LAS VEGAS (Jan. 12, 2015) – The fight this Saturday, Jan. 17, between undefeated super lightweight Amir “Young Master” Imam (15-0, 13 KOs) and hard-hitting Fidel “The Atrisco Kid” Maldonado Jr. (19-2, 16 KOs) will now be for the WBC Continental Americas Super Lightweight Championship, it was announced today.

The 10-rounder, which will open the live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, will precede two world title bouts on a fight card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions

In Saturday’s highly anticipated main event, hard-hitting WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane “B.Ware” Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), of Las Vegas, will defend against unbeaten knockout specialist and mandatory challenger Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala. Crowd-pleasing unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz (28-0-1, 16 KOs), of Los Angeles, will risk his belt against Jesus “Estrella” Ruiz (32-5-5, 22 KOs) in the co-feature.

Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 3 p.m. PT.

Imam (pronounced “EE-mom”), of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., by way of Albany, N.Y., was an amateur standout and silver medalist at the 2011 U.S. Olympic Trials. As a professional, the talented Imam, 24, has mostly had his way; 11 of his fights have ended in the first or second round.

The always-willing Maldonado Jr., 23, had won six straight bouts, five by knockout, before his last outing ended in a third round no contest on Dec. 20, 2014, in Cancun, Mexico.
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“RETURN TO GLORY”: STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne’s WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout for the WBC Continental Americas Super Lightweight Title. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 9) – Golden Boy Promotions has teamed up with Fernando Vargas to sign exciting new junior welterweight fighter Cesar “The Great” Quiñonez.

Quiñonez is the first fighter from former world champion Fernando “Feroz” Vargas’ boxing gym Feroz Fight Factory to turn professional, and is managed by the late singer Jenni Rivera’s manager Pete Salgado. Quiñonez is now set to make his professional debut on the undercard of the highly anticipated heavyweight battle between current WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne and mandatory challenger and knockout sensation Deontay “The Bronze Bomer” Wilder on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“I’m excited to welcome the talented Cesar ‘The Great’ Quiñonez to Golden Boy Promotions,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. “The Golden Boy family continues to grow with the addition of up and coming talent with great potential like Cesar Quiñonez. I’m proud to have his debut on January 17 at the MGM Grand be under the Golden Boy Promotions banner.”

Fernando Vargas has had much success with Feroz Fight Factory transitioning into the professional boxing world with Quiñonez at the helm. The former world champion also has a history with Oscar De La Hoya, fighting the “Golden Boy” in 2002 for a title unification bout in the super welterweight division. Vargas also fought against Luis Ramon “Yory Boy” Campas, Raul “El Diamante” Marquez, Ronald “Winky” Wright and Ike “Bazooka” Quartey.

“I’m excited for my future as a trainer and I also look forward to working with Oscar and Golden Boy Promotions,” said Vargas. “I have a lot of great talent that I know will become world champions in the years to come!”

“It is truly a blessing to be signed by Golden Boy Promotions,” said Quiñonez. “I am very excited they’ve given me this opportunity to display my talents alongside my trainer Fernando Vargas. I’ve always looked up to Fernando growing up watching him fight, he is a great trainer. I’ve learned many things from him and we are ready to show the world what we can do.”

Quiñonez of Las Vegas has been making himself known in the boxing world since he first joined Feroz Fight Factory in 2013. With an amateur record of 74-4 and four national titles, Cesar has had the opportunity to work directly with Vargas and sparring with four-time female world champion Hollie Dunaway and former world champion Billy “The Kid” Dib. He hopes to make an explosive entrance in his professional debut at the MGM Grand Garden Arena next Saturday night.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.fernandovargas.com follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @cesarthagreat, @ferozfightfactory @_fernandovargas, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/elferozfernandovargas or follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya.

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“RETURN TO GLORY”: STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne’s WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are also available at www.mgmgrand.com orwww.ticketmaster.com.

LAS VEGAS (Jan 9, 2015) – As we near the epic return of world championship heavyweight action in the United States, WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) and unbeaten knockout specialist Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) are deep in training camp for their championship showdown on SHOWTIME®.

Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are also available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Read below for what the fighters have to say about how training is going, what their place in heavyweight history is and what the fans can expect to see on Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas:

Q: Where have you been training? Who have you been training with? How has training been going?

Bermane Stiverne: I am in Vegas training at the Mayweather Gym. I have had many sparring partners, seven total and they have been alternating since it has been a very long camp. I began training camp in August because we didn’t even know when this fight was going to happen so we had to be ready for any time and we did better than ever. It has been a long, long training camp and I am in the best shape I have ever been in.

I plan to go in the ring between 238 and 242 pounds. We thought about going lower but I am a super heavyweight and that is the weight where I am best.

Deontay Wilder: Camp has been great. It’s been a long hard road but we’re here now. I had my whole team which was excellent — Jay Deas, Mark Breland, Russ Anber, Cuz Hill and my strength coach Peter Khoury, so it couldn’t have been any better.

Q: How do you feel about fighting on the big stage as the main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena?

BS: Fighting at the MGM Grand is a dream come true. I have been dreaming of becoming a champion my whole life. When I think of the MGM I think of all the history and I want to write a new chapter.

DW: I’m super excited about fighting on the big stage. The bigger the better! The more attention and people watching, the more I like it. We’ve been working towards this for a long time, and I am glad we have gotten to this level.

Q: If you could meet any heavyweight champ who would it be? Is there a heavyweight that you would say you emulate?

BS: Muhammad – he was the greatest, he called himself “The Greatest” before he even knew he was The Greatest. He worked hard every single day to fulfill it and that is what I do. No corners cut.

DW: I’ve never patterned myself after any other heavyweight, but if I could meet one from the past it would be Joe Louis. He’s part of my nickname. He was the ‘Brown Bomber’ and since I’m from Alabama like he was and I won the Bronze medal at the Olympics, I’m the ‘Bronze Bomber.’

Q: How do you feel about being in the biggest heavyweight title fight in the United States in a decade?

BS: The Heavyweight Champion is what it’s all about. It’s the King of the Jungle. It is the Champion of all the Champions. I am happy to bring it back. Boxing is alive and well.

DW: It’s time for the heavyweight division to be important again and I’m the guy to do it, so I can’t wait.

Q: Which heavyweights inspired you or did you admire on your climb to this point?

BS: Iron Mike Tyson and James Toney – I really admire the way they fought. I loved Iron Mike’s explosiveness and speed and his fast hands. Tyson could hurt you with any punch at any angle and that is my forte. When I hit somebody, I see it in their eyes and their legs and I feel their pain.

DW: My daughter is my inspiration. I always admired guys like Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes though.

Q: Is there any extra motivation fighting for the WBC title that has been held by so many of the greatest including Muhammad Ali?

BS: The WBC heavyweight belt has been held by many great champions. It’s the biggest prize out there.

DW: A lot of great champions have held the WBC title belt, so it’s the big one and I’m honored and excited to be fighting for it.

Q: How important is it for you to represent your home country in this fight? Do you feel any additional pressure because of it?

BS: I am blessed to have been born in Haiti and lived in Quebec, Canada and now Las Vegas and I like to think of myself as an inspiration to kids in Haiti that have suffered so much – just like me. I want them to know that if they work hard they can achieve their dreams.

DW: Like I said, I am honored and excited. A lot of greats have held the belt and I am ready to make history and be one of the greats. Representing the U.S. in a heavyweight fight, bringing it back home, it’s an honor.

Q: What do you think of your opponent, does anything he does concern you?

BS: I think Wilder is a clown. Wilder thinks this is the WWE. He acts like it’s the WWE. This is for real. It is going to hurt very bad.

DW: I have no thoughts about Bermane Stiverne. I’m just ready to fight and leave it all out in the ring.

Q: What should the fans expect on Jan. 17? Do you have a prediction?

BS: On Jan. 17 I will hurt Wilder and I will knock him out and it will be a lasting image in peoples’ minds for a very long time.

DW: Fans should expect a great night of boxing and everyone will see Jan. 17. -. Be there or tune in on TV if you can’t. You don’t want to miss it!

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SHOWTIME Sports® will present ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS. WILDER tonight, Friday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

“RETURN TO GLORY”: STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne’s WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. (Jan. 8, 2015) – Undefeated WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz (28-0-1, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles participated in a jam-packed open media workout Thursday at Who’s Next Boxing Academy as he continues to prepare for his title defense against Mexico’s Jesus “Estrella” Ruiz (33-5-5, 22 KOs) on Saturday, Jan. 17, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The 12-round, 122-pound world title fight will serve as the co-feature of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader highlighted by the eagerly awaited heavy-duty showdown between WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), a Haitian native fighting out of Las Vegas, and unbeaten knockout specialist Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala.

In the opening bout of the Jan. 17 telecast, promising world-ranked and undefeated super lightweight Amir “Young Master” Imam (15-0, 13 KOs), of Albany N.Y. will face hard-hitting Fidel “The Atrisco Kid” Maldonado Jr. (19-2, 16 KOs) of Albuquerque N.M., in a 10-round match.

Tickets for an event co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Santa Cruz worked out for 45 minutes on Thursday. He shadow-boxed, hit the mitts, did calisthenics, jumped rope and did stretching exercises as live Norteño music blared in the background.

Below is what the champion Santa Cruz, his father/trainer Jose Santa Cruz and his brother/co-trainer Antonio Santa Cruz said at the workout:

LEO SANTA CRUZ, WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion

“Right now I am focused on this fight. I want to get this fight over with and get the win. We trained really hard to get this fight. Ruiz is a great fighter, a tough fighter. I think he has fought for a world title already. I know he always comes prepared to win and give a great show.”

“Ruiz has fought good fighters and shown that he has talent and determination. I don’t take him lightly or any other fighter. Sometimes the fighters they say are lazier are the ones that give you a tougher fight and a loss.”

“I feel bad for all the people talking, but if they were in my shoes they would understand. I want the Rigondeaux fight, but the promoters have not come to an agreement. If it was up to me, I would fight him whenever. I am tired of people telling me that I am scared. I am looking for that fight as soon as possible, he is not invisible. I think I have a chance to beat him. I know he is a tough fighter, but that’s what we are here for, to fight the best.”

“We are going to keep pushing for a fight with Abner Mares or Rigondeaux, have the promoters make that fight as soon as possible, so all the fans can be happy.”

“I think if I can fight Mares, it will be a big pay-per-view event here at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.”

“Having my father as my trainer is the best for us. We do get into arguments, but they never last too long. Maybe one day we will get mad at each other, but then we talk as if nothing happened. I always try and concentrate and listen to him the best I can. He is the one I have always worked best with. There is more communication with him.”

“My family is small so we always went into the gym together; we live in the same house together. We have always been together. We go fishing together, bowling, everything.”

“I think because of my family support and my friends I have been able to stay calm and patient. I think of all the positive things and what I want to do to give a better fight.”

JOSE SANTA CRUZ, Father and Lead Trainer

“All of Leo’s fights are always different. He never does the same thing over again. When it comes to training, there are small details we change, but nothing major. We might do weightlifting this camp, and not do weightlifting last camp, just stuff like that.”

“Leo and I have an understanding that whoever we are fighting, we train for 100 percent all the time. The fact he is not fighting Mares or Rigondeaux, those are down the road and will happen. A fight with Rigondeaux does not excite me though because I know when he feels pressure or the heat, he is going to grab hold or run. I am not interested in fighting him. I would like to fight Mares or whoever else though, no problem. I do not like Rigondeaux’s style and neither does the public. The only ones who want that fight are the Rigondeaux camp and his fans.”

“Leo is a great kid; he respects me, looks up to me and listens to me. That is why I am here training him. This is what Leo wants. I know there are better trainers than me out there, but this is what Leo likes and what he wants and it has been working out.”

“I am not surprised my sons are fighters. I knew they would all be good great fighters. What I am surprised about is how the fans and the public have received the Santa Cruz family and especially the way they appreciate Leo.”

“Since day one, when Leo started training at 8-years-old, the people and I saw that Leo had what it took. He was already beating little kids in the gym. I knew he would be something special. I knew that more about Leo than any of this other brothers. Leo is known for his volume punching but he is a good technical fighter too.”

ANTONIO SANTA CRUZ, Brother and Co-Trainer

“There is no difference in Leo’s training for this fight. He always trains the same way. He trains very hard. We will teach him more combinations, but that is really it.”

“I have been an assistant trainer for almost three years. My father has been Leo’s main trainer since the beginning.”

“My father got my brothers and me into fighting. When he first came to the United States, he went to a boxing gym and from there, he started to like it. He used to say that as soon as he had a kid, ‘I am going to put him in boxing.’ I’m the oldest, so he put me into boxing first.”

“I am not surprised at Leo’s success, but very happy. We have a good working relationship; he is very good at listening to me and taking orders.”

# # #

SHOWTIME Sports® will present ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS. WILDER tomorrowFriday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

“RETURN TO GLORY”: STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne’s WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

NEW YORK (Jan. 8, 2015) – In the most anticipated heavyweight fight in the United States in a decade, WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), a Haitian native fighting out of Las Vegas, will make his first defense against the confident, undefeated knockout specialist Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., in the explosive main event of a televised tripleheader on Saturday, Jan. 17, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Below are some facts and stats on the WBC Heavyweight World Championship:

· When Stiverne knocked out Chris Arreola on May 10, 2014, he became the first Haitian-born prizefighter and 22nd boxer overall to capture the WBC Heavyweight World Championship.
· Wilder, if triumphant, would become the first undefeated American heavyweight to capture a world title since Riddick Bowe won the WBC, WBA and IBF titles in 1992.
· Wilder also would become the 13th U.S.-born boxer to win the WBC title and the first since August 2006.
· Hasim Rahman was the last American to hold the WBC belt. The last American to hold any version of the heavyweight title was Shannon Briggs, who captured the WBO title in November 2006 and lost in his first defense.
· At six-foot-seven, Wilder would join Vitali Klitschko as the tallest WBC Heavyweight World Champion; the tallest heavyweight world champion was seven-foot-tall Nikolai Valuev, a former two-time WBA belt-holder who is also the heaviest (323 pounds) world champion in history.
· The initial nine WBC heavyweight champions were from the United States, beginning with Sonny Liston, who in July 1963 became the first WBC champion. Following Liston were Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, Tim Witherspoon and Pinklon Thomas.
· On Nov. 22, 1986, 20-year-old Mike Tyson of the U.S. became the youngest ever to capture the heavyweight title when he knocked out Trevor Berbick, who had defeated Thomas.
· Other WBC heavyweight champions from the U.S. include James “Buster” Douglas, Evander Holyfield, Bowe, Oliver McCall and Rahman.
· The only Jamaican-born boxer to become the WBC champion was Berbick, who also was the first heavyweight outside of the U.S. to capture the WBC crown.
· There have been two WBC heavyweight champions from England — Lennox Lewis, three different times and Frank Bruno.
· There was one fighter from Ukraine, Vitali Klitschko, who held the WBC belt on two occasions, one fighter from Russia, Oleg Maskaev and one from Nigeria Samuel Peter.
· Lewis is the only three-time WBC Heavyweight Champion. He made 14 successful defenses in his stints as champ.
· Ali, Foreman, Tyson, Klitschko and Rahman were two-time WBC heavyweight champs.
· Ali (two tenures) made a total of 19 successful title defenses.
· Holmes, with 16, had more successful title defenses than any one-reign champ; Klitschko had a total of 10, Ali had nine WBC world title defenses two separate times; Tyson, Lewis and Klitschko retained the title nine times once.
· Interestingly, the feared Liston had zero defenses of the WBC heavyweight title, the same number as Spinks, Norton, Witherspoon, Berbick, Douglas, Bowe, Bruno and Peter.
· Two boxers were stripped of the WBC title – Spinks (March 1978 for failing to defend against mandatory challenger Ken Norton and Bowe (December 1992 for not making a mandatory defense against Lewis).
· The WBC title was vacated twice (Holmes in December 1982) and Tyson (in September 1996).
· Two boxers retired as WBC Heavyweight Champions, Lewis in February 2004 and Klitschko twice, in November 2005 and December 2013.
· With the exception of Liston, all the U.S.-born WBC Heavyweight Champions were promoted at one time by Don King.
· Stiverne-Wilder will be 135th WBC Heavyweight World Title fight; 95 of them have taken place in the U.S., including 40 in Nevada (WBC heavyweight title fights have emanated from 20 different countries). Overall, this will be the 300th WBC title fight in Nevada.

# # #

SHOWTIME Sports® will present ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS. WILDER on Friday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

“RETURN TO GLORY”: STIVERNE VS. WILDER, a 12-round fight for Stiverne’s WBC Heavyweight Championship taking place Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. In the 12-round co-feature, unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a 10-round super lightweight bout. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME® (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are also available at www.mgmgrand.com orwww.ticketmaster.com.

For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

LAS VEGAS (Jan. 2, 2015) – Crowd-pleasing WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz (28-0-1, 16 KOs) puts his title and unbeaten record on the line in a 12-round bout against Jesus “Estrella” Ruiz (33-5-5, 22 KOs). Plus promising world-ranked undefeated junior welterweight Amir “Young Master” Imam (15-0, 13 KOs) will face hard-hitting Fidel “The Atrisco Kid” Maldonado Jr. (19-2, 16 KOs) in a 10-round fight, promising an undercard full of action on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

The Jan. 17 “Return To Glory” fight card co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions is highlighted by a heavy-duty main-event matchup that has stirred the interest of even the most casual sports fan — dangerous defending WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of Haiti, against unbeaten mandatory challenger Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) of Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Tickets for the event are on sale and priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

“2015 is going to be a huge year for boxing and Golden Boy’s opening act in Las Vegas will get things started with a bang,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions.

“In addition to Deontay Wilder looking to bring a heavyweight title back to America for the first time in a decade, longtime favorite Leo Santa Cruz and rising star Fidel Maldonado Jr. — electric fighters with significant power — will both appear in separate fights on the undercard, giving boxing fans a chance to see three top stars in action on a single card.”

All-action and two-division world champion Santa Cruz, of Los Angeles, Calif., will be making his fourth defense of the 122-pound title he won with a third-round knockout over Victor “Vikingo” Terrazas (37-3-1, 21 KOs) on Aug. 24, 2013. Santa Cruz, 26, is coming off of a second-round technical knockout over Manuel “Suavecito” Roman (17-3-3, 17 KOs) on Sept. 13 at MGM Grand.

Before stepping up a notch in weight, Santa Cruz was the IBF Bantamweight World Champion, winning that belt in June 2012 and making three defenses. An excellent body puncher who is at his best when he keeps up a relentless pace, pressures his opponents and wears them down, Santa Cruz is 7-0 with three knockouts in world title fights.

Santa Cruz, who’s as personable and courteous outside the ring as he is ferocious and determined inside, said, “I feel great about my upcoming fight with Ruiz. He is a strong fighter, undefeated in the past two years and the kind of opponent I want to fight.”

“I want to put on a great show on Jan. 17,” Santa Cruz continued. “And show boxing fans that I am a strong fighter ready to go to the next level and take on the top, tough fighters in the division: Guillermo Rigondeaux, Scott Quigg, Carl Frampton and Abner Mares.”

Jesus Ruiz of, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, retired his amateur status at the tender age of 16. He has won five in a row, including a clear 10-round decision in perhaps a career-best performance over Leonilo “Veneno” Miranda (36-7, 33 KOs) in his most recent start on Nov. 7, 2014.

A professional since November of 2006, the 25-year-old Ruiz will be getting the opportunity of a lifetime in just his third start in the United States (and third outside of Mexico). He won a lopsided eight-round decision over Enrique “Cuate” Quevedo (16-7-1, 10 KOs) on Aug. 24, 2013, in Cabazon, Calif., after losing his U.S. debut on an upset split decision in Tucson, Ariz., in July of 2008.

“I want thank Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME for this great opportunity to fight for the world title,” said Ruiz. “I know many believe I have no chance, but I am well prepared and ready to give my all. I am ready for war and ready to leave it all in the ring like a true Mexican warrior.”

Like the heavyweights in the main event, Albany, New York native, Amir Imam (pronounced “EE-mom”) and Fidel Maldonado Jr., of Albuquerque, New Mexico, are not accustomed to putting in a full night’s work. Between them they have gone the distance only six times in a combined 37 fights.

“Amir Imam is a great kid and a very exciting fighter, and this is going to be a very exciting fight,” said Hall of Fame promoter Don King. “I think Amir is going to be the next Tito Trinidad. He can both box and punch and he is going to be a bad man. I want a title for Amir and this fight with Maldonado is en route to that.”

“This is by far the biggest fight of my career and I’ve got to show the world what I’ve got,” Imam said. “I know that Maldonado is a southpaw and he comes forward and throws a lot of punches. I plan on boxing the kid for 10 rounds, but if the opportunity for a KO comes then I will go get it. I’m not letting anyone take this opportunity away from me. I have worked too hard for it.”

“Maldonado had a great amateur background, he’s very smart and he’s a very good fighter. It’s going to be a great fight,” said Imam’s head trainer Stacey McKinley. “Maldonado’s fought a better class of fighters than Amir but never fought a fighter like Amir and most have not. He’s not strong enough for Amir and Amir will walk straight through him. Amir will be Don King’s next superstar.”

Imam, an amateur standout and silver medalist at the 2011 U.S. Olympic Trials, “doesn’t get paid for overtime” in the professional ranks as 11 of his fights ended in rounds one or two.
The 24-year-old has steadily improved as his professional career has progressed and is 2-0 on ShoBox: The New Generation. In what was expected to be his toughest test, Imam knocked out Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan (17-5, 7 KOs) in the second round of his ShoBox debut on April 12, 2013.

Since the Bryan blowout, Imam’s taken a big step up in competition, most notably in his last three fights, beginning with a fourth-round stoppage of then-undefeated Jared “The Quiet Storm” Robinson (14-0) on Feb. 21, 2014, in Cleveland on ShoBox; the following May 10 on a unanimous eight-round decision over Yordenis Ugas (15-3, 7 KOs) (it was Imam’s first fight to go the distance since his pro debut in November 2011); and most recently, last Dec. 13 when he stopped Santos “El Toro” Benavides (23-6-2, 17 KOs) in the sixth round.

Maldonado Jr., 23, is a tough, hard-nosed, aggressive-minded left-hander who’d won six straight, five by knockout, before his last outing ended in a third round no contest against Fernando “Picapiedra” Silva on Dec. 20, 2014, in Cancun, Mexico.

“I have been training hard since my last fight against Fernando Silva, and have had no time off,” said Maldonado Jr. “I am ready to get the job done, and I hope he is ready. My goal is to show fans that I can put on a great show, step up the competition and get ready for a title match one fight at a time.”

The NC stopped some of the momentum Maldonado Jr. had regained in the previous 18 months, since suffering his second pro loss on a disputed 10-round split decision to fellow prospect Michael “The Artist” Perez (21-1-2, 10 KOs) on Aug. 24, 2012, on ShoBox in Indio, Calif. Maldonado Jr. was out-boxed and clearly behind on points early but rallied to floor and hurt Perez badly with the last punch of the hotly contested fight in which Maldonado Jr. felt he was robbed.

***

SHOWTIME Sports® will present ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS. WILDER on Friday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Stiverne vs. Wilder, a 12-round world championship bout for Stiverne’s WBC Heavyweight World Title, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. Unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against Jesus Ruiz and undefeated junior welterweight Amir Imam meets Fidel Maldonado Jr. in the co-featured bouts. The event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (8 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

LONDON (Dec 19) – BoxNation will end 2014 with a bang this Friday night with knockout artist Adonis Stevenson’s battle with Dmitry Sukhotsky, before ushering in a blitzing start to the New Year.

‘The Channel of Champions’ is set to pick up where they left off with some mammoth fights in 2015 starting with the heavyweight world title fight between brash-talking American Deontay Wilder and WBC champion Bermane Stiverne on January 17th.

The charismatic Wilder is renowned for his hard-hitting power after dispatching of all 32 of his opponents and could potentially set up a blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury in the future, who is also back in action on February 28th.

Manchester’s Fury has forced himself into a mandatory position to face Wladimir Klitschko for his WBO belt after his commanding victory over Dereck Chisora in his last outing.

February’s clash with a top 15 ranked contender will provide an appetizer before the heavyweight hitman tests himself against the world’s number one in Klitschko.

Also appearing on that card at London’s O2 Arena will be Chris Eubank Jr who will be looking to bounce back after his thrilling fight with middleweight star Billy Joe Saunders.

BoxNation will also screen what is set to be one of the greatest trilogies of the modern era when Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios step into the ring once again following their previous duels.

The welterweight aces will step into the ring at the 1stBank Center in Colorado on January 24th as they look to conclude their feud once-and-for-all, with both men sharing a win apiece.

However, before BoxNation wraps up for Christmas the world’s leading boxing channel will show WBC light-heavyweight world champion Stevenson’s clash with tough Russian Sukhotsky.

A fight with another Russian though has been mooted with WBA, WBO and IBF champion Sergey Kovalev someone on Stevenson’s radar.

“The fight that is huge is Kovalev and me because the world needs this fight. They don’t just want to watch that in Quebec City they want to watch that all over the world,” said Stevenson.

“The world isn’t interested in seeing me with Lucian Bute or Jean Pascal – the world needs Adonis and Kovalev.”

The 37-year-old, who has knocked out 20 of his 25 opponents, has hit back at critics who have said he is afraid of the ruthless Kovalev.

“They don’t know nothing about boxing. I can say I want to fight or Kovalev can say he wants to fight but we have to deal with the TV networks, the managers, the promoters – that’s the problem. I know my manager Al Haymon is working on that but all these guys have to come together to fix that and make the fight happen,” said Stevenson.

The Haitian-born pugilist has to first get past his impending challenger first, someone he insists he is not overlooking.

“This was probably the best training camp that I’ve had. We’re ready for this fight. We’re not underestimating him. I know he’s coming to fight and I will be ready.

“I know he’s a tough contender. And I know he’s training very hard for this fight. He’s going to try to surprise me, but I’m very prepared because I know the contender is always going to try to take your belt,” said Stevenson.

“I’m going to win by knockout. Emmanuel (Steward) always told me that knockouts sell, so I’m going to win by knockout. It’s going to be a short night,” he said.

Watch Stevenson vs Sukhotsky live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) this Friday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.
Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

(Dec. 18, 2014) — With one of the most potentially explosive, must-see heavyweight matchups in recent history less than a month away, hard-hitting WBC World Champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne and undefeated heavyweight contender Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder participated in a media teleconference call Thursday to discuss their eagerly anticipated heavyweight world title fight on Saturday, Jan. 17 live on SHOWTIME® at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The two heavyweights were joined on the call by Hall of Fame boxing promoter Don King, President of Don King Productions and Eric Gomez, Senior Vice President of Golden Boy Promotions.

Stiverne-Wilder should be a gripping, intense encounter for as long as it lasts. Neither boxer is a fan of the other and, with a combined 54 knockouts in 58 fights, both heavy-handed heavyweights expect to triumph by knockout.

Since suffering his lone loss in July 2007, Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), training out of Las Vegas, Nev., has emerged as one of the world’s most feared and destructive heavyweights. In his last 13 starts, the first-ever Haiti-born boxer to own a heavyweight crown is 12-0-1, with 10 of the victories coming inside the distance. Of his 21 knockouts, 18 came inside three rounds, with 14 of his knockouts coming in the initial three minutes.

The 6-foot-7 Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., hasn’t come close to putting in a full night’s work. He has gone four full rounds just one time since turning pro in November 2008, knocking out all of his opponents all within the four-round range. The 2008 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist and the last American male boxer to medal in The Olympics, Wilder has fought a total of just 58 rounds, an average of 1.8 rounds per outing. He’s registered 18 knockouts in the first round and eight in the second.

Tickets for the live event go on sale tomorrow, Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $500, $350, $250, $125 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of four (4) at the $50 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Here’s what both fighters as well as Don King, Senior Vice President of Golden Boy Promotions, Eric Gomez, Executive Vice President & General Manager SHOWTIME Sports, Stephen Espinoza and manager Camille Estephan (Stiverne) had to say Thursday:

BERMANE STIVERNE, WBC Heavyweight World Champion
“To be a role model to the kids & people in Haiti is all motivation to me.

“He’s fought nobody, I always train like I’m fighting the best out there.

“As far as a game plan, all I can say is ‘Don’t Blink!’. Watch the action on Jan 17. I can show you better than I can tell you.

“The belt is great, it’s meant a lot but I’m still hungry. I still want more.

“Defending my title in Vegas at the MGM Grand is a dream. Nobody will beat me. This belt isn’t going anywhere. Jan. 17 is going to be a short night and it’s going to be painful.”

DEONTAY WILDER, Undefeated Heavyweight Contender & Mandatory Challenger
“I have a chance to shock the world and I just can’t wait for it.

“I think this is the most anticipated heavyweight bout in a long time, there’s a lot of energy in my home city [Tuscaloosa, Ala.].

“This is my time. This is me! I don’t want to be compared to other fighters. I want to build my own legacy.

“I’m not your average heavyweight I go to work all day, every day as if it’s my 9 to 5 job.

“I don’t get paid for overtime so why go all the way, that’s why I finish things early in the ring.

“I don’t want anyone to make excuses to me. I don’t want people to discredit me anymore. But the time has come to change that.

“I have heard nothing but excuses for my 32 wins by KO and when I get 33, I don’t want to hear anything about it.

“I can’t let my ultimate number one fan, my daughter, down on Jan17. I’m going to fulfill my promise to her to be world champ.

“I can’t wait! I’m so passionate about this fight. I wish it were tomorrow.

“I have no doubt at the end of this fight my hand will be raised as the new heavyweight champion of the world.”

DON KING, President of Don King Promotions
“This program is a return to glory, an American return to glory in the heavyweight division.

“The WBC Heavyweight champion, Bermane Stiverne versus mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder is going to be a great event and a fight for peace.

“This is a fight to bring boxing and the country back to where it should be and being able to bring the glory back to the heavyweight division, which has been lacking for quite a while now.

“It has been about 10 years since there was a heavyweight match here in America, so we are going to celebrate this at the MGM Grand.

“I feel that Bermane will give Wilder a lesson after they meet in their heavyweight fight for peace here at the MGM Grand.

“This fight for peace symbolizes the essence of America’s creed, freedom, justice, equality, liberty and peace, which makes all Americans proud and extremely grateful. I’m looking for bringing the heavyweight championship back to America and we are doing that.

“We are bringing boxing back to the people, the people is what it is all about.

“It’s heavyweight time, it’s America’s time on January 17! Tell the world!”

ERIC GOMEZ, Senior Vice President of Golden Boy Promotions
“Deontay Wilder finally gets his chance to fight for a world title. He is the number one ranked contender.

“He has won all of his fights by knockout, and is probably the most exciting American heavyweight boxer in the last 20 years.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President & General Manager SHOWTIME SPORTS
“It is an intriguing fight and the perfect way to kick off the New Year on SHOWTIME. This fight has been rumored for quite some time.

“The media demand is on par with a [Floyd] Mayweather fight. The Heavyweights are definitely back.

“This is one of the most highly anticipated fights in the U.S. in many years.

CAMILLE ESTEPHAN, Stiverne’s Manager
“I want to tell you what I believe. I do not like to put things politically correct, (32-0, 32 KOs) against who? We believe this [Deontay Wilder] is a choreographed career, very well done. Good job. But I believe Wilder will quickly realize that fighting at this level is a whole different universe, but by then it will be too late for him. Bermane will make a statement.

“Don’t blink guys, I really hope all the fans on this planet get to realize who the new Mike Tyson is.

“We earned this, we paid our dues, we waited a long time, we have been dodged by many for many years and blocked for many years. The time has come for people to realize that the most beautiful talent in boxing today is called Bermane Stiverne. We will show you on Jan. 17.”

# # #

Stiverne vs. Wilder, a 12-round world championship bout for Stiverne’s WBC Heavyweight World Title, is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions. Unbeaten WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz defends against a challenger to be announced in the co-main feature. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air live on SHOWTIME (10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT).

About Showtime Networks Inc.:
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 13, 2014)—The most significant heavyweight matchup in the United States in a decade was formally announced on Saturday night. Hard-hitting WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), of Las Vegas, is set to defend his title against unbeaten knockout specialist and mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Jan. 17. The potentially explosive bout between the two big-punching heavyweights will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and be televised live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/7p.m. PT).

The event is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions and will feature undefeated IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz (28-0-1, 16 KOs) defending his belt against a challenger to be announced.

Ticket information for the event will be announced shortly.

SHOWTIME Sports® will offer the latest installment of the award-winning original documentary series ALL ACCESS the week prior to the heavyweight showdown on Friday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Stiverne vs. Wilder is set up to be a gripping, intense encounter for as long as it lasts. Neither boxer is a fan of the other and, with a combined 54 knockouts in 58 fights, both men expect to win by knockout.

“Don’t blink on Jan. 17. I am the heavyweight champion of the world and nobody is going to beat me,” Stiverne said. “I’m excited and I’m looking forward to making a statement. Talk is cheap. I do my talking in the ring.”

“I’m expecting a short night because we have bad blood,” Wilder said. “I really want to hurt this guy, and I haven’t felt this way in a long time. I want to show him this is no joke, this is real. This is business. This is the hurt game and my power is real. I told him that I’ll whoop his ass and I’m going to keep my promise.”

If triumphant, Wilder will become the first United States-born heavyweight champion since Shannon Briggs, who captured the WBO title in November 2006 and lost the crown in his first defense.

“Now I can make all my dreams come true, I can make it a reality,” Wilder said. “America is yearning for a heavyweight world champion. We haven’t had a real one since the days of Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. Everyone just sits back and remembers the glory days. America has been waiting for their champion and I’ve arrived.”

“This will be a momentous day in heavyweight boxing history,” said legendary heavyweight promoter Don King. “Just more than 40 years removed from the Rumble in The Jungle with Muhammed Ali and George Foreman, the heavyweights, WBC world champion Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder, will “Return to Glory” live at MGM Grand on SHOWTIME. The little guys in boxing are great but it’s the heavyweights that have always excited fans the most. Bermane, he’s a knockout artist just like Mike Tyson. Wilder, he talks trash but is a good fighter, too. This is a must-see fight. The heavyweights are back and ready to “Return To Glory.’”

“Fight fans across the United States have been clamoring for an American heavyweight champion for nearly a decade — and Deontay Wilder may well answer their wishes on January 17,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Stiverne brings power and experience. Wilder brings power and youth. This is set up to be an explosive fight that I can’t wait to see.”

Stiverne, the first-ever Haiti-born boxer to own any portion of a heavyweight crown, will be making his first defense of the WBC title he won with a convincing sixth-round technical knockout over Chris Arreola in his last fight on May 10, 2014. It was Stiverne’s second consecutive impressive victory over Arreola and earned him the WBC belt vacated in December 2013 when Vitali Klitschko retired. Stiverne was a 5:1 underdog going into their first fight on April 27, 2013. Stiverne won that fight via clear 12-round unanimous decision.

Since suffering his lone loss in July 2007, the supremely talented 6-foot-2 Stiverne, 36, has emerged as one of the world’s most feared and destructive heavyweights. He is 12-0-1 in his last 13 starts, 10 of the victories coming inside the distance. Of his 21 knockouts, 18 came inside three rounds, 14 of them in the initial three minutes.

“I’m all business,” Stiverne said. “The only time he’s going to get my attention is the night of the fight. I promise you, he will get more than he bargained for and more than he’s expecting.”

The 6-foot-7 Wilder, 29, hasn’t come close to putting in a full night’s work. He has gone four full rounds just one time since turning pro in November 2008. The virtually untested slugger has fought a total of 58 rounds, an average of 1.8 rounds per outing. He’s registered 18 knockouts in the first round, eight in the second.

“I can’t help that I always knock my guys out,” Wilder said. “It’s not my fault I make it look easy. When I knock Stiverne out I don’t want to hear any whispers; I don’t want to hear people say that he was a bum. I want the world to bow down and praise the heavyweight champion of the world. They have to finally admit that I’m just that good.”

In his bout before last in March, in what was expected to be his most demanding assignment, Wilder blasted Malik Scott in 96 seconds. Wilder is coming off a fourth-round technical knockout over Jason Gavern in August 2013. Wilder dropped Gavern twice, once in the third and once in the fourth. The referee halted the one-sided proceedings at the end of the fourth round.

A 2008 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist and the last American male boxer to medal in The Olympics, Wilder will once again enter a boxing ring while carrying the weight of U.S. boxing fans on his shoulders.

“We have a fight between two huge punchers,” said boxing historian and SHOWTIME expert analyst Steve Farhood. “There’s going to be a lot of drama because you’ll want to see who lands first. Who lands first may end the fight. It’s that kind of matchup.

“Stiverne is a big puncher and more proven than Wilder, having fought Chris Arreola twice. He’s an exciting heavyweight because of his power, and he’s proven to be the type of fighter that will take two to give one.’’

For more information visit www.donking.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com, follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BStiverne, @BronzeBomber, @SHOSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing, or visit SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com/.

PHILADELPHIA (November 20, 2014) – Gary Shaw Productions and Antonio Leonard Promotions’ undefeated heavyweight contender, Bryant “By-By” Jennings (19-0, 10 KOs) is waiting patiently as he is next in line to face the winner of Bermane Stiverne (24-1, 21 KOs) vs. Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs).

Stiverne, who is the current WBC champion, will battle Wilder at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on January 17, 2015. Jennings, who’s next in line, passed on a HBO date in November as he wanted to wait for the opportunity to fight for the prestigious WBC championship.

“I could have fought this month but my mind is set on fighting for the WBC world title,” said Jennings, “I worked my way to the top of the WBC rankings and now it’s time for me to make my mark in history. Stiverne or Wilder…I don’t care who it is, I’ll be ready to fight either one of them. My promoters, Gary Shaw, Antonio Leonard and I, are all on the same page. We want that WBC title!”

In his last two fights, both eliminations bouts, Jennings defeated former undefeated contenders, Mike Perez (20-1-1, 12 KOs) and Artur Szpilka (17-1, 12 KOs) to position himself as the mandatory challenger to fight for the WBC crown. While Stiverne and Wilder are getting ready for battle, Jennings is training everyday with dreams of becoming the heavyweight champion of the world.

“I’m grinding every day like machine,” Jennings continued. “I’m constantly visualizing myself with my hands raised in the air with the WBC strap around my waist. I’m hungry man! I know I can do this.”

Promoter Gary Shaw is excited about his Philadelphia born fighter. He feels he’s next in line to carry the torch for America as the next great heavyweight champion.

“Bryant is a very gifted athlete who is hungry to show the world that he’s an elite fighter.” said Shaw. “He’s got the athletic ability to have a long career in this sport. The heavyweight division needs a guy like Bryant to be the ambassador for American fighters. He has all the tools to become that guy.”

Jennings is managed by famed advisor James Prince, who also manages undefeated Olympian and WBA super-middleweight champion Andre Ward.

The Purse bid for the WBC Heavyweight title bout between champion Bermane Stiverne and undefeated challenger Deontay Wilder has been postponed until October 6 according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“There is no date,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said in a statement given to ESPN.com. “Both camps told me they are very close to a deal, so when I get back (from a business trip) I will assess the matter and decide.”

Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN.com on Sunday that he and King had agreed on a financial package for the fight but De La Hoya did not close the deal because King had not provided a site and date for the fight in the paperwork.

“Don made an offer. I’m not gonna say the offer but the proper protocol is to give me a site and a date and that’s what I am waiting for,” De La Hoya said. “He didn’t tell me when and where the fight would be. We’re OK with the money. But we want to get the fight done this year. Without a site and date, what would keep Don from just changing things? So without a site and a date in a contract we have no deal whatsoever.”

Camille Estephan, Stiverne’s manager, told ESPN.com on Wednesday night that King and Haymon asked for a delay in the purse bid.

“They feel they are close to an agreement,” Estephan said. “There was an agreement but no date. That is why I believe Mauricio is being accommodating, because there’s a deal but no date. On our end we are very close to a deal with King. The money is right for everybody but we just don’t have a date or a place on the contracts I’ve seen.”

“Bermane is in camp and getting ready,” Estephan said “His injuries have subsided. He had a hand injury and a bit of a shoulder problem. The shoulder and hand have healed completely. We want to fight in December. That is goal. He is 100 percent now. We want to fight this year. We just need to get a date.”

“For the record, I ain’t afraid of nobody,” Wilder tweeted. “Ready when you are Stiverne!!”

Kell Brook won the IBF Welterweight championship with a 12-round majority decision over previously undefeated Shawn Porter at the StubHub Center in Carson, California

Early on it was Brook looking to jab and hold on when he Porter would make a surge on the inside. In round two, Brook was cut over the left eye from an accidental headbutt. Brook was timing Porter coming with his nice jab. In round six, Porter was cut over his right eye from an accidental headbutt.

Brook was able to thwart any brief momentum that Porter could muster up as he landed the more telling combinations.

Brook, 146 1/2 lbs of Sheffield, UK won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 114-114 and is now 33-0. Porter, 146 3/4 lbs of Akron, OH is now 24-1-1.

“You can tell how much it means to me by my reaction,” said Brook, who was cut over the left eye in the second round. “I’ve been dreaming about this moment since I was nine-years old. It’s unbelievable.

“I was scrappy tonight, and not as slick as I wanted to be. But I’m the world champion now, baby. I was born to do this.

“I’m ready for a mega, mega fight next. I’ll take on Keith Thurman or Floyd Mayweather. Amir Khan should get in queue now. I’m the world champion now so they’re all going to want to fight me.”

Porter, a former U.S. amateur standout, thought he had done enough to win his second title defense despite getting cut over his right eye in the sixth.

“I think I’m still the champion,” he said. “I’m 24-1 and Team Porter will be back to the drawing board. There are no excuses. I do want the rematch.”

Anthony Dirrell wrestled the WBC Super Middleweight title away from Sakio Bika via 12-round unanimous decision.

The fight was very sloppy throughout the contest. When given distance, Dirrell was able to land the more telling blows. Bika was deducted a point in round eight for low blows. Dirrell hit the canvas several other times from Bika’s “veteran” tactics.

Dirrell, 167 3/4 lbs of Flint, MI won by scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 114-113 and is now 27-0-1. Bika, 167 3/4 lbs of Australia is now 32-6-3.

“This journey has been amazing and I can’t even fathom it,” Dirrell told SHOWTIME’s Jim Gray afterward. “I already overcame the biggest fight of my life by beating cancer. I can’t see anything being bigger than this. I was never close to giving up. I stuck to it and now I’m WBC world champion.

“This means the world to me, what else can I say? After beating cancer, making it back from a motorcycle accident and getting a second chance at boxing, I just knew I was going to make the best of it.

“Tonight the referee did a wonderful job. Bika is rough, he’s a helluva fighter. But I’m glad to finally have him in my rearview mirror. I’m not gonna complain about the close scores. I got a unanimous decision and I couldn’t be happier.

“The difference between this fight and our first one is that I wasn’t on the ropes this time. I came out and boxed. But I know I got his attention at the start.”

Said Bika: “I fought very hard. He was a better fighter tonight. I’m going to go back to the gym and come back stronger. This (losing) happens.”

Omar Figueroa defended the WBC Lightweight title with a 9th round stoppage over mandatory challenger Daniel Estrada.

It was a phone booth fight early with Estrada taking the early lead by landing the harder punches in close. Figueroa began to pick up in the middle rounds as he got in close and started landing combinations.

Round nine was action packed as the two traded shots in close. Figueroa was cut around the left eye from a clash of heads. Figueroa seized that moment to land a nice flurry only to see Figueroa come back just before the bell.

That did not deter Figueroa as he came out in round nine and dropped Estrada with a big right hand. Estrada got to his feet but Figueroa was all over him and landed a big combination on the ropes and the fight was stopped at 1:00 of round nine

Figueroa, 135 lbs is now 24-0-1 with 18 knockouts. Estrada, 134 1/2 lbs is 32-3-1.

“I don’t think I did that great and obviously felt I could be more explosive and maybe get him out of there earlier,” said Figueroa, who suffered a bad cut above his left eye from an unintentional headbutt in the ninth. “I was a little concerned that the referee or doctor would stop the fight because of the cut. I knew Estrada would be open for the right hand. I was playing a little possum when I caught him.”

“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” said Estrada, who was making his U.S. debut and fighting less than three weeks after a sister and her daughter were killed in an automobile accident in Mexico. “Initially I felt good but he hurt me and I couldn’t recuperate. I had the mentality to win, but I was up against a great champion.”

Deontay Wilder tuned up for a fall title shot with Bermane Stiverne with a stoppage win over Jason Gavern after round four in their scheduled 10-round Heavyweight bout.

Wilder boxed from the outside while Gavern tried and occasionally got through with an overhand right. In round three, Wilder scored a knockdown when a right hand landed around the ear. Gavern complained that the punch was behind the head. Wilder scored a 2nd knockdown in round four from another straight right. After the round, Gavern encouraged his corner to stop the fight and they obliged.

Wilder, 224 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is now 32-0 with 32 knockouts. Gavern, 247 lbs of Kissimee, FL is now 25-16-4.

“This was fun,” Wilder said. “I wanted to go some rounds. A lot of people are still asking so many questions to me; I tried to answer some of them today.

“Of course, I could have landed my right hand more in the first couple rounds. He was leaving me openings, but I didn’t want to show off everything. I wanted to save that for next time.

“I’m ready for that world title fight. I want the WBC champ Bermane Stiverne next, hopefully in late November.”

Jorge Linares tuned up for a title shot with a 2 round demolition of Ira Terry in scheduled 8-round Lightweight bout.

Linares hurt Terry at the end of round one with a hard right that was followed by a combination. Linares finished the fight with a perfect right to the face that plummeted Terry on the canvas and the fight was stopped at 1:20 of round two.

Linares, 137 lbs of Venezuela is now 37-3 with 24 knockouts. Terry, 132 lbs of Memphis, TN is now 26-12-1.

“This was the kind of fight I didn’t expect but that I wanted,” Linares said. “I was able to watch tapes o him extensively so I was well prepared. I definitely want to fight for the world title next. That’s why I was here and took this fight. I’m just waiting for my opportunity.

“That was a good straight right hand I landed on him. Once I connected I knew it was over.”

Lydell Rhodes remained undefeated with a stoppage after 4-rounds over John Nater in a scheduled 8-round Welterweight bout.

Rhodes was dominant with his hand speed. He dropped Nater in round four with a four punch combination where Nater took three steps back to the ropes and took a knee. After the round, Nater decided he had enough and the bout was stopped.

Rhodes, 142 lbs of Las Vegas is now 22-0 with 11 knockouts. Nater, 144 lbs of Bayamon, PR is now 13-7.

Former Irish Olympian Jason Quigley scored a stoppage victory over Fernando Najera in a scheduled 4-round Middleweight bout.

Quigley dominated and opened up a bad cut over Najera’s left eye in round three. Iromically, Quigley was cut over his left eye as well but Najera’s openinh was much worse and Najera’s corner stopped the bout.

Quigley 160 1/2 lbs of Ireland is now 2-0 with 2 knockouts. Najera, 158 1/4 lbs of Tijuana, MX is now 1-4.

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 15, 2014) – An international lineup of boxing standouts from the United States, Venezuela, Ireland, England and Argentina will make up a stacked undercard ahead of Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader of championship bouts at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

In the main event, “ShowTime” Shawn Porter will defend his IBF 147-pound crown against British banger Kell Brook. Plus, WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika will risk his 168-pound belt in a rematch against unbeaten Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell, and undefeated Omar “Panterita” Figueroa Jr. will defend his WBC Lightweight World Championship against mandatory challenger Daniel “Tremendo” Estrada. The tripleheader airs live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

Before the trio of world title fights gets underway, undefeated heavyweight knockout sensation and WBC Continental Americas Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder will be opposed by Jason Gavern in a 10-round scrap on SHOWTIME EXTREME® (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). In the opening bout, former two-division world champ Jorge “Niño De Oro” Linares faces Ira Terry in an eight-round lightweight match.

Time permitting, unbeaten Lydell Rhodes will take on Bayamon, Puerto Rico’s John Nader in an eight round welterweight matchup and Irish prospect Jason Quigley will take on Tijuana’s Fernando Najara in a four round middleweight bout on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

Also in action tomorrow will be 2012 U.S. Olympian Dominic Breazeale, local favorite Alan Sanchez, 2012 Olympic Gold medalist for Great Britain Luke Campbell, fellow British star Callum Smith and Argentina’s Fabian Maidana.

The next in line to face WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne, Alabama’s Deontay Wilder (31-0, 31 KOs) is not sitting idle while he awaits his shot at championship gold. He looks to follow-up his 96-second demolition of Malik Scott in March with another spectacular win. The most impressive knockout artist in boxing today, the 28-year-old has yet to be extended past the fourth round.

Hoping to derail the “Wilder Express” will be seasoned veteran Jason Gavern (25-16-4, 11 KOs) of Orlando, Fla. Winner of four of his last five bouts, most recently a victory over James Toney last November, the 37-year-old knows that with an upset of Wilder, he will make headlines around the boxing world and set himself up for an even bigger fight.

In the eight-round SHOWTIME EXTREME opener, former two-division world champion Jorge Linares (36-3, 23 KOs) continues his move toward a world title shot when he faces Ira Terry. Winner of five straight, including a March win over Nihito Arakawa in a WBC Lightweight Title elimination bout, the 28-year-old Venezuelan is expected to get a shot at the Figueroa-Estrada winner if triumphant on Saturday.

Memphis, Tenn. veteran Ira Terry (26-11, 16 KOs) has no plans on being a stepping stone for Linares, and coming off of wins in three of his last four fights, Terry has the focus and form to stun Linares and put a dent in his championship hopes.

A multi-sport athlete growing up who has also competed in both boxing and mixed martial arts professionally, Oklahoma City welterweight Lydell Rhodes (21-0, 10 KOs) will risk his unbeaten record in an eight-round matchup with Puerto Rican power puncher John Nater (13-6, 10 KOs),of Bayamon, P.R.

Former Irish amateur and newly signed Golden Boy Promotions star Jason Quigley (1-0, 1 KO) needed just 82 seconds to win his pro debut over Howard Reece in July, and the 23-year-old is making a quick turnaround to get back in the ring to face Fernando Najera (1-3) of Tijuana, Mexico in a six-round middleweight bout.

In heavyweight action, 2012 U.S. Olympian Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (11-0, 10 KOs) will be fighting for the fourth time in 2014, and after big wins over Nagy Aguilera and Devin Vargas, he hopes to keep his hot streak going in an eight-round clash against tough Utah native Billy Zumbrun (27-13-1, 16 KOs), who has won four of his last five.

Stablemates of headliner Kell Brook, lightweight Luke Campbell (6-0, 4 KOs) and super middleweight Callum Smith (12-0, 9 KOs) will also proudly represent England. Hull southpaw Campbell is a 2012 Olympic Gold medalist who has impressed in each of his six outings as a pro. Campbell will be squaring off against the vastly more experienced Steve Trumble (13-30, 8 KOs), of Baton Rouge, Lain a four-round bout. Liverpool’s Smith is part of a fighting family who is soaring up the 168-pound ladder. Smith looks to continue his undefeated streak in a six-rounder against Abraham Hernandez (5-0, 3 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico.

In an eight-round welterweight bout, Alan Sanchez (13-3-1, 7 KOs), of Fairfield, Calif., will take on Tijuana native Jose Luis “Zurdo” Ramirez Jr. (7-0-1, 4 KOs), and in the four-round opener, also at 147 pounds, Fabian “TNT” Maidana (1-0), the brother of Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, meets Michigan’s Phillip Soriano (0-3).

Porter vs. Brook is a 12-round fight for Porter’s IBF Welterweight World Championship promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra and AT&T. In the co-main event, the WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Sakio Bika defends his belt in a rematch against Anthony Dirrell, and in the televised opener, Omar Figueroa defends his WBC Lightweight World Championship against Daniel Estrada. The event will take place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., and will air live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (SHOWTIME 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and service charges are on sale now and are available online at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 877-234-8425. Doors open at 1 p.m. PT. The first fight begins at 1:00 p.m.

CARSON, Calif. (Aug. 14, 2014) – Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions hosted the final press conference earlier today for this Saturday’s potentially explosive world championship tripleheader live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

In what should be a thrilling, non-stop action three-fight telecast, IBF Welterweight World Champion “ShowTime” Shawn Porter (24-0-1, 15 KOs), of Cleveland, Ohio, will defend against fellow unbeaten Kell Brook 32-0, 22 KOs), of Sheffield, England, WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika (32-5-3, 21 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, will risk his 168-pound belt in a grudge rematch against unbeaten Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (26-0-1, 22 KOs), of Flint, Mich., and undefeated Omar “Panterita” Figueroa Jr. (23-0-1, 17 KOs), of Weslaco, Texas, will put up his WBC Lightweight World Championship against mandatory challenger Daniel “Tremendo” Estrada (32-2-1, 24 KOs), of Mexico City.

The three SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING world title fights will be preceded by two important bouts on SHOWTIME EXTREME® (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast): undefeated heavyweight knockout sensation and WBC Continental Americas Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (31-0, 31 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., will take on Jason Gavern (25-16-4, 11 KOs), of Orlando, Fla., in a 10-round match and former two-division world champion Jorge “Niño De Oro” Linares (36-3, 23 KOs) will be opposed by Ira Terry (26-11, 16 KOs), of Memphis, Tenn., in an eight-round lightweight match.

Both Wilder and Linares are mandatory challengers and a victory away from fighting for a world title in the near future; Wilder against WBC Heavyweight Champion Bermane Stiverne and Linares against the Figueroa-Estrada winner.

Tickets priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are on sale
now and are available online at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at StubHub
Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by
calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 877-234-
8425. Doors open at 1 p.m. PT. The first fight begins at 1:05 p.m.

Speaking before a large contingent of media from the Southern California area and UK, Porter needed a little crowd participation to make his one and only point when it was his turn to talk at the dais.

“Let’s let him [Brook] know what time it is,” Porter yelled as he stepped up to the mic. Some in the audience responded,”It’s “Showtime!”

After repeating this, Porter then stared down at a still-seated Brook and said. “I think you know what time it is. Saturday night I’m going to make sure you know what time it is.” Porter said thank you and then sat down.

Here’s more from what Porter, the fighters and executives said during Thursday’s press conference at StubHub Center:

SHAWN PORTER, IBF Welterweight World Champion

“There was good energy today and the crowd really got me going. I have a lot to offer to this sport. I’m one of the quickest and strongest guys in my weight class. And I’m probably the most confident too. But I can’t help that. It’s my personality, it’s who I am.

“Saturday night, you’re going to see it all. You’re going to see some boxing, you’ll see some aggression, you’ll see intelligence, some power and quickness. The whole nine yards.

“I’ve done enough homework to know that I can beat him. This has been a long time coming, and I look forward to defending my title on Saturday night. Everybody in the UK better stay up late for this one. I’m hoping to get some new fans over there after this is over.”

KELL BROOK, Undefeated Welterweight Contender

“This has been a long time coming, but I’ve finally arrived on the top stage now. It’s every fighter’s dream to win a world title, and it’s all I’ve been thinking about through all the training and waiting.

“I know Shawn Porter is a very tough customer and a very worthy champion. But this is my time. I’m so ready mentally, and physically, I’ve got my family here. I’m just in the best place of my life. I’m very confident, totally prepared and Saturday could not come quick enough for me.”

SAKIO BIKA, WBC Super Middleweight Champion

“He ran around the first fight and I should have won. It’s nothing new for me to fight in the States and I just have to go there and knock him out so there’s no need for a judges’ decision.

“I don’t need to sit here and talk much. He’s doing enough of that for the both of us. We’ll see who’s doing the talking after I get through with him on Saturday night.”

ANTHONY DIRRELL, Undefeated Super Middleweight Contender

“I’m definitely ready to fight. If I wasn’t I sure couldn’t make it happen in two days. I’m basically going to stick to my game plan from the first fight, but with a few tweaks. I want to leave nothing to chance.

“It’s been nine months since our first fight. You can’t call Bika a real champion. I beat him the first time; this time it’s going to be worse. There’s going to be a new champion on Saturday. It’s going to be a helluva fight, but I’m going to burn him.

“I already won my toughest fight when I beat cancer. A big part of my motivation on Saturday is knowing that Danny Jacobs [a fellow cancer survivor who captured the WBA middleweight title last Saturday on SHOWTIME] will be calling the fights from ringside for SHOWTIME.”

OMAR FIGUEROA JR., WBC Lightweight World Champion

“This is the hardest I’ve ever trained for a fight and now I’m back on one of boxing’s biggest stages. I know Estrada likes to come forward so that should make for an exciting fight for the fans.

“This is another very big fight for me. This fight is for my family and all my friends back in Texas.

“I expect a rough fight, but I know I will win.”

DANIEL ESTRADA, Leading Lightweight Contender
“I’m dedicating this fight to my family and the memory of my younger sister, Janyn, and her five-year-old daughter, Emery, who died after they were in a car crash less than three weeks ago.
“It’s been a very difficult, emotional time for all of us. My sister, who was 27, has always been my biggest supporter in boxing. She always told me that if I continued to work hard I would make it to the top and become a world champion.
“I’m using what she always said to me as motivation for this fight. As bad as we all feel, there was never really a time when I thought I would abandon this opportunity. I know she would want me to take the fight.
“I’ve been waiting a year to fight for the title and on Saturday I’m going to take advantage of my shot. I recognize Figueroa as a great champion for what he brings to the sport, but I’m a Mexican warrior. I’ll show you all that on Saturday.”
DEONTAY WILDER, Undefeated WBC Continental Americas Champion

“I’m right at the door. All I’ve got to do is ring the bell or knock to get inside. Everybody has their opinion on who I should fight, and I know this is a risk fight. Jason [Gavern] comes to fight every time. And you’ve got to respect that. I’ve definitely not looking past Jason, but I’m looking through him.

“I love boxing, and I love what I do. I love being surrounded by other fighters and champions. I love the atmosphere and the fans, just everything that’s involved with boxing. I was very eager and very hungry to get back in the ring.”

JASON GAVERN, Veteran Heavyweight

“This is kind of cool for a former policeman like me to be on a card like this and I thank everyone involved for making it happen.

“Wilder is 31-0 with 31 knockouts for a reason. But I love to fight and look forward to putting on a good show like I always do.”

JORGE LINARES, Former WBC Featherweight & WBA Super Featherweight World Champion

“This is a must-win fight for me which is why I’ve prepared for a very hard fight. I know I have to win to get my title shot. But I’m not here just to win but to look good.

“I have three losses on my record, but in my heart I feel I’ve lost only once [against Antonio DeMarco]. I certainly can’t afford to lose on Saturday. I’m anxious and ready to go.”

JASON QUIGLEY, Unbeaten Super Middleweight Prospect
“My weight is always pretty good because I’ve never gone up and down between fights; I always try to maintain top conditioning.
“I really enjoy being a pro and being part of all the fight-week activities before a fight -the workout, press conference and weigh-in. It’s great to be surrounded by so many great fighters and so much media.
“Saturday is my second pro fight and I’m totally focused and ready to perform.”
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President and Founder of Golden Boy Promotions

“Every single one of these TV fights could be a main event. This is just a stacked card.

“StubHub Center is known for putting on some amazing fights. I like to call it the ‘Thuderdome’. You know, the old movie with Mel Gibson and Tina Turner where they just go to fight. Every single fight we’ve staged at StubHub has been incredible.

“The main event is definitely one of those fights where you don’t want to blink. I know both these fighters have the hunger and desire to put on just an amazing fight.

“Shawn Porter comes from Cleveland, Ohio, a place that grooms champions, like LeBron James. He’s a real throwback fighter who works hard and will fight anybody. Kell Brook is a true champion who is hungry and determined.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME SPORTS

“SHOWTIME is happy to be back here with Golden Boy at StubHub Center for what I predict will be one of the most exciting cards of the year.

“StubHub is a special place for boxing, one of the top two or three in the world, an outdoor venue that is a perfect setting for fights that draw great fans.

“The three world title fights Saturday couldn’t be more even -they’re all 50-50. All these fighters are coming to win. It should be an all-action show and we are very excited about it.

# # #

Porter vs. Brook is a 12-round fight for Porter’s IBF Welterweight World Championship promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event, the WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Sakio Bika defends his belt in a rematch against Anthony Dirrell, and in the televised opener, Omar Figueroa defends his WBC Lightweight World Championship against Daniel Estrada. The event will take place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., and will air on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (SHOWTIME 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

CARSON, Calif. (Aug. 13, 2014) – Unbeaten IBF Welterweight World Champion Shawn “Showtime” Porter, undefeated contender Kell Brook and seven other boxers who will compete on this Saturday’s stacked Golden Boy Promotions’ fight card at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., participated in an open media workout Wednesday at Fabela Chavez Boxing Center in Carson, Calif..

The exciting, offensive-minded Porter (24-0-1, 15 KOs), of Cleveland, Ohio, will defend his 147-pound crown against British banger Brook (32-0, 22 KOs), of Sheffield, England in what figures to be an explosive main event of a world championship tripleheader live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

In other world title fights Saturday on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika (32-5-3, 21 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, will risk his 168-pound belt in a rematch against unbeaten Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (26-0-1, 22 KOs), of Flint, Mich., and undefeated Omar “Panterita” Figueroa Jr. (23-0-1, 17 KOs), of Weslaco, Texas, will defend his WBC Lightweight World Championship against mandatory challenger Daniel “Tremendo” Estrada (32-2-1, 24 KOs), of Mexico City.

Undefeated heavyweight knockout sensation and WBC Continental Americas Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (31-3, 31 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., will be opposed by Jason Gavern (25-16-4, 11 KOs), of Orlando, Fla., in a 10-round scrap on SHOWTIME EXTREME® (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). In the opening bout, former two-division world champ Jorge “Niño De Oro” Linares (36-3, 23 KOs) faces Ira Terry (26-11, 16 KOs), of Memphis, Tenn., in an eight-round lightweight match.

Tickets priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are on sale
now and are available online at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT).
VIP Suites are available by
calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 877-234-
8425. Doors open at 1 p.m. PT. The first fight begins at 1:00 p.m.

Here’s what the fighters said during Wednesday’s workout:

SHAWN PORTER, IBF Welterweight World Champion

“Training camp was great; we had some of the camp in Las Vegas and some in the Bay Area. We are ready to rock and roll. I just continue to work hard and sharpen the skills that I already possess.

“I am going into the fight looking for that knockout. I told myself that going four rounds or less would be a beautiful night for me. But at the same time I am prepared for a 12-round fight and being a boxer I know that you must be prepared for anything.

“I welcome the target on my back; I enjoy people talking about me. The good thing about having the target on my back is that I am a very hard target to hit. I am very excited about this fight and looking forward to defending my title. Saturday couldn’t come fast enough and after the fight I will be walking out with that title again.

“I am very humble, but everyone knows that when I get into that ring it’s my time to shine. I will be showing off for the fans, my team, and for my future opponents.

“StubHub Center is a great outdoor venue. I’ve been to the venue about six times, but have never fought there. Every time I go there I wish I was the one fighting in the ring, but my opportunity has finally come and I can’t wait to get out there and feel the energy of the crowd.

“Being that this is only the second time Kell Brook has fought in America, I hope he feels that added pressure of the big fight. The energy of the StubHub Center crowd will make him feel it, that’s for sure. But, at the end of the day I have to get in that ring and handle my business and not worry about all the factors that I can’t control. I can’t worry about what he feels and thinks. I know that I am full of confidence and positive energy and that I’ve been counting down for this fight.

“I love the fact that we are both undefeated, it makes for a great story. I know that he is a great fighter and I can’t look past him — that would be a huge mistake.”

KELL BROOK, Undefeated Welterweight Contender

“Training camp has gone very well. I am ready.

“When you get to this elite level and become a world champion, top fighters want to fight the best and I believe that I am at that level.

“It doesn’t matter that this is only my second time fighting in America. It’s just another ring and I will be ready to go. Boxing is all I do.

“Porter comes forward with swinging punches. Anyone at this level, you must take it off to them, they are in the ring for a reason. I know that it will be a tough fight, but every top performer can adjust and you will see me adjust. I know that it will be a dogfight but I always find a way to win.

“I am a slick fighter who will be very exciting. You are going to see crisp shots and I think that this fight will be a fight of the year candidate. I refuse to lose, but there will definitely be some fireworks during this fight.

“I have been waiting a very long time for my opportunity to fight in a world title fight, so the added pressure and anticipation will work in my favor. I have never been more prepared for a fight before and knowing that this is the biggest fight of my career only adds to my confidence.

“This is definitely my opportunity to show American fans what all the fuss is about with this British guy. My message to them is that I will go into that ring and give it my all and come out with that world title. Get your popcorn ready.”

SAKIO BIKA, WBC Super Middleweight Champion

“Training has been going great; we did everything that we were supposed to do. The weather was very good, the sparing was good, no complaints.

“Nothing has really changed going into this training camp from the last camp, except that I pushed myself very hard. I didn’t put on and take off any weight, I just work very hard in the gym.

“The first fight with Dirrell, I started off a little too slow. For this fight I will try to show that I am the boss in the right from the beginning, and make him scared. I want to attack him relentlessly and prove to him that he doesn’t belong in the ring with me.

“I definitely feel that I won the first fight and everyone saw that. The body shot that he got on me was a low blow, it was a lucky punch. I kept on hitting him so hard and he couldn’t handle the pressure I was putting on him. I know that I won that fight.

“If I am the victor in this fight, I won’t call any names on who I want to fight next. Every time that I call on a fighter, everyone gets too scared and doesn’t want to fight. I need to sit down with my management and see if I need to move up a weight class and fight a big challenger maybe in the light heavyweight division because I feel that I am capable.

“My biggest strength against Dirrell is that I am much stronger than him and I can handle all the pressure that is thrown my way. I am very strong and will pressure him constantly.”

ANTHONY DIRRELL, Undefeated Super Middleweight Contender

“I’m here to officially take what’s rightfully mine. Bika knows I won our last fight. It’s good we got to go straight to a rematch with no fights in between.

“I expect to see nothing new or different from Bika – Bika is Bika. In the ring, he is who he is. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

“I thought I fought a good fight the first time, but I can do even better. I can box better and I can stick to the game plan better. He can’t touch me when I box. In fact, he can’t touch me no matter how I fight him.

“That’s good that Daniel Jacobs (recently crowned WBA middleweight champion) is calling the fights for SHOWTIME. He’s a cancer survivor like me. Between us, we want to continue to inspire others all over the world.”

OMAR “PANTERITA” FIGUEROA JR., WBC Lightweight World Champion

“It’s an honor to represent the people in my hometown. I fight for my brothers and the little kids in my city who feel like they have no hope to leave the city. I started fighting when I was six-years-old; success doesn’t come over night. It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I want to show the people where I am from that it is possible to be successful and make a good life for yourself. I know that boxing has kept me out of trouble and in some ways saved my life.

“The reason why I moved back home and started training with my dad was mainly because I wanted to be close to my daughter. I missed her terribly when I wasn’t home.

“I wasn’t able to take advantage of the things that were presented to me by training with Joel Diaz because of my (sore) hands, so I decided to just stay home. If I wasn’t able to get the world-class sparring and training, then what was I doing being away from my family? Leaving Joel Diaz had nothing to do with him, I love him. It was solely a personal decision.

“My dad (trainer Omar Figueroa Sr.) grinds my gears, it can be a bit rocky. But with the knowledge I brought over from training with Joel Diaz it can make me grow as a boxer and my dad will grow as a trainer.

“Training is six days a week for three hours and then a jog. I can’t put on too much muscle because then I won’t be able to make weight. Training and dieting is very hard, but I am proud of myself because I actually kept up with it.

“People take care of me from where I am from. The love and support I feel in Texas makes me feel great.

“My hands will always be an issue. We will find out how long they last me on Saturday. I hope they last me long enough to get rid of my opponent. If not, then I will have to suck it up.

“I haven’t looked at any footage of Estrada but my father tells me that he is a straight forward kind of guy. He will get punched a lot and I have to be prepared for that. I am trained in a certain way that will give me the opportunity to exploit his weaknesses. I will focus a lot on the body like I always do.

“Fans can expect a great fight. They will get entertained and get their money’s worth and I will put on an excellent show for them.”

DANIEL ESTRADA, Leading Lightweight Contender
“It doesn’t bother me that I’m sort of the forgotten fighter on this card, but I came here to win my U.S. debut and in my mind I know I will win Saturday and then maybe more fans and media in America will recognize me more.
“I’ve watched a couple of Panterita’s fights and he’s a good, tough champion. That’s why I prepared so hard in Mexico for this. So I definitely respect him as a champion, but he’s not going to win.
“I’ve waited a year-and-a-half for this opportunity, and that gives me extra motivation. This is my chance and I know it. I train all the time and I’ve learned from one of the best fighters, Juan Manuel Marquez, who is my advisor and who will be in my corner Saturday.
“I don’t like to talk, but I am very confident. My camp went well. My conditioning is perfect. I’m hungry for that world title and can’t wait to face Panterita on Saturday night.”
DEONTAY WILDER, Undefeated WBC Continental Americas Champion

“I come prepared to show up and show out for any fight. It doesn’t matter what venue we are in; we can be in the smallest venue in the world and I will come prepared to put on a great show for my fans. I will still perform to the best of my ability.

“I don’t think fighting outside will have any impact on this fight. Coming from Alabama, the weather gets real hot and humid so this is nothing to me. During camp the heat was rising from inside of my boots so it kept me dancing.

“I always want to fight the biggest and best fight. But it has to be the right time and the right money. If people understand that boxing is a business before anything else, then they will understand all the other aspects of boxing. Most people don’t know anything about the business side and make judgments.

“Once I have that belt a lot of questions will be answered. I have had to humble myself and convince myself that my time is coming for that championship. I am ready and excited to prove to everybody, my fans and haters that I will eventually be the champion.

“In facing my opponent, all I would like to say is that we are in the heavyweight division so one punch could end the fight. I am not looking past him, I am only looking through him. My prize is to fight for the world title and in order to be able to do that I must get through my opponent on Saturday.

“My management didn’t want me to take this fight, I was the one who wanted to take it. This fight is giving me the opportunity to fight for a world title for my next fight. I know that I must stay active and I know that my opponent is a tough guy who will come and try to win. You can’t go off of his record, you just never know how he will come out on this night. I don’t want him to feel comfortable. I want to get in and get out.

“I know that I have a big bull’s eye on my back and that if I beat my opponent then I will be in the running for the world title come November.”

JORGE LINARES, Former WBC Featherweight & WBA Super Featherweight World Champion

“I’m the No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger to fight the winner of Figueroa and Estrada. It would be an honor to fight either of them but I am taking nothing for granted and am not taking my opponent lightly.

“I made the mistake once before. They all said I was going to have an easy fight against Sergio Thompson and I lost. That was a crazy fight in Mexico. I got head-butted in the second round, took a knee, and the doctor came in and stopped the fight and I got a loss even though I felt I could continue and the fight didn’t go four rounds. So I learned the hard way that on any given night even the worst fighter can beat you.

“I’ve prepared very hard for this and I’m looking forward to taking care of business on Saturday.”

JASON QUIGLEY, Unbeaten Super Middleweight Prospect
“I’m really looking forward to my second fight since my first went so fast (82-second knockout). I just fought in mid-July so it’s great to be brought back so soon.
“Getting the pro debut out of the way is somewhat of a relief, but I know I have a lot of work to do. Getting the experience is so important, which is why I train all over Los Angeles. I go to different gyms all the time, looking to spar, work and learn.
“I just know my opponent is also 1-0, not much else. I am grateful for the opportunity to fight on Saturday and looking forward to putting on a good show.”
# # #

Porter vs. Brook is a 12-round fight for Porter’s IBF Welterweight World Championship promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event, the WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Sakio Bika defends his belt in a rematch against Anthony Dirrell, and in the televised opener, Omar Figueroa defends his WBC Lightweight World Championship against Daniel Estrada. The event will take place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., and will air on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (SHOWTIME 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

LAS VEGAS (July 15, 2014) – Long before World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (24-1, 21 KOs) knocked out Chris Arreola (35-4) this past May to claim the coveted title belt vacated by retired Vitali Klitschko, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (31-0, 31 KOs) started talking smack about Stiverne and he hasn’t let up as the impending showdown approaches later this year.

Wilder is the mandatory, No. 1 challenger for Stiverne’s first defense. If the relatively untested fighter from Alabama believes his incessant trash talk, juvenile antics and bizarre behavior is getting to Stiverne, he has another thing coming when they step intoi the ring. In fact, Stiverne admits he’s been amused.

“He’s not going to get under my skin,” Stiverne said. “I think he’s funny. Maybe he should think about doing a comedy act after I beat him? Friends have sent me stuff he’s said and done. It’s funny. He’s like a little kid who needs attention, so he keeps opening his mouth. His trash talking doesn’t bother me at all. I saw some people who brought up what he’s said. What am I supposed to do, hand my title to him? I guess he wants to entertain his fans. If he thinks his tricks are going to bother me, he’s going to be in big trouble.”

Stiverne & Estephan
While Wilder’s chatter hasn’t fazed Stiverne, his manager, Camille Estephan (Eye of the Tiger Management), has already tired of Wilder’s act. “Wilder is a clown,” Estephan remarked. “No respect! What’s he ever done to act like this? Look who he’s fought. Bermane is going to expose him and shut him up for good. His actions are ill advised. Wilder doesn’t realize he’s in for such a rough ride and a very big surprise. We’re happy to fight him, mandatory or not.”

Some have proclaimed Wilder as the next world heavyweight champion, using his perfect professional record as evidence for his coronation. His skeptics, however, believe Wilder’s record has been built up by fighting fraudulent opponents, pointing out he’s never fought anybody as nearly as good as Arreola (Stiverne’s victim in his last two fights), never mind somebody with the rare combination of power and quickness that Stiverne possesses. Meanwhile, “B-Ware” has been basking in the glory of being a world heavyweight champion, proudly noting he is the first Haitian-born fighter to achieve that distinction.

“My life hasn’t really changed too much other than my popularity growing,” Stiverne talked about life after becoming world champion. “My Instagram followers went up from 2,000 to 13,000 from one picture. There hasn’t been one day I haven’t done something in public. I expected change but not like this. People used to look at me and ask if I played in the NFL. I’ve had people tell me they always thought I was a football player until they saw me fight Arreola. Places I used to stand in line to get in, well, I don’t stand in line anymore.

“I try to stay on the down-low. I’m not out clubbing every day, or feel that I have to do something in public. I’m available but, closer to the fight, I’ll shut down everything 4-5 weeks out unless it has to do with the promotion. I don’t think it has fully hit me, yet. It will when I go back to Haiti to meet the President (Michel) Martelly.”

Stiverne is a breath of fresh air in a division dominated by the robotic, impersonal Klitschko brothers for the past decade. Stiverne’s fan-friendly boxing style, coupled with his bubbly personality, make him extremely marketable as long as he keeps winning. Stiverne-Wilder has tremendous implications for the winner in terms of a potential mega-fight with Wladimir Klitschko for a total unification of the heavyweight belts. Stiverene, though, remains fully focused on Wilder.

“I do feel like a fresh face in the heavyweight division,” Stiverne concluded. “I’m bringing excitement back to the heavyweight division like years ago. Wilder’s not a threat but I’m taking him serious. I take all my opponents seriously but I’m going to teach that little kid a lesson. It’s a shame his promoter and manager are putting him in such a big fight like this so early in his career.”

For further information visit www.eottm.com, or follow on Twitter @eotmvd and @BStiverne.

Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia (28-0, 16 KOs) defeated Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (20-4, 7 KOs) via a majority decision to remain undefeated on Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd at Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®.

Garcia established himself in the first round, landing the bigger punches against Herrera. But it was quickly clear that the challenger wasn’t going to let Garcia off easy, peppering the champion with strong shots to his body and head. By the end of round four, Garcia’s corner, specifically his father and trainer, Angel Garcia, could be heard telling the champion urgently to step-up his game and take control. Herrera, of Riverside, Calif., pressed on and proved himself as a worthy opponent with both fighters exchanging vicious shots throughout the extremely close match.

With the raucous crowd partial to the defending champion, whose father was born and raised in Puerto Rico, Garcia seemed to be carried by the cheers in what turned out to be the toughest fight of his career. At the end of the fight, SHO STATS reported that Garcia had landed 150 power punches compared to Herrera’s 82. Herrera landed more overall punches with 221 to Garcia’s 204. The final scores were 114-114, 116-112 and, 116-112.

After the fight, Garcia spoke with SHOWTIME Sports® ringside reporter Jim Gray, saying, “He is a crafty veteran and I know every time I step in the ring, every fighter wants what I have. So I expect them to bring everything. I had to make adjustments and I had to push the fight. He is a good fighter but I am a true champion. I had to make adjustments and pull it out. I needed to find my comfort zone but once I adjusted and got him on the ropes I knew I was doing good. I had to keep my composure and use my power shots. He came to fight and he did and it was a great fight.”

When asked if he felt he did enough to win the close decision, Garcia said, “I wanted to knock him out in front of my fans but he was tough. I know nothing is going to be easy from this point on for the rest of my career. I thought I won the fight. The Puerto Rican fans here support me. I love them.”

Regarding a potential move up in weight, Garcia told Gray, “I think making 140 pounds might have affected my performance a little bit. I need to sit with my camp and see if I should go up to 147 and start a new journey. It’s been getting a little hard so maybe I need to think about moving up.”

After the fight, Herrera told media that he felt he won. “I thought I was fine-tuned,” he said. “I came perfectly prepared for this fight. I was trying to push the fight. I came to box but he wasn’t making a fight so I am the one that had to make the fight. I was the one putting the pressure on to make the fight. I feel like I won the fight. I thought I finished strong at the end too. I thought I won the fight.”

Heavyweight Deontay Wilder made it 31 for 31 in the knockout department has he stopped Malik Scott in a scheduled 12 round bout.

Wilder landed a left to the temple that was followed up by a right hand that sent Scott to the canvas. Scott tried to get up but stumbled at the count of ten of the fight was over at 1:36 of round one.

Wilder, 227 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is 31-0 with 31 knockouts. Scott, 238 lbs of Van Nuys, CA is 36-2-1.

After the fight, Wilder spoke with Grayabout his performance. “I’ve got power. I’ve got natural power. This is something that you can’t buy. This is something that you can’t enhance and put in your body. This is all natural pure Alabama power. The left hand was right to the temple, to the head, and that is a soft spot. My power is crazy. I go through the gloves. Even though he had his gloves, there is nothing stopping that. Even though it went through his glove it still hurts.”

When asked if he is ready to take a step up and fight for a heavyweight title despite having not faced the top fighters in the division, Wilder responded, “All the testing is done in the gym. I bust my butt off in the gym to come here and perform for all the people and I make it look easy. I don’t care if I don’t go past four rounds or solve all the questions that people have about me. I have one mission and it is to unify all the heavyweight belts.”

After the fight Scott, upset by his performance, said, “I got caught. I don’t really remember what happened because I never saw the shot coming. I know he caught me with the left hook. I am so disappointed. I trained really hard. It is just awful.

In what turned out to be a highly entertaining rematch of former world champion, Juan Manuel Lopez made it two for two against Daniel Ponce De Leon in by scoring a 2nd round stoppage in a scheduled 10 round Jr. Lightweight bout.

De Leon struck 1st in round two by scoring a knockdown from a hard left hook. Lopez came back by depositing De Leon from a right hook. A flurry sent De Leon to the canvas for a 2nd time. Lopez finished the fight by landing some hard power shots on the ropes and the bout was stopped at 2:44 of round two.

Lopez, 129 lbs of Caguas, PR is now 34-3 with 31 knockouts. De Leon, 128 3/4 lbs of West Covina, CA is now 45-6.

Former world title challenger Daniel Jacobs took out Milton Nunez in round one of their scheduled 10 round Middleweight bout.

Jacobs scored three knockdowns from a left hook and the latter two came from right hands. The bout was stopped upon the third knockdown at 2:25 of round one.

Jacobs, 161 1/2 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 27-1 with 24 knockouts. Nunez, 162 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is now 26-10-1.

LONDON (March 14) – Knockout heavyweight sensation Deontay Wilder would love to face off against British stars Tyson Fury or Dereck Chisora but must first come through his toughest challenge to date.

The American bruiser lines up against the well respected Malik Scott this Saturday night in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on the undercard of unified light-welterweight star Danny Garcia’s clash with Mauricio Herrera, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The 28-year-old Wilder has amassed a chilling knockout record having dispensed of all of his 30 opponents by brutal stoppage.

Some have questioned the level of competition so far for the man being touted as the next great American heavyweight, but against Scott he goes in against an opponent who has only lost once, that coming somewhat controversially against Chisora last year.

An emphatic victory over the skilled 33-year-old Scott would go a long way to silencing those critics and get tongues wagging as Wilder looks to take over Wladimir Klitschko’s iron throne.

“It’s important for me to perform to the best of my ability and show people that I’m real, show people that I’m a legit heavyweight and once I continue my knockout streak and win, hopefully I can get some of the people onboard that’s not onboard,” said Wilder.

“I have already won a lot of fans over that wasn’t with me in the beginning. A lot of them, they take different fights to crack than others but I think this fight right here is going to crack a lot of people. It’s going to bring a lot of fans onboard once I do what I’ve got to do and that’s win,” he said.

“Everybody around the world is waiting for this fight, even a lot of former champions are waiting on this fight saying this is the most exciting heavyweight bout this year and they’re looking forward to it,” Wilder told BoxNation.

‘The Bronze Bomber’ goes in against Scott with the victor set to face the winner of Chris Areola and Bermane Stiverne for the WBC heavyweight world title, which was recently left vacant following the retirement of Vitali Klitschko.

It is this incentive that is spurring on Wilder to be as ruthless as ever when he steps into the ring this weekend.

“Whoever wins this fight goes on to fight for the title,” he said. “It’s something that I’ve been waiting for all of my career and Malik has been in this game longer than I have so I’m sure he’s been expecting the same thing.

“I have thought about it over and over again, and when it comes to Malik, being that we’re such great friends – it’s going to seem kind of harsh or kind of bad for me to say this – but I want to seriously hurt him without hurting him as far as keeping my knockout ratio going.

“As far as showing people that even when I’m with a serious contender that the same results can happen and because I’m going in there and I’m not going to hold nothing back. That’s just not in my nature, that’s never been in me,” Wilder said.

“When there’s a fight there’s a fight and when I’m inside of that ring my whole mentality changes – I’m not even Deontay anymore, I’m ‘The Bronze Bomber’. And ‘The Bronze Bomber’, he don’t take no prisoners! He don’t take no hostages.

“He’s going to seek and destroy and that’s what ‘The Bronze Bomber’ comes to do, so, you know, I love Malik but he’s not fighting Deontay Wilder, he’s fighting ‘The Bronze Bomber’ and I’m going in to knock him out,” Wilder said.

Should Wilder prevail in his eventual quest for world title glory a potential superfight with either Tyson Fury or Dereck Chisora could be set up.

Both men are expected to face each other this summer in an eliminator for the WBO heavyweight world title and the Alabama native would be up to renew Anglo-American hostilities in a possible unification showdown.

“That would be excellent but not only for me but for the winner of the other belts as well too and both of us meeting to unify both belts,” said Wilder.

“It would be fresh faces in the top of the division – so that would be great. Wlad [Klitschko] has been down for a long time and a lot of people like to see the rotation of fresh faces and I think that will be a great move if they [Chisora or Fury] can win it and I go on to win it and we fight for the belts,” he said.

“That would be cool but this is the heavyweight division and even though some things make sense and sound good, sometimes they get detours. But I would love that fight and would love to come to the UK and make it happen,” he said.

Wilder vs. Scott & Garcia vs. Herrera is live on BoxNation (Sky Ch.437/490HD & Virgin Ch.546) this Sunday at 2am. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

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Danny Garcia 139 3/4 – Mauricio Herrera 139 1/4
(WBA/WBC Super Lightweight title)
Deontay Wilder 227 – Malik Scott 238
Juan Manuel Lopez 129 – Daniel Ponce De Leon 128 3/4

LOS ANGELES (March 12, 2014) – As Puerto Rico prepares for a stellar SHOWTIME® doubleheader featuring Danny “Swift” Garcia’s unified super lightweight world title defense against Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera and the heavyweight clash between unbeaten Deontay Wilder and Malik Scott, fans at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon can get ready for even more explosive action as the undercard will feature top contenders Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs, Jose “Chelo” Gonzalez and Ed “The Lion” Paredes, future stars of Puerto Rican boxing. Additionally, there’s the previously announced SHO EXTREME® headliner pitting former world champions Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon against each other in a rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title. Also in action will be John Karl Sosa, Prichard Colon and Pedro Vicente.

In the 10-round SHO EXTREME co-feature, Jacobs will look to keep the momentum from his knockout win over Giovanni Lorenzo going when he battles Miami’s Milton “El Misil” Nunez.

After surviving a harrowing battle with cancer that not only threatened his promising career, but his life, Brooklyn’s Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs (26-1, 23 KOs) turned into boxing’s miracle man, returning after more than 19 months away to knock out Josh Luteran in 73 seconds on October 20, 2012. Two more stoppage wins over Chris Fitzpatrick and Keenan Collins followed before the 27-year-old made a statement to the world with his third round technical knockout over former world title challenger Giovanni Lorenzo. On Saturday, Jacobs is back to face Colombia native Milton “El Misil” Nunez (26-9-1, 24 KOs). A 26-year-old power puncher, Nunez’ last nine wins have come by way of knockout, all in four rounds or less, so expect fireworks from start to finish in this one.

Toa Baja’s Jose “Chelo” Gonzalez (22-1, 17 KOs) will be back in the ring for the first time since his gutsy WBO title fight against Ricky Burns last May, facing an opponent to be announced in an eight-round lightweight bout. Forced to withdraw from the fight after the ninth round against Burns due to injury, the 30-year-old contender, who has scored 12 of his last 13 wins by knockout, is eager to get back to another title fight as soon as possible.

In an eight-round welterweight bout, Hollywood, Florida’s Ed “The Lion” Paredes (34-3-1, 22 KOs) will continue his quest for a world title opportunity when he meets the Dominican Republic’s Yoryi Estrella (10-9-2, 7 KOs). Currently ranked sixth in the world by the WBC, and ninth by the WBA and IBF, the 28-year-old Paredes will bring a 14-fight winning streak into the ring with him against the hard-hitting and upset-minded Estrella.

Fans in Bayamon will witness an all-Puerto Rican clash in the junior welterweight division on Saturday when 21-year-old Caguas phenomenon John Karl Sosa (8-0, 6 KOs) attempts to keep his perfect record intact in a four-round matchup against Toa Baja’s Antonio Sanchez (5-2-2, 3 KOs), who is coming off back-to-back bouts against unbeatens Jamel Herring and Ivan Redkach.

Plus, 2012 Puerto Rican Olympic team member Prichard “Digget” Colon (7-0, 7 KOs) of Orocovis risks his unbeaten slate in a six-round super welterweight bout against an opponent to be determined. In the four-round featherweight opener, Mayaguez’ Pedro Vicente (4-0, 1 KO), who prepared for this fight in the Danny Garcia gym in Philadelphia, faces Bayamon’s own Karl Garcia (3-2, 1 KO).

“Garcia vs. Herrera,” a 12-round WBC Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, March 15, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Swift Promotions in association with PR Best Boxing and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The co-main event, Deontay Wilder vs. Malik Scott, is a 12-round WBC Final Heavyweight eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). In the main event on the SHO EXTREME 7 p.m. ET/PT, (Delayed on the West Coast) portion of the card, former world champions Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon square off in a 10-round rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $150, $200 and $400 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.tcpr.com and by calling 787-792-5000.

BAYAMON, PUERTO RICO (March 12, 2014) – Danny Garcia, his father/trainer, Angel, and other participants for the big fight card this Saturday, March 15, on SHOWTIME and SHO EXTREME participated in the final press conference Wednesday at Braulio Castillo Theater, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

In Saturday’s main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), undefeated Unified Super Lightweight World ChampionGarcia (27-0, 16 KOs), of Philadelphia, will defend against Herrera(20-3, 7 KOs)of Riverside, Calif., from the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. In the co-feature, heavyweight knockout specialist Deontay Wilder (30-0, 30 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., meets Malik Scott (36-1-1, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia.

Former world champions Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez (33-3, 30 KOs), 30, of Caguas, P.R., and Mexico’s Daniel “Ponce” de Leon (45-5, 35 KOs), 33, of Los Angeles, meet in a grudge rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title in the 10-round main event live on SHO EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT). In the opening bout on SHO EXTREME, promising Danny Jacobs (26-1, 23 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., faces hard-hitting Milton Nunez (26-9-1, 24 KOs), of Barranquilla, Col., in a 10-round middleweight match.

What the fighters and executives said Wednesday:

DANNY “SWIFT” GARCIA, UNIFIED SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION
“I had a tremendous camp. This Saturday I’m going to win for my people in Puerto Rico and take my belt home with me.

“I love it here in Puerto Rico. I love the weather and the beautiful people. Everything about the culture is like where I grew up in Philadelphia. It’s just like Puerto Rico but it’s just the city life. But it’s the same thing. We eat the same food. We listen to the same music. Everything is the same but it’s just a little part of North Philadelphia. Everything is the same except for the snow.

“I trained in Philadelphia. I had a good training camp in Philadelphia. I did everything I was supposed to do. I didn’t take shortcuts. I came to Puerto Rico a week before the fight for my training. I’m 110 percent. I’m in the best shape. I am ready. I did what I always do and I’m ready.”

MAURICIO “EL MAESTRO” HERRERA, SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CONTENDER
“I started boxing with my two brothers when I was 13 with no gear, bare hands. My father used to watch and get a good laugh out of it. My older brother got me my first punching bag but my mother was the first one that took me to the gym, to a gym at a church. I truly have the support of my family.

“I trained well, very well. I don’t take this fight lightly; fighting Danny is not something to take lightly. But I’ve fought guys tougher than him for peanuts.

“My biggest purse before this fight was $30,000. I’ve worked in construction and other handy jobs. This is my opportunity. This is my chance and I’m not about to let it pass me by.”

ANGEL GARCIA, DANNY GARCIA’S FATHER AND TRAINER
“March 15, [Danny] will still be the undefeated Champ of the world. Herrera, you’ve got to give him hope. Hope that he doesn’t get knocked out. You’ve got to give the man hope. His family is here. I respect that. They love him. There is nothing wrong with that. But come March 15 [Danny] is still the undefeated Champ of the world. This isn’t something that just happened. This was a dream, a dream that I had when Danny was a child. Danny is meant to be. Dreams aren’t meant to be broken not this one anyway.

“He [Herrera] has fought guys, opponents. You’re fighting in Puerto Rico now. Danny is 100 percent Puerto Rican. I don’t care what they say. He is my blood. I am Puerto Rican. He’s Puerto Rican. On March 15, he will still be the undefeated Champ of the world. And I will promise you that.

“I won’t put my head involved in this one because my daughters got nervous. They told me, ‘Dad, please don’t say that.’ People thought that it was a joke. I really meant that. Would Herrera’s coach do that? No, because that is the difference between his team and our team. My soul is in the ring with Danny. I would die for Danny and he would die for me.”

WILLIE SILVA, MAURICIO HERRERA’S TRAINER
“I’m pleased to be back in Puerto Rico. I want to thank Golden Boy for giving us this opportunity, an opportunity that we have been waiting for some time now and we are grateful for that.

“We are here to win this fight. We are not here to see if we can win, we are here because we know we CAN win.

“Danny Garcia’s parents claim he is Puerto Rican, but he is NOT a Puerto Rican, he’s from Philadelphia. He doesn’t even speak Spanish.

“We came to Puerto Rico, ready to fight. Mauricio is ready and watch, come Saturday night Mauricio is going to shock more than one. We are leaving Puerto Rico with Danny’s belts.”

DEONTAY WILDER, WBC CONTINENTAL AMERICAS HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
[About fighting in Puerto Rico]”I feel great! Like Tony the Tiger! I have lots of fans out here, a lot more than I thought I did. They showed me love right when I arrived. When I found out I was fighting in Puerto Rico I was super excited! Puerto Rico is a beautiful island with beautiful people and beautiful weather!

[About Malik Scott’s style] “I haven’t seen Malik Scott personally fight but he’s been in my camp before. He was one of my sparring partners in my past camps. He was a lot of help and very competitive. He knows my style and what I bring to the table. We know each other’s style. Whoever gets first to the punch will win. The smarter and better looking person will win and that’s going to be me.”

MALIK SCOTT, TOP HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER
“I am extremely proud of Danny Garcia. This is my first time meeting him. Congratulations comrade. The thing that prides me the most about fighting on his undercard is that any good coach can take a fighter and smooth out his jagged edges, but Angel Garcia he took his son from scratch. That is the definition of a true and great trainer so I am proud of him for that.

“In my opinion, Deontay Wilder and I are the biggest fight in the heavyweight division right now. I am extremely excited and I am taking on a dangerous fighter with the magnitude of Deontay’s punching power and the aura that has been built around him. It will take that type of fighter for me to rise to the great level that I believe I am going to be at come Saturday night. I believe out of everyone that has fought Deontay I have the highest skill caliber. I am not coming to test him; I am coming to beat him. I am from Philly. I live in California. I’m happy for this opportunity and come Saturday night I am going to take full advantage of it. ”

JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ, WBO INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION
“I’m very grateful to God for having presented me with this opportunity. I’m grateful for the people from Puerto Rico for their continuous support.

“This is going to be a great fight. He’s going to try to get a knockout, I’m going to do my job as well and definitely the one that is better prepared will come out victorious, and that will be me.

“I came here to show Puerto Rico and the rest of the world that Juanma Lopez has still some game to show.

“It was not mere coincidence that I won the first fight against Ponce De Leon, I won because I’m a better fighter. On Saturday, March 15, Ponce better be ready, because I’m ready and I’m not about losing.”

DANIEL PONCE DE LEON, FORMER WBC FEATHERWEIGHT WOLRD CHAMPION
“I’ve been training hard and I’m ready. There’s not much left to do to prepare other than make weight on Thursday and give my best on Saturday.

“This is going to be a great fight. I feel very good because I prepared well. I’m ready. This is the comeback of my career. I’m ready.

“Juanma has a heavy punch. Most of his wins have been by way of knockout and that is something to watch out for, but I can also pack a punch and he better watch out because I might knock him out. ”

IVAN PADILLA, BAYAMON SPORTS DIRECTOR
“Bayamon is proud of hosting Danny Garcia vs. Mauricio Herrera. We welcome boxing because we love boxing. We are always ready to be boxing hosts.

“We are able to host events of this magnitude because we have great people that help us put them together.

“We cordially welcome Danny and his father. We know his mom is from here, from Bayamon and we are very proud.”

ERIC GOMEZ, VICE PRESIDENT OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS
“It’s always a great pleasure to be back in Puerto Rico. But this time is different because we are bringing a big card to the island with the help of one of the best, PR Best Boxing. They have a great team in Puerto Rico and this is the beginning of something big.

“We are presenting a main event with the fighter of the moment, one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, Danny Garcia, and this is particularly special for me, because I saw him grow.

“I met Angel and Danny in the Olympic Trials and I saw something special in him. He was a champion in the making.

“I knew he was special the first time I saw him fight as an amateur at the Olympic Trials. His style was unique; he packed a combination of Tito Trinidad, Wilfredo Gomez, Miguel Cotto and Juanma [Juan Manuel Lopez]’s styles, truly impressive. So, to see him here today, being the great champion than he is, is truly special for me. ”

ABOUT “GARCIA VS. HERRERA”:
Garcia vs. Herrera, a 12-round WBC Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, March 15, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Swift Promotions in association with PR Best Boxing and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. It will air as the main event of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). In the co-main event, Deontay Wilder takes on Malik Scott, in a 12-round WBC Final Heavyweight eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. SHOWTIME Boxing on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, Delayed on the West Coast) will feature Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon in a 10-round rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $150, $200 and $400 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.tcpr.com and by calling 787-792-5000.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.prbestboxing.net and www.sports.sho.com follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/shosports, www.twitter.com/dannyswift, www.twitter.com/elmaestro1,www.twitter.com/bronzebomber, www.twitter.com/malikkingscott, www.twitter.com/danielponcedel1 and www.twitter.com/Juanma_lopez, follow the conversation using #GarciaHerrera or become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/PRBestBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing

BAYAMON, P.R. (March 3, 2014) – Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia, Top Lightweight Contender Mauricio Herrera, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, heavyweight contender Malik “King” Scott, , WBO International Junior Lightweight Champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez and Former WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon are deep in training camp for their respective March 15 bouts in Puerto Rico live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT).

Here is what the fighters have to say about how their camps are going and how they feel about the night of action coming up on Saturday, March 15, at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez.

Where are you training and when did you start?

Danny Garcia: “I’ve been training in Philadelphia for about eight weeks.”

Mauricio Herrera: “I started training the day I signed for this fight. I’ve been training out of Riverside, Calif. at a gym called Capital Punishment Gym with my trainer Jose Torres.”

Deontay Wilder: “I’m training back home in Tuscaloosa, Ala.. I’ve been training non-stop since my last fight but officially started sparring on Feb. 17.”

Malik Scott: “I’ve been training at the Ten Goose Boxing Gym since about mid-January.”

Juan Manuel Lopez: “I have been training at the Caimito Gym since the beginning of January. It is the same gym used by Tito Trinidad for many of his fights and also by Oscar De La Hoya while he was in Puerto Rico.”

Daniel Ponce de Leon: “I’ve been training for about a month at my gym in Montebello, Calif..”

If you had to pick the most challenging camp moment, what would that be and why?

Danny Garcia: “Losing weight and sparring is always the toughest challenge in training camp.”

Mauricio Herrera: “This camp has not only been the toughest, but it’s been the smartest. I have changed things that didn’t work for me in my past camps and implemented more things that work.”

Deontay Wilder: “I would have to say it’s working with the Wladimir Klitschko camp. A lot of great moments all around with that camp. I came with questions and left with answers.”

Malik Scott: “We’ve had a smooth training camp so we haven’t had one.”

Juan Manuel Lopez: “The whole camp has been somewhat challenging because it is the first time I am training in a different gym that is far from the one I normally use.”

Daniel Ponce De Leon: “The most difficult situation for a fighter is to make weight. I recognize that I was struggling in my last two fights to make the junior featherweight division.”

What are your thoughts on your opponent now that you are deep in training?

Danny Garcia: “Mauricio is a tough fighter but I am 110 percent ready; come March 15 it will be another epic performance by me.”

Mauricio Herrera: “I don’t see Danny Garcia as any different than anyone else. I don’t want to hold him way up on a pedestal the way his dad does. Danny Garcia is just like me. We both bleed and we both feel pain.”

Deontay Wilder: “I think Malik will come to fight and make this heavyweight showdown one of the best to come this year. So many people are super excited about this matchup that they can’t stop talking about it and that’s what the heavyweight division needs. I love the excitement and I’m very happy to be a part of bringing the division back to where it once was.”

Malik Scott: “All my thoughts are on staying focused and getting ready for March 15.”

Juan Manuel Lopez: ” This will be a difficult fight for me. I am sure that it will be different than the first one.”

Daniel Ponce de Leon: “Juan Manuel Lopez is a tough fighter. He has power and I know he will never lose his power. I expect a tough fight.”

How do you feel about fighting in Puerto Rico?

Danny Garcia: “Fighting in Puerto Rico is a dream come true. I’m very excited and I can’t wait to give my fans in Puerto Rico a great show.”

Mauricio Herrera: “I feel great about fighting in Puerto Rico. There is a lot of love for the sport of boxing in Puerto Rico, so that gives me more incentive to bring everything I’ve got to the ring. In the end, I’ll fight anywhere. The ring can be in Puerto Rico, Riverside or Las Vegas. It’s a different crowd but the ring and my desire to win is the same.”

Deontay Wilder: “I’m super excited about fighting in Puerto Rico. I look at it like this beautiful island, beautiful weather and beautiful people. I love traveling and one day want a home there near the beach.”

Malik Scott: “All I know is, inside the ring it will be like home.”

Juan Manuel Lopez: “I am super happy to be fighting in Puerto Rico and I see it asa great opportunity for my career.”

Daniel Ponce De Leon: “I feel fine about fighting in Puerto Rico. I don’t have any pressure. I know I am in his house but a lot of people will enjoy the fight.”

The fighters participating on the “Garcia vs. Herrera” televised fight cardhave also taken to social media, sending out updates and photos from their training in anticipation of their March 15 bouts:

Danny Garcia – @DannySwift, http://instagram.com/dannyswiftgarcia

Mauricio Herrera – @elmaestro1

Deontay Wilder – @BronzeBomber, http://instagram.com/bronzebomber

Malik Scott – @MalikKingScott, http://instagram.com/215king

Juan Manuel Lopez – @Juanma_Lopez, http://instagram.com/juanjuanmalopez

Daniel Ponce de Leon – @DanielPoncedeL1, http://instagram.com/danielponcedel1

“Garcia vs. Herrera,” a12-round WBC Super Lightweight World Title on Saturday, March 15, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Swift Promotions in association with PR Best Boxing and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The co-main event, Deontay Wilder vs. Malik Scott, is a 12-round WBC Final Heavyweight eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). In the main event on the SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT) portion of the card, former world champions Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon square off in a 10-round rematch for the WBO International Junior Lightweight Title.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $150, $200 and $400 plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.tcpr.com and by calling 787-792-5000.

ATLANTIC CITY–The ageless Bernard Hopkins yet again held back the clock as he scored a 12 round unanimous decision over unheralded mandatory challenger Karo Murat at Boardwalk Hall.

Hopkins took a few rounds getting adjusted to Murat who came to win.

The bout was entertaining and featured many furious exchanges that aren’t common in most Hopkins bouts. Hopkins had Murat hurt on several occasions as his vaunted straight right hand was on point and began to bust up the face around Murat’s left eye. In between the action there was some holding that was precipitated by Murat and he was docked a point by referee Steve Smoger in round seven.

In round eight, the man known as “The Alien” became more entertaining as he engaged in an exchange with Murat while talking to the television cameras on the apron. Hopkins desperately wanted a knockout was aggressive and had Murat hurt down the stretch. Murat did mount an effort but came up short on this night to the 48 year-old legend.

Hopkins outlanded Murat 247-565 to 147-486. The hopkins tally included 184 power punches.

Hopkins, 172 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 119-109, 119-109 and 117-110 (same as 15rounds.com) and is now 54-6-2. Murat, 174 lbs of Berlin, Germany is 25-2-1.

“Richard Schaefer said we needed to be crowd pleasers,” said Hopkins, the oldest champion in sports history. “The crowd wanted to see skill and blood so I had some blood to give them. I am an entertainer and this is what people want to see… He was a game number one contender.”

When asked by SHOWTIME ringside reporter Jim Gray if Murat brought out the best in him, Hopkins answered, “Not really, but he didn’t bring out the worst either.”

Regarding the slow start, Hopkins said, “That was the plan. That was the bone on the string so that the dog could follow him into a dark alley and then realize someone was waiting on him. And that dog was me.”

Hopkins continued, “He throws pretty good punches and he is no one to sleep on. He is going to give some light heavyweights a bit of a problem.”

When Gray asked Hopkins how he stays in such phenomenal shape at age 48, Hopkins replied, “I’m a freaking alien.”

Gray then spoke to Murat who said, “Bernard is a good boxer and I lost concentration due to the two cuts which came by head butts. I know that when I am in good shape I can beat him, however, the cuts disturbed me.”

Peter Quillin retained the WBO Middleweight title with a 10th round stoppage over Gabriel Rosado when the challenger was deemed unable to continue due to a cut over the left eye.

In round two, Quillin landed a left hook to the side of the head that sent Rosado to the canvas. Rosado fought back valiantly and started to get into fight with some solid right hands. the two traded off rounds with Quillin throwing less but landing harder. Rosado landed the flashier punches and seemed to be picking up momentum in various parts of the fight.

In round nine, a bad cut appeared around the left eye of Rosado that was ruled from a punch. Just forty seconds into round ten, ringside doctor Blair Bergen thought the blood was too much and stopped the fight.

Quillin, 159 1/4 lbs is now 30-0 with 22 knockouts. Rosado, 160 lbs is now a hard luck 21-7.

Said Quillin after the fight, “I’m not a judge. I’m not an elected official. I did what I had to do as a fighter and I respect the call. The referees and doctors ringside did what they had to do to make sure the fighters are safe.

“I never expect an easy payday or an easy fight. I work hard every time for each fight… When you dedicate to win a title you need to give that person a sense of being able to achieve what they want. I am a world champion and I work hard. He has never been a champion and he doesn’t know.

“I’m ready for anybody. I am a fighter and I worry about fighting. If it is a rematch, then I don’t care. I work hard to be in this ring and I work hard to defend my title against anybody. I don’t care if it is against my own mother.”

Of the stoppage, Rosado told Gray, “I felt like that was B.S. This is a championship fight. We were going into the championship rounds. This was a competitive fight. I never complained about a cut. When the doctor saw my eye, I told him that I could see. It was not giving me any problems up to that point.

“I noticed if I backed him up with a jab that I was hurting him and I was doing that. But then the doctor called me over and stopped the fight. This is boxing. What about Gatti-Ward? They didn’t stop that fight. Corrales-Castillo. We are warriors.

“I never even complained that I couldn’t see. Of course I want a rematch. This is the story of my life. I’m the real Rocky Balboa.”

Deontay Wilder made it 30 for 30. 30-0, 30 knockouts that is as he scored a four round destruction over Nicolai Firtha in a scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout.

Firtha came rushing out and made Wilder stumble from a left hand. Wilder came back string in the round as he floored Firtha twice in the round. The first knockdown came from a hard right hand while the second was from a right to the side of the head. Firtha began to gush blood from his nostrils. Wilder kept up the power assault in round two and then dropped Firtha from a huge power right in the third.

Wilder ended things with a huge right hand that sent Firtha flat on his back and the fight was stopped at 1:26 of round four.

“This is what i wanted. To box and have fun. I told everyone that Firtha was coming to fight. I am right there at the door. Everytime you see me, you know what you are going to get and that a knockout.”, Said Wilder

Wilder, 224 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is now 30-0 with 30 knockouts. Firtha, 252 1/2 lbs of Akron, OH is now 21-11-1.

Zachary Ochoa remained undefeated with a four round unanimous decision over Michael Doyle in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Scores were 40-36, 39-37 and 39-37 for Ochoa, 140 1/2 lbs and is now 5-0. Doyle, 137 lbs is 2-6.

Braulio Santos disposed of David Clark in round one of their scheduled eight round Featherweight bout.

Santos rocked Clark with two vicious power shots and then connected on a devastating left hook that sent Clark down. Clark got to his feet but referee David Fields called the bout off at 1:49 of round one.

Santos of Puerto Rico is now 11-1 with 10 knockouts. Clark is 6-3.

Dominic Wade opened the show up with a first round destruction over Roberto Ventura in a scheduled eight round Middleweight bout.

Wade rocked Ventura with a left hook and then dropped him with an overhand right. Seconds later Wade dropped Ventura with an overhand right. Wade finished things with a hard overhand right that sent Ventura down for a third and final time and the bout was stopped at 2:08 of round one.

Wade is now 13-0 with 10 knockouts. Ventura is now 12-8.

LONDON (25 Oct) – Knockout heavyweight sensation Deontay Wilder has earmarked a world title clash with one of the Klitschko brothers early next year before crossing the Atlantic to take care of brash-talking Tyson Fury.

The ‘Bronze Bomber’, who has sent shockwaves through the heavyweight division after laying out all 29 of his past opponents, returns to the ring this weekend to face Nicolai Firtha on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins’ world title defence against Karo Murat in Atlantic City.

Speaking exclusively to BoxNation, the imposing 6ft 7in bruiser from Tuscaloosa, Alabama has his sight firmly fixed on becoming the next heavyweight champion of the world by dethroning the current kings of the division – the Klitschko brothers – who he believes have their vulnerabilities.

“I’m thinking early-to-mid next year [for a world title shot]. We’re trying to line it up now. At the moment I’m ranked number 3 by the WBC so we’re in planning right now. I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me,” said Wilder.

“Everybody has weaknesses – the Klitschko’s have weaknesses as well too. It’s just up to fighters to find them when they’re in the ring.

“It’s always shorter fighters fighting them – that’s one thing I don’t understand – but when the shorter fighters are in the ring with them their whole objective is to get in the inside and try and throw overhands. You can’t just have one plan when going in with them,” he explained.

“Deontay Wilder is the next heavyweight champion of the world – the next undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. I feel the heavyweight division will be restored, these things move in cycles,” Wilder declared.

A potential fight which has been brewing nicely, ever since an impromptu coming together when the pair locked horns during a recent boxing event in Rotherham, is a mouth-watering matchup with British star Tyson Fury.

With Wilder having also been in camp with David Haye, helping the Londoner get ready ahead of his initially arranged September showdown with Fury, the blue touch paper has been lit, clearing the way for an inevitable coming together.

“The fight between me and Tyson Fury will definitely happen one day soon. The hype has been building like it’s been planned and once it gets to the peak where it’s an absolute must that fight’s going to happen,” said Wilder.

“When that fight happens we want it to be the best fight in the history of boxing. Two guys from two different parts of the world coming together for one night for the fans – I think it’s going to be a great fight when that time comes for both of us. We’re both two exciting heavyweights in the division and the fight would be great,” he said.

As two rising undefeated contenders, the bout would reignite the competitive Anglo-American rivalry which has illuminated many fights through history, though, where it takes place is no issue with Wilder.

“I would fight him anywhere,” said Wilder. “I’m a traveller, a global fighter, I fight anywhere all over the world that’s how you become legendary. You become legendary by not being afraid to go into enemy territory when the time comes or when duty calls.

“I love England, everytime I’m there people treat me like it’s my home and I have a lot of friends over there. When I’m over there I feel comfortable, I feel like I’m at home so it won’t be no different if it’s in the United States or England,” he stated.

Wilder has business to take care of first this weekend when he faces Firtha in a fight you can see live on BoxNation. Also featured on the card is Peter Quillin defending his WBO middleweight title against Gabriel Rosado before the main event when Bernard Hopkins puts his IBF light-heavyweight world title on the line against Germany’s Karo Murat.

Watch Hopkins vs Murat and Wilder vs Firtha live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch.437/Virgin Ch.546) this Sunday at 2am. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

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Atlantic City, NJ (Oct. 24, 2013) – The six fighters that will be featured on the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast this Saturday night gathered with media members at Caesars Atlantic City to discuss their respective matchups. Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, Karo Murat, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, “King” Gabriel Rosado, Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder and Nicolai Firtha answered questions candidly about the in-ring challenges taking place at Boardwalk Hall on Saturday night.

Below please find quick-hitting quotes from each fighter.

Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion

“Coming to Atlantic City brings out a lot of emotions in me. To be back here, healthy with a legacy and doing historic things is a blessing.

“I am motivated by being in a place where it all began. There is extra energy for me to give serious beat downs here.

“Karo Murat is hoping, like others before him, that he is lucky enough that I got old in the gym.

“There’s no magic spell that hits you over the head that says, ‘You’re old.’

“As far as I’m concerned, old to me is not old to the average person. What is old?

“I’m getting the interest on the investment I have made in my personal life.

“I’m not just fighting Karo Murat. I’m fighting politics. I made a 360-degree turn. I’m back in Atlantic City. I’ve been here a few times. You hear Hopkins and Mayweather. You hear Hopkins fighting other light heavyweights. People want to put a time frame on what you’re supposed to be doing.

“I remember everything about the Clinton Mitchell fight [Hopkins’ professional debut]…I remember I lost.

“How many urban stories have ended up like mine? How I have been disciplined in the gym and in business.

“Some people might get tired of hearing me talk, but not the young ones, the young boxers. I can tell they don’t get tired of hearing me talk to them.

“My fight [Saturday night] is another page of my legacy. We want people to think this is a tough fight, but it’s a fight that is going to lead to bigger things.”

Karo Murat, Top Light Heavyweight Contender

“I had a lot of practice in Germany and in many of my other fights. This is a fight against a legend, but I can handle it.

“I think it is a sign from God that I am here to end Bernard’s career. He is an old man and needs to stop now.

“I know that I don’t have to knock Bernard out in order to get a fair decision in America.

“I don’t have a strategy. I will see during the fight what I can do to beat Hopkins.

“The biggest crowd I have fought in front of was 6,000 people.”

Peter Quillin, WBO Middleweight World Champion

“Sometimes you work so hard you surprise yourself, but it’s not for you to be over confident. You have to continue to work hard.

“It’s important not to look ahead and to stay present and focus on the now.

“I look at myself like a more polished champion because I wouldn’t be here if God didn’t want me to be.

“I learned early in my career that every fighter has small window to make money and you need to make sure to save your money, pay your taxes and set yourself up for the future.

“Rosado is still trying to find himself out. He lost already; he took some bumps in roads with losses.

“Nothing that Rosado does in the ring is going to be good enough.

“When I get in the ring my trunks are my office suit. Outside of the ring I have the business suit on.

“I want to challenge myself to go to every level I possibly can and challenge my own records.”

“I don’t know how to speak about any other story besides establishing myself and explain myself through these [holding fists up].

“Before I fight I say to myself I’m already ready. Let me get more ready.”

Gabriel Rosado, Top Middleweight Contender

“I will fight in my back yard or in anyone’s back yard. I am comfortable fighting anywhere.

“I have a lot of people that have shown me love faithfully since the beginning, so what I do is buy 50 tickets and give them to those who have been there supporting me along the way.”

“I know I will have a lot of opportunities to take advantage of Quillin in the ring because not only did I study him in his past fight but I also studied my past fight and looked for ways to improve my fight.

“Without a doubt I have fought the bigger names like Soto-Karass and Kassim Ouma.
I have the better names on my record.

“It’s going to be a great fight …Its about who is the smarter guy.”

“I feel really great about this camp and sparred with three guys that weighed 190 lbs. My strength and conditioning coach [Jason Sargus] are working together again and I feel really strong and prepared.

“I think if I would have had everything along the way handed to me on a silver platter, I wouldn’t be here. The route that I took makes me what I am today. I am a lot more mature now. I am turning 28 years old and I feel that mentally I am at a stage that I have never been at in my career. I want to be a world champion

[On his personal life and his career] “The adversity I went through would break most men but it made me better.”

“Kid Chocolate has been on my mind for a while. I have never called him out because I wanted it to play out naturally and get the fight.

“I am fighting Kid Chocolate because I want this fight. I expect him to bring his A-game. I am ready for his fight.”

Deontay Wilder, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion

“I know that Firtha doesn’t move his head and that’s a dangerous thing to do, especially in the heavyweight division and with a puncher like me. To his credit, when he comes he comes to fight.

“I can take this opportunity as a blessing or be scared and be a participant like my opponents have done. But I fear no man. I only fear God.

“If he goes hard, I will go harder.

“If I am fighting for another person than that makes me fight harder. I don’t want to let that person down. I don’t like that feeling of letting anybody down.”

Nicolai Firtha, Heavyweight Contender

“Before you compete against the best, you don’t know if you can beat them. You don’t know until you actually fight them.

“I want my abilities, tools and skills to speak for me. Not only can I fight the best, but I can beat the best.

“I don’t take his [Wilder’s] record lightly at all. He has done what he has to do in serious fashion.

“I will have a very serious problem dealing with Deontay’s power if I stand there in his way to be hit.

“My trainer tells me to use my good jab and my movement to my advantage.”

# # #

Hopkins vs. Murat is a 12-round bout for Hopkins’ IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship, presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Caesars Atlantic City and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event WBO Middleweight Champion Peter Quillin puts his title on the line against Gabriel Rosado in a 12-round bout. Plus, opening the tripleheader, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder will face Nicolai Firtha in a 10-round showdown. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9 p.m. ET/PT and is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets priced at $300, $150, $75, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-736-1420 or at www.ticketmaster.com.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (October 1, 2013) – After scoring 10 knockdowns in his last two fights and soaring to the top of the 160-pound weight class, WBO Middleweight Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin will make his second title defense on Saturday, Oct. 26 when he meets Philadelphia contender “King” Gabriel Rosado in the Bernard Hopkins vs. Karo Murat co-main event at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT).

Additionally, knockout artist WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, will open the telecast when he takes on Nicolai “Stone Man” Firtha in a 10-round showdown. In the main event, IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins will become the oldest fighter in history to make his initial title defense when he faces highest-rated light heavyweight challenger Karo Murat in a 12-round matchup.

“It’s great to be on the East Coast and back on SHOWTIME for my second world title defense,” said Quillin. “Rosado is a quality challenger who always comes to fight, and because of our competitive styles, the fans are going to get a great show on October 26.”

“I’ve never lost in New Jersey and I don’t plan on starting now,” said Rosado. “I’ve chased a world title for a long time and while I respect Quillin for giving me this new opportunity, but I’m going to have to take that belt and bring it back home to Philly.”

“Nicolai Firtha is a veteran who has gone the distance with a lot of tough fighters,” said Wilder. “But I’m more confidant and more ready than ever, so I’m expecting another knockout win, I want to make a statement with this fight.”

“Wilder hits hard, there’s no question about that, but we’ve never see what happens when he gets hit back,” said Firtha. “I’m going to hit him on Oct. 26 and I plan on taking his ‘0’ away.”

“We’ve returned to the East Coast with not just another history-making title defense by Bernard Hopkins against a hungry challenger in Karo Murat, but we have a guaranteed action with the undercard,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. The co-main event between the top American middleweight in the world, Peter Quillin and the always tough Gabriel Rosado as well as one of the most exciting young heavyweights out there, Deontay Wilder, against someone coming to score the upset in Nicolai Firtha. It’s going to be a great night for boxing once again.”

New York City’s Peter Quillin (29-0, 21 KO’s) was considered by many as one of the top rising stars in the sport, but when he beat Winky Wright in 2012, the stakes got higher for “Kid Chocolate,” who fulfilled his potential in October of last year with a six-knockdown win over Hassan N’Dam that earned him the WBO Middleweight Championship. In April of 2013, Quillin successfully defended his title for the first time, dropping Fernando Guerrero four times en route to a seventh-round technical knockout victory. On Oct. 26, the 30-year-old will look to showcase his championship skills against “King” Rosado.

A Philadelphia fighter through and through, 27-year-old Gabriel Rosado (21-6, 13 KO’s) is a fearless warrior willing to do whatever it takes in search of victory. Holder of wins over Jesus Soto Karass, Sechew Powell, Kassim Ouma and Charles Whittaker, Rosado has also been in the ring with Gennady Golovkin, Alfredo Angulo, and J’Leon Love and when the bell rings on Oct. 26, this “King” will do whatever it takes to win the middleweight crown.

With 29 wins, 29 knockouts and no defeats, 2008 U.S. Olympic Bronze medalist and WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder has the boxing world abuzz with his devastating power and championship potential. Hailing from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the 27-year-old is coming off of first round knockouts of former gold medalist Audley Harrison and former heavyweight champion Siarhei Liakhovich, making it clear that no one is safe from the wrath of the “Bronze Bomber.”

Akron, Ohio’s Nicolai “Stone Man” Firtha (21-10-1, 8 KO’s) was a decorated amateur who fought his way to the 2004 Olympic trials, but his true home was in the professional game, where he has won the USA Ohio State and NABA USA titles. He has also faced quality opposition like Alexander Povetkin, Tony Grano, Tyson Fury and Johnathan Banks, knocking out Grano and going the distance with Povetkin and Banks. Coming off a win over Robert Hawkins in July, the 34-year-old will leave it all in the ring in search of victory on Oct. 26.

Hopkins vs. Murat is a 12-round bout for Hopkins’ IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship, presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Caesars Atlantic City, Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event WBO Middleweight Champion Peter Quillin put his title on the line against Gabriel Rosado in a 12-round bout. Plus, opening the tripleheader, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder will face Nicolai Firtha in a 10-round showdown. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast begins live at 9 p.m. ET/PT and is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets priced at $300, $150, $75, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-736-1420 or at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com; follow on Twitter at @goldenboyboxing, @THEREALBHOP, @MURATKARO, @TeamSauerland, @KingGabRosado, @KidChocolate @BronzeBomber and #HopkinsMurat; or become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Boxing Facebook Page
or Bernard Hopkins Facebook Page. Follow SHOWTIME Sports at www.sports.sho.com, Facebook at www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing and on Twitter @shosports. Follow Caesars Atlantic City on Facebook a www.facebook.com/CaesarsAtlanticCity and on Twitter @CaesarsAC.

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (September 5, 2013) – Former World Boxing Organization (“WBO”) Heavyweight Champion Sergei “The White Wolf” Liakhovich has filed a formal protest, regarding the final outcome of his August 9, 2013 fight with undefeated Deontay Wilder, due to illegal punches that led to him being knocked out at 1:43 of the first round at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.

Liakhovich’s advisor, Attorney Anthony Cardinale, prepared and recently filed the formal protest with the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), seeking the outcome be changed to a “no contest” due to obvious violations of the CSAC rules and regulations.

“I am confident that the California State Athletic Commission operates at a high level of professionalism and will not stand for Wilder’s illegal tactics and change the decision to ‘No Contest'”, Liakhovich said. “Video and pictures support what really happened. It is illegal to hit behind the ear, on the back of the neck, and on the back of the head. Since when is swinging your hands anyway you want called boxing? How can Wilder be proud of this kind of win? I understand that everybody in America is looking for a new star but he is not it. My goal is to get a rematch with Wilder and fight him according to the rules of boxing.”

The two illegal blows came in succession, first, behind Liakhovich’s ear and neck area, and the second to the back of Liakhovich’s skull. Video of the aforementioned incident, one in real time and the other in slow motion (see below), were filed as evidence as well as still photos like the one shown above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcazUXsuxQ4

Team Liakhovich also claimed that referee Tom Taylor was not in position to view the two illegal punches, despite being warned by Team Liakhovich during a pre-fight meeting about potential fouling on Wilder’s part.

Based on the evidence provided, Team Liakhovich has petitioned the CSAC to hold a hearing about this claim and then change the original outcome to a “no contest.”

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (August 15, 2013) – Former World Boxing Organization (“WBO”) Heavyweight Champion Sergei “The White Wolf” Liakhovich is filing a formal protest, regarding the final outcome of his fight last Friday night against undefeated Deontay Wilder, due to illegal punches that led to him being knocked out at 1:43 of the first round at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.

Liakhovich’s advisor, Attorney Anthony Cardinale, is preparing the formal protest to file with the California State athletic Commission, seeking the outcome be ruled a “no contest.”

“My goal for going public is to expose Wilder and show people what really happened because it was difficult to clearly see his illegal punches on television due to the camera placement and how quickly it happened,” Liakhovich explained. “I also feel that I disappointed a lot of people who believed in me and I feel it’s important to explain what happened to them. Wilder’s people are sending out press releases to hype him up, even more, so it’s very important for me to expose him for what he is and how he fights.”

Liakhovich’s sparring partner had warned him in advance about Wilder punching behind the head and, in the locker room before the fight, his team asked referee Tom Taylor to closely watch for Wilder throwing illegal punches.

According to Liakhovich, the first illegal punch hit him over the ear, and then a right behind his head wobbled Liakhovich as his equilibrium was thrown completely off balance. Wilder than finished off a defenseless Liakhovich with a left followed by a big right.

“If he had hit me in the face, fair and square,” Liakhovich said, “I would have kept my mouth shut and said he was the better man. Everybody’s going around saying nobody can stand-up to his power, 29 knockouts in 29 fights, but any heavyweight would go down from a punch behind the head. That’s why it’s an illegal punch! There’s nothing you can do when you get hit with a punch like that; your body just goes wobbly with no balance at all.

“If he is allowed to continue throwing illegal punches like the one he hit me with behind my head,” Liakhovich predicted, “somebody is going to get seriously hurt. I can’t allow him to get away with that anymore.”

Liakhovich noted that he has since undergone an MRI and other medical exams, reporting that he is 100-percent healthy. In addition to protest the outcome of this fight, he also wants to expose Wilder for his illegal tactics before a tragedy results.

“I want to thank everybody who contacted me to make sure I was okay and to show their continued support,” Liakhovich concluded. “My career will not end on a fight like this that ended because of illegal punches. I will be back in the gym next week and plan to be fighting again in a few months.”

Deontay Wilder made it 29 knockouts in as many fights as he annihilated former world champion Sergei Liakhovich in one round of their scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.

Wilder landed a jab that was followed up by two crushing rights that sent Liakhovich down to the canvas. Liakhovich’s legs were twitching om the ground the fight was immediately stopped just 103 seconds into the fight.

Wilder, 224 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is now 29-0 with 29 knockouts. Liakhovich, 232 lbs of Scottsdale, AZ is now 25-6.

“I know I’m blessed with God-given power,” he said after destroying former world heavyweight champion Sergei Liakhovich in Friday’s main event on ShoBox: The New Generation from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. “After our team prayer, I always pray that I don’t hurt the guy I’m fighting, that if he has a family he will be OK enough afterward to continue to provide for them.”

“I’m just blessed with tremendous power,” said Wilder, a bronze medalist in the 2008 Olympic Games and the last American male boxer to medal in the Olympics. “I don’t depend on it, but it is there. I think my secret isn’t power. It’s my speed. I think people hear about all my KO’s and tend to overlook that.

“I think all my KO’s are helping me get a lot of people’s attention and I love that. I embrace it. I think more people are now starting to feel that maybe I can be the guy who brings the heavyweight title back to America. Honestly, I would love to be that guy.”

In a spirited battle of previously undefeated Super Featherweights, Francisco Vargas scored a ten round unanimous decision over Brandon Bennett.

Bennett boxed well early has he jabbed to keep Vargas for the first round and a half. Vargas got into the fight by landing a couple of power shots towards the end of the round. Round four, the action picked up greatly with Vargas getting the better with his shots where he featured a body assault. Bennett stood his ground and landed quicker yet less powerful shots. Despite getting cut over the right eye in round five, Vargas had a big round as he contunied to work the body until he landed a big right at the end of the round.

In round six, Vargas continued to pound forward with a volume of combinations that were divided up between head and body. As the round progressed, Vargas continued to apply the pressure and the cut became less of a factor. Vargas continued to throw punches and was never threatened down the stretch.

Vargas outlanded Bennett 228 to 81.

Vargas, 130 lbs of Mexico City, MX won by scores of 99-91, 99-90 and 98-92 and is now 17-0-1. Bennett of Cincinnati is now 16-1

“I knew this fight was going to be complicated but I knew with pressure I could win,” said Vargas, an eight-time Mexican national champion who didn’t turn pro until he was 25. “I was scared when I got cut because in the ring you can’t tell how big of a cut it is. All the preparation and hard work that I did in the mountains of Otomi in Mexico paid off. I am very happy with this fight and with my performance.”

Said Bennett: “His strength and speed didn’t surprise me. I just didn’t stick to my game plan. I should have stayed in the middle of the ring. I thought I had him after the first two rounds, but he closed the gap on me in the third and that got me out of my game plan. Instead of just throwing, I waited. Maybe we’ll meet again one day.’

Jermall Charlo scored an impressive second round stoppage over Antwone Smith in a scheduled ten round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Charlo was dominant over Smith, who came in five pounds over the contracted weight In round two, Charlo landed a right to the head that sent Smith to the canvas. When Smith got got to his feet his legs were unsteady and referee Thomas Taylor stopped the bout at 2:23 of round two.

Charlo, 154 lbs of Houston is now 15-0 with 11 knockouts. Smith, 159 lbs of Miami is now 23-5-1.

“I wasn’t surprised at all that the fight ended so quickly,” Charlo said. “The fight went exactly as I expected. Everything my trainer, Ronnie Shields, said would happen happened. This is a great feeling. We accomplished everything we trained for and did exactly what we wanted to do.”

Smith, who weighed in five pounds over the contracted weight of 154 pounds and could not weigh more than 165 for the fight, said “my weight issues had nothing to do with this. I felt normal – until I got hit.”

The Bronze Bomber Deontay Wilder returns to your BoxNation screen as we head Stateside for a third weekend in a row! Wilder is a familiar face to BoxNation fans thanks to his sensational 28-0 (28 KO) record and his demolition of Britain’s Audley Harrison last April.

Now he faces the White Wolf Siarhei Liakhovich, a former WBO World Heavyweight Champion with a point to prove.

Join us from 2am tonight to catch all of the unmissable action LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on BoxNation.

NATHAN CLEVERLY v SERGEY KOVALEV

Live on BoxNation Next Saturday From 7pm

Buckland v Smith & McKenzie v Maccarinelli also feature!

We’re just a week away from seeing if WBO World Light-Heavyweight Champion Nathan Cleverly can defend his title against the fearsome knockout power of Russia’s Sergey “The Krusher” Kovalev. Cleverly knows that this is his biggest test to date, and he’ll have a packed out Motorpoint Arena crowd in Cardiff roaring him on, as well as TV audiences in Britain LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on BoxNation and HBO in America.

A jam packed undercard features Gary Buckland in a British Super-Featherweight title defence against Stephen Smith and a tasty rematch between Ovill McKenzie and Enzo Maccarinelli after a controversial first bout saw McKenzie steal away the Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight title that he risks on this great British card.

Once again BoxNation is the only place you can catch this belter of a show in the UK, LIVE from Cardiff, so join us from 7pm next Saturday night!

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