Big Bear Lake, CA (December 25, 2014) While wishing his fans across the globe a “Merry Christmas”, WBA/IBO and WBC ‘Interim’ Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN spent the holiday training for his upcoming world title defense against two-time world title challenger MARTIN MURRAY, the WBC’s #1 ranked middleweight set for Saturday, February 21 at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte-Carlo.

Golovkin is training at The Summit High Altitude Training Center in Big Bear Lake, California under longtime trainer ABEL SANCHEZ. The duo has worked together at the Southern California camp since June 2010.

“It feels great to be back in camp,” said Golovkin. “We’re working hard with my Coach Abel Sanchez to put on another exciting show in Monte-Carlo against Martin Murray.”

“Gennady was looking forward to starting his training,” said TOM LOEFFLER of K2 Promotions. “This is an excellent matchup between the best middleweight and the #1 rated challenger and Gennady will be well prepared to defend his titles against Murray on February 21.”

Prior to the start of training camp, Golovkin traveled the globe for press conferences in front of huge crowds of media in Monte Carlo, Astana, London and Mexico City. He also attended the WBC Convention in Las Vegas.

“Gennady is one of the most internationally marketable fighters in the world. At every stop the attention we received was overwhelming from the media and fans,” continued Loeffler.

Boxing’s Fastest Rising Superstar, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, 31-0-0 with 28 KO’s, scored his 18th straight stoppage and 12th defense of his WBA title on Saturday, October 18th with a devastating second round knockout of WBC “Interim” Middleweight Champion, Marco Antonio Rubio in front of a standing room crowd of 9,323 at the StubHub! Center in Carson, California, USA. The attendance was record setting, far surpassing any other previous boxing events held at the acclaimed West Coast venue including those featuring Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andre Ward.

A native of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, now residing in Stuttgart, Germany, Golovkin has fought twice previously in Monte Carlo. In March 2012, Golovkin knocked out former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida in the third stanza, which earned him numerous “Knockout of the Year” awards from the international boxing media and scored a sixth round stoppage of former world title challenger Osumanu Adama in February 2013, also taking place at the Salle des Etoiles.

On October 25, Martin Murray stopped Dominic Spada in the fifth round also at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo. Golovkin was ringside for the Murray/Spada bout and came away impressed by his performance. With the victory, Murray of Merseyside, United Kingdom improved his record to 29-1-1 (13KO’s).

In April 2012, Murray traveled to Buenos Aries, Argentina and battled hometown world champion Sergio Martinez. Despite dropping Martinez in the eighth round, he lost a controversial decision in a bout many in the media and ringside observers believe he was victorious in.

Three fights earlier, Murray headed to Mannheim, Germany in December 2011 to challenge also hometown champion Felix Sturm. Outlanding Sturm throughout the fight with blistering power punches, most ringside observers and media members also thought he won this fight despite settling for a highly controversial split decision draw.

GOLOVKIN vs. MURRAY is presented by Golden Gloves of South Africa, K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions, Expo 2017 and Tsesnabank, Casino de Monte Carlo along with Monte Carlo SBM.

Monte-Carlo (December 17, 2014) Advance ticket information has been released for the highly anticipated World Middleweight Championship between WBA/IBO and WBC ‘Interim’ Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and WBC #1 ranked, two-time world title challenger MARTIN MURRAY set for Saturday, February 21st at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte-Carlo.

Advance tickets starting at 200€ can be purchased by calling the Monte-Carlo SBM Ticket Office at + 377 98 06 36 36 (Daily from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CET) or by email at TicketOffice@SBM.mc.

Tickets are also available online through www.FNACTickets.com and www.DigiTick.com.

Boxing fans are also eligible to receive a 10% special rate discount at the beautiful Monte-Carlo Bay & Resort located adjacent to the Salle des Etoiles venue. Using the code ‘Bonanza’, reservations can be made online through www.MonteCarloBay.com.

Boxing’s Fastest Rising Superstar, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, 31-0-0 with 28 KO’s, scored his 18th straight stoppage and 12th defense of his WBA/IBO titles on Saturday, October 18th with a devastating second round knockout of WBC “Interim” Middleweight Champion, Marco Antonio Rubio in front of a standing room only crowd of 9,323 at the StubHub! Center in Carson, California, USA. The attendance was record setting, far surpassing any other previous boxing events held at the acclaimed West Coast venue including those featuring Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andre Ward.

A native of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, now residing in Stuttgart, Germany, Golovkin has fought twice previously in Monte-Carlo. In March 2012, Golovkin knocked out former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida in the third stanza, which earned him numerous “Knockout of the Year” awards from the international boxing media and scored a sixth round stoppage of former world title challenger Osumanu Adama in February 2013, also taking place at the Salle des Etoiles.

On October 25, Martin Murray stopped Dominic Spada in the fifth round also at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte-Carlo. Golovkin was ringside for the Murray/Spada bout and came away impressed by his performance. With the victory, Murray of Merseyside, United Kingdom improved his record to 29-1-1 (13KO’s).

In April 2012, Murray traveled to Buenos Aries, Argentina and battled hometown world champion Sergio Martinez. Despite dropping Martinez in the eighth round, he lost a controversial decision in a bout many in the media and ringside observers believe he was victorious in.

Three fights earlier, Murray headed to Mannheim, Germany in December 2011 to challenge also hometown champion Felix Sturm. Outlanding Sturm throughout the fight with blistering power punches, most ringside observers and media members also thought he won this fight despite settling for a highly controversial split decision draw.

GOLOVKIN vs. MURRAY is presented by Golden Gloves of South Africa, K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions, Expo 2017 and Tsesnabank, Casino de Monte-Carlo along with Monte-Carlo SBM.

Big Bear Lake, CA (December 16, 2014) Following a world wind International Press Tour with stops in Monte Carlo, Astana, London and Mexico City, WBA/IBO and WBC ‘Interim’ Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN has opened training camp in Big Bear Lake, California for his upcoming world title defense against two-time world title challenger MARTIN MURRAY, the WBC’s #1 ranked middleweight.

Under the watchful eye of longtime trainer ABEL SANCHEZ, Golovkin is slated to defend his titles on Saturday, February 21st at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo.

“It was a very busy time these last few weeks but I liked spending time with the media and fans all over the world,” said Golovkin on Monday, speaking from the World Boxing Council Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. “I look forward to starting training camp with my coach and putting on another great show in Monte Carlo.”

Stated TOM LOEFFLER of K2 Promotions, “The response Gennady has received all over the world these last few weeks has been extraordinary. From both media and fans it’s clear that he’s the fastest rising international star in boxing.”

“Gennady is also anxious to start training and looks forward to the biggest test of his career facing Martin Murray who is rated at the top of the middleweight division.”

The Five-City International Press Tour for Golovkin will culminate in Los Angeles with details of a January press conference to be announced shortly.

Boxing’s Fastest Rising Superstar, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, 31-0-0 with 28 KO’s, scored his 18th straight stoppage and 12th defense of his WBA/IBO titles on Saturday, October 18th with a devastating second round knockout of WBC “Interim” Middleweight Champion, Marco Antonio Rubio in front of a standing room only crowd of 9,323 at the StubHub! Center in Carson, California, USA. The attendance was record setting, far surpassing any other previous boxing events held at the acclaimed West Coast venue including those featuring Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andre Ward.

A native of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, now residing in Stuttgart, Germany, Golovkin has fought twice previously in Monte Carlo. In March 2012, Golovkin knocked out former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida in the third stanza, which earned him numerous “Knockout of the Year” awards from the international boxing media and scored a sixth round stoppage of former world title challenger Osumanu Adama in February 2013, also taking place at the Salle des Etoiles.

On October 25, Martin Murray stopped Dominic Spada in the fifth round also at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo. Golovkin was ringside for the Murray/Spada bout and came away impressed by his performance. With the victory, Murray of Merseyside, United Kingdom improved his record to 29-1-1 (13KO’s).

In April 2012, Murray traveled to Buenos Aries, Argentina and battled hometown world champion Sergio Martinez. Despite dropping Martinez in the eighth round, he lost a controversial decision in a bout many in the media and ringside observers believe he was victorious in.

Three fights earlier, Murray headed to Mannheim, Germany in December 2011 to challenge also hometown champion Felix Sturm. Outlanding Sturm throughout the fight with blistering power punches, most ringside observers and media members also thought he won this fight despite settling for a highly controversial split decision draw.

GOLOVKIN vs. MURRAY is presented by Golden Gloves of South Africa, K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions, Expo 2017 and Tsesnabank, Casino de Monte Carlo along with Monte Carlo SBM.

Astana, Kazahkstan (November 22, 2014) Boxing Fastest Rising International Star, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN hosted a greeting for his fans on Friday, November 21st at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Joined by his manager, OLEG HERMANN, Golovkin answered numerous questions from the massive crowd of supporters in attendance.

“The turnout was sensational and Gennady was thrilled to meet with his many supporters in Astana”, said Hermann. Golovkin is a native of nearby Karaganda.

On Saturday, Golovkin was scheduled to hold a formal press conference in Astana to further discuss with the local media his upcoming world title defense against MARTIN MURRAY slated for Saturday, February 21st in Monte Carlo.

Holder of the WBA/IBO and WBC Interim Middleweight World Titles, Golovkin, 31-0-0 with 28 KO’s, will be making his 13th world championship defense and be looking for his 19th straight stoppage against Murray. His knockout ratio of 90.32% is the highest among all active world champions and the highest in the history of the middleweight division.

GOLOVKIN vs. MURRAY is presented by Golden Gloves of South Africa, K2 Promotions, GGG Promotions, Expo 2017 and Tsesnabank along with Monte Carlo SBM.

Venice, CA (November 17, 2014) Boxing’s fastest rising star, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN was honored by the World Boxing Council (‘WBC’) this past week being named their “Fighter of the Month” for October 2014.

On October 18th, Golovkin added the WBC Interim Middleweight Title to his collection of world titles with a second round stoppage of MARCO ANTONIO RUBIO in front of a standing-room-only record crowd of 9,323 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. He is now the mandatory challenger to full champion MIGUEL COTTO.

The knockout of Rubio improved Golovkin’s record to 31-0-0 (28KO’s), while serving as his 18th straight knockout. His knockout ratio of 90.32 is the highest among all active champions and the highest in the history of the middleweight division.

“I’m honored to win the WBC interim title and very thankful to be named the ‘Fighter of the Month’,” said Golovkin who is planning to soon visit the WBC’s Mexico City headquarters for the official presentation of his new belt.

Said WBC President MAURICIO SULAIMAN, “We are glad to have Gennady in the ranks of world champions of the Council. He told me at the end of the fight with Rubio that his dream was to have the green belt and he did it and now wants to be the overall champion.”

“He is an attraction in the business, besides being a great person and fighter.”

Stated TOM LOEFFLER, Managing Director of K2 PROMOTIONS; “This is a tremendous honor from the WBC for Gennady. With the huge crowd on hand and Gennady’s sensational performance, October 18th was a special night and we look forward to many more in the future.”

“He continues to distinguish himself as the most exciting and most internationally marketable star in boxing.”

Golovkin is slated to defend his world titles against former world title challenger MARTIN MURRAY on February 21st in Monaco, his third world title defense in the world’s most glamorous tourist location.

Congratulations. Your recent tournament in Monte Carlo delivered high-quality match-ups. Presumably your partners in Monaco were very satisfied?
I would hope so. The objective is gaining publicity for the principality, encouraging tourism, that sort of thing. It was very well received internationally.
The reality is we have been moving towards Gennady Golovkin against Martin Murray, which will be a mega-event.

You are now promoting Martin Murray and have co-promoted a number of Gennady Golovkin’s fights in Monaco. How difficult was it to put together Murray versus Golovkin for next February?
It was relatively easy. It was a very unique situation: both Golovkin and Murray are thorough gentlemen and [K2 Promotions’] Tom Loeffler, on Golovkin’s side, is one of the most honourable guys I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with. Andrew Mikhail, Murray’s advisor, is of the same ilk. They understand the logistics. Outside of a Miguel Cotto or Canelo Alvarez fight, Murray against Golovkin was an obvious choice for international television and a great fans’ fight.

Are you torn? It is well-known that you have an excellent relationship with each.
Yes, it’s very difficult. Golovkin has done a helluva lot for Golden Gloves. It has been a privilege promoting him and it’s fair to say part of his stature has grown from his past fights in Monte Carlo.
And we promote Murray. As I said when it was announced, this is a very hard fight for me . . . both guys are very dear to me. As long as it’s a good, competitive fight, neither fighter truly “loses”. I can assure you Murray is not going to be another Marco Antonio Rubio.

What qualities do they each bring to the fight and what do you think will be critical in determining a winner?
The jury is still out to some extent on GGG’s super status. He hasn’t fought the superstars as yet. From what I’ve seen, all of his opponents, perhaps with the exception of Curtis Stevens, were defeated before they stepped foot in the ring.
Murray, though, comes from a tough background. I will venture to say that he will be the first challenger who won’t be overwhelmed. He has true boxing skills and will also be the biggest middleweight Golovkin will have fought.
Remember, Murray is probably a two-time uncrowned champion who gave a peak Sergio Martinez a very good fight.
One of the reasons I give Murray a chance is that Golden Gloves has been involved in some of the biggest upsets in recent years – Hasim Rahman beating Lennox Lewis, Corrie Sanders knocking out Wladimir Klitschko, Harry Simon beating Winky Wright and Vuyani Bungu handling Kennedy McKinney. The list is uncanny.

What has the appetite been from the international broadcast community for February’s big fight?
Outstanding. There has been much competition in various countries for the rights because it is seen as a proper fight. HBO in the US, Channel 5 in the UK, Chinese television and SuperSport across Africa will all be taking the fight, plus many more regions.

The venue in Monte Carlo is a small, intimate one. Given the scale of the fight, how do you plan on satisfying the fans, media, dignitaries and VIP’s?
It’s great because the demand will exceed the supply 100-fold. It’s virtually sold out already. The pressure for tickets doubles the value for television.
The truth is we can’t ensure everyone who wants a ticket will get one. We have to be very selective, it’s one of those things. When we ventured into Monte Carlo, this is what we knew.

Golden Gloves has been around a long time and promoted many big names, among them Shane Mosley, Lennox Lewis, Gennady Golovkin, Corrie Sanders and Brian Mitchell. You have made big headway in Europe and are planning to promote in the UK. Tell us more about your business model and ambitions.
I’m a front man. I have a lot of support from top drawer partners, from our driver to the matchmaker, who are all a part of Golden Gloves’ success.
The reason for our success is we run on corporate lines and don’t let emotions get in the way. We are fortunate that SuperSport Television in South Africa were very much part of our success, as was [hotel group] Sun International and more latterly Peermont.
We have also been blessed with very good fighters. We are probably getting stronger and stronger promotionally. We are getting requests from a lot of international boxers to join us. We will soon promote in England and have been approached by another country in Europe.
My one ambition, probably unattainable, is to promote a black world heavyweight champion born and bred in South Africa.

You have a tremendous little fighter in the shape of WBA and IBO minimumweight champion Hekkie Budler, fresh off a win against former WBC champion Xiong Zhao Zhong. What are your plans with him?
I’m hoping Hekkie won’t be deprived of his true greatness. Zhong refused to fight him when he was WBC champion, and Hekkie beat him convincingly last month.
[WBC champion] Oswaldo Novoa similarly rejected an offer to fight him in a unification. It’s extremely difficult to make those fights.
I’m almost certain that we will soon feature him on a K2 Promotions undercard in the United States where Hekkie can become just as marketable as guys like Chiquita Gonzalez and Michael Carbajal. That’s what we’re aiming for.

Unbeaten Tommy Oosthuizen also makes his return after a year’s layoff against Denis Grachev this weekend. He’s had a few issues with indiscipline in the past. What does the future hold for Tommy?
Tommy is the captain of his own soul. He has unlimited ability, but it’s up to him. There are opportunities if he satisfies us and knuckles down. Depending how he goes against Grachev, I will push for him at the WBC convention to get suitable recognition in the light-heavyweight division.

There was the recent death of a female boxer in a South African ring and there have been tremendous issues with Boxing South Africa. What is your view on the state of SA boxing?
I would rather not comment.

Big Bear Lake, CA:Guantanamo Bay, Cuba native Sullivan Barrera (13-0, 8 KOs) defected to the United States to become a world champion boxer and now, in his second straight training camp with world-renowned trainer Abel Sanchez (trainer to WBA Super Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin), the undefeated light heavyweight feels he is getting closer to realizing that dream.

On Nov. 8 Barrera will face Rowland Bryant (18-4, 12 KOs) of Altamonte Springs, Florida, who is coming off an eight round unanimous decision loss to Pawel Glazewski in Poland. The two will meet for eight rounds of action on the stacked undercard of the Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins vs. Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev event at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.

Since defecting from Cuba prior to his professional debut in 2009, Barrera has resided in Miami, FL but, now in his second training camp with Sanchez, Sullivan has all but made Big Bear Lake his home. According to his co-manager, Luis Molina, “Sullivan is focused. He’s basically moved to Big Bear which shows how dedicated he is to becoming a world champion.”

Training with Sanchez in Big Bear has allowed Sullivan access to camps of the other great fighters that Sanchez trains such as Golovkin. The 32-year old said, “I’ve been training very hard. Training camp has been great. We have had excellent sparring.”

In Sullivan’s first fight with Sanchez, he faced Eric Watkins and knocked him out in the sixth round last month at Foxwoods in Connecticut. According to Abel, things have continued to improve for Barrera since that first camp together.

“In our second training camp together things and system are making more sense to Sullivan, he is understanding his part a lot better,” explained Sanchez. “Our style here at The Summit Gym is to make sure we work towards a world championship and provide entertainment along the way.”

When asked about his upcoming fight with Bryant, Barrera said, “I came to America to seek, not only a better future for my family, but to become world champion. This is my dream. I LOVE AMERICA!” To which Molina added, “The future is bright for Sullivan and we are looking forward to Nov. 8.”

Promoter Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, said, “As a light heavyweight prospect, this is a big opportunity for Sullivan Barrera to appear on the undercard of such an exciting and highly anticipated light heavyweight unification fight. At 13-0, it’s also perfect timing. I expect Sullivan to capitalize on this chance and impress the fans, media and network executives who will all be at Boardwalk Hall on November 8th so that he can take the next step in his career in 2015.”

# # #

Alien vs. Krusher: Hopkins vs. Kovalev” is a 12-round unification bout for the IBF, WBA and WBO Light Heavyweight World titles, presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events in association with Caesars Atlantic City, Corona Extra, AT&T, Hortitsia Vodka and Mexico, Live it To Believe It!. Ali vs. Abregu is a 10-round bout for the WBO Intercontinental Welterweight Title promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Venice, CA (October 28, 2014) Boxing’s fastest rising star, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN will be interviewed Tonight on the latest edition of HBO’s THE FIGHT GAME WITH JIM LAMPLEY.

Airing at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT, Golovkin will be interviewed by Lampley from Stuttgart, Germany.

Golovkin, 31-0-0 with 28 KO’s, scored his 18th straight stoppage and 12th defense of his WBA/IBO middleweight world titles on Saturday, October 18th with a devastating second round knockout of WBC “Interim” Middleweight Champion, Marco Antonio Rubio in front of a standing room only crowd of 9,323 at the StubHub! Center in Carson, California.

The Golovkin/Rubio bout was a hit with television viewers as well and watched in the United States by 1,304,000 viewers on HBO making it the second most watched premium cable boxing event of 2014.

Golovkin is slated to make a quick return to the ring on Saturday, February 21st against top rated challenger MARTIN MURRAY in Monte Carlo, the world’s premier tourist destination.

By Bart Barry-

HOUSTON – Saturday this city’s largest art museum previewed for its members a fall exhibition, “Monet and the Seine,” that is unimpressive. Composed of middling efforts by the French Impressionist master, canvases from sundry places, some painted in cottoncandy hues and some deeply indebted to others’ influences and one so pedestrian Monet himself misdated it, this exhibition is wisely hidden across the street from Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s impressive permanent collection and the much better exhibition space and exhibition, “The Age of Impressionism,” through which the museum began its year.

Very much can be gathered about a master on a bad day, and seeing Monet’s lesser interpretations of his favorite French river serves to emphasize the transcendence of his best treatments of water, and water lilies – confirming his mastery absolutely. The disappointing exhibition and what mood it spawned, though, did, as it happened, mark an appropriate place for contemplating the coverage of Gennady “GGG” Golovkin’s recent victory over Marco Antonio Rubio and inevitable February victory over Martin Murray.

My colleague and friend Norm Frauenheim once wrote: Undefeated is untested. This evaluative approach appealed then and appeals still for a couple reasons: First, it delays declarations of greatness about modern fighters for a very long time indeed, and second, it encourages prizefighters to take increasingly larger risks before they can be called great.

In many senses this city, largest in Texas and fourth-largest in the country, was undefeated in my mind going into the weekend. But with the disappointment of its Monet exhibition, other disappointments began to arrive in the form of questions: Why does such a wealthy metropolis have grass growing in the middle of its surface streets and roads patchy enough to make a drive to its Museum District akin to off-roading? Why do bearded 130-pound boys who drive expensive German automobiles on those unkempt roads initiate collisions with much larger men in supermarkets? How can so many people in the Gulf’s velvety October air be so plainly miserable? Why is nearly every good downtown restaurant closed on Sundays?

Challenges beget defeats. Defeats beget more challenges.

While a heavyweight prizefighter, conceivably, could run through all competition and remain undefeated through a great career – one in particular springs to mind – it is nearly impossible for any smaller man. By remaining in weight classes long since scrubbed by himself or others, a prizefighter may have a profitable career, he may even make it in the hall of fame, but he will not be invited in conversations about all-timers by historians from generations after his own.

This thought came to mind a couple Saturdays ago while watching the Kazakh middleweight titlist Golovkin, whose entire career has happened at 160 pounds, dismantle another challenger, the Mexican Rubio this time, without a prayer of beating him. The straining by Golovkin’s print and television publicists to crown GGG a ticketseller was unseemly. HBO viewers were told of Golovkin’s record sales – in excess of 9,000! – at the former Home Depot Center tennis stadium in Carson, Calif., now named StubHub Center, and incredibly enough, Oscar De La Hoya was trotted out as an also-ran in the breathless comparisons. A little perspective: De La Hoya did not fight in the tennis stadium but rather the immense soccer stadium beside it – you may have seen it as an absence during the telecast, when HBO’s aerial view of the tennis stadium’s beacon revealed a sizable black hole on the left that made the tennis stadium a sparkly boutonniere on the lapel of a dark suit jacket – a venue at which, immediately after his loss to Floyd Mayweather, De La Hoya sold 300-percent as many tickets as Golovkin just did.

While we’re on the subject of De La Hoya, let’s treat briefly the “Golden Boy’s” career as a range of weightclasses to which he’d migrated by the time he was Golovkin’s age: lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight, middleweight – representing a 25-pound increase. Say what you will of De La Hoya’s sincerity and business acumen, but he challenged himself a hell of a lot more by his 32nd birthday than Golovkin has. Other comparisons? Sure. Roy Jones Jr. had covered three weight classes by the time he was Golovkin’s age: middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight – representing 15 pounds – and fans were so disgusted by Jones’ cashing HBO checks without challenging himself they staged a “Roycott.” Floyd Mayweather Jr., before his 32nd birthday, had gone from junior lightweight to junior middleweight, representing 24 pounds, and aficionados remain furious about the fights he did not make.

It says here if GGG were a flashy black prizefighter or pretty Latino, and not a Central Asian with a face easily confused for a suburban schoolboy’s in America, yesterday’s Roycotters would demand his next match be with the winner of November’s Bernard Hopkins-Sergey Kovalev match, not Martin Murray.

How dare you, sir, imply any of this Golovkin media mania has ethnic underpinnings!

You must be kidding.

Golovkin appears to be an exceptional talent, yes, but his promoters are beginning to protest too much about a dearth of viable opponents. While most of the men who spent their careers at welterweight and junior middleweight are understandably hesitant about being bludgeoned by a larger man for short money, one increasingly wonders what precludes Golovkin from moving to higher weight classes, what precludes his making an exceptional match with, say, super middleweight Carl Froch?

Because Froch, too, is afraid of . . . don’t even complete that sentence. Froch’s willingness to fight is beyond doubt, and if he becomes unwilling to make a match with Golovkin it will be for one reason only: money. This is the sort of problem HBO is uniquely empowered to solve. Instead of showing 1 1/2-percent of American households a 60-to-one mismatch wrapped in a hyperbolic banner about bringing 9,000 (of 16 million) folks in Greater Los Angeles to a tennis stadium, within months of Froch putting nearly nine times that many fans in a London soccer stadium, HBO ought to use what leverage it still has to make Froch an offer he likes, and show us how Golovkin acquits himself in a test.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Monaco, October 25 — The deal has been signed – unbeaten WBA, IBO and WBC Interim middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (31-0, 28 KOs) of Kazakhstan will fight top-rated Martin Murray (28-1-1, 12 KOs) of the UK in Monte Carlo on February 21.

Golden Gloves and K2 Promotions announced the bout minutes after Murray’s successful WBC Silver belt defence against Domenico Spada in Monaco on Saturday.
Golovkin will go in search of his record 19th straight stoppage while Murray will be hoping it is third time lucky after two previous title bids were rebuffed by the judges.
“Murray is generally regarded as the best middleweight outside the world champions,” said promoter Rodney Berman. “As we all know, he’s a world champion without a belt. He won’t be intimidated for one second fighting ‘GGG’, unlike all of Golovkin’s challengers.”
Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions agreed. “Arguably, Martin Murray will be the toughest opponent Gennady has ever faced. It’s a great way to follow up the Marco Antonio Rubio win: coming back to Europe and Monte Carlo against a top-rated middleweight contender.
“It fits in perfectly as Murray has shown he is world class and Gennady wants to continue to prove himself the most exciting fighter out there. Gennady is making big inroads in the US, but it’s also important for the fight to be in primetime in Europe where he has so many fans.”
Murray has won four fights since dropping a narrow decision to then-WBC champion Sergio Martinez in 2013, the last two of which were in Monte Carlo.
Golovkin has won 13 straight world championship fights – all by stoppage – on his way to confirming his status as the world’s most exciting boxer.
He has also fought twice before in Monte Carlo, beating Nobuhiro Ishida in 2013 and Osumanu Adama in February.
He was ringside in Monte Carlo on Saturday and said: “It feels great to get this fight. Murray is a great fighter, very strong. I remember the Sergio Martinez bout; it was an amazing fight. Along with Matthew Macklin and Daniel Geale, Murray is one of the best pure boxers in the division.
“I like to test myself. I’m giving him a chance and for Europe this is the biggest fight in the middleweight division. It is important to fight here, where many of my fans and followers are
Said Murray: “I think he’s a top fighter. He’s crushed everybody he’s been in with, but I’ve got the tools to beat any middleweight out there. I wouldn’t be taking the fight if I didn’t think I could win. A lot of his opponents have gone into the fight already beat. You won’t get that with me. I’m gonna go in there and stand up to him.”
Berman rates Golovkin highly, but believes that Murray has a chance of an upset.
“I have the highest regard for Golovkin, but the truth is his opponents have been sitting ducks. Out of fear, they lose the fight before they step into the ring; they’re intimidated and scared. You look at Murray’s background and just know he won’t be cowered. He’s the first guy I’ve seen who will create angles, who won’t stand in front of Golovkin waiting to be hit. Murray will make Golovkin work. He has the ability to outhustle him,” said the man who has famously promoted a number of major upsets over the years.
These include Hasim Rahman’s KO of heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, Corrie Sanders’ blowout of Wladimir Klitschko and Vuyani Bungu’s shock win over unbeaten Kennedy McKinney.
“It doesn’t get better than coming back to Monte Carlo,” added Loeffler. “The atmosphere is electric and Gennady enjoys it. He makes every fight an exciting fight because of his style. Every opponent has a plan . . . until they feel Gennady’s first punch.”
The undercard, Berman assured, would be top rate.

LONDON (24 OCT) St. Helens middleweight Martin Murray knows victory on Saturday night (October 25) against Italian Domencio Spada could set him up for a February date with WBA world middleweight champion Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin.

He is reminded of this in every interview and conversation and will be reminded further when the fearsome Golovkin takes his seat at ringside in Monte Carlo and watches Murray and Spada do battle for the WBC Silver middleweight title.

“It’s been a motivation thing for me,” said Murray, 28-1-1 (12 KOs). “People talk about Golovkin and you’ve got to answer questions about it, but the more people I get asking me about it, the more I get motivated to do a proper job on Spada this Saturday night.

“I knew I had a world title shot against Sergio Martinez back in 2013, but I still had to go out there and beat Jorge Navarro to get it. It’s the same tomorrow. If I don’t beat Spada, there’s no world title fight.

“For that reason, I’m completely focused on Spada and am not thinking about Golovkin one bit. In fact, I didn’t even watch his fight against Marco Antonio Rubio at the weekend. I just completely ignored it. Instead, I stuck on a DVD of Spada that morning to keep me focused.

“I want the Golovkin fight and it’s one I’ve always wanted. It’s one I look forward to. But, in order to get the fight I want, I have to beat Spada on Saturday night.”

Since losing a contentious decision in Argentina to then WBC world middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, Murray has gone from strength to strength, beating the likes of Max Bursak and Sergey Khomitsky in distance fights and picking up the WBC Silver title.

Spada, his first challenger, hails from Roma and is a former WBC International champion and European title challenger. Now 34, Spada, 39-5 (19 KOs), remains robust and durable at a world-class level.

“He’s experienced,” said Murray. “His style is horrible and awkward but it works for him. You look at videos of him and think he looks very beatable. He looks like he’s got nothing about him. But then you look at his record and look at the people he has fought and beat and you start to realise that he makes his style work for him.

“He’s got a good record. He pushed Darren Barker close and then Darren went on to win a world middleweight title.

“His style isn’t the prettiest and he can be quite dirty at times, but that’s not to say he isn’t dangerous. If you overlook someone like Spada, he’ll make you regret it.”

The 32-year-old continued: “I think he’s going to come out fast. He’s smaller than me in height and in build and he’ll probably look to get inside on me early. I’m expecting him to start fast and look to work me over with big shots. He’ll try to rough me up. He’ll be physical.

“But we’ve worked on picking clean shots as he’s coming in – working shots around the sides and bringing them up through the middle. I’ll be landing on him whenever he opens up and slowing him down. I want to control the first half of the fight and then completely take over in the second. I want to get the stoppage if I can.

“First and foremost, though, I have to just get the job done. I need to go in there and execute the game plan. But, of course, we’ve been working on finishing shots and I’m looking to take him out when the opportunity comes. I want to go in there and make a statement.”

Murray’s scheduled 12-rounder with Spada will be televised on Channel 5 this Saturday night (October 25) alongside the vacant IBF world bantamweight title fight between Darlington’s Stuart Hall and the unbeaten American Randy Caballero.

The action gets underway at 8.30pm and continues right on through to 11pm, meaning fight fans will be treated to some two-and-a-half hours of world-class boxing. Murray couldn’t be happier.

“It’s absolutely unbelievable to be fighting on Channel 5,” he said. “It’s brilliant for me and my team and it’s brilliant for everyone at home. I get some great exposure out of it and all my friends and family at home can watch me on terrestrial television. That’s priceless for a boxer.

“Since the Felix Sturm fight (in December 2011), I’ve suffered from inactivity and have been in the shadows a little bit. My profile then dipped after the Martinez fight and not a lot of people have been able to see me fight recently. This changes everything, though. It feels like everything I had to put up with in the past has now been worth it.”

*** Hall vs. Caballero, Murray vs. Spada and Blackwell vs. Khomitsky will all be televised this Saturday night (October 25) on Channel 5, 8.30pm – 11pm ***

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Los Angeles, CA (October 21, 2014) In addition to breaking all attendance records this Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, the acclaimed outdoor Southern California boxing venue, boxing fastest rising star, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN also scored big in the TV ratings. His HBO televised second round knockout of MARCO ANTONIO RUBIO earned a 1.3 rating, making it the second highest viewed premium cable-boxing event of 2014.

This marks a 33% increase for Golovkin from his extraordinary third round stoppage of Daniel Geale on July 26th at Madison Square Garden, also telecast on HBO.

“We’re very pleased with the TV ratings from this past Saturday night,” said TOM LOEFFLER, Managing Director of K2 Promotions. “Selling this many tickets in both NY and LA, combined with the TV ratings, it’s clear that Gennady is one of the top stars in the sport.”

Continued Loeffler, “This past Saturday night’s atmosphere at the StubHub Center truly captured the passion that Gennady’s fans have for him. In two years Gennady has become boxing’s biggest must-see attraction and we expect 2015 to catapult him to even greater heights. The best is yet to come for GGG.”

Scoring his 18th consecutive knockout, Golovkin raised his stellar record to 31-0-0 (28KO’s), increasing the highest KO percentage of any active world champion, while adding the WBC Interim Middleweight Title to his WBA and IBO Middleweight belts.

Gennady Golovkin thrilled a sold out StubHub Center in Carson, California in the 2nd round of their scheduled 12 round Middleweight championship bout.

Golovkin rocked Rubio at the end of the opening frame from a right. In round two, Golovkin landed a thudding uppercut that drove Rubio to the ropes. A follow up barrage that was finished off by a looping left to the head sent Rubio down for the ten count at

Golovkin, 159 lbs of Kazakhstan is now 31-0 with 28 knockouts. Rubio weighed in 1.8 lbs over the Middleweight limit is now 59-7-1.

Nicholas Walters announced his presence as a top flight Featherweight as Nicholas Walters scored a 6th round stoppage over Nonito Donaire to capture the WBA “Super” Featherweight title.

Donaire struck first as he rocked Walters with a left hook at the end of round two. In round three, Walters landed his own left hook that sent Donaire to the canvas. In round four, Dinaire suffered a cut over his right eye. In roud six, a cut formed over Donaire’s left eye. At the end of the sixth round, Walters landed two thudding right hands with the latter pouncing off the top of Donaire’s head that sent the former Fighter of the Year to the canvas again. Donaire was barely able to get to his feet but referee Raul Caiz stopped the fight at 2:59 of round six.

Walters, 125 1/w lbs of Montigo Bay, JAM is now 25-0 with 21 knockouts. Donaire, 125 1/2 lbs of Philippines is now 33-3.

Edwin Rodriguez scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Azea Augustama in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Scores were 100-90 twice and 99-91 for Rodriguez, 174 3/4 lbs of Worcester, MA and is now 24-1. Augustama. 175 3/4 lbs is now 17-2.

Abraham Han scored a 10-round majority decision over Marcos Reyes in a Super Middleweight bout.

Reyes Dropped Han in round eight but was deducted a point in round for a low blow.

Han, 160 1/2 lbs won by scores of 97-91 twice and 94-94 and is now 23-1. Reyes, 160 3/4 lbs is 32-2.

CARSON, Calif. – Going ga-ga for Triple-G continued Saturday in Gennady Golovkin’s campaign to discard the most-avoided title for a shot at Miguel Cotto or anybody else with credentials that would prove his pound-for-pound potential.

Golovkin (31-0, 28 KOs) did it quickly, did it definitively, in a second-round stoppage of Marco Antonio Rubio in front of capacity crowd at Stub Center.

Rubio never had a chance. As it turns out, neither did Nonito Donaire, whom Nicolas Walters knocked out in a sixth-round stunner. For Donaire, it might have been more than a loss. It could have been the end. More on that later.

The card, dubbed Mexican Style, was staged for Golovkin. He was in Los Angeles for his first bout in the West almost as if it were a campaign stop. The job was to win over Mexican fans. He did. His trunks were Dodger blue. Many in a crowd of more than 9,000 wore T-shirts that said “Mexicans For Golovkin.’’ Rubio, a Mexican, was just a prop, a piece in setting up Golovkin’s future.

“I think, first Miguel Cotto,’’ he said when asked what and who was at the top of his wish list. “First, Miguel
Cotto. I respect him.’’

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Canelo Alvarez and UK light heavyweight Carl Froch are also on the list. But Cotto is called the lineal middleweight champ. He beat the man who beat the man. Golovkin wants to be in that line. But he might have to wait on a Canelo-Cotto fight, perhaps in early May.

Whatever happens, Golovkin wipeout of Rubio (59-7-1, 51 KOs) won’t do anything to lessen the fear of fighting
him. Rubio was supposed to be a dangerous puncher. In the opening round, however, Golovkin walked through whatever Rubio threw at him. In the second, it was over.

First, Golovkin landed a beautiful right uppercut that traveled between Rubio’s upraised hands and landed onto the Mexican’s chin with chilling precision. Rubio, who was 1.8 pounds over the 160-pound limit at the weigh-in, stumbled into the ropes. That’s when Golovkin threw a left that traveled like a baseball bat. It bounced off Rubio’s head and sent him bouncing off the canvas. At 1:19 of the round, referee Jack Reiss waved it off .

Moments later, Golovkin waved to the fans who chanted his trademark initials, GGG.

Mission accomplished.

Another mission was accomplished by Walters, (25-0, 20 KOs), who took the WBA’s Super featherweight title from Donaire (33-3. 21 KOs). Walters crushed him with a winging right hook that bounced off the side of his head.

“A wonderful man,’’ Walters said of Donaire, who was left with swollen and bloodied eyes.

For a few seconds, an unconscious one too.

Donaire had no excuses. Not much of a chance, either.

“He beat the shit out of me,’’ Donaire said.

But honesty was still there. Donaire left the ring with all of that intact. He’ll need it. He stepped through the ropes and into an uncertain future after a loss that left him face down for the first time in his career. When he awakened, Walters was dancing to Reggae.

The Jamaican was taking his first steps into the stardom that once belonged to Donaire. In the exchange, Donaire was left to think about retirement.

“We’ll decide,’’ said Donaire, who plans to speak to his wife and review options that include a possible move down in weight, from feather to bantam, or to some place out of harm’s way.

On The Undercard

· It was a unanimous decision. A unanimous snoozer, too. Light-heavyweight Edwin Rodriguez (25-1, 16 KOs) nearly scored a shutout in taking a 100-90, 99-91, 100-90 decision over Azea Augustama (17-2, 9KOs) of Hollywood, Fla. But the crowd reacted as if there were no winners. They only cheered when the plodding 1-rounder was over.

· Middleweight Abraham Han (23-1, 14 KOs) of El Paso was on the canvas once, was on his knees in apparent exhaustion at the end of one round and yet managed to beat Mexican Marcos Reyes (32-2, 24 KOs) in a 97-91, 94-94, 97-91 majority decision. A mystifying one, too.

· Sacramento junior-welterweight Moris Rodriguez (8-3-1, 4 KOs) scored a fifth-round knockdown and applied the finishing touch with a right hand that knocked out Jaime Oceguda (8-1, 5 KOs) of Los Angeles early in the sixth.

· Kazakhstan lightweight Ruslan Madiyev (1-0) got the canvas ready for Golovkin, a fellow Kazak, with a punishing decision over Oscar Rojas (0-1) of Salinas, Calif.

· Neither a low blow nor a hot Southern California sun could slow down Los Angeles featherweight Walter Sarnoi (16-4, 10 KOs), who outworked Mexican Sergio Najera (8-16-2, 2 KO) to win a unanimous decision.

By Norm Frauenheim

CARSON, Calif. – Marco Antonio Rubio lost money instead of weight in failing to make the 160-pound limit Friday for his attempt to upset favored Gennady Golovkin Saturday at sold-out StubHub Center.

Rubio forfeited $100,000 when he chose not to step on the scale for a second time two hours after he was 1.8 pounds heavier than the middleweight mandatory. It was no sweat for Golvkin, who came in one pound light at 159.

According to contracts filed with the California State Athletic Commission, the $100,000 price for being over-weight will be subtracted from Rubio’s $450,000 purse, which had ranked among the biggest in the Mexican’s long career. Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs) will collect $900,000. If he loses, his title will be vacated, according to the re-done deal negotiated after the weigh-in.

Rubio trainer Robert Garcia was disappointed, yet not surprised. Despite several attempts at shedding the excess weight, Rubio (59-6-1, 27 KOs) couldn’t do it, said Garcia, who told reporters that his body “just shut down.’’

It’s hard to know what that might mean for Rubio’s chances against the heavy-handed, heavily favored Golovkin in an HBO-televised bout (10 p.m. ET/PT).

In the undercard’s featured bout, featherweights Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs) and challenger Nicolas Walters (24-0, 20 KOs) made weight, 125.6 pounds apiece.

Gennady Golovkin 159 – Marco Antonio Rubio 161.8
Nonito Donaire 125.6 – Nicholas Walters 125.6

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

By Norm Frauenheim–

CARSON, Calif. — The GGG at the belt of his waistband isn’t much of a secret anymore. But Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin’s initials might as well be evolving into a marketing acronym. These days, it could be Gennady Going Global.

World class means more than a gaudy piece of tin on a plastic belt worth a lot less than the fee paid to the sanctioning bodies. It also means hitting the road the way Muhammad Ali did when he fought in Manila, Zaire, Ireland and Indonesia. Faraway places are part of the intrigue. More significant, perhaps, they are also part of the challenge. At least, they used to be.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. reigns as boxing current pound-for-pound champ. But when was the last time he answered an opening bell outside of Las Vegas’ MGM Grand? He’s become as much of a regular at the MGM as Cirque du Soleil. His last 10 bouts have been there. Mayweather plays it safe, stays at home mostly because he can.

But Golovkin has been on the move since his days as an amateur in Kazakhstan. There was a 2004 Olympic silver medal in Athens. Then, there were bouts in Germany and Monaco with a stop in Panama before a string of appearances in New York. Stamp-for-stamp, Golovkin’s passport has to be a contender. He must have more frequent-flier miles than a passenger on the old Space Shuttle.

Unlike Mayweather, Golovkin has to travel. The initial challenge was just to indtruduce him to an American audience that would have had hard time finding Kazakhstan on a map. Then, became boxing most-avoided fighter, which might be another way of saying that Mexican stars Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Canelo Alavrez won’t fight him in their backyard.

No problem. Golovkin will still go into that backyard anyway, albeit against a lesser Mexican name in Marco Antonio Rubio Saturday night in an HBO-televised about at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, Calif. It’s Golovkin’s first fight in Southern California and its loyal Mexican, Mexican-American fans. That audience, boxing’ most important demographic, makes this stop as significant as any in the wide, wide world of GGG.

If ticket demand is any indication, those fans are as anxious to see him live as he is to win them over. It’s a sellout. It has been for about month. The 8,000-seat outdoor arena has been expanded three times just to fulfill the demand

Make no mistake, the fans aren’t turning out to see Rubio, who is a competent enough challenger with just enough power to make things interesting. No, this is all about Golovkin and his debut in a key boxing market. If Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs), the WBA’s 160-pound champion, impresses that crowd with another big victory, public pressure will mount on Canelo and Chavez Jr., to finally fight him. It’s just another piece in the marketing puzzle of turning Golovkin into a world-class star, who can’t be avoided anymore.

In part, Golovkin’s bout with Rubio (59-6-1, 51 KOs) has the feel of a political campaign. He’s making the Southern California stop to unleash the power in his hands, shake a few hands, win over the customers with a shy smile and leave them with no doubt about the world-class credentials possessed by a Gennady Going Global.

LOS ANGELES (October 15, 2015) — World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champions NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS collide This Saturday! in a WBA featherweight title unification showdown at a sold-out StubHub! Center in Carson, Calif. The fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will also feature WBA/IBO middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin defending his titles against World Boxing Council (WBC) interim middleweight champion Marco Antonio “El Veneno” Rubio. Golovkin vs. Rubio and its undercard are presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions, in association with Promociones Del Pueblo.

Donaire and Walters boast a combined record of 57-2 (41 KOs) — a winning percentage of 97% and a victory by knockout ratio of 72%. When it comes to these two world featherweight champions, “You could have knocked me over with a feather,” is more than just a figure of speech!

NONITO DONAIRE

“Confident fighters are dangerous fighters. I know that. But there other fighters who said before a fight they were stronger than me, hit harder, were going to knock me out.

“Walters is a good champion but really how many quality fights has he been in compared to where I have been in my career?

“We both have speed, we both have power. It’s an explosive fight. This is going to end in a knockout. I will go into the ring and do my best.”

NICHOLAS WALTERS

“Donaire is a very good champion. We both have speed and power. The difference is intelligence. I was born to fight. The bigger the fight the better.

“If Donaire isn’t right, he’s going to get knocked out. Maybe five rounds, maybe less. Not sure yet.

“But you know what? Donaire stepped up and took this fight. He didn’t have to. For that, I respect him for getting in the ring with me.”

******************************

For Donaire vs. Walters fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #DonaireWalters to join the conversation on Twitter.

In two short years, middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin has built a powerhouse reputation with East Coast fans thanks to an intriguing array of skills, highlighted by stunning knockout power, becoming perhaps the sport’s most feared fighter.

Now, he takes aim at the West Coast in his first Los Angeles-area prizefight when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: GENNADY GOLOVKIN VS. MARCO ANTONIO RUBIO AND NONITO DONAIRE VS. NICHOLAS WALTERS is seen SATURDAY, OCT. 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT from StubHub Center in Carson, Cal., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Oct. 19 (8:30 a.m.) and 21 (1:05 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Oct. 19 (4:00 p.m.) and 20 (12:15 a.m.)

In his 12th middleweight crown defense, Gennady Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs), originally from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, and now training at Big Bear, Cal., meets the dangerous Marco Antonio Rubio (59-6-1, 51 KOs) of Torreon, Mexico in a scheduled 12-round contest. Currently boasting a knockout victory streak of 17, Golovkin has taken the boxing world by storm with an extraordinary knockout-to-win ratio of 90%, and no opponent has gone the distance with him since Nov. 2008. He’s trained by the highly regarded Abel Sanchez.

Rubio, who trains in Oxnard, Cal. with the accomplished Robert Garcia, has never backed away from a challenge. A veteran of bouts with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Kelly Pavlik, David Lemieux, Frankie Randall and Kassim Ouma, he brings a wealth of major-league experience into the ring.

Opening the telecast is a compelling featherweight title matchup pitting Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs) against Nicholas Walters (24-0, 20 KOs) in a 12-round battle. A native of the Philippines who’s currently based in San Leandro, Cal., Donaire was the 2012 BWAA Fighter of the Year. Having earned world titles in four different weight classes, he now puts his new 126-pound crown on the line. Walters, who hails from Jamaica, is widely viewed as a talented fighter.

Immediately after the live boxing action from Carson, HBO Sports will present the one-episode special “24/7 Hopkins/Kovalev” at approximately 12:15 a.m.

At 12:45 a.m. the HBO Latino service will present a doubleheader of HBO Latino Boxing action from StubHub Center. Headlining a 10-round light heavyweight battle will be Edwin Rodriguez and Azea Augustama and in the opening bout it’s a 10-round middleweight clash with Marcos Reyes squaring off with Abie Han.

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

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

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Los Angeles, CA (October 13, 2014) Additional Bleacher Seats will go on sale Tomorrow at Noon PT for “Mexican Style”, the highly anticipated World Championship Boxing event set for This Saturday, October 18th at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Priced at $53 plus applicable service charges, the Bleacher Seating tickets will be available online at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at the StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT).

“Gennady wanted to do as much as possible to satisfy the tremendous demand for tickets for his West Coast debut and therefore we’ve added an additional 284 bleacher seats on the StubHub Center Concourse,” said Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions. “Unfortunately, these will be the last tickets we will be able to make available for Saturday night.”

Presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Promociones Del Pueblo, “Mexican Style” is headlined by a 12-round world middleweight title fight between Boxing’s fastest rising star, WBA/IBO Middleweight Champion, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and WBC Interim Middleweight Champion MARCO ANTONIO “El Veneno” RUBIO.

The co-feature bout on October 18th is a featherweight showdown between 2012 Fighter of the Year and four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and undefeated world champion NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS who will battle it out to determine the undisputed World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion. Donaire vs. Walters is presented by Top Rank®.

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd. in Carson, CA 90746. For directions and further information, please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. PT on the day of the event with the first bell at 3:15 p.m. PT.

For fight updates on GOLOVKIN VS. RUBIO via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, in addition to on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin/ @GGGBoxing, Marco Antonio Rubio/ @MAVenenoRubio, Tom Loeffler – K2 Promotions/ @TomLoeffler1 and Promociones Del Pueblo/ @PromoDelPueblo. Use the hashtag #GolovkinRubio to join

Los Angeles, CA (October 11, 2014) Seven days out from their highly anticipated “Mexican Style” showdown, WBA/IBO Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and WBC Interim Middleweight Champion MARCO ANTONIO “El Veneno” RUBIO were both within the prescribed limits set forth by the World Boxing Council rules.

For the WBC Official 7-Day Weigh-In, Golovkin tipped the scale at 165lbs., while Rubio weighed in at 167.5lbs.

“We’re a week out and both fighters appear to be in excellent shape,” said Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions.

Set for this Saturday, October 18th, “Mexican Style” is headlined by the highly anticipated 12-round world middleweight title fight between Boxing’s fastest rising star, WBA/IBO Middleweight Champion, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, 30-0-0 (27KO’s) and WBC Interim Middleweight Champion MARCO ANTONIO “El Veneno” RUBIO, 59-6-0 (51KO’s).

Golovkin is wrapping up his training with Abel Sanchez at The Summit High Altitude Training Facility in Big Bear Lake, CA while Rubio is in Oxnard, California with Robert Garcia at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy.

“Mexican Style” is presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Promociones Del Pueblo.

The co-feature bout on October 18th is a featherweight showdown between 2012 Fighter of the Year and four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE, 33-2-0 (21KO’s) and undefeated world champion NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS, 24-0-0 (20KO’s) who will battle it out to determine the undisputed World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion. Donaire vs. Walters is presented by Top Rank®.

Bout world title bouts will be televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd. in Carson, CA 90746. For directions and further information, please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. PT on the day of the event for a full program of world class boxing with the first bell at 3:15 p.m. PT.

For fight updates on GOLOVKIN VS. RUBIO via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, in addition to on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin/ @GGGBoxing, Marco Antonio Rubio/ @MAVenenoRubio, Tom Loeffler – K2 Promotions/ @TomLoeffler1 and Promociones Del Pueblo/ @PromoDelPueblo. Use the hashtag #GolovkinRubio to join the conversation on Twitter.

Los Angeles, CA (September 22, 2014) Thirty days out from their highly anticipated “Mexican Style” showdown, WBA/IBO Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and WBC Interim Middleweight Champion MARCO ANTONIO “El Veneno” RUBIO were both within the prescribed limits set forth by the World Boxing Council rules.

For the WBC Official 30-Day Weigh-In, Golovkin tipped the scale at 165lbs., while Rubio weighed in at 174.5lbs.

“Both fighters look to be in excellent shape and will be well prepared on October 18th” said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions.

Set for Saturday, October 18th, “Mexican Style” is headlined by the highly anticipated 12-round world middleweight title fight between Boxing’s fastest rising star, WBA/IBO Middleweight Champion, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, 30-0-0 (27KO’s) and WBC Interim Middleweight Champion MARCO ANTONIO “El Veneno” RUBIO, 59-6-0 (51KO’s).

Golovkin is currently training with Abel Sanchez at The Summit High Altitude Training Facility in Big Bear Lake, CA while Rubio is in Oxnard, California with Robert Garcia at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy.

“Mexican Style” is presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Promociones Del Pueblo.

The co-feature bout on October 18th is a featherweight showdown between 2012 Fighter of the Year and four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE, 33-2-0 (21KO’s) and undefeated world champion NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS, 24-0-0 (20KO’s) who will battle it out to determine the undisputed World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion. Donaire vs. Walters is presented by Top Rank®.

Bout world title bouts will be televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd. in Carson, CA 90746. For directions and further information, please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. PT on the day of the event for a full program of world class boxing with the first bell at 3:15 p.m. PT.

For fight updates on GOLOVKIN VS. RUBIO via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, in addition to on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin/ @GGGBoxing, Marco Antonio Rubio/ @MAVenenoRubio, Tom Loeffler – K2 Promotions/ @TomLoeffler1 and Promociones Del Pueblo/ @PromoDelPueblo. Use the hashtag #GolovkinRubio to join the conversation on Twitter.

Los Angeles, CA (September 19, 2014) Due to extraordinary demand, Standing Room Only tickets priced at $27 for “Mexican Style” will go on sale Today at 1:00 p.m. PT it was announced this morning by
K2 Promotions.

Set for Saturday, October 18th, “Mexican Style” is headlined by the highly anticipated 12-round world middleweight title fight between Boxing’s fastest rising star, WBA/IBO Middleweight Champion, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and WBC Interim Middleweight Champion MARCO ANTONIO “El Veneno” RUBIO.

The co-feature bout on October 18th is a featherweight showdown between 2012 Fighter of the Year and four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and undefeated world champion NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS who will battle it out to determine the undisputed World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion. Donaire vs. Walters is presented by Top Rank® and was just officially announced today.

“The response to this event has been unprecedented for boxing at the StubHub Center as four weeks to go we’re virtually sold out of tickets,” said Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions. “Therefore, we’re putting a limited number of Standing Room Only tickets on sale to meet the demand.”

“With the addition of Donaire vs. Walters this card will stand among the very best presented to boxing fans in 2014.”

Standing Room Only tickets priced at $27, plus applicable service charges will available online Today at 1pm at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at the StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT).

“Mexican Style” is presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Promociones Del Pueblo.

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd. in Carson, CA 90746. For directions and further information, please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. PT on the day of the event for a full program of world class boxing.

For fight updates on GOLOVKIN VS. RUBIO via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, in addition to on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin/ @GGGBoxing, Marco Antonio Rubio/ @MAVenenoRubio, Tom Loeffler – K2 Promotions/ @TomLoeffler1 and Promociones Del Pueblo/ @PromoDelPueblo. Use the hashtag #GolovkinRubio to join the conversation on Twitter.

LOS ANGELES (September 19, 2014) — Top Rank® announced today that 2012 Fighter of the Year and four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and undefeated world champion NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS will battle it out to determine the undisputed World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion. Donaire vs. Walters will take place Saturday, October 18, at StubHub! Center in Carson, Calif. It will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will also feature WBA/IBO middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin defending his titles against World Boxing Council (WBC) interim middleweight champion Marco Antonio “El Veneno” Rubio. Golovkin vs. Rubio and its undercard are presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions, in association with Promociones Del Pueblo

Donaire and Walters boast a combined record of 57-2 (41 KOs) — a winning percentage of 97% and a victory by knockout ratio of 72%. When it comes to these two world featherweight champions, “You could have knocked me over with a feather,” is more than just a figure of speech!

“I am very excited for this fight. We are doing everything we can to be ready for everything Walters brings on October 18,” said Donaire.

“This is my dream fight. It’s now the time to show everyone who is the best 126 pound world champion in the entire world,” declared Walters.

“The featherweight division has a rich history with epic matchups, said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “Nonito Donaire and Nicholas Walters are two of the great champions in the division today. This promises to be an entertaining, exciting world title unification battle.”

“Nonito Donaire is a four-division world champion and former fighter of the year, who always delivers for fans by challenging the toughest competition, which is precisely what he’ll be facing when he fights undefeated power-puncher Nicholas Walters in a superb featherweight championship co-feature on October 18 at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA, live on HBO World Championship Boxing,” said Peter Nelson, vice president, programming, HBO Sports.

Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs), a native of General Santos City, Philippines, now living in Las Vegas, has been a consensus Top-10 pound-for-pound fighter for several years. He returned to the top of the mountain as a world champion in his last fight, on May 31, at The Venetian Macao, dethroning defending WBA featherweight champion Simphiwe Vetyeka via a vicious five-round technical decision. His banner year in 2012 included four world championship victories. He beat former world champion Israel Vazquez, Jr. to capture the vacant WBO junior featherweight title, then unified the title by defeating IBF junior featherweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula. Donaire collected his third belt of the year by knocking out WBC Diamond Belt super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka, ending Nishioka’s eight-year, 16-bout, winning streak. Donaire concluded his magnificent year by blasting out Mexican icon Jorge Arce in the third round and sealing his 2012 Fighter of the Year honors while extending his 12-year, 30-bout winning streak. He lost his title to undefeated Cuban sensation and WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux in a title unification bout at a sold-out Radio City Music Hall on April 13, 2013. Career highlights for Donaire also include knockout victories of defending IBF flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko, and defending WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel, ending Montiel’s 25-bout winning streak. That victory was named the 2011 Knockout of the Year. Donaire’s ended 2013 with a ninth-round knockout victory of Darchinyan in their eagerly-awaited rematch. Donaire has held a world title every year dating back to 2007. Three of his last four victories have been by way of knockout.

Walters (24-0, 20 KOs), of Montego Bay, Jamaica, enters this fight having won 10 of his last 11 fights by knockout. He captured the vacant WBA featherweight title on December 12, 2012, knocking out Daulis Presscott (26-1, 19 KOs) in the seventh round. He has successfully defended the title twice — both by knockout — stopping Alberto Garza and former two-division world champion Vic Darchinyan in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively. A former amateur standout who collected gold medals at the 2007 Pan American Games Qualifier III and the 2005 and 2007 Caribbean Championships, Walters is known for his expert boxing skills and movement and two-fisted punching power that are at a caliber of a much higher weight class.

Remaining tickets to the Golovkin-Rubio/ Donaire-Walters world championship doubleheader, priced at $210, $105, $53 and $27, plus applicable service charges, are available online at www.AXS.com, by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and www.StubHubCenter.com. Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. PT, with the first bell scheduled for 3:15 p.m. PT.

For Donaire vs. Walters fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #DonaireWalters to join the conversation on Twitter.

Los Angeles, CA (September 12, 2014) Due to an overwhelming demand for tickets to “Mexican Style” on Saturday, October 18th at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, K2 Promotions announced plans today to add Standing Room Only tickets priced at $27.

“Mexican Style” is headlined by the highly anticipated 12-round world middleweight title fight between Boxing’s fastest rising star, WBA/IBO Middleweight Champion, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and WBC Interim Middleweight Champion MARCO ANTONIO “El Veneno” RUBIO.

“In the first two weeks we’ve sold over 75% of the available tickets to “Mexican Style” which truly validates the popularity of Gennady on the West Coast,” said Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions.

“This speaks to Gennady’s growing global brand as he is willing to fight in locations around the world unlike many champions who only fight in one city or one state.”

Continued Loeffler “We’re happy to announce the unprecedented addition of Standing Room Only tickets in order to meet the demand from boxing fans for this event.” The additional SRO tickets will go on sale in the near future.

Presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Promociones Del Pueblo, remaining tickets priced at $210, $105, $53 and $27, plus applicable service charges are available online at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at the StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT).

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd. in Carson, CA 90746. For directions and further information, please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. PT on the day of the event for a full program of world class boxing.

For fight updates on GOLOVKIN VS. RUBIO via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, in addition to on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin/ @GGGBoxing, Marco Antonio Rubio/ @MAVenenoRubio, Tom Loeffler – K2 Promotions/ @TomLoeffler1 and Promociones Del Pueblo/ @PromoDelPueblo. Use the hashtag #GolovkinRubio to join the conversation on Twitter.

Mashantucket, CT: Sullivan Barrera (12-0, 7 KOs) the undefeated light heavyweight from Cuba has set his sights on West Virginia native Eric “The 1 Armed Bandit” Watkins (10-7-1, 5 KOs) for an eight-round battle on the Mchunu-Wilson undercard Sept. 20 at Foxwoods Resort Casino. This will be Sullivan’s first fight training with world-renowned trainer Abel Sanchez. Sanchez is best known for training WBA Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin from Kazakhstan.

Barrera, 32, made his professional debut in 2009 and knocked out his first five opponents in the first or second round. Since then he has had continued success securing both the WBO Latino and WBA Fedelatin Light Heavyweight Titles. Most recently, he knocked out Lee Campbell in the sixth round at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Jun. 21, 2014. This will be his third fight in 2014 (in addition to the knockout of Campbell he defeated Larry Pryor via unanimous decision on Apr. 4, 2014 at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA). This will be the first eight-round fight of his professional career and his first in Connecticut (the majority of his professional fights have taken place in his new home state of Florida). Barrera said, “I’m looking forward to Sep. 20. I’ve been in Big Bear training really hard and I’m ready to give the fans another great show. Training with my new trainer, Abel Sanchez, in Big Bear has been a great move for my career. I feel strong, I’m in excellent shape and everyday I continue to sharpen my skills. I’m excited for what’s to come in my career working with Abel.” Sullivan’s co-manager, Luis Molina, added, “We are excited to be back in action again and we are looking forward to another ‘W.’ Sullivan is in great shape. With his new trainer, Abel Sanchez, he has been able to master some things.”

Barrera
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Sullivan now trains at Sanchez’s facility in Big Bear, CA alongside GGG and other top notch fighters. According to Sanchez he and Barrera took some time to adjust to one another but now he has been able to incorporate changes to Sullivan’s routine, “It has taken us awhile to blend together but he is very open-minded and a very diligent worker so we are having fun trying new things out. We are getting him in a different kind of shape because Big Bear tends to do that. Sullivan training around Golovkin and some of the other champions that we have here has been very beneficial because it has helped him understand what it takes to get to that level. We are looking forward to him trying some of these new things out on Sep. 20.”

Eric Watkins
Photo Courtesy of:
Eric Watkins

Watkins, 28, may be four years younger than Barrera but he has 18 professional fights, as compared to Barrera’s 12 professional fights, since making his professional debut in 2010 (Aug. 28, 2010 – four-round unanimous decision victory over Roy Fitzgerald in West Virginia). Eric won his first four professional fights (Fitzgerald; Feb. 4, 2011 – David Markert four-round unanimous decision; Mar. 26, 2011 – Gonzales Jones third-round TKO; and Apr. 30, 2011 – Terrence Watson first-round KO). Watkins is looking to stop and three-fight losing streak (Oct. 12, 2013 – Trevor McCumby via unanimous decision; Jan. 25, 2014 – Dustin Craig Echard via third round TKO; and Mar. 29, 2014 – Bobby Thomas Jr. via ten-round split decision).

Peter McGinley, Watkins’ trainer/manager had this to say about the fight with Barrera, “We are very excited to have this opportunity to compete against an undefeated fighter of this caliber. We hope he trains for this fight harder than he’s ever trained before. If he doesn’t he will truly regret it.” Watkins added only, “Want some, get some!”

According to Main Events’ matchmaker Jolene Mizzone, Barrera wants to take his career to the next level. She said, “Barrera has been asking us to step up the competition and because he made the move across country to Big Bear away from his friends and family for a new trainer has proven to us he is serious about taking his career to the next level.” She added, “The key to a good boxer-trainer relationship is clicking. Abel and Sullivan appear to be clicking well so far.”

About September 20:

The Sep. 20th special afternoon edition of NBC Fight Night will take place at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT and will feature a ten-round cruiserweight match-up between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson for the NABF Cruiserweight Title and a ten-round lightweight match-up between Karl “Dynamite” Dargan and Angino “The Nightmare” Perez for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title. The undercard bouts will be announced shortly. Tickets are $100, $75 and $40 and are available through Foxwoods.com and Ticketmaster.com. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing and Showpony Promotions in association with Banner Promotions. The special NBC Fight Night broadcast will begin live at 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT.

NBC Sports Live Extra:

NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT on September 20. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

About Foxwoods® Resort Casino

Foxwoods Resort Casino is one of the premier entertainment destinations in the Northeast. As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in six casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to express, world-renowned spas, awarding-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, and exclusive retailers. Perfect for both recreation and business, Foxwoods provides modern and versatile convention and meeting space to infuse new life into any meeting or event. Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. For a comprehensive look at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation visit Foxwoods.com.

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Los Angeles, CA (September 4, 2014) Ticket sales are moving at an extraordinary pace during the first week for “MEXICAN STYLE”, the World Middleweight Championship between Boxing’s fastest rising star, WBA/IBO Middleweight Champion, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and WBC Interim Middleweight Champion MARCO ANTONIO “El Veneno” RUBIO. The event will take place on Saturday, October 18th at the StubHub Center in Carson, California and will be televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing®.

Presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Promociones Del Pueblo, advance tickets priced at $210, $105, $53 and $27, plus applicable service charges are available online at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at the StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT).

“Since putting tickets on sale last Wednesday during the Los Angeles Press Conference at Olvera Street we’ve seen sales skyrocket, this is the fastest selling boxing event that’s been held at the StubHub Center” said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions. “I strongly encourage boxing fans to purchase tickets in advance so they don’t miss out on this great night of boxing.”

Continued Loeffler, “We always felt Gennady’s popularity on the West Coast would mirror his East Coast presence and the early ticket sales strongly validate that.” Golovkin has fought five previous times in the United States and on HBO over the last two years, most recently at Madison Square Garden.

“Southern California and the StubHub Center have a tremendous legacy of memorable boxing events and we anticipate “Mexican Style” to be at the top of that storied list.”

With his ability to headline at Madison Square Garden and the StubHub Center, Golovkin has proven to be one of the most active and marketable fighters in boxing, appearing on HBO in back-to-back world championship defenses in less than a three-month span.

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd. in Carson, CA 90746. For directions and further information, please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. PT on the day of the event for a full program of world class boxing.

Sporting a record of 30-0-0 with 27 knockouts, “GGG” has the highest knockout percentage (90%) of any active world champion. He has become a must-see international attraction with his aggressive all-action style and breathtaking knockouts.

On July 26th at Madison Square Garden, Golovkin stopped two-time former world champion Daniel Geale in the third round with an extraordinary knockout punch that will be at the top of most “Knockout of the Year” media and fan lists.

Against Geale, Golovkin made his 11th title defense while scoring his 17th knockout in a row. Preparations for his fight are taking place in Big Bear Lake, California under the watchful eye of longtime trainer, Abel Sanchez.

Fighting out of Torreon, Mexico and training in Oxnard, California, with former world champion Robert Garcia, Rubio has compiled a record of 59-6-1 with 51 knockouts against some of the best fighters in the sport.

The hard-hitting Rubio has faced Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Kelly Pavlik, David Lemieux, Kassim Ouma, Frankie Randall and Jose Luis Zertuche.

The 34-year-old Rubio is currently 16-1 in his last seventeen bouts most recently stopping Italian veteran Dominico Spada in the tenth round on April 5th in Chihuahua, Mexico, winning the WBC Interim Middleweight Title.

For fight updates on GOLOVKIN VS. RUBIO via Social Media, follow HBO Boxing on Twitter at @HBOBoxing and Facebook at /HBOBoxing, in addition to on Twitter at Gennady Golovkin/ @GGGBoxing, Marco Antonio Rubio/ @MAVenenoRubio, Tom Loeffler – K2 Promotions/ @TomLoeffler1 and Promociones Del Pueblo/ @PromoDelPueblo. Use the hashtag #GolovkinRubio to join the conversation on Twitter.