New York (April 14, 2017)-Boxing manager Felipe Gomez is proud to announce the signing of former world champion Elio Rojas to a managerial contract.

Elio Rojas who hails from San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic has a record of 24-3, with 14 wins coming by way of knockout.

Rojas won the WBC World Featherweight Title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Takahiro Ao (17-1-1) in Ao’s hometown in Tokyo, Japan. Rojas then defended his title against Mexican veteran Gutty Espadas Jr. (45-7) in Yucatan, Mexico with a 12-round unanimous decision. In his most recent bout, Rojas lost by TKO in the 5th round to hard hitting Mikey Garcia, 36-0, 30 knockouts.

Rojas, who had been living in Florida, recently moved to New York with the hopes of getting his career back on track.

“I know Felipe Gomez for many years and I know he can help me jumpstart my career,” said Rojas.

“Elio fought some big names in his career and is coming off a tough loss in a fight he accepted above his weight class. If he can get back down to his natural weight which is 126-130 pounds, I know he can beat a lot of good fighters,” said Gomez. “I am excited to be part of his career because I know he still has a lot of fight in him and he can become a world champion again.”

Elios Rojas is training at the famous Gleason Gym in Brooklyn, New York with former world champion Joan Guzman.

Felipe Gomez, formerly of New Legend Boxing, has given up his promoter’s license to become a boxing manager. His recent signings include: Middleweight veteran Giovanni Lorenzo, Middleweight DeVaun Lee, Welterweight Cesar Francis and several other up and coming prospects residing in the Dominican Republic.

BROOKLYN (June 28, 2016) – Undefeated former two-division world champion Mikey Garcia will return to the ring after a two-and-a-half-year layoff on Saturday, July 30 in an exciting night of boxing on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME EXTREME that is one of the strongest cards ever assembled at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Garcia, who won world titles at featherweight and super featherweight, will fight former world champion Elio Rojas in a 10-round bout in the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature of the Leo Santa Cruz vs. Carl Frampton event presented by Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).

In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast that begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, once-beaten 154-pound contenders Tony Harrison and Sergey Rabchenko will meet in a 12-round IBF Junior Middleweight Eliminator. Harrison and Rabchenko will square off for the No. 2 mandatory challenger spot to IBF titlist Jermall Charlo, who successfully defended his crown on May 21, and undefeated contender Julian Williams, who earned the No. 1 mandatory position on March 5, both on SHOWTIME. Harrison vs. Rabchenko is the sixth matchup in 2016 between top 154-pound fighters, a lineup showcasing three world title fights and three title eliminators in one of boxing’s deepest divisions.

The combined record of the six fighters on the SHOWTIME telecast is an impressive 162-4-1 with 113 knockouts.

An all-Brooklyn showdown between welterweight technicians Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and Gabriel “Tito” Bracero highlights the undercard action on SHOWTIME BOXING on SHOWTIME EXTREME. The 10-round welterweight bout is a matchup between a former two-division world champion, Malignaggi, and a fellow Brooklyn native, Bracero, coming off the biggest win of his career when he knocked out Danny O’Connor last October.

A 10-round matchup between once-beaten lightweight Ivan Redkach and streaking Tevin Farmer, a winner of 14 straight, will open the SHOWTIME EXTREME telecast live at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

The July 30 event at Barclays Center comes on the heels of last Saturday’s potential Fight of the Year thriller between Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter, a back-and-forth slugfest at a that generated the top grossing live gate and second-highest attended boxing event in venue history.

“This is the strongest card from top to bottom, that I have promoted at Barclays Center,” said DiBella Entertainment President Lou DiBella. “Every single fight is significant and competitive, and this is a great follow up from the tremendous success that boxing had with Thurman-Porter this past weekend.”

“This will be our 19th boxing event, but from top to bottom it’s arguably our best card yet,” said Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment CEO Brett Yormark. “We are excited to welcome undefeated Santa Cruz and Frampton to Brooklyn for the first time, a fight that could rival Barclays Center’s epic Thurman-Porter bout for Fight of the Year. It’s also a pleasure to welcome Brooklyn’s own Paulie Malignaggi back to Barclays Center for the fifth time and to host the return of Mikey Garcia after a two and a half year hiatus. July 30 is going to be another big night for BROOKLYN BOXING.”

“We are excited to be part of Mikey Garcia’s return to the ring. Before the layoff he was among the top-10 pound-for-pound and among the most popular fighters in boxing. We know he is determined to reclaim his place among the elite,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “SHOWTIME has distinguished itself by delivering the most compelling matchups and, hands down, the most important events in boxing all year long. There is no other network as committed to the sport and the July 30 event, from top-to-bottom, is a prime example.”

MIKEY GARCIA vs. ELIO ROJAS
“I expect to pick up right where I left off,” Garcia told SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray last Saturday on CBS. “I was a world champion, I was undefeated, and I still am. I didn’t leave because I was injured. I think I’ll come back even better. I’m hungrier now than I was before.

“I just have to get one fight in. This first fight with Elio (Rojas) will be somewhere between 135 and 140 pounds, but I want to fight at 135 and win a title there. I want to win a title there and keep going after champion after champion. Now that all that (uncertainty) is behind me I look forward to the next stage of my career. This next stage of my career will be what people remember me for.”

“Mikey Garcia is a great fighter,” Rojas said. “I want to thank him for this opportunity. We are both former WBC World Champions and I expect a great fight. However, all of the talk surrounding this fight has been about Mikey’s comeback and his future plans. I am no tune-up. This is also about me coming back and fighting again. He may be looking past me, but I am fully focused on him and securing the victory. I will do whatever I have to do to win, so I can move on and regain my world championship.”

Garcia (34-0, 28 KOs), of Ventura, Calif., is 28-years-old and in the prime of his career. Once considered one of the top young boxers pound-for-pound in the world, he will make his first ring appearance since he retained the WBO 130-pound title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Burgos on Jan. 25, 2014. Garcia, the brother of renowned trainer Robert Garcia, has been victorious by knockout in 10 of his last 12 fights and holds impressive victories over Roman “Rocky” Martinez, Juan Manuel Lopez, Orlando Salido and Bernabe Concepcion.

Rojas (24-2, 14 KOs), of San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic, won the WBC featherweight world championship in 2009 with a 12-round unanimous decision over defending champion Takahiro Ao in Japan. The 33-year-old successfully defended the title against Guty Espadas Jr. in 2010, before losing the belt via unanimous decision to Jhonny Gonzalez in April of 2012. Since the loss to Gonzalez, Rojas moved up to lightweight, where he defeated Robert Osiobe in August 2014.

TONY HARRISON vs. SERGEY RABCHENKO:
“I’m thrilled to return to the ring on this big stage for my first fight in Brooklyn, and I’m ready to put on a show,” said Harrison. “Fighting for a world title is my dream and I know that I have a challenge in front of me. I’m working hard in camp to get another knockout and to make my mark on the division.”

“This is the start of realizing my dream,” Rabchenko said. “America is the Mecca of boxing so it is a huge privilege for me to be asked to fight there. American fans like to see knockouts and I like to knock people out, so I think they will like what they see. I think I can build a fan base there. I am hungrier than ever. I have not seen much of Harrison, but I am ready for anyone. People say he is a very good fighter with good power. I’m not worried. I have good power as well and I think I will have too much for him.”

At just 25-years-old, Harrison (23-1, 19 KOs) has showed tremendous promise. He manufactured a 10-fight knockout streak from 2013 to 2015 and proved he could recover from a loss when he dominated Cecil McCalla for 10 rounds in October 2015 and stopped Fernando Guerrero in impressive fashion in March.

Fighting out of Belaraus, Rabchenko (27-1, 20 KOs) is looking to put himself squarely into world title contention when he makes his U.S. debut on July 30. The 30-year-old is coming off of stoppage victories over Walter Calvo in May 2015 and a Miguel Aguilar in February.

SHOWTIME EXTREME:

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI vs. GABRIEL BRACERO:
“I feel truly blessed to have yet another opportunity to fight in Brooklyn,” Malignaggi said. “I have known Tito a long time and I know he always comes to fight. We will give the Brooklyn fans a great appetizer before the terrific main event later that night in Barclays Center.”

“I’m looking to make a statement by winning this fight,” said Bracero. “Paulie and I have been friends since the amateurs and I’m thankful to have this opportunity, but he’s had his run. Now it’s time for me to have mine. This fight is going to change my life.”

A former world champion at 140 and 147-pounds, the 35-year-old Malignaggi (35-7, 7 KOs) will return to the ring to fight at Barclays Center for the fifth timel. He has faced a slew of big names throughout his career and has been victorious over the likes of Zab Judah, Vyacheslav Senchenko and Pablo Cesar Cano. Born and raised in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, “The Magic Man” was victorious twice fighting in his birth country of Italy last year after unsuccessfully challenging unbeaten Danny Garcia in August.

Another Brooklyn-native, Bracero (24-2, 5 KOs) comes off of a sensational one-punch knockout of rival Danny O’Connor in their rematch last October. The 35-year-old owns victories over Dmitry Salita and Pavel Miranda in addition to his first triumph over the previously unbeaten O’Connor in 2011.

IVAN REDKACH vs. TEVIN FARMER:
“I am extremely happy to be back in the ring on a big show in New York,” Redkach said. “There are so many Ukrainian fans in New York and I am thrilled to have their support and will put on a great show for them. I want to thank Leo Santa Cruz and his team for having me in their camp as we both prepare ourselves to put on tremendous performances come July 30.

“I couldn’t be more excited about this fight,” Farmer said. “This is my Barclays Center debut and it is going to be a spectacular performance. I have called out anyone and everyone in the 130 pound division to no avail, so now I’m moving up to 135 to take on Redkach, one of the most feared punchers in the division. Redkach is an aggressive guy and I know he is coming to fight, but there is no way I leave that ring without my hand being raised. This is a fight where I can and I will make a major statement. I’m willing to fight whoever they put in front of me to inch closer to a world title opportunity and July 30 is another step in that direction. I tip my hat off to Redkach for giving me this fight, but this is my time to shine.”

Born in Ukraine but fighting out of Los Angeles, Redkach (19-1-1, 15 KOs) began boxing at the age of six and has put together an impressive career since turning pro in 2009. The 30-year-old owns victories over Tony Luis, Sergey Gulyakevich and Yakubu Amidu. Mostrecently, Redkach knocked out Erick Daniel Martinez in October 2015 and fought to a draw with Luis Cruz in April.

Representing the fighting city of Philadelphia, Farmer (24-1-1, 5 KOs) has won 14 bouts in a row since dropping a contest to unbeaten world champion Jose Pedraza in 2012. The 25-year-old has come on strong in recent years, upsetting previously unbeaten fighters such as Emmanuel Gonzalez, Angel Luna and Camilo Perez. Farmer dominated veteran Gamaliel Diaz in March and will make his Barclays Center debut on July 30.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Cyclone Promotions, start at $38 and can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

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Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @LeoSantaCruz2, @RealCFrampton, @BarclaysCenter, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former two-division world champion Mikey Garcia will be back in action on July 30 as the co-feature bout against Elio Rojas at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and on Showtime.

“The best of my career is what’s next,” Garcia said during a small media session with reporters on Saturday night at Barclays Center before the Keith Thurman-Shawn Porter welterweight title fight. “I think you’ll remember me most for what I achieve from here forward than for what I’ve done. The best challenges are next.

“All I have wanted is a date and a fight and to get back to boxing. I didn’t want to be waiting, guessing and thinking about when I might fight. Now I have a date, I have a fight and I am very happy.”

“(Adviser) Al [Haymon], Stephen and Lou worked out this fight for me almost as … a trial type of work,” Garcia said, adding that he has no deals with anyone beyond the July 30 bout. “Stephen and I have talked in the past. He really wants me to be part of the Showtime network, and Al has a lot of fighters that I would love to fight, and I won’t have access to those fighters if I don’t do business with them.

“I need to make up for lost time. I need to get back. This (protracted legal battle) took too much time. The court system isn’t something you just walk into and handle it. It takes time.”

“Floyd [Mayweather] has been trying to push to maybe get something going,” Garcia said. “We have been talking on how we can arrange something. Floyd proposed maybe a short-term opportunity to work with him. Al also proposed his idea of what he thinks he can do for me. And having Stephen as a network, great things are about to happen. I just want to make sure whatever I do is best for me, for my career.”

“A year ago, we made a few attempts to settle this. If [Top Rank] believed I owed them anything money-wise, give me a number. They said no, that’s not available, that’s not for sale,” Garcia said. “So that kind of frustrated me. It motivated me to go full on and go through litigation.

“As a fighter, you’re supposed to stay in the gym. This is what I do. I don’t do anything else. I don’t do any other sport. I box. I like to be in the gym with the guys. I’ve been in shape the whole time. I’ve been training, sparring. I helped just about every single guy Robert has in the gym. We had guys come from other gyms looking for sparring with me because they wanted to get in shape. I didn’t mind it. I said let’s do it. It helps me stay in shape.”

“I think the two years off was good for him. He focused on other things,” said brother/trainer, Robert Garcia. “Now he wants to pick up a title at 135, 140 and maybe 147. Things were too easy for him before. Now he has challenges in front of him. I think he had fought for the past two years maybe because he would be bored and not want to fight anymore.”

So he said he declined fights because “it’s hard when they don’t give you an exact number of fights they believe you owe them. I believed my contract was up. I still stand by that. They believed there was an extension that applied. I didn’t see how that extension could apply, especially when they never gave me their own interpretation. Every clause, every contract they had with me would never end the way they have it written down. They wanted me to get a title fight so they could extend for another three years, and then before tha

“I have always said they did a very good job building me up,” Garcia said. “They picked the right dates, the right times, the right fighters as opponents for me. There’s a few things I was not happy with — some of the disclosures, some of the revenues, stuff they should be sharing with me and I never got to see certain things and I questioned it. And when they promise you a purse and then they come back with a $100,000 or $150,000 less, it just doesn’t look right.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, an agreement has been reached between Featherweight beltholder’s Yuriorks Gamboa and Elio Rojas in a bout that will take place on September 11 in a site to be determined.

“We’ve sent them a draft of the contract for them to review and we’re waiting for their comments, but we’ve agreed on the terms,” Carl Moretti of Top Rank, who promotes Gamboa told ESPN.com.

Before Salido got the fight with Gamboa, Rojas had been the target. However, according to Top Rank, issues between King and Rojas’ manager, along with the tight schedule, forced Top Rank to turn to Salido, who it also promotes.

Once Salido dropped out and there was more time to make a fight for Gamboa, Top Rank made another run at Rojas because that is who HBO preferred, Moretti said.

“Style-wise, Rojas presents Gamboa with a different kind of fight than Salido,” Moretti said. “Salido is right-handed and in front of you and can punch. Rojas is a lefty, he’s taller than Gamboa and not easy to hit. He’s more of a pure boxer.”

“It’s Gamboa’s title against Rojas’ title. Pretty simple,” Moretti said.

“It shows that they really believe they have a shot to win the fight, which they do,” he said.

“He wanted this fight. He wanted Gamboa or [titlist] ‘Juanma’ Lopez, and now he has one, and when he beats him, he would go for another unification fight,” Victor Rojas, Elio’s uncle and one of his representatives, told ESPNdeportes.com.

To prepare for the fight, Rojas has hooked up with a new trainer, the highly regarded Kevin Cunningham. Cunningham, who is training unified junior welterweight titlist Devon Alexander for his Aug. 7 fight with former titleholder Andreas Kotelnik in Las Vegas, said Rojas joined the camp on June 30.

“They called me and asked me if I would train him,” said Cunningham, who first met Rojas several years ago at King’s training facility in Orwell, Ohio. “Elio is a good kid. He watched the way I run my camps when we were in Ohio and he has wanted me to work with him and this opportunity came up.

“This could be a very, very good fight. You’ve got Gamboa, who’s coming in with good hand speed and he can punch and he has had his way with everybody he’s fought so far. But I think Elio is the most talented opponent Gamboa would have seen so far in his career, so I like Elio’s chances. He’s going to have to be at his best and extremely sharp, but I see a lot of mistakes that Gamboa makes. I got nine weeks to get Elio ready and he will be ready.”

The planned co-feature is a lightweight title eliminator between Anthony Peterson (30-0, 20 KOs), of Washington, D.C., and Brandon Rios (24-0-1, 18 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., both of whom are promoted by Top Rank. The winner is supposed to become the mandatory challenger for titlist Miguel Acosta, another Top Rank fighter.