LAS VEGAS – In the end, it was Terence Crawford’s dance floor.

He danced with his family. Danced with his mom. Maybe he danced to the top of the pound-for-pound debate.

Neither the dance nor the debate figures to end anytime soon. Above all, Crawford proved he still belongs on any dance floor and in any debate with a 10^th-round stoppage of Shawn Porter Saturday night in front of a capacity crowd at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Porter came as advertised. He knows a lot of dance steps. But he couldn’t sustain them against the patient Crawford. He knows how to wait. Knows how to adjust. And how to finish.

The finish came at 1:21 of the 10^th round after two knockdowns of Porter. Porter’s first trip to the canvas started with a left-uppercut from. The return trip started with a combination followed by a left hand to the head. Frustrated, Porter got up and stomped his foot.

 But the gesture was futile. It was over. His father and trainer, Kenny Porter, was already up the steps with towel in hand. The towel was never thrown. The referee and inspector for the Nevada Commission saw it and acted. Kenny Porter would later say his son wasn’t properly prepared, confirming rumors that Shawn Porter had a problematic camp.

For Crawford, however, it was a moment that punctuated what he wanted to accomplish.

The belt, the World Boxing Organization’s version of the welterweight. Title, was still in his dangerous hands. More important, he strengthened his claim on the top spot in the pound-for-pound debate. Canelo Alvarez, are you listening?

One potential Crawford rival, however, was there. Listening and watching. Errol Spence had a ringside seat.

“Now wait, my thing is, who’s No. 1 in the welterweight division now?” Crawford said in a comment clearly intended for Spence.

At the top of the 147-pound division, it’s either Spence or Crawford. There is nobody else. Crawford made sure of it by eliminating Porter from any real say-so in the weight class. Crawford also has the last word, at least for now.

“You know who I want,’’ said Crawford, who collected about $6 million, $2 million more than Porter’s $4 million payday. “I’ve been calling him out all day. Maybe, Spence will get his tail out of his butt and fight me.’’

Maybe.

For now, there are questions about where Crawford is headed. Promotionally, he’s a free agent. His victory of Porter was the last fight on Top Rank contract.

Top Rank’s Bob Arum is confident he can re-sign him. Arum is already talking about a fight between Crawford and junior-welterweight champion Josh Taylor, who is preparing to move up in weight

For now, however, Crawford only wanted to celebrate a night that began with Porter coming out fast, moving forward and attacking throughout the first three minutes. For one round, it worked. He appeared to win the round with his aggressiveness.

He also was sending a message, one that he wore on the back of his black-and-orange robe. Marvelous War, it said. It was a tribute to legendary warrior, Marvin Hagler. It was note of respect to the past. But it was also a look at the immediate future, a sign of what Porter intended to do.

To wit: Crawford better be ready to brawl. He was. Porter unleashed a whirlwind of an arsenal — conventional, unconventional and often a blur of both.

“I figured that I had the reach and he had to take chances to come to him and he did what he normally does,’’ Crawford said.  “He tried to maul and push me back but I used my angles and I pushed him back at times as well.  Shawn Porter is a slick fighter he was doing some things in there and made me think

“I know I caught him with a good uppercut and then when I caught hidm with another left hook clean in his face that he was real hurt and his dad did the right thing by stopping it because I was coming with a vengeance.’’

In the end, there was nothing else to do but dance to Chaka Khan’ “Ain’t Nobody.’’

For one night, nobody but Terence Crawford.

Falcao wins technical decision in dull bout stopped by head butt

It was called an eliminator. In one way, it was. The crowd cheered when the final six rounds of the Esquiva Falcao-Patrice Volny was eliminated because head butt.

The butt came late in the sixth after Volny (16-1, 10 KOs), of Montreal, swung his head into Falcao’s face. The bout, so-called eliminator for a shot at the International Boxing Federation’s middleweight title. Everything before then was boring. Think deadly dull.

After it was determined that Falcao could not continue, the scorecards were turned in and counted. Two scores, 57-56 and 58-56 were for Falcao, an Olympic silver medalist from Brazil The third — a head scratcher — was for Volny, 86-84. Falcao (29-0, 20 KOs) got the victory by technical decision.

The crowd got some relief. At least, it was over.

Kazak middleweight Alimkhanuly wins stoppage

Janibek Alimkhanuly (11-0, 7KOs) ), a heavy-handed middleweight from Kazakhstan, administered a beating, landing lethal left hands that rocked Hassan N’Dam around the ring and off the ropes, virtually everywhere except on to the canvas.

Somehow, N’Dam (38-6, 21 KOs) , a former middleweight champion from Cameroon, stayed on his feet throughout the bout on a card featuring Crawford-Porter. But that wasn’t enough for him to have even a slim chance of winning. Finally, Kenny Bayless stopped it at 2:46 of the eighth round of a bout that could have easily been stopped a round or two earlier.

Unbeaten Raymond Muratalla wins fifth-round TKO

There was no stopping Raymond Muratalla (13-0, 11 KOs), a lightweight from Fontana CA. Elias Araujo (21-4, 8KOs), of Argentina, couldn’t. But Allen Huggins could. And did.

Huggins stepped in and ended the bout at 2:20 of the fifth round in the first ESPN + PPV bout on the Crawford-Porter card. Araujo protested, first in anger. Then, in tears. But the referee had seen enough. Muratalla began to land punch after punch. Blood began to drip from a cut on Araujo’s cheek and from his nose.

Huggins saved him from what would have been a bad beating.  

Dogboe wins majority decision

LAS VEGAS –Isaac Dogboe, a fighter from Ghana once projected to be a star, continued to try to regain some of his abundant promise, scoring a narrow victory — majority decision — over Puerto Rican Christopher Diaz (26-4, 16 KOs) on a card featuring Crawford-Porter.

Dogboe , a former 122-pound champion now at featherweight, won his third straight since his career(26-4, 16 KOs) was sidetracked by successive losses to Emanuel Navarrete.

Head butt leads to no decision

There was blood. But there was no decision.

Adan Ochoa (12-2, 5 KOs), a featherweight from Long Beach CA, was badly cut above his right eye in a head butt with Adam Lopez (15-3, 6 LOs of Glendale CA during the first round of a scheduled eight-rounder. on the Crawford-Porter card.

Late in the second, the blood began to flow into Ochoa’s eye. Just as the bell rang to start the third, the fight was stopped, declared a no decision because it had not gone at least four rounds.

Karlos Balderas wins fourth-round stoppage

Karlos Balderas (11-1, 10 KOs), a junior-lightweight from Santa Maria CA, was bigger and just better, scoring repeatedly with combinations, including a headrocking left-right that finished Julio Cortez (15-4, 11 KOs) of Ecuador at 2:13 of the fourth round in the second bout on the Crawford-Porter card.

First Bell: Tiger Jonson kicks off his career and Crawford-Porter card with TKO win

It was first bell. A debut, too.

Tiger Johnson, a welterweight from Cleveland, kicked off his career and the card featuring Terence Crawford-versus-Shawn Porter with a stoppage of Antonius Grable (3-3-1, 3 KOs) in a Saturday matinee at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Johnson landed successive right hands, leaving Grable of Sarasota, FL dazed and done at 1:54 of the fourth round.

Just to make sure that everybody noticed, celebrated by walking toward retired welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, who was already in his ringside seat for he ESPN + pay-per-view telecast..

“I’m here, Tim,” Johnson shouted as he leaned over the ropes. “I’m here.”

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 10, 2021) — Raymond “Danger” Muratalla, the 24-year-old lightweight star from Fontana, California, has a new opponent for his PPV debut Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. After unbeaten prospect Steven Ortiz was forced to withdraw due to injury, Muratalla will fight Argentina’s Elias “El Macho” Araujo in an eight-rounder to open the PPV broadcast of the welterweight super fight between undefeated WBO world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and former two-time welterweight world champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter.

The PPV telecast also includes a 12-round IBF middleweight title eliminator featuring unbeaten contenders Esquiva “La Pantera” Falcao and Patrice Volny, and a 10-round middleweight tilt between rising star Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and former world champion Hassan N’Dam.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.  Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

Muratalla (12-0, 10 KOs), who trains with Robert Garcia in Riverside, California, has won seven consecutive bouts by knockout. Araujo (21-3, 8 KOs) has never been stopped as a professional, and his only two lightweight defeats have come via close decision. He was supposed to fight Joseph Adorno in Las Vegas on Nov. 5, but the bout was scrapped after Adorno missed the contract weight.

Before the PPV broadcast commences, Southern California natives Adam “BluNose” Lopez and Adan Ochoa will fight in an eight-round featherweight rematch on the undercard telecast (ESPN2 & ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT) headlined by the scheduled 10-round featherweight firefight between former world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe and two-time title challenger Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz. Lopez (15-3, 6 KOs) hopes to rebound from June’s razor-thin decision loss to Dogboe, while Ochoa (12-2, 5 KOs) seeks retribution. Ochoa and Lopez fought as undefeated prospects in April 2017, and Lopez prevailed by four-round unanimous decision.

The fight action begins on the ESPN App (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT) with a pair of young stars. 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas (10-1, 9 KOs) looks to continue his winning ways against Julio Cortez (15-3, 11 KOs) in a six-rounder at junior lightweight, while recent U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson will make his long-awaited professional debut in a welterweight four-rounder versus Antonius Grable (3-1-1, 3 KOs). Johnson recently signed a long-term promotional pact with Top Rank.

Balderas, the fighting pride of Santa Maria, California, lost his unbeaten record with a shocking knockout loss to Rene Tellez Giron in December 2019. After the setback, Balderas changed managers, signed a promotional contract with Top Rank, and linked up with noted trainer Buddy McGirt. He came back in August with a second-round knockout over Fidel Cervantes. Cortez, a seven-year pro, has never been knocked out.

Johnson, from Cleveland, Ohio, advanced to the quarterfinals of the welterweight bracket at the Tokyo Olympics before losing a decision to eventual gold medalist Roniel Iglesias (Cuba).

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year)
at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About Michelob ULTRA Arena
The Michelob ULTRA Arena is a multi-purpose arena home to World Championship Boxing, premier concerts and special events. With seating for as many as 12,000, the arena, which was recently renovated in 2018, offers excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The entertainment venue is home to WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, the city’s first professional basketball team. Prominent events have included concerts such as Justin Timberlake, KISS, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Alejandro Fernandez and David Foster & Friends. World championship boxing events have featured fighters including Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins. The Michelob ULTRA Arena also has been home to multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, USA Basketball and the Latin Billboard Music Awards.

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 4, 2021) — There will be plenty of fistic reinforcements Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Two high-stakes middleweight showdowns and a 50-50 fight featuring undefeated lightweights will comprise the televised PPV undercard of the welterweight super fight between undefeated WBO world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and former two-time welterweight world champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter.

The co-feature, a 12-round IBF middleweight world title eliminator, will see Brazilian 2012 Olympic silver medalist Esquiva “La Pantera” Falcao fight fellow unbeaten Patrice Volny.

The PPV telecast also includes a 10-round middleweight tilt between rising star Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly and former world champion Hassan N’Dam, and an eight-round lightweight duel between unbeaten prospects Raymond “Danger” Muratalla and Steven “The Hitman” Ortiz.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

Before the PPV telecast, a special feature will set the stage. Former junior featherweight world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will face two-time title challenger Christopher “Pitufo” Diaz in a 10-round featherweight bout. Dogboe-Diaz will be shown live on ESPN2 and ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Additional undercard fights will be announced shortly.

Falcao (28-0, 20 KOs) is a seven-year pro who signed with Top Rank following the 2012 Olympics. The 31-year-old southpaw has steadily climbed the world rankings and has knocked out five straight foes dating back to 2019. In his last outing, he stopped former world title challenger Artur Akavov in four rounds. Volny (16-0, 10 KOs), from Montreal, Canada, has fought all his pro fights in his home country and is coming off a March knockout over noted tough man Janks Trotter. The winner of Falcao-Volny will be in line to fight for the title currently held by Gennadiy Golovkin.

“I have waited for an opportunity like this for a long time, and I will grab it with both hands,” Falcao said. “I have an Olympic medal, and now it’s time to add a professional world title to my trophy case.”

Volny said, “I had several major opportunities fall through, but I am ecstatic that the fight with Falcao is happening. It won’t be an easy fight, but I have been training for a long time, and I will do whatever it takes to earn my shot at the title.”

Alimkhanuly (10-0, 6 KOs) is ranked the No. 2 middleweight by the WBO and coming off his signature win, an eighth-round stoppage over former world champion Rob Brant. From Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, the 2016 Olympian has knocked out four straight opponents dating back to April 2019. N’Dam (38-5, 21 KOs), a 17-year pro from Cameroon, held the WBA middleweight world title in 2017 and challenged for world titles on three other occasions. After a pair of defeats at super middleweight, N’Dam returns to the middleweight ranks, where he most recently defeated the formidable Martin Murray via majority decision.

Muratalla (12-0, 10 KOs), from Fontana, California, has risen to prominence fighting out of the famed Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Riverside, California. He last fought on the Josh Taylor-Jose Ramirez card in May, knocking out Jose Gallegos in five rounds. Ortiz (12-0, 3 KOs), from Philadelphia, has made a habit of knocking off undefeated prospects. In his last six fights, he has defeated four undefeated fighters, including a unanimous decision over the 14-0 Jeremy Hill in March.

Dogboe (22-2, 15 KOs) has revitalized his career since back-to-back title fight losses to Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete. After a comeback knockout over Chris Avalos, he bested Adam Lopez by majority decision in June. Diaz (26-3, 16 KOs) is a two-time world challenger coming off a 12th-round TKO loss in a bid for Navarrete’s WBO featherweight world title. The Puerto Rican veteran had won two bouts as a featherweight entering the Navarrete fight and hopes a win over Dogboe leads to a third crack at world title glory.

“I’m excited for this challenge, a massive opportunity to get closer to becoming a two-division world champion,” Dogboe said. “This is a fight the fans won’t want to miss. I know Christopher is tough, but I’m stronger, tougher, and smarter. I’d like to commend everyone at Top Rank for making this fight possible and to Diaz for accepting the challenge. I always want to give the fans something to remember. That’s why I leave it all in the ring.”

Diaz said, “I’m coming back, and I’m very excited about fighting on a great stage like Crawford vs. Porter. Dogboe is a solid fighter who only has two losses against Navarrete. We both have a lot to give to boxing. The fans already know what to expect every time I get in the ring. I’m sure this fight will steal the show on November 20.”

Use the hashtag #CrawfordPorter to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 14.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About Michelob ULTRA Arena
The Michelob ULTRA Arena is a multi-purpose arena home to World Championship Boxing, premier concerts and special events. With seating for as many as 12,000, the arena, which was recently renovated in 2018, offers excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The entertainment venue is home to WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, the city’s first professional basketball team. Prominent events have included concerts such as Justin Timberlake, KISS, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Alejandro Fernandez and David Foster & Friends. World championship boxing events have featured fighters including Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins. The Michelob ULTRA Arena also has been home to multiple Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, USA Basketball and the Latin Billboard Music Awards.

Callum Smith will defend his WBA World ‘Super’, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Super-Middleweight belts against Hassan N’Dam on the blockbuster Anthony Joshua OBE vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. World title bill at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1, live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports Box Office in the UK.

‘Mundo’ (25-0, 18 KOs) captured the WBA World title and was crowned World Boxing Super Series champion following a stunning seventh round knockout victory over British rival George Groves in Saudi Arabia last September – a win that also saw the Liverpudlian claim the vacant Ring Championship. Smith puts those titles on the line for the first time against former Middleweight World ruler N’Dam in his second appearance as a professional in the US.

N’Dam (37-3, 21 KOs) has operated at World level since landing the WBA Interim Middleweight World title against Avtandil Khurtsidze in 2010. He defended that title twice before losing on points to Peter Quillin with the WBO Middleweight crown at stake. A landslide win over Curtis Steven qualified the Frenchman for a shot at the IBF title in 2015 – an explosive contest with David Lemieux followed with the Canadian coming out on top on the score cards.

In 2017 N’Dam took on London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Ryota Murata for the vacant WBA regular World title, which he won via a split decision. The pair rematched five months later, again on Japanese soil, where N’Dam was forced into retirement in the seventh round. He most recently defeated four-time World title challenger Martin Murray by a 12 round majority decision in December.

“I’ve had a good camp and I’m looking forward to walking to the ring as a World Champion for the first time in my career,” said Smith. “I worked so hard to get where I am and now the task is to keep hold of my titles and target those big fights. To have my first defence at Madison Square Garden is going to be special and it’s another box ticked for me personally. People call it the Mecca of Boxing and I’ve always seen it as a venue that I’d love to fight at one day. The minute that there was a chance of it happening I pushed to make sure that I could be part of this show.

“N’Dam is a good fighter and he’s a former World Champion. He’s only lost to three top fighters and he’s got some great wins on his record. I had him over in England to help me prepare for George Groves so we know each other well. He’s a good mover, has good footwork and can move around the ring pretty well. Experience is on his side and he’s an awkward guy to face. Saying that, he’s definitely a fighter that I should beat and get rid of if I’m on my game.

“I believe that I’m improving all of the time – I’ve even improved since winning the World title. I believe that I’m the best Super-Middleweight in the World. There’s a few fighters in my division who probably disagree with that and rightly so. If I am the best on the planet then I should be able to get rid of Hassan N’Dam and look good doing it.”

“I am confident I will create a big surprise in New York,” said N’Dam. “It is a true privilege for me to be given the chance to fight at Madison Square Garden for the first time in my life. At this stage of my career this is a beautiful opportunity for me to be able to change division and fight for both the WBA World and WBC Diamond titles.

“I am so pleased and proud for this opportunity to be offered to me and I would like to add that even though the challenge is a big one, this does not affect my focus and my determination. Callum Smith is an excellent boxer with many qualities. As he is tall he can impose his own boxing style on most of his opponents. I have much respect for him both as a boxer and a person. I believe it will be a very tactical fight.

“Being able to say that once in my life I have fought at MSG will be a great pride. Besides, I have the experience of boxing on big shows as I have participated in many and in front of thousands of people. I have always defended my titles abroad and I am used to pressure and know how to handle it.”

“This is a huge platform and one that Callum fully deserves,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “He has established himself as the number one 168 pounder in the World and will prove it at the Mecca of boxing on June 1. N’Dam always brings the action and I believe this will be a high level fight with plenty of fire. The mega fights await Callum and he can’t afford to slip up here, I know him and Joe Gallagher have prepared diligently for this challenge and he will be sending out a statement live on Sky Sports Box Office and DAZN.”

Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP, North America said: “Credit to Hassan for moving up in weight to take on the world’s No.1 Super Middleweight at Madison Square Garden. Both he and Callum have a great opportunity to make a statement to U.S. fight fans in prime time.”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing, said: “We’re very excited to add Callum Smith to a huge night at Madison Square Garden. He’s rightly regarded as the world’s best Super-Middleweight after that win over George Groves – and we can showcase more of our best talent on the AJ bill.

“Callum has already been named as a possible opponent for Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and there are massive nights ahead of him if he defeats the proven Hassan N’Dam. It’s going to be an action-packed evening for fight fans as Katie Taylor’s undisputed World title fight and the classy Josh Kelly are also in action before AJ lights up New York in the main event.”

Smith and N’Dam clash on a huge night of action at MSG where Anthony Johua’s World title defence against Andy Ruiz Jr. is supported by Irish sensation Katie Taylor clashing with Delfine Persoon for the undisputed Women’s World Lightweight championship, New Yorker Chris Algieri defending his WBO International title against Tommy Coyle is a crunch Super-Lightweight showdown and Josh Kelly making his US debut as he defends his WBA International Welterweight title against Philadelphia’s Ray Robinson – with more exciting undercard additions announced this week.

Tickets for the huge night of World title action in New York are on sale now via Madison Square Garden and StubHub (www.stubhub.com)

Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.

Official Ticket and Travel Packages, including the opportunity to travel on the Official Charter Plane, are available to purchase via Sportsworld (www.sportsworld.co.uk) Prices start at £1,095. Reserve your seat today.

Tickets are priced, $106, $156, $206, $306, $406, $506, $756, $1,006, $1,256 and $2,506 plus applicable booking fees.

Wheelchair seats, companion seats, aisle seats and Assistive Listening Devices are available to purchase by calling 212-465-6034.

Gennady Golovkin is eyeing fights with former titlist Hassan N’Dam or undefeated Steve Rolls for his DAZN debut in June, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Josh Warrington won a 12-round unanimous decision over former world champion Carl Frampton to retain the IBF Featherweight title at The Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

Warrington came out like gangbisters and he threw and landed punches with reckless abandon.  Warrington dominated the first half of the fight with sheer volume.  Frampton showed a champions class as he fought his way back in the fight, and made it very tight on the scorecards bt landing right counters over the combinations of Warrington.

Warrington built up too much of a lead, and held on by scores of 116-113 and 116-112.

Warrington, 125.9 lbs of Leeds, UK is 28-0.  Frampton, 125.9 lbs of Belfast, IRE is 26-2

Liam Williams stopped previously undefeated Mark Heffron in round 10 of a scheduled 12 round middleweight fight.

In round two, Williams was cut over the right eye from a clash of heads.  Williams dominated the action as he will able to land his right hand at will.

In round two, Williams landed a big shot that drove Heffron into the ropes, which was ruled a knockdown.  Williams followed that up with an onslaught of punches, and the fight was stopped at 1:55

Williams, 159.9 lbs of Wales is 19-2-1 with 14 knockouts.  Heffron, 157.9 ls 21-1.

Hassan N’Dam won a 12-round majority decision over Martin Murray in a middleweight contest.

At the end of round four, Murray landed an overhand right that sent N’Dam down in the corner.  But N’Dam was able to survive that and box and move his way to a points victory by scores of 117-112, 116-112 and 114-114.

N’Dam, 157.9 lbs of France is now 37-3.  Murray, 159.9 lbs of England is 37-5-1.

Michael Conlan remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jason Cunningham in a featherweight bout.

In round six, Conlan was deducted a point for a low blow, but Conlan dominated the action, and won by scores of 98-92 and 97-92 twice

Conlan, 125.9 lbs of Ireland is 10-0.  Cunningham, 124.9 lbs of England is 24-6.

On his performance against Cunningham

“I made some mistakes in there, but it was a learning experience. It was the first time I went 10 rounds. I felt comfortable in there going the distance, and I got the job done.”

“At the end of the day, it’s another win in the bank. I’m very happy.”

On almost finishing Cunningham in the 10th round

“I thought I had him going, but I couldn’t get him out of there. He did very well to survive. I hit him with some good shots, but he’s a smart fighter and he knew how to survive. If I had a couple more rounds, I think I could have had him out of there.”

On his 2018 campaign

“I’ve progressed. I’ve gone from prospect to contender. I still have a few questions to answer, but I’m happy with the way things are going.”

On what’s next

“I’m going to be back at Madison Square Garden on March 17 for St. Patrick’s Day. Then, we want to come back to Belfast in the summer with a fight in between. I’m not sure who is next, but I want to keep stepping up.”

Nathan Gorman remained undefeated with a 12-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu in a heavyweight bout.

Gorman, 238.1 lbs won by scores of 120-108 and 119-109 twice, and is now 15-0.  Cojanu, 273.1 lbs of Burbank, CA is now 16-5.

Tyson Fury’s brother, Tommy Fury made a successful pro debut with a decision win over trial horse Jevgenis Andrejevs.

Fury, 178.8 lbs won by  a 40-36 scores and is 1-0.  Andrejevs of Lativa is 10-103-3.

Follow all the action as Josh Warrington defends the IBF Featherweight title against former world champion Carl Frampton.  The action kicks off at 1 PM ET/ 6 PM UK time with Tommy Fury making his pro debut.  Also Nathan Gorman takes on Razvan Cojanu; Michael Conlan battles Jason Cunningham; Martin  Murray fights Hassan N’Dam; Mark Heffron fights Liam Williams

NO BROWSER REFRESH IS NEEDED.  THE  PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY.

Round 1 Good right hook by Warrington and they are going at it..Frampton backing up…Heated pace

Round 2 Left hook from Frampton..Right from Warrington..Body shot..Warrington opening up..Short right

Round 3 Uppercut from Frampton..Body shots

Round 4  Right from Warrington..Warrington working on the ropes

Round 5 Barrage of punches from Warrington..Left..Body work..Uppercut..Frampton trying to land the uppercut

Round 6  Warrington applying pressure..Right from Frampton..Uppercut from Warington..right to the body

Round 7 Heavy body shots by both guys…Right from Frampton….Warrington outlanding Framton 142-76

Round 8 Body shots from Frampton..Uppercut from Warrington..Good shots from Frampton..Combination..Warrington trying to answer

Round 9 Right Counter from Frampton..Good right from Warrington..Combination from Frampton..Body punches..Warrington lands a 4 punch combination

Round 10 Jab from Warrington..Uppercut from Frampton..Warrington upping his punch output..Frampton getting better of exchange..Jab from Frampton

Round 11 Jab from Frampton..Right..1-2 from Warrington..Jab..Good combination from Frampton.

Round 12 Body work from Warrington..Pop shotting from the outside

116-113; 116-112 TWICE FOR JOSH WARRINGTON

Round 1 Williams lands a 1-2..Right

Round 2 Clash of heads..Another…Cut over right eye of Williams

Round 3 Good combination from Williams

Round 4 Right from Williams..Jab

Round 5 Hook from Heffron..Good left from Williams..Jab

Round 6 2 hard rights from Williams..Heffrom warned for low blow..Right from Williams..Hard right..Chopping right

Round 7 Right from Williams..Right over the top

Round 8  Right from Williams..Right..Williams warned for low blow

Round 9 Hook from Heffron..Body..Right from Williams

Round 10  HUGE RIGHT AND HEFFRON SLAMS INTO THE ROPES FOR A KNOCKDOWN..Williams landing big shots..REFEREE STOPS THE FIGHT

Round 1 Left to body from Murray..Body shot

Round 2 Left hook from Murray..Uppercut from N’Dam..Left to body from Murray

Round 3

Round 4 Combination from Murray..Combination in close by N’Dam..RIGHT FROM MURRAY AT BELL AND RULED A KNOCKDOWN

Round 5 Murray working the body..Uppercut from N’Dam

Round 6  Combination from N’Dam..Body shot

Round 7 Good uppercut from N’Dam..Combination..Body shot

Round 8 Body shots from N’Dam..Right from Murray

Round 9 Combination from N’Dam..Another combination on the ropes..

Round 10 Right from Murray..

Round 11 N’Dam boxing and moving

Round 12 Murray pressing..Uppercut from N’Dam

114-114; 117-112; 116-112 FOR N’DAM

Round 1

Round 2 Good right from Conlan..Left from Conlan…

Round 3 Body shot from Conlan

Round 4  Right from Conlan..2 lefts from Cunningham..Good body work from Conlan..Right to body

Round 5 Jab and combination from Conlan

Round 6 Conlan deducted a point for a low blow..

Round 7 Combination from Cunningham..Good exchange

Round 8 Good right from Conlan..Uppercuts

Round 9 Jab from Conlan..Good right

Round 10 Cunningham coming forward..Good left hurts Cunningham..Huge right buckles Cunningham

97-92 TWICE AND 98-92 for Conlan

Round 1 Body and uppercuts from Gorman

Round 2 Right from Cojanu..Left from Gorman..Lead left hook..Combination from Cojanu..Left hook

Round 3 Right from Gorman…Gorman getting more active

Round 4  Right from Gorman

Round 5 Left hook from Gorman..Right snaps Cojanu’s head back

Round 6 Hook to body and right from Gorman..Right from Cjanu..Nice uppercut..Body shots..

Round 7 Uppercut from Cojanu..Good left hook..Left hook from Gorman

Round 8 Left from Gorman

Round 9 Left from Gorman…Right to body from Cojanu

Round 10 Nice right from Gorman..Right from Cojanu..Hard right from Gorman

Round 11 Good right from Gorman..Good left from Gorman drive Cojanu to the corner

Round 12 Good left from Gorman..Body shot

119-109 twice and 120-108 for GORMAN

Round 1 Body shot from Fury..Uppercut…Body shot

Round 2 Right hand from Fury..Right

Round 3 Hard uppercut from Fury..Good body shots and right hand..Fury warned for low blows..Right to body

Round 4 Lead left hook from Fury

FURY WINS BY 40-36 SCORE

MARTIN MURRAY RELUCTANTLY concedes that it is a case of win or bust for him when he defends his WBC Silver middleweight title against the dangerous Hassan N’Dam on Saturday.

In what should be a compelling contest at the Manchester Arena, the 36-year-old four-time world title challenger bids to extend his winning run to five against former WBA Regular champion N’Dam and place himself in pole position for a fifth strike at world honours.

Should it not go his way against the 36-3 Frenchman, the final bell will likely call time on the career of the 37-4-1 stalwart from St Helens, who doesn’t see himself embarking on another lengthy rebuild when he has a young family to consider.

“It is the rebuild, working your way all the way back up again,” reasoned the 6ft middleweight. “I’ve got too much going on for that and my family is my main priority.

“I don’t hold it against boxing because the life we have got is because of boxing – my whole family know it. It does at some stage affect my family life and I won’t let it go on forever.

“So that is why I won’t rebuild again,” he confirmed, before relaying a tale of how a Christmas voyage on the high seas hit some turbulence due to fight scheduling.

“We booked a holiday 18 months ago – a cruise around Asia – and we go on December 20. I am now fighting on the 22nd, so now my wife, my kids, my mum fly over on the 20th, then I’ll fight and fly on the 23rd with my dad. We get to Vietnam on the 24th, but they will be at sea and don’t dock until the 25th so I am not going to see my kids until Christmas Day.

“They are the sacrifices I am making and, what I am saying is, with a loss for me I would not rebuild and do it all again.

“Some people are lucky to get one shot and I’ve had four. I believe that if I fight for another world title, no other British fighter will have done it. Frank Bruno and George Groves won it at four and nobody else has won it after five times.

“I know there will definitely not be a sixth and all I want to do is become world champion. I do really feel it is my destiny.”

Knowing that the book will be closed on his career should his arm not be raised aloft after his fight on BT Sport Box Office on Saturday night, Murray confesses is something that drives him harder in training to delay the reading of the final chapter.

“Of course it does, it helps with momentum and keeping young. I love going to the gym and the crack we have there. I love it when I feel fit and when I’ve got a big fight announced. I love everything about it – apart from the last two weeks when the dieting gets hard.

“I don’t want this to end, so it is keeping me focussed, although it (retirement) is there and I know it is going to happen. I don’t want it to end so I am training as hard as I can and as smart as I can as well.”

IBF world featherweight champion Josh Warrington takes on former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton at the Manchester Arena on December 22nd live on BT Sport Box Office. Mark Heffron and Liam Williams contest the vacant British middleweight title and Belfast’s blue chip featherweight prospect Michael Conlan (9-0) takes on former commonwealth champion Jason Cunningham (24-5). In a step up, Nathan Gorman puts his undefeated record and WBC International Silver Heavyweight Title on the line against former World Title challenger Razvan Cojanu, while Martin Murray defends his WBC Silver middleweight title against Hassan N’Dam. Billy Joe Saunders makes his return to the ring and Tyson Fury’s younger brother Tommy Fury also makes his professional debut.

Elsewhere on the bill, world flyweight title challenger Paddy Barnes (5-1), Manchester’s 12-0 Light Heavyweight Lyndon Arthur and 7-0 Darlington middleweight Troy Williamson also return to action.

Tickets are priced at £50 Upper Tier, £80 Tier, £100 Tier, £150 Tier, £200 Floor/Tier, £300 Floor, £400 Floor, £600 Inner Ring VIP Hospitality and are available.

Tickets available via Manchester Arena.

Martin Murray will face former world champion Hassan N’Dam as part of a massive night of boxing at the Manchester Arena on December 22, headlined by Josh Warrington defending his IBF world featherweight title against two-weight world champion Carl Frampton.

Murray, 37-4-1, is building towards another world title challenge, with his only career reverses having come in three previous bids – with one drawn – and against former WBA world champion George Groves.

The St Helens warrior put himself firmly in position for a tilt at the WBC title with the winning of the governing body’s Silver middleweight belt in June by defeating the champion Roberto Garcia via a unanimous decision over 12 rounds at the 02 Arena.

He is now up against a dangerous opponent in N’Dam, 36-3, who has operated at world level since winning the WBA Interim world title with a points victory over Avtandil Khurtsidze in 2010.

His winning streak continued with wins over Giovanni Lorenzo and Max Bursak – before he lost on points to Peter Quillin in 2012 with the WBO world middleweight title at stake.

The Frenchman rebuilt with four victories across 2013-14, with the fourth being a landslide points win over Curtis Stevens that qualified him for a shot at the IBF world title. A thrilling encounter with David Lemieux followed with the Canadian prevailing via the scorecards, with N’Dam showing huge bravery after being put to the canvas on four occasions by the heavy-hitting Lemieux.

A further four wins followed for the now 34-year-old before he headed to Japan in May 2017 to face London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Ry?ta Murata for the vacant WBA regular world title, which he won via a controversial split decision.

The pair rematched five months later, again on Japanese soil, where N’Dam was forced into retirement in the seventh round.

“He is obviously a good opponent and I have known about him for a while,” reacted Murray to the news of a tough night’s work being booked for him at the Manchester Arena. “He is a former world champion and a good fighter.
“It’s a good fight for me, one where I need to be on top of my game because he can box, he can move and he can fight as well. I am happy with it.

“I don’t want to be fighting in six or eight rounders against opponents who I am going to get out in two or three rounds. I need proper live opponents and this guy is one – and he will be coming to win.

“It is just the sort of fight I need.

“I am creeping my way back up there. It has been a slow rebuilding process from the Groves loss for me, but I am keeping myself afloat now and a win against this guy will keep me in the mix.”

IBF world featherweight champion Josh Warrington takes on former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton at the Manchester Arena on December 22nd live on BT Sport Box Office. Mark Heffron and Liam Williams contest the vacant British middleweight title and Belfast’s blue chip featherweight prospect Michael Conlan (9-0) takes on former commonwealth champion Jason Cunningham (24-5). In a step up, Nathan Gorman puts his undefeated record and WBC International Silver Heavyweight Title on the line against former World Title challenger Alex Leapai.

Elsewhere on the bill. world flyweight title challenger Paddy Barnes (5-1) and unbeaten Light Heavyweight contender Steven Ward (9-0) return to action. Manchester’s 12-0 Light Heavyweight Lyndon Arthur and 7-0 Darlington middleweight Troy Williamson also return.

Tickets are priced at £50 Upper Tier, £80 Tier, £100 Tier, £150 Tier, £200 Floor/Tier, £300 Floor, £400 Floor, £600 Inner Ring VIP Hospitality and are available.

Tickets available via Manchester Arena.

By Bart Barry-

Early Sunday morning on ESPN2 a fight for a middleweight title of some sort featured Japan’s Ryota Murata and Franco-Cameroonian Hassan N’Dam in a rematch of N’Dam’s evidently damnable decision victory over Murata in May. This match was another installment of promoter Top Rank’s fledgling union with ESPN, and if the union’s premier match, Manny Pacquiao versus Jeff Horn, happened on a Saturday during primetime, Murata-N’Dam’s happening on a Sunday during predawn felt right, too, when N’Dam and/or his corner surrendered to Murata’s mechanical attack just before round 8 could begin.

As sports and the shortsighted greed of their managers get moved by television from entertaining contests to mere entertainment assets – some combination of superhero movies and reality-television series, something increasingly interchangeable with professional wrestling – obedience to narrative becomes important as authenticity of spectacle. Murata seems to be wrapped in a narrative driven by promotional desires to monetize what Pan-Asian interest Manny Pacquiao catalyzed.

The opening three rounds of Sunday morning’s contest, as an example, saw him confront N’Dam’s ineffective aggressiveness with what one might call effective inaggressiveness, doing not particularly much while preventing particularly much from being done to him. Somehow those rounds were supposed to be autoawarded to Murata, with the chastening and rare event of a twojudge suspension after the first N’Dam-Murata fight ensuring no close round should go to anyone but Murata. Well, OK.

What professional wrestling began – and, lo, there are plenty of us still alive who remember serious debate about whether those results were rigged – and professional basketball followed is now a growing part of professional football and hockey. While the timing and nature of NBA foul calls have been suspect for at least 25 years, the NFL’s and NHL’s separate pursuits of suspenseful endings now court a similar disbelief in their fanbases, a disbelief deliciously undermined by the use of instant replay.

At least a halfdozen infractions occur away from the ball on every single down of a football game. Only the most egregious get called in the first two or three quarters of games. Forever this has served the continuity and flow of the game; if you call every infraction you turn football into fútbol, with its comely diving and unmanly theatrics, and nobody wants that. But now it serves an additional and different purpose: Increasing the number of choices an intentional official has for intervention in games’ decisive plays by increasing the probability more fouls are committed by players whose transgressions have gone unnoticed for most of the game (and most of the history of the game).

Fans react with indignity if yellow flags begin to fly on nearly every play of the final two minutes of close or closing games, but then a telecast can helpfully switch to a plethora of camera angles and replays to prove that, yes, the defensive end did in fact contact the tightend’s jersey for a twosecond or so, and since rules are rules no matter how much it hurts to admit – defensive holding! Since no replays are available for the other dozen times the same thing happened in the first half, uncalled, and since suspense is necessarily high, we’re told it was a mental error by the penalized player, understandable if intolerable, and we accept it as a tariff charged us for having one unbelievable finish after another unbelievable finish after another unbelievable finish, to include the most unbelievable comeback in Super Bowl history.

And that word and its many pronunciations, UN-believable / unbeLIEVable / Un. Be. Liev-able, and its durability, may just be more than what witlessness jocks-cum-commentators generate across the universe of athletics. Perhaps the commentators are selected by name and excitability, but the fans aren’t, or at least not exclusively so – lots of intelligent people watch football and hockey and basketball and tolerate the soundtrack of unbelievables because the word fits well how their collective subconscious reacts to most of those unbelievable plays and outcomes. They are in fact not believable.

Boxing and baseball, for being caught rigging results at least a halfcentury before other sports got in on it, have relied more on narrative and performance-enhancing drugs for their ratings this era. Creative nonfiction, though, can only be so creative before it becomes fiction. Much of HBO’s 24/7 series tightroped its way through this for 10 years, planning spontaneity and scripting improvisation, while Showtime’s (Emmy-winning) All Access novelas with Floyd Mayweather captured the surreality of Money’s lifestyle by being themselves surreal. A comparatively tiny few of us criticized this conversion of bloodsport to infomercial, and journalism to entertainment vehicle, while industries far and wide fixated on what effective marketing this brand of storytelling happened to make, until it became so pervasive th’t today one feels like a prig for making a point of its deep inauthenticity (in his madcap scramble for 1,000 weekly words).

That same creeping sort of feeling happened Sunday morning as Murata knuckleraked N’Dam’s brainstem and pistonstroked his chin to an unsatisfying corner stoppage: This guy isn’t that good, is he, and nowhere near what they’re telling me he is. Since ESPN’s lead boxing commentator pledges fealty to none but the voices in his own head, one suspects the Murata manufacture will go more Shimingly than Golovkinly, as it were; Teddy means a hell of a lot less to ESPN than Jim and Max and Roy mean to HBO, and he’s accordingly more apt to betray his network’s prewritten narrative.

Such is the risk Top Rank took when it departed its symbiotic if suddenly miserly HBO host for a network that broadcasts Top Rank stars as time allows (Sunday morning at 7:15 during football season). Still, Top Rank and Murata are wise to take this finagled timeslot on a new network – especially when one considers how Murata’d likely fare against HBO’s GGG, Canelo or Miracle Man.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (September 28 , 2017) – The world title rematch between World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight champion Hassan N’Dam (36-2, 21 KOs), of France, and No. 1 contender Ry?ta Murata (12-1, 9 KOs), of Japan, will be televised live to the U.S. from Tokyo, on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, Sunday, October 22, at 7:00 a.m. ET.

In their previous battle, which took place on May 20, also in Tokyo, N’Dam claimed the vacant world title via a controversial split decision despite getting knocked down in the fourth round and being out-boxed throughout the fight. The decision was considered questionable, leading the WBA to suspend the two judges — Gustavo Padilla of Panama and Canada’s Hubert Earle, who handed in the scorecards – for six months. The WBA also ordered an immediate rematch.

Murata captured the Olympic gold medal in the middleweight division at the 2012 Olympics held in London. It was the first gold medal won by a Japanese boxer since Takao Sakurai in 1964, and also is the first-ever boxing medal in a weight class other than bantamweight or flyweight. Murata also became the 100th gold medalist in Japanese Olympic history. Five of Murata’s last six victories have come by way of knockout.

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

No one is watching tomorrow night’s fight for the vacant WBA World middleweight title between Japan’s Ryota Murata #2-rated and France’s #1-rated Hassan N’Dam, at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan, more closely than WBA #3 contender Rob “Bravo” Brant and his promoter, Greg Cohen.

Brant (22-0, 15 KOs), of Saint Paul, Minnesota, is mandated by the WBA to face the winner within 120 days.

The fight, which will be Brant’s first for a world championship, will be the culmination of a fantastic 2016-2017, that saw him win the WBA-NABA Middleweight Championship via spectacular knockout over Decarlo Perez in January of last year and then go on to defend it successfully twice more.

Cohen, whose expert guidance has led Brant to fighting on national television numerous times while gaining a large following of fans, especially in his home state, says he’s probably more excited for Brant than he is.

“Rob is a special fighter and an outstanding person and I’m so happy for him,” said Cohen. “He has worked so hard to get here and after tomorrow night, he’ll know who he’s facing for his first world title. I have always believed in Rob Brant and I know he’ll be victorious when the day comes. He’s a winner. That’s what he does.”
About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen first made promotional headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.

In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney.

Cohen currently promotes Undefeated WBO NABO Heavyweight Champion and top 10 world-rated contender Jarrell Miller, Undefeated WBA NABA Middleweight Champion and top 5 world-rated contender Robert Brant, WBO NABO Lightweight Champion and top 5 world-rated contender Mason Menard, former WBA Interim World Lightweight Champion and top 10 world-rated contender Ismael Barroso, top 10 world-rated contender Rico Mueller, undefeated WBA International Bantamweight Champion and world-rated contender Mzuvukile Magwaca, WBO Oriental Super Welterweight Champion and world-rated contender Dennis Hogan, IBO World Featherweight Champion Lusanda Komanisi, former WBO Super Lightweight World Champion Kendall Holt, as well as current top 10 world-rated contenders cruiserweight Olanrewaju Durodola, Filipino Jr. Lightweight star Harmonito Dela Torre, Filipino Super Lightweight Czar Amonsot, and top 15 world-rated contenders featherweight world title challenger Eric Hunter and Guyanese bantamweight Elton Dharry.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including CBS Sports Network, HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.

For more information, visit gcpboxing.com. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing. Twitter: @GCPBoxing.

WBA Middleweight champion Hassan N’Dam will fight Ryota Murata for the WBA Middleweight title on May 20th in Tokyo, Japan, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I’ve started sparring already in training and it is going well,” Murata said at the news conference in translated comments. “I originally started boxing to see how good of fighter I was. If I am able to defeat this opponent, I can confidently say that I am a good fighter. I am looking forward to this fight.”

“Because I am a gold medalist, I have had so much support from so many people,” Murata said. “I want to win this fight for all them as my gratitude for their support and kindness. The key for me to win is to fight with what I do well.

“I believe what makes my boxing style exciting is moving forward and throwing punches. We will see if this style will prevail. I expect this fight to be a tough fight. The opponent is type of fighter who can be knocked down four or six times in a fight, but take the remaining rounds on points.”

“I think that Ryota Murata is a very effective fighter and he proved it as an amateur when he became Olympic champion,” N’Dam said. “I think he’s going to be a great opponent but I will be — and I’ve always been — ready for great outings, so this fight will be a war because I’m not ready to let my title go anywhere.”

“I am a fan of Felix Trinidad and Bernard Hopkins and the belt I will be fighting for is the same belt that they had,” Murata said. “This does not make me a boxing great like they are if I win this belt, but I am fortunate to be able to fight for the belt they held.”

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (March 21, 2017) — Teiken Promotions and Top Rank®, have begun negotiations for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight world title between interim WBA middleweight champion Hassan N’Dam and undefeated No. 2 world-rated contender Ryota Murata.

“While N’Dam wants the fight to take place in France, Mr. Honda and I think this fight would do extremely well in Japan and we are pulling out all stops in trying to bring it there,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “Since winning Olympic gold in 2012, Ryota has developed a rabid fan base in Japan and we think those fans deserve to see their hero fight for his first professional world title. It would be a sensational event in Japan.”

N’Dam (35-2, 21 KOs), a native of Cameroon who fights out of Pantin,Seine-Saint-Denis, France, and a two-time world title challenger, regained the interim WBA middleweight crown for a second time on December 17, scoring a devastating first-round knockout of undefeated defending champion Alfonso Blanco in what many consider the Knockout of the Year for 2016.

Murata (12-0, 9 KOs), from Tokyo, Japan, won all four of his 2016 bouts by knockout in fights that took place in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Las Vegas and Tokyo. The six-foot fighter captured the Olympic gold medal in the middleweight division at the 2012 Olympics held in London. It was the first gold medal won by a Japanese boxer since Takao Sakurai in 1964, and also is the first-ever boxing medal in a weight class other than bantamweight or flyweight. Murata also became the 100th gold medalist in Japanese Olympic history.

Los Angeles, CA (June 24, 2015) It was a busy weekend across the globe for King Sports. From Los Angeles to Montreal to Milan, the company experienced exhilarating triumph & bittersweet loss.

“We began the weekend with a beautiful celebration of life taking place on Friday night in Los Angeles for Michael” said Paul Cain of King Sports. “From President Bill Clinton to Oprah Winfrey it was a wonderful tribute to a beloved man who has inspired us all at King Sports.”

“We then flew to Montreal for Hassan N’Dam’s IBF Middleweight World Title fight against David Lemieux.” Despite being dropped four times the valiant N’Dam battled the full twelve rounds with the hometown favorite Lemieux, dropping a hard fought decision.

“Hassan fought like the world class fighter we know that he is,” continued Cain. “He was successfully counter punching the wild swinging Lemieux the entire fight. A showing like this even in defeat raises his stock and we look forward to finding the biggest opportunity for him next.”

Also on Saturday night in Milan, Italy, fighting under the King Sports banner, Michel Soro stopped Emanuele Blandamura in the eighth round to capture the vacant European Middleweight Title, improving to 27-1-1 (17KO’s).

In his previous start, Soro knocked out Glen Tapia in the fourth round on May 8 in Newark, New Jersey to win the USBA & NABO Junior Middleweight titles.

“Michel has an outstanding future and he’s poised for a title shot before the end of the year,” Cain stated. “And we have big plans for the rest of our fighters, including Richard Commey who just won the vacant IBF Inter-Continental Lightweight Title, Chris Van Heerden, the IBF International Welterweight champ & Charles Martin, the NABO Heavyweight champion.”

ABOUT KING SPORTS
King Sports is a company started by entertainment entrepreneur Michael King. Through an exhaustive scouting and evaluation process, King Sports has signed some of the most exciting young fighters from around the globe, positioning each of them into the top 8 world rankings.

For more information follow King Sports on Twitter @KingSportsWorld, Facebook @KingSportsWorldwide and visit their website at www.KingSportsWorldwide.com.
@HassanNdam @SoroMichel @RichardCommey @TheHeat001 @StPrinceCharles

David Lemieux won the IBF Middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

In round two, Lemieux landed a huge left that dropped N’Dam. In round five, Lemieux sent N’Da, to the canvas with a thudding left to to body/left to the head combination. Moments later, it was another crunching left hook that dropped N’Dam for a 3rd time.

N’Dam hit the deck again late in round seven from a right hand.

Lemieux, 160 lbs of Montreal won by scores of 115-109 twice and 114-110 and is now 34-2. N’Dam of France is now 31-2.

In a battle of former world title challengers, Dierry Jean won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jerry Belmontes in a Lightweight bout.

In round two, Jean landed an overhand right that made Belmontes glove hit the canvas for a knockdown.

Jean of Montreal won by scores of 99-90, 99-89 and 98-91 and is now 29-1. Belmontes, 134.4 lbs of Corpus Christie, Texas is now 19-7.

Heavyweight Luis Ortiz remained undefeated with a 1st round blowout over Byron Polley in a scheduled 8-round bout.

Ortiz dropped Polley with an left uppercut to the body in round one. Ortiz scored a 2nd knockdown when he pushed Polley down but it was a ruled a knockdown. Ortiz finished the fight with a perfect left hand that dropped Polley and the fight was stopped at 2:38 of round one.

Ortiz, 230 lbs of Miami, FL is 22-0 with 19 knockouts. Polley, 272 lbs of St. Joseph, MO is 27-19-1.

MONTREAL (June 19, 2015) – Former World Boxing Organization (WBO) 160-pound division champion Hassan N’Dam (31-1, 18 KOs) has promised a world-class performance in tomorrow night’s (Saturday, June 20) showdown with David Lemieux (33-2, 31 KOs) for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight title at the famed Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

A 2004 Olympian who represented his native Cameroon, N’Dam is the IBF No. 1-ranked, mandatory contender, who now fights out of France. Lemieux is ranked No. 4 in the world by the IBF.

“I promise a world-class performance tomorrow night in Montreal against hometown favorite David Lemieux for the IBF middleweight world championship,” N’Dam said earlier today in Montreal. “I will adapt to whatever style Lemieux brings. I can KO him in round one, or in any other round. He has never fought anyone with my skill set. Lemieux is coming into the deep end and I will prove he doesn’t belong here. I will show his handlers that he doesn’t belong at the top tier of world-class boxing.”

N’Dam’s victims, among the more notables, include Max Bursk, Curtis Stevens, Fulgencio Zuniga, Giovanni Lorenzo, Omar Weiss and Autandil Khurtsidze.

“Hassan has had the best training camp of his career and he’s going to put on the performance of his life tomorrow night,” N’Dam’s manager Gary Hyde added. “When he is crowned IBF world middleweight champion, Hassan will be right in the mix of the most exciting weight division in boxing. We are not happy with the appointment of a Canadian judge and Canadian referee, but I have been assured by Quebec Commissioner Michel Hamelin that they will do a good, honest job. I accept that this will be the case. We have a world title to win and that is what we will do. Hassan will be crowned world champion for the second time, against all odds, because he’s just too good.”

Follow on Twitter at @HassanNdam and @NoWhere2Hyde.

LONDON (19 June) – This season’s World Series of Boxing is set to come to a dramatic conclusion this weekend when reigning champions Cuba Domadores defend their title against Astana Arlans Kazakhstan, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The two top teams from Season 5 will do battle over two days from the National Tennis Centre in Kazakhstan in the unique 16-team boxing competition, regarded as one of the most exciting sports leagues in the world.

Leading boxing channel BoxNation has so far screened this year’s quarters-finals and semi-finals and will show the finals live and exclusive on Saturday 20 June at 12.30pm BST and Sunday 21 June at 11.30am BST.

The WSB has proved a huge hit following its launch in August 2008, with the semi-pro competition bringing together the best athletes on the planet – world and Olympic champions – who compete across ten weight categories.

The 2015 final pitches two of the world’s proudest boxing nations up against one another with Cuba Domadores looking to win the title for the second successive season but will have their work cut out against former champions Astana Arlans.

The Cuba Domadores have enjoyed an unbelievable run with 14 consecutive victories in the regular season, including eight whitewash successes, with just seven individual losses against 63 wins.

Furthermore, a Cuban fighter placed at least fifth in the rankings of each WSB division, with five of their competitors finishing in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games quota positions.

They overcame the much respected Mexico Guerreros in the semi-finals 10-0, with star fighters, heavyweight Erislandy Savon, light-heavyweight Julio Cesar De La Cruz and number one ranked flyweight Yosbany Veitía thrilling en-route to the final.

However, despite their flawless season so far Astana Arlans stand in their way and have been in tremendous form themselves as they look to reclaim their former title as WSB champions.

Fighting on home soil the Astana Arlans are a formidable force having finished the group stages undefeated at home, losing just three individual matches in front of their loyal fans.

Having won 80% of their matches across their 14 regular season fixtures, Astana Arlans qualified directly through to the semi-finals after finishing top of Group B where they demolished the Russian Boxing Team 9-1 on aggregate to reach the final.

Star man Vasiliy Levit is one of the most dominant competitors in the WSB, with the top ranked heavyweight winning eight matches, with just one of his opponents being able to go the five round distance with him.

A meeting with Savon will undoubtedly be one of the most intriguing clashes in this final, with the Astana Arlans, who take their name from the alpha male wolf, also known as ‘the leader of the pack’, boasting further talents such as WSB number one super-heavyweight Filip Hrgovic and one of Kazakhstan’s most decorated boxers Daniyar Yeleussinov.

This weekend’s electrifying final brings to an end a six month season of the world’s premier boxing competition with teams having competed across four continents of Africa, Americas, Asia and Europe.

BoxNation will also air the next two WSB series’ in full, live and exclusive, as the channel continues to deliver the very best boxing action from around the world.

In addition to the WSB final, ‘The Channel of Champions’ will also screen the captivating showdown between Canadian big-hitter David Lemieux and the tough as teak Hassan N’Dam for the vacant IBF middleweight title live and exclusive this Saturday at 2am BST.

26-year-old Lemieux has 31 knockouts from 35 fights and challenges for his first world title against N’Dam, who has lost just once in 32 bouts, that a unanimous points decision against then WBO champion Peter Quillin.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky437/490HD, Virgin 525, TalkTalk 415) for just £12 a month visit boxnation.com.

-Ends-

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

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

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at Livesport.tv and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

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

LOS ANGELES (June 18) -Former world title contender Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz (21-0, 18 KOs) returns to the ring in an anticipated comeback fight against Brian “The Bear” Polly (27-18-1, 12 KOs) of St. Joseph, Missouri in a heavyweight bout on the undercard of the IBF Middleweight World Championship fight between Montreal’s David Lemieux (33-2, 31 KOs) and number one contender Hassan N’Dam (31-1, 18 KOs) on June 20.

Ortiz vs. Polley will be featured as the U.S. televised opening bout in a scheduled FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes tripleheader presented by Eye of the Tiger Management and Golden Boy Promotions in association with King Sports Worldwide and Evenko. In the main event David Lemieux will take on Hassan N’Dam in a 12-round bout for the IBF Middleweight World Championship. In the co-main event, Dierry “All In” Jean (28-1, 20 KOs) of Quebec, Canada will face Jerry “The Corpus Christi Kid” Belmontes (19-6, 5 KOs) of Corpus Christi, Texas in a 10-round fight for the NABF Lightweight title.

Undefeated Cuban heavyweight Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz has had a successful career knocking out opponent after opponent since his professional debut in 2010. Ortiz has faced and defeated some of the toughest fighters of the sport including Luis Andres Pineda, Henry Saenz, Alex Gonzalez and Lateef Kayode, all while adding the WBA FECARBOX Heavyweight title, the WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight title and the WBO and WBC Latino Heavyweight titles to his collection. The contender is returning from a seven-month hiatus after fighting for the interim WBA Heavyweight World Championship in September 2014 and is ready to prove himself in front of fans and critics that he is back as a serious contender in the sport.

Brian “The Bear” Polley of St. Joseph, Missouri is a tough fighter who is coming off a decision victory over Travis Fulton this past March. A professional since 1999, the seasoned fighter has fought for the USA Mid-American Heavyweight Title, the USA Mid West Heavyweight title, the WBC Continental Americans Heavyweight title and the WBA Fedecentro Heavyweight title. In 2014, Polley faced Aaron Green, Bryan Dailey and Yasmany Consuegra, and in his second fight of 2015, Polley is looking to add another victory to his record when he faces Luis Ortiz on June 20.

David Lemieux vs. Hassan N’Dam is a 12-round fight for the vacant IBF Middleweight World Championship presented by Eye of the Tiger Management and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Evenko. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET and the first bell rings at 6:45 p.m. ET. The live PPV telecast airs at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT and the FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes broadcast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT. The live action on FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes is available to customers of participating pay TV providers via FOX Sports GO app and on the web through FOXSportsGO.com. FOX Sports GO is currently available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Windows devices.

CORK, Ireland (June 10, 2015) – Gary Hyde, manager of International Boxing Federation (IBF) No. 1-ranked, mandatory middleweight contender Hassan N’Dam (31-1, 18 KOs), has objected to two officials named to work the June 20th IBF world middleweight title fight between N’Dam and David Lemieux (33-2, 31 KOs) at the famed Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Cameroon-native N’Dam, promoted by King Sports, is a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) 160-pound division world champion. The IBF No. 4-ranked Lemieux was born and lives in Montreal, Quebec.

“On June 2nd,” Hyde explained, “I learned who the officials were for the June 20th fight at the Bell Centre. I contacted the IBF and objected to two officials who are from Montreal, Quebec, the same city Lemieux is from. Referee Marlon Wright has refereed five of Lemieux’ fights and the judge in question, Benoit Roussel, has worked no fewer than 12 of Lemieux’ fights.

“I also objected to the Quebec Commission on the appointment of the two Canadian officials. The selection of two officials from the same city as one of the fighters in an international world championship bout indicates a flawed and unfair procedure and undermines the appearance of fairness and impartiality. In my experience in world championship bouts the officials must always be neutral.

“We are hopeful that the Quebec Boxing Commission will replace both Canadian officials with a pair of neutral officials, so that we can concentrate solely on the job at hand, to beat Lemieux.

LOS ANGELES (June 3)- Eye of the Tiger Management and Golden Boy Promotions in association with King Sports Worldwide and Evenko are excited to announce the U.S. broadcast of the highly anticipated vacant IBF Middleweight World Championship match-up between the Quebec power puncher David Lemieux (33-2, 31 KOs) and number one contender Hassan N’Dam (31-1, 18 KOs) on FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes on June 20 at 10:00 p.m. ET from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

The FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes triple-header will feature the return of the undefeated Cuban heavyweight Luis “King Kong” Ortiz (21-0, 18 KOs) in the eight-round televised opener. In the co-main event, Dierry “All In” Jean (28-1, 20 KOs) of Quebec, Canada will face Jerry “The Corpus Christi Kid” Belmontes (19-6, 5 KOs) of Corpus Christi, Texas in a 10-round fight for the NABF Lightweight title.

“Being on FOX Sports is a great opportunity to use this exposure and show fans an explosive night of boxing,” said David Lemieux. “I plan to put on a show and draw more people as fans to my sport.”

“We are very pleased to have FOX Sports as a partner helping in the visibility of David Lemieux’s career,” said Camille Estephan, President of Eye of the Tiger Management. “David is a rising star not only in the world of boxing but as well in the world of sports generally and the coverage should help in making a cross over from his sport of boxing to the world of sports.”

“The broadcast on FOX Sports will allow American audiences the chance to see a great fight featuring two of the most exciting stars in boxing,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President and Found of Golden Boy Promotions. “This match-up will deliver action-packed intensity as both Lemieux and N’Dam are hungry to move their careers forward and claim the title.”

Tickets, which will be offered for as low as $70 (CAD) (taxes and service charges included), and are on sale now at www.evenko.ca and at the Bell Centre box office. For further information, please visit us at and www.eottm.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.evenko.ca or call 1-855-310-2525. Follow us on Twitter @Lemieuxboxing, @EOTMVD, @GoldenBoyBoxing and @evenko.

Currently ranked in the top ten middleweight fighters by the IBF, WBO, and WBA, David Lemieux is coming off of his eighth consecutive win and seventh consecutive knockout against Gabriel “King” Rosado in a headlining bout at Barclays Center on December 2014. Lemieux’s previous bout against Fernando Guerrero for the then vacant NABF middleweight title resulted in a dominating win, knocking down Guerrero in the first round, second round, third round and finally a technical knockout in the fourth round. Now David Lemieux is certainly seen as a serious contender against the elite of the middleweight division.

Number one contender Hassan N’Dam of Pantin, Seine-Saint-Denis, France is a fierce fighter known for his speed and endurance in the ring. A professional since 2004, N’Dam has already accumulated the WBA International Middleweight Title and the WBA World Middleweight title beating out seasoned fighters Omard Gabriel Weis and Giovanni Lorenzo for his shot at a world title. Having lost via unanimous decision to Peter Quillin for the WBO World Middleweight Title in 2012, the top contender is ready for prove that he has the makings for of a world champion when he faces David Lemieux for the vacant IBF Middleweight World Title.

Undefeated Cuba heavyweight, Luis “King Kong” Ortiz has had a successful career knocking out opponent after opponent since his professional debut in 2010. Ortiz has faced and defeated some of the toughest fighters of the sport, including Luis Andres Pineda, Henry Saenz, Alex Gonzalez and Lateef Kayode, all while adding the WBA FECARBOX Heavyweight Title, the WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight Title and the WBO and WBC Latino Heavyweight titles to his collection. The contender is returning from a seven-month hiatus after fighting for the interim WBA Heavyweight World Championship in September 2014 and is ready to prove himself in front of fans and critics that he is back as a serious contender in the sport.

Haitian-born Canadian boxer Dierry Jean made his professional debut in December 2006, triumphing over Stephane Fleury in current home of Montreal. Since his debut, the 33 year-old fighter has racked up an impressive record of 28 wins. In January 2014, Jean lost in the IBF Welterweight championship bout against Lamont Peterson but rebounded by recently defeating Mario Perez and Daniel Ruiz in 2014 and Carlos Manuel Reyes in March 2015. He looks to continue his current winning streak as he goes up against Jerry Belmontes vying for the NABF lightweight title.

Hailing from Corpus Christi, Texas, Jerry Belmontes made his professional debut winning over Olvin Mejia in January 2008 and continued his winning streak with an impressive 17 straight wins before his first loss to Eric Hunter in 2012. After tough fights against Francisco Vargas in 2013, amateur rival Omar Figueroa Jr and Abner Cotto in 2014, and Miguel Vazquez in 2015, Belmontes will look to make a comeback against Dierry Jean on June 20.

David Lemieux vs. Hassan N’Dam is a 12-round fight for the vacant IBF Middleweight World Championship presented by Eye of the Tiger Management and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Evenko. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET and the first bell rings at 6:45 p.m. ET. The live PPV telecast airs at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT and the FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes broadcast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT. The live action on FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes is available to customers of participating pay TV providers via FOX Sports GO app and on the web through FOXSportsGO.com. FOX Sports GO is currently available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Windows devices.

LONDON (3 June) – BoxNation has added the exciting clash between Quebec puncher David Lemieux and number one contender Hassan N’Dam for the vacant IBF middleweight world title on June 20 to its sizzling summer schedule.

The 160-pound duo will meet in Montreal, Canada at the Bell Centre as they compete for the middleweight crown in a division stacked from top to bottom with star-studded talent.

Hard-hitting Lemieux, with a record of 31 knockouts from 33 wins, first captured the attention of the boxing world during his impressive win against Gabriel Rosado in Brooklyn, New York last year.

When the IBF middleweight title became vacant, the confrontation between Lemieux, who is currently ranked fourth in the world by the IBF, and number one contender N’Dam became eminent.

The division is currently stacked with world-class names including Kazakh assassin Gennady Golovkin and Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto.

“It was really important for my team and I to bring this fight here to Quebec,” said Lemieux. “The fans here have supported me from the beginning of my career and for that I am extremely grateful. I want to live this significant moment of my career with Quebecers and will do all that I can for them to be proud of me. I am ready to offer the very best of myself. Those close to me and my fans will see all the blood they want!”

“I’m thrilled to be fighting for the middleweight championship,” said N’Dam. “I’ve very thankful and I look forward to fighting in Montreal and leaving with the title.”

The undercard will feature some of the most talented boxers in Quebec, including Dierry Jean (28-1, 20 KOs), Schiller Hyppolite (15-1, 10 KOs), Ghislain Maduma (16-1, 10 KOs), Steven Butler (11-0, 9 KOs), Mian Hussain (11-0, 6 KOs), Ayaz Hussain (5-0, 3 KOs), Yves Ulysse Jr. (6-0, 4 KOs) and Mathieu Germain (1-0).

The stacked bill joins a cracking summer line-up on BoxNation which sees a host of top class action including Cotto vs. Daniel Geale this Saturday, Nicholas Walters vs. Miguel Marriaga, Tim Bradley vs. Jessie Vargas, Terry Flanagan vs. Jose Zepeda, Frank Buglioni vs. Lee Markham and Sergey Kovalev vs. Nadjib Mohammedi.

For details on how to subscribe to BoxNation for just £12 a month please visit boxnation.com.

-Ends-

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

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

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at Livesport.tv and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

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

Oscar De La Hoya:

Thank you very much, everyone. To all the media who is participating, we are extremely, extremely excited to announce today, an upcoming fight on June 20th live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada: Lemieux vs. N’Dam. They will be fighting for the IBF vacant Middleweight World Title, and we are extremely proud to announce that this event is being presented by Eye of the Tiger Management and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Evenko.

We strongly feel that in Canada-obviously they love their hockey-but that’s not the only sport that they follow. Canadians also love their boxing with passion, and we anticipate a full house at the Bell Centre on June 20th in Montreal. So, that’s a fight that everybody in Canada will be looking forward to.

Lemieux vs. N’Dam is a terrific fight and they are in probably one of the most dangerous and one of the most exciting weight classes that boxing has today.

When you talk about the middleweight division, you think about the greats in boxing history. And on June 20th, Lemieux and N’Dam will have the opportunity to cement and to start creating their own history, eventually getting to the top and being mentioned with the greats of this division, the middleweight division.

As you know, Lemieux has been taking the world by storm. He, not only generates huge ratings on HBO, but he’s being looked upon as the emerging next star in the middleweight division, and N’Dam, his record speaks for itself. His style speaks for itself. There’s nothing that anyone can say negatively about N’Dam because he always comes to fight. He’s in the fight of his life and probably the most important fight of his career, and he knows that. We anticipate a tremendous fight on June 20th.

Let me at this moment introduce to you the director of boxing for King Sports who will make some comments and introduce Hassan N’Dam, that is Paul King.

Paul King:

Hey, Oscar. Thanks a lot, my man. First of all, we’re excited and we’re proud to be doing our first event with you. So Oscar and Eric and everybody at Golden Boy, we want to thank you for that.

At this point, I just want to move forward and I would like to put Hassan on for his interview. Hassan, are you there?

Hassan N’Dam:

I feel good. It’s the fight that I’ve been waiting for for a very long time, since I beat Curtis Stevens and I’m the official challenger. For me, it’s just a logic continuity after the Curtis Stevens fight. I’m happy that this fight is taking place because I was sick of waiting for this. For me, the opponent is not important.

Before David Lemieux, two other boxers refused to fight me. The fact that David Lemieux accepted to fight me was a relief. I’m just waiting with impatience for June 20th, because I’ll be able to show to the world what I have in my head, in my legs and in my arms.

Thank you.

Oscar De La Hoya:

Thank you very much, Hassan, and just to remind everyone, Hassan N’Dam has a record of 31-1 with 18 knockouts. So with Lemieux’s style and Hassan’s style, it calls for again one of those terrific fights that can’t be missed.

Also, thank you very much, Hassan, for your comments. We can now open it up to the media for a couple of questions for Hassan.

Question:

The question for Hassan is: how does David Lemieux save up against some of your previous fighters? You fought Curtis Stevens. You fought Peter Quillin. What is Lemieux’s quality? Is he better than Stevens? Do you see him as better than Quillin or a notch below?

Hassan N’Dam:

Every boxer has his style and every boxer has his own strategy. Stevens’s strategy will not be the same as David Lemieux’s strategy. Boxing is a difficult sport. I respect each and every opponent that I have. Every opponent that will face me will be taken very seriously. Each fighter, the better ones and the lesser ones, are all considered equal for me when I’m going into a fight.

Question:

Yes. With the current resurgence of the middleweight division-when you talk about the middleweight division the names that come to mind are: Cotto, GGG, Lee, Quillin, Geale and now Pennello in the mix. They tend to forget two names, which are Lemieux and N’Dam. After Saturday, one of y’all’s names will be mixed with those guys. How do you all feel about that and what does it mean to you?

Hassan N’Dam:

I always look at these things the right side. I’ve always been considered as an outsider. And, I’ve always proven my skills with each and every one of my opponents. I’ve proved to everyone that I have the [indiscernible] to be where I am at that given moment after each fight.

From the moment when I started competing in world championship fights-I fought only undefeated, tough opponents and I beat them. Except for [indiscernible] and that’s the only one, but everyone knows . Today, everyone is talking about the hard-hitter facing me. But people tend to forget what I’ve done before when I’ve faced other hard-hitting boxers. One day my skills, my talent and my efforts will be recognized and acknowledged and then I’ll be in that midst.

Question:

Yes, Paul, are you still on the line?

Paul King:

Yes.

Question:

Okay, I have a question with Hassan. I know this fight was being negotiated and there was some issue-I don’t know if there were issues or just rumors of issues of the financial terms, which led to the purse. I was just wondering if you could briefly speak to that.

Paul King:

Whatever went on before, everything got sorted out. Hassan is here. He’s in camp. Golden Boy is along with us, and we’ll be in Montreal on the 20th ready to fight.

Question:

Thanks. Well, I appreciate that. I have one question for Hassan. Just how he feels about having to go to David Lemieux’s backyard. Like he said, he goes on the outside looking in. So does he just see this as one more chance to upset the odds?

Hassan N’Dam:

Everywhere I fight, I feel like it’s my backyard. I feel like I’m at home. I was born in Cameroon, but I made a name for myself in France. Today, I fight in LA like I’m at home. On June 20th, I’ll be in my room in Canada.

Question:

Okay, great. Thanks. I appreciate that. Then Oscar, I just have one question for you.I know this fight is going to be shown on Canada pay-per-view. I was just wondering if efforts are still being made to try and secure US TV for this fight.

Oscar De La Hoya:

Yes. We are talking to various networks here in the US and that’ll be sorted out. We’ll have an announcement very soon.

Question:

Okay. I know you can’t speak to any network. Are you optimistic it will be on US TV though?

Oscar De La Hoya:

It will be on US TV. Absolutely, yes.

Question:

Yes. Thank you. I’ll ask my question in French, if you don’t mind. Sorry for those who don’t understand my French. Hassan. [speaking foreign language.]

Moderator (Question):

I’ll just translate the question for everyone. So, he’s asking, he says your only defeat in your career happened against Peter Quillin. So can you go over that and tell us what have you learned from that defeat, and can you use anything against David Lemieux?

Hassan N’Dam:

I’ve explained this many times to people and this is, I hope, the last time I’ll have to explain it, because my career is moving forward and not looking backwards. I fought Peter Quillin without being prepared. I had only a three-week notice and I didn’t even do any sparring.

The only reason I took this fight with a three-week notice is because they threatened to strip me from my belt, and since I am a man, if I was to lose my title, I thought I might as well lose it in the ring.

I had no strategy to beat Peter Quillin. I just had to improvise to do-to do my own style. And fight with my heart. Which I think I did very well.

Today, this situation is very different. My team changed. My training camp is much better. I am steady in my head to do a brilliant fight.

Question:

Merci. If I could just have a second question. [Speaking foreign language.]

Moderator (Question):

He says why did he not show up at the press conference at the last minute?

Hassan N’Dam:

I was told very, very late. I had a very short notice for this press conference. My preparation was already completely scheduled. When I was told about this press conference, I was in the French Alps because I do a high altitude free training camp, and I was just about to depart for Los Angeles to continue my training camp. I didn’t want to travel a lot and get tired.

I’m preparing this fight on June 20th. That’s my main focus, is to travel to Montreal, win the title and go home with my title.

Question:

This is for Hassan. You mentioned impatience following the fight versus Curtis Stevens. How does that motivate you? Does it give you motivation going into this fight against N’Dam seeing that it’s been a while since you got back into the ring?

Basically, I just wanted-cause he said-he mentioned impatience following the fight against Stevens. Does that give him added motivation going into the fight against Lemieux?

Hassan N’Dam:

Yes, it adds up to the motivation because I finally have a name. I know the face of my opponent so I’ve been just waiting all this time.

Question:
[Speaking foreign language.]

Moderator (Question):

She says: you’re talking of yourself like a boxer that’s underestimated and what’s your strategy to beat David Lemieux?

Hassan N’Dam:

My strategy is very simple. I’m a complete boxer. David Lemieux says that he’s different than what he used to be. But I am a very complete boxer and I’m going to use all of the tools I have to beat him. That’s it.

Moderator:

At this time, we have no further questions. I’d like to turn it over to Hassan for final comments.

Hassan N’Dam:

The final comment is, you know, I know everyone is talking about the fact that I am unhappy of the purse that I am getting for the fight. Of course, I am not very happy because I’ve heard several comments coming from my opponent’s camp saying that he’s going to have the largest purse in his career. I would like the idea, rules for the purse to be respected, and that is the purse must be split at 50/50, and there’s no additional money. I don’t want to talk about that anymore, but I just hope that the rules are going to be respected.

I just have a message for David Lemieux if he is on the line. Man, you better get ready because the spot you’re in, the challenger spot you’re in, you didn’t earn it. You got it by chance, by luck. I’m going to prove to you and to the entire world that you do not have the level of [indiscernible]. When you had the chance to become mandatory challenger, you always blew your chances. That’s all I have.

Oscar De La Hoya:

Thank you very much. Paul, thank you very much, N’Dam.

And now to introduce to you Team Lemieux. I would like to say it has been a great pleasure to work with this nice young man I’ll be introducing to you. He is president of Eye of the Tiger management. That is Camille Estephan. Camille.

Camille Estephan:

Hello, everybody. Thank you, Oscar, for the wonderful work and team N’Dam for being here today, unlike the Montreal visit that didn’t happen. I’d like to thank the press for the attention they’re giving to this fight. The fight that is majorly important in a very, very hard division that’s now the middleweight division. We believe that there will be a statement made on June 20th in Montreal at the Bell Centre.

The Bell Centre will be hosting an event that will be historical. It’s historical because it will mark a great name coming up. We believe in David Lemieux to do right at making a statement. But as well, it’s a celebration of a 35-year date in 1980. June 20th, Roberto Duran fought Sugar Ray Leonard at the Olympic Stadium and won a great historical fight. So, we’re pleased and thrilled to be making history again in Montreal for the wonderful boxing fans that supported us throughout the years and I’ve been there for David. So, it’s wonderful. Thank you, Eric and Oscar, to give the opportunity to David to give back to his fans on a wonderful June 20th coming up.

I’d like to introduce you to, as well, David and bring him to say a few words. I’m very proud of the work that he’s putting in, as always, for the last few years we’ve been working together and very, very looking forward to his performance on June 20th. David.

David Lemieux:

Hello. I’m here. Very excited for this fight. I’ve been waiting for a long time to be able to face the world champion in our division and to be able to become a world champion. It is my time, and I’ve been working since I was a young kid at this to be where I am today. I’m working extremely hard. This is to-date the best camp I’ve ever had. My physical strength is much better than it ever has been.

Everything is kind of coming into perfection for this fight. I’m extremely confident in this fight and what I am to expect with Hassan N’Dam, for I understand his boxing abilities. I understand everything about him. I’ve watched him. We studied him very well. I know his strengths, and I know his weaknesses. And I know my strength, and I know my weaknesses or whatever it is. There’s nothing I am concerned about in this fight with what I am doing today and everyday.

It’s going to be a great event. It’s going to be very explosive, and hopefully, it’s going to mark a historical event in Montreal and a great fight for 2015, to give to the fans all what they want, what they need. They’ve got two top athletes in the ring, and it’s going to be great. Two hungry guys; one much hungrier than the other. But, talk is cheap. We’ll keep everything cool for the fight on June 20th.

I’m very excited and very confident. I’m looking very forward to this fight. I’m very, very happy, and to fight N’Dam when other fighters turned him down. I would never turn down any fighter if the skills are right, good or great or whatever they are. With all my abilities, I’m in total confidence with myself, with my group, with my people, and with my surroundings, and every world we’re going to take, we’re going to be together. We’re going to be strong, and we’re going to have a big army around me. I’m willing to do all the damage, and on June 20th, I’m going to open a lot of eyes. It’s going to be very exciting.

Oscar De La Hoya:

Thank you very much, David. Before we open it up to questions for the media-just want to point out that David Lemieux, you take a look at his record, which is 33-2 with 31 knockouts. He has one of the top tail percentages of any fighter today. He has an explosive style. He’s hungry. He’s determined. He’s ready to go.

This is a very important and historical at the Bell Centre. Canada will be behind this event 100%. Golden Boy Promotions is really proud to be working with Eye of the Tiger and David. This will be our first fight since signing a deal with David, so we are just thrilled, excited, and happy, to be going out there for the whole week promoting this great event in Canada.

Now we can open it up to the media for questions for David. Thank you.

Question:

Hello, everybody. Thank you. Hello, David.

David Lemieux:

Hello.

Question:

David, my question for you is related to the loss that N’Dam took against Peter Quillin. He said on his part of the call that he had only three weeks to prepare for that fight and did not spar, but the results of the fight was he got knocked down, I believe it was five times, and obviously lost the decision. The question is: you are known for your very good punching power. He was on the deck five times against the best opponent that he has faced in his career. When you think about that, or do you think about that, do you think that this is looking like another knockout for David Lemieux?

David Lemieux:

He’s a great fighter. I’m not underestimating him, and I would never compare myself to any other fighters, especially not to Peter Quillin. He’s a good fighter but my abilities are very different, and I’m sure that any athlete can get knocked down but I think when Hassan will put the glove to his knee and that bell will ring in the first round, he will never [indiscernible] with me in his entire career. But we’ll see on June 20th.

Question:

Well, when you know that he got knocked down five times, and you know the kind of power that you possess, does it make you lick your chops a little bit?

David Lemieux:

No because anybody I’m willing to go in the ring with, I’m going to hurt them regardless if it is an undefeated title who has never been knocked down or some guy who has been knocked down. To me, it makes no difference because I have one goal in my mind. It’s to destroy and to be able to do it the best way I can throughout the whole fight. If it doesn’t happen in the first round, or the fifth, or the sixth, I’ll still try to the twelfth. There’s always going to be patience from my side.

Question:

I want to ask you, I don’t know if you had a chance to see it. Did you watch the Gennady Golovkin fight on Saturday night and his performance against Willie Monroe?

David Lemieux:

No. I’m just concentrating on this fight right now. I’m not paying attention to any other boxing. Just concentrating on my fight and on my [indiscernible], and that’s it.

Question:

How big of a deal is it for you, David, that this fight is going to take place in Montreal where you, obviously, that’s your hometown? By all accounts, you’re developing a very nice fan base up there. How significant is it for you to be able to fight for one of the world titles in front of those people in Montreal?

David Lemieux:

I’m very, very happy with it. It’s a dream come true. I’m working extremely hard. My fans always supported me here from my downsides, to my upsides and to my greater side. But now I’m a different person and I’m ready to bring this title home and to be sure, for all the fans to enjoy this great night of boxing at home in our backyard and just from a walk away from home. So, it’s good for me.

Question:

Alright. Very good. David, I wish you good luck. Thank you very much.

David Lemieux:

Thank you.

Question:

Hi, David. My question is this. On N’Dam’s side of the call, he said that you didn’t earn this spot, that you were lucky. Why do you think he would say something like that and does that bother you that he said you didn’t earn, regardless of what you’ve done in your career. He says you got this by luck?

David Lemieux:

Well, that’s only going to make him look foolish when I beat him on the 20th, that’s all. There’s no luck in boxing. It’s a hard man’s work. It’s life or death in the ring. It’s not a game, and there’s no such thing as luck in boxing. I’ve earned my right to be where I am, and I will be where I want to be. So, whatever his comment is, I disregard it and I don’t concern myself with his opinion.

Question:

Yes. This question is for David. You’re one of the names that kind of get forgotton in the middleweight division and if you win on Saturday, it’s going to change dramatically. You’re going to get thrown right up there with the upper echelon of this division. What does that mean to you? What does this fight mean to you?

David Lemieux:

It’s something I’ve known, I’ve understood and I’m ready for it. My name has been in people’s ears, but it hasn’t been out there to expose potential yet. So June 20th will signify earning the right to have my name out there with the top of the world. It’s extremely important. Of course every fight is extremely important, but especially this one. It’s another degree of importance. I’m training extremely hard, and I’m not going to miss my shot.

Question:

Good answer. Is unifying the titles, is that in your future? Do you see you trying that?

David Lemieux:

Yes. Sure. I’ll fight whoever there is to fight. I’m always up for challenges, and this is what I do as a champion. This is my duty. I’ll defend whatever there is to defend. I’m always going to be fighting the best. So, I’ll be all set for that [indiscernible].

Question:

Hi, David. How are you doing today?

David Lemieux:

I’m doing great. How are you?

Question:

Good. Thank you. My question comes from Hassan’s comments at the end of his conference. Do you think he is underestimating you as a fighter or do you think it was just a comment out of disrespect for you and how does that motivate you for the fight?

David Lemieux:

I think he has no clue of whom he’s going to face on June 20th and that’s going to be to my advantage. I don’t concern myself with his opinion or what he has to say about who he has faced and the challenges I’ve had in my life and my career, whatever it is. That’s my personal issues, and I aim to prove otherwise and June 20th will be the day when I will prove that. So, I don’t concern myself with anything. I’m very focused, and I’m ready. I’m ready for anything.

Question:

Great. Another question I have for you is he has more experience in championship fights. He’s gone, I think four or five more twelve-round fights than you have. Do you think his experience or your lack of experience in the later rounds will be a disadvantage for you?

David Lemieux:

Not at all. Nothing’s going to change the scenario of the fight. My experience has been great, and I’m ready to fight anybody in the middleweight division. Whatever style they have, it’s not going to be an issue.

Question:

Hello. This is a question for Oscar. Golden Boy and you have really been delivering. Your last two fights were Matthysse, Provodnikov, and then Canelo, Kirkland. This is another great matchup between N’Dam and Lemieux. I was just wondering, I read that HBO had a pass on this fight, and I was wondering why they would pass on a great fight like this.

Cecilia Zuniga:

Hey, Karl, this is Cecilia. Oscar had to step off the call to do a quick meeting in regards to TV rights to this particular fight. So, he’s no longer on the call, unfortunately. Sorry.

Karl Freitag:

Okay. Alright. That’s all I’ve got. Thank you.

Cecilia Zuniga:

Okay. Thank you.

Question:

Yes. I’m going to ask my question in French. [Speaking foreign language.]

Moderator: [Speaking foreign language.]

David Lemieux: [Speaking foreign language.]

Moderator: [Speaking foreign language.]

Moderator:

And I would not like to turn it over to David for final comments.

David Lemieux:

June 20th is going to be a great night of boxing. For all the fans around the world, don’t miss this fight. If you blink, you might miss it. It’s going to be a great night and very explosive. I’m actually very excited and very happy to be fighting Hassan N’Dam. Thank you.

Moderator:

And I’d like to turn it over to Camille for final comments.

Camille Estephan:

Well, the stage is set, and the chips are down, and like David said, don’t blink. It’s going to be an explosive fight that is made for the fans. Golden Boy has, like you guys mentioned, been putting on great fights that are extremely competitive, and this is one that is very promising. We’re working very hard on making sure that it will be a wonderful event for the Montreal fans with great explosive fireworks in the ring. So don’t miss it. Thank you very much.

###

David Lemieux vs. Hassan N’Dam is a 12-round fight for the vacant IBF
Middleweight World Championship presented by Eye of the Tiger Management and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Evenko. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET and the first bell rings at 6:45 p.m. ET. The live Canadian PPV telecast airs at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets start at $70 (CAD), taxes and service charges included, are on sale now at www.evenko.ca and at the Bell Centre box office. For further information, please visit us at and www.eottm.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.evenko.ca or call 1-855-310-2525. Follow us on Twitter @Lemieuxboxing, @EOTMVD, @GoldenBoyBoxing and @evenko.

LOS ANGELES (May 14)- Eye of the Tiger Management and Golden Boy Promotions in collaboration with Evenko, announced yesterday via press conference the fight between Quebec power puncher David Lemieux(33-2, 31 KOs) and number one contender Hassan N’Dam (31-1,18 KOs) for the IBF Middleweight World Championship on Saturday, June 20. Live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada and on Canadian Pay-Per-View, the card is set to showcase an exciting night of boxing with four additional championship belts on the line and an undercard featuring local Quebec talent.

David Lemieux first captured the attention of the boxing world during his impressive win against Gabriel “The King” Rosado in Brooklyn, New York December 2014. When the IBF Middleweight title became vacant, the confrontation between the Lemieux, who is currently ranked fourth in the world by the IBF, and number one contender N’Dam became eminent. This will be Lemieux’s first fight with Golden Boy Promotions since signing an exclusive promotional contract with the company in January 2015.

“David Lemieux vs. Hassan N’Dam will be an action packed fight the fans in Montreal will be excited to see on June 20, as David faces off against the dangerous N’Dam for the coveted vacant IBF Middleweight Title,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President and Founder of Golden Boy Promotions. “Hassan and David are both elite fighters in the middleweight division, both former and current title holders with fighting styles that will keep fans on the edge of their seats. This is just the kind of fight boxing needs to have; the fans want action in the ring and both David and Hassan are sure to deliver that.”

“It was really important for my team and I to bring this fight here to Quebec,” said David Lemieux. “The fans here have supported me from the beginning of my career and for that I am extremely grateful. I want to live this significant moment of my career with Quebecers and will do all that I can for them to be proud of me. I am ready to offer the very best of myself. Those close to me and my fans will see all the blood they want!”

“I’m thrilled to be fighting for the middleweight championship,” said Hassan N’Dam. “I’ve very thankful to King Sports for making this happen and I look forward to fighting in Montreal and leaving with the title.”

The undercard will feature some of the most talented boxers in Quebec, including Dierry Jean (28-1, 20 KOs), Schiller Hyppolite (15-1, 10 KOs), Ghislain Maduma (16-1, 10 KOs), Steven Butler (11-0, 9 KOs), Mian Hussain (11-0, 6 KOs), Ayaz Hussain (5-0, 3 KOs), Yves Ulysse Jr. (6-0 , 4 KOs) and Mathieu Germain (1-0). Jean, Hyppolite and Butler will fight respectively for the NABF Lightweight title, the WBC World Francophonie Light Heavyweight title and the North American Youth Super Welterweight title.

For the president of Eye of the Tiger Management, Camille Estephan, it was imperative that the card of the evening is entirely composed of Quebec natives.

“We believe that the province is full of talented and promising athletes who are just waiting for a chance to demonstrate their abilities,” said Estephan. “Our mission is to ensure that our Quebec boxers are achieving the greatest honors. Join us in our conquest.”

Tickets, which will be offered for as low as $70 (CAD) (taxes and service charges included), go on sale Saturday, May 16 at www.evenko.ca and at the Bell Centre box office. For further information, please visit us at and www.eottm.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.evenko.ca or call 1-855-310-2525. Follow us on Twitter @Lemieuxboxing, @EOTMVD, @GoldenBoyBoxing and @evenko.

Currently ranked in the top ten middleweight fighters by the IBF, WBO, and WBA, Lemieux is coming off of his eighth consecutive win and seventh consecutive knockout against Gabriel “King” Rosado in a headlining bout at Barclays Center on December 2014. Lemieux’s previous bout against Fernando Guerrero for the then vacant NABF middleweight title resulted in a dominating win, knocking down Guerrero in the first round, second round, third round and finally a technical knockout in the fourth round. Now David Lemieux is certainly seen as a serious contender against the elite of the middleweight division.

Number one contender Hassan N’Dam of Pantin, Seine-Saint-Denis, France is a fierce fighter known for his speed and endurance in the ring. A professional since 2004, N’Dam has already accumulated the WBA International Middleweight Title and the WBA World Middleweight title beating out seasoned fighters Omard Gabriel Weis and Giovanni Lorenzo for his shot at a world title. Having lost via unanimous decision to Peter Quillin for the WBO World Middleweight Title in 2012, the top contender is ready for prove that he has the makings for of a world champion when he faces David Lemieux for the vacant IBF Middleweight World title.

David Lemieux vs. Hassan N’Dam is a 12-round fight for the IBF Middleweight World Championship presented by Eye of the Tiger Management and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Evenko. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET and the first bell rings at 6:45 p.m. ET. The live PPV telecast airs at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com. Davod Lemieux will take on Hassan N’Dam for the vacant INF Middleweight title on June 20 in Montreal.

“It was really important for my team and I to bring this fight here to Quebec,” Lemieux said. “(Quebec has) supported me since the very beginning, and for that I am extremely grateful. I want to live this significant moment of my career with Quebecers and will do all that I can for them to be proud of me. I am ready to offer the very best of myself. Those close to me and my fans will see all the blood they want.”

“David Lemieux versus Hassan N’Dam will be an action-packed fight the fans in Montreal will be excited to see on June 20,” Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya said. “Hassan and David are both elite fighters in the middleweight division with fighting styles that will keep fans on the edge of their seats. This is just the kind of fight boxing needs to have. The fans want action in the ring and both David and Hassan are sure to deliver that.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15rounds.com Photographer Claudia Bocanegra was present at the famed Brooklyn Bridge where fighters from this Saturday’s historic fight card at the Barclay Center took part in a photo shoot under the Bridge. The fight will feature four world title bouts and will be shown Live on Showtime
CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

Kelly Swanson
Okay, thanks so much, everybody, for joining us. And again, here we are in our second back-to-back international media conference call for October 20th world title fight extravaganza, the inaugural night of boxing from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and it will be televised live on Showtime. So we’re going to do similar to what we did yesterday, joining us now is Hassan N’Dam, the WBO Middleweight World Champion; and Peter Quillin, the number one rated WBO Middleweight contender, and then after they’re done we will be joined by Paulie Malignaggi and Pablo Ceasar Cano. And I’m going to turn the call over now to Robert Diaz, who will make the formal comments before we open it up to the fighters. Robert?

Robert Diaz

Thank you very much, Kelly, and thanks to everybody for being on this call. To the four fighters, I thank you for taking the time. October 20th, Brooklyn, after 80 years since their last world title fight it’s back at the Barclays, a brand new stadium.

We’re very excited, four world title fights, plus a great line-up on the under card: former World Champion, Luis Collazzo; undefeated rising Junior Middleweight star, Eddie Gomez; former World Title contender from Brooklyn Dmitriy Salita and of course a young prospect Boyd Melson. Four world title fights in one night. The main event: Danny Garcia against Erik Morales and Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi defending his title against Pablo Cesar Cano. And we have right now with us the current World Champion, Hassan N’Dam, and the number one and undefeated, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin.

We’re very excited. We’re very happy to be bringing this to you. I want to thank them our sponsors Corona, Dewalt Tools, and AT&T. And of course this is on Showtime Championship Boxing, top level boxing. Tickets are still available for $300, $200, $100, and $50, and they’re available for purchase at BarclaysCenter.com and ticketmaster.com.

At this moment I’d like to introduce to you the number one, undefeated, 27-0, 20 knockouts, from Manhattan, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin. Peter, would you like to say an opening statement, please.

Peter Quillin

Yes, I want to thank you all for having me on this media call. It’s a pleasure. I just left the gym working out, getting a hard day of workout so I’ll be able to give you all aggressive answers for your questions, and I’m very blessed to be here. Thank you to Golden Boy, and Al Haymon and my management.

Diaz

Also with us on this call is the current WBO Middleweight World Champion, undefeated as well, two undefeated fighters putting it on the line, Hassan N’Dam.

Hassan N’Dam

I am very happy to come to New York, in Brooklyn, and for this big show with a very big fight. I am just very happy. I am not concerned about fighting in the United States because I am the champion and I am sure of myself. I think it will be a great fight against Peter Quillin.

Q

Hey, Peter. Just a general question to you, you’re going to be fighting in Brooklyn, a historic night. Paulie Malignaggi said growing up in Brooklyn that he always wanted to fight in Madison Square Garden, and he got that opportunity, but it’s even more important to be on the first boxing match at Barclays, which he hoped years from now people will look at as sort of a boxing Mecca. From your standpoint, is it important for you as an undefeated fighter to win a title and perhaps go down in history as making a mark for boxing in your town?

P. Quillin

I believe that is the case. I’m carrying the name of a ring legend, “Kid Chocolate,” who was originally from Cuba, who transported himself to New York City and became one of the biggest draws in New York City. Now, I’ve made myself a big name in New York and I’m working very hard, very, very hard, and being part of this historic event is a blessing in disguise. I’m now all about working on my legacy and my name in boxing, so yes, I would say making myself a champion in Brooklyn is my first start to that.

Q

It’s such a big night being in one of four championship bouts, do you feel any pressure, any intimidation to be among names on this card?

P. Quillin

But this pressure would not get to me fighting in Brooklyn. I’ve been in guys’ backyard and was the underdog. I’ve been the underdog since the beginning and always had to prove myself. But this time it’s just all about the same kinds of things that I’m used to, so there’s no pressure at all. I’m 27-0, with 20 healthy knockouts, and I’m very blessed with that, so this fight right here is going to dignify me as the champ that I want to be.

Q

Saturday night is your first world title chance. I know you’ve been waiting on it. How nervous are you going into the fight next Saturday night?

P. Quillin

I had one of the best camps ever in this camp, because this is my moment right here. This is my challenger. And I have to have no doubts about myself, about my skills going into the ring October 20th to win my title. This is my title. This is a showcase for me, “Kid Chocolate.” This is not about Hassan. As you can tell, he’s on the phone talking, and then you know a little disrespectful, but to be a champ you have to be very respectful and I’m respectful of the champ, but come October 20th all the respect is gone.

Q

You mentioned the historical aspect of the use of the name, “Kid Chocolate.” At the end of October 20th, if you’re the new World Champion where do you see yourself in the middleweight class there?

P. Quillin

When I win my first world title it was going to be up to Golden Boy, Al Haymon, and my management, to bring the best opportunities my way. I let the fans label me what they want. I ask myself every day before training, I look in the mirror and I look deep in my eyes and I ask myself who’s going to value you more than you’re going to value yourself. And if the answer is nobody, but I’ll usually answer the question after I get done work, so I think my hard work takes me beyond the sky. The sky is not the limit. I think I can go beyond the sky with the hard work that I’m willing to put into boxing.

Q

After October 20th, if you win, do you see yourself in a fight with Sergio Martinez in 2013?

P. Quillin

Animals don’t think about who they’re going to fight against. That’s what I do. You put me in the pit, I’m in there with anybody.

Q

Hassan, how do you feel about fighting in Brooklyn and whether or not you will be able to keep your belts in Quillin’s backyard?

H. N’Dam

I understand. I have great respect and I respect all of my opponents. I am undefeated and I will remain undefeated on October 20. The fight is in Brooklyn and that is not a problem for me. Quillin can fight in Brooklyn in front of all of his fans and all of his friends, but when he steps into that ring, he will be alone. I will win and remain undefeated and keep the title.

Q

Hassan, you talked a little bit about fighting in Brooklyn. This will be of course your first fight in the United States, your first fight really out of France, and you’re fighting of course in one of the biggest, most historic cities, New York City. Do you feel added pressure fighting in New York City? Do you feel added pressure with your first fight outside of France? And how long have you been in the United States to become acclimatized, to become accustomed to the difference in temperature, work atmosphere, etc.

H. N’Dam

I came to the United States for the first time in my life, and he fight before an amateur and he make one fight in his professional career outside of his country. I have, no pressure, because for me to come in United States is the beginning of the new story, of the new adventure for me, because I am coming to the United States to win this fight and begin the new adventure in the United States.

Q

Okay. Thank you, gentlemen. And I have a question for Peter. Peter, you have a great background story, you know the kid off the street working three jobs at one time, struggling with your boxing career and finally making it almost to the top, where you’re at now. But you also have a strong faith in God and you talk a lot about God when you say thank you to people, when you talk about your career. Talk a little bit about your faith in God, how he provides you your substance when you’re in the ring.

P. Quillin

Well, I think for every fighter, a fighter fights with his personality. And I think with me I fight with all my heart, I fight with all my faith in God, meaning … in my heart, in my mind, I feel like I’m especially touched by God. It’s the reason why I’ve been through all of what I’ve been through and I never gave up through all that and I never came off and lost focus. Like the Book of Job, Job went through so much in his life where he never gave up, he never questioned his belief in God, so with this fight right here I think I’m going to let people know that I was born in Chicago, I was born to a Cuban immigrant, then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. My dad went to prison for seven years, and at the age of 18 I moved out of where my comfortabilities all were and moved to New York City with no family and started to prepare yself, keeping my faith in God through all this, sleeping on floors, doing whatever it takes to get to this point in my life right now. I look at Hassan, and I hear what he’s saying, he’s coming to here, but he’s so used to fighting in his backyard, his own home, where he doesn’t know how it feels to go to other places and conquer all places.

Like I said, my journey is not done. I went from New York City to California, where I was in the Wild Card Boxing Club, and I had to keep myself and make sure that I knew exactly what it was about, and it was all about me. It was not about anybody else, besides myself and what God is trying to do, and allow me to do. He loves winners. Winners are allowed to reach people, so me, through my story and being able to let people know that yes, I’m a boxer, I go in the ring and I fight physically, but everybody’s a fighter, in my opinion, anybody that goes and wants to be a writer, they try to be the best writer, so you’re fighting to be the best writer, or the promoters, you want to fight to be the best promoter.

So regardless I think the fight is in all of us, and in some of us we really don’t know, but I think the fight is in all of us. And I think Hassan is going to have to really dig deep in his heart to know that he’s coming to my backyard where one of the biggest, this is historic, this is historic not just for me but this is historic for him and also for the state of boxing and the state of Brooklyn, and the state of the U.S. Here I’m the best middleweight in the U.S. right now, do you know what I’m saying, so he’s going to need to come in, and like I said, and being a challenger to what we have to offer for him over here. And if he wants to be a winner, he’s got to understand that comes with a lot. That’s also coming with him learning English and being able to speak to the fans and being able to be out there and not just say you’re coming over here and this is your journey. Your journey is to inspire people, and that’s what “Kid Chocolate” is doing.

So I’m just letting you know, come October 20th you’re going to see a lot of personality in the ring. I don’t fight one way, so when guys get ready for me in one kind of fashion, one kind of way, I fight in different ways to my game.

Q

One thing I noticed when the fight was announced, you had a lot of other fighters, a lot of lower tier fighters in the other weight classes around your weight class throw a little hate towards you, saying you didn’t deserve a title fight so early in your career. How do you react to other fighters who say that about your opportunity?

P. Quillin

Well, I can say this, it’s negative and positive energy. Negative motivation is positive motivation. And positive motivation is, “Good job, Peter. We want to see you do the best.” And it’s the negative, “Oh, you can’t do it.” I use both as motivation for me. It’s motivation. For a guy that just came out of nowhere and to just be on top of his game, you’ve got to give some kind of credit to a guy like that. And the people that work Golden Boy, Al Haymon and my managers, all I do is keep my eyes on the prize.

I think N’Dam is more anxious to watch American TV, because it sounds like he’s got the TV playing in the background. When it comes to October 20th, Hassan, you’re not going to be passing the Grey Poupon, you’re going to be passing my belt over for me.

You’re going to be passing my belt around, homie. You’re not going to be passing the Grey Poupon you’re going to be passing my belt.

R. Diaz

All right, guys, thanks a lot to both of you for taking the time. See you guys out there next week.

Perfect. Thank you, everybody, once again. Well, it’s the second day of our two press conference calls that we’ve had and obviously one of the top fights that we have is a world title fight, WBA Welterweight Champion, Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi returning to Brooklyn, New York, his home, defending his title against the always dangerous current world champion, WBA as well, Interim Champion at Super Lightweight, making another step up, Pablo Ceasar Cano, with a record of 26-1-1 and 20 knockouts.

First, let me introduce, to make some opening statements, the challenger, Pablo Ceasar Cano.

P. Cano

I want to thank everybody very much for being here. It’s a great honor to be on this call with you. I want to thank all the press and say hello, and I’m ready to go.

R. Diaz

And now “The Magic Man.” returning to Brooklyn with a record of 31-4, 7 Knockouts, currently the WBA Welterweight Champion, Paulie Malignaggi. Paulie?

P. Malignaggi

Hey, what’s up, guys? I’m ready to go too, so I guess that makes two of us. I have worked hard and I have definitely been looking forward to the opening of the Barclays Center for two years, ever since I signed with Golden Boy Promotions. So it feels good that it’s getting closer, it feels good that the moment is almost here, and I look forward to putting on a good show.

Q

A question for you, your last fight was probably the most aggressive fight in your entire career. You came out there and you had a knockout. Do you have that same sense going into that fight as well?

P. Malignaggi

You know, the last fight I didn’t really look to go for the knockout, it kind of just came. But that’s how I approach every fight. We’ve been working on a little bit more aggression in the gym with Eric Brown. I’ve always been a guy that had good legs and has been able to use my legs, but also develop an arsenal as far as things we can do to come forward as well and it will make me that much more of a well-rounded fighter. I just felt like I was able to step on the gas a little better when I needed to I can box when I need to, but if I need to come forward, if I start seeing my opponent weakening and I need to come forward, we can do that as well, or if there’s a lack of aggression on my opponent’s part I’ll be the one to come forward. I like to just be well-rounded. I like to have options. And the things we’ve been working on in the gym really give me those options, I can fight going forward and I can fight going backward and it’s a good thing for me.

Q

I noticed one thing about you since you lost to Amir Khan, that you started to use the right jab more and more. Is that the key to victory now.

P. Malignaggi

The right cross, you mean? Yes, it’s always been a situation for me where I haven’t had healthy hands, especially the right hand. I’ve always had a pretty good right hand, it’s just I haven’t been able to use it all that much consistently because I’ve broken it a lot. But it just happened to be that in the past couple of years it’s been healthy, it’s been good, and really if I’ve got healthy hands I can use them both, and when I can use them both it just makes me that much more dangerous.

Q

How does it feel to come back home?

P. Malignaggi

It feels great. It feels great, man. This is one of the main reasons I was happy to sign with Golden Boy two years ago, that I could be a part of this show and I could be a part of this event on a big stage in a big fight. And I was glad I did my job and Golden Boy did a tremendous job bringing me back, and now the moment is here and I’m ecstatic for it.

Q

All right, we’ll talk about that later. But listen, life is good for you right now, you’re getting ready to fight at Barclays Center and you’ve expressed to me how important to you to leave your mark in what could become boxing in the future, to have your name as one of the first people to fight here in your own hometown. You’re just coming off a really big, rejuvenating knockout in your career and you have these other things going on outside of boxing, so life is good, really. Can you talk about what all is going on positive in your life as opposed to some of the down times in your career.

P. Malignaggi

Yes, you know it’s funny when you surround yourself with positive people and you have a positive vibe around you and positive energy, so to speak, positive things happen. I haven’t always surrounded myself with the best people, at least the best people for me, and I’m not just talking about business, I’m talking on a personal level, you know, I haven’t always had such great people around me all the time. And I think that that black cloud can follow you around in the energy you surround yourself with.

I’ve just had a positive base for the past couple of years. After I lost to Amir Khan, it’s funny because the negative people, they eliminate themselves, you know. When you have a big loss like that you find out that negativity just kind of leaves you on its own because they don’t want to be around you unless they can grub off you, so it’s funny how they eliminated themselves and then things started turning around for me. And it feels really good that things are turning around for me, it feels really good that there’s a lot of positive things going on for me inside the ring and outside the ring. And it’s also funny when those same negative people try to squeeze their way back in the circle, and you kick them in their ass and kick them right back out.

Q

What does it say about you that you said to me before your last fight, you said to me, you don’t have to fight anymore, you’ve made investments. If you wanted to, you could walk away. What does it say to you about you, personally to yourself and to your fans, that you went to another country in a high risk fight, where a lot of people counted you out, and you scored an uncharacteristic knockout with a referee who uncharacteristically had to stop the fight?

P. Malignaggi

Yes. I think a lot of the talk about me being finished was overrated. A lot of the things that people say about me, the negative press is that I’m overrated, but in the end I think if you look, since I lost the Ricky Hatton fight I’ve had one bad performance in four years, and that was when I lost to Amir Khan. In the four years since I lost to Ricky Hatton one bad performance. The year I lost, Ricky Hatton had three bad performances, all in the same year. And I told everybody, do you know what, I just need to make a change and I’m going to be all right. And you know what, four years have passed and I’ve had one bad performance in four years. That’s not too bad.

I think the only thing that was overrated was what people were saying about me being finished and not having a bright future left and having my better days behind me and whatnot, because if you look at since the Ricky Hatton fight, beside that Amir Khan fight I barely lost any rounds. And I’m continuing to be dominant and I think it’s a testament to my mental strength, my mental fortitude and to my stubbornness, even.

Q

Are you a hungry fighter now, that’s number one. And are you a better fighter now than perhaps you have been in your career, and if so, in what way?

P. Malignaggi

I think I’m a better fighter because I’ve learned a lot of things and I’ve got a great team. And I think that makes me a better fighter. When you learn from your mistakes and … yourself with a great team and great people around you, I think that makes you a better fighter. The one regret is I didn’t have it around me when I was 25 or 26, because I think I would have been a monster, and I think I underachieved in that way. Better late than never, and even if I am 31, almost 32, I feel really good, and a lot of it has to do with the team I have around me and the people I have around me. They are positive and everybody working and doing their job, and I can do my job with less headaches. It really is a testament, again, to my stubbornness and to my mental fortitude.

I’d say I’m hungry, because I have a lot to prove, not so much to anybody else but more to myself. I feel like I underachieved a lot so I need to prove a lot more to myself. And as a world champion you have to stay hungry, because there are people coming for you, and I know my opponent is very hungry, he’s young and he’s got a bright future in front of him, but in order to make title defenses against a guy like this, you have to remain hungry yourself, and I’m very hungry.

Q

Last question for you, Paulie. This is a really tough game, it’s a game where one shot could change your life. You’re a guy who speaks well, you’re a guy who when you did your Showtime commentary people just loved it. Why are you still fighting? I’m just playing devil’s advocate, why keep fighting?

P. Malignaggi

I’ll tell you what, I don’t plan on fighting that much longer, but the reason I’m still fighting is because, again, like I said on the last question, I have a lot to prove to myself. I feel like I underachieved during my prime years. And even though it may not be my prime years, I feel like I have the best team around me and I’m surrounding myself with the best people around me, and so that gives me the chance to do the best that I can do right now. And I’m curious to see just what I can do when I have this great support system around me so that I can work so hard and know that my hard work will pay dividends, and that everybody else’s hard work is paying dividends.

I continue to fight because I stay hungry. I stay hungry because I have a lot to prove to myself because I didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve. I’m a two-time World Champion, but I had so many more goals that I had set out for myself when I turned pro, and I’m probably not going to achieve them all, because there’s just too many and there’s not enough time, but I just want to achieve as much as I can before I call it a night.

Q

Pablo, this is obviously a big opportunity and a great opportunity for you. How has the preparation been and how do you see your fight with Paulie unfolding?

P. Cano

This is the best preparation I have ever had. I repsect Paulie tremendously, but I also feel that my youth, my strength, my motivation and my preparation will guide me to win and if I want bigger fights, I have to win this fight to go on to bigger and better fights.

Q

A question for you, is you’ve had now a couple fights how do you think moving up to welterweight, has that affected your game in a positive way or maybe in a negative way?

P. Malignaggi

Oh, I don’t think there’s really been any negatives. I don’t think I had a choice, really. I couldn’t make 140 pounds anymore. I could make it, but at the expense of having energy to fight, so really what would be the point? I think there’s only been positives, because there was nothing left. I mean, remaining at 140 pounds, I was a skeleton of myself. So the only option was to move up to Welterweight, the next weight class up from Junior Welterweight. I may not be the biggest Welterweight, but at the same time there was no other option, really.

Q

And the other question is, the fans in Brooklyn, what kind of party do they expect after you win?

P. Malignaggi

I take it one step at a time. I’m from New York so there’s a lot of parties going on, and I’ll be involved in a lot of them, but the focus remains on Cano and the focus remains on winning before thinking about any parties. Obviously, you want to look good and win in your hometown and put on a festive atmosphere for them, so that everybody can celebrate afterwards, but the focus for me is on winning the fight first.

Q

And lastly, I know you said that you don’t plan on fighting for much, much longer. Is there any eye on the prize or certain fighters that you’re looking at down the road after this fight that you wouldn’t mind challenging and taking on in the near future?

P. Malignaggi

Again, I don’t want to overlook Cano. I think all the focus has to be on him because he’s so hungry and ready and motivated. But, yes, afterwards if everything goes well here like the plan is, then, yes, the Welterweight division is packed with talent. There’s just so much going on in the Welterweight division that, like even Cano said, to get to the other big fight you’ve got to win this fight, and the same applies for me, really. In order to get to the other big fight I’ve got to win this fight. So the focus remains Cano, but obviously any top Welterweights in the world. I’m blessed and fortunate to be involved in a weight class with so much talent and there can be a lot of mixing and matching of styles and fights.

Q

You were very young, what did you learn from the loss with Erik Morales? You were very young when you fought him, but that must have given you some experience and now you’re still young and now fighting for your second world title, and what does it feel like coming in as the underdog against Paulie Malignaggi?

P. Cano

I learned a lot. As you said, I’m still very young, but I have a lot of experience. I learned a lot from the fight with Erik Morales, and that experience is what I’m bringing. I have a lot of talent, I have a lot of strengths, I’m very motivated, and that’s what I’m bringing to this fight.

Q

Have you watched videos of Paulie Malignaggi and his losses, have you learned anything in those losses, with the Hatton’s, with the Khan in those losses is there anything you picked up

P. Cano

I’ve seen a little bit of footage. There’s not too much on the Internet that I’ve been able to obtain. But we have seen a few and worked on some things in the gym. But at the end of the day that goes out the window because what unfolds inside the ring might not be what you’re preparing for. So I’m very confident in my team, in the work we’ve done, that once we step into the ring and start working on our adjustment, to make an adjustment in our plan, that you will see a very good fight and we will be victorious come October 20th.”

Q

I’m going to ask both fighters a question. Pablo, I remember the fight that you did have against Erik Morales was a very brave fight. I remember when your corner stepped in to stop the action at the end of the 10th round, you were bleeding from your eyes, and I also recall that you were a last minute replacement too for Lucas Matthysse for the fight. In that fight I know you commented already that you did learn a lot from it, but taking away and looking at Erik Morales himself, he’s on the card, do you have a lot of solidarity, do you gain a lot of faith with a champion like Erik Morales being on the card, a fellow countryman?

P. Cano

Oh, definitely it’s very motivating to be fighting. We fought, we were rivals in the ring, but outside the ring we’re friends. And, yes, I have a great honor to be fighting alongside with Erik Morales. And first, God willing, Mexico is going to take both victories that night.

Q

Thank you, Pablo, and good luck. Paulie, everybody writes you off. Every time you lose a fight, you come back, you reinvent yourself, and now here you’re at 147 pounds and you’ve got Ricky Hatton coming back into the ring. Are you looking for a possibility of you and Ricky having a rematch and getting some revenge?

P. Malignaggi

Well, obviously you can’t help but think about that kind of stuff when you get called about it, people calling you and asking you questions about it, so obviously how can I say the fight wouldn’t interest me. But again, like I said before, if I don’t get by Cano none of that’s possible, so the focus remains, from here until next Saturday, on Pablo Cesar Cano and then more discussions can follow about Ricky Hatton and so on and so forth. But really I’m motivated and totally focused on Pablo Cesar Cano at the moment.

Q

You know, Paulie, you’re probably one of the most popular boxers in New York City, and definitely you’re magical on TV, is there anywhere you can go that people don’t know who you are in New York City?

P. Malignaggi

Yes, yes, of course. I’m not Brad Pitt. But, you know –

Q

Pablo, when you fought Erik Morales you were moving up in weight at that time and it was a brawl. Now, you’re moving up in weight and you’re fighting a guy who it appears has more power than he’s had ever, at least he seems to have found some, and you’re fighting a mover, is the moving up in weight, does he see that as being a problem, and how is he going to account for Paulie’s movement?

P. Cano

We’ve been working very hard in the gym preparing for this, obviously working on strengthening and conditioning to add the additional weight, but also with the sparring, the adequate sparring and mobility and movement so we can be breaking him down round by round as the fight goes on. We’ve been working on this for the last couple of months, but obviously it’s something that has to unfold on October 20th, the night of the fight.

Q

I notice that you stopped Fidel Matorato Muniz two fights ago with a body shot. They say kill the body and the legs will follow, how critical is a body shot in your training and in your strategy?

P. Cano

It’s fundamental in a fight to work to the body from the beginning, to break him down, as you mentioned, and not only to the body. We’re going to start from the first round not only with body work, we’re going to work very hard with a variety of punches so we can minimize Paulie and eventually take the win, and win the fight.

Q

What did you take away, I’m assuming you watched his last fight where he scored the knockout, what did you take away from that fight, because that probably is the defining performance. And I know trainers say they want to watch the best fighter that they’re going to face and that was probably his defining performance and I want to know what you took away from that.

P. Cano

Yes, I did see the fight. And, as you mentioned, he’s very fast, or as you mentioned, he looks much stronger than he had in the past in other fights, and it was a brilliant performance. But I want to remind you that I am a Mexican warrior and on October 20th I’m ready for war. If he wants to box, I’ll box. If he wants to go toe-to-toe I’m ready to go toe-to-toe. But one thing I do know is I’m going to win and take the title back to Mexico.

Q

No question you’re a warrior. I saw your last fight. My final question is, boxing him, that’s going to be interesting to see because I know he’s going to be crafty. He’s also going to have the crowd behind him and I want to know, you’ve had three knockouts in your last three fights, do you think you need to get a knockout to win, or do you think you can win the decision?

P. Cano

No, I don’t want to pressure myself looking for one punch, looking for the knockout. I’m confident in the work that we’ve done, in the preparation that we’ve done, and I’m going to work round per round, and one thing I’m for sure is the work that we’ve put in. And I’m just going to go in there and do my best and know that my best is going to win the fight.

Q

Paulie, the last question for you. You heard him say if he wants to box he’ll box. When you hear that what are your thoughts? Do you see any evidence that he can box with you, or how do you see him coming at you?

P. Malignaggi

I don’t think he’s a bad boxer. I thought he was actually out-boxing Morales at the beginning of the fight when they fought. He’s got a good little technique going for himself, so I don’t think he’s a terrible boxer. But obviously I anticipate some pressure. He’s a Mexican fighter and they like the pressure and stuff like that. So, yes, we’re working on both things. I did notice he’s not a bad boxer at all, I notice he’s got some good technique going, so we’re preparing for pressure and we’re preparing for boxing. You can never just have a one-track mind or a one-track game plan, so to speak. You have to focus and prepare for quite possibly anything that could happen. And I expect a few surprises in the game for me, this is the biggest fight of his career, but at the end of the day I’m a veteran of this game, and I’m a veteran of this sport, and I’ve seen a lot, which is why I approach every fight this way and I try not to look at it from a one-track mind. I try to prepare for everything he might do and be able to counter-attack.

Q

This is his first fight at 147, it took you four fights to get to your big fight at 147, can he make this leap for this kind of a fight from 140 to 147?

P. Malignaggi

He’s at an age where you’re still growing and getting thicker and bigger, and I’m at an age where I’m not growing anymore. So he’s got a good frame and I think obviously he’s a growing kid, he just turned 23, so I don’t think moving up in weight is as much of a factor for him because at that age your body is still filling out and maturing and growing, so I think in the end he would probably end up as a Welterweight anyway. But I’m not really thinking about is it too early for him to be a Welterweight or not. I’m thinking about this is my rival, this is my opponent, and I’ve got to beat him.

R. Diaz

I would like to thank everybody, champions, Paulie, Pablo, thanks for being on the call, taking some time with us in the media. Also remind everyone Golden Boy Promotions, Barclays, and Showtime bringing it back after 80 years to Brooklyn. Don’t forget. Four world title fights, all on Showtime, not pay-per-view. Thank you everybody.

END OF CALL

World championship boxing returns to Brooklyn with an inaugural night of fights at the new Barclays Center on October 20 headlined by Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia against future Hall of Famer Erik “El Terrible” Morales presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. In the co-featured attractions, Brooklyn’s own Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi puts his WBA Welterweight World Championship on the line against hard-hitting Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano, undefeated number one rated WBO middleweight contender Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin of Manhattan takes on unbeaten Hassan N’Dam for N’Dam’s WBO Middleweight World Championship and Devon Alexander “The Great” faces Randall Bailey for Bailey’s IBF Welterweight World Championship in a bout presented in association with DiBella Entertainment. The SHOWTIME® CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50 are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the Barclays Center box office, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.

NEW YORK (October 16, 2012) – Undefeated challenger Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (27-0, 20 KOs) has returned home to change the face of the middleweight division, on a seek-and-destroy mission to defeat unbeaten World Boxing Organization (WBO) World Middleweight Champion Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (27-0, 17 KOs) this Saturday night on Showtime Championship Boxing, live from the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The 29-year-old Quillin, the WBO No. 1 contender, lived in Brooklyn for four years and he now resides in Manhattan. “I’m excited to be fighting at home,” Quillin said. “I know what I need to do to secure a victory. I know how far I’ve come, from sleeping on floors to fighting for the world title on the biggest stage, Showtime, at Barclays Arena. I’ve learned that, if you really want something in life, you can’t be discouraged. No excuses Saturday night.”

Neither N’Jikam nor Quillin have defeated any top 10 middleweights, although Quillin sent four-time world champion Ronald “Winky” Wright into retirement with an impressive win by 10-round decision last June, and he had a solid knockout of Craig McEwan. N’Jikam’s notable victims are hardly household names, even for diehard boxing fans: Max Bursak, Giovanni Lorenzo, Autandil Khurtsidze, Omar Weiss and Gennaddy Martirosyan.

“We’ve fought the same level of opponents but checkout my record and see how few rounds I’ve ever lost,” Quillin noted. “He does have the belt. When I step in the ring, though, I’ll remember what I’ve been fighting for all these years. I’ll be superbly prepared. He is world champion and for that he has my respect, but he’s coming from France to fight me in my hometown.

“He is fighting for a reason, too. We’re going to have two undefeated guys trying to give each other their first pro loss. I hope he’s ready. He’s a boxer with good movement who throws pity-pat punches; he doesn’t sit-down on his punches. I’m going to take the fight to him and take his belt.”

Quillin prepared for N-Jikam at the famed Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles like he’s done for the past two years, teaming with his head trainer, Eric Brown, who will be working Quillin’s corner for his fifth straight fight.

“He has improved in a lot of ways – how he uses his tools, keeps his composure, places his shots better, enhance and improve his boxing skills,” Brown commented. “He doesn’t waste a lot of punches and has learned how to breakdown different types of fighters. We’ve worked a lot on his conditioning, something that is very important, especially as he steps up the competition. He’s eager and ready to do whatever is needed to be his best.

“N’Jikan is a very good boxer who relies on his movement to win on points. He’s never fought anybody the quality level of Pete. It’s going to be a big difference for him. Pete’s a good boxer, too, and a great counter-puncher. Wait until he (N’Jikam) feels him (Quillin). His movement is his defense. Look at the quality of his opponents and it’s worked. But this time he’s fighting a different animal in Pete, who is also a very intelligent fighter. He’s eager and willing to learn and each fight is a learning experience for him. Pete’s a throwback fighter. He trains hard, never skimps. He always gives me everything I ask of him. After he wins the world title, he’ll be an even more dangerous fighter, more confident and winning it (world title) will make him aware of what he’s really capable of doing in the ring.”

For more information about Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin go online to www.TheKidChocolate.com, or follow him on Twitter @Kid Chocolate and Instagram@KidChocolate.