkin…Golovking landing consistently on the ropes while Stevens looking for 1 big punch…he does get in a little combination at end of round...68-64 Stevens

Round 8 Right drom Golovkin..Body from Stevens…2 body from Golovkin…Now beating Steevns in all 4 corners of the ring…3 more shots from GGG…Stevens taking a huge beating…..ANDRE ROZIER STOPS THE BOUT AFTER ROUND 8…GENNADY GOLOVKIN TKO END OF 8

10 ROUNDS–HEAVYWEIGHTS–MAGOMED ABDUSALAMOV (18-0, 18 KO’S) VS MIKE PEREZ (19-0, 12 KO’S)

ROUND 1 Both guys throwing hard punches early..right drives Mago back..Hard straight left..right hook..3 punch combo...10-9 Perez

Round 2 Perez working body..right to the body…Mago lands an uppercut.good combo on ropes..Blood from the nose of Mago…19-19

Round 3 Hard left from Mago..Perez lands a left to the body…right hook to head..good back and forth..uppercut from Mago..hard left but Perez answers..29-28 Mago

Round 4 Good left from Perez..Good right hook..Mago lands a hard right…big right hook to the head..huge body shot..Both guys getting in shots…39-37 Mago

Round 5 Perez lands a hard right hook..right to the head..again..straight left..48-47 Mago

Round 6 Right from Perez..57-57

Round 7 Hard shot from Perez…1-2..Mag’s face starting to look bruised up…and cut around the left eye…67-66 Perez

Round 8 Perez’s combos driving Mago back..right to the body..Uppercut…77-75 Perez

Round 9 Mago coming out with hooks…he is deducted a point for a low blow…hard straight left from Perez..left to the body…left to the body..uppercut from Mago..86-84 Perez

Round 10 1-2 from Mago..Perez lands a right to the body..hard right rocks Mago..2 more punches hurts Mago..96-93 Perez

97-92, 95-94 97-92…..MIKE PEREZ

NEW YORK–Gennady Golovkin retained his WBA Middleweight championship with an eight round beatdown over a tough Curtis Stevens in from of 4,618 fans at the Theater at Madison Square Garden

Stevens did well to match punches with Golovkin in the 1st but in round two he ate a monster left hook that sent him to the canvas. Stevens steadied himself in round three but still dropped the frame. Stevens started to take a beating in round four but came back late in the round to land four nasty shots that got him right back in the fight.

In round seven, Golovkin started to pound on Stevens along the ropes. The challenger kept Golovkin honest by landing an occasional power shot but the relentless Golovkin continued his assault. In round eight, Golovkin continued with a two fisted attack that was divided up between crunching body punches and sharp shooting to the head. Golovkin was undaunted and was gunning for the knockout of Stevens, who at this point was looking like a beaten man with blood coming from his nose. Finally and luckily for Stevens, he has a trainer who cares and it was his uncle Andre Rozier who saved his nephew from any more damage and called off the fight at the end of round eight.

Golovkin, 159 1/2 lbs of Kazakhstan is now 28-0 with 25 knockouts. Stevens, 159 1/4 lbs of Brooklyn is now 25-4.

In a battle of undefeated southpaw Heavyweights Mike Perez scored a 10 round unanimous decision over knockout artist Magomed Abdusalamov.

Perez came out swinging and landing power shots in the 1st round. Abdusalamov came back and backed Perez up with a hard combination on the ropes in the 2nd. Abdusalamov’s nose begin to bleed in the same round. Perez hung in there and started to box through the middle rounds. Abdusalamov’s

In round eight, Abdusalamov was deducted a point for a low blow. In the final round, Perez hurt Abdusalamov with a hard right. He continued the assault with a follow up combination but he could not put the Abdusalamov on the canvas.

Perez, 235 lbs of Cork, Ireland won by scores of 97-92, 97-92 and 95-94 and is now 20-0. Abdusalamov, 231 1/2 lbs of Kazakhstan is now 18-1.

Ola Afolabi scored a twelve round majority decision over Lukasz Janic in a Cruiserweight bout.

Scores were 115-113 and 117-111 and 114-114 for the former world champion Afolabi, 194 lbs and is now 20-3-4. Janic, 197 3/4 lbs of Poland is now 26-2.

19 year old Dusty Hernandez Harrison got a good test but remained undefeated by scoring a ten round unanimous decision over Josh Torres in an entertaining Welterweight bout.

At the end of round one, Harrison landed a nice right hand. He started opening it up more towards the middle of the second frame. Harrison continued to work at a good rate before Torres landed a solid right in roun four and second one actually sent Harrison back off balance.

Round six started off with Torres throwing and landing with Harrison against the ropes. Harrison did well in fighting off. Harrison got going again in round seven, as he drilled Torres with two solid right hands. Harrison continued working solid as he landed a nice right hand while fighting inside in the eighth. In round ten, Torres rocked Harrison with a right just after the bell rang. harrison came back and rocked Torres with a straight right that sent Torres into the ropes. The two battled toe to toe down the stretch which thrilled the already packed house in the Theater.

Harrison, 146 1/2 lbs of Washington, DC won by scores of 100-90, 98-92 and 98-92 and is now 18-0. Torres, 145 1/2 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is now 12-3-1.

Joel Diaz Jr. scored two knockdowns en route to a six round unanimous decision over Bryne Green in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

In round two, Green rocked Diaz with a big counter right and had him holding on after landing a hard left -right combination. Later in the round a seemingly meaningless right hand sent Green back to the ropes and Diaz pounced on him as he landed a bout five shots in the corner. In round three, Diaz landed a straight right and then dropped Green with a left to the body.

Just a minute into round five, Diaz drppped Green again with a right hand.

Diaz Jr, 132 1/4 lbs of Palmdale, CA won by scores of 60-52 and is now 13-0. Green, 131 lbs of Vineland, NJ is now 7-7-1.

Diaz

Isa Akbarbayev opened the show with a tough four round unanimous decision over Brian Clookey in a battle of undefeated Cruiserweights.

The action was fast at the outset and it was not more than a minute into the bout before Clookey was cut under the left eye.

Akbarbayev landed a couple of hard right hands in round two. Clookey hun tough and continued to throw and he landed a pair of left hooks at the end of the third round. With blood streaming down the left side of his face, Clookey opened up round four with a hard left hook.

Akbarbayev, 192 1/2 lbs of Almaty Kazakhstan won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 11-0. Clookey, 189 lbs of Chase, NY is now 4-1-2.

NEW YORK CITY (October 31, 2013) On Thursday afternoon at The Refinery Hotel Rooftop Lounge in Manhattan, WBA/IBO Middleweight World Champion Gennady Golovkin and top rated challenger Curtis Stevens held court for their final press conference in front of a massive crowd of local media.

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Master of ceremonies for the press conference was Hall of Fame Ring Announcer Michael Buffer. Below are select quotes from the participants.

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CURTIS STEVENS
“Thanks very much to HBO, Madison Square Garden, Main Events, K2 and GGG Promotions, I’m ready to become the middleweight champion of the world.”
“Come Saturday night, I’m gonna **** Gennady Golovkin up!”

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GENNADY GOLOVKIN
‘Thanks very much to my team, Abel and Tom.
“I have just one question for you Stevens, ‘are you serious’”?

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TOM LOEFFLER (K2 Promotions)
“This event has truly taken on a life of it’s own since it was announced.”
“It’s terrific to be back at “The Mecca of Boxing” promoting this event.”

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KATHY DUVA (Main Events)
“It’s good to be back at Madison Square Garden working with Joel Fisher and his team. They’re fabulous to work with and we’re looking forward to an exciting event.”

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MIKE PEREZ
‘Thanks very much to everyone for making this possible, I can’t wait until Saturday night. I hope everyone enjoys the fight.”

SAMPSON LEWKOWICZ (Sampson Promotions LLC)
“We were offered the fight and the next day we agreed to it. They offered five other fighters the opportunity to fight Mike Perez, but we accepted right away.”

MAGOMED ABDUSALAMOV
“This is a great opportunity and I’m looking forward to putting on a great show on Saturday night.”

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ABOUT “GOLOVKIN VS. STEVENS”:
Golovkin vs. Stevens is a 12-round bout for Golovkin’s WBA and IBO Middleweight World Championship, presented by K2 Promotions in association with Main Events, GGG Promotions and Madison Square Garden. In the HBO televised co-feature, undefeated heavyweights Mike Perez and Magomed Abdusalamov will clash in a 10-round bout presented in association with Sampson Boxing LLC.

The LIVE on HBO® telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

HBO’s flagship series presents a twin bill of hard-hitting action highlighted by a red-hot middleweight title showdown when HBO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: GENNADY GOLOVKIN VS. CURTIS STEVENS AND MIKE PEREZ VS. MAGOMED ABDUSALAMOV is seen SATURDAY, NOV. 2 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the Theater at Madison Square Garden, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team of Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Roy Jones Jr. will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Nov. 3 (9:15 a.m.) and 4 (11:15 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Nov. 3 (4:45 p.m.) and 5 (11:45 p.m.)

The main feature pits undefeated Kazakhstan sensation Gennady Golovkin (27-0, 24 KOs) against rising star Curtis Stevens (25-3, 18 KOs) of Brooklyn in a scheduled 12-round middleweight title bout. With an 89% knockout rate – the highest percentage of any world champion today – and knockouts of his last 14 opponents, Golovkin, 31, has established himself as one of the most electrifying fighters in the sport. He scored a spectacular victory on HBO in June when he KO’d Matthew Macklin in the third round. This will be the fourth fight on American soil for the fan-friendly, 160-pound titleholder, who trains at Big Bear in California.

Like Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe before him, Curtis Stevens (25-3, 18 KOs) is a product of the hardscrabble neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Although he’s been a pro for nine years, the 28-year-old’s career has surged the past two years and he’s scored impressive first-round KO victories in three of his last four fights.

The opening bout is a ten-round heavyweight slugfest, as Cuban native Mike Perez (19-0, 12 KOs) meets Russia’s Magomed Abdusalamov (18-0, 18 KOs). Perez, 27, and Abdusalamov, 32, both seek to preserve an undefeated record and display their abilities on a national stage.

“Face Off With Max Kellerman: Pacquiao/Rios,” featuring the two world-class prizefighters squaring off with Kellerman as moderator, debuts immediately following the boxing action (midnight-12:15 a.m.).

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer is Rick Bernstein; producer, Thomas Odelfelt; director, Doug Getts.

NEW YORK CITY (October 30, 2013) The officials have been assigned for this Saturday night’s WBA/IBO Middleweight World Championship between boxing’s fastest rising superstar, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and top rated contender Curtis Stevens at Madison Square Garden, “The Mecca of Boxing” and LIVE on HBO®.

The referee for the middleweight world title bout will be Harvey Dock (NY) and the judges of the fight will be Michael Pernick (FL), Max DeLuca (CA) and John Poturaj (NJ).

For the clash between undefeated heavyweight fighters, Mike “The Rebel” Perez and Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov the referee will be Benjy Esteves. Judges for the HBO televised co-feature will be Julie Lederman, John Stewart and Don Trella. Abdusalamov will be defending his WBC US-NBC Heavyweight Title.

In the 12-round IBO Cruiserweight World Championship between Ola Afolabi and Lukasz Janik, the referee will be Earl Brown. The judges will be Waleska Roldan, Jerry Roth and Joseph Pasquale.

ABOUT “GOLOVKIN VS. STEVENS”:
Golovkin vs. Stevens is a 12-round bout for Golovkin’s WBA and IBO Middleweight World Championship, presented by K2 Promotions in association with Main Events, GGG Promotions and Madison Square Garden. In the HBO televised co-feature, undefeated heavyweights Mike Perez and Magomed Abdusalamov will clash in a 10-round bout presented in association with Sampson Boxing LLC.

The LIVE on HBO® telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

NEW YORK CITY, (October 29, 2013) WBA and IBO Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin headed straight to Times Square upon arriving in New York City ahead of his showdown on Saturday night against top rated challenger Curtis Stevens at Madison Square Garden, “The Mecca of Boxing” and LIVE on HBO® (10:00 p.m. ET/PT.)

Golovkin was swarmed by fans and media as he posed for pictures in front of the massive HBO billboard at 42nd Street and 7th Avenue promoting the fight.

With the highest knockout percentage (89%) in the history of the middleweight division, Golovkin will be looking to extend his 14-bout knockout streak when he makes the 9th-defense of his world titles.

This past January 19, in front of a full house of New York City fight fans, Golovkin dominated top rated challenger Gabriel Rosado, stopping him in the seventh round at Madison Square Garden.

ABOUT “GOLOVKIN VS. STEVENS”:
Golovkin vs. Stevens is a 12-round bout for Golovkin’s WBA and IBO Middleweight World Championship, presented by K2 Promotions in association with Main Events, GGG Promotions and Madison Square Garden. In the televised co-feature, undefeated heavyweights Mike Perez and Magomed Abdusalamov will clash in a 10-round bout presented in association with Sampson Boxing LLC.

Remaining tickets priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50 are available through at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com

ig Bear, CA (October 29, 2013) After weeks of intense training in Big Bear, California, boxing’s fastest rising superstar Gennady “GGG” Golovkin is headed to New York City to defend his WBA and IBO Middleweight World Titles this Saturday night against Brooklyn’s Curtis Stevens at Madison Square Garden, “The Mecca of Boxing” and LIVE on HBO® (10:00 p.m. ET/PT.)

With two massive fight billboards in the New York City area and a full week of media activities ahead, the Golovkin/Stevens clash has become a must-see attraction in the “city that never sleeps”.

“I’m excited to fly to New York City for this fight with Curtis Stevens. Fighting at Madison Square Garden is always very special to me,” said Golovkin. “The training camp was hard, but I’m in great condition and ready to fight.”

“Coming back to Madison Square Garden and New York City with one of the premier fighters in the world is an experience like no other,” said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions. “With two of the biggest punches in the middleweight division, fans can expect a lot of fireworks on Saturday night.”

Head trainer Abel Sanchez added, “We’re ready to showcase the best middleweight in the world this Saturday night. Gennady will deliver another terrific performance.”

With the highest knockout percentage (89%) in the history of the middleweight division, Golovkin will be looking to extend his 14-bout knockout streak when he makes the 9th-defense of his world titles.

This past January 19, in front of a full house of New York City fight fans, Golovkin dominated top rated challenger Gabriel Rosado, stopping him in the seventh round at Madison Square Garden.

ABOUT “GOLOVKIN VS. STEVENS”:
Golovkin vs. Stevens is a 12-round bout for Golovkin’s WBA and IBO Middleweight World Championship, presented by K2 Promotions in association with Main Events, GGG Promotions and Madison Square Garden. In the televised co-feature, undefeated heavyweights Mike Perez and Magomed Abdusalamov will clash in a 10-round bout presented in association with Sampson Boxing LLC.

Remaining tickets priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50 are available through at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com

Saturday on Madison Square Garden’s small stage Kazakhstani middleweight titlist Gennady “GGG” Golovkin will fight American Curtis “Showtime” Stevens, on HBO, in a match of the two middleweights most likely to rend with thoughtless ferocity any overmatched unfortunate set across from them. That is, somebody stopped by, say, Vanes Martirosyan at 154 pounds, as Stevens’ last opponent was, ought tremble at rumors of GGG’s approach. And any man knocked-out by Sergio Martinez last year, as Golovkin’s last opponent was, would do well not to be on Showtime’s side of town when night falls.

OK, the leavening of this match with a pinch of facetiousness was overdue, and so there it is, with a concession directly afterwards: Saturday’s fight will be quite entertaining as it happens, in a manner more suspenseful than dramatic, and should end with one man, more likely Stevens, unconscious before its 36th minute completes. Our sport needs more of that, much more, not less, and who cares, then, if Saturday’s champ is unproved and his challenger more so?

That Gennady Golovkin is untested is not a valid reason to dislike him or distrust his abilities. He appears to have a plethora of them and appears, too, to have come along at a fine time, one in which the depth of the middleweight division is hopelessly shallow. Golovkin has risen in all minds to no worse than second best in one of our sport’s storied divisions by beating up Matthew Macklin (1-2 in three fights before Golovkin), Nobuhiro Ishida (1-2 in three fights before Golovkin) and Gabriel Rosado (in his middleweight debut).

There is even talk among serious individuals of calling Golovkin’s rampage through Macklin and Ishida and Rosado – three guys Marvelous Marvin Hagler probably could have beaten in a handicap match, one on three, and Bernard Hopkins would have unmanned in one night, stopping Ishida on the undercard, decisioning Rosado in the co-main and inviting a red towel from Macklin’s corner in the main, all while donning a differently ridiculous mask for each – three quarters of enough to be considered 2013’s fighter of the year, if he is able to beat Stevens on Saturday. Golovkin is nearer his 32nd birthday than his 31st, and that may explain this urgency to place his name among boxing’s best, because it certainly has nothing to do with the strength of his opposition or even, to pause for honesty, his supposedly withering power.

Golovkin is technically sound and accurate, his footwork fine but not otherworldly, his defense average, but he is a friendly gent with a telegenic smile and a chance of graduating from the Manny Pacquiao School of English Conversation, with honors, before 2015. For goodness’ sake, though, here for comparison, is whom (Olympic gold medalist) Oscar De La Hoya had fought by the time he was the same age (Olympic silver medalist) Gennady Golovkin is: Genaro Hernandez, James Leija, Julio Cesar Chavez (twice), Pernell Whitaker, Ike Quartey, Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley (twice), Arturo Gatti, Fernando Vargas and Yory Boy Campas. That is another way of imparting De La Hoya was already a Grammy-nominated, first-ballot hall-of-famer about to begin the silly season of his career at the age Golovkin is yet to fight an opponent who ranks with one of the names above.

Beating Curtis Stevens, which Golovkin is expected to do even in Stevens’ New York City, the collection of boroughs in which the Brooklynite once terrorized a few no-hopers of his own, will do little to elevate future historians’ estimation of GGG, though losing to Stevens, or even getting his chin checked by a guy once chin-checked by Marcos Primera, will cause no small discomfort for a gathering army of Golovkin partisans who describe the savagery of the Kazakhstani’s attack in terms frightful enough to remind readers of Lucas Matthysse – before September.

There is a standard enjoyed by Golovkin that is a wee bit inexplicable, too, in an era that sees every elite athlete tacitly suspected of PED use, as search engines looking to sate inquiries that marry Golovkin’s name with acronyms like VADA or WADA or USADA return nothing substantive. If our concern is with the perilous effects of pharmaceutically enhanced fists slamming against standard-issue craniums, should we not begin with a man widely considered the boogeyman’s boogeyman – or did athletic programs in the former Soviet Union, of which Kazakhstan was a part, eschew performance-enhancing drugs so spectacularly?

Aficionados desperately wish to discover an unknown entity, and be the ones to say they did, a sparring-session ghoul in need of only one chance at yesterday’s paper champion, just one, to set right the injustices that burn aficionados’ stomachs when they lie down at night, and such a beast’s necessary quotient of mysteriousness is aided, not obstructed, by taciturnity or simple incomprehension of what is asked him. Golovkin has all such ingredients in a batch of accomplishments that do not yet merit his name in a sentence with Sergio Martinez’s unless and until Martinez himself puts it there. Or have we learned nothing from the RJJ and Money eras, and what ultimate dissatisfaction comes of awarding hypothetical victories?

One cannot say yet what happens when Golovkin is hurt in a prizefight, though perhaps Saturday will reward our forbearance with a stiff left-hook counter or accidental headbutt, but if Golovkin’s next four opponents come no closer to revealing it than his last four, let us still our tongues about Floyd Mayweather’s handicapping before the muse again makes us sing Gennady Golovkin’s praises.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

NEW YORK (October 22, 2013) WBA and IBO Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin will welcome the New York Police Department and the Fire Department of New York during fight week leading up to his world title defense on Saturday, November 2 against Brooklyn’s Curtis Stevens.

Golovkin will make a ticket donation to both departments at his Media Workout on Wednesday, October 30 at Madison Square Garden. A representative from each department will be on hand to receive the donation as well as to publicize the 31st Annual “Battle of the Badges” amateur boxing event held on Friday, November 22 in The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

“New York CIty feels like a second home to me and I’m always happy to come here for my fights and press events. Everywhere I go the fans are always very supportive”, said Golovkin. “The New York Police and Fire Departments are made up of very dedicated men and women and I want to recognize them for their work.”

Continued Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions, “We are very excited to bring Gennady back to New York City for his 9th world title defense and second bout at Madison Square Garden.”

“We’re are also very proud to honor the tireless efforts of both of these departments and to help promote their future event.”

Golovkin vs. Stevens is presented by K2 Promotions in association with Main Events and Madison Square Garden.