LOS ANGELES (May 4) – Super lightweight top contender Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (18-0, 13 KOs), 2012 Olympian Joseph “Jojo” Diaz Jr. (15-0, 10 KOs) and Chinese heavyweight sensation, Taishan (3-0, 2 KOs) today hosted a media workout at Teamsters Gym in South El Monte, Calif. in advance of their match ups on Saturday, May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston on the undercard for Canelo vs. Kirkland. Gomez is scheduled for a 10-round super lightweight bout against former three-division world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs)in the co-main event for Canelo vs. Kirkland which will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Diaz Jr. will face Giovani Delgado (15-2, 9 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout and Taishan will fight Karrin Davis (2-4, 2 KOs) in a four-round heavyweight bout, both fights will be featured in the non-televised undercard.

Also in attendance at the workout was a group of undefeated Los Angeles based fighters, Oscar “El Jagura” Negrete (8-0, 3 KOs), Jesus Delgado (4-0-1, 1 KO) and Nick Arce (2-0, 1 KO), who are featured on the upcoming May 7 edition of LA FIGHT CLUBat The Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The May 7event will be the third installment of the monthly fight series on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes.

Below is what the fighters had to say about their upcoming bouts at today’s media workout:

FRANKIE “PITBULL” GOMEZ, Super Lightweight Top Contender:

“I’ve been training two to three times a day. I go to Wild Card Gym in the morning, strength train in the afternoon and sometimes do another workout in the nighttime. I’m ready.

“It’s going to be a good fight against Soto. He has a lot of experience, but I think I have the youth and I’m stronger. Soto also has good combinations and is a veteran with more than 60 fights, so he’ll be ready too.

“In training camp, I’ve been working hard on my stamina. I want to be able to last all 10 rounds. I’m not just about going for the knock-down.”

“I’ve had a lot of good sparring at training camp. I sparred against fighters like Ruslan Provodnikov and Jose Ramirez.

“Fans can expect to see an explosive, very exciting fight on May 9. Don’t miss it!”

JOSEPH “JOJO” DIAZ JR., 2012 U.S. Olympian and Featherweight Prospect:

“I’m so grateful to Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions for giving me this opportunity. I’m very well prepared and very motivated.

“This is going to be the biggest stage that I’ve ever fought in. I’m very excited to be a part of this event.

“I know Giovani Delgado will be a tough warrior, but I’m going to be ready for whatever he brings. I’m going to try and make Giovani’s size an advantage but I’m going to feel him out first and see if he has decent power.

“I was always taught to go for the body first by my father. Once you go to the body and break down your opponent then they drop their hands and then you can take them down up top. Timing is everything. My father and I always work on timing. I’m a great counter-puncher and I don’t like to waste my shots. I try to land effective shots consistently.

“I really want a title shot this year. I feel like I’m well prepared and ready for it, but patience is the key.”

TAISHAN, Heavyweight Prospect:

“I’ve been longing and preparing for this fight and it’s finally becoming a reality. I’m ready and am going to have a good fight.

“I believe that the strongest move for me is to KO the opponent as soon as possible in order to give the fans something exciting to see, so I plan to try my best to deliver that.

“From a very young age, I felt that boxing was fascinating but didn’t have the opportunity to get any training where I lived. But now, I’m excited to have full exposure to the sport and to have the chance to train and do my best in the ring.”

OSCAR “EL JAGURA” NEGRETE, Super Bantamweight Prospect:

“We are just finishing up our preparations, but are ready to give the fans a good fight.

“I have trained really hard and have sparred with people like current World Champion Leo Santa Cruz. Training with a champion helps me get better as a fighter that is something I will take with me into the ring.

“It was always my dream to sign with Golden Boy Promotions; it’s the best promoters in the world.

“Being here has been a dream of mine, a dream of my fathers and a dream of my first trainer back in Columbia.”

JESUS DELGADO, Lightweight Prospect:

“I fought at the opening of LA Fight Club on March 6 and a lot of my fans weren’t able to get tickets because it sold out so quickly, but I’m really excited for this one because my fans were ready and will be there to cheer me on.

“I don’t know much about my opponent, but I’ve been working hard and I’ll be ready for whatever style comes my way.

“In training camp, I’ve been more focused on my conditioning and being consistent with my punches and not going for that knockout right away. If the knockout comes, then I’ll go get it!

“The first LA Fight Club was a great experience because it was my hometown. I grew up five minutes away from The Belasco Theater. Having the LA crowd and fans supporting me was a big thing for me.

“Fans can expect the best from me on May 7. I’m going in well prepared for this fight. I’m just ready to put on a good show!”

NICK ARCE, Featherweight Prospect:

“I don’t worry too much about my opponents. I let my team do that and prepare me for whatever style our opponent brings to the table.

“I’m not sure why LA fans have embraced me so much, but I’m really thankful to have a lot people behind me and supporting me, because that’s what I need to become a great fighter. We’re going to have quite a few fans there on May 7, and I’m excited to put on a good show for the crowd.

“I’m moving up slowly but surely. Trying to concentrate on my career and make smart moves on the right path.

“As soon as I hear the sound of that bell go off, its time to go to work, and I have a job to do. I just go in there and do what I do best.

“Come May 7I hope a lot of people come out to support us young fighters.”

# # #

Tickets for May 9 Canelo vs. Kirkland are priced at $350, $150, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable fees and service charges, are available for purchase at Astros.com/boxing, the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions. The fight will take place Saturday, May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston Texas and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico – Live it to Believe it!, Fred Loya Insurance and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Doors open at 11:00 a.m. CT and first bout starts at 11:10 a.m. CT, the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

An all-new edition of 24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland debuts Tuesday, May 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.

LA FIGHT CLUB: Manuel Avila vs. Erik Ruiz is a 10-round super bantamweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the May 7 LA FIGHT CLUB are on sale now and start at $20. Tickets can be purchased online by going to www.goldenboypromotions.com or by visiting the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page. For ticket information, email us at LAFightClub@goldenboypromotions.com.

May 4, 2015 – In anticipation of one of the spring boxing season’s most intriguing events – the super welterweight battle between Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland on May 9th – HBO Sports will air “24/7 Canelo/Kirkland,” an exhilarating one episode, 30-minute special examining the upcoming showdown. In the highly-anticipated fight set for Minute Maid Park in Houston, Tex., Canelo and Kirkland will collide in one of the year’s most important encounters. HBO will televise it live on the flagship World Championship Boxing series.

The “24/7 Canelo/Kirkland” special will premiere Tuesday, May 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and air multiple times throughout fight week. It will preview the fast approaching and hotly anticipated meeting between two accomplished warriors who are on a collision course to confront each other. The special will provide all-new content including portraits of both fighters’ path to this significant spring showdown.

Canelo Alvarez, just 24-years-old and one of boxing’s biggest stars with a near perfect ring record of 44-1-1 (31 KOs), will make his 2015 debut after a successful 2014 campaign that featured signature wins over Erislandy Lara and Alfredo Angulo. Kirkland, 29, of Austin, Texas, returns to action in his home state boasting a 32-1 record with 28 knockouts which exemplifies the stunning knockout strength he will bring to the ring.

The 30-minute special narrated by Liev Schreiber and produced by HBO’s Emmy-Award®-winning “24/7” production team will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

Other HBO playdates: May 6 (7:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.), 7 (11:30 a.m.), 8 (1:00 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.) and 9 (11:00 a.m.).

HBO2 playdates: May 5 (2:50 a.m.), 7 (11:45 p.m.) and 8 (10:30 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

Immediately following the premiere of 24/7 Canelo/Kirkland, HBO Sports presents an all-new edition of “The Fight Game With Jim Lampley” at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The half-hour program hosted by Jim Lampley looks at the latest news, biggest personalities and headline-making developments in the sport of boxing.

HBO Sports presents FLOYD MAYWEATHER VS. MANNY PACQUIAO, the replay of their high-stakes world welterweight unification title fight, SATURDAY, MAY 9 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO. The pay-per-view broadcast team, which was ringside at the MGM Grand Garden Arena describing the blow-by-blow, calls all the action. The telecast will be available in HDTV.

The bout featured boxing’s two biggest superstars in a showdown that was six years in the making and captivated sports fans worldwide. The event took place Saturday, May 2, and was carried live on pay-per-view.

The replay will be paired with the previously announced “HBO World Championship Boxing®” live doubleheader from Minute Maid Park in Houston that will be headlined by the highly anticipated super welterweight collision between Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland. That event marks Canelo’s 2015 ring debut.

Other HBO playdates for all three bouts: May 10 (10:30 a.m.) and May 11 (11:45 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates for all three bouts: May 10 (3:00 p.m.) and May 12 (11:30 p.m.)

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

Oscar De La Hoya
Thank you very much to all the press. We are excited to be on this conference call. We are more than just a little over a couple weeks away with Canelo-Kirkland which will be a 12-round super welterweight showdown. It would be and it should be an explosive night, one to remember, live from Minute Maid Park in Houston. Tickets are going extremely well. Tickets are still available, so I urge you to get your tickets fast as we expect a sellout crowd.

I am extremely proud to be announcing that this event is being promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and SMS Promotions and Leija Battah Promotions. I want to thank the sponsors as well: Corona Extra and Mexico-Live it to Believe it, Fred Loya Insurance and also O’Reilly Auto Parts. Thank you for your support.

At this moment, I would like to introduce to you one of our partners at Golden Boy Promotions. He is the President of Leija Battah Promotions. Let me introduce to you Mike Battah.

Mike Battah
Thank you. I also want to thank the press for joining us today. We’re looking forward to a mega fight, a historical event in Houston on May 9th. You can’t miss it. I want to thank everybody for the people who purchased tickets, and it’s going to be an exciting event, and I’d also like to let the press know that my partner, Jesse James Leija, his son will be doing his pro debut fight on May 9th as well, and it’s going to be something to see. So, thank you. Thank you, fans. Thank you, Oscar and Golden Boy for letting us have an opportunity to partner with you.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you, Mike. Let me also introduce to you one fighter that doesn’t need no introduction. He is a boxing legend and a founder of Leija Battah Promotions; let me introduce to you to say a few words, Jesse James Leija.

Jesse James Leija
Thank you, Oscar, and to all the press and to the fans and the people listening, thank you very much for your work and thank you for your dedication to the sport of boxing, which I believe is one of the best sports in the world. It’s a true sport where it’s a man on man and you fight with your gloves on and the best man wins, and I think that the best man’s going to win on this night, May 9th at Minute Maid Park. We have two fighters that can end the fight with one punch. You have one fighter who’s super strong who can knock anybody out at any given moment in James Kirkland, and then you have a technician in boxing like you do in Canelo. It’s going to be a fight of whose will is going to overcome the other.

I’m excited for the fight. I’m excited for the fans. I’m excited for the sport of boxing, and I am excited my son will be making his pro debut too on the card with Canelo and Kirkland, and he’s doing it under Golden Boy Promotions and Leija Battah Promotions. I’m excited about the whole thing. It’s a great night for Texas. It’s a great night for boxing.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you. Thank you very much, Jesse. So,now to introduce to you Team Kirkland. It is my pleasure to be working with such a professional and a man that needs no introduction the world over. He is the Chairman and CEO of SMS Promotions. Let me introduce to you, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson
I want to start by saying I’m really excited about this event on May 9th. Getting into the sport of boxing and initially my relationship with Floyd Mayweather is what brought me and James Kirkland together, and the excitement connected to this fight will clearly be, I believe, the most exciting fight of the year, it has the makings of the most exciting. It would hands down been considered the most exciting fight of the year if they hadn’t made the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather event, and it’s just because they’re so long anticipated that they think that between the two of them you’re going to see what the sport of boxing has to offer right now.

So, between May 2nd and May 9th, this is it right here, and the excitement of seeing James prepare himself in a faster time period than I’ve seen him prepare before, it obviously shows how much is on the line for this actual fight, and you’re definitely going to see the best version of James Kirkland come May 9th. So, I’m excited to introduce you guys to his trainer, Bay-Bay McClinton.

Bay-Bay McClinton
Hello, everyone. How are you doing? The time is coming close for May the 9th. I’m not going to stay on long, but just like I told everybody, Houston, we got a big ‘ole problem on May the 9th. That’s all I got to say. Everybody, be excited for this fight.

C. Jackson
So, now I’d like to introduce everyone to James Kirkland.

James Kirkland
Hey. What’s going on, everybody? I’m just overwhelmed, and I just want to thank Golden Boy Promotions and SMS Promotions. I want to thank all the leaders, Oscar La Hoya and the people that’s actually there for me that they grind into sand and all the support teams that’s really been there from day one pushing and being the motivating people that I need for the fight. By supporting my transition and working and doing everything that I need to do to take care of business May 9. So, I’m eager for the opportunity and I’m more than I’m ready for May 9 to take place. Like I say, once again, man, promos, I want to give thanks to God for this opportunity and the leaders and the boxers in boxing.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you very much, ’50,’ and thank you very much, James. I just want to point out to you that we have a long day of fights beginning at 11 a.m. Central Time. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time, and tickets are still available. You can get tickets from $10 all the way to $350 for a ringside seat. So, now we can open it up for questions for James Kirkland.

Q
Thank you very much. Hello, everybody. Hey, James, it’s good to talk to you today. My first question for you is could you explain to us what is the reason why you haven’t fought since that big victory you had against Glen Tapia in 2013. You’ve been out almost a year-or more than a year and a half.

J. Kirkland
Basically, I was just getting prepared for an opportunity like this, and at the same time, I wanted to learn a lot of stuff about boxing that I didn’t know. It just goes on into a lot of different things, but most definitely I’m prepared and I’m thankful for this opportunity.

Q
During that period of time where you were not boxing, while you were, like you said, learning about I guess the business side, were you disappointed that you did not get a fight in that course of time to follow up on that good victory, make a good payday, get some more exposure, etc.?

J. Kirkland
Most definitely, but I can’t cry over spilled milk. But one thing I can say is that the things that I have learned and the course that actually take place is actually a positive thing and never did I actually stop being in the gym and stop working. So, I’m always hands-on in the gym and participating in any way.

Q
My other question for you is there’s been a lot of discussion among fans anyway that say boy, why would James Kirkland after the sorts of success he has had split again from Ann Wolfe, his trainer, who you two have done good things together because when you were not with her the last time was when you suffered your only defeat. What is the reason why you’re not training with Ann for this fight?

J. Kirkland
One of the reasons is that I just have to put out there is that the techniques and the things that I need to work on, to be able to win the fight, the strategies are what I have taken away when I was with Ann Wolfe. So, I know a lot of the fans, say, ‘you won, you had so much success with Ann’ and I know and understand this but at the same time, I know there was a lot more to the table that I needed to bring. I needed to harden, create more determination and I will eagerly take advantage of my opponent. You can’t take that away from me. Before I met Ann, that’s always been me, but when I need more-I thought that I needed more to bring to the table than something that I already have and possess. So, that’s what made me move on and I feel it is a smart decision.

Q
Okay. So, who will be your head trainer for this fight then, or who is your head trainer in your camp?

J. Kirkland: Rick Morones.

Q
Hi, thank you. I’ve got a question for James. It’s kind of like the last question. You’ve been out of the ring since 2013, and you have not gone past ten rounds in your career. Are you prepared to go 12 rounds, or is your plan to try to end it early?

J. Kirkland
My plan is if it was scheduled for 20 rounds, I’m going to preparate myself and make sure I can go 30 rounds. So, therefore, if it ends early, it ends early, but most definitely, I plan on it being an action-packed fight. So, anything is going to be able to happen in this fight. It can be the first round, the second round, it can even be the 12th round. So, whatever amount of rounds that it takes for this particular fight, I’m willing to go all the way. I’m willing to cut it in half. I’m ready to take it in the first or second round. So, it doesn’t really matter just long as I put the work in and do what I possess in training.

Q
Hey, James. You said the reason you took this fight was to-because you saw something in Canelo’s style that you thought you could-made you believe you could beat him. What was that? What did you see in his style that gave you the confidence that you could beat this guy?

J. Kirkland
Man, I don’t even know how to respond to your question. I would love to say something like next, but I’m like how can I respond to that? I’m a fighter. So, if I see something and it’s something that may be a plus for me is what I see. So, therefore, I’m going to take that information that I feel that is a plus and use it when it comes May 9th.

Q
Well, I know you feel like you can knock him out. Do you think you have the power necessary to knock Canelo out?

J. Kirkland
I definitely feel that I have the power, the will, the confidence, the speed and the heart and determination. I feel like I have the whole package. People wants to say that, ‘oh, Kirkland got suspect all the fights’ that I had, I took one loss, which I really didn’t take training camp serious. I didn’t look at it as being 100% focused. It was in Vegas and I was having a good time, and like I say, I really didn’t take it 100%, and now, since I actually took that defeat, I’ve been preparating myself and putting myself in a position so that now that when it comes May 9th, I can let it all be shown.

Q
We ran into you in Vegas a few years ago and you saw Canelo and you told me, “I want that guy.” Now that it’s here, how exciting is this for you and how big an opportunity is this to get to that world championship you’ve been chasing for years?

J. Kirkland
Man, it’s just-this is one of the opportunities, like I say, I’ve been wanting. So, since the layoff and they end up came knocking at the door and I answered and I went straight to it and said hey, this is a must, dude, this is a fight that I know the fans wants to see. It’s a fight that I’m truly prepared for. At the same time, man, like you said, I’ve definitely been prepared to make things happen and believe this is my opportunity.

Q
As far as the city of Austin, not hugely known for boxing, but people like Jesus Chavez and Ann Wolfe and yourself could put it on the map, how big would it be for you to become the third world champions held from this city?

J. Kirkland
It’s definitely that’s been something part of a dream. I’ve been wanting an opportunity. It felt like it’s been slipping from my hand for so long and it continued to slip and continued to slip, but I felt like at this opportunity there’s going to bring it to the point that that’s going to be the next thing popping or it’s going to be knocking at the door at this particular fight.

Q
One more question, James. I know it hasn’t been an easy road for you, layoffs, going to jail and getting out and starting back over. Do you look at this as your last big chance to climb that mountain and win a championship?

J. Kirkland
I definitely feel like I got a lot to lose putting on the table. I feel like there’s a lot that’s been involved in this. So, I can elaborate and keep going on and on about the situation and how much it means to me, but this is something that has been destined for me to take care of business when it come May 9th, and I feel like I got the right team with me, backing me and supporting me, and working on things that I need to do to take care of things May 9th.

Q
Hey, good afternoon, champ. This is Steve from Houston, Texas. Thanks for your time today. Over the past five to six years, you’ve had some great matchups with Joel Julio, Alfredo Angulo. So, far, what has been your biggest victory, and how will your victory over Canelo Alvarez overcome that victory that you’ve had in the past?

J. Kirkland: Man, I can’t even say what fight was one of my biggest victories. I can say Alfredo Angulo, I can say Joel Julio, I can name a few of them, but overall, just me being able to go to these training camps and preparation for is one of the major victories and actually being able to devour my opponent and get the W is something that I feel that that is the victory, but at the end of the day, man, I’m really focused and been training and taking care of the things that I need to take care of so when fight nights take place it’s going to be sensational.

Q
That’s great. And one of the things that really makes this matchup so interesting is the fact that both guys have a common opponent which is Alfredo Angulo. You faced Angulo arguably when he was at a much better state than when Canelo did. It took you only six rounds to defeat Angulo whereas it took Canelo over ten rounds. Is that any indication of really the type of mental fortitude and force that you can bring to this fight, and is that something that Canelo Alvarez will be able to handle?

J. Kirkland
One thing I can say is that the preparation for that fight was great and we worked really hard as far as in training camp, but I can say this-this training camp that I actually had here that I’ve been in and involved in has been harder than that particular training camp. So, when it actually say questionably like Alfredo Angulo, was he on top at the time that I fought him and was he a lot better a fighter? I can still say that he’s an awesome fighter, and a lot of great things can happen with him if someone was to do right by him, but overall, I feel that when it comes fight night, I will be a lot sharper, a lot more, at that particular point that night, but a lot more of everything involved. So, it’s going to definitely be like what people say a must watch, a fight fans want to see type of fight.

Q
Right. And one last question, James-you’re a Texas native, and for some reason Canelo Alvarez is the favorite. You’re sort of being perceived as the underdog here arguably in your backyard. To the fans that don’t know who James Kirkland is, what can you tell them that will be the biggest threat to Canelo Alvarez and that will get you the victory?

J. Kirkland
I can just tell people this when they ask about boxing and what can I bring to the sport or how I picture myself: I am a force of nature that overrides a lot of the people that I fight. When they come with heart, I believe my heart is bigger than that. When they come with determination, I don’t feel no one has the will power and the drive that I possess. When it come to speed, I don’t feel as if the opponent is going to be able to adapt, and if they do, there is something else I bring outside and it’s something else that they can do, and I always got a step on top of step above my opponent. That’s how I actually feel. So, I feel when they ask about it, it’s going to be a fight that you don’t have to worry about if they’re going to run, if this person’s going to be dodging and ducking and looking for somewhere to run and hide and tuck tail, me and Canelo will meet in the middle of the ring and that’s where the fight will take place, and we may stay there the whole entire fight if he’s going to come to fight like I’m coming to fight, that will be that particular fight that fans want to see.

Q
Hello, James. How are you? I wanted to ask you a question about your next fight. Canelo has already agreed to fight Miguel Cotto for the middleweight championship if he wins. Would you like to inherit that place if you win? Would you like to fight Miguel Cotto next, or what are your plans for after this fight?

J. Kirkland
I definitely would like to fight Miguel Cotta because I know that just as well as everybody on this fight, and they want to see this happen, at the same time, a lot of fight fans are speaking about what was the, likelihood of Kirkland and Miguel Cotto fighting, and that is something that I had on my radar just as much as Alvarez has. Because I know that he’s a fighter, he brings the fight and he wants to come just as well as Canelo Alvarez does. So, we’re all three the same type of fighters, and we all definitely want the same thing, the victory and the win and we all got heart. So, do I want to fight somebody just like me who got the same type of drive as me? I would love that opportunity and I don’t know why everybody is speaking about a fight before a fight because like they say, anything can happen in a fight, and my preparations for the fight is definitely taking the right course and preparating for the fight and for the victory.

Q
Does it bother you that Canelo has already agreed to fight even though he has a fight with you, a very difficult fight with you ahead of him? Does it make a difference in your mindset?

J. Kirkland
I just feel that maybe this fight and they’re overlooking at it like okay, this is going to be a walkthrough or one of those type of fight, first, second round type ordeals that they can make happen, and I appreciate the-I love the motivation, I love the heart and courage that is going to be one of those type of nights, but I definitely feel it’s going to be on the other side of the table if the shoe was on the other foot. So, at the end of the day, man, it’s easy to say, man, I don’t like talk boxing, I just do it. So, overall, I’m just prepared for May 9th to take place.

Q
Hey, James. You said a few weeks ago that you’re already on weight and that you were working on strategy and it’s been a great camp. What would it mean to you to get the victory over Canelo in your home state of Texas?

J. Kirkland
Man, definitely something that I’ve been preparing for since the beginning of camp. I’m definitely already like you say on weight and taking care of business when it comes to the training part. But overall, I’m going to take care of business on May 9th. So, definitely I’m encouraged and I’m anxious, and it’s just something that is going to be something that I’m proving not just to myself and to the city but just to my fight fans that James Kirkland truly is a warrior and he deserves a world title shot.

Q
Hello. When you spoke with Dan originally and he asked you about your split from Ann Wolfe, you said that you thought that basically the things that she could work with you on you already had and was something that couldn’t be taken away from you. That being the case, would you say with your new trainers, are you working in a way that she couldn’t in sharpening your tools that you already have which are considerable, or are there new tools that you’re going to be bringing to this battle?

J. Kirkland
I want to kind of clear it up. I don’t want to take anything away from Ann Wolfe’s value. She was an awesome strength and conditioning coach, and she knows the things that she knows to take it to the next level. Certain things that I wanted to add to this particular training camp are the things that I added to this. There are things that I needed to improve and things that I wanted to work on that I felt that I wasn’t going to get from Ann Wolfe. So, those are the things that I worked on, those are the things that I have prepared myself for, these are the things that I took care of. So, at the end of the day, I believe that the tools and the things that I’ve been working on are going to take me to the finish line and give me the victory at the end of the day.

Q
Got it. So, would you say that those tools-would you say that they’re new? Are we going to see something different? Are we just going to see like a more upgraded view of you on the 9th?

J. Kirkland
There’s some more, I have a more strategized defense, exposure at the same time being able to move and adjust to certain things that you haven’t seen in Kirkland. The things that you seen me lack in from hands, so from anything that it may be when you see Kirkland lack on is the things you’re going to be able to see Kirkland advance and enhance his ability.

Operator
James, can you give your final comments?

J. Kirkland
Okay. Well, final comments, I just want to say that overall I appreciate Golden Boy, HBO, SMS Promotions. I definitely want to just thank everybody for the opportunity and the people that are sponsoring the fight from Leija* Battah to all the people that are actually in the sport that’s actually backing this fight up, and just having just the drive for the sport, I appreciate it. Thanks to the fans, and the upmost, I want to give thanks to God for the opportunity. Thank you, and I appreciate everybody.

Operator
Thank you, and Curtis Jackson, may we have your final comments?

C. Jackson
Again, you got a chance to hear James. We didn’t hear much from Canelo. We’re going to get him on in a little bit, but this is exciting, and neither one of them wants to be as disrespectful as they are in the training camp itself. The intensity is a lot higher and the statements and the things that are said while they’re disciplining themselves, but they going to get a chance to see it the night of May 9th. It’s going to be exciting, and so, everyone tune in if you can’t get to it, but come down to the stadium. Again, there’s tickets still available so you should rush down now and get them before they sell out.

Operator: Thank you, and now we’ll turn the call back over to Oscar De La Hoya.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you very much. We are now ready to introduce Team Canelo. His trainer and manager is on the call with us to say a few words. Let me introduce to you Chepo Reynoso.

Chepo Reynoso
Good afternoon, everybody. I hope everybody is well, and I’m just happy to be here taking care of any questions you may have.

O. De La Hoya
Chepo is ready and Canelo is ready. So, let’s move on to Canelo. Really a man who needs no introduction. His record speaks for itself. He has a record of 44 and 1 with 31 KOs out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. At the tender young age of 24 years old, he’s already faced some of the most avoided fighters on the planet today. Let me introduce to you Saul Canelo Alvarez. Saul?

Canelo Alvarez
Good afternoon. It’s a pleasure to be here with you.

O. De La Hoya
Great. So, now we can open it up for questions. Thank you.

Q
Okay, great. First of all, I’d like you to ask Canelo, he’s coming back to another city in Texas in Houston when he was in San Antonio a couple years ago and he had that huge crowd for the Austin Trout fight. I want to know how pumped up is he because by all accounts, you’re going to have another crowd similar in size in a different city in Houston for this fight. How much does he feel that love from his fans, particularly the Mexicans and the Mexican-Americans and get him motivated, let’s say, for this kind of fight?

C. Alvarez
No, it motivates me tremendously. That’s what gives me that extra push to train harder, to have the support from the fans, all the love is what gives me the extra drive to train harder because it’s also a big responsibility and that’s where the discipline and the dedication takes in, to work hard.

Q
Another question I had for him, Robert, is he’s been off for a bit because of the injury to the foot so he did not fight in the fall after having a couple of fights in the earlier part of last year. I want to know how is his foot and does he feel that there’s any issue because he’s been off for quite a while at this point.

C. Alvarez
No, I feel real good. I’m healed up. I’ve been training for a while now. I’ve been here three and a half months working and training, preparing my body, preparing myself for this fight, looking forward to the fight. My body is clean and it gets in condition pretty quick, so I’m ready. I feel very well.

Q
Terrific. Another question for him also, and this is regarding the fact that there’s already a deal in place that should he win the fight May 9th and that should Miguel Cotto win his middleweight championship fight in June that they would meet each other in what would be a very big Pay-Per-View in the fall, and I’d like to know from Canelo does he view that in any way, some would say maybe by having that huge fight in front of him, it might be a distraction to what’s going to happen on May 9th, others would perhaps say it’s the motivation because they know they got to win to get to that huge fight. What are his thoughts about having this fight with Kirkland but knowing that he has the impending fight with Cotto down the road?

O. De La Hoya
This is Oscar. There is no deal done whatsoever.

Q
Oscar, you know that’s not true, my friend. Maybe you didn’t sign the paper, but we know that the deal is agreed to. Come on. It’s a reasonable question. Is Canelo going to answer that?

C. Alvarez:
At this particular time, my only opponent, my only focus, my only goal right now is James Kirkland. That’s who I’m focusing on. There’s been talks of that fight. There’s been talks of that fight with Cotto for a long time, yes, but right now, my focus is on James Kirkland. There’s nothing else.

Q
I had a quick question. I feel in the last few fights that you’ve had that you have the same style, you’ve approached them all the same way. Can we expect to see anything different coming into this Kirkland fight, or is there anything that you changed in this training camp that will showcase any of your other boxing skills?

C. Alvarez
You’re always learning in this game. You’re always going back to the gym and correcting some mistakes and learn from that and try new things. Sometimes the opponents aren’t willing to engage and participate, but it’s a part of the game to learn and we’re going to do our part and hope that the fans leave very happy.

Q
Okay, great. And then another question-when can we expect to see Canelo back in San Antonio?

C. Alvarez
At this time, I can’t answer that. I don’t know. It’s definitely like to go back. The people have always treated me well and loved me there. So, definitely we’d like to go back, but right now, I can’t tell you that because I don’t know.

Q: You had an opportunity to fight Kirkland back in 2011. Then, the fight didn’t happen. It’s been now a few years. Why even take the risk in giving Kirkland this opportunity after his inactivity, your inactivity and knowing that he’s such a big puncher?

C. Alvarez
Yes. It’s a fight that’s been talked about many years because it’s a very good fight. He’s one of the most dangerous fighters in the division, and there was an injury back there that didn’t let the fight happen, but now this is the fight that we’re at, and that’s why we’re preparing ourselves with knowing what we have in front of us and training really hard and we’re ready for the fight.

Q
You fought different styles, a difficult style in Mayweather, a standup aggressive style in Angulo, a runner like Lara, and now you’re facing one of the biggest punchers. What is the goal? You’re fighting all the different styles. You just want to fight them because you’re fighting the best or you’re fighting also to prepare for bigger fights down the road?

C. Alvarez
No, my goal is always to fight the best, the best in the world, that the fans get what they want: to see the best fights possible and independent of their styles. As long as they’re at the top, I want to fight the best.

Q
It’s finally done, the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight even if it’s a little old, we’re towards the end of their careers, but it’s finally happened, two of the bigger names in boxing. Once they’ve retired, are you ready to take on that role of the Pay-Per-View king, the Pay-Per-View star, and how do you feel about that?

C. Alvarez
I’m ready. I’m ready for whatever comes to my career. I work hard, I train hard, I fight the best, and if that’s the role that I have to take once they’re gone, then yes, I’m ready for it.

Q
You recuperated from the injury. You mentioned it earlier. What kind of strategy do you have now that you’re facing such a strong, aggressive fighter that comes forward and is a big puncher?

C.Alvarez
Yes, absolutely, recovered from the injury. That’s in the past, that’s behind me. Right now, we’re just working really hard. We know what James brings to the table. He’s a very dangerous, very strong and come-forward fighter, and that’s what we’re working for. That’s why we have the correct sparring partners working hard every day, working on strategy. We just have to be more intelligent and prepared and ready for it on fight night.

Q
The question is so many fighters are so concerned of only fighting in casinos. You seem to be getting out of that and fighting and filling arenas, what you did in San Antonio and now probably what you’re doing here in Houston filling that up as well. Do you want to continue that and maybe going on to even bigger stadiums and why not 50, 60, 70,000 people around the world?

C. Alvarez
No, I’ll fight anywhere. I’ll fight. As long as the fans go and enjoy the fights and walk out happy, I can fight anywhere. It doesn’t matter.

Q
There’s talks about a Miguel Cotto fight. There’s talks about other fights. Obviously, there’s the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight. If everything comes out well against Kirkland, in the future, you’re more mature, you’re more experienced, would you like a rematch with Mayweather if he is to beat Pacquiao?

C. Alvarez
Yes, of course, I would love it. It would interest me. I’ve learned more things, there’s more experience, but right now, this fight is what’s more important to me, and that’s James Kirkland on the 9th.

Q
You said that James Kirkland is a dangerous fighter. I wonder if you could describe James Kirkland as a fighter. What kind of style does he bring to the table?

C. Alvarez
Yes, he’s a very dangerous fighter because of his punch. His power is extreme. He can finish the fight with one punch, and then he also throws out of different angles, punches are coming from all angles, so it makes it even more complicated, more difficult, but more than anything, it’s that power that he can finish a fight with one punch.

Q
Have you fought anybody with comparable power to Kirkland? Have you fought anybody with that much power before?

C. Alvarez
At this particular moment, I can say no, but ask me the same question after the fight and then I can tell you how I feel his punches.

Q
Yes. Well, you’ve fought a lot of different styles. Do you prefer to fight a guy like Kirkland who you know where he’s going to be rather than Lara, Mayweather, guys like that?

C. Alvarez
Yes, I’ll fight any style. I’ll be clear-I’ll fight any style. I’m ready and willing to fight anybody, but the fans like this style because that’s the fans, what they go to see. They want to go see action, and these are the kind of fights that where the people will leave happy.

Q
Do you predict it’s going to end early before you think it’ll go the distance?

C. Alvarez
People are talking and the percentages are that it’s going to be a knockout, that it won’t make the distance, but I’m preparing myself for 12 rounds. I don’t like to predict or talk about a knockout. If it comes, great. If not, I’m trained and ready to go 12 hard rounds.

Q
Over the past few years, we’ve had boxing greats like Morales, Barrera, Marcos exit the sport, and the boxing world is looking for the next big Mexican superstar. Do you feel you’ve done enough to fill that void or that role, or do you need another victory to make that happen for you?

C. Alvarez
I’m working hard, I’m training hard. I’m taking the tough fights, the biggest fights, the biggest challenges. They people will put me where I belong. Of course, that’s what I’m here in the sport to be one of the biggest names and to be one of the greats, but only time will tell, and I’ll just keep doing my job.

Q
This last Saturday Chavez Jr. lost in the big fight. Does that give you an example or give you an idea about in the future moving up in weight?

C. Alvarez
No, I don’t use that as an example. I keep doing my job, my work dedicated with a lot of discipline, and I’ve never used anybody else’s examples. It’s just what I do, my work and my dedication.

Operator: Thank you. I’ll now turn it over to Team Canelo for your closing remarks.

C. Alvarez
I just want to thank all the press for all the support and all the media attention they’re giving it, giving my fight, giving our fight. I want to thank the fans for all the love and that I’m ready and I can’t wait to see them all on May 9th.

Operator: Thank you, and now I’ll turn the call back over to Oscar De La Hoya for his closing remarks.

O. De La Hoya: Thank you very much. Thank you to all the press, to both teams, and we will see you on May 9th in Houston. Gracias.

Operator: Thank you. And thank you, ladies and gentlemen. This concludes today’s conference. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect.

Photos and video assets including b-roll from Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland’s media workouts are available for use for TV broadcast and website embedding. Download instructions are below:

FTP LOGIN:
https://ftp.goldenboyllc.com
Username: workouts
Password: !Olympic777!
Credit: Golden Boy Promotions
Click HERE to Download Photos
Photo Credit: HoganPhotos/Golden Boy Promotion

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kirkland are priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, and are on sale now and available for purchase at Astros.com/boxing, the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions. The fight will take place Saturday, May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston Texas and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico – Live it to Believe it!, Fred Loya Insurance and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Doors open at 11:00 a.m. CT and first bout starts at 11:10 a.m. CT, the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

An all-new edition of 24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland debuts Tuesday, May 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.

LOS ANGELES (April 22) – Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) and Texas knockout artist James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs) participated in an international media conference call on Tuesday, April 21 to discuss their upcoming 12-round super welterweight bout set for May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The super welterweight fight will also be televised live on May 9 on HBO World Championship Boxing ® at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Canelo and Kirkland were joined by Oscar De La Hoya, President and Founder of Golden Boy Promotions; Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Chairman and CEO of SMS Promotions; Chepo Reynoso, manager and co-trainer for Canelo Alvarez; Eddy Reynoso, head trainer for Canelo Alvarez; Bay Bay McClinton, strength and conditioning trainer for James Kirkland; Mike Battah, President of Leija*Battah Promotions; and Jesse James Leija, Texas boxing legend and Founder of Leija*Battah Promotions on today’s media conference call. Below is what they had to say:

CANELO ALVAREZ, Former WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Champion:

“Returning to Texas has motivated me tremendously. To have the support form the fans and the love, is what gets me to train harder.

“You are always learning in this game. Going back to the gym to correct mistakes. Sometimes opponents are willing to participate. We are going to do our part and hope the fans are very happy.

“I am ready for whatever comes to my career. I fight hard; I train hard. Whatever happens, I am ready for it.

“We know what James brings to table. A very dangerous, strong, come forward fighter. We are sparring and training. We have to be more intelligent and be prepared come fight night.

“I will fight anywhere. As long as the fans go, enjoy the fight, and walk out happy, I will fight anywhere.

“Kirkland is a very dangerous because his punch is very powerful, very extreme. His punches come from all angles. But, mostly his power, he can beat a fighter with one punch. My goal is to fight the best in the world and the fans get what they want. Independent of the styles, I want to fight the best. We are preparing knowing what we have in front of us.

“People are talking and the majority believe that the fight will end in a knock out, that it won’t go the distance. But, I am ready to go 12-hard rounds.

“At this time, my only focus right now is James Kirkland. There have been talks of my next fight but right now my focus is on James Kirkland, there is nothing else.

“I am working hard, training hard, taking the tough fights, the biggest fights. And only time will tell and the people will tell. In the meantime, I will just be doing my job.”

JAMES “MANDINGO WARRIOR” KIRKLAND, Super Welterweight Contender:

“I appreciate Golden Boy Promotions, SMS Promotions, HBO and everyone sponsoring the fight, everyone that is backing this fight up. Thank you to the fans and the support that has been there from day one. It has been the motivation I need for the fight. I am doing everything I need to do for May 9 to get ready and I am ready for the opportunity.

“I have been preparing myself for an opportunity like this and needed to take time to learn more about boxing. I am prepared. One thing I can say is that the course that takes place should be a positive one and I never stop being in the gym, stop working.

“I am definitely encouraged and anxious. It’s not something I am proving to myself and the city, but to my fans. Kirkland is a warrior.

“If the fight was scheduled for 20 rounds, I would prepare to go 30 rounds. I plan on it being an action-packed fight, round after round. Whatever amount of rounds, I am ready to go all the way. I put in the work and in the training.

“I’m a fighter. I definitely feel like I have the power, will, confidence, speed, heart, and determination to beat Canelo. I feel I have the whole package. After my last fight, I have been putting myself in a position with my training so that on May 9, I can let it all show.

“This is one opportunity I have been wanting. This is a must do and a fight that fans want to see. I am prepared to make big things happen and believe this is my opportunity. This opportunity is going to bring the next best thing to my career.

“I definitely feel like I have a lot to lose and a lot is on the table for this fight. This is something that is destined for me-to take care of business on May 9. And, I feel like I have the right team behind me and supporting me.

“I am a force of nature that overrides. With heart, my heart is bigger. When it comes to will, no one has my determination. With speed, no one has my speed. When people ask about it, it is a fight you don’t have to worry about. Canelo and I will meet in the middle of the ring and that is where it will all take place.

“I’m a lot more strategized with defense, at the same time being able to move and adjust. The things you’ve seen me lacking, these are the things you’re going to see Kirkland advance and enhance in his ability.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions:

“May 9 should be an explosive night, one to remember.

“We would like to thank HBO, Minute Maid Park, Leija*Battah Promotions, SMS Promotions and all the sponsors for making this event possible.

“Canelo is a fearless fighter who is ready to take on the best fighters in his division.”

CURTIS “50 CENT” JACKSON, Chairman and CEO of SMS Promotions:

“I am very excited about the event. Mayweather brought me and Kirkland together. Between the Canelo-Kirkland fight and the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, we will see what this sport is all about.

“You will see the best version of James Kirkland on May 9.

“May 9 is going to be exciting, everyone tune in if you can’t be there. Go down to the stadium and get your tickets now before they sell out.”

MIKE BATTAH, President of Leija Battah Promotions:

“We are looking forward to a mega fight, a historical event in Houston. You can’t miss it.

“James Leija Jr. will be doing his pro debut fight and it will be something to see.”

JESSE JAMES LEIJA, Texas Boxing Legend and Founder of Leija Battah Promotions:

“Boxing is a true sport. The best man is going to win on May 9. We have two fighters who can win in one punch. We have one fighter who is super strong, Kirkland, and the other, a technician, Canelo. It is going to be who can overcome the other.

“And, I am excited my son will be making his pro debut as well. It’s a great night for Texas. A great night of boxing.”

Photos and video assets including b-roll from Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland’s media workouts are available for use for TV broadcast and website embedding. Download instructions are below:

FTP LOGIN:
https://ftp.goldenboyllc.com
Username: workouts
Password: !Olympic777!
Credit: Golden Boy Promotions
Click HERE to Download Photos
Photo Credit: HoganPhotos/Golden Boy Promotion

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kirkland are priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, and are on sale now and available for purchase at Astros.com/boxing, the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions. The fight will take place Saturday, May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston Texas and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico – Live it to Believe it!, Fred Loya Insurance and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Doors open at 11:00 a.m. CT and first bout starts at 11:10 a.m. CT, the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

An all-new edition of 24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland debuts Tuesday, May 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.

SAN DIEGO (April 20) – Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) today hosted a media workout at the House of Boxing in San Diego in advance of his fight against Texas titan James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs) on May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas and telecast live on HBO World Championship Boxing ®.

Oscar De La Hoya, President and Founder of Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo Alvarez’ manager and co-trainer, Chepo Reynoso and head trainer Eddy Reynoso were all on hand for today’s media day. Below is what Team Canelo had to say:

Canelo Alvarez, Former WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Champion:

“I feel very happy. I am ready to fight tomorrow if needed. I feel excited that the fight is around the corner.

“Kirkland’s style will complement mine, he is a fighter that likes to come forward and May 9 will bring a great fight for all the fans.

“We have the right strategy to beat James Kirkland. I have been sparring with southpaws to be prepared. Kirkland is a strong puncher, but I am also a strong fighter. On fight night I plan to hit hard but I also plan to fight an intelligent fight.

“I am very honored to have the first boxing event at Minute Maid Park, and I promise fans will not be disappointed. I train very hard to please all my fans.

“I like to challenge myself, and I am not afraid to fight southpaws. I want to feel satisfied with myself, and I also want to put on fights that the people want to watch.

“House of Boxing has always supported me, and I am grateful to Carlos Barragan (owner of House of Boxing) for supporting my career.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President and Founder of Golden Boy Promotions:

“This is Canelo mania. This is what people are waiting for. Canelo vs. Kirkland is going to be exciting. People are excited to watch him train and take pictures of him.

“This is a sure knockout type of fight. Whether Kirkland knocks out Canelo or Canelo knocks out Kirkland, it’s going to be one of those fights. Styles make fights. We are going to see a good clash. It’s going to be a good fight.

“We are taking boxing to venues that are not the norm. We are going to have a stadium where we can open or close the roof, depending on the weather. It’s going to be awesome. For the millions that will be watching live on HBO, it’s going to be a special treat. HBO is going to give the fans watching live aerial views of the stadium during the fight. It’s going to be pretty cool.”

Chepo Reynoso, Manager and Trainer of Canelo Alvarez:

“Kirkland is a complicated fighter; he is a southpaw, a hard hitter and throws a lot of punches. He is not afraid to brawl and looks to fight. That will help us with Canelo plan and move forward in his training.

“Canelo is a dangerous fighter because he is smart fighter. He is strong and shows great discipline. He learns every day and uses it in the ring.

“On May 9 fans will see a fast, strong, exciting and intelligent fighter in the ring. He will knockout James Kirkland and he will come out with his hand held up high and say: ‘Viva Mexico!’

“We are in the final stages of sparring. To date, he has done 125 rounds of sparring with five different partners, all southpaws with similar fighting styles to James. By Friday we hope to complete a total of 155 rounds of sparring.

“We are all very happy that Canelo’s fight week is on Cinco de May week; the holiday belongs to the Mexicans! Viva Mexico.”

Eddy Reynoso, Head Trainer of Canelo Alvarez:

“He is strong and we are working on his speed these last two weeks to make sure he is ready for James Kirkland.

“We are working like normal, making sure he focuses on his defense. Defense will be very important on May 9, Kirkland is a fighter that is not afraid to come out looking for a knockout and that is something we feel Canelo is prepared for.

“I think Canelo is prepared to James’ style. We have done a great job to prepare him for a left-handed fighter. Come fight night, Canelo will show the world that he is not afraid to fight anyone.”

# # #

Tickets priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, are available for purchase at Astros.com/boxing, the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions. The fight will take place Saturday, May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston Texas and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico – Live it to Believe it!, Fred Loya Insurance and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Doors open at 11:00 a.m. CT and first bout starts at 11:10 a.m. CT, the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

An all-new edition of 24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland debuts Tuesday, May 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.

HOUSTON (April 8) – Everything is always bigger in Texas and that will certainly be the case when it comes to the undercard of one of the most anticipated fights of the year, Canelo vs. Kirkland at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Saturday, May 9. Chinese heavyweight sensation Taishan (3-0, 2 KOs), 2012 U.S Olympian Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. (15-0, 10 KOs) and top contender Joshua “Grand Master” Clottey (38-4, 22 KOs) will headline the non-televised undercard. In addition, some of Texas’ top talent will be featured on the card as well including the professional debut of welterweight James Leija Jr., the son of Texas Boxing Legend Jesse James Leija.

In the previously announced main event of the evening, Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) will face off against Texas knockout artist James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs), and former three-time world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs) will battle unbeaten star Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (18-0, 13 KOs) in the co-main event, both set to air live on HBO World Championship Boxing ® starting at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Also appearing on this stacked card is Chattanooga, Tennessee’s lightweight Ryan “Blue Chip” Martin (12-0, 7 KOs) in a eight-round bout, and Austin’s Curtis Meeks (9-1-2, 3 KOs) will compete in a super lightweight eight-round fight against Ramsey Luna (12-2, 5 KOs) of Corpus Christi. San Antonio’s Cresencio Ramos (2-0, 1 KO) will be featured in a four-round featherweight bout against Manuel “El Terco” Rubalcava (2-12). Cut and Shoot, Texas’s light heavyweight Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez (23-3, 18 KOs) is scheduled for six rounds; Houston lightweight Antonio Capulin (14-0, 6 KOs) is set for a six-round competition; and Galveston heavyweight Eugene “Mean Gene” Hill (31-1, 21 KOs) will fight in a six-round match.

The undefeated KeAndre Gibson (12-0-1, 5 KOs) of St. Louis, Missouri will take on Jorge Romero (24-9, 21 KOs) of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico in an eight-round welterweight fight. San Antonio’s Joseph Rodriguez (8-0, 2 KOs), who is also undefeated, will fight a six-round featherweight bout against Luis Guevara (3-0-1, 2 KOs) of Houston, Texas. Also, seasoned fighter Rodrigo “Gatito” Guerrero (22-5-1, 15 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico will fight in a 10-round bantamweight bout. All missing opponents will be announced shortly.

Tickets priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, are available for purchase at Astros.com/boxing, the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

Hailing from Beijing, seven-foot heavyweight Taishan, has captured the imagination of boxing fans both in China and in his adopted home in California. After turning professional in 2014 and scoring two quick knockouts, the 26-year-old showed that he has what it takes to win over the distance, as he scored a near-shutout victory over Roy McCrary in February of 2015. Now, it’s time for Texas fans to see what all the excitement is about when he takes on Montgomery, Alabama’s Ronny Hale(3-7, 3 KOs) in a four round bout.

A member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, South El Monte, California’s Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz is unbeaten as a professional and has earned impressive victories each step of the way. At just 22, the southpaw sensation was 6-0 in 2014, and he got 2015 off to an equally strong start on March 6 with a third-round stoppage of Juan Luis Hernandez. On May 9, he will make his third appearance in the Lone Star State in a 10-round featherweight bout.

Currently ranked third in the world by the WBA and eighth by the WBC, Joshua “Grand Master” Clottey is a Ghanaian powerhouse closing in on a 2015 title shot. A former IBF welterweight champion who owns wins over Zab Judah, Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Cruz, the 37-year-old has three straight wins since his decision losses to boxing greats Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. He most notably won the WBA International Super Welterweight title with a 12-round victory over Anthony Mundine last April.

The undefeated, Ryan “Blue Chip” Martin of Chattanooga, Tenn. has been on the fast track since his professional debut in 2013. Martin had a busy 2014, going 7-0 and most recently won a unanimous decision over Carlos Valenzuela in February of 2015. Now, he’s ready to add another win to his resume on May 9 in a six round lightweight battle.

Austin, Texas native Curtis Meeks makes his return to boxing on May 9. In his last bout, Meeks won via decision against Derrik Moon in 2008 and maintained an undefeated record from 2001 to 2004. His only blemish is a split-decision loss against Humberto Chaves in August of 2004 with Meeks landing the best punches, rocking Gonzales in each of the final four rounds.

A professional since 2010, Ramsey Luna has had steady professional career in the lightweight division. He’s stayed busy the past few years and most recently faced Justo Vallencillo and won via unanimous decision in May and went the distance against Ryan Kielczewski in June. In his first bout of 2015, Luna is eager to impress fans on the card of Canelo-Kirkland taking on Meeks in an eight round super lightweight bout.

A newcomer out of San Antonio, Texas, Cresencio Ramos made an impression in his professional debut with a first round knockout win against Daniel Sanchez in August of 2014. He most recently faced Jaime Hernandez in December and won the bout via unanimous decision. The Texas native is looking to continue his winning streak in his first bout of 2015 on May 9.

26-year-old Manuel “El Terco” Rubalcava of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico is a relative newcomer who is known for his stamina in the ring. With 14 fights to his name since his professional debut in 2012, Rubalcava will be looking to add a victory to his resume when he faces Cresencio Ramos in a four-round featherweight bout.

Recently named one of San Antonio’s rising stars in their 20s, 24-year-old James Leija, Jr. comes from boxing royalty, as his father Jesse James Leija, Sr. is a former world champion revered in the state of Texas. But, now it’s Leija, Jr.’s turn to make his mark on the boxing world, and the former amateur star and St. Mary’s University graduate has the talent and charisma to make some noise in the featherweight division.

San Antonio native Eric Butler is a newcomer trying to make a name for himself in the competitive welterweight division. Fighting since late 2013, Butler is looking for a win on his first fight of 2015 when he faces James Leija, Jr. in a four round bout on May 9.

Hard-puncher, Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez of Cut and Shoot, Texas has been on the fast track for a title since his professional debut in 2007. Undefeated from 2007 to 2010, Lopez earned the USA Texas State Super Middleweight Title and the WBC Continental Americas Super Middleweight Title. In his first fight of 2015, Lopez stopped Juan Reyna in the third round in February. Now fighting in the light heavyweight division, Lopez is looking to find success in his second fight of 2015.

Undefeated Houston native Antonio Capulin will be looking to give his hometown fans a good show on May 9. Capulin got off to an exciting start in his career, when he won via first round knockout against Thomas Almeida in his professional debut in 2010. He most recently faced Miguel Alvarez, Aason Anderson and Marteze Logan in 2014 and is looking to add another name to his list in his first fight of 2015.

Heavyweight brawler Eugene “Mean Gene” Hill is an impressive fighter that has set his sights on a world title. Already the holder of the USA Texas Heavyweight title and the World Boxing Federation International Heavyweight title, Hill has not slowed down. Having faced Jamal Woods in January and Rubin Williams in March, the fighter is ready for his third fight of 2015 in a six round fight at Minute Maid Park on May 9.

24-year-old welterweight prospect, KeAndre Gibson, who now makes his home in Las Vegas, has become quite popular in Texas, where he won impressive victories over John Nater and Jose Hernandez. In January, Gibson took on Nicaragua’s Nelson Lara winning the fight via unanimous decision. In his second fight of 2015, Gibson may be facing the toughest fighter of his career when he goes up against Jorge Ramos in an eight round fight.

With 32 fights under his belt, Jorge Ramos of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, is ready for his U.S. debut on May 9. Fighting almost exclusively in Mexico, the tough fighter is known for having a heavy hand winning 21 out of 24 bouts via knockout. Ramos most recently faced Michael Perez last April and now is looking for another opportunity to impress fans in his first fight of 2015.

One of San Antonio’s rising stars, Joseph Rodriguez will be looking to maintain his undefeated status when he faces Luis Guevara on May 9. A professional since 2012, he has kept busy in 2014, fighting and defeating Jesus Garza, Francisco Arellano, Jeremy Longoria and Jesus Sandoval.

Featherweight newcomer Luis Guevara of Houston is ready to impress fans in his hometown on May 9. The undefeated fighter turned professional in 2014 and most recently faced Marc Alcaraz in January of this year, winning the bout via unanimous decision.

Southpaw Mexican fighter Rodrigo “Gatito” Guerro of Mexico City will make his third appearance in the U.S. when he faces a yet to be announced fighter on May 9. Undefeated in his last three bouts against Daniel Rosas, Takahiro Shigee and Jonathan Baat, the heavy-handed bantamweight will be looking to make new fans in his Houston debut.

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions. The fight will take place Saturday, May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston Texas and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico – Live it to Believe it!, Fred Loya Insurance and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Doors open at 11:00 a.m. CT and first bout starts at 11:10 a.m. CT, the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

An all-new edition of 24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland debuts Tuesday, May 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

All opponents will be announced shortly. For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.

LOS ANGELES (April 6) – Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez hosted a special roundtable on Thursday, April 2 at The Belasco Theater, with members of the media to discuss his upcoming bout against Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto, which will serve as the co-main event for Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland on May 9 at Minute Maid Park, Houston. Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions and Peter Nelson, HBO Sports Vice President of Programming were also in attendance.

Below is what they had to say at the roundtable:

FRANKIE GOMEZ, Super Lightweight Contender:

“I would like to thank Golden Boy Promotions and HBO for giving me the opportunity to show the world what I can do in the ring. I plan to conquer the 140 weight class and May 9 is a great way to show the fans my strengths as a fighter.

“Soto has a lot of experience, he is a former world champion, and I know our fight will be exciting. I like the pressure of this fight. It motivates me to train harder.

“I am training at 100 percent to make sure I am ready for May 9. This is not going to be an easy fight. I will plan to go 10 rounds against Soto.

“After Soto, the next step is take on world champions. I am ready and I know I have to train with the best and be disciplined. By the end of this year, I think I will be ready for someone like Danny Garcia, but it also depends on the plans that my manager and Golden Boy Promotions have for me.

“I have trained with both Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov, and I can’t decide who will win the fight on April 18. They are both great, aggressive fighters. Ruslan keeps coming at you, he is relentless and Lucas is a fast, hard puncher. It’s going to be a tough fight.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions:

“We are announcing the return of Frankie Gomez; we are all excited to see a young fighter with so much talent take on a tough fighter like Humberto Soto on May 9. Soto is a dangerous fighter who is undefeated since 2012 and beat John Molina last year.

“We are happy and grateful to HBO for the opportunity to show this tremendous, action-packed fight. HBO is about bringing the best fights to the fans, everything else is just boxing.

“140-147 pounds is the weight class for Frankie. It’s an exciting weight class that is full of talented fights and world champions. The weight class has young and veterans fighters and Frankie will challenge the very best. We believe in Frankie and support him 100 percent..

“Canelo vs. Kirkland is the perfect spot to showcase the next generation, the next world champion, and Frankie is the future. He will be fighting in front of 40,000 roaring fans and it’s the perfect launching pad for Frankie. We know he is ready and we know he wants this.

“The audience will be watching a young fighter who is the whole package. He is smart, aggressive, fast and has explosive punching power. People will love him. May 9is just the beginning for Frankie.

“Frankie has a hunger, humility and passion that are missing in a lot of fighters today. I have seen him in the ring during his fights and during his training and I can see that there is passion and fire in his style. There is something special about Frankie and it’s just a matter of bringing it out. We need to guide him towards his goal to becoming a world champion.

“Freddie Roach is a genius. He knows how to bring out the best in a fighter. He is an aggressive trainer that will get you in great shape but at the same time Freddie is smart and teaches a fighter to be smart. I think he is the perfect trainer for Frankie. I know he will guide him in the right direction.”

PETER NELSON, HBO Sports Vice President of Programing:

“We are privileged to have him on the network against the great Humberto Soto. This will be one of the best shows on May 9, in Houston, Texas. We know this is a major step in his career.

“We believe that Frankie has the potential to carve a name for himself in the sport. He comes from a great amateur pedigree.

“I saw him sparring with Ruslan Provodnikov at Wild Card Boxing Gym, and he was impressive.”

A stellar amateur who won the 2009 United States Championship and earned a silver medal in the 2009 World Championships, East Los Angeles’ Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (18-0, 13 KOs) has impressed every step of the way since then. Owner of 12 knockouts in three rounds or less, Gomez can also box when he wants to, as shown in his near-shutout victory over longtime contender Vernon Paris last July. Gomez is ranked eighth in the world by the IBF. On May 9 as the co-main event for Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, Gomez will attempt to make the move into the title picture with a victory over Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto. Gomez is under the tutelage of multiple winner “Trainer of the Year” and International Boxing Hall of Famer Freddie Roach.

Tickets for May 9 Canelo vs. Kirkland are priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, and are on sale now and available for purchase at Astros.com/boxing, the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions. The fight will take place Saturday, May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston Texas and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico – Live it to Believe it!, Fred Loya Insurance and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. CT and first bout starts at 2:10 p.m. CT, the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

An all-new edition of 24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland debuts Tuesday, May 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.

LOS ANGELES (April 2) – On Saturday, May 9 former three-division world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, will take on one of boxing’s most prized prospects, East Los Angeles native, Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez as the televised co-main event of the highly anticipated Canelo vs. Kirkland at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.The super lightweight 10-round bout will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

“The addition of Frankie ‘Pitbull’ Gomez and Humberto ‘La Zorrita’ Soto as the co-main event for Canelo vs. Kirkland further adds to the excitement and fireworks we are going to see in the ring on May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. “The undefeated Gomez will be put to the test May 9 against the seasoned Soto, and I’m sure the fans won’t forget this war in the ring.”

“This fight is a classic tale between an experienced fighter and a young fighter,” said Humberto Soto. “Gomez, is a young hungry fighter with a future ahead of him. He comes into the fight full of energy and the desire to create his own legacy in the world of boxing and this makes him dangerous. I understand because I used to be in that position dreaming of one day becoming a world champion. Now, it’s my turn to be the fighter with the experience and maturity and I am prepared to take on a fighter like Gomez, a fight that will be exciting and explosive and one that I would like to dedicate to all the fans in Mexico!”

“I’m grateful to Golden Boy Promotions and HBO for giving me the opportunity to fight on the best network for boxing,” said Frankie Gomez. “It’s an honor to be chosen as the co-main event on the Canelo-Kirkland televised card. I know it’s going to be a tough fight against Humberto Soto, he is a ranked former world champion and is always prepared to fight. Come fight night, I will be at my best and will prove that I am a feared contender in the division.”

A respected boxer from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs) has seen and done it all in the ring in his 18-year professional career. A former three-division world champion, Soto is a dangerous and hungry contender set on adding another title belt in his trophy case. Soto has won tough fights against Juan Carlos Abreu, giving Abreu his first loss, and hard-hitting contender John Molina Jr. Undefeated since 2012, Soto is ranked number six in the world by the WBC, fifth by the IBF and seventh by the WBO. The 34-year-old is on track for glory once more when he faces Frankie Gomez on May 9.

A stellar amateur who won the 2009 United States Championship and earned a silver medal in the 2009 World Championships, East Los Angeles’ Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (18-0, 13 KOs) has impressed every step of the way since then. Owner of 12 knockouts in three rounds or less, Gomez can also box when he wants to, as shown in his near-shutout victory over longtime contender Vernon Paris last July. Now stepping up for his biggest challenge yet, Gomez, who is ranked eighth in the world by the IBF, knows that he can make the move into the title picture with a victory over Humberto Soto. Gomez is under the tutelage of multiple winner “Trainer of the Year” and International Boxing Hall of Famer, Freddie Roach.

Tickets priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, and are on sale now and available for purchase at the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions. The fight will take place Saturday, May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston Texas and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico – Live it to Believe it!, Fred Loya Insurance and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. CT and first bout starts at 2:10 p.m. CT, the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

An all-new edition of 24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland debuts Tuesday, May 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.

LONDON (March 25) – The explosive May 9th megaclash between Mexican superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Texas titan James ‘Mandingo Warrior’ Kirkland will be shown live and exclusive in the UK on BoxNation.

The highly-anticipated showdown will see two of the world’s premier light-middleweights share the ring in front of an anticipated 40,000 fans at the iconic Minute Maid Park in Houston Texas, joining a stacked value-for-money lineup on ‘The Channel of Champions’.

BoxNation subscribers will enjoy a monster month in April, all for just £12, with a host of leading bills with Danny Garcia against Lamont Peterson, Andy Lee versus Peter Quillin and Lucas Matthysse taking on Ruslan Provodnikov, before the mouth-watering May 9th battle.

The jam-packed schedule will also see lightweight star Derry Matthews fight for his first world title on April 18th when he takes on WBA king Richard Abril, with rising ace Terence Crawford out to become a two-weight champion against Thomas Dulorme that same night.

The thrilling addition of Canelo-Kirkland will get the juices flowing as one of boxing’s modern day icons, in the Mexican tearaway, sees him take on the ferocious and hard-hitting Kirkland, who has lost only once in 33 fights, having knocked out 28 of his foes.

It will be a night to remember when the pair lock horns in a match-up that is certain to produce fireworks, with the all-action duo ready for what is in store on BoxNation on May 9th.

“This is the first time that I am anxious to fight in Texas and I am looking forward to fighting Kirkland,” said Canelo. “He is coming to fight. He is dangerous and powerful. I am also powerful and aggressive and I can guarantee you, this is going to be an explosive fight.”

“This is the fight I’ve been waiting for,” said Kirkland. “Canelo is the opponent I get asked about more than any other fighter. I’m ready to show my skills to the world and shut down the people who doubt me. Come fight night you will see a great fight between two warriors and I know at the end of the night my hand will be raised in victory.”

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions, believes that fans will be in for a real treat as they witness the fight of the year.

“Canelo has faced all the top guys at this age. Why? Because he wants to be the very best and to be the very best you have to fight the very best. We have to pair the best styles to create the best fight.

“No questions asked, this is going to be the fight of the year. We have all seen what Kirkland can do. He is a tough fighter. But, these are the types of fights that Canelo loves, the fights for the fans,” said De La Hoya.

Fight fans can enjoy BoxNation’s unrivalled and value-for-money upcoming live coverage through a number of platforms including Sky, Virgin, TalkTalk and online.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) for only £12 a month visit boxnation.com.

March 19, 2015 – In anticipation of one of the spring boxing season’s most intriguing events – the super welterweight battle between Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland on May 9th – HBO Sports will air “24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland,” an exhilarating one episode, 30-minute special examining the upcoming showdown. In the highly-anticipated fight set for Minute Maid Park in Houston, Tex., Alvarez and Kirkland will collide in one of the year’s most important encounters. HBO will televise it live on the flagship World Championship Boxing series.

The “24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland” special will premiere Tuesday, May 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and air multiple times throughout fight week. It will preview the fast approaching and hotly anticipated meeting between two accomplished warriors who are on a collision course to confront each other. The special will provide all-new content including portraits of both fighters’ path to this significant spring showdown.

Canelo Alvarez, just 24-years-old and one of boxing’s biggest stars with a near perfect ring record of 44-1-1 (31 KOs), will make his 2015 debut after a successful 2014 campaign that featured signature wins over Erislandy Lara and Alfredo Angulo. Kirkland, 29, of Austin, Texas, returns to action in his home state boasting a 32-1 record with 28 knockouts which exemplifies the stunning knockout strength he will bring to the ring.

The 30-minute special narrated by Liev Schreiber and produced by HBO’s Emmy-Award®-winning “24/7” production team will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

Other HBO playdates: May 6 (7:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.), 7 (11:30 a.m.), 8 (1:00 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.) and 9 (11:00 a.m.).

HBO2 playdates: May 5 (2:50 a.m.), 7 (11:45 p.m.) and 8 (10:30 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

By Bart Barry–

SAN ANTONIO – Tuesday at Aztec Theater, the oldest theater in this old city, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and James Kirkland announced their May 9 fight in Houston. Saturday at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Keith Thurman decisioned Robert Guerrero. In between those two middling affairs, Showtime announced plans to honor its televised trilogy of Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez – a trilogy unlikely to be matched in quality or ferocity even by a 2025 highlight reel called “Premier Boxing Champions: The First 10 Years.”

What Alvarez and Thurman have in common is above-average talent and a poor era; they are b-level fighters elevated to millions-dollar purses through some balance of mediocre opposition and needy fans. Alvarez is better tested and more beloved and unlikely to improve, while Thurman is more athletic, even while his power has moved with inverse proportionality to his opposition. What Vazquez and Marquez were, and made together, is another thing entirely.

There’s an inauthenticity to the televised experience, today, that wasn’t nearly so pronounced a part of our sport in previous decades. Boxing writers’ lamentations about television are well-noted and quite old, of course, and this isn’t intended to be so much another tired protest of the inevitable as a commentary on what’s worsened.

Boxing long preserved a griminess, a degree of filth, other sports lost generations before; boxing retained a sense of the unexpected in a way that made other sports appear overwrought and scripted. There was ever a touch of irony to this – with spectators accusing boxing results of being fixed, which they often were, even while phantom rules violations in the NBA and NFL influenced just as dramatically who became those sports’ champions. Television was a guest at boxing events, or at least telecasts felt like they were conducted by guests; proper boxing matches had a sense of inevitability to them, an implication this grievance would be settled, regardless of witness, at this time, on this evening, and television cameras just happened to be there.

Saturday’s NBC debut, instead, had other sports’ feel: We are here because television invited us, and do you know how great is the reach of public airwaves? and have you seen our incredible commentating team? and would you please have a listen to our soundtrack? If it did not feel quite scripted, it neither felt like a collection of brawls that were going to happen even if television cameras went dark. Aficionados are noticeably insecure about public acceptance of our sport, too, and that marked social-media depictions of a few good rounds in an otherwise poor night of NBC boxing with the usual trimming: Don’t you see, everybody, this is why you should love boxing as much as we do!

Tuesday’s press conference, or media event, as they’re now called since “press” – derived from printing press – no longer has any meaningful place at these clubland mashups where seats labeled Deadline Media get occupied early by women with enormous promotional posters and boys with eager black sharpies, and the deejay stands both closer to fighters and with a better chance of interrogating them than anyone carrying something antiquated as a notebook or pen, had promoters beseeching the partisan-Mexican South Texas crowd to show the world Texans were the very best fans by driving 200 miles to Houston in May to purchase the promoters’ product. Oscar De La Hoya was there, looking jittery as he’s appeared since warming up to fire Richard Schaefer (who must’ve watched Saturday’s NBC telecast and realized, much like HBO’s Kery Davis before him, he was disposable to Al Haymon as print media is), and of course Saul Alvarez and James Kirkland were there too.

Evermore, De La Hoya appears a refreshingly outdated model; he likes or appreciates the press and adheres to the olden-day rules of being unbothered by gliding through 20 minutes of frictionless inquiries so long as his inquisitors are equally unbothered by 20 minutes of countlessly refried cliches. There was a time De La Hoya was unique in the sport for his lack of sincerity. De La Hoya is no more sincere today than he was then, but our beloved sport now plumbs such depths of insincerity a De La Hoya sighting has all the charm of a throwback jersey; at least Oscar cares enough to smile and wave and remind us he was a great fighter who did fight other great fighters.

As an antidote to all that, last week Showtime announced it would commemorate the best trilogy to improve is airwaves, when it replayed Israel Vazquez versus Rafael Marquez. There appears nowhere on our horizon the likelihood of another such trilogy. The quality and violence of the combat shared between those two Mexican prizefighters, their willingness to avenge both defeats and victories, at a withering pace – they fought three times in 363 days (just after Vazquez stopped Jhonny Gonzalez in a particularly brutal affair) – is so far from what we have now it is barely believable Vazquez-Marquez 3 happened only seven years ago.

Then, as now, many in our ranks were discontent with boxing’s trajectory. Try not to imagine how bad things will need to go for us someday to look back longingly at Thurman-Guerrero.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

LOS ANGELES (March 4) -Two of boxing’s toughest warriors, Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and Texas titan James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland hosted press conferences on Tuesday, March 3 in Houston at Minute Maid Park and San Antonio at The Aztec Theater to announce details for their 12-round super welterweight showdown at Minute Maid Park in Houston on May 9. Oscar De La Hoya,Founder and President ofGolden Boy Promotions, Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson,Chairman and CEO of SMS Promotions, Mike Battah, President of Leija*Battah and Texas boxing legend and Founder of Leija*Battah Promotions, Jesse James Leija, were also in attendance to discuss the much anticipated clash of two of boxing’s toughest fighters. Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions will bring fans an explosive night of boxing on Saturday, May 9.The event will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®.

Below is what Canelo Alvarez, James Kirkland, Oscar De La Hoya, Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson and their teams had to say during the press conferences.

CANELO ALVAREZ, Former World Champion:

“I want to thank everyone for coming out today. As always you guys are very good to me you have always supported me.

“First of all I want to thank all the people; I feel like home every time I come to Texas.

“This is the first time that I am anxious to fight here and I am looking forward to fighting Kirkland. He is coming to fight. He is dangerous and powerful. I am also powerful and aggressive and I can guarantee you, this is going to be an explosive fight.

“I am very happy to be with Golden Boy Promotions, they want to make the best fights and so do I. I want to give fans an exciting night of boxing on May 9.

JAMES “MANDINGO WARRIOR” KIRKLAND,Super Welterweight Contender:

“I want to thank HBO Championship Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, SMS Promotions for giving me this opportunity.

“I’m ready to put my life on the line and give it everything I’ve got. I want to show my fans what I’ve really come to do.

“May 9, we’re here. Team Kirkland!”

Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions:

“Canelo has faced all the top guys at this age. Why? Because he wants to be the very best and to be the very best you have to fight the very best.

“We have to pair the best styles to create the best fight. No questions asked, this is going to be the fight of the year.

“We have all seen what Kirkland can do. He is a tough fighter. But, these are the types of the fights that Canelo loves, the fights for the fans.

“In just two hours since they went on sale, 15,000 tickets have been sold for May 9.

“Canelo has said he wants to fight in Texas once a year. That is how important the Teaxs fans are to Canelo Alvarez and Golden Boy Promotions.

“We are happy to announce that tickets start at $10. The $10 seat is probably the best seat because of how the arena is built. We wanted to reasonably price these tickets out of respect for the fans.

“We are thrilled and happy that we can have this fight here in Texas. Come Saturday May 9, we know that a lot of fans from San Antonio will be driving down and filling up the place in Houston.

“We are extremely happy to have a home for this fight and what better place than HBO.”

CURTIS ’50 CENT’ JACKSON, Chairman and CEO of SMS Promotions:

“It’s a pleasure to be here and announce one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year.
“Fans will see something really exciting on May 9. In James, you have a fighter who is powerful, intense and aggressive.

“James is a powerful warrior, and you all will get to see him in action on May 9.”

MIKE BATTAH, President of Leija Battah Promotions:

“We’re going to experience a historical event on May 9. We have two warriors, Canelo and Kirkland. We are glad to be bringing a mega fight to Texas.

“We sold 39,000 tickets when Canelo was last here. We are going to beat that with this fight on May 9.”

JESSE JAMES LEIJA, Founder of Leija*Battah Promotions:

“Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo and Kirkland wanted to fight here in Texas so we got the closest venue we could for May 9 and that’s in Houston.

“We want everyone to come out here and show what kind of boxing fans we have in Texas.

“We want everyone to come out there on May 9 and let’s fill up Minute Maid Park. I’ll tell you what; it’s going to be a much better fight than the fight on May 2.

“You’ve got two powerful punchers, two guys that want to prove to Texas and the world who is the better man. It’s going to be a great fight.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Manager and Trainer for Canelo Alvarez:

“We’re here to give you guys thanks, we are very thankful for all the support. We are also here to invite you to Houston on May 9.

“Styles make fights and the boxing styles of Canelo and Kirkland will make a war in the ring on May 9. Both of these fighters have come to fight.

“May belongs to the Mexicans, and on May 9 we will be chanting ‘Viva Mexico!’ ‘Viva Canelo!'”

EDDIE REYNOSO, Head Trainer for Canelo Alvarez:

“I want to thank everyone for being here. We are training hard to prepare Canelo to be ready to face a tough contender on May 9.

“On May 9 we have a dangerous fight, a fight that could end at any time with one punch. That’s why we have been getting ready since the second week of January. That’s why we are going get ready like never before. Kirkland is a fighter with a very big punch and he’s very good.

“I want to invite all of you to see Canelo May 9 at Minute Maid Park so that you can see a great knock out.”

BAY-BAY McCLINTON, Trainer for James Kirkland:

“I’ve know James since he was 16 years old. He was in my training camp I had eight guys. And, out of those eight guys James stood out the most to me. He promised me that ‘Whenever I have a big fight, you’re going to be the guy.’ He called me, and he stuck to his word.

“He’s going through hell right now, but I’ll tell you, come May 9 he’s not going to be a pit bull – he is going to be a beast.”

PETER NELSON, HBO Sports Vice President of Programing:

“Thank you guys for coming out. I think Texas has some of the best fight fans in the world. It’s always a privilege for us to come to Texas and we look forward to a great event on May 9.

“I think it is to the great credit of these two men, Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland, that they wanted to take this fight. I think it speaks to the quality of fighters that they are. This is as fine a fight as I’ve seen on the network since I started working at HBO. This is going to be an all-action fight. It is not to be missed.”

MARCEL BRAITHWAITE, Senior Vice President Business Operations Houston Astros

“We are very excited to help bring boxing back to the City of Houston and are proud to be hosting the first ever professional boxing match at Minute Maid Park.

“A special thanks to Golden Boy Promotions, SMS Promotions, Leija*Battah Promotions and our partners for bringing this once in a lifetime event to our venue.

“On behalf of the Houston Astros, we want to wish both fighters ‘good luck’ and to present them with a personalized authentic jersey on behalf of our entire team.”

# # #

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland, is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and is sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico – Live it to Believe it! The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kirkland priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, and are on sale now and available for purchase at the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 25) – The wait is over. Two of boxing’s toughest warriors, Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and the Texas titan James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland will clash in a 12-round super welterweight showdown at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas on Saturday, May 9, 2015. Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions will bring fans an explosive night of boxing when these two exciting warriors finally meet in this much anticipated match-up which will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

“I’m very happy that my upcoming fight with James Kirkland will air on HBO; it will be exciting, explosive and should not be missed,” said Canelo Alvarez. “Kirkland is a dangerous fighter who is coming prepared for a tough night and this fight, without a doubt, will be one to remember. I promise my fans I will be victorious and invite everyone to come out and join us at Minute Maid Park on May 9. They will not be disappointed.”

“This is the fight I’ve been waiting for,” said James Kirkland. “Canelo is the opponent I get asked about more than any other fighter. I’m ready to show my skills to the world and shut down the people who doubt me. Come fight night you will see a great fight between two warriors and I know at the end of the night my hand will be raised in victory.”

“We are committed to putting on the best fights and a fight between Canelo, who is one of the best fighters in the sport and Kirkland, who is one of the most feared, will be an explosive night in the ring on May 9,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Canelo is ready to take on Kirkland and he is prepared to give fans an entertaining fight. Fans from all over the country will come to Houston’s Minute Maid Park to see a tough, exciting and epic brawl.”

“I’m excited about this match up. James Kirkland and Canelo Alvarez represent two of the best fighters in the sport,” said Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Chairman and CEO of SMS Promotions. “They both have impressive knock out records and similar fighting styles. Their determination and intense preparation will make for a top fight. Whether you’re with us in person or tuned in on HBO, I know this will be a fight not to be missed.”

“Because of the quality of fighter he is and quality of fight he is in, Canelo Alvarez’s 2015 debut may be more heavily anticipated than any others,” said Peter Nelson, HBO Sports vice president of programming. “That’s because when Canelo decided to face the incarnate wrecking-ball that is James Kirkland, fans recognize both that Alvarez is choosing a hard road and that Kirkland has been paving that road his whole career in hope of one day reaching a landmark opportunity like this one. Alvarez-Kirkland is a signature World Championship Boxing event.”

“We are very excited to host the first boxing match ever held at Minute Maid Park,” said Astros President of Business Operations Reid Ryan. “Houston has seen some of the greatest boxers of all time, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier-and we look forward to having our ballpark and our fans be a part of that legacy.”

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland, is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and is sponsored by Corona Extra. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, will go on sale Tuesday, March 3 at 10:00 a.m. CT and available for purchase at the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmasker outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420, online at www.ticketmaster.com, by calling (210) 979-3302 or emailing m@leijabattahpromo.com. There is a 19 ticket limit per household.

At the age of 24, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico’s Canelo Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) has conquered the boxing world, captivating fans both at home and around the globe with his action-packed fighting style, charisma and willingness to take on the toughest challenges. The former WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Champion, has fought and beat the best including Carlos “Tata” Baldomir, Kermit “The Killer” Cintron, Sugar Shane Mosley, Austin “No Doub” Trout, Alfredo “Perro” Angulo and Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara. His only loss was his 2013 record-setting ‘highest grossing bout of all time’ fight with Floyd Mayweather. On May 9, Alvarez will put it all on the line once more against perhaps the hardest puncher in boxing, James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland.

A Texas titan, representing the city of Austin, 30-year-old southpaw James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs) has built his reputation with explosive power. His fists have accounted for 28 knockout victories over the course of his nearly 14-year professional career. A former NABO and WBC Continental Americas Champion, Kirkland bounced back from his lone defeat against Nobuhiro Ishida in 2011 with five consecutive wins, four coming by way of knockout. Kirkland has defeated Brian Vera, Alfredo “Perro” Angulo and Carlos “King” Molina and most recently handed Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia his first professional loss by way of a punishing sixth-round technical knockout, setting the stage for a war with Canelo on May 9.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirklan

According to Dan Rafael, Canelo Alvarez has narrowed his search for a fall opponent to James Kirkland, Joshua Clottey and WBO Jr. Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I am piecing things together for Canelo, connecting the dots, but he’s going to fight Dec. 6. That’s the definite date,” said Alvarez promoter Oscar De La Hoya.

“We’ve been doing all our business with Showtime since a few years ago when we were kicked out from HBO,” De La Hoya said. “Yes, we are doing this fight with Hopkins on HBO and it’s a great way to start a relationship again, but I also have to take a look the relationship we have with Showtime. It’s a very difficult spot, but I am going to do what is best for Canelo’s career.

“We’re pushing for San Antonio. Canelo really loves fighting at the Alamodome. He had a wonderful experience there,” De La Hoya said.

“Clottey looked good against Mundine and we’ve been talking with Kirkland’s representative day in and day out,” De La Hoya said. “If Canelo fights Andrade, it’s a chance for him to fight for another title if that’s what he wants to do. There are options.

“If you think about Canelo, he’s a throwback fighter. He fought Mayweather, Trout, Lara. Name another fighter in recent years that’s been fighting the toughest guys back to back. Canelo wants to fight the best. This is why people love Canelo. He is willing to fight all comers.”

“I commend Canelo. He wanted to fight three times on pay-per-view, but Canelo called me directly and said he didn’t want to fight on pay-per-view this time,” De La Hoya said. “He did good numbers in his last two fights but he wants all boxing fans to be able to see him.

By Bart Barry–

AUSTIN, Texas – Somewhere round here, likely on currently gentrified streets once mean, James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland roamed and terrorized sparring partners en route to network-darling status, a falling-out or five with trainer Ann Wolfe, a prison stay, a brutal victory over Alfredo Angulo in 2011, and a brutaler victory over Glen Tapia in December. Where he is right now is a source of speculation, as usual, but this is not: Had he been present in San Antonio last week to announce a fight with Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at Alamodome, many more San Antonians would have been there as well.

One such San Antonian spent the weekend with Austin locals, instead, in the hopes of finding some evidence of cultural offerings greater than University of Texas’ Blanton Museum of Art and sanitized bars on West 6th Street. He found some, too, good contemporary- and folk-art offerings, and also a reason to reflect on what appears to be one of our sport’s greater missed-ticket-selling opportunities.

This city is not weird so much as haphazard and disorganized, a hippie enclave in a state that, since making a fortuitous discovery dinosaurs once died within its borders, has trended ever more conservative, free-market and likely to conflate luck with merit – convincing its citizenry one’s birth in a resource-rich state is evidence, somehow, of exemplary character or virtue. For every action a reaction: Austin, now enjoying a real-estate boom financed by those scrofulous knaves who brought ruin to sandy states from Florida to California, makes a fetish of embracing its eccentricities, not uncommon to college towns, and planting on its automobiles’ bumpers and townfolk’s t-shirts declarations about keeping itself weird and loving live music.

Ask most who embellish Austin’s merits to catalog this city’s cultural offerings, aside from live music, and they’ll tell you, “Live music!” It’s the sort of exhausting, end-of-boom chatter one encountered in Silicon Valley round 2001, when everyone intended to be a billionaire but no one knew how clicks-from-coffeeshops could be monetized. It’s marginally less cynical here, though, because it is a celebration of culture, such as it is, not capitalism.

To this city’s ever more gentrified climes comes West Austin Studio Tour 2014, a sprawling collection of 241 art galleries and exhibitions, for two weekends, this one and last, and it is, in its seeming disinterest, nearly an opposite of the South by Southwest festival that now makes Austin a destination for the coolest folks from all about our fruited plain. Disinterested because most artists are borrowing corners of their friends’ gallery spaces, have yet to name much less sign their works, and rarely take anything but cash or check. As one local put it: “That’s Austin. We don’t really plan things all the way through. We just sort of get them started and see what happens, you know?”

And there-across spans a bridge from one unplanning gaggle of artists to another: Wednesday afternoon, Oscar De La Hoya, whom business circumstances appear to be pushing from figurehead to manager, visited San Antonio’s historic Mercado district, about 70 miles southwest of here, to announce that the one prizefighter insiders are reasonably certain remains tied to him by promotional contract, Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, will be fighting Cuban Erislandy Lara in Las Vegas in a couple months, in an event called “Honor and Glory.” De La Hoya, freshly enthusiastic if not yet sincere, announced, in Spanish, the card was about “honor y gloria” before switching to English and explaining that honor is what men fight for, and glory.

It was vacuous and scripted, the way these things ever are – or perhaps it was the South Texas sun breaking unexpectedly through what Weather Channel’s app promised would be a cloudy day – but it sapped one’s humor and acted as a reminder of a question Alamo City insiders often ask ourselves when asked to cheerlead for Canelo: Why not James Kirkland at Alamodome? Surely Mike Battah of Leija-Battah Promotions, the man who risked a large sum of his own capital to bring Alvarez, on short notice, to San Antonio to fight an otherwise unknown New Mexican named Austin Trout 13 months ago, and then made of his opportunity one of the more groundbreakingly excellent promotions of the last decade, putting more than 40,000 people in Alamodome, expected such a debut effort would reap rewards many times greater than schlock like Fidel Maldonado against John Nater on a Monday night in February.

Battah once openly imagined 70,000-person gates for Canelo at Alamodome, regardless of opponent, and must now content himself with renting restaurant plazas on Wednesday afternoons to have the firehaired horseman of Jalisco, diminished in everyone’s eyes, make a few serious poses, promise redemption for all Mexicans from a Cuban, and tell the people of, let’s see, San Antonio, how very much he appreciates their support.

To resume his ascent after the Mayweather debacle in September, Canelo needed to do more than score a referee stoppage over a ruined countryman like Alfredo Angulo, on pay-per-view in March; and if we’re being honest, even if he’d put “El Perro” to sleep in 90 seconds, Canelo would have suffered mightily from an Argentine doing to Floyd Mayweather two months later what Mexicans verily expected Canelo would do. One shudders to think what comes of Oscar De La Hoya’s company if Lara undresses Canelo the way that, say, Winky Wright undressed Felix Trinidad in 2005.

Since, like their statesmen, American boxing promoters cannot be counted on to do the right thing till they’ve tried everything else, one might as well hope, too, that such an outcome would make the fight that makes much more ticket-selling sense than Canelo’s tilt in July will: A match with Austin’s James Kirkland at Alamodome.

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

NEW YORK (December 10, 2013) – Boxing promoter/rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson intends to parlay the tremendous excitement from James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland’s awesome performance this past weekend into a memorable evening of entertaining boxing on Friday night, December 20 as his company, SMS Promotions, presents “Big Apple Boxing” at Resorts World Casino NYC in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs), who is the most recent boxer signed by 50 Cent’s SMS Promotions, destroyed previously unbeaten and world-rated Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (20-1, 12 KOs), live on HBO last Saturday night from Atlantic City (NJ). Fighting for the first time since March 24, 2012, when he defeated current International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior middleweight champion Carlos Molina, Kirkland’s SMS Promotions debut stole the entire show in an thrilling, all-out war that mercifully ended in the sixth round as referee Steve Smoger halted the action with Kirkland unloaded powerful shots on an overmatched Tapia.

Now, 50 Cent has shifted his focus to “Big Apple Boxing,” featuring seven of the best under-25 boxing prospects in the world.

“The prospects on this card are well prepared and highly motivated,” 50 Cent said. “We saw a lot of action this weekend in Atlantic City and will continue the excitement at our next installment of Big Apple Boxing.”

Unbeaten junior lightweight prospects Joel Diaz, Jr. (13-0, 11 KOs) and Wanzell Ellison (9-0-1, 5 KOs) headline “Big Apple Boxing” in a 10-round bout. The 21-year-old Diaz, fighting out of Palmdale, California, faces his toughest test to date in Newark’s (NJ) 24-year-old Ellison.

A 10/12-round junior welterweight match between 23-year-old undefeated Amir “Young Master” Imam (11-0, 10 KOs), of Albany (NJ), and cagey Mexican veteran Sergio “Sirenito” Perez (28-15, 9 KOs) has been added to the card as the co-feature.

Arizona junior welterweight “Magic Man” Luis Olivares (6-0, 4 KOs), 21, puts his undefeated record on the line against Tony “Sugar Boy” Walker (5-3-1, 3 KOs) in one of five six-round fights. The others include undefeated Puerto Rican junior middleweight Emmanuel “Pirata” De Jesus (8-0, 5 KOs), 20, vs. Antonio Fernandez-Chaves (4-13-2), from Brockton, Massachusetts by way of the American Virgin Islands; Washington D.C. super bantamweight Thomas “KO” Snow (16-1, 10 KOs) vs. Hartford’s Nate Green (4-0, 1 KO), and 23-year-old Cincinnati welterweight Donte Strayhorn (3-1) vs. New York’s Sam Moura (0-2).

Scheduled to fight in four-round matches are former U.S. amateur star, 20-year-old Tennessean Ryan “Blue-Chip” Martin (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Las Vegas lightweight Eric Jamar Goodall (1-2), and pro-debuting Brooklyn bantamweight Mafato Kamogawa vs. native New Yorker Michelle Cook (0-0-1).

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $350.00, $125.00, $85.00 and $35.00, are available to purchase by calling Resorts World Casino NYC at (718) 215-2828, or visiting www.etix.com/ticket/online/venueSearch.jsp?venue_id=9244. The $350.00 ticket holders will also receive a pair of autographed SMS Street by 50 Cent on ear headphones.

Doors open at 6 p.m. ET, first bout scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

ATLANTIC CITY–Guillermo Rigondeaux retained the WBA/WBO Super Bantamweight titles at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom inside of Boardwalk HalL.

Rigondeaux used his superior boxing ability as he places precision shots to the body and flicking jabs to the head of Agbeko.

Scores were 120-108 on all cards for Rigondeaux and is now 13-0. Agbeko is now 29-5.

James Kirkland scored a 6th round stoppage over previously undefeated Glen Tapia in a thrilling Jr. Middleweight fight.

Tapia dominated the first frame as he jumped on Kirkland which thrilled the pro-Tapia crowd. Most of the next five rounds were spent with Kirkland unloading hundreds of flush punches to the head and the body of Tapia. Tapia was getting beat up but he showed an unbelievable heart and only god knows what was keeping him standing. Tapia showed short bursts of offense in the beginning of the 4th, 5th and 6th rounds but they were short lived as Kirkland pounded away at Tapia that had blood flying from the nose of Tapia until referee Steve Smoger stopped the bout at 38 seconds of round six.

Kirkland is now 32-1 with 28 knockouts. Tapia is now 20-1.

Matthew Macklin pounded out a ten round unanimous decisioble n over previously undefeated Lamar Russ in a Middleweight bout.

Macklin controlled the action with solid ring generalship and he stuck the jab in the taller Russ’face. Macklin landed several hard blows in round nine that had Russ bleeding from the mouth and the defensive as the round ended. Russ came out and threw hard shots in round ten but none of consequence

Matt Korobov remained undefeated by scoring a 9th round stoppage over Derek Edwards in a Middleweight bout.

In round one, a body-head combination made Edwards buckle Korobov continued to pound Edwards to the body and the head for which he had Edwards stumbling into the ropes. Korobov landed a fuselage of shots until he was rocked badly by a hard right from Edwards. Korobov was clarly hurt and even turned his back in an effort to run away but two three more hard shots before the end of the first round. In round two, Korobov landed a hard straight left that sent Edwards sprawling into the ropes for a knockdown. Korobov rocked Edwards once again in round four when he landed a terrific three punch head combination.

Korobov scored a knockdown at the end of round seven from a hard left hand. The two went to war in round eight with Korobov getting the better of the two way action. Korobov ended the night by dropping Edwards in round nine from yet another straight left and referee Steve Smoger stopped the fight immediately at 28 seconds of round nine.

Korobov, 162.8 lbs of Orotukian, RUS is now 22-0 with 13 knockouts. Edwards, 161.8 lbs of Winston Salem, NC is now 26-3-1.

Toka Khan Clary survived two knockdowns and boxed his way to a six round unanimous decision over Ramsey Luna in a Super Featherweight bout featuring undefeated fighters.

Clary was quicker to the punch throughout as he hit and played good defense. In round four, Luna sent Clary down from a right hand and then dropped him again from a body shot. Clary was able to get out of the round and was never threatened the rest of the way.

Clary, 130.2 lbs of Providence, RI won by scores of 57-55 on all cards and is now 9-0-0-1. Luna, 131.2 lbs of Corpus Christi, TX is now 11-1.

Jesse Hart scored an explosive 1st round stoppage over Tyrell Hendrix in a scheduled six round Super Middleweight bout.

Hart rocked Hendrix with an uppercut an opened up with a huge flurry where he drilled Hendrix several more times before referee Steve Smoger stopped the bout at 1:20 of round one.

Hart, 168.2 lbs of Philadelphia is now 11-0 with 10 knockouts. Hendrix, 168.4 lbs of Los Angeles is now 10-3-2-1.

Julian Rodriguez scored a 4 round unanimous decision over Ryan Picou in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Rodriguez pounded away on Picou in the 1st with blistering combinations. Picou, who was a late replacement tried and landed some shots here and there. Late in round two, Rodriguez continue to rock Picou for the duration of the fight.

Rodriguez, 140.6 lbs of Hasbrouck, NJ won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 2-0. Picou, 140 lbs of Las Vegas is now 0-2.

Egor Mekhontsev made a successful pro debut with a 3 round beat down of Peter Cajigas in a scheduled four round Light Heavyweight bout.

Mekhonstev showed quick hands and hard combinations over the first two rounds. Mekhonstev dropped Cajigas three times in round three all from all hard body shots and referee Steve Smoger stopped the bout at 35 seconds of round three.

Mekhonstev, 177.2 lbs of Asobest, RUS is now 1-0 with 1 knockout. Cajigas, 179.8 lbs of Franklin Park, IL is now 0-3-1.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise wraps its 2013 slate with the world-class tripleheader HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX VS. JOSEPH AGBEKO, JAMES KIRKLAND VS. GLEN TAPIA AND MATTHEW MACKLIN VS. LAMAR RUSS, presented SATURDAY, DEC. 7 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team of Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Andre Ward will be ringside for the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Dec. 8 (8:30 a.m.) and 9 (11:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Dec. 8 (5:00 p.m.) and 10 (11:30 p.m.)
In the main event, Cuban sensation Guillermo Rigondeaux (12-0, 8 KOs) puts his super bantamweight titles on the line against Joseph Agbeko (29-4, 22 KOs) of Accra, Ghana. After winning two Olympic Gold medals as an amateur, the Miami-based Rigondeaux, 33, has picked apart 122-pounders like no other in his brief pro career. Most recently, he tactically disposed of Nonito Donaire, one of the sport’s elite, scoring a 12-round unanimous decision in a high-profile unification fight. After a year’s layoff, Agbeko, 33, defeated Luis Melendez last March to win a bantamweight title. With notable victories over Luis Perez and Vic Darchinyan also on his resume, he will work to build on his bantamweight success, making his HBO debut in one of the most competitive weight classes.
The co-main event, a junior middleweight bout scheduled for ten rounds, features Glen Tapia (20-0, 12 KOs) of Passaic, NJ, risking his undefeated record against heavy-handed James Kirkland (31-1, 27 KOs) of Austin, Tex. Since July, Tapia, 23, has scored two knockout victories for his third and fourth wins of 2013. Returning to the ring after nearly two years, Kirkland, 29, expects to improve on the 87% victory by knockout rate that once exhilarated sweet science fanatics. His record includes wins over Alfredo Angulo, Carlos Molina, Joel Julio and Brian Vera.
The evening begins with middleweight contenders Matthew Macklin (29-5, 20 KOs) of Birmingham, England, and Lamar Russ (14-0, 7 KOs) of Wilmington, NC in a scheduled ten-round fight. After suffering a third-round knockout defeat to powerhouse Gennady Golovkin in June, Macklin, 31, hopes to return to the form that merited him a shot at a 154-pound title. Building his own convincing case for a title run, Russ, 26, has dominated opponents in 2013, winning by unanimous decision in each of his three fights.
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Doug Getts.

ATLANTIC CITY (November 13, 2013) — Undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) / World Boxing Organization (WBO) 122-pound world champion and Cuban sensation GUILLERMO “El Chacal” RIGONDEAUX returns to the ring fresh from his career-best victory. Rigondeaux will be bidding for Fighter of the Year honors when he defends his unified titles against former two-time world champion JOSEPH “King Kong” AGBEKO, Saturday, December 7, at Boardwalk Hall’s Adrian Phillips Ballroom in Atlantic City. The card will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The live telecast will also feature local favorite GLEN “Jersey Boy” TAPIA risking his Top-10 rating and undefeated record in a 10-round junior middleweight battle against knockout artist JAMES KIRKLAND and three-time world title challenger MATTHEW MACKLIN in a 10-round middleweight rumble against undefeated contender LAMAR RUSS.

These six gladiators boast a combined record of 135-10, 96 KOs — a winning percentage of 93% and a victory by knockout ratio of 71%.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Caesars Atlantic City, Caribe Promotions, SMS Promotions, DiBella Entertainment and Tecate, tickets to the Rigondeaux vs. Agbeko world championship event go on sale Tomorrow! Thursday, November 14, at Noon ET. Priced at $200, $100. $50 and $25, plus applicable service charges, tickets can be purchased at Boardwalk Hall box office, all Ticketmaster locations and online at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone call 800-736-1420.

“After a brilliant performance against Nonito Donaire, Rigondeaux puts his extraordinary skills to test on December 7 against Joseph Agbeko,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “This bout epitomizes the contrast of style of slick boxer versus brawler. Which style will prevail?”

“On December 7, fans will see some of the fight game’s purest boxing and punching at its most distilled,” says Peter Nelson, director of programming, HBO Sports. “The Boardwalk in Atlantic City is the perfect home for three such intriguing match-ups.”

“I’m very excited to get back in the ring,” said Rigondeaux. “Joseph Agbeko is a great champion, and I believe all fans will be pleased with the type of performance we will both exhibit to end a great year of boxing. I believe Agbeko will come prepared, ready to engage and be very aggressive. We will both showcase our skills, and I am very pleased to have the opportunity to end 2013 the way I opened it up, with surprise and pure boxing class for the world to see. I would like to thank HBO, my promoters Top Rank and Caribe promotions, my manager Gary Hyde, advisor Alex Bornote, trainers Ramon Garbey, Joel Casamayor, Pedro Luis, and all those that have a part in making this fight happen.”

“This is going to be a great fight. I’m extremely motivated. I plan to make my country proud by becoming world champion again after I defeat Rigondeaux,” declared Agbeko.

“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity my whole life. Now that it’s here it’s time for me to show the world that I’m here to stay. This is just the beginning,” said Tapia.

“Tapia hasn’t fought anyone near my level. I’m going for the knockout,” said Kirkland.

“I am looking forward to getting back in the ring and back to my winning ways,” said Macklin. “I’ve seen a few of Russ’ fights and he’s very sharp, very skilled and he’s always in exciting fights as am I. This should be a great fight for the fans both in Atlantic City and those watching on HBO. A big win against Lamar will set me up nicely for a big 2014.”

“This is great opportunity for me and my team,” said Russ. “I want it to be known to the fans and to Macklin that on December 7th I am coming to fight and I am coming to win.”

“We are delighted that Joseph Agbeko has stepped up to the plate by challenging Rigo for his WBA and WBO world titles and we are looking forward to putting on a “master class performance” against little Joe December 7th,” said Gary Hyde, Rigondeaux’s manager.

“Joseph Agbeko is a great warrior in the tradition of African fighters like Azumah Nelson. He’s coming for the title and plans to lay it all on the line. He’s a legitimate danger to Rigondeaux,” said Frank Espinoza, Agbeko’s manager.

“I’d like to thank Top Rank and HBO for giving Glen this opportunity,” said Tapia’s manager Pat Lynch. “I know it’s something he’s worked really hard for. It’s going to be a great fight and Glen will not disappoint his fans on December 7.”

“Kirkland brings all-out aggression into the ring. He’s strong, powerful and exciting,” said Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, of SMS Promotions.

“Macklin-Russ should be a barnburner between two fighters who can bang,” said Lou DiBella, Macklin’s promoter. “The fight means so much to both boxers that it can’t help but be a good one and we are happy that it is on such a high quality card in Atlantic City.”

“We know that Russ will come to fight but we are very confident in Matt’s skills and experience and know those two assets will put us back into the win column,” said Macklin’s advisor Anthony Catanzaro.

“Caesars Atlantic City’s commitment to sponsoring some of the top sporting events on the East Coast is no more evident than with this December 7th HBO triple header set for historic Boardwalk Hall,” said Kevin Ortzman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Caesars, Bally’s, and Showboat Atlantic City. “As a boxing fan, I’m particularly looking forward to the Tapia v. Kirkland bout. Given Tapia’s New Jersey roots and his quick growing reputation as an up and comer, this match already possesses a great storyline and will certainly be a high energy affair.”

Rigondeaux (12-0, 8 KOs), of Miami, Fla., returns to the ring after unifying the titles by defeating 2012 Fighter of the Year Nonito Donaire on April 13 at a sold-out Radio City Music Hall in New York. Rigondeaux thoroughly dominated Donaire via a unanimous decision victory, ending his 12-year, 30-bout winning streak, as well as claiming his WBO junior featherweight title. Rigondeaux had a stellar amateur career, winning Olympic gold medals in 2004 and 2000, World Amateur Championship titles in 2005 and 2001, and Pan American Games gold medals in 2005 and 2003, all at 119 pounds, before defecting from Cuba and embarking on a professional career which began in Miami in 2009. In only his seventh professional fight where both fighters scored knockdowns, Rigondeaux captured the WBA interim super bantamweight title, winning a tough split decision over the vastly more experienced former world champion Ricardo Cordoba in 2010. After successfully defending the interim title in 2011 with a first-round knockout of previously undefeated former European super bantamweight champion Willie Casey, Rigondeaux won the WBA world super bantamweight championship with a sixth-round knockout of previously undefeated defending champion Rico Ramos on January 20, 2012. Rigondeaux has successfully defended that title thrice since then, blasting once-beaten Teon Kennedy in the fifth round, which included Kennedy suffering five knockdowns en route to the loss, and winning a dominant unanimous decision over once-beaten contender Roberto Marroquin last year, on June 9 and September 15, respectively, and Donaire in their April title unification fight.

Before moving up to the junior featherweight division, Agbeko (29-4, 22 KOs), of Accra, Ghana, was one of the dominant forces of the bantamweight division. He captured his first International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title just one month removed from his U.S. debut, on September 29, 2007, knocking out defending champion Luis Perez in the seventh round, ending Perez’s seven-year winning streak. Agbeko successfully defended the title twice, winning decisions over William Gonzalez and Vic Darchinyan, before losing it to Yonnhy Perez in October 2009. Agbeko avenged that loss and reclaimed the title in their rematch 15 months later. His second reign ended in his first defense, August 2011, a majority decision loss to Abner Mares, who also won the rematch in December of that same year. After taking over a year off, Agbeko returned to the ring last March 22, and defeated Luis Melendez to capture the IBO bantamweight title. Agbeko will be training with Roger Mayweather for his upcoming world title challenge.

Tapia (20-0, 12 KOs), of Passaic, NJ, will be fighting for the fifth time this year, only the second time he has fought this much in a calendar year. And why not? Tapia has starched three of the four opponents he has faced so far this year, with the highlight being his nationally-televised eighth-round knockout of undefeated Abie Han, in July, to capture the vacant NABO junior middleweight title. He returns to the ring fresh from knocking out Elco Garcia in the fifth round on September 28, in Atlantic City. Tapia is currently world-rated No. 9 and No. 10, by the WBO and IBF, respectively.

Promoted by rap star 50 Cent’s SMS Promotions, Kirkland (31-1, 27 KOs), of Austin, TX, returns to the ring after a 21-month hiatus spent dealing with legal issues. The two-fisted wrecking machine has acquired 11 of his last 12 victories by knockout dating back to 2007 and his victory by knockout ratio is an incredible 87%. Prominent victories on his resume include Alfredo Angulo, Carlos Molina, Joel Julio and Bryan Vera.

Macklin (29-5, 20 KOs), of Birmingham, England, has collected Irish, British and European middleweight and junior middleweight titles since making his pro debut in 2001. His steady rise up the ratings matched by his impressive victories earned him his first title shot, against WBA middleweight titlist Felix Sturm in 2011, in the defending champion’s backyard, Cologne, Germany. Macklin took it to Sturm from the opening bell but came up short on the judges’ scorecards, losing a split decision that many observers thought reeked of “home cooking” in favor of the out-gunned Sturm His performance earned him two more title fights, against middleweight champions Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin, losing to both by stoppage.

Russ (14-0, 7 KOs), of Wilmington, NC, has twice served as WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin’s lead sparring partner in previous training camps. Career highlights include spectacular back-to-back knockout victories over Jose Alonzo and Jonathan Cepeda, who boasted a combined record of 25-0 when Russ fought them in 2012. A graduate of Fayetteville State University with a degree in Business Administration, Russ has taken care of business in 2013 winning all three bouts by unanimous decision.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo or twitter.com/hboboxing.

NEW YORK (October 16, 2013) — Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s SMS Promotions officially announced its signing of world light middleweight contender James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (31-1, 27 KOs) to an exclusive promotional contract.

“James concentrates on conditioning and building strength,”50 Cent said. “He brings the fight to you and is aggressive in the ring. The crowd loves the action and I’m excited to make him a part of our team.”

“I had a relationship with 50-Cent before he came into the boxing business,” Kirkland explained. “We already had a friendship when he got this group together. He can do what no other promoters can do. He’s a different type of promoter who can make things happen in and out of the ring for me. It’s clear to me that I made the right decision.”

Due to problems outside of the ring, the 29-year-old southpaw from Austin, Texas has been inactive since stopping Carlos Molina in the 10th round of their March 24, 2012 fight in Houston. Kirkland successfully defended his World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas 154-pound title belt, originally captured November 5, 2011 when the knockout artist registered an impressive sixth-round technical knockout of Alfredo Angulo (20-1) in Mexico.

Molina is now the reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) World light middleweight champion, while the WBA No. 5-rated Angulo recently lost a World Boxing Association (WBA) Interim championship fight.

Kirkland returns to the ring December 7 as part of an HBO tripleheader, headlined by Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Joseph Agbeko, also featuring Mathew Macklin vs. Willie Nelson, from Adrian Phillips Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In the third HBO fight, Kirkland faces undefeated prospect and North American Boxing Organization (NABO) light middleweight champion, Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (23 KOs), from nearby Passaic (NJ). Rated No. 10 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), as well as No. 14 by the IBF, the 23-year-old Tapia is a rising star who had a 130-4 amateur record and gained invaluable experience as Manny Pacquiao’s former sparring partner.

“I had this great opportunity come along with Glen Tapia,” Kirkland spoke about his upcoming fight. “He just doesn’t have what comes with knowledge in boxing, but he will know that December 7th. There are different levels of fighting, as they say in the street, and he hasn’t fought anybody at my level in his 20 fights. I don’t talk too much before a fight but, he doesn’t have to worry about being 21-0, because I’m going to knock his ass out December 7th.

“The proof is in the pudding. All I have to do is put in extra work and that’s what I’ve been doing. I’m not overlooking him. This is his ‘Mayweather’ fight. He wants to win and be an exciting fighter on HBO…..that’s not going to happen! It all comes down to me boxing at my best; I can beat anybody at 154 pounds or 160, name anybody. Who does what I do? There are a couple of cats at 160 who can put on a great performance but, right now, I’m concentrating on Glen Tapia. Congratulations for him getting this fight but we are at different levels.”

In addition to his aforementioned victories over Molina and Angulo, Kirkland’s other notable wins have been against Brian Vera (TKO8), who just lost a controversial decision to Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., Joel Julio (TKO6) and Eromosele Albert (TKO1).

Although Kirkland will have been inactive 20 1/2 months when he fights Tapia, the explosive Texan doesn’t feel ring rust will be a problem at all for him. “A lot of people know that I haven’t been on a long layoff,” Kirkland concluded. “I’ve been working hard since the beginning of my lawsuit. Now that things are in motion, I’m jumping right into the mix. My sparring sessions are like fights for other guys.”

Fans may follow 50-Cent on Twitter @50cent and friend Kirkland at https://www.facebook.com/pages/James-Kirkland/736672159693254.

SMS Promotions’ growing stable of fighters also includes two-time world featherweight and reigning Interim WBA lightweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa, former International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight titlist Billy Dib, former world super middleweight title challenger Andre Dirrell, undefeated lightweight prospect Mark Davis, light welterweight Luis Olivares and junior welterweight Donte Strayhorn.

Just a day after agreeing to a September 15th world title bout with Saul Alvarez, James Kirkland has bowed According to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It was uncomfortable and he was concerned,” said Kirkland’s manager Cameron Dunkin said. he called me and said he wasn’t going to fight. The doctor said his shoulder was healing fine but James was afraid he was going to tear it again. He felt tightness and felt he shouldn’t fight. He said it feels bad, that he couldn’t use it properly. He said, ‘I can’t train right, so I won’t be ready by Sept. 15.’

“He is sick about it. He needs the money. He’s been doing rehab on the shoulder and the doctor said he was ahead of schedule, but the doctor also said you can’t tell how fast you’re going to heal. But he was ahead of schedule and his mobility was ahead of schedule. James told me how much he wanted the fight, the opportunity and the money.

“He’s been stretching it and doing his therapy, but when he began snapping punches, he said he felt a twinge and that it didn’t feel right and that he could tell it wasn’t right. That’s not going to change in a week or two. He said, ‘I can’t train 100 percent, and for a guy like this, I have to be 100 percent.’ He knew he was rushing it.”

“You have to trust the managers and doctors when they say he is OK to go,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said. “So now, he’s not going to be ready and the last thing we want is to start a promotion if the guy is not going to be 100 percent.”

Later on Thursday, however, Kirkland’s story began to change, according to Dunkin. Dunkin said he and co-manager Michael Miller were sent an email by Austin’s Curtis Meeks, a former professional fighter and friend of Kirkland’s who was 9-1-2 with three knockouts in his 2001 to 2008 career. Dunkin said Meeks recently began serving as an adviser to Kirkland and that in the email he told them that Kirkland “would sign the contract today for $2.5 million and that he is ready to go for the right money.”

“Our answer was that James is injured,” Dunkin said. “We won’t fight him if he’s injured, and said he’s obviously not going to be ready to fight Sept. 15. His answer was that James could fight later in the year, but that it would have to be for $2.5 million. This guy is obviously telling him he is getting screwed on the money, which is not the case.

“So James is out of the fight. I can’t get him $2.5 million. That’s ridiculous. I’d love to get him that much because I get a percentage, but it’s not reality. James is a great kid but he’s getting really bad advice. And if he can’t fight, he shouldn’t fight at any price. So it’s just crazy. It’s totally insane. We told James, ‘If you’re healthy, fight. If you’re not healthy, don’t fight.’ But don’t make it about the money because the money he was getting for the fight was very, very good money.”

“So Kirkland has a new adviser who told him not to take the fight unless he gets $2.5 million. That is what I was told. It is unbelievable,” Schaefer said. “I don’t get it. That’s not how we do business. We agreed to a deal with him and he was being paid very, very well.”

“Canelo is the big Mexican superstar and he will be fighting at the MGM Grand on pay-per-view and we will be looking at other names for him to fight,” Schaefer said. “The good news is there are other names out there. It’s a deep division.”

After the unfortunate accident to former two division champion Paul Williams, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will now take on James Kirkland on September 15th in Las Vegas for the WBC Super Welterweight champions that will be the headline bout of an HBO PPV card according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“That’s not the way you want to get the fight, but it wasn’t like James wasn’t in the running in the first place,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “You have to deal with injuries and setbacks even as severe and tragic as this one is for Paul.

“James Kirkland was always on the short list of potential opponents for Canelo Alvarez and it came down to two names, guys which are exciting and are known, and that was Paul Williams and James Kirkland,” Schaefer said. “When we were told James couldn’t fight until the end of September, that eliminated him as a potential opponent because it was important for Canelo and for us for the fight to be on Sept. 15, the Mexican Independence Day weekend, which is traditionally reserved for the biggest Mexican stars to fight on.”

“About a week ago, I was informed by (Kirkland co-manager) Michael Miller that James had made tremendous progress and that he could fight sooner than we originally thought,” Schaefer said. “But there was nothing I could do because we had already agreed to a Williams fight.

“When the tragedy happened with Paul Williams, I called Michael to see if James had been medically cleared and he was and he very much wanted the fight. It was a matter of working out the numbers, which we did in the last few days. I’m excited because it is one of those fights where you can leave the judges at home. I would bet anyone this will end in a knockout, one way or the other. This is not going to the scorecards, and that’s what fight fans like.”

Schaefer said the card will be called “Knockout Kings” — which he said he got clearance to use even though that it is the name of a popular boxing video game series — figuring that Alvarez-Kirkland and the potentially explosive co-feature — a featherweight title bout between Mexican countrymen Jhonny Gonzalez (52-7, 45 KOs) and former junior featherweight titleholder Daniel Ponce De Leon (43-4, 35 KOs) — would end in stoppages.

“Gonzalez-Ponce De Leon is another barnburner where you can leave the judges at home because you know it will end up in a knockout,” Schaefer said. “We will look to add other fights to the card that we think will end in knockouts.”

“Canelo was very saddened,” Schaefer said. “He couldn’t believe it and was in shock. God-permitting and health-permitting Canelo told me he would like to invite Paul to be ringside but we don’t know if it is going to be feasible. But Canelo was really shaken up. He was speechless. We had to explain what happened a couple of times. It was a nice gesture for him to offer to fly Paul and his family out for the fight. Canelo believes Paul will always be fighter and a champion and he told me he is going to dedicate the fight to Paul Williams.”

A year ends with memories of those who are gone, optimism for those who are emerging and hope for those who are back. There are lessons from unresolved controversies and controversy that never ends. Farewell Joe Frazier, Genaro Hernandez, Ron Lyle, Henry Cooper, George Benton, Nick Charles and George Kimball. It won’t be the same without you. Hello Andre Ward, Nonito Donaire, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Seth Mitchell, James Kirkland, Gary Russell Jr. and Jose Benavidez Jr. You’re the future.

Those new calendars in the mail are an empty canvas. Opinions and predictions are as irresistible as they are frivolous and about as forgettable as graffiti. Here are a few – the good, the bad and the tongue-in-cheek. But, first, a warning. For anybody who takes any of them seriously, remember that I picked Alfredo Angulo to beat Kirkland, who got up from a first-round knockdown and made the prediction game look foolish with a sixth-round stoppage.

Now, a look at what might – and might not — unfold:

Opinion: There’s a better chance of Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather in 2012 than there is of a fourth fight between Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao-Marquez IV would look a lot like II and III. What’s the point? It would end in just another noisy controversy about who won. Fair or not, Marquez’ legacy rests on the brilliant way he made Pacquiao look beatable. In subtle adjustments from round-to-round last November, he forced Pacquiao to hesitate and think. It was enough to prevent Pacquiao, an instinctive fighter, from establishing a rhythm. Allow Pacquiao to get on a roll, and there’s no stopping him.

Prediction: Marquez, who keeps his promises, retires

Opinion: Somebody needs to convince Mayweather that his 90-day jail sentence on reduced charges for his role in domestic abuse is a chance to think about a legacy he has put in jeopardy. If he stays out of trouble and vows to devote the next few years to his evident talent, he still can achieve the respect he always believes has been denied him. That respect isn’t an entitlement. It’s won by fighting through adversity. For the first time in his career, he is facing some that he can’t trash-talk or side step. It’s the biggest fight of his life.

Prediction: Mayweather beats Lamont Peterson three months after his release.

Opinion: Mayweather advisor Al Haymon is the elusive powerbroker, whose influence is there, yet hard to quantify. There is power, perhaps, in the mystery. Mayweather has called the publicity-shy Haymon “The Ghost.’’

Prediction: Ghosts will get quoted more often than Haymon.

Opinion: Pacquiao will have to restore some lost confidence after getting a majority decision over Marquez in fight he halting called “not so happy.’’ He also has to find a way to solve troublesome leg cramps, which he says affected him in victories over Shane Mosley and Marquez. The fractured confidence should be easy enough to repair for the Filipino Congressman and lieutenant colonel. But the cramping is another issue. It might be a sign, an early symptom, of a fighter one step past his prime.

Prediction: Pacquiao beats Tim Bradley, then Miguel Cotto in a rematch and gets promoted to major general.

Opinion: World Boxing Council chief Jose Sulaiman is issuing statements and clarifications faster than interim titles. This time, he’s trying to say he didn’t really mean to tell the Filipino media that “beating a lady … it is not a major sin or crime.” In a subsequent statement, he said that he “developed female boxing.’’ Memo to women who hold one of the WBC’s lime-green belts: Do what Riddick Bowe did in 1992 and dump it in the nearest garbage can.

Prediction: Sulaiman will say something stupid.

Opinion: We’re just beginning to see how good Ward can be. With news that he beat a Carl Froch with a left hand fractured in two places, we’re also beginning to see how tough he is. A reported audience of fewer than 500,000 watched his victory on Dec. 17 over Froch in Showtime’s final of the Super Six Tournament. That was disappointing.

Prediction: After the hand heals, he’ll win two in 2012, pushing his record to 27-0. This time, more than 500,000 will watch his patient, yet sure path to pound-for-pound contention.

Opinion: Questions loom as to whether Canelo-Chavez Jr., will ever happen because Chavez Jr. a junior-middleweight, is said to be at about 180 pounds at opening bell. If Chavez Jr. is too heavy for Canelo, he’s too heavy for Miguel Cotto. The weight issue might force Chavez Jr. into a fight with Sergio Martinez late in 2012.

Prediction: Martinez wins a late-round stoppage.

Opinion: People close to Antonio Margarito have urged him to retire. Even if his surgically-repaired eye can withstand further punches, the tissue around it cannot. After years of sustained punishment, it doesn’t take much for it to lacerate and swell. That was evident early in his loss on Dec. 3 to Cotto.

Prediction: A defiant Margarito continues to fight, bleed and lose in Mexico.

Opinion: Referees struggled throughout 2011 to get it right. Russell Mora missed 11 low blows in Abner Mares’ first victory over Joseph Agbeko. Joe Cortez was looking away, toward the timekeeper, when Mayweather dropped Victor Ortiz, whose hands were down and his eyes on Cortez. Joe Cooper took two points from Amir Khan for pushing off Peterson. If Cooper warned Khan, it was only evident after careful review of the tape long after Khan’s loss on the scorecards was announced. Cooper’s penalties were the difference.

Prediction: More instant replay. It works in the NFL. Nobody has a tougher job than boxing’s lone ref. Let technology be his ally.

Opinion: Top Rank and Golden Boy, Bob Arum and Oscar De La Hoya, will continue to exchange insults instead of letting their respective fighters exchange punches.

Prediction: A year from now, we’ll be talking about whether Pacquiao-Mayweather will happen in 2013.

Dan Rafael of espn.com reports that the entire January 28th HBO televised doubleheader that would have saw WBC Super Lightweight champion Erik Morales defend against undefeated Danny Garcia and James Kirkland – Carlos Molina Super Welterweight clash from Houston has been postponed to a later date.

“I talked to HBO and we are looking at different dates in February and March, so the card as a whole will just be postponed,” Said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. “It’s still going to be Morales-Garcia and Kirkland against Molina. The only thing changing is the date and maybe the venue depending on the availability. We’ll check in Houston first. We want to just make sure that Erik Morales is going to have enough time to be fully healed from his surgery. So my feeling is that March is more likely when we’ll reschedule the fight.

“We are looking at different venue availability and we hope to have something to announce on that soon. But we’ll still do this card. HBO wants to do it, just on a different date than Jan. 28. Everybody is on board.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that a solid doubleheader will take place on January 28th in Houston when WBC Super Lightweight champion Erik Morales will take on undefeated upstart Danny Garcia while the co-feature will pit Jr. Middleweights James Kirkland and Carlos Molina.

“Everything has been agreed to. These are two excellent fights,” said Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions. “I think Morales-Garcia is definitely a crossroads fight. Erik is excited about going back to Texas. For Danny, it is an amazing opportunity to fight a legend like Erik Morales. He is thrilled beyond belief. He is going to want to make the best out of it.”

“I think it’s going to be a good fight because of the styles of these two guys,” Schaefer said. “It can only be an exciting fight, a toe-to-toe battle. You know the way Erik fights and the way Danny fights.

“Erik was ringside at Danny’s fight against Holt and Erik has never turned down anybody. He feels he’s going to teach the youngster a lesson. He feels that this is a very winnable fight for him otherwise he wouldn’t take it.”

“You saw the performance against Maidana. Erik made it clear that he is back,” Schaefer said. “Let’s see what he can do against a young, strong fighter like Danny Garcia. It’s a dangerous fight for Erik and for Danny. Erik is one of the most experienced fighters and has shown that the time he took off was good for him. He is back, his body is back and he feels good.

“Erik Morales fights everybody and he said he feels Danny Garcia is very mechanical and he will expose him. He said, ‘I have the style and skills and experience to beat the young, mechanical guy.’ Let’s see. Danny is one of the young guns.”

“I really couldn’t believe it, it’s a like a dream come true,” Garcia told ESPN.com. “I am happy for the opportunity. Erik Morales was a great fighter, but now it’s time for a new generation. It’s time for a new champion. We haven’t signed a contract yet, but the fight is verbally agreed to and I feel like this is the perfect time for me.

“I just fought one of the hardest punchers (Holt) in the division. I feel Erik Morales is a great fighter, but I feel like he had his day. He is the champion because of politics. I will be champion because I will take that belt off of him. I grew up watching Morales. Me and my friends were big fans. He is a great fighter, so to be in the ring with him will be a pleasure. I guess he’s looking at me like his last fight, fighting a young guy to use his experience against. But I am not the same fighter as the last kid. Why he took the fight with me I don’t know, but he is in for a tough fight.”

“We like the fight. Carlos is busy, he’s slick and he’s durable,” promoter Leon Margules said. “He is also a legitimate 12-round fighter. He has good stamina. We know Kirkland is a great puncher, but if he gets through the first couple of rounds when Kirkland is dangerous, then I think he can outwork him.”

Said Schaefer, “James Kirkland has clearly established himself again in the 154-pound weight class with his thrilling performance against Alfredo Angulo. He showed everything. James Kirkland is back. With Carlos Molina, you have a very skilled fighter who has come up with the biggest wins of his career recently and he feels this is a winnable fight. Both fights on this card are explosive. That’s the right word.”

Morales is 52-7 with thirty-six knockouts. Garcia is 22-0 with fourteen knockouts and ranked number seven by 15rounds.com

Kirkland 30-1 with twenty-seven knockouts is ranked number nine by 15rounds.com Molina is 19-4-2 with knockouts is ranked number seven by 15rounds.com

In what will go down as one of the top fights of 2011, James Kirkland stopped Alfredo Angulo in round six of a scheduled twelve round Jr. Middleweight bout in Cancun, Mexico.

It started off good for Angulo as the two came out and and just threw bombs from the opening bell. Kirkland backed Angulo against the ropes but Angulo landed a short right hand that deposited Kirkland on the canvas. The only seemed to wake up Kirkland as he came back to bludgeon Angulo for the rest of the round and event scoring a knockdown with a hard accumulation of punches just before the end of the opening stanza.

It was pretty much all Kirkland for the rest of the fight but Angulo was able to land some hard shots that momentarily gave him hope but Kirkland just kept coming and coming by landing some thudding shots.

In round six, Kirkalnd backed Angulo up and landed hard shots that had the referee stop the fight.

Kirkland, 153 1/2 lbs of Austin, TX is now 29-1 with twenty-sevn knockouts. Angulo, 154 lbs of Mexico is now 20-2.

Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin threw his name into the Middleweight contender ship ring as he stopped Craig McEwan in round six of a scheduled ten round Bout.

Quillin boxed decently early until he gained control by landing some good shots in round four the reddened the eyes of McEwan. In round six, Quillin landed a big over hand right and left that hurt McEwan and the fight was suddenly stopped by the referee at 2:23 of round six.

Quillin, 159 3/4 lbs of Grand rapids, MI is now 26-0 with twenty knockouts. McEwan, 160 lbs of Edinburgh, Scotland is now 19-2

LOS ANGELES, September 29 – Known for its dazzling beaches and as a vacation destination for millions, Cancun, Mexico will be turned into a fight town on Saturday, November 5, when Golden Boy Promotions and Periodico QueQui (Pepe Gomez) will bring one of the most anticipated bouts in recent years to the Cancun Center, where junior middleweight sluggers Alfredo “Perro” Angulo and James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland will engage in what is already anticipated to be a 2011 Fight of the Year candidate live on HBO’s Boxing After Dark. Also on tap for this boxing extravaganza is a middleweight clash between two fighters battling for a spot in the top ten, undefeated rising star Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin and the always tough contender Craig McEwan.

“This is a fight that fans have been looking forward to for years and now we are finally going to see Angulo vs. Kirkland, and the word ‘explosive’ won’t do it justice,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “There’s no mystery as to what either fighter wants to do on November 5. James and Alfredo are both going to be looking for the knockout and I can’t wait to see it.”

“This is the kind of fight boxing needs and I respect James Kirkland for stepping up and taking it,” said Angulo. “We’re not going to dance or hug in there on November 5th; we’re going to fight, and I can’t wait.”

“Angulo has been on my radar for a long time and I’m happy that we’re finally going to get a chance to fight each other,” said Kirkland. “He’s a good fighter, I like his style and I know we’re going to make for a great fight.”

“I’m very excited and blessed to have this opportunity,” said Quillin. “I know Craig is a solid fighter with tons of fight in him because we used to train together in the same gym, but he has to prove that he has what it takes to give me my first loss. He has tons of heart, but so do I, and if he wants to make a good fight, then he can meet me right in the middle of the ring on November 5th.”

“I don’t think I can just beat Quillin, I know I’m going to knock him out,” McEwan said.

Angulo vs. Kirkland, a 12 round junior middleweight bout and Quillin vs. McEwan, a 10-round middleweight fight are presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Periodico QueQui (Pepe Gomez) and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate. The HBO Boxing After Dark broadcast will air at 10:15pm ET/PT.

While James Kirkland can knock you out with a single blow, Mexicali’s Alfredo “Perro” Angulo (20-1, 17 KO’s) is a punishing puncher who can make you beg for a one punch knockout. A professional since 2005, Angulo became a fan favorite for his aggressive style while he piled up win after win, with his only loss coming via decision to Kermit Cintron in 2009. The winner of five in a row since then, including victories over Harry Joe Yorgey, Joel Julio and Joachim Alcine, Angulo returned from a year long layoff in August with a first round knockout over Joseph Gomez. He will look to make a big statement against the concussive punching Kirkland.

One of the hardest punchers in boxing today, James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (29-1, 26 KO’s) has been responsible for some of the most devastating knockouts seen in recent years. A longtime junior middleweight contender who owns victories over Eromosele Albert, Ricardo Cortes, Brian Vera and Joel Julio, the 27-year-old southpaw from Austin, Texas returned to the ring in 2011 after two years away, and he has won four of five bouts, with all four victories coming by knockout in two rounds or less.

Undefeated as a professional, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (25-0, 19 KO’s) has become a much avoided contender in the middleweight division in the past year. That’s not a shock considering his series of crushing knockout wins over Dennis Sharpe, Jesse Brinkley, and Jason LeHoullier in 2011. Now ready to take the next step in his career, the popular 28-year-old will look to take his career to the next level with a win over McEwanin his HBO Boxing After Dark debut.

Also looking to make a big impression on fight fans this November is Scotland native Craig McEwan (19-1, 10 KO’s). Coming off of the first loss of his professional career, which was a thrilling 10 round battle with Andy Lee in March, the 29-year-old southpaw knows that the only way to erase the sour taste of defeat is by replacing it with a big win. In his fight against Peter Quillin, he has the opportunity to take out a top level opponent and get back in the victory circle in front of a worldwide television audience.

Sources have informed 15rounds.com that unbeaten contender James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland of Austin, TX will face Nobuhiro Ishida April 9 as part of a pay per view card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV. Kirkland, 27-0 (24 KO’s), will fight for the third time since leaving prison. Ishida, of Osaka, Japan, owns a respectable 22-6-2 ledger with 7 wins by way of knockout. This is his first bout since losing to Rigoberto Alvarez last October in Mexico.

Marc Abrams contributed to this report

Competing for the second time in two weeks after a two-year absence, former world ranked light middleweight James Kirkland stopped Jhon Berrio in the second round at the Orange County Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. Kirkland (27-0, 24 KOs) of Austin, Texas spoke to 15rounds.com about the fight and his future plans.

COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA — Both prospect Luis Ramos Jr. and recently returned contender James Kirkland notched victories as expected on Friday night at the Orange County Fair & Event Center, but neither appear ready for the names they have been linked to in recent weeks just yet.

On paper, Ramos (18-0, 8 KOs) of Santa Ana, California seemed to be meeting his toughest challenge to date in the rugged Jose Hernandez (10-5-1, 4 KOs) of Fort Worth, Texas. That belief proved to be true, as Ramos, 139.4, earned a hard-fought eight-round majority decision in the Telefutura Solo Boxeo main event.

Hernandez, 135.2, has upset some prospects in his career, and taken others to the limit. He did the latter Friday night, but ultimately Ramos’ superior boxing and well-timed counter-punching won out over Hernandez’ pressure and solid inside game.

Ramos boxed well in the first and seemed to score a knockdown in the second round with a short right counter. Hernandez’ fall was ruled a slip by referee Lou Moret, but a replay on the large screen in between rounds indicated that a knockdown was perhaps the right call. There was some contact between Hernandez’ left foot and the right foot of Ramos, but the punch seemed to be the cause of the fall. Hernandez was undeterred either way and landed two good right uppercuts moments later. Ramos, as was the case often in the bout, was a little quicker on the draw and caught Hernandez with a right as the Texan looked to fire one of his own.

Round four was a good one for the out-of-towner, but the most memorable blow was one from Ramos that dislodged the mouthpiece from Hernandez’ mouth. The fifth featured solid two-way action before Hernandez had another good round in the sixth. Against conventional wisdom, it was the taller Hernandez doing better on the inside. The shorter Ramos was more effective boxing from the outside and countering the aggressive Hernandez.

Ramos boxed smart for much of the seventh by keeping Hernandez at the end of his one-two and tying up or moving out of range when his opponent moved in close. Hernandez did manage to get inside in the last thirty seconds, landing a solid left hook and stiff right uppercut. Ramos answered back, landing two clean, short punches before the bell.

Again Ramos boxed well for much of the eighth, as his subtle defensive movements made it difficult for Hernandez to land anything clean. That changed again in the last thirty seconds, when Ramos, likely a bit winded, stayed on the inside. Hernandez landed two solid hooks in the last seconds that may have hurt Ramos, but it could have also been the Santa Ana resident’s fatigue showing through.

In the end, one judge had the fight even, 76-76, but was overruled by tallies of 79-73 and 77-75 for Ramos. “I’m happy with the performance,” Ramos said after the fight. “I got hit, but that is a part of boxing.”

Ramos’ manager Frank Espinoza had mentioned possibly matching Ramos against another prospect, such as Mercito Gesta, but it would appear to be wise if a fight like that was put on hold for a bit. Ramos is ready for a move up to ten rounds, and probably would already have had one or two set for that distance by now if it were not for the 90 minute timeslot of the Solo Boxeo program which has aired his last few fights.

James Kirkland (27-0, 24 KOs) of Austin, Texas shook off a little more rust as he disposed of journeyman Jhon Berrio (15-9, 11 KOs) of Monteria, Cordoba, Columbia inside of two rounds in the co-feature.

Berrio, 161.6, opted to trade with Kirkland, 163.4, early, not usually a great idea, but the journeyman did surprisingly find some success in the opening frame. Kirkland did show his strength as he pressed Berrio around the ring for much of the round. However, the Columbian landed a straight right that seemed to clearly hurt the “Mandingo Warrior.” Kirkland would later claim it was the headbutts that hurt him in the first, but when Berrio landed that right it forced his left leg to shiver.

Kirkland held briefly after Berrio’s solid right, but quickly regained his footing and controlled the rest of the round while fighting mostly on the inside. Berrio did employ some rough tactics, such as headbutts and forearms, which Kirkland complained of in the second round.

About a minute in to the second, Kirkland dropped Berrio, lastly landing a glancing jab. Berrio began to rise on all fours, but plopped back down to the mat, prompting referee Zack Young to wave off the contest. The crowd ringside was not convinced Berrio could not continue, which was something the California State Athletic Commission would debate themselves after the bout.

While the glancing jab was the last punch landed, if the knockout was legitimate, it was either a straight left to the body or an overhand left that landed high on Berrio’s head that really did the damage. Those blows were thrown and landed with Berrio in a corner, just before he moved to the ropes and took the jab.

While kneeling over to be inspected by the physician, Berrio pointed to his head, seemingly indicating the overhand left was the reason he did not get up. Later Berrio told a member of the Commission he was coughing up blood, which would indicate the body shot stopped him. There was talk of withholding Berrio’s check due to his non-effort in the bout. No word on how that shook out as of press time. Officially the stoppage came at 1:05 of round two, and now Kirkland can look ahead to bigger and better things.

Immediately ahead, Kirkland is slated to appear on the pay-per-view undercard of the April 9th clash between Erik Morales and Marcos Maidana at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kirkland’s manager Cameron Dunkin, who admittedly wanted a softer touch for tonight’s fight, said he and Golden Boy Promotions’ matchmaker Eric Gomez are still discussing potential opponents for that date.

Looking further down the road, at the end of last week’s HBO telecast of recognized middleweight king Sergio Martinez’ victory over Serhiy Dzinziruk, commentator Max Kellerman anointed Kirkland as the potentially intriguing contender to the middleweight throne. “That’s right down the street,” said Kirkland Friday of a potential Martinez clash. “That’s right in the area where I need to be at. Sergio Martinez is a great fighter, but he is not one of the best fighters and I want to expose him and put him out there, because that is a fight I do want.”

While Kirkland would like to get a fight with Martinez, the top 160-pounder, he does not plan to campaign at middleweight at this time. “As far as middleweight, this is just me coming back and taking it real nice and slow,” said Kirkland, who has fought just twice since March 2009. “I am dropping weight and I will be back at 154, junior middleweight.”

Considering Kirkland was incarcerated for 17 months and has fought under five minutes since regaining his freedom, it is fairly incredible that he is already being mentioned in the same breath as Sergio Martinez or even getting ready to fight on pay-per-view. These developments are not lost on Kirkland. “It is more than overwhelming to get back into this position,” said Kirkland. “To show my talent amongst people who really care, and amongst fans and around people who really supported me and helped get me back to this position.”

Light welterweight prospect Antonio Orozco (9-0, 6 KOs) of San Diego, California by way of Tecate, Baja California, Mexico made short work of Manuel Aguilar (6-2, 4 KOs) of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico thanks to a concentrated body attack.

Orozco, 140.8, landed two well placed lefts to the body set up a right upstairs and yet another left to the ribs that ended the night for Aguilar, 140.4, early. Referee Zack Young counted to ten with Aguilar hunched over on one knee for a stoppage at the 1:42 mark of the first round.

Unbeaten lightweight prospect Francisco Contreras (16-0, 13 KOs) of Irvington, New Jersey by way of La Romana, Dominican Republic failed to impress ringside observers as he cruised to a six-round unanimous verdict over journeyman Adolfo Landeros (20-18-1, 9 KOs) of Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

After a methodical round-and-a-half, Contreras, 133.8, sprang to life in the second and began to put his punches together. Contreras’ fighting style can be more sizzle than steak, as he throws quick, showy combinations and moves around the ring on his toes. However, the number of punches he threw with real conviction probably could have been counted on two hands through the first four rounds. The limited but game Landeros, 133, continuously came forward, but could not land anything of real significance.

By the fifth round, Contreras must have realized that Landeros could not hurt him, as the New Jersey transplant really began to toy with his Mexican counterpart. Contreras offered up everything from long range uppercuts to bolo punches, but never really pressed for the knockout that was there for the taking. When the final bell rang, all three scorers handed in identical 60-54 scorecards for Contreras.

Making his professional debut, Humberto Zatarain (1-0) of Whittier, California did what few fighters manage to do in their entire careers: get off the canvas and win a unanimous four-round decision. Jose Manuel Sanchez (3-2, 1 KO) of Santa Ana dropped Zatarain with a straight left in close midway through the first round, but was unable to follow up to any great effect, and it ended up costing him.

Zatarain, 127.6, came out in round two looking to change the course of the fight, which he did as he rocked and bloodied Sanchez, 127.2, with a flurry in the early moments of the round. Each fighter had their moments in an all-action third and fourth rounds to close out the solid scrap, but ultimately it was Zatarain that impressed the judges en route to a 38-37 victory on all three cards.

Steffan Lugo (1-0, 1 KO) of Newport Beach, California spoiled the professional boxing debut of veteran mixed martial artist J.J. Ambrose (0-1) of San Jose, California via third-round stoppage. The action was a bit frantic early, but it was Ambrose, 166.6, that landed the most telling blow of the first, a left hook which forced Lugo to hold on momentarily. Lugo, 165.2, recovered quickly and got in the last shot of the round just before the bell.

The local favorite Lugo began to take control in the second, as his right uppercut began to find a home regularly. Lugo kept up the pressure, landing a straight right midway through the third round. The end came when Lugo landed a hard right hook which sent Ambrose towards the mat. As Ambrose took his ascent, Lugo landed another left just to make sure he would not be allowed to continue. Referee Lou Moret called a halt to the contest at 1:49 mark of round three.

In the final bout of the evening, Bobby Chavez (1-2) of Santa Ana got into the win column with a third-round stoppage of Stephen Rubalcava (0-3) of Lindsay, California. Chavez, 152.2, pressed the action from the outset with constant punching. Rubalcava, 151, weathered the onrush early, but never landed anything of note in retort.

Chavez continued his into the third with mostly arm punches, though a right uppercut had Rubalcava holding on in the second round. In the third, a straight right forced a delayed reaction knockdown as Rubalcava took a knee. When the action resumed, Rubalcava was left taking shots against the ropes before his cornerman Repo Ric threw in the towel to signal referee to stop the fight. Official time was 1:14 of the third round.

Friday’s event was a special edition of the “Fight Club OC” series at the Orange Country Fair & Event Center promoted by Roy Englebrecht Promotions. Fights take place in the building known as The Hangar. The next fight card, which will feature both boxing and mixed martial arts, takes place on April 21st.

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.

Former Unified lightweight champion of the world Nate “The Galaxxy Warrior” Campbell has confirmed that he has singed a contract to face tough Philly fighter Danny Garcia 20-0(14KO) on April 9th on the great undercard of the Marcos Maidana vs Erik Morales card. This card is shaping up to be one of the best undercards of the year so far with Paul Malignaggi facing Jose Miguel Cotto, Robert Guerrero vs Michael Katsidis and top middleweight prospect James Kirkland making his post prison return.