Unified junior middleweight world champion Jarrett Hurd is recovering from Rotator Cuff surgery, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Preparing for the Lara fight I had a slightly torn rotator cuff in my left shoulder,” Hurd said. “I was receiving cortisone shots to numb the pain but that was only temporary. Now the issue is taken care of. Thank you to everyone that wished me luck on my procedure (Monday). Be back soon.”

“Obviously, the injury became intolerable and (the surgery) had to be done,” trainer Ernesto Rodriguez said. “He expects to have physical therapy. As of now, no actual date (for his return is known) since (surgery) was just performed (on Monday).”

By Jimmy Tobin-

Jarrett “Swift” Hurd defeated Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara by split decision at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Saturday night, consolidating a little hardware and his claim to the division’s crown. More importantly, Hurd and Lara managed this junior middleweight sorting in a manner befitting a rematch were not one of the brothers Charlo ready to determine the class of the division. Hurd’s reputation for belligerence already precedes him, but incredibly Lara too was responsible for salvaging a mostly dismal card in a mostly vacant arena on mostly Sunday morning.

Why did this card, one that seemed somewhat promising, need salvaging? In the opener, Julian Williams went the distance with pedestrian Nathaniel Gallimore, showing recovery enough in his three fights since being decapitated by the other brother Charlo to become a mandatory for another remarkable beating, this time at the fists of Hurd. In the equally forgettable co-main, James Degale avenged by ugly decision his loss to Caleb Truax, proving that he is barely better than the fighter who lost to Truax in December. As for the version of Degale that drew with Badou Jack? That fighter is no more. And after all this, a Lara fight that began at 12:30am on the east coast?

Yet while rightfully maligned for his brand of inaction, Lara fought Hurd with an aggression he typically spares even his most overmatched opponents. He drew many a proverbial line in the sand, and when Hurd shuffled inexorably through it, threw not to escape Hurd but to punish him. When the punches landed—as they tend to against the ironically monikered “Swift”—and Lara again moved beyond reach, instead of preserving that range he readied himself to impose once more this aggression-tax.

This was not a man sublimating his instincts, mind you, as Wladimir Klitschko did in his valiant defeat to Anthony Joshua. It would be wrong to recast Lara on the basis of his performance Saturday night—he was courageous, yes, but fell short of endearing. Because Lara owed his decision to stand and fight his most imposing opponent yet to age, to the absence of a viable alternative. And, of course, to Hurd, who gladly let Lara draw those lines in the sand, believing full well that at some point the fight Lara dared Hurd to bring would be the only one unfolding—and that that fight, made earnestly as all Hurd fights are, would be too much for a fighter with aging legs and a negative style. There is no choice when options are removed, and even had Lara chosen (rather than been forced) to fight more doggedly, the price of stalling Hurd was clear enough to make a spectator await expectantly the fight’s second half.

It was over the last six rounds that Lara, whatever the camera angle, slowly disappeared, his dimensions seemingly shrinking with his prospects for victory. He became lost under Hurd’s shoulders, pinned away from view behind Hurd’s back. Glimpses of Lara first skipping, and then slipping, and finally tripping away from his looming opponent, revealed a fighter more and more broken the more infrequent his escapes. No surprise then, that the midround moment when they were longest and most clearly separated, when Hurd floored Lara in the eleventh, was the one that delivered Hurd the victory. That knockdown, a protracted crumpling of the legs, not chin, one born of attrition more than power, provided Lara his longest respite.

Yet Hurd did not have his way with Lara, at least not entirely, something that should not be lost in how he carried the action. His way reflects his physicality, his ability to absorb punishment as much as administer it. Because it is near impossible to believe a fighter can be coached to take as many flush punches as Hurd, as though wager of his chin were a calculated risk instead of simply a flaw uncorrected or ignored. Lara hit him hard, cleanly, and for a few rounds with impunity, and Hurd shrugged off convincingly that abuse, though it was difficult to watch him take leather and not think about how every Margarito meets his Mosley. Interviewed after the fight, future Hurd opponent, Jermell Charlo, quite rightly observed that Hurd cannot fight Charlo as he did Lara, that the penalty for closing distance behind his chin that night could be one Hurd might have to wake up from to fully appreciate.

Not that Hurd is likely to heed any such warning. He is not one to deny his opponent’s success because their success has yet to eclipse his own, and perhaps because he interprets their success as proof that every fight, regardless of its beginnings, turns inevitably in his favor. Yet one gets the sense there is less arrogance at work here than honesty, that Hurd appreciates the cost of imposing his advantages and thus sees no reason to deny it. A fighter whose primary and most mischievous tools are left hooks to the body and rear uppercuts doubled, even tripled, and who accepts all consequences of this, is honest. And honesty, a trait especially endearing and uniquely instantiated by volume punchers, is reflected not only in Hurd’s work but in its result: an ass whoopin’.

Hurd’s attempt to grind down the boxer Charlo, to confirm the matchmaker’s formula, will be one to watch. And if it isn’t next, because that makes too much sense, the least they can do is slate it for the day the broadcast starts.

Follow all the action as Erislandy Lara and Jarrett Hurd fight in an IBF/WBA Junior Middleweight unification bout.  The co-feature will be a rematch for the IBF Super Middleweight belt between Caleb Truax and James DeGale.  The card kicks off at 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT with a Junior Middleweight contest between Julian Williams and Nathaniel Gallimore.

NOW BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY 

Round 1: Left from Lara…2 more lefts..Counter left

Round 2 Right from Lara..left..Left to body from Hurd..Combination..Left uppercut and another left..Left..Uppercut from Hurd..right

Round 3 Counter left and right from Lara..Right and left..Good left..Counter right from Hurd

Round 4 Hurd landing a nice combination..Lara looks at Hurd..Nice combination from Hurd..Good right..4 punch combination..Good right

Round 5 Hurd lands a right..Chopping right from Lara..2 rights from Hurd..Left to body and right to Hurd..Combination from Lara..right from Hurd..Right from Lara..

Round 6 Right from Hurd..Left from Lara,,Nice right from Hurd..

Round 7 Good right from Hurd..Short uppercut..Good right from Lara..Left..Uppercut from Hurd..Combination from Lara..Good Hook from Hurd at the bell

Round 8 Body shot from Hurd..Right..Nice combination..Good right from Lara..Good right from Hurd..Nice uppercut..good left to the body

Round 9 5 jabs from Hurd..good straight right..3 Jabs..Good straight left from Lara..Swelling around the right eye of Lara..Body shots from Hurd..Left from lara..2 lefts from Hurd..Nice uppercut..2 shots from Lara..

Round 10 Hurd opening up..Left from Lara..Counter left from Lara,,.Left..Right

Round 11 Nice left from Lara..Body work from Hurd..Big left from Lara

Round 12 5 punches from Hurd..Nice work from Lara on the inside..Uppercut from Hurd..Straight right from Hurd..left from Lara..Uppercuts from Hurd…right to head..Big right from Hurd..2 rights and and a uppercut..left and right from Hurd..combination..Left from Lara..Right from Hurd…SHORT LEFT AND DOWN GOES LARA..2 Uppercuts from Lara

114-113 for Lara; 114-113 Hurd; 114-113 for HURD

Round 1 Good double right from Truax…Hard left from DeGale..

Round 2 Combination from DeGale..Left from Truax..Uppercut from DeGale..Uppercut..Body work from Truax..Good right..Good body shot from DeGale..Right from Truax

Round 3 2 jabs from Truax..Good right drives DeGale into ropes..DeGale cut around the right eye of DeGale..Right from Truax

Round 4 Good right from Truax..Jumping left from DeGale..

Round 5 Double left hook from Truax..Good right..Jab from DeGale..Right from Truax..Body shot from DeGale..

Round 6  Body punches and good left from DeGale..right

Round 7 Right from Truax..Left from DeGale..Truax is cut along the left eye from a headbutt.

Round 8 Left from DeGale.  Right.  Right..Right uppercut..Short right..Left.. Truax cut over his right eye.

Round 9 Good body shot from DeGale

Round 10  Uppercut from Truax..another uppercut…Left hook..Right from DeGale..DEGALE DOCKED A POINT FOR HOLDING..Left and combination from DeGale…

Round 11 Good left from DeGale…Nice right..Combination..Good combination

Round 12 3 Punch combination from DeGale..2 Punch combination from Truax

117-110 AND 114-113 TWICE FOR DEGALE

Round 1 Quick right from Williams..Hard jab..Jab/Right..Right from Gallimore

Round 2: Left hook and right from Williams..Jab ad right hand..Counter right from Gallimore..

Round 3 Jab and right from Williams…Body work..Left to body..4 punch combo..left and uppercut from Gallimore..

Round 4 Combination from Williams..3 body shots..left and right from Gallimore..3 punch combination..Good body shot..Hard left..Right from Williams

Round 5 2 jabs from Williams..Williams cut over the left eye..Combination and right from Gallimore..Uppercut and right and a uppercut

Round 6 Counter left from Gallimore..3 punch combination..

Round 7 Right from Gallimore..Nice left hook from Williams..uppercut

Round 8  Left from Gallimore..Chopping right from Williams

Round 9 Good left from Williams..Combination and big uppercut..2 Body shots from Gallimore..Right..Good right from Williams

Round 10  Good body shot from Williams..uppercut..Body shot..right over the top..Good right from Gallimore

Round 11 7 straight punches from Williams..Right hand..Right and uppercut from Gallimore..Right from Williams and 2 uppercuts..Big left and right..Gallmiore is hurt..Right..left..2 uppercuts..chopping right..Chopping right..staright right..6 punch combination,..Gallimore on shaky legs..

Round 12  4 Punch combination from Williams…Body shot.Double jab and right hand…Uppercut from Gallimore

117-110, 116-112 and 114-114 ..MAJORITY DECISION FOR WILLIAMS

Jarrett Hurd needed a final round knockdown to pull out a 12-round split decision over Erislandy Lara to retain his IBF and capture the WBA Junior Middleweight titles at The Joint at The Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

Lara started out well as he was able to land solid left hands on the inside.  Hurd came back as he stalked the whole fight, and his pressure started to catch up to Lara.

Lara started to swell and the bleed around his left eye in round nine.  In round twelve, with Lara now bleeding badly around the right eye, Hurd landed a short left hook on the inside that sent Lara to the canvas.  Lara was not only able to get up but stood toe to toe with Hurd up until the final bell.

Hurd took two cards by the razor thin tallies of 114-113, while Lara won a card 114-113.

Hurd, 153 lbs of Accokeek, MD is now 22-0.  Lara, 153.5 lbs of Guantanamo, CUB is 25-3-2.

It was a tough one, but I went out there and did exactly what I said I was going to do – fight all 12 rounds and get the victory,” Hurd said. “I didn’t feel like that (I needed the knockdown). I feel like I was in control the whole fight, applying the pressure.

“I don’t think it had anything to do with age. I think it was me and the game plan we had to apply the pressure.”

“’Swift’ isn’t ducking anyone,” Hurd responded. “I’m No. 1 now. We’re calling the shots.”

“Besides the last round, I thought I was winning this fight easily,” Lara said. “That’s not to decide the fight. I was winning the fight. One punch in a fight doesn’t determine the fight.

“It was a great fight for the fans. I stood there, fought and it was fun. I thought I clearly won the fight. Once again a decision goes against me, but h?ey we just have to do the rematch.”

In a ugly and bloody battle, James DeGale regained the IBF Super Middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous  decision over Caleb Truax.

The bout featured a lot of holding and headbutts, but DeGale was able to land the flashier punches in spots during the fight.

In round three, DeGale was cut around the right eye from a punch.

In round seven, Truax was cut along the left eye from an accidental headbutt.  A round later, Truax was cut over his right eye.  In round ten, DeGale was deducted a point for using his shoulder.

DeGale took most of the second half of the fight, and won by scores of 117-110 and 114-113 twice.

DeGale, 167.2 lbs of Haresdon ENG is now 24-2-1.  Truax, 167.8 lbs of Osseo, MN is 29-4-2.

“Two-time world champion. It feels great,” DeGale said. “But full credit to Caleb – he shows he can mix it with the top fighters.

“I’m just happy that I’m a two time world champion and I got my IBF world title back. I’m back, Team Chunky, we’re back. Two-and-a-half years I had it and I lost it to Caleb. He embarrassed me, but we’re back.”

“I couldn’t see from my right eye, DeGale said. “I like Robert Byrd (referee), but today he was a bit wrong. I couldn’t see. But I’m just glad I got through it. I showed some heart. In my last fight, I was like a weak little kid.”

“I thought I did enough to win the fight, but I also thought I was pretty flat and didn’t get my shots off like I wanted,” Truax said. “I was just a little bit flat. I felt really good coming in but I just couldn’t get my shots off like the last fight. He never hurt me, but it is what it is.

“I gave him a rematch straight away so why not do it again.”

Julian Williams won a 12-round majority decision over Nathaniel Gallimore in a junior middleweight bout.

In round five, Williams was cut over his left eye from an accidental headbutt.

Williams had a big round eleven when he landed a big left hook that started an onslaugh of punches that had Gallimore wobbling for much of the round.

Williams, 154 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 117-110, 116-112 and 114-114, and is now 25-1-1.  Gallimore, 153 lbs of Chicago is 20-2-1.

Williams outlanded Gallimore 191-107.

“I wasn’t surprised a judge had a draw,” Williams said. “Sometimes when you’re fighting real close like that, it is hard for judges to score. I knew I won. Once I heard 116-112 and 117-111, I knew I won because I knew he didn’t win eight rounds.

“He is a strong fighter, but I knew he was going to do what he did. Start strong early, but I knew he wasn’t strong after six rounds.

“The hits to the body was all in the game plan. You have to go to the body in a 12 round fight.

“I didn’t really think I won the fight,” Gallimore admitted. “I just let too many early rounds go. I just gave him too many rounds. I had him hurt a couple of times, but he was tough. I should have done more combinations. I will look at the fight and review it, and will make adjustments.”

Emanuel Medina defeated Saul Corral via eight-round unanimous decision in a welterweight bout.

Medina, 146.2 lbs of Los Angeles, CA won by scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 to keep perfect at 14-0.  Corral, 146 lbs of Sonora, MX is 27-11.

Xavier Martinez remained undefeated by stopping Jairo Vargas in round two of their scheduled six-round junior lightweight bout.

Martinez dropped Vargas in round one. In round Martinez landed a left hook that sent Vargas down again, and the fight was stopped at 1:22.

Martinez, 131 lbs of Sacramento, CA is now 11-0 with 7 knockouts. Vargas, 131.8 lbs of Richmond, VA is 6-4.

Sharone Carter scored a eight-round unanimous decision previously undefeated Ahmed Mahmood in a featherweight bout.

Scores were 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75 for Carter, 125.4 lbs of St. Louis to raise his record to 9-2. Mahmood, 124.5 lbs of Detroit, MI is 7-1-1.

WBA and IBF 154-Pound World Championship Unification

Erislandy Lara – 153 ½

Jarrett Hurd – 153

Referee: Kenny Bayless; Judges: Burt Clements (Nev.), Glenn Feldman (Conn.), Dave Moretti (Nev.)

IBF Super Middleweight World Championship Rematch

Caleb Truax – 167 ¾

James DeGale – 167 ¼

Referee: Robert Byrd; Judges: Robert Hoyle (Nev.), John McKaie (N.Y.), Don Trella (Conn.)

IBF Junior Middleweight World Title Eliminator

Julian Williams – 154

Nathaniel Gallimore – 153

Referee: Tony Weeks; Eric Cheek (Nev.), Max Deluca (Calif.), Patricia Morse Jarman (Nev.)

NOTE: Full bout card with weights attached.

FLASH QUOTES:

ERISLANDY LARA: “He’s not in the top 10 fighters I’ve fought. I fight for my family and for my kids. And that belt is coming home with my kids.”

JARRETT HURD: “They are over here saying I’m not ready. I went from fighting a top contender to an Olympian to another world champion contender to a former world champion and now fighting a world champion. I’m more than ready. This is my time right now. I’m ready to get on that stage and show the world why I’ve been asking for this fight. We know he’s going to use the entire ring, but you can’t run from ‘Swift’ Jarrett Hurd for 12 rounds. We know we are going to be in his face and know he’ll have to engage at some point.”

CALEB TRUAX: “I thought I did the job pretty well last time and beat him pretty convincingly. From what I see I’m a 6-to-1 underdog, so there are a lot of people who are going to make some money on me. There are some things that I could have done better, and there are things that he could have done better. So I’ll be prepared for those things and adapt to whatever he throws at me.”

JAMES DeGALE: “I don’t know why [I’m favored]. The boxing people know that I’m above Truax. He did the job, so you’ve got to give the man the credit. But I believe I’m so much better than him and on Saturday night I have a chance to get back my title and show the world that I’m back. My career is in the balance right now. If I lose, where do I go? For the past two and a half years I was the world champion and I fought the best and I got the results. Then I lost to a guy that is not on my level. I’m so honest to myself and I’m very real, and if I can’t deal with Truax in a good way, then we’ll have to see.”

JULIAN WILLIAMS: “I don’t really care about it getting personal, but we could do one thing: we could bet his purse. Let’s bet the purse. I’m talking about the whole purse. Where’s your manager? I don’t want to fight now, I want to fight tomorrow.”

NATHANIEL GALLIMORE: “[Holding a box of Fruity Pebbles cereal]. He ain’t serious. He ain’t no rock. I’m gonna eat him come Saturday. Saturday night you’re going to have to tune-in to see it. It’s going to be a fight to remember, but it’s not going to go the distance.”

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

LAS VEGAS (April 5, 2018) – World champions Erislandy Lara and Jarrett Hurd went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference for their 154-pound world title unification this Saturday, April 7 live on SHOWTIME® from Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

WBA Champion Lara and IBF Champion Hurd will meet for just the sixth unification bout in division history in a fight that will help define the future of the 154-pound class. The winner of Lara-Hurd will join Hall of Famers Terry Norris, Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya and Winky Wright, as well as Canelo Alvarez, as the only fighters to unify 154-pound titles.

Thursday’s press conference also featured IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb Truax and former champion James DeGale, who meet in an immediate rematch of what was the near-universal upset of the year in 2017. In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, super welterweight contenders Julian Williams and Nathaniel Gallimore will face off in an IBF 154-pound world title eliminator.

Tickets for the show, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, are on sale now and available by visiting AXS.com or the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Box Office.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Thursday from Vanity Nightclub at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas:

ERISLANDY LARA

“Everyone knows I love to fight his style. I’ve fought better and taller fighters than him and you’ve seen me dominate them. It’s going to be nothing different on Saturday night.

“I want him to come forward. That’s what I’m prepared for. I’m going to give him a lesson on Saturday night.

“I have to give Hurd credit for taking the fight. It’s been hard to get fighters in the ring with me. There’s no need to talk because on Saturday we will find out everything we need to know.

“Everyone here talking from Hurd’s team can’t get in the ring with him. It’s different once you’re in the ring with me. You’ve never been in a big fight. We’ll find out what you have Saturday night. Right now, you’re all talk.

“I’m absolutely ready for this fight. This is going to be a great battle for the fans on SHOWTIME. I’m excited to get in the ring and finally unify the decision. I’m preparing to make history.

“I haven’t watched much video on Hurd, but as we saw from the Trout fight, he’s very hittable. Come Saturday night, he better have worked on some defense or it won’t last very long.

“I don’t want to hear anything about Jermell Charlo, because Jarrett Hurd is the one who stepped up. On Sunday, Charlo can sign the contract and we can get ready to rumble.”

JARRETT HURD

“Lara has been the longest reigning champion and he was on top when I first turned pro. We’ve studied him a lot. I didn’t get into this sport to be anything but number one. Lara is the top guy, but after Saturday night, it’s going to be me.

“It’s been a great training camp. We’re well prepared. This is the fight I’ve been asking for. After I beat Tony Harrison, Erislandy Lara had some words on Twitter for me. So I’ve wanted the fight since then. Somebody has to pay for that.

“This fight is coming at the right time for me because my confidence is very high right now. He’s a little older so I’ll be the younger and fresher fighter. I just feel like it’s my time. I’m going to be relentless. I’m not stopping until I get what I want.

“Lara is a veteran with a lot of experience. He knows how to win rounds and he can make you look bad no matter how good you are. I’m going to use my own awkward style and do what I do best.

“With my power and skill set, I can stop any fighter in the division. That definitely includes Erislandy Lara.

“Lara has great discipline in his game plan. No matter if he’s up on the cards or down or anything, he’s not going to switch it up. It’s hard to break a fighter when they’re disciplined like that. We have a plan for everything though and we’re confident that we’ll come up with something that will get us the victory.

“Lara is a guy who can’t take pressure fighters well. I have some of the best pressure in the game. I’m younger, stronger, taller and longer. He’s not going to be able to run for 12 rounds.

“Nobody wanted to fight this guy. I stepped up to the table because I know what I can do. He’s living the ‘American Dream’, but my dream has just begun. Saturday night I’m going to show you why nobody can survive 12 rounds with Jarrett Hurd. There’s a storm coming.”

CALEB TRUAX

“I’m honored to be here with these great fighters and back on SHOWTIME. Training camp was perfect for this fight. This is the longest camp I’ve had in my career and the most focused I’ve been.

“I just want to go out there and silence people who said it was a fluke the first time I won. I want to prove that I belong at the top of the division. I’m going to put on a good show for the fans and retain my title.

“We’ve had four months to prepare for James DeGale. Normally I have six to eight weeks, so it was nice to have a drawn out and specific training camp. We really focused on the conditioning and making sure I’m reaching my peak.

“I’ve been through a lot in this sport. I’ve fought top guys in big fights but it finally came together last December. It meant a lot to me and now I’m prepared to put on an even better performance. I know DeGale is going to be hungry so I have to be ready for him.

“I had a great camp this fight. I knew we were going to have a rematch so I was right back in the gym in a couple of weeks. My trainer put together a great plan to help me improve and prepare for what DeGale is going to improve on. I’ll be ready for him to be 100 percent.

“I just want to get to Saturday night and put on another great performance to retain my belt. I’m going to give it my all to bring that belt back home to Minnesota.”

JAMES DEGALE

“My last performance was horrendous. It was shocking and embarrassing. I’m not going to make excuses about my shoulder and what went wrong. On Saturday night, I will be a two-time world champion. I promise you that.

“I’ve boxed at the top level my whole life and put on some good performances. I know what was wrong with me and why I performed how I did in the first fight. I’m going to put it to rest when I become a world champion again.

“It’s been a long, difficult training camp. I had a gray cloud above my head the last couple of months, but I’m ready to go become a world champion again on Saturday.

“This time has turned me into a beast. I’ve had to take everything even more seriously than before. I might have gotten a bit complacent being a champion those last few years. I’ve locked myself down and I’m ready to go.

“I would say 90 percent of the loss was because of what I didn’t do. I looked past him. I came back too quick from the injury, but he still had to get in there and take my belt. There’s no disrespect to Caleb, but I’ve fought the very best of the division and come out on top. The real James DeGale will be back on Saturday.

“It’s going to be a dominant performance on Saturday. If I don’t beat Truax and beat him easily I can’t get to the level that I want. I know that’s what is coming. No excuses.”

JULIAN WILLIAMS

“We had a really good camp. I didn’t want to get into the trash talk this camp. He’s a solid fighter and I don’t underestimate anyone. But he seems like a bully. You can’t bully me. He’s obsessed with me on social media. I just have to focus on what he can do as a fighter.

“He’s a nobody who wants some attention. I’m going to give him lots of attention on Saturday night. I’m going to shut this guy up.

“He’s going to lose every single round and probably get stopped late. Every time he gets pushed he loses, gets a draw or gets knocked down. I’m drowning him in deep waters.

“I’m calm right now but also anxious to show everyone what I have. I know I’m a world class fighter, I just have to go do it. I’m making sure I stay patient right now.

“He lost to a journeyman, got a draw with a journeyman and got dropped by a journeyman. There’s nothing else to say. I’m taking him out on Saturday.”

NATHANIEL GALLIMORE

“Saturday night is judgment day and it starts with ‘J-Pebbles’. It’s going to be a night to remember for me.

“It’s going to be a spectacular fight. I’m going to demolish him in grand fashion. He’s never faced anyone like me before. When I touch him, it’s over.

“You better worry about what’s going to happen to you on Saturday night. It’s going to be nasty. This fight is going to show everyone who I am in this division.

“I had the best training camp of my entire career. We covered all the bases. Saturday night I’m going to wipe the smile off his face. You think Charlo hits hard? You’re going to see on Saturday night.

“This opportunity is huge. The division is mine for the taking. I study my opponents and I stalk them in the ring. Everyone will see what’s going to happen on Saturday.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“This is a great card from top to bottom. We have none other than the longest reigning 154-pound world champion, Erislandy Lara, taking on one of the toughest tests of his career in the very exciting, young and hungry world champion Jarrett Hurd.

“The co-main event is another important fight with a rematch featuring Caleb Truax, who will be looking to hold on to the belt he took from James DeGale last year, while DeGale will look to get back to where he was before they met last December.

“The show opens up with a high-octane 154-pound title eliminator with Julian Williams and Nathaniel Gallimore. This is the fight that could really steal the show. The winner of this fight will no doubt have their eye on the winner of Saturday’s main event.

“These are some of the best fights that can be made in each weight class. We can’t wait for everyone to see these fighters put it all on the line on Saturday night.”

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

LAS VEGAS (April 4, 2018) – World champions Erislandy Lara and Jarrett Hurd began fight week with a media workout in Las Vegas Wednesday before their 154-pound world title unification that headlines action this Saturday, April 7 live on SHOWTIME from Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Also in attendance Wednesday was super middleweight world champion Caleb Truax, who rematches former champion James DeGale in the co-featured attraction. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with a 154-pound title eliminator between Julian Williams and Nathaniel Gallimore, who were also at the Mayweather Boxing Club Wednesday for the media workout.

Tickets for the show, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, are on sale now and available by visiting AXS.com or the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Box Office.

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday:

ERISLANDY LARA

“Everything in training went how it was supposed to. We did our job and now it’s time to fight. I did everything in the gym that I needed to prepare for anything that Hurd can bring.

“All of my opponents are taller than me. His size means nothing to me. I have the experience and I’m the best boxer in the division. He’s never seen anything like me.

“He has to beat me to get the top spot in this division. I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“I’ve earned everything in this sport the hard way. I’ve fought the tough fights for no money. I think everyone knows how talented I am and that I belong up there with the best in the sport.

“I don’t watch film in training camp. A fighter can look one way on video, but totally different in the ring. He has to prepare for what I’m doing. I’m not worried about what he brings. I saw a little bit of his fight against Trout while I was warming up to fight Terrell Gausha, but that’s about it.”

JARRETT HURD

“There was something in me that always wanted this fight. Once I defended my title against Austin Trout, I was quick to get on top of this opportunity.

“This is going to be a difficult fight. Lara is the type of fighter who has a lot of experience. It won’t be easy so I have to be well prepared and on top of my game come Saturday night.

“We’ve been in the gym working a lot on our hand movement and footwork. I took too many punches against Trout and I knew what it was going to take to make those improvements.

“Every fight is the most important fight of my career because I’m protecting this undefeated record. This is going to be a tough fight but I promise I’m going to give it my all and bring it to Lara all night long.

“Being back in Vegas and back at Hard Rock where I beat Frank Galarza to really get this whole journey started means a lot to me. I’m planning to give everyone a great show just like I always do.

“No matter what kind of fight he brings; I’m going to stick to my game plan. He has to fight at my pace. No matter what he comes with, I’m going to be in charge in the ring.

“It’s always going to be fireworks when I’m in the ring. I have a fan-friendly style. At the end of the day, you don’t have to worry about Lara running away, because I’m going to be in his face for 12 rounds.”

CALEB TRUAX

“I think DeGale has been making excuses. He couldn’t stop talking about how great his shoulder felt heading into our first fight. Then right after the fight he said he felt fine. Now I guess he came back too early. He was in a tough fight not too long ago, so we’ll see how he is on Saturday night.

“I’m prepared for a better James DeGale. I took his belt and I know he’s going to come back hungry. I expect him to give it his all to get it back. He’ll be in top form.

“As far as I know, I’m still an underdog for this fight. A lot of people think I was a fluke the first time around, so it’s up to me to prove them wrong. I’m ready to silence the critics and silence DeGale.

“I felt like I was going to win the whole time, but a lot of people said it was one of the biggest upsets in British boxing history. It still hasn’t really sunk in. Nothing has really changed. I’m a busier man but I still keep it really low key.

“Boxing isn’t a huge sport in Minneapolis because it’s such a great sports scene. Hopefully my win on Saturday and Jamal James on April 13 on PBC on FS1 will get some more kids into the gyms.

“There were plenty of things that I had to improve on after the first fight. I’ve had four months to really dig down and prepare for this fight. I’ve known the rematch was coming and I’ve been able to get ready.”

JULIAN WILLIAMS

“I had a really good camp. I really was just focused on getting better and moving forward in my career. I got a lot of great rounds in with some quality fighters and it was a really productive camp.

“I love fighting in Las Vegas. The electricity is always there and the fans are always welcoming. I love putting on a show for these fans.

“I think Gallimore has performed decently against the competition he’s had. He got beat by a journeyman and had a draw with another journeyman. He seems to have gotten hot at the right time, but we’ll see if he brings it on Saturday night.

“He’s backing himself into a corner. He has to back up those words he’s saying. Overall I think he’s a solid fighter, a good test and it should be an entertaining fight.

“He said he’s going to knock me out, but that’s really the only way he could possibly win. One lucky punch. That’s all he’s banking on. I’m going to out class him and out dog him.

“I’ve always known I had guts, I’ve always known I’m a really good fighter with all the tools to become a world champion. I didn’t need to learn anything about myself after the loss, I just had to correct some things and move forward.”

NATHANIEL GALLIMORE

“I feel great right now, I’m ready for the world to see the improved ‘Nate The Great’. I treat every fight like a world championship fight. Julian Williams has nothing for me. He has to worry about what I bring to the table. On Saturday night, it’s going to be judgement day. The truth will come out.

“This fight means a lot to me. This is what I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little kid. This is my chance to become great. I’m going to show the world I’m a different beast in the 154-pound division.

“I’m bringing total domination for this fight. I don’t care what he’s training for. He could be training on Mars. He has to get up to my level. I’m tearing him apart.

“I’m taking this fight so seriously. Julian Williams is quiet now, but he was loud before he fought Jermall Charlo. He has to figure out who he is. I’m going to show the whole world.

“The game plan is to show off my whole arsenal. We’ve covered everything in the gym. I’m a different animal. Everyone in this division better look out for me. They’re going to have to crown me real soon.”

LAS VEGAS – (March 30, 2018) – The always exciting Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo squares off against former world champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora in an eight-round super middleweight battle while unbeaten Emanuel Medina (13-0, 9 KOs) battles Saul Corral (27-10, 18 KOs) in an eight-round welterweight clash as part of undercard action Saturday, April 7 at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas.

The Premier Boxing Champions event is headlined by Erislandy Lara, the longest reigning world champion at 154-pounds, clashing with undefeated champion Jarrett Hurd in a highly anticipated 154-pound world title unification bout. The co-main event will see Caleb Truax will defend his 168-pound title against James DeGale in a rematch. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features Julian Williams and Nathaniel Gallimore meeting in a 154-pound world title eliminator.

Tickets for the show, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, are on sale now and available by visiting AXS.com or the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Box Office.

The action continues as Ava Knight (14-2-4, 5 KOs) meets Mayela Perez (19-21, 10 KOs) in six-round flyweight bout and Ahmed Mahmood (7-0-1, 3 KOs) takes on Sharone Carter (8-2, 2 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight match.

Angulo (24-6, 20 KOs), a rugged veteran with a resume that includes battles with world champions like Erislandy Lara and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, is looking to rebound from a knockout loss to Freddy Hernandez in his last fight. Angulo was born in Mexicali, Mexico but lives and trains in California.

Mora (28-5-2, 9 KOs) is a former 154-pound champion who has clashed with some of the biggest names in boxing during his career, including Shane Mosley, Vernon Forrest and Daniel Jacobs. In his last fight the 37-year-old Mora of Los Angeles lost by TKO to Jacobs in a middleweight championship rematch.

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Sergio Mora will battle Alfredo Angulo on April 7th as part ofthe Erislandy Lara – Jarrett Hurd undercard in Las Vegas, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It was a fight I was trying to avoid for quite a while. Perro is a friend,” Mora told ESPN on Tuesday. “Ultimately, the more time that passed the more it made sense for both of us. He’s been inactive just as long as I have and I was not being offered anything worth accepting, so I guess we both agreed.”

Leonard Ellerbe
Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining our call today. We’re very excited. What a great card we have come April the 7th from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. In the main event, we have Erislandy Lara versus Jarrett Hurd in an outstanding unification fight which will determine supremacy at the 154-weight class.

In the co-main event, we have a great rematch of a fight that saw Caleb Truax wrestle the IBF Super Middleweight Championship away from James DeGale. That’s going to be a terrific fight also.

In the opening bout, we have Julian Williams taking on Nathaniel Gallimore in what will be a very, very entertaining fight as an IBF Junior Middleweight Elimination Bout.

Our card is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions. Tickets are still on sale at AXS.com and it starts as cheap as $50. Again, this will be a terrific card led by none other than – I’m going to introduce the man who’s totally responsible for putting all this together, none other than Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza
Thanks, Leonard. Well, the hits keep coming here at SHOWTIME, coming off of a huge March schedule highlighted by the two big time heavyweight title fights. April on SHOWTIME will feature two stellar cards from Mayweather Promotions.

The first on April 7 is a high-quality tripleheader, three competitively matched fights with world title implications and our main event, Lara versus Hurd, a unification fight, featuring two of the top three consensus in the world at 154 pounds. Sort of the natural evolution of what has been an unofficial super welterweight tournament over the last year, year and a half on SHOWTIME.

In 2017, SHOWTIME televised eight matchups featuring all of the top five ranked super welterweight champions and challengers in that unofficial tournament. Now we get the natural results of that, a unification fight which happens to be only the sixth unification fight in the history of the 154-pound division.

Erislandy Lara, he’s the WBA champ, the longest reigning champion at 154 pounds. He won the WBA title on SHOWTIME in 2014 and he’s now making his sixth defense. With a record of 25-2-2, he could easily make the case that he could be undefeated certainly. The loss to Paul Williams was very controversial and a very close split decision loss to Canelo. So we very well could have an undefeated fighter.

Jarrett Hurd is the IBF champion. He made the first defense of his title on SHOWTIME in October. He has scored seven consecutive KOs as his level of bout position has dramatically increased and, in fact, he really has burst on the scene lately. His first televised fight was on SHOBOX in 2015, a KO of Frank Galarza, and he’s been on a roll ever since.

This fight, this main event, Lara versus Hurd, is one of five matchups of top five contenders, top five ranked fighters, on the SHOWTIME schedule just in the first half of this year. So we look forward to a great fight, a great card on April 7th.

L. Ellerbe
Thank you, Stephen. I would like to introduce the IBF world champion. What an outstanding young fighter. He’s from my hometown. He lives and trains out of Accokeek, Maryland. Always in exciting fights and we expect nothing different come April the 7th. He’s undefeated with a record of 21-0, with 15 KOs. He’s coming off of career-defining TKO victory over Austin Trout. Ladies and gentlemen, the IBF Junior Middleweight Champion, “Swift” Jarrett Hurd.

Jarrett Hurd
Training is going well. We’re getting prepared. This is a fight that I wanted just as bad as any and I’m glad we can make it happen. I just can’t wait to put on a show.

L. Ellerbe
Great. Okay. Next up, we have Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara with a record of 25 and 2 with 14 KOs. And again, as Stephen mentioned earlier, Lara is the longest reigning champion at 154. A tremendous boxer, real slick, real smooth. He’s been in there with all the top guys in the weight class and again, he’ll be looking to put on another great performance come April the 7th. So, ladies and gentlemen, Erislandy Lara.

Erislandy Lara
First I want to thank everyone on the call. Most importantly, I’d like to thank SHOWTIME for putting on a great fight, thank Mayweather Promotions, TGB Promotions and my whole team. Come April 7, I’ll be ready to fight and ready to put on a show.

Q
For Stephen, I’m just wondering if you could give your thought process as to what made you decide to make a matchup between Erislandy Lara and Hurd as opposed to either of those guys against Charlo.

S. Espinoza
I think it was really the style matchup. When we sat down and looked at them, they’re three exciting fighters, three great champions, but the matchup that was really intriguing because of the styles was Lara versus Hurd.

Erislandy has never shied away from any challenge. Jarrett was very vocal about wanting to unify. And the combination of their styles, where they are in their careers, it seemed like an intriguing matchup.

Q
Do you believe that the winner of the fight would then look to fight Charlo?

S. Espinoza
Absolutely. And Jermell is game. He’s on board. He’s on board for it. He was recently on SHOWTIME and he indicated he wants the winner. He wants the winner next.

Q
Jarrett, what was it about this matchup that made you want it more?

J. Hurd
Well, I knew both fights will eventually happen. But I feel like the fight with Erislandy Lara will give me more credibility and will put me in position at number one. I wanted to be top guy in my division and now I feel like I am the top guy in my division.

This fight, I want it over the fight with Jermell Charlo, even though the fight with Jermell Charlo is more anticipated and people want – maybe because of our styles, but I wanted this fight because I feel like it will put me to better position in the 154 division.

Q
Do you feel like at 27 years old you’re now in your prime and that basically whether it’s Erislandy Lara, or anybody else in the weight class that Jarrett Hurd’s punching power can take care of them?

J. Hurd
I feel like my power – I have the power that’s deceptive and it doesn’t look as hard on TV or while you’re in there until you feel it. It’s a total different story.

I feel like my power can stop anyone, put anyone down. But on April 7th, the knockout streak, I’ll stop another guy and I plan on continuing to keep doing.

Q
Are you ready for a much different kind of style in an experienced fighter like Lara? How do you deal with that kind of skill?

J. Hurd
Lara, he’s been the longest reigning champion at 154. I’ve been fighting at 154 all my life, so we’ve been watching him since I turned professional and the style Lara presents we’ve been training for this long before this training camp. He’s a great champion but Lara has always been on top and we always study and the game plan we got is perfect and this is why we wanted the fight. It’s no secret how badly I wanted this fight.

Of course, I’m not going to stay in there and try to box with Lara because Lara is an expert on what he does. Lara is not going to stand there toe-to-toe with me because of my size, inside game and my power. So it’s going to be a cat and mouse game and I just can’t wait to show you guys that outcome.

Q
I wonder if Lara could give me his perspective on where he thinks Jarrett Hurd falls in the weight class and whether or not he feels like he is going to have to outbox him or maybe he can mix it up with him a bit.

E. Lara
I’m ready to go for April 7th. Jarrett Hurd, as everyone knows, he’s a big, strong fighter, but pretty basic. He can try to fight, kind of like a Mexican strong style and those are styles that I’d like to fight.

So come April 7th, we hope he’s prepared. I’m prepared and want to put on a great fight for the fans and for the writers and for everyone else.

Q
Was this a fight that Erislandy wanted or would he have preferred a Charlo unification?

E. Lara
As everyone knows, I was the one who wanted this fight. He won his title in February, I wanted to fight him in October and his team said he wasn’t ready to fight me in October. They wanted him to be prepared to fight another southpaw and prepare for me.

So, as the pressure mounted, Jarrett Hurd decided just to fight. So I’m happy he stepped up to the plate but as everyone knows, I want his belt and I want the other belts in this division as well.

Q
Jarrett, how do you feel Erislandy compares to Trout in the sense of how much better he might be and how much of a step-up in competition it is for you?

J. Hurd
I feel like Lara has a little bit better foot movement than Trout. And one thing about Trout, he took chances in my fight. He stayed there with me. I don’t think Lara is going to take that many chances. He’s a very disciplined fighter.

So whatever works for him, he’s going to stick to exactly what he’s working for. He’s never going to change it no matter how hot on the scorecard he is or not, he’s going to stick to his game plan and I think he’s much more disciplined and a little sharper than Trout.

Q
How much do you feel that it helped you to fight Trout to get ready for this fight?

J. Hurd
It definitely helped me, not only to fight Trout, but just going to two training camps with southpaws. I only fought three southpaws in my career before Trout. So now I have a lot of experience with them. So going into this fight I wanted to kind of go into two or three camps before I face Lara and I think it helped me.

Q
Erislandy said that you fight like a Mexican. How much of a compliment do you take that as?

J. Hurd
Mexicans are fighters, man. I take it as a compliment. When you describe a Mexican fighter, you stay toe-to-toe and that’s what the fans like to see. Of course, that’s not my only style. Everyone sees I can switch it up with my fight with Frank Galarza back in Las Vegas and it all depends on what I have to bring out that night. I can do it all.

Q
Erislandy, what do you think of how Hurd fought in the Trout fight?

E. Lara
I watched the Trout fight in the locker room and as I was preparing for my fight, so I couldn’t watch that carefully but from what I saw in the fight, I thought Trout was winning the fight and as the fight wore on, obviously, Trout’s legs weren’t there and he hadn’t fought in 17 months and he’s also a fighter who’s on the back-end of his career, and had lost already several times.

But I thought Trout was actually doing a good job in the fight and, like I said, Hurd is a guy who likes to take it up a notch after six, seven rounds and I like to take it up a notch or two after six, seven rounds. So, this is going to be a great fight. And come April 7, I’m just ready to rumble.

Q
Based on what you just said, do you feel that maybe too much has been made of the Trout win?

E. Lara
People are going to have their take on the Trout fight but, there is no fighter at 154 or 160 or anywhere around this weight division that has my style and my boxing ability and my smarts, and that’s the reason I’ve made it this far.

Trout was out 17 months. He is an older guy. He’s been defeated several times and he is a former world champ but he’s also had a loser mentality.

It’s a lot different when you’re fighting a winner and you’re fighting the guy who also dominated Trout and put him on the deck and let him off the hook in the 12th. It’s an exciting fight and we’re excited to put on a great fight.

Q
How important is it for you, if you’re able to beat Jarrett Hurd, that you go and fight Jermell Charlo and you in effect clean out the 154-pound division?

E. Lara
I said it before and I’m going to say it again. I’m going to clean out the division and that has been my plan from the beginning and I’m going to stick to my plan. I don’t care who the champions are. I don’t care what their names are or where they’re from. I’m going to clean up the division and it starts April 7.

Q
Do you view Hurd as a tougher fight than Charlo or vice versa?

E. Lara
I don’t look at them any different. They’re both to me kind of the same fighter. They both come up to the ring with a purpose and they’re trying to win. But at the end of the day, I’m the best fighter in this division. It’s been proven over years. So whether it was Hurd first, Charlo first, it didn’t matter. I’m just ready to rumble.

L. Ellerbe
I would also like to touch on that. With all due respect to Trout, Jarrett Hurd ain’t Austin Trout. I mean, this kid is the real deal. I try to look back in the history of this particular division and I can’t think of a fighter who was as big and physical and applies the kind of pressure — especially mental pressure — that he puts on guys in a very, very long time. This is going to be a tremendous fight, an excellent matchup, contrasting styles and I’m really, really excited to see this bout.

Q
You said before in the past that you start off slow in your fights on purpose even to the point of taking a blow or two from your opponent. What’s your thinking behind strategy like that?

J. Hurd
I’m just feeling my opponent out. You don’t want to go out there and not know what he’s capable of. So you just don’t want to go out there and take that many chances without seeing what the guy’s got. So, I just use the first round to see what he has and take it from there, make the adjustments.

Q
Do you think people recognize your size and your power? Do they underestimate your ability to fight inside?

J. Hurd
A hundred percent. I don’t think now, but I think they did before. Me being a taller, longer, rangier guy they expect me to be on the outside and I know I surprised a lot of people when I start to fight inside, that close. I watched a lot of James Toney. So that’s where I kind of get it from.

Q
Stephen, you said this fight was chosen and put together based on the styles of these fighters. Is it that you recognized the last four opponents that Hurd’s faced were two orthodox fighters and also two southpaw fighters that he put on a great performance against?

S. Espinoza
Well, it was more looking for an entertaining fight. It’s sort of the classic matador-and-bull type of fight. You’ve got a really aggressive hard-punching, young, strong champion and you’ve got, another champion who’s known as one of the most skilled fighters in any division. So it’s sort of the unstoppable force immovable object coming together; which style is going to win out?

So it really wasn’t as much looking at past opponents as it was, what might be the most exciting fight. And not to say that Jermell isn’t an exciting fighter, too, because, that is definitely something that’s very, very possible in the near future.

So it was just, which one could come first, which one would come next, and I think the clash of styles is what attracted us to this matchup first.

L. Ellerbe
Sometimes when people referred to Lara, they just mostly speak about his boxing skill. But Lara can also crack, too. So those out there who sleep on Lara’s power are sadly mistaken. I’ve sat ringside, first row a couple of his fights and especially the Canelo fight and I’ve seen firsthand what his power looks like. And if anybody’s sleeping on his power, they are sadly mistaken.

Q
Jarrett do you think those recent fights are the fights that prepared you going into this fight against Lara?

J. Hurd
Yes, I feel more though that my career period has prepared me for this fight. I didn’t come up the easy route. So I didn’t have a big amateur career. A lot of people didn’t want to give me a chance. I had to go out there and take them. My performances I put on when I got the opportunity each and every time on TV, I went out there and did what I was supposed to.

So, I feel like just my career, period, and all I’ve been through prepared me for this fight, not just those fights on TV, but those little fights.

Q
You say that you want to go ahead and walk opponents down and try to get rid of them, put the more pressure on. Is that the case?

Jarrett Hurd:
It depends. Like during the Austin Trout fight. He did lack a little power, so I was willing to take some to get some in. I was willing to take some chances but, it all depends on, like you said, if they all lack a little power. Are you willing to take those chances?

Like my fight with Oscar Molina, he can crack a little more than Tony Harrison, so I was kind of a little more head movement and little less willing to go into there without being cautious.

It all depends. But like I said man it’s crazy because people define me by my last two fights as that’s my style. I was the guy that always was the kind of puncher and fought from his back foot until guys started to compare me and look at my size. I didn’t even realize I was that big of a fighter until I got on the stage with some of these guys. So my last two fights are the only fights that I have fought that way in my career, coming forward and then pressure, because I knew eventually I would have to come into a fight with a guy like Lara. We’ve been working on it, but I could switch it up. I can do whatever. It all depends on my opponent that night and y’all just going to have to wait and see.

Q
Erislandy, are there any concerns about him getting stronger as the fight goes on and also how he’s able to take punches from people and actually take their power?

E. Lara
I keep seeing people refer to his height or how big he is, but Williams was taller and bigger than him. Canelo was and is stronger than him, and they couldn’t deal with me.

So I’m not worried about what he has to bring today. I’m worried about what I have to do in that ring. I’m focused. I’m ready, and there’s no question in my mind I know I can knock him out. If he gets reckless, he’s going to get knocked down. And if not, then he’s going to get beat up.

He’s going to have to make that decision on April 7 whether he’s willing to go through the fire or if he’s just willing just to lose a decision. It’s up to him. He’s going to have to decide that on April 7.

Q
Do you think that those past fights have given you any kind of preparation or anything for this fight coming? Or do you feel that you’re totally different from when you fought Paul Williams and when you fought Canelo, physically?

E. Lara
I don’t look for one specific fight. I don’t look at last fight or the last four fights because my whole life, I’ve been preparing for this, since Cuba.

I didn’t have shoes until I was 5 years old. I was preparing for this. I was born to be a fighter. It was during my whole amateur career, 350 plus amateur fights, several world championships across the amateurs. Now my whole pro-career, I fought the top guys, I’ve beat the top guys, and that’s what’s prepared me for this fight and prepared me to fight whoever is available in the division.

So I’m ready to go and I’m ready to fight.

Q
Leonard, with Mayweather Promotions, are you guys planning to put more and more fights together, not just with your own fighters but working with SHOWTIME to put on just top-quality fights, period?

L. Ellerbe
We’re very excited to promote all these big events, working along with SHOWTIME and expect to see more of it in the next couple of months.

We’ve outlined our next few big events that we have and expect more of that in the fall of this year. All we’re looking to do is put on the biggest and best events and make them for the fans.

Q
What is Erislandy’s take on sometimes people not appreciating the sweet science and his boxing ability?

E. Lara
This is a sport. Boxing is hit and don’t get hit. That’s the way it was taught from the beginning of time. It’s a sweet science and all fights are different. Styles are different. Styles obviously make fights.

Some guys are willing to take more risk than others and that sometimes dictates the action in a fight. My main focus is to win every fight and win clearly. That’s my job.

Q
Erislandy are you the only fighter in the division that could put Jermell Charlo in his place?

E. Lara
One hundred percent yes. And from my experiences of hundreds of rounds of sparring, Jermell Charlo won’t fight Erislandy Lara next when we get done with Hurd. Only time will tell.

Q
Jarrett, do you see any weakness in Erislandy Lara?

J. Hurd
Well you all will have to see that on fight night. Not to give away too much of the game plan, but, like I said, Lara’s toughest fights are when guys put pressure on him. And that’s what we’re going to do.

Q
Leonard, you talked about Jarrett’s versatility and how you’ve done some research on this weight class and his size. But in your time, have you seen a guy with his relative inexperience to someone like Lara expressing the confidence that he has done and also just rising so quickly against quality opposition like this?

L. Ellerbe
No, I think it’s a tremendous asset. Confidence is everything in this sport. He has a strong belief in his skill set and his ability to go out there and get it done.

Obviously, this is the biggest and toughest challenge to date with Lara being a great champion who has fought on the big stage and has fought a number of great fighters. But again, those contrasting styles and Jarrett having the ability and the confidence to bring that to the table I think is going to make a big, big difference.

Because it’s one thing with sitting on the outside and watching guys fight on TV, but it’s a whole different ballgame when you got a light heavyweight walking you down and putting that kind of mental pressure on you. But Lara’s built for this kind of thing because he’s seen any and every kind of style out there.

So these are the reasons why I think it’s a great, great matchup because again, I think that Jarrett is going to bring out the best in Lara and I think vice-versa, Lara is going to bring the best out in Jarrett. Period.

When it comes to Lara, we’ve seen him on the big stage before. He’s a tremendous boxer. He’s actually, in my eyes, the best boxer that’s out there. Tremendous foot movement, head movement, coming from that great Cuban school of boxing, he’s a real deal.

But again, you got this young, tough, hungry lion that had the mindset that he doesn’t care what Lara has done in the past because Lara has never fought nobody like Jarrett Hurd, and vice-versa.

That’s what makes this an intriguing matchup. Come April 7, I expect this fight probably might end in a knockout.

Q
What is your assessment of Jarrett Hurd compared to the guys you faced in your career?

E. Lara
I don’t compare fighters. I look at him as a young, hungry kid who’s got desire. He wants to be great. He’s going to come forward and he’s going to come ready to fight. If he doesn’t come forward, then I’ll be ready to fight, too, however it plays out. But I’m ready for everything he brings to the table.

Q
When was the last time, Erislandy, that someone outright predicted that they were going to knock you out as he has done?

E. Lara
Every fighter wants to knock you out when you get in that ring. Paul Williams wanted to knock me out. Canelo, Vanes, plus he keeps mentioning how it’s going to be Angulo and this and that.

Well, Angulo connected on me twice, but don’t forget how that fight finished. I ended Angulo’s career. I ruined his career and I put him out of the top level of boxing.

If Jarrett Hurd thinks he’s going to come like that, I’m going to end his career too, at 27 years old. So come April 7, I’m hoping he puts that pressure so I could ruin his career for all the talking that he’s been doing.

Q
Jarrett? What did you think of what he just said?

J. Hurd
I mean, here’s the thing, we all know that Lara has the experience. He’s seen every style from right-handed to the southpaw. Anything you give him, he’s seen it all. But he has not experienced what I’m about to give him.

It’s not about the styles that you’ve seen; it’s about what you’re about to experience. So this is a whole different ballgame. You get in there to fight with Jarrett Hurd and you’ll see how that all ends.

I speak from the heart and I say what I feel. I’m not just out here talking just to talk. I’m putting in the work. Where my chance is going and where I see this fight playing out, there’s no way that Lara is going to come out of top.

Q
What makes you different from Angulo? And also, does it give you a little bit of an edge that he is a little bit older now than he was then?

J. Hurd
No, we never play that old card. You’ve seen Lara’s performances. He’s still in great shape. Age is not factor. I hate guys saying the same thing with Austin Trout. They say age is starting to show.

We’re not going to play the age card. We see that Lara is still a great fighter. He’s the longest reigning champion for a reason and age shouldn’t play a part.

As far as the past Angulo thing, nothing to take away from Angulo. He’s a great fighter, he’s done great things, but I’m much faster than Angulo, much sharp than Angulo, hit harder than Angulo and I’m a much bigger guy.

So physically, when I’m in there, on him in the ring, he’s going to feel it. He couldn’t take the pressure and the style from Angulo. He’s going to be in long night when he fights me.

L. Ellerbe
Okay. Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve heard from both fighters. Again, we have a tremendous lineup, great tripleheader live on SHOWTIME, April the 7th, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Lara versus Hurd, Truax versus DeGale, Julian Williams versus Nathaniel Gallimore. What a tremendous tripleheader, live on SHOWTIME.

We want to thank everyone for joining us on the call. Have a wonderful day.

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING main event will see Erislandy Lara, the longest reigning world champion at 154-pounds, clash with undefeated champion Jarrett Hurd in a highly anticipated 154-pound world title unification bout. The three-fight telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features Caleb Truax making the first defense of his 168-pound title against James DeGale in a rematch of their exciting first bout in December.

Williams and Gallimore will look to put themselves into the mandatory position for the IBF Junior Middleweight World Title currently held by Hurd.

Tickets for the show, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, are on sale now and available by visiting AXS.com or the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Box Office.

The epitome of a Philadelphia fighter, Williams (24-1-1, 15 KOs) has won his last two fights after suffering the first loss of his career to Jermall Charlo in his first world title fight in 2016 on SHOWTIME. The 27-year-old Williams rebounded by stopping Joshua Conley last June before picking up a victory over former champion Ishe Smith in his most recent fight in November.

“This is going to be a really good fight on April 7,” said Williams “Gallimore has been talking a big game, but I’ve got a big chip on my shoulder, and I’ve been training like it. I think he’s going to bring out something different in me. He’s going to find out that there are different levels to this game. He’s a bit of a stalker in the ring and he’s been knocking people out. He thinks he’s a puncher, but he hasn’t really fought the level of competition that I have. I don’t care if he’s training with Buddy McGirt now, because no one can save him when he’s in that ring.”

The 29-year-old Gallimore (20-1-1, 17 KOs) has stayed active while rising up the ranks at 154-pounds and picking up four knockout victories in 2017. The Jamaican fighter, who now trains in California with Buddy McGirt, impressively stopped previously unbeaten Jeison Rosario and then once-beaten Justin DeLoach in two performances that announced his arrival as 154-pound contender.

“This is going to be my coming out year,” said Gallimore. “This is a huge opportunity to present my skills and my abilities to the world. There’s no mistaking why I’m here, and I’ll make a statement starting with ‘J-Pebbles’ Williams. I call him ‘J-Pebbles’ because he’s not a ‘J-Rock.’ He’s an average fighter. There’s nothing special about him. The best way he can prepare is to do chin pushups, because I’m going to test his chin and that’s the only thing that can protect him. I’m going to dismantle him piece-by-piece, round-by-round, and when that time comes to seek and destroy, I’m going to take him out. I’m the one they should be worried about.”

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

LAS VEGAS (March 9, 2018) – Erislandy Lara, the longest reigning world champion at 154-pounds, will clash with IBF champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd in a highly-anticipated super welterweight title unification live on SHOWTIME (10 pm ET/7 pm PT) as part of an exciting card presented by Premier Boxing Champions Saturday, April 7 from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

In the co-main event, Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb Truax will make the first defense of his IBF title against James DeGale in a rematch of one of the biggest upsets of 2017 that saw Truax wrestle the belt from DeGale on his home turf in London last December.

Tickets for the show, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, will go on sale Friday, March 16 and be available by visiting AXS.com or the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Box Office.

“This is an action-packed card from top to bottom. The televised card features boxers who all have something significant to gain with a victory,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “The winner of Lara-Hurd will be one step closer to becoming the undisputed 154-pound world champion. In a rematch, Truax gets to re-affirm his position as champion and DeGale has a chance to regain his world championship status. This is the kind of show that keeps fans on the edge of their seats.”

“We take pride in promoting quality events that our audiences always want to see,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “This card is going to be another line-up that the fans won’t want to miss. With Lara and Hurd looking to unify their titles and guys going head-to-head in rematches on the undercard, this is sure to be a night of non-stop action.

Lara vs. Hurd is a classic contrast in styles that could force each fighter to raise their game to another level. Lara is a crafty southpaw who relies on his superior boxing skills to confound opponents, while Hurd is a pure pressure boxer-puncher that stalks his opponents and isn’t easily frustrated.

Lara, a Cuban whose nickname is “The American Dream”, is coming off a unanimous decision victory on SHOWTIME over Terrell Gausha in October. Hurd was on the same card and defeated former champion Austin Trout when Trout’s corner stopped the fight in the 10th round. That paved the way for this unification showdown.

The 34-year-old Lara (25-2-2, 14 KOs), who lives and trains in Houston, Texas, won his world title with a TKO victory over Alfredo Angulo in 2013 and has successfully defended it seven times, which includes wins over Trout, Ishe Smith and Vanes Martirosyan.

“I’m very excited and motivated for this fight and to once again be headlining on the best network in boxing on SHOWTIME, is truly a pleasure,” said Lara. “I look forward to adding another belt to my collection on April 7 and to proving that I’m the best 154-pound fighter out there. Everyone tune-in because you don’t want to miss this unification. It’s going to be a legendary night and one for the history books.”

The undefeated Hurd (21-0, 15 KOs) is coming off a career-defining TKO victory over the former champion Trout in his last fight on Oct. 14. It was the first defense of the title for the 27-year Hurd of Accokeek, Maryland, who won the championship with a TKO victory over Tony Harrison on Feb. 25, 2017.

“I plan on being the aggressor for the entire fight, so I’ve been doing some exercises and working on techniques to improve my foot work so that I can stay on top of Erislandy Lara,” said Hurd. “We are not trying to go to the scorecards, so hopefully, I can be the first man to stop him, which I hope to do in the later rounds.

“I called him out, and now, it has come to pass that I get to become a unified champion against the man everyone considers to be the best and most feared in the division, and that’s Erislandy Lara.”

They call 34-year-old Truax “Golden”, and he punched his ticket to world title gold while on a trip to London in December, when he defeated DeGale by majority decision. Truax (29-3-2, 18 KOs) of Osseo, Minnesota was on a two-fight win streak heading into the match against DeGale. Before that his only losses came against former champions Anthony Dirrell, Daniel Jacobs and Jermain Taylor.

“They made the right call on the decision in England, and I expect to be even more dominant this time around,” Truax said. “I am planning to really just beat up James Gale and get the job done in more efficient fashion this time.’

“Fighting in Las Vegas for the first time will be a very cool experience and I expect it to be friendlier than it was in London. There is a lot of pride on the line for me, being that I’m the first boxing world champion from Minnesota in a long time. So there is a lot on the line for me and I plan to keep that going, especially as a means for supporting my family.”

The 32-year-old DeGale (23-2-1, 14 KOs) was the first British boxer to win a Gold Medal in the Olympics (2008 Beijing Games) and a world championship as a professional. He won his world title with a unanimous decision over Andre Dirrell in 2015 and made two successful defenses before fighting to a draw against Badou Jack on Jan. 14, 2017. It was a brutal standoff between two world champions, but neither man had his hand raised in victory. DeGale, who was coming off of an injury, had his home town crowd behind him but couldn’t deliver a win as Truax scored a stunning upset with the majority decision victory.

‘I’m happy to have the opportunity to rematch Truax and regain my IBF title,” said DeGale. “I am not going to make excuses for my poor performance, actions speak louder than words. I am excited to be boxing in Vegas and on SHOWTIME again. The real JD will be back on fight night!”

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

BROOKLYN, NY–BROOKLYN (Oct. 15, 2017) – WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Erislandy Lara knocked down previously unbeaten Terrell Gausha en route to a 12-round unanimous decision in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Saturday on SHOWTIME at Barclays Center.

The Premier Boxing Champions event featured three world title fights in the stacked 154-pound division, a lineup including five fighters ranked in the top 10, and four in the top five.

The southpaw Lara used a precise jab to set up a sharp left hand in the sixth defense of his world title. The supreme technician, known for his elusiveness, put on a clinic as expected. He fought mostly in the pocket and picked apart the 2012 U.S. Olympian Gausha, a Cleveland native getting his first shot at a world title.

Lara landed 45 percent of his power shots and threw 200 more total punches in the bout that was scored 116-111 and 117-110 twice.

“We want to give a lot of credit to Gausha. He’s an Olympian and he came to fight,” Lara said. “I take the rhythm of the boxing match and that’s when I take over. He’s fighting with the best in the division. He’s not a stupid fighter, but he knew who he was facing today.

“I’m ready to box anyone that comes my way. I’m the best boxer at 154 pounds and I won’t shy away from anyone that wants to fight me. I’ll box whoever, just line them up. I’m not afraid. I have proven that I’m a true champion. I’ll fight (Jermell) Charlo if I have to. We are friends, but business is business.”

One of the most anticipated fights of the year lasted only 2:41 seconds as WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Jermell Charlo knocked out Erickson Lubin with a brutal right uppercut to the chin in the opening round in the second of three 154-pound world title fights. VIDEO: http://s.sho.com/2yoXIU6

While the matchup of young, undefeated Americans was regarded as one of boxing’s best fights in a year of marquee matchups, Jermell Charlo had other plans. After feeling each other out Charlo, the twin brother of undefeated former champion Jermall, unloaded a strong right uppercut that the highly touted Lubin leaned into. With Lubin struggling to return to his feet, referee Harvey Dock waived off the contest and helped a dazed Lubin return to his corner.

“They were giving him a lot of attention,” a fired up Lubin told SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray. “I was quiet the whole time. They said they were going to come take my title. I had to defend it. They didn’t know what I was brining into this and I think (Lubin) was worried about the wrong things.

“We’re going to unify. The other champions want to fight me and I’ll take any of them. Give me another title. I want Hurd. Hurd just won. Give me Hurd.”

The 22-year-old Lubin, boxing’s consensus 2016 prospect of the year, had his hopes of becoming the second youngest titlist in boxing dashed in less than three minutes.

“I’m fine. He caught me with a blind shot. I didn’t see it coming. He landed it. I felt like when I got up I could have kept fighting, but it’s boxing. It happens.

“I’m young and I’m hungry. I know I’m one of the best out there. He caught me with a blind shot that I didn’t see. Like I said, it’s boxing. I’m just going to remain hungry, get back in the gym and become the champion I know I am.

“I’m young and have plenty of fight left in me. This is just a minor setback. I’ll be back sooner than later and hungrier than ever.”

IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion Jarrett Hurd became the first person to stop veteran former champion Austin Trout with a 10th round technical knockout in the first defense of his world title in the opening bout of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast.

The 27-year-old Hurd did what Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, Erislandy Lara and Jermall Charlo could not after the ringside doctor stepped in to stop the bout following a brutal closing 20 seconds of the 10th frame.

The Accokeek, Md., native often neglected defense in the early rounds and fought back after a slow start to wear down the toughest opponent of his career. The championship affair shifted in the sixth as Trout tired and Hurd picked up his output of power shots despite a bloody cut over his left eye. Trout was practically saved by the bell in the 10th round and trainer Louie Burke did not protest as he was advised that the fight should be stopped.

“It’s most definitely tougher to defend the title than win it,” Hurd said. “I’m always the one that comes on stronger at the end of the fight. We knew we were going to wear Austin Trout down in the later rounds and eventually stop him. My cut made me a little better with my head movement.

“Team Swift, we don’t run from anyone. I’m ready to unify. 2018 is the year for unifications. It doesn’t matter who it is. I’m ready to fight anyone.”

Hurd had a 89-31 edge in power punches landed over the last three rounds and connected on 43 percent of his power shots over 10 rounds.

Trout was taken to Lutheran Hospital for observation after the bout.

Saturday’s telecast will replay on Monday, Oct. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and SHOWTIME ANYTIME®.

Julian Sosa remained undefeated by winning a four round unanimous decision over Erick Daniel Martinez in a welterweight bout.

In round three. Sosa dropped Martinez with a hard right hand.

Sosa is now 10-0-1.  Martinez is 14-10-1.

Tony Harrison won an eight-round unanimous decision over Paul Valenzuela, Jr. in a middleweight bout.

In round two, Valenzuela was cut over the left eye from an accidental headbutt.  In round five, he was deducted a point for hitting Harrison on the break.

Harrison, 156 lbs of Detroit won by scores of 80-71 and 78-73 on two cards, and is now 25-2.  Valenzuela, 1558.8 lbs of Santa Rosalia. MEX is 20-6.

Cindy Serrano won an eight-round split decision over Edina Kiss in a super featherweight bout.

Serrano, 128.8 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 79-73 & 78-74, while Kiss took a card 78-74.

Serrano is now 27-5-3.  Kiss, 127.8 lbs of Budapest, HUN is 13-6.

Chrodale Booker remained undefeated by winning a eight round unanimous decision over Malcolm McAllister in a battle of undefeated super welterweights.

In round seven, Booker landed a hard left hook that knocked Mcallister between the bottom and second ropes.

Booker, 154.2 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 79-72, and 78-73 twice and is now 8-0.  McAllister, 151.8 lbs of Long Beach, CA is now 9-1.

Richardson Hitchins remained undefeated by winning a four round unanimous decision over Jordan Morales on a welterweight bout.

Hitchins, 143.6 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 3-0. Morales, 142 lbs of Pennsylvania is 2-3.

George Arias stopped Mario Heredia in round six of a scheduled eight round heavyweight bout.

It was a back and forth brawl, and Heredia could not continue.

Arias, 230 lbs of Bronx, NY is 9-0 with five knockouts. Heredia, 288.8 lbs of San Diego, CA is 14-6.

BROOKLYN (October 10, 2017) – As fight night nears, six of the top 154-pound world champions and contenders shared their thoughts and analysis of the high stakes matchups taking place Saturday, October 14 in a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.

The Premier Boxing Champions event is headlined by Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara defending against undefeated Terrell Gausha. Coverage on SHOWTIME begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features hard-hitting unbeaten champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo taking on top contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and “Swift” Jarrett Hurd making his first title defense against tough former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout.

Tickets to the event are on sale now and start at $50 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Here is how the fighters see the other the action going this Saturday night in Brooklyn:

ERISLANDY LARA

“Charlo vs. Lubin is really a great title fight between two tremendous fighters. Charlo is going to have his hands full with Lubin. I think Jermell is going to come out on top with a close, split-decision win.

“Austin Trout is a great fighter, but I think that Jarrett Hurd is too young and too strong for him. That’s going to be another going to be a good fight but I’m picking Hurd by a unanimous decision.”

TERRELL GAUSHA

“It’s really hard for me to predict these fights. All six of us are going to leave everything in the ring to seize this opportunity. May the best man win.

“No matter who wins this fight, I want the other winners next. I’m extremely confident and my goal is to prove I’m the best in this division. That means I’m going to have to go through whoever else wins on this night.”

JERMELL CHARLO

“Experience is going to be the key on October 14. The fighters who use their experiences to their advantage will prevail.

“If Jarrett Hurd gets by Austin Trout, I definitely would fight him next. Unification is on my mind and I think that would be a fight a lot of people would want to see. We’ll see who is able to come out on top when we’re all in the ring.”

ERICKSON LUBIN

“I really think Hurd vs. Trout is a 50-50 fight. If Trout can box for 12-rounds and not get tired the way Tony Harrison did, I think he’ll win the fight. But if he slows down in the later rounds, I think Hurd will probably take over and stop him.

“I’m expecting Lara to get the win. No disrespect to Gausha, I know he’s going to come hungry and try to take the title. But the skills and experience of Lara I think will make the difference.”

JARRETT HURD

“Gausha is going to have to keep a high pace and stay in Lara’s face all night, because you know that Lara is going to use the ring. In the end I think Lara is just on a different level than what Gausha has faced. I think Lara will win by decision.

“Charlo vs. Lubin is really a 50-50 fight. Lubin is the faster and sharper fighter, but Charlo is more mature. I would have to lean towards Charlo on this one because he’s been on this stage and been in title fights before. We don’t really know what Lubin can do yet so I give Charlo the slight edge but it’s really close.”

AUSTIN TROUT

“This is really a great night of guys putting it all on the line in tough fights. I’m expecting these to be hard-fought and close bouts. You really can’t know who the winner is until the fight starts, so I think it’ll be exciting for the fans.

“My focus is full on Jarrett Hurd. Boxing has tried to write me off but I’m not going anywhere. I’m a true warrior. I’m ready and if I can get that belt, I’m ready to face any of the other winners as soon as possible to prove that I’m the best.”

# # #

The Premier Boxing Champions event is headlined by Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara defending against undefeated Terrell Gausha in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING. Coverage on SHOWTIME begins live at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features hard-hitting unbeaten champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo taking on top contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and “Swift” Jarrett Hurd making his first title defense against tough former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter,
and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment

BROOKLYN (September 6, 2017) – Six of the top 154-pound fighters in the world spoke to media in Brooklyn Wednesday ahead of their respective Saturday, October 14 showdowns featured in a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.

The Premier Boxing Champions event is headlined by Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara defending against undefeated Terrell Gausha plus hard-hitting unbeaten champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo taking on top contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and “Swift” Jarrett Hurd making his first title defense against tough former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout.

Tickets to the event are on sale now and start at $50 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays CenterGroup discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Wednesday:

ERISLANDY LARA

“I like to do my talking in the ring. On October 14 that’s exactly what I’m going to do. It’s an honor to be headlining on SHOWTIME and we’re looking forward to a great fight.

“I’m excited to be part of this huge card. This is a great event. These are the best guys in the division. It’s a pleasure to be the main event and I look forward to putting on a show.

“Gausha is a good fighter. He’s an Olympian and a guy who wants to win and become world champion. I know what that feels likes, but I also know what it takes. We’ll see how it plays out on October 14.

“I’m excited for this fight. I’ve beat champions, former champions and now I’ll add an Olympian. After I take care of business I look forward to unifying the division.

“My prayers and my thoughts are with everyone down in Houston. I have family and friends who were affected. It’s a sad situation, but Houston has to be strong. That’s why I’m going to have ‘Houston Strong’ on my trunks because we all need to stick together and unite. That’s the way we’ll make it through.”

TERRELL GAUSHA

“I was extremely excited to get the call for this fight. I’ve been working for this my whole career and it’s a great opportunity. Lara is considered to be the best in the division and I want to fight the best. Now is my time.

“I’ll have to make adjustments in there. Obviously with Lara you have to cut the ring off. We have a game plan that I’m going to go in there and execute on October 14.

“I’m fighting a tough competitor. He’s crafty. We all know he has skills. But I’ve prepared for this and I’m going to do what I have to do. I like to do my talking in the ring and I’ll leave it all on the line on fight night.

“I’m a more mature fighter now. I’m a true professional. I’ve been through some things in my career that have helped me leading up to this fight. I’m well-seasoned and ready for the test.

“I’m training with my coach Manny Robles in Norwalk, California and it’s been going really well. We’re adding a few things for this fight but mostly just putting in the same hard work that we always do.

“I’m blessed to be in this position. I feel like all my hard work is paying off now that I’m on a big card like this. I worked hard and I deserve this chance.”

JERMELL CHARLO

“I’m honored to be in Brooklyn. This is another exciting fight card like the last card I was on here. I did what I had to do in April. I let the opponent run his mouth and then I took care of him. I’m going to let that happen again.

“I have to take advantage of this opportunity. I know that I have a lot of advantages but I just need to go seize the moment. He’s a tough, strong fighter who’s going to be ready to take my title.

“It’s interesting to see a guy as young as he is come for a world title. I’ve been here a long time in the pro game. It’s a big stage for both of us. I’ve fought a lot of tough guys up to this point. This is what I’ve been preparing for.

“I want to fight Jarrett Hurd after this. I’d also like to get an opportunity to unify against Miguel Cotto. I want to show the old guard that the Charlo twins are as good as anyone.

“I got my hands full with Ericskon Lubin and I know he comes to fight. He’s a dog, but I’m an animal as well. I’m going to step up and do what I’ve done each time before.

“I’m doing this for Houston. Houston is going through a lot. My friends and family are all affected. It really doesn’t seem real to me. I’m ready to help however I can.”

ERICKSON LUBIN

“This is the fight I asked for. I said I wanted to go the WBC route and when it was officially announced I was really excited. I’ve been training for this since my last fight. I’m even more motivated now to go get the belt.

“I’ve been sparring with bigger guys. Guys who throw one-two combos like Jermell. I’m getting prepared mentally and physically for this fight.

“Jermell has some power. He moves pretty well, but I’ll be prepared for everything. Whether he pressures or boxes me I’ll be prepared.

“I laugh at people who say this is too soon for me. Mike Tyson was 19 when he dared to be great. This is the perfect time for me to show that I’m not a regular 21-year-old.

“This is a stacked card we have here and I’m ready to showcase my talent. I want to prove I’m the best in this division. I think we’re bringing back the era of all fighters going out there and giving it their all each time they step into the ring. I always steal the show and I’m planning to do that October 14.”

JARRETT HURD

“It means everything to be defending my belt on a card like this. I fought here at Barclays Center on the Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter undercard so to be back here against a veteran in Austin Trout is great. I can’t wait to put on a show.

“We’re going to have two buses of fans coming up here. The ‘Swift’ fans will be in the house. It’s going to be a great atmosphere on fight night.

“In my last bout, Tony Harrison won some early rounds by boxing me, so we’ve known that my next opponent is going to try to outbox me. We expect him to move around and use the ring against me.

“This has been a long training camp. We’ve had this bout set for a long time. We’re more than prepared.

“We’ve been training to catch a ‘Trout.’ We’ll put the bait out there and let him come in. If he doesn’t take the bait, we’ll step right in the water and get him out of there.

“I’m going to keep the pressure on him. I’m planning on attacking the body and making sure I cut off the ring. He’s going to be on the move so I have to be prepared.

“My fans can expect a stoppage on October 14. He’s got three losses against great opponents but none have been able to stop him. I’m going to separate myself by being the first to do it.”

AUSTIN TROUT

“This is going to put me back to where I belong. Right back on top. This is for my legacy so this is of the utmost importance.

“It’s an honor to be on a card like this. I’m blessed to be a part of this great lineup of fighters. This place is the new hotspot of boxing and I can’t wait to perform.

“Hurd is tall, he’s a big guy who I think is going to come forward. We’re preparing for the best possible Hurd that there could be.

“I’m ready to take my career to a whole new level. I’ve been in big fights, but none like this. There is so much riding on this fight. He wants to make a name for himself off of my name.

“He didn’t have to take this fight and I’m happy he did. But he messed up. I’m leaving the ring with his belt and his ‘0.’ I want to stake my claim as the best in the division.

“I’m coming home as a world champion. I’ll be a two-time world champion who’s going to unify this division. I’m going to have my hand raised at the end of the night.”

LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment

“This is going to be a sensational show. If you’re a boxing fan this is going to be an amazing show. It’s going to bring some clarity to the division with six talented guys matching off. It’s a boxing fan’s fight and it’s priced that way.

“What boxing needs is the best matchups. Boxing needs shows like this. These are the kind of shows that SHOWTIME has been showing for the last few years. There is no question that they’re the number one network in boxing.

“This card is about finding out who will be the last man standing in the 154-pound division. It starts on October 14 and it’ll all go down on SHOWTIME.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive VP & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“Last week we had the world’s attention for an unprecedented event in Mayweather vs. McGregor. What this sport needs to do to continue to expand is to follow that up with high quality boxing matchups. That’s why this card is so important. It was critical that we had a top to bottom high quality card to capture those people who started paying attention to boxing on Aug. 26.

“Over the last couple of years, SHOWTIME along with Barclays Center and DiBella Entertainment have brought fans the biggest and best fights in boxing. This might be the highest quality card from top to bottom since we started working with Barclays Center.

“This tripleheader will be the 18th, 19th and 20th world title fights this year on SHOWTIME. More than anyone else. More important and meaningful fights than anyone else. This is a talent-rich division we’ve been showcasing for years.

“I’ve never had any doubts about boxing’s future. Boxing is very healthy. All you have to do is look at these six fighters in their prime, taking on top competition. I know that this sport is in very good health.”

BRETT YORMARK, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment

“It has been an incredible year for BROOKLYN BOXING. Probably the best since we opened Barclays Center. On October, 28, we will celebrate our fifth anniversary. We’re very committed to boxing, not only showcasing the best and brightest talent, but to use it as a platform for those who aspire to get in this ring. We’re committed to their futures.

“There are a lot of championships on the line which should make it a great night. All of these fights promise to bring action to our great fans. We look forward to seeing everyone on the 14th.”

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter,
and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment

BROOKLYN (Aug. 30, 2017) – A trio of 154-pound world champions will defend their titles as part of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader headlined by Erislandy Lara defending against undefeated Terrell Gausha, in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions on Saturday, October 14 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.

The card, promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, will feature four undefeated 154-pound boxers and will pave the way for an undisputed king of the 154-pound division.

Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (24-2-2, 14 KOs), generally recognized as the best boxer in the super welterweight division and its longest reigning champion, will defend his title against undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha (20-0, 9 KOs).

In the co-main event, hard-hitting unbeaten champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (29-0, 14 KOs) takes on top contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin (18-0, 13 KOs) while “Swift” Jarrett Hurd (20-0, 14 KOs) will make his first title defense against tough former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout (30-3, 17 KOs).

“On October 14 at Barclays Center, three world champions will be defending their belts, on SHOWTIME, in a night of tremendous super welterweight action,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Long reigning Cuban Erislandy Lara takes on undefeated Olympian Terrell Gausha and newly crowned Jarrett Hurd faces respected former world champion Austin Trout. This card also features one of the best matchups that can be made between two undefeated fighters, champion Jermell Charlo and young sensation Erickson Lubin.”

“This is a blockbuster card for boxing fans,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “The 154-pound division is full of talent and this card is loaded with the best champions and top-ranked contenders in the division. The guy who will be the eventual king of the division is fighting on this show and the fans will be treated to matches that will determine who that unified champion will be.’’

Tickets to the event will go on sale on tomorrow, August 31 at 10 a.m. ET and start at $50 (not including applicable fees). Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center starting Friday, September 1 at noon ET. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

“We are thrilled to continue our best year yet of BROOKLYN BOXING with our fifth major boxing event of 2017,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “We always aim to deliver fight fans an evening packed with top-notch matchups from start to finish, and this card certainly does that.”

Lara, a 34-year-old Cuban southpaw, owns victories over Trout, Alfredo Angulo and a slew of former champions and top contenders in addition to a controversial split decision loss to Canelo Alvarez on the way to cementing his credentials as the top boxer in the division. Lara will make the seventh defense of his world title as he continues to train with renowned trainer Ronnie Shields.

“I’m very excited to be making another title defense back on SHOWTIME headlining a great tripleheader,” said Lara. “This is an interesting fight versus an undefeated U.S. Olympian in Terrell Gausha. I know he will be ready because it’s his opportunity to beat the best fighter in the division and become a champion. But come fight night, he will quickly realize and know why I’m the consensus No. 1 super welterweight in the world. After this performance, I look forward to, one-by-one, adding a WBC and IBF title to my collection.”

The 29-year-old Gausha, of Cleveland, Ohio, earned a shot at the world title with solid victories in his last two matches. He won a hard-fought decision over Steven Martinez last August and followed it up with another impressive victory over Luis Hernandez on Feb. 10. Lara figures to be his toughest battle in his pro career that dates back to 2012.

“I’ve been talking about this since I was a three-year-old watching Muhammad Ali on television,” said Gausha. “I’m here now and blessed for this opportunity. Lara’s a tough fighter, champion and the best opponent I’ll fight on paper. He’s been in with the bigger names. But the better the opponent, the better I am, and I’m coming to dethrone him. He’s crafty, but the world hasn’t seen all that I can bring to the table. I’ll make adjustments on the fly and do things that I’ve never shown before. Seeing other Olympic team members win titles gives me motivation to earn the victory and the notoriety I’ve been looking for.”

Charlo of Houston, Texas will be making the second defense of his title, which he won by knockout victory over John Jackson on May 21, 2016. The 27-year-old Charlo successfully defended the title with a highlight reel knockout victory over fellow Texan Charles Hatley on April 22 at Barclays Center. He and his twin brother, Jermall, both held world titles at 154-pounds, before Jermall relinquished his title to move up to 160 pounds. Charlo now trains in Dallas with Derrick James, trainer of world champion Errol Spence Jr.

“Lubin is young and hungry and I know he always comes to fight, but there’s a reason why I’m where I am in the sport,” said Charlo. “I’ve been through the trenches and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon. This is what boxing always needs — two young, undefeated fighters willing to risk their ‘0’. But I think it’s a little early for Lubin to step in the ring with me, and I plan on keeping my title. October 14 I’ll show everyone why I’m a world champion.”

Lubin, 21, is nicknamed “The Hammer’’ because of his power in both hands and his ability to bring a quick conclusion to every match. Lubin of Orlando, Fla., has picked up 10 victories since the beginning of 2015 including seven knockouts on his way to contender status. Lubin most recently scored a sensational knockout of Jorge Cota in a title eliminator in March at Barclays Center.

“This is a fight for the fans,” said Lubin “You have an undefeated champion against an undefeated Prospect of the Year. I’m very excited to be fighting for the belt and it’s truly been a dream of mine ever since I first got into boxing. Come fight night, Charlo will either give it to me or I’m going to rip the belt out of his hands. Many fans and reporters have said that he’s one of the best, and that will make it even sweeter. My mentality will be to seek and destroy, so everyone tune-in to SHOWTIME on October 14, you will witness boxing’s new superstar!”

Hurd, 26, will be making the first defense of the title that he won with a KO victory over Tony Harrison on Feb. 25. Fighting out of Accokeek, Maryland, Hurd soared up the rankings with stoppage victories over previously unbeaten fighters Frank Galarza and Oscar Molina at Barclays Center plus veteran Jo Jo Dan.
“I got a Trout to catch,’’ said Hurd. “His losses have all been to top champions Canelo Alvarez, Erislandy Lara and Jermall Charlo. But I’m on a streak of six straight knockouts and Trout has never been stopped, so I’m looking for the stoppage to make a statement that the other fighters couldn’t make. This is definitely my toughest fight, and I didn’t have to take it since it’s a voluntary defense. But I wanted this fight to stop Austin Trout, proving to the fans and people in general I’m the real deal and a true champion.”
Trout, a 31-year-old southpaw from Las Cruces, New Mexico, has faced some of the top 154-pound boxers in the division. He defeated Miguel Cotto in New York to win a title in 2012 and has close losses to Canelo Alvarez and Lara on his resume. In his most recent attempt at winning the title, Trout gave Jermall Charlo perhaps the toughest test of his career after looking impressive in four straight victories leading up to the challenge.

‘What a blessing it is to have this opportunity at a world title shot,” said Trout. “I want to thank everyone who has been in my corner to help get me career defining fights. It’s refreshing to see young champions showing heart and testing their skill with the best in the game. With that said, salute to Hurd for allowing this fight to go through.”

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter,
and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment

Deontay Wilder was patient, but he retained the WBC Heavyweight title with a 5th round stoppage over previously undefeated Gerald Washington at The Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

It was Washington who controlled distance over the first 4 rounds with his jab.  In round five, Wilder landed a booming right that sent Washington to the canvas.  Washington was on shake legs, and Wilder punctuated the bout with a flurry that was capped off by a left that forced referee Micheale Griffin to stop the bout at 1:45.

Wilder is now 38-0 with 37 knockouts.  Washington is 18-1-1.

DEONTAY WILDER

“I knew he was going to come in excited to fight for a world title. I just kept calm and found my rhythm. I really knew he was going to tire out, and when he did I took advantage.

“It was all about timing. I’m very smart when it comes to using different tactics in the ring.

“Fighting here in Alabama is a blessing. The people here show up to support me and I love them for it. I’m always going to support and be here for my Alabama family. To see the crowd’s response tonight meant a lot to me.

“As I’ve been saying, I’m looking to unify the division. I think it’s critical to have one fighter and one champion, and that’s Deontay Wilder. Let’s hope Joseph Parker is ready for me because I’m definitely ready for him.”

GERALD WASHINGTON

“I just got a little impatient. I was trying to go for it. It was an even boxing match. I could have kept it like that and kept it boring. I don’t know why I fell asleep there. I guess I lost a little focus.

“I caught him with one shot when he was coming in. But instead of me keeping that play going and keep pushing him back and keep him in control by keeping him in the center of the ring, I tried to get on him. I was trying to play a little counter punch role and catch him coming in. He just caught me.

“It’s just an experience. You have to follow the game plan and stay focused, stay patient. You may not get all the shots you want in the beginning, but you have to play the game all the way out and then things will start to happen.”

Jarrett Hurd came from behind to stop Tony Harrison in the 9th round to capture the IBF Junior Middleweight title.

Harrison dominated the 1st 6 rounds by boxing and moving, not letting Hurd get into any rhythm.   The fight changed in round seven as Hurd landed some power shots and the body language on Harrison began to change,  In round nine, Hurd landed a perfect counter right that sent Harrison to the canvas.  Harrison got to his feet and spat out his mouthpiece and the fight was waved off at 2:24.

Hurd is 20-0 with 14 knockouts.  Harrison is now 24-2.

JARRETT HURD

“We wanted to take our time with him because Harrison can box and move. But every time he fights he wears down toward the end.

“During the sixth round, he caught me with a good shot inside my left eye. But I managed to fight through it and get the win.

“It feels great to be a champion. I’ve never had a feeling this great before. It’s pure Accokeek power. I can finally pull my pants up now. My pants were falling down, but I finally got my belt.”

In a Heavyweight slugfest, former world title challenger stopped Izu Ugonoh in round five of a scheduled 10-round bout.

After Ugonoh dominated the 1st two frames with mainly hard body shots, Breazeale landed a left hook in round three that sent Ugonoh to the canvas.  Ugonoh came back in the round to stagger and hurt Breazeale.  In round four, Ugonoh jumped on Breazeale, and landed a hard right that sent the former title challenger to the canvas.  When it looked like Ugonoh was back in control, Breazeale started round five with a cruunching right that sent Ugonoh to the canvas.  Ugonoh was hurt, and Breazeale saw that and landed three more hard blows that sent Ugonoh through the ropes and the fight was stopped at 50 seconds.

DOMINIC BREAZEALE

“It took a little time for me to find my pace, but eventually I found my Rhythm. Izu came in in great shape and with guns blazing. He came at me with some stuff that I wasn’t expecting. Him being the lighter guy I wasn’t really expecting the power he possessed.

“I was able to connect some big shots tonight, especially with my right hand. You see what happens when I put him down and he never really recovered.

“Coming off the loss to Joshua, this win puts me right back in there. This is what I’ve always asked for. My team does an incredible job of getting me any fight I ask for, and I wanted to fight an undefeated guy like Izu. He’s a big, strong, athletic guy.

“Tonight, the story was about me having the heart of a lion, getting knocked down, but getting right back up to finish this fight.”

IZUAGBE UGONOH

“I expected that I was going to knock him out. I believed I would accomplish that, but he didn’t surprise me with anything. I was landing some good shots to both his body and his face.

“Breazeale showed a lot of heart though, and I think that his experience really helped him. I think a fight like Anthony Joshua really helped him realize that he could take anything and win the fight. He did that tonight.

“Honestly, I just got tired. I gave him what I had and then I got tired. When he came back at me I wasn’t able to keep up and finish through on my game plan.

“The plan was to really use my double jab, and I’m not making any excuses. This is the fight game. This was a great opportunity for me, a big step up, and I was hoping to get it done. I didn’t, but that is part of sports. I’m not used to losing, but that time came today. I’m still a dangerous man to fight.”

Breazeale is now 18-1 with 16 knockouts.  Ugonoh is 17-1.

Tugstsogt Nyambayer remained perfect by dropping Jhon Gemino four times and finishing off in the tenth and final round of their super featherweight bout.

In round three, Nyambayer landed a perfect right that Gemno on the canvas.

In round six, it was a chopping right hand that put Gemino on the deck.  Seconds later, it was another right that Gemino down.  Nyambayer sent Gemino down in the tenth round.  A moment later, a hard combination had Gemino in trouble and the bout was stopped at 1:05.

Nyambayer is now 8-0 with 8 knockouts.  Gemino is 15-8-1.

Follow all the action as WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder defends his title against Gerald Washington.  The action begins at 8 PM with an IBF Junior Middleweight title clash between Tony Harrison and Jarrett Hurd.  The action begins with a Heavyweight tussle between Dominic Breazeale and Izuagbe Ugonoh

NO BROWSER REFRESH–THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Jab from Washington..

Round 2 Right to body from Washington

Round 3 Jab from Washington..Jab..left to body

Round 4  Right from Wilder..

Round 5 BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES WASHINGTON…WILDER ALL OVER WASHINGTON,,BIG LEFT AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

Round 1 Left from Harrison

Round 2: Right from Harrison

Round 3 Jab from Harrison..Good right..Good combination

Round 4 Jab from Harrison..Combination..

Round 5 Quick shots from Harrison..Good uppercut from Hurd…rocks Harrison

Round 6 Combination from Harrison..Right Hand..Jab..Hook and right..Body

Round 7 Jab from Harrison..Hard right from Hurd..Body shot from Harrison..Big right from Hurd..

Round 8 Right from Hurd..Big uppercut..

Round 9 Body shot from Hurd…uppercut..BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES HARRISON…FIGHT OVER

Round 1 Ugonoh lands a double jab and right..Body shots..Body shot and another..

Round 2 Hard Body shot from Ugonoh..Hard right to the body…Hard right and a jab

Round 3:  Big right from Ugonoh…BIG RIGHT FROM BREAZEALE DOWN GOES UGONOH..Bg Right from Brezeale..Bight right Ugonoah…Brezeale is hurt..Wild right lands..Huge right..Body shot..Big right from Brezeale at the bell

Round 4 Ugonoh lands a left…Body.. anda hook,,,BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES BREAZEALE..

Round 5 HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES UGONOH…BREAZEALE ALL OVER UGONOH AND DROPS HIM THROUGH THE ROPES…THE FIGHT IS OVER

Lou DiBella
Thank you everybody for joining us. This is a call for a really big fight card on Saturday, February 25 at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama.

The show will be PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes, the main event — the Heavyweight Championship of the World — the WBC Heavyweight Championship between Deontay Wilder and Gerald Washington.

The FS1 broadcast will begin at 10:00 pm ET/7:00 pm PT. That will follow the FOX and FOX Deportes’ broadcast of the main show — which will begin at 8:00 pm Eastern Time and 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

It’s a terrific, terrific card. The opening bout for television will be between Dominic Breazeale and Izuagbe Ugonoh — a terrific matchup in the Heavyweight Division; Breazeale, a known commodity, a heavyweight contender; one loss when he challenged Anthony Joshua for Heavyweight Title.

Izuagbe Ugonoh is pretty much an unknown to the U.S. fight fans. This is his first fight in America, he’s better known abroad. He’s really the unknown commodity in the Heavyweight Division — an undefeated heavyweight with 14 KOs and a 17-0 record. You know, if he can get past the seasoned contender Breazeale, then he’s going to prove himself to be a major factor in Heavyweight Boxing. So that’s a really significant fight.

Our co-feature of the evening is what we’re going to start this call with. And today, that co-feature became much more significant.

All the boxing pundits, all the boxing writers, the fans, they knew that Tony Harrison against Jarrett Hurd is a terrific matchup; Harrison, out of Detroit Michigan, 24 wins, 1 loss, huge puncher, 20 KOs; Jarrett Hurd, 19-0, 13 KOs out of Maryland; one of the fastest rising guys in the 154-pound division.

With Jermall Charlo, today, moving up to 160-pounds, this fight is now for the IBF Junior Middleweight Championship of the World. So we knew we had a great fight going in; now we have a much more significant fight going in.

So the heavyweight fight will open the FOX and FOX Deportes broadcast at 8:00 pm. It will be followed by this co-feature which is now the IBF Junior Middleweight Championship of the World between Tony Harrison and Jarrett Hurd.

I’m going to introduce first Jarrett Hurd who is with us on the line right now. Jarrett is 26 years old, turned pro in 2012, started boxing at the age of 15. He stopped former World Title Challenger Jo Jo Dan in six rounds in his last fight. He stopped 13-0 Oscar Molina in the 10th and final round in a co-main event of Thurman-Porter. He stopped 17-0 Frank Galarza in six rounds on ShoBox on November 14, 2015.

Those are the fights that got him into this position — one of the hottest 154-pound contenders in the world today, and an extremely high-quality fighter attempting to win a world title on February 25.

My pleasure to introduce Jarrett Hurd.

Jarrett Hurd
How’s it going? I just want to thank God and Al Haymon, my team, and PBC and everyone for this opportunity.

You know, (IBF) is now on the line and I treat this fight, the same as I treat every other fight — protecting my own wins and building my legacy is the most important thing to me. So going to this fight, it’s nothing different. I have the same mindset as I’ve always had.

Like you mentioned, it’s rising stars at 154-pounds. I don’t plan on slowing that down anytime soon. Come February 25, there will be a storm in Birmingham, Alabama and a new champion at 154.

Q
How did you find out that, in fact, this fight with yourself and Tony was going to actually be for the vacant title, and what was your immediate reaction?

J. Hurd
Lou was already in the talks. Today was just the day that they finally put it out there for everyone to see. It was already in the talks and we kind of had a couple of conversations that Jermall Charlo was going to vacate. We just wanted to get it finalized then.

I knew if it wasn’t this fight, my next fight I was fighting for IBF so I knew 2017 was going to be a big year for me.

This is what all boxers dream of, to fight for the world title. I was super excited. We were jumping around the gym. We knew this day was going to come. It came faster than I expected but I’m ready.

Q
Do you think that your power might ultimately be the difference in this fight or is it going to be, in your mind, more of a boxing match?

J. Hurd
Oh yes, the power is going to definitely have a lot to do with it. I don’t think that’s going to be the main factor, I feel I’m the more skillful boxer. He got put down by Willie Nelson, and he also got put down by Fernando Guerrero. He should not be able to take my big shots.

We’ve got a game plan to go out there with skills, we know we’ve got to watch out for his power. The main thing we want to do is take that away from him. So once we get that going, the fight is going to be in my favor.

Q
Can you just give me your thoughts about how significant it is to you to not only get these kinds of fights but to be in front of this kind of audience?

J. Hurd
It’s great. I feel like that the fight last year with Oscar Molina was one of the biggest cards that there was in 2016; Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter. And it’s those big lights and me fighting under the bigger lights that gets me going. They say you get nervous or butterflies and you get off your game game, but I feel like I’m ready.

And this opportunity for the world to get to see on free TV, that’s a big opportunity for me to get my name out there.

L. DiBella
It didn’t look like the lights bothered you in Brooklyn, Jarrett.

Q
Can you just discuss when did you first hear about Jermall vacating and what was your initial reaction when you heard those rumors?

J. Hurd
I probably was told about this maybe three weeks prior to now. I didn’t expect it to happen this fast but, the route that I went, the level of competition I was fighting, it put me to this point where I am today.

We were sitting down in the gym and we got the call, and Al was telling me like, “I told you it was going to be here Jarrett. This is it, this is what you worked for.”

I went home and ran a couple of miles that night, thinking about it because I know that sometimes for people it could be a once in-a-lifetime opportunity. So I don’t want to take it for granted, man.

On the 25th, I’m going to show exactly how hard I’ve worked and it’s finally going to pay off for me.

Q
Was that how it was explained to you that it was pretty certain that he would vacate, or that was just a rumor at that point?

J. Hurd
No, I wasn’t certain it was just a rumor; it was possible. It was because he mentioned that in his fight with Julian Williams. But it wasn’t for certain, and it was just something that was mentioned and talked about like he may be vacating. We don’t want to put it out to the media, but it’s basically a possibility.

L. DiBella
Jermall pretty much was indicating for a while that it was his intention to get out of the division. And I think that both Jarrett and Tony knew that it was inevitable, but neither one of them was sure it would be in time for this fight.

Q
What’s your opinion about Jermall moving up?

J. Hurd
I think him moving up was a better decision for him to be safe. He couldn’t make the weight, going to fights not quite 100% — especially as a champion and the caliber of fighter that’s going to be coming him. I think he should have moved up if he couldn’t make the weight. And I think there’s some real fights up there at 160 that he can find.

So I don’t think it was a bad decision. Jermall Charlo is a great champion. I was looking forward to — after this fight — fighting him. But him moving up, I’m a big fighter at 160, I’m going to have to move up eventually, so maybe one day we’ll still meet.

L. DiBella
Jarrett, I have a quick question for you.

Jarrett, you’re a real nice guy, like you’re very approachable to fans and people. But on this particular call, you wanted to be alone with the press and answer your questions alone, and you didn’t want to have any interplay with Tony. I think you said that you didn’t want to really talk to Tony until you talked to him in the ring.

You want to mention and talk just a little about that because I think that’s sort of interesting?

J. Hurd
I’ve just always been the guy who doesn’t get involved in trash talk as much as Harrison is. He’s kind of loud and outspoken. I don’t know how the conversation would have went.

I’m not the type of guy that would go back-and-forth with someone. The time comes when the time comes. But right now, I’m just focused on training and I didn’t want to play the mind game and try to talk. It’s not going to be factor for anybody, but I just didn’t want to get too much into that. I just want to focus on the fight and I’ll see him in Alabama.

Q
If you win this title, would you look forward to possibly bringing a title fight to the MGM National Harbor in Maryland?

J. Hurd
That actually was my plan. After this fight, I was going to try to ask if I could bring a hometown fight, after winning the belt, because I haven’t been fighting at home lately.

Now I know I have a lot of people coming out, but fighting at home is something different, man, bringing somebody new in. Just to be able to be a World Champion and fight here at the MGM National Harbor, that’s definitely a goal of mine. I can’t wait to achieve it.

L. DiBella
And just quickly before I introduce Tony, tickets for this event start at $25. They are on sale right now at Ticket Master by visiting AlabamaTitleFight.com. There are Valentine’s Day ticket promotions that have been extended until this Friday, for the premium seats.

Good seats still available and we have very affordable seats still available. So anybody in that Alabama area or anybody that can drive to Alabama, join us because this is unbelievable card on Saturday the 25th.

One last time, the FOX and FOX Deportes broadcast will begin at 8:00 pm ET, 5:00 pm PT. So that will be the tripleheader featuring Breazeale and Ugonoh, Tony Harrison and Jarrett Hurd for the IBF Junior Middleweight Title, and Deontay Wilder and Gerald Washington for the WBC Heavyweight Title.

And then that will be followed on FS1 by a broadcast that begins at 10:00 pm ET/7:00 pm PT.

So without further ado, I’m going to introduce that I’ve always been a big fan of; he’s a huge puncher, out of the Fighting City of Detroit Michigan; has a 24-1 record with 20 big KOs. His last win was an explosive ninth round stoppage of Sergey Rabchenko on July 30 at Barclays Center. Three consecutive wins since his only loss to Willie Nelson — which was in July of 2015. He comes from a fighting family. Both his dad and granddad were pro-boxers.

So a man who is going to be fighting Jarrett Hurd for that IBF World Title on February 25, Tony Harrison.

Tony Harrison
I’ve got a lot of sparring rounds on this body, a lot of miles on the track on this body, and mentally, I just want to punch him.

L. DiBella
When did you find out that this would be for the title and how do you feel about that?

T. Harrison
I just found out today. I had the understanding that it was already an eliminator. So I wanted to go see the Julian Williams and Jermall Charlo fight.

Then I waited, which is my longest period — eight months — of not fighting. Thinking at the end of the rainbow was every boxer’s dream.

Then it turned out that I had to fight again for another eliminator. So it was kind of discouraging for me to have to sit and wait that long, without something in between, thinking that pot at the end of the rainbow was the golden ticket. It obviously wasn’t.

Then Al called me and makes a guy from Detroit’s dream come true. And I was the happiest guy when I found out.

So the wait was worth it. My pop has always told me; patience is a virtue — be patient. And I was patient enough. Today was a good day to have a man named Al Haymon.

Q
I just wanted to know from you, how much did that loss put you off the schedule that you had in your mind, and then what have you learned since then now that you actually have the title shot that you wanted back then?

T. Harrison
I honestly never had a schedule in my head. I’m just here from Detroit. Man, they never give us nothing. Even at the part with Willie Nelson, I was talked about but, you know what I mean? I wasn’t in the top 10 of any sanctioning body.

So for me, it was just keep doing what you’re doing. Eventually you’re going to kick your door down. So for me, it wasn’t about them giving me anything.

So it wasn’t a schedule for me; I just wanted to take whatever they put in front of me, I told them, “Yes.”

As for my defeat, I went back to the drawing board. It gave me the realization that winning or losing, they are going to talk about you. The crazy thing is I got more talked about when I lost than I got when I won.

It put me in a mindset of myself to just do what you got to do to win. You don’t have to be that die-hard Mexican-style fighter, get hit, get hit, knock somebody out, you don’t have to do that to make money and to feed your family.

So at the end of the day now, it just put me in a mindset of training hard and just be in the best shape possible and make the adjustments as you go along.

From that loss, a lot of people probably would have stuck their heads down. I got right back in the gym and I started working hard.

From Cecil McCalla, to Fernando Guerrero to me knocking him out, to me fighting Sergey Rabchenko who was ranked by every single sanctioning body, before I fought him, and I wasn’t ranked in one.

But like I said again, I take on challenges as a competitor, and everything happens for a reason. So I kept my head high, I kept working and now I’m right back in it. The second time should be my best time.

Q
What are your thoughts about having to deal with a guy like Jarrett Hurd’s power?

T. Harrison
I’m probably been in better shape than when I’ve been fighting anybody else. But statistically speaking, he just fought Jo Jo Dan who was naturally a smaller guy, and he got touched up. He fought Oscar Molina who was an Olympian but didn’t have anyone on his resume and then he fought Frank Galarza.

So all those guys were really made for him to take advantage of. He hasn’t fought nobody this fast, this strong and this smart. I’m going to show this guy how seasoned I am. They don’t realize that I have more knockouts than this guy has fights.

So for me, my confidence is at an all-time high fighting a guy like Jarrett Hurd. Jarrett Hurd, , he’s been sensational. But part of being a competitor is fighting the best. And if Jarrett Hurd’s name is mentioned and everybody is mentioning Jarrett Hurd and they don’t want to fight Jarrett Hurd, then Tony Harrison will.

Q
Do you think Hurd has been built up on prospects?

T. Harrison
He’s been built up on the guys that they had questions about. With the fights that Jarrett Hurd won, they were reasonable opponents, very, very very reasonable. So I’m not discrediting anything he’s done. They put them in front of him, he beat them. He earned the shot just like I did.

So very, very credible guys but, to my point, I think Jarrett Hurd wasn’t even the number three guy; they bumped him up to number 3, so he didn’t earn it.

So in my head, I’m already going in as the stronger fighter. Everything they gave me, I earned. I earned my shot. And then I was going to earn it again from Jarrett Hurd without the title. I was going to have to earn it again with another mandatory shot.

They didn’t bump me up nothing. They didn’t push me up, they didn’t give me nothing. I earned it. Everything that they’ve given me, I earned it. And I was going to earn it again whether for a title or not. I told them yes to Jarrett Hurd and it was supposed to be for the eliminator, another eliminator that I had already fought.

I’m taking it the hard way. I never had a problem taking this the hard way because I was going to earn it again. You know what I mean?

L. DiBella
Well, Tony, it could all pay off – it could all pay off on the 25th because if you come out of that night with a victory, you’re the new IBF Junior Middleweight Champion of the World. So I look forward to seeing you in Alabama.

T. Harrison
And I appreciate it. Thank you, thank you so much, man. It’s a dream come true. And like I said, haven’t forgotten Detroit.

L. DiBella
Now we’re going to move on to the main event of the evening on the 25th the Heavyweight Champion of the World, Deontay Wilder against Gerald Washington for the WBC Title.

As almost everyone on this call knows, Deontay is already coming off a big win this week so it’s been quite a week for Team Wilder. And he didn’t get the chance to beat up Povetkin in Russia because Povetkin cheated, but we did get the chance to beat him in a Federal District Court in New York, and we did that.

So, you know, funny enough, as things happen, we have another opponent for Deontay in Birmingham, Alabama on the 25th, and that opponent tested positive for a performance enhancing drug.

So as a result of that, the fight fans and the people of Alabama are actually going to get to see a better fight against an opponent who is a clean guy and a much more interesting person — Gerald Washington; 6’6, 34 years old, “El Gallo Negro”, born to an African-American dad and a Mexican-American mom; ranked number 8 by the WBC; hopes to become the first Mexican-American World Heavyweight Champion; has a number of good wins in a row.

But his back story is really interesting. Here’s a man that’s been four years in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter mechanic serving his country. He attended the University of Southern California where he played tight end and defensive end of the football team; was a member of the practice squads for the Seattle Seahawks and the Buffalo Bills so he’s a hell of an athlete. And if you’ve seen him in person, he’s a huge man.

And as big and imposing a guy he is to look at, he’s a real man’s man and a really nice person, and it’s been a pleasure to get to know Gerald a little bit in recent months.

I want to acknowledge my co-promoter on this Heavyweight title fight — TGB Promotions — and it’s always a pleasure to work with them and my friend Tom Brown.

And without further ado, “El Gallo Negro” Gerald Washington.

Gerald Washington
We’re very excited for the opportunity. Man, it’s a dream come true and I look forward to fighting Deontay Wilder in his backyard, for the WBC title. It’s an amazing opportunity for me and we are ready to take the challenge on.

L. DiBella
Great. And on this call, we are all going to be together on the call and the fighters will be available to answer questions together after I get a chance to introduce a man I’m extremely proud to be able to work with.

He’s a credit to the sport as well as the most exciting heavyweight, in my mind, in the world. He has knockout power and a knockout ratio unlike anybody else’s; “The Bronze Bomber,” Deontay Wilder.

Deontay Wilder
I’m feeling good man. If you all didn’t know it’s been a long, long week. But I’m feeling great. I’m always excited when it’s time to fight. I’m back home again in Birmingham, Alabama, I’m feeding my people. taking one step at a time to unify the belts in the division. I’m overwhelmed, I’m excited, I’m ready to go.

Hey, how difficult was this for you to come back from, those two fights that got cancelled and then you had to fight a new guy that you weren’t prepared for?

D. Wilder
I want to say it was really tough. But, maybe more so mentally, knowing that I’ve got a fight coming up and all that and changing opponents. It’s been a whole big mess.

It’s been a whole big mess but it’s been a good mess because we won. And that brings a little bit more excitement to my energy towards the fight. It’s like a booster. And if you’re not prepared for certain things, then it maybe could distract you or knock off your focus on the test that lies at hand.

But fortunately with me, I’m very strong-minded, I’m mentally strong. And I know things happen and you’ve just got to be able to adjust. I’m very good at adjusting and rolling with the punches of things. So here we are now.

Q
How tough is that to prepare for a short-term opponent?

D. Wilder
Well, it’s just all about your game plan really. It’s all about your team and what game plans they have for you.

I have been through this before. There aren’t too many things that I haven’t experienced yet in my career. I’ve dealt with this before earlier in my career, actually in my debut.

Maybe a couple of days before the fight, my opponent got changed up, a different weight, a different style, a different size, a different height. I was fighting an orthodox opponent but they didn’t even tell me nothing about the guy being a southpaw. So everything changed, but in the ring, I had to adjust and I had to deliver.

What can you do in these situations? It’s a learning process. With everything you go through from the start to the finish is a learning process and brings you experience.

So I am going to look forward to fighting Gerald Washington in Birmingham, Alabama and giving the folks that are going to be watching and the people that are going to be in the audience a great show.

Q
How do you view him having to be present at a trial while he is preparing for you in this fight?

G. Washington
First of all, I would like to congratulate him on that. It wasn’t his fault the situation happened like that but big props to him and his team for getting through that.

We are preparing for the best Deontay Wilder that there is. I am not going to get caught up with that other stuff that is going on. I am worried about the Bronze Bomber and everything that he is bringing. Everything that he has learned along the way. I have got to be prepared for that.

He is a hell of a fighter. I have got to put it all on the line that night. This fight is very important to me and it is going to take everything I’ve got.

Q
Gerald what gives you confidence on this matchup against Deontay?

G. Washington
We all know Deontay Wilder is a big strong knockout puncher. He has been in there. He has the Olympic experience. He has been in there with all the pros, in the sparring camps and stuff like that and he has learned a lot along the way.

I can’t focus too much on what Deontay Wilder is bringing to the table. I have just got to make sure that my game is tight and my game is strong and able to challenge Deontay Wilder.

I have got to come prepared mentally and physically and just put it all on the line. Like I said, it is going to take a mixture of everything. Everything that I know to go up against him.

I only have 14 amateur fights. I only have 19 professional fights. I don’t have all that experience that this guy has. So it is going to take a lot of smarts for me and just like you said mental toughness to get through this.

Q
I would like to know from your point of view how disruptive was it to your training schedule to have to be up in New York while you sat through the trial with Povetkin?

D. Wilder
First off it was sad it had to go to that distance. With the whole situation, it was just ridiculous. Thank God that it is over. It is behind me. We can move forward with it because it was a very stressful situation.

It comes a point in time where things don’t always go as planned in your life and you have got to understand that everybody deals with things in their life that makes them feel some type of way.

So with that being said, although I had to go through so many different things, even with the weather. I almost got sick out there because it was so cold. Trust me it was a mess.

But at the end of the day I had to stay focused. People don’t understand this business that we sign up for. Can’t have no pity. Can’t be sorry for yourself.

When you train you must focus. You must stay focused on the test they are about to hand you if not, then you will get injured. You will get hurt.

So that being said, I must stay focused. Whoever gets in the room no matter who they are, no matter what their record is, nothing. Because at the end of the day, they still have two hands, they have two feet and they come to fight.

And you must respect a fighter that comes to fight and sometimes they feel they have nothing to lose. When you the champion, when you the champion people feel like you have more to lose because you have got that title.

I go in with a mentality that I don’t have nothing to lose because I am not looking to lose nothing. That is just my mentality. I have been through so much, nothing has been given to me.

Nothing has been given to Deontay Wilder. So with that being said, nothing is going to be taken from me. So I must stay focused. I must. I must. It is an absolute must to stay focused. And if you can’t stay focused this is the wrong business for you.

Q
Were you able to train when you weren’t sitting in court? Can you – what was the deal with your training while you were away?

D. Wilder
I was up there for a week and a day. But we still had time to get training. I brought Mark with me so we had time to get training. But you know sometimes we didn’t. You know I am going to be honest but sometimes, the weather prevented a lot of things.

We had a snowstorm up there. It was very cold. The roads were icy. Sometimes the trial would be long. You know it would be tiring just to be up in there.

Just to hear the bitter and batter going on. Which this case was a common sense case. We didn’t need evidence really it is a common sense case.

But you know we had to go through a lot of things but I think we managed to do the things that we needed to do to continue to keep training for this fight.

Most of all, my mindset was still in the right place.

Q
What are your thoughts about having two guys in a row test positive against you?

D. Wilder
I replayed it back in my head, these guys as taking these drugs and stuff. I was shaking my head. It is sad. It is sad for the sport and I just hope something even more can be done about this situation before it ruins the sport of boxing.

I think the WBC is doing a fabulous job in bringing the doping program and having these fighters to sign up and if they don’t they are off the rankings. But I also would like to see it going to second gear.

I want to see some punishment done. I want to see if you do this, if you put steroids or anything that has your body doing what it is not naturally supposed to do I think you should not only get suspended but maybe indefinitely.

We need to put something on this. This case right here was the first step and then all these other fighters know that there are consequences to your actions that will be applied to if you decide to use.

But there need to be something else even deeper than taking his money. They need to take their career away from because this is ridiculous. I just tell myself always use myself as an example. I am naturally strong without weights. Without training. With anything I am God given, Alabama country strong. I have always been that way.

But just imagine if used anything to enhance my body. Did you see my fight with Szpilka? Just imagine if I had something in my body. That man would have been dead because I thought he was dead. It is a lot of these guys doing it.

You know that is going to be up to them to get their selves right. Get their act right because when they come in this fight business nobody is playing around man. You know it is just ridiculous and it is just sad.

I hope it just gets cleaned up. Everybody get cleaned up that way we can continue with this great sport of boxing. And people can get the fights that they want to see.

I just hate to see that we have such great fighters out here and some of the fights are not going to happen because they want to use. Just like Povetkin and me.

I was looking forward to that fight. I was looking forward to going to Russia. Defending my country, United States against Russia. What better country to defend your country than with Russia.

I was looking forward to that but I couldn’t do it because of somebody’s actions. So before they mess up this sport they need to clean it up.

Q
My understanding was you already were preparing for a different fight before this one came up. Is that the case?

G. Washington
Yes, I was. I didn’t know for sure when the day was or who the opponent was going to be or anything like that. I stay in the gym all the time. It wasn’t a matter of that but it was funny how I made a post about that.

I said to Deontay I said, I just put it on my Instagram. I said, hey if anything happens, I am right here. And something did happen. It was crazy man. But it happened and I am grateful for the opportunity.

And I am glad that we stay in the gym, we stay prepared and we stay working on our stuff. We always stay right there striking distance away.

Is it all the time that we would have like to prepare for a World Championship fight? No. I am sure we would have liked a fuller camp. But it is okay. We are all right right now. We are where we need to be and we are ready to go.
Q
You were one of those guys that is trying to make that jump from football to boxing. Can you just talk about the differences? And do you think you can be the guy that can get over the hump and win that world title?

G. Washington
Yes, there are a lot of differences. I was just telling somebody the other day, the cool part about it is walking into the stadium with your teammates.

You feel like you have got a little army right there. You lock arms. You are in the tunnel and you are swaying back and forth it is war time. Let’s take it outside. War time. Let’s take it outside. You got a hundred guys doing that. You get on the field you are ready to rock.

When you step in to that ring you are in there by yourself. You are in there by yourself man. You still got your team but when that bell rings you have got to go to war by yourself man.

So you have got to be prepared physically and mentally. You have got to be ready to go. You have got to be ready to fight back and stand your ground and go to work.

I learned a lot lessons along the way. This is going to be another one. My learning never stops but this is a great opportunity for me and I feel that I am ready for this right now.

This came at the right time. God put me in this position and you know with all those failed drug tests and injuries and all the stuff that happened. All that stuff that happened for me to be here. I am here right now.

I am putting in the work and me and my team we put together a great plan and we are having fun. Now it is time.

Q
How tough was this seeing what for you is a pretty long layoff? And were there any ways that you could work to get better with your left or anything when you were rehabbing?

D. Wilder
It really hurt me to my heart that I couldn’t fight. Anybody who knows me knows that I don’t just love this sport I am in love with it. I am really in love with this sport. I am obsessed with boxing.

I eat, breathe and sleep it. You know I do it all, this is my life. This is not a hobby for me. This is a lifestyle for me and I address it accordingly. I take it very, very seriously.

So when I can’t do something I love it really hurts me a little bit. And my motivation is my children. I have got four beautiful, intelligent children I love to death and I am doing it for them. All this is for them. Daddy don’t want to be in boxing long.

I want to accomplish my goals and dreams and I am out of here. I am doing it for them. And I am going to stick by that.

But when I can do it and I can’t provide and I can’t feel like I am taking a next step forward instead of backwards it kind of gets me down. It gets me sad a little bit.

But you know I know a man that is always with me and he will never forsake me and that is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We have been through a lot in my life and every step of the way he has always been there for me.

Every step has always been a learning process for me. An experience for me. So I am very thankful that the things that happened for me and to me. Even with the broken hand and stuff like that because it allows me to build an even better relationship with my love.

For me I was on everything. I still continued to work on the right hand. The left was the jab. See where it is positioning. Different situations that would may face with different opponents.

I still work on everything over and over and over and over and over because I want it to be muscle memory. When I feel like I am not learning no more in this sport I am out.

This is a dangerous sport man. Every time I fight I always ask myself the question. Do you really want to do this? Do you still want to do this? Do you really want to go and get your head hit by big guys with these small gloves?

I ask myself that question every fight. But at the end of the day I am still here because I am in love with it. It is just like a woman. A man can do so much to her but she still there because she loves him.

That is how I am with this sport. So I am looking forward to testing out my hands and my bicep and I am looking forward to bringing more skills to the table with the left hook and stuff like that. So I am looking forward to the fight overall.

Q
How much with your legacy as you get more involved? Because like it has been written document how much you stay active. How much of you wanting to be active is it the fact that you are getting these defenses each time you bring out another wrinkle that nobody has seen before?

D. Wilder
Well at the end of the day it is about getting your hands ready whether you look good or bad. At the end of the day the objective is to win. Whether it is an ugly win or a pretty win. That is what we try to do.

Of course we try to look good while we do it. As far as my legacy is concerned, I am planning on big, big things for me for now and in the future.

When I structured my career, I look at Muhammad Ali which is my all-time favorite and an idol of mine and what he has done for this sport. He was a real life hero.

He was the true definition of a true champion. Wasn’t afraid of nobody and wasn’t scared to go to where you were. Even if was your backyard and that is the things that I want to do.

I want to travel to different countries and defend my title. Whether it is in their backyard or I will go to a country they love and I will make it my backyard.

I want to do those things. That belt says the Heavyweight Champion of the world. You can be complacent in United States of America.

So that is my footsteps that I want follow. Muhammad Ali, what he has done for boxing inside and outside of the ring. I think about all the attributes and the efforts to do those things.

People just relate to me everywhere I go. People relate because the thing about people, they know lies when they see it. I come straight forward and honest with everybody and people love me. My attitude, my personality, we fighters always get stereotyped with people all over.

Fighters are some of the best, coolest guys ever. And after the sport business-wise I want my career – I am looking forward for my career to be like Larry Holmes. A businessman. Somebody that invests and did the right things. So when it is time for me to leave, Deontay will not be returning or looking back.

Q
Does this Povetkin type situation make you leary to go to somebody’s backyard?

Also, is it a big deal to unify those belts by the end of 2017?

D. Wilder
Not at all. Povetkin is just one man. He is one out of many. I can’t focus my mind over one man out of one country doing certain things. We know certain people, certain countries that are going to attempt to do certain things.

That is why the VADA does the testing. People that is out there, the companies that is out there. That is why we hired them to do what they do.

VADA is one of the best. They make sure everything is straight. We all want just a fair playing field. So I can’t fault, what Povetkin did towards what my goals are and accomplishments that I want to achieve.

We take every fighter seriously no matter who they are. No matter what they have done. Even if they’re 1 and 0. They can be 0 and 1. We take them very, very, very seriously because this game is a very, very serious sport. It is the hurt business.

People get in there and try to knock your head off I know that’s what I try to do. Knock his head off. We are taking Washington very seriously. We don’t care what kind of experience he has or where he came. We are taking him as if he is the champion and I am the challenger.

So I always say that I never look past a fighter. But I do look through a fighter. I window shop a little bit. I don’t think that is too awful to do. Window shop a little bit.

So when I window shop, you know, I see that whoever has the title that is what I want. Let Joshua and Klitschko do their thing.

Win those two belts. And at the end of the year, we combine two and two. That is four belts in all in unified division. One man, one face, one title. That is Deontay Wilder. That is what I see coming.

Gerald, what do you want people to know about you and what you are bringing to the table?

G. Washington
I am just here to fight. I am here to fight man. I am coming to get this. Deontay Wilder is taking me seriously because I am coming. I am coming with everything I have got. I am working hard. I am training hard. I am preparing myself well.

I am doing everything that I have got to do. I don’t care about none of that extra stuff. February 25th and that is it man. I don’t have to explain nothing. All I know is I am working. I am working and I am going to be ready.

Q
Deontay, how much does it feel good to be able to put that belt on the line one more time in Birmingham where you got all the support and vanquish another person coming to your backyard as you are the Heavyweight Champion of the world right now?

D. Wilder
Man I tell you it is just a phenomenal feeling man. To be able to see my people and when I say about my people I am talking about my state.

I am talking about everybody around in the State of Alabama because this wasn’t a boxing state. This state wasn’t built for the boxing. You know it was football and basketball, mostly football.

But it was one opponent at a time and me and my long time trainer Jay Deas, we had a discussion and said we are going to fight here one day. And that one day and that dream became a reality. And then one day it came and now here is what the fourth time?

I have brought millions upon millions of dollars to this state. You know I love my state. I love where I am from. There is no place like home.

A lot of fighters can’t fight at home. They can’t do this. So whenever the opportunity comes about that I can fight home. I can fight in my state and let ye people eat here I am going to do it. It is an enjoyable feeling.

Sometimes you can lose focus at times because you are from here. Everybody loves you. Everybody wants to call you. Everybody wants to be around you. Everybody want tickets. You know that are little things that come with it.

But with that being said, you still have to have focus and you still mentally have to control everything that is around you and have a great team that control you as well too when you don’t feel like doing certain things you know.

You can’t be nice all the time. Sometimes people have got to understand that I have got a mission that I must accomplish and if I don’t accomplish that then you are not going to be around. If I lose you are not going to be around. Let’s face it.

All these people in my face. If I lose, it is going to be real quiet with the champ you are the best talk. And then they are going to turn it into an I told you. It was just a matter of time.

So we understand all aspects of the situation. But I am loving it. I love Alabama and this is one of many that we are going to do.

Q
Tell us why you think you can win this fight and take the title from Deontay?

G. Washington
It’s just a matter of all the work that I am putting in. I have been getting here in the gym, the training just sparring. Just putting it all together, what I am saying is that I always have boxing in my mind.

I know Deontay Wilder. We all know what he brings to the table. He is big, strong, knockouts. We fighting in his backyard. We know all that.

Well we can’t get caught up in that. That is going to be there. That is going to be there and we just got to focus on us. Focus on our game. Make sure we are tight, physically and mentally. And we prepare for this moment.

That is all that matters to me. Only had a month time to prepare and but I am ready to go. I have learned the lessons in the gym and I had hard lessons. But you need those hard lessons when you are growing as a fighter.

You have got to go through that stuff to understand what is going on because you get in there and you have got a full sense of what is going on. Reality checks. This sport will teach you a lesson when you need it.

So everything that was supposed to happen. I am glad for the lessons. I am glad for all the great talent and meeting my trainer John Pullman. We having fun and we are learning. It is not always going to go the way you want it to go and we learn from that and we get better.

Q
Deontay other than the obvious thing of experience what do you think your advantages are in this fight against Gerald?

D. Wilder
Just my state of mind. Outside of the ring we all know I am Deontay Wilder. I am the nicest person in the world you know. I call myself a giant teddy bear.

But when I get in the ring I am the Bronze Bomber. And the Bronze Bomber, he is a different person. I am glad I am so happy that I can change between the Bronze Bomber and Deontay Wilder. Some people can’t.

If Bronze Bomber got loose in the streets it won’t be something nice. When I am in the ring all I think about is knocking my opponent’s head off. Getting him out of there. Hurting him. Putting pain to him. I will have no mercy. I will have no pity.

Until I knock him out or do what I got to do that’s when I feel sympathy for my fighters because, I know they have a family. I know there is somebody’s son or sometimes be the father. I understand that. I am a family person as well too.

But they are in front of me on their feet it is a different story. And I have been mentally, I am always mentally strong over all these fighters. I really feel that I can’t be beat. That is just the mentality I have.

Knowing that every man can be beat we are not immortal. Nobody is God but that is just the mentality I bring in the ring that I am the lion of this jungle. I call the ring the jungle. I am the king of it.

And I approach myself accordingly like that. I am very vicious in the ring. I am a savage in the ring. I have no remorse for fighters in the ring. I really do that because this is the hurt business. You are trying to do the same thing to me what I am trying to do to him. And that is win.

And when it is winning you do whatever it takes. By all means necessary to win. And that is what I go in there too.

So it is a lot of things I could say but overall I think my mental state of mind. I think my mental state of mind is always stronger.

Q
Does the fact that this fight is on FOX on a Saturday night, primetime, you are going to have millions of people watching this. Does this give a little added incentive to try to make a statement during this fight?

D. Wilder
Yes, I enjoy fighting on FOX. I enjoy fighting on free TV giving the people something to see,. I always think about people, whether they watch it or not. I always think that they want to see knockouts.

People when they see the heavyweight division, they want to see knockouts. They want to see excitement.

I have always been exciting even if the knockout didn’t come out I have always been exciting and I have always put my feelings into my fighting. And my motivation is my children and I have always carried them in my thoughts and in my heart with me in the ring.

So with that being said, I am looking forward to this fight. I am just looking forward to everything. I can’t wait. This is my comeback party off my major injury on my hand and bicep which is feeling great. I can’t wait to test it out. I am just happy that I am back in the scene.

Being able to do something that I love to do where I am the happiest. I just thank God for this opportunity this moment. I am very grateful.

Q
Do either of you want to make a prediction for the fight? Deontay?

D. Wilder
Like I just said, I go for the knockouts.. At this point in time in my career I am very relaxed now. Earlier when I first came out of course I was wild. You know my last time is Wilder.

I was wild. But now as I started getting experience and bigger fights. I kind of have slowed down and just relaxed and wait on the opening and stuff like that.

But you know to answer your question now and for anybody who has the same question in the future. Deontay Wilder don’t play games. Deontay Wilder comes to destroy the man that is in front of him. So I think that answers your question.

Lou DiBella:
Okay well thanks everybody for joining us. And we look forward to seeing you if not on February 25th in Birmingham, Alabama then we hope you will be tuned into FOX and to FOX Deportes at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on February 25th to see this great card headlined by the WBC Heavyweight Championship between Deontay Wilder and Gerald Washington.

Thank you Deontay and thank you Gerald. And also thank to Tony Harrison and Jarrett Hurd for having joined us on this call.

So plenty of tickets are still available. The tickets are really affordable and, you know, there are loads of $25 seats available. So anyone who can get down to Birmingham, Alabama we hope to see you there.

For more information, visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,www.alabamatitlefight.comwww.dbe1.com,http://www.tgbpromotions.com/http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and foxdeportes.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @BronzeBomber, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/FoxSports and www.Facebook.com/FoxDeportes. Follow the conversation using #PBConFOX. PBC on FOX is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Final.

BIRMINGHAM, AL (February 16, 2017) – The stakes have been raised in the already highly-charged junior middleweight showdown between Tony Harrison (24-1, 20 KOs) and Jarrett Hurd (19-0, 13 KOs). The clash between Harrison and Hurd has been elevated to a battle for the vacant IBF 154-pound world title and is part of an exciting night of action Saturday, February 25. on Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes.

The title become vacant after titlist Jermall Charlo dropped the belt to move up to middleweight to seek bigger challenges in a new division.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT live from Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama and is headlined by undefeated heavyweight world champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder defending his title in his home state for the fourth time, as he faces undefeated contender Gerald Washington.

“These guys have already shown their mettle by agreeing to fight each other – No. 2 versus No. 3 – for the No. 1 spot,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “Having this match be for a world title is a great reward for two young guys who have shown a willingness to face each other.”

“Boxing writers and fans are already buzzing about Harrison versus Hurd, an explosive matchup,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “The winner will now be the IBF champion, bringing greatly increased significance to what should already be a war.”

The 26-year-old Harrison comes into this fight after scoring an explosive ninth-round stoppage of Sergey Rabchenko in July that put him in line for the world title. Harrison, who took down Cecil McCalla, Fernando Guerrero and Rabchenko in his last three contests, faces a tough challenge in the undefeated Hurd. The Detroit-native was unbeaten in his first 21 pro fights and recorded 10-straight knockouts between 2013 and 2015.

“I’ve been waiting on this for a long time. This the biggest shot of my life. It’s like my son being born all over again,” Harrison said. “This just made the fight that much more interesting. As a boxer this is what you dream of – the day you fight for a world title. Santa came early. We’re both 26 years old. It’s a dream come true for both of us. It doesn’t change the approach. It just makes it much sweeter and puts that much more respect on the winner of this fight.”

“This is the moment every boxer dreams of, becoming the world champion,” said Hurd. “I finally get that opportunity on the big stage – on the Deontay Wilder heavyweight championship card and on FOX in prime time on national TV. I’m blessed. I want to thank everyone for getting me to this point. Tony Harrison is a great fighter. It’s not going to be an easy fight. Tony Harrison is top-level competition and I’m a top level competitor. Two great fighters going after something they want. But I have to say my pants are falling and I need my belt.”

Hurd fights out of Accokeek, Md., just south of Washington, D.C. and is perfect since entering the pro ranks in 2012. The 26-year-old defeated three straight unbeaten fighters, including a sixth-round stoppage of Frank Galarza in 2015 and a 10th round TKO over Oscar Molina in the co-main event of the Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter card in June 2016. Most recently, Hurd stopped former title challenger Jo Jo Dan in the sixth-round of their fight in November of last year, positioning himself to fight for the title.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TBG Promotions in association with Bruno Event Team, start at $25 (not including applicable fees) and are on sale now. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and by visiting AlabamaTitleFight.com.

For more information, visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,www.alabamatitlefight.com,www.dbe1.com,http://www.tgbpromotions.com/http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and foxdeportes.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @BronzeBomber, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/FoxSports and www.Facebook.com/FoxDeportes. Follow the conversation using #PBConFOX. PBC on FOX is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Final.

BIRMINGHAM, AL (January 24, 2017) – A pair of exciting matchups come to primetime network television on Saturday, February 25 as rising super welterweight contenders Tony Harrison (24-1, 20 KOs) and Jarrett Hurd (19-0, 13 KOs) meet in a 12-round world title eliminator and Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale (17-1, 15 KOs) takes on undefeated Izuagbe Ugonoh (17-0, 14 KOs) in a 10-round heavyweight showdown as part of an exciting night of Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes action.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT live from Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama and is headlined by undefeated heavyweight world champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder defending his title in his home state for the fourth time, as he faces once-beaten challenger Andrzej Wawrzyk.

“This is the guaranteed fight of the night on February 25,” said Harrison. “This fight is do or die for me and I’m going to remind everyone how gifted I am. Fighting on a network like FOX and FOX Deportes is a blessing. I have deep roots in the south and I’m looking forward to fighting on a card with the big champ Deontay Wilder. Hurd is my toughest opponent to date and the winner of this will catapult themselves to the top of the division. You don’t want to miss this fight.”

“This is a big fight for me to get in the number one position for a world title,” said Hurd. “This lines up a world title shot for me and I’m not going to take it for granted. The time has come for me to step up and overcome this obstacle. Tony is a tall guy who likes to move around and he has some nice power. He’s a good fighter and I’m expecting a tough fight. This is a great position to be in and I’m going to work hard to take advantage of it.”

“I’m very excited to return to battle once again in Birmingham, Alabama and on FOX and FOX Deportes,” said Breazeale. “It’s a new year for me and I have great expectation for 2017. It all starts with a victory on February 25. I know my opponent is going to come prepared to protect his perfect record, but I’m going to be ready to do anything to get the victory.”

“I’m really looking forward to my first fight in the United States,” said Ugonoh. “I’m expecting a tough fight from Dominic Breazeale. He always comes to fight and I know I have to be ready for anything that he can bring to the ring. It’s really an honor to fight on the same card as the heavyweight world champion, Deontay Wilder. It’s exciting to be fighting on FOX and FOX Deportes in primetime on U.S. television and I’m going to make the most of it.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing in association with Bruno Event Team and TGB Promotions, start at $25 (not including applicable fees) and are on sale now. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and by visiting AlabamaTitleFight.com.

“As a promoter and as a fan, I can’t wait for the Harrison-Hurd title elimination fight,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Tony Harrison and Jarrett Hurd are two of the hardest hitting, most exciting young contenders in the super welterweight division. Fans can expect fireworks when they clash in Birmingham. The heavyweight fight between Breazeale and undefeated Izuagbe Ugonoh is also a battle of punchers and is a significant matchup in an increasingly competitive heavyweight division. Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes will have great supporting bouts for Deontay Wilder and the WBC heavyweight championship of the world.”

“These two co-featured bouts perfectly compliment the heavyweight world title fight in the main event,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “All four top contenders are in position for much bigger fights with a victory, making this a true must-see event.”

The 26-year-old Harrison comes into this fight after scoring an explosive ninth-round stoppage of Sergey Rabchenko in July that put him in line for the world title currently held by Jermall Charlo. The winner of his last three fights, Harrison faces a tough challenge in the undefeated Hurd after he took down Cecil McCalla, Fernando Guerrero and Rabchenko in his last three contests. The Detroit-native was unbeaten in his first 21 pro fights and recorded 10-straight knockouts between 2013 and 2015.

Hurd fights out of Accokeek, Md., just south of Washington, D.C. and is perfect since entering the pro ranks in 2012. The 26-year-old defeated three straight unbeaten fighters including a sixth-round stoppage of Frank Galarza in 2015 and a 10th round TKO over Oscar Molina in the co-main event of the Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter card in June 2016. Most recently, Hurd stopped former title challenger Jo Jo Dan in the sixth-round of their fight in November of last year and he will now look to solidify his spot at the top of the 154-pound rankings on February 25.

After representing the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics, Breazeale steadily improved and moved up the rankings before an unsuccessful challenge to Anthony Joshua for his heavyweight title in June. Prior to that, the Glendale, California-native picked up victories over veteran competition in Yasmany Consuegra, Fred Kassi and a stoppage of Amir Mansour on FOX in January of last year. Before switching to boxing, Breazeale was a quarterback at the University of Northern Colorado.

Born in Szczecin, Poland to Nigerian parents, Ugonoh is a former Polish kickboxing champion who took up boxing in 2010. Ugonoh is trained by Kevin Barry, the trainer for current heavyweight titleholder Joseph Parker, who Ugonoh trained and sparred with on his way to the world title. The 30-year-old will be making his U.S. debut after scoring knockout victories over Ricardo Ramirez and Gregory Tony in 2016 while fighting out of New Zealand.

For more information, visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,www.alabamatitlefight.comwww.dbe1.com,http://www.tgbpromotions.com/http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and foxdeportes.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @BronzeBomber, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/FoxSports and www.Facebook.com/FoxDeportes. Follow the conversation using #PBConFOX. PBC on FOX is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Follow all the action live from ringside as Keith Thurman defends the WBA Welterweight championship against former IBF champion Shaw Porter.  The action begins at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT with a battle of welterweights Jarrett Hurd & Oscar Molina.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED

Round 1: Left from Thurman…counter right..right,,,left to body…

Round 2: Right from Porter..rights and left from Porter on the ropes…left…Porter smothering Thurman on the ropes and landinginside left..

Round 3: Left from Thurman..right from Porter..Good right from Porter…Hard right and left from Thurman..Porter comes back with a flush right and left..

Round 4:  right to top of head by Thurman..left..left..Left from Porter..Trading big shots…left hurts Thurman…

Round 5:  Tremendous exchange…Jab from Porter..Body shot from Thurman..Both land good rights..

Round 6: Jab from Porter…right over the top..Porter applying a lot of pressure..Counter right from Thurman..right over top from Porter…

Round 7: Left from Porter…inside left from Thurman..Left from Porter..Good right from Thurman..Hard right from Porter..

Round 8:  Combo from Thurman…Hard left to the body hurts Thurman..Uppercut on inside..right,,,

Round 9: Right from Thurman…left to body…Big combination from Porter..Thurman is cut over left eye..Great exchange on the ropes..Left from Porter..Cut caued from Headbutt

Round 10:  Big right from Thurman..right…good exchange on ropes..left from Porter…Left buckles Porter,,,another exchange in the corner..

Round 11:  left from Thurman…Right to body from Porter..

Round 12:  Right from Thurman..Left..

115-113 on all cards…AND STILL WBA WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION, KEITH THURMAN

Round 1:  Hurd jabbing to the body..Molina digging with the left..left to head..left from Hurd…BIG RIGHT UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES MOLINA..

Round 2: Hurd lands a left to the body

Round 3: Jab from Hurd…triple jab..left uppercut…Left hook to head from Molina…Jab to body from Hurd..

Round 4:  Right from Hurd…Molina lands a counter right…left to body..right to body from Hurd..uppercut from Molina…trading left hooks..right to body from Molina…

Round 5:  left to body from Hurd…left to body from Molina…left to head…right from Hurd…right on insde…flicking right and left…left from Molina

Round 6: Right from Hurd drives Molina back…left on inside…uppercut and right…hard right uppercut…

Round 7:  Left from Molina..hard right from Hurd…Hard left hook from Molina..right…left from Hurd

Round 8: Combination from Hurd..Hurd working inside..Jab..hard counter right…right..big right

Round 9:  Right and left from Hurd…1-2 from Molina..Jab from Hurd…Good work by both fighters..Good right from Hurd…

Round 10:  Hurd shoves Molina to canvas…Right from Molina…left and right from Hurd..Hurd pounding the body..Counter right from Molina..3 SHOTS TO THE HEAD THE FIGHT IS STOPPED FOR HURD

BROOKLYN–Keith Thurman retained the WBA Welterweight title with a close unanimous decision over Shawn Porter in a action-packed bout at Barclays Center in front of 12,718 fans.

It was a terrific bout with both guys having big moments through the 36 minutes of intense action.  It looked like Thurman would solidify himself with boxing in round one, but in round two, Porter in round two began to smother Thurman on the inside and get in some hard power shots of his own.

The two seemed to trade rounds, with Thurman doing a lot of moving and landing his best shots when Porter would dive in at him.  Porter was able to get inside and maul Thurman against the ropes, which facilitated some furious exchanges much to the delight of the crowd.

Down the stretch both guys gave it their all and it was a close fight with not much separating the two.

Thurman 146 lbs of Clearwater, FLA won by scores of 115-113 on all cards and is now 27-0.  Thurman, 147 lbs of Las Vegas, NV is now 26-2-1.

KEITH THURMAN

“I want to thank Shawn Porter for a tremendous fight, he’s a great warrior. Defense is the key to victory He smothers his punches a lot and makes it difficult for the judges to score. I was able to rock him with clear, effective blows and I believe that was the difference today.

“It’s all about defense. I had a great defense today.”

SHAWN PORTER

“At the end of the day, I’m blessed. We worked hard, Keith is a great champion. My dad says to keep your head up. I think I won the fight, but I’m satisfied because the competitor came out tonight.

“We need that rematch. I know the fans want that rematch. If he gives me another chance, I’m going to work hard in the ring and leave with his title.”

Jarrett Hurd scored a 10th round stoppage over Oscar Molina in the final round of their junior middleweight bout.

In round one, Hurd landed a big right uppercut that put Molina on the deck.  Hurd continuously had the upper hand in the bout as he landed digging shots to the body and some hard head shots.  Molina showed plenty of heart as he would fire back and land some good rights of his own.

The two fought a spirited final frame as they landed power shots.  Hurd landed a big three punch combination to the head and the bout was stopped at 2:02.

Hurd, 153.8 lbs of Accokeek, MD is 18-0 with 12 knockouts.  Molina, 154.8 lbs of Norwalk, CA is 13-1-1.

“Molina is a great fighter. This is definitely a big win for my career. He was taking a lot of shots, but he knew how to survive.

“It was a big uppercut that knocked him down in round one. People know from my last fight that I have a great right uppercut.

“This fight here puts me up with the top contenders in the division. I felt like I could have gone three or four more rounds. I was getting stronger as the fight went on.

“We wanted to get him out early because we knew that he had a lot of ring experience. We had to break him down first.

“I’m very happy. This was the first fight on CBS since a Muhammad Ali fight. I made history today. This is a blessing. Me and my team have done a great job.

“I can’t see what the ref sees. He was hurt a couple of times. I don’t think it was a bad stoppage. Molina is a very tough guy who just kept coming through.

“We’re going right back to the gym so we can get in there again.”

OSCAR MOLINA

“I went low and I had my head down and he caught me with that uppercut in the first round. He got me with a shot I wasn’t expecting but it was definitely a flash knockdown. I wasn’t hurt.

“I felt like Hurd was throwing a lot of punches in the tenth round but they weren’t really hurting me. He was staying busy but he was never really hurting me.

“I was supposed to use my footwork a lot more but I ended up smothering my shots. He had an awkward defense with a lot of bending down and I couldn’t get into a rhythm.

“This was a big opportunity for me and I felt like I fought a good fight. I’m going to come back stronger. We’re going to work on a lot of things and get back in there.”

Heather Hardy remained undefeated as she pounded out an 8-round unanimous decision over Kristie Simmons in a featherweight fight.

Hardy, 123.2 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 78-74.  and is now 17-0.  Simmons, 122.8 lbs of Aurora, CO is 8-2.

David Benavidez remained undefeated with a controversial 7th round stoppage over Francy Ntetu in a light heavyweight bout.

Benavidez was ahead on the cards as he won close rounds, where he outpunched a game Ntetu.  The fight was curiously called off after a clinch where it did not look like any consequential punches were landed.

Benavidez, 168.6 lbs of Phoenox, AZ is 15-0 with 14 knockouts.  Nteti, 170 lbs of Quebec, CAN is 17-1.

Good looking prospect Regis Prograis stopped Luis Florez in round four of a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout.

Prograis dropped Florez in round three with a hard left.  Prograis continued the onslaught and he landed a hard combination in the corner and the bout was stopped at 1:47 of round four.

Prograis, 139.8 lbs of Houston, TX is now is 18-0 with 15 knockouts.  Florez, 140 lbs of Puerto Libertador, COL is now 21-4.

Josue Vargas remained undefeated by winning a 4-round unanimous decision over Ryan Picou in a junior welterweight bout.

Vragas, 140.8 lbs of Bronx, Ny won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is mow 5-0. Picou, `40.8 lbs of Las Vegas, NV is 2-10-1.

Nicklaus Flaz scored a devastating first round stoppage over Mack Babb in a scheduled 4-round junior middleweight bout.

Flaz landed a booming overhand right that folded Babb down to the canvas and the bout was immediately stopped at 1:13.

Flaz, 150.6 lbs of Bayamon, PR is 3-0 with 3 knockouts. Babb, 150.8 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 1-7.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (June 23, 2016) – Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before their eagerly anticipated welterweight world title showdown this Saturday, June 25 in primetime as SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® on CBS, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, comes to Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Live televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features undefeated super welterweights Jarrett Hurd and Oscar Molina in a 10-round rumble of rising contenders.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $49 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

The press conference took place at the Dream Hotel PHD Rooftop in downtown Manhattan. Here is what the participants had to say Thursday:

KEITH THURMAN

“It’s an honor to be on this platform. I’m excited to be back at Barclays Center. My last fight at Barclays Center was the first time I felt the fans give me love and I felt like I made it.

“I’m excited to feel the energy in the arena. We’re recovered and we’re ready. We did what we needed to so that we’re ready for Saturday night.

“As I think about this fight, these are dreams coming true for me. Sometimes I feel like I’m living a dream. I think about how I was raised by Ben Getty to this moment. Ben used to say that my moment was ‘right around the corner,’ and now it’s here. He was a wise man and he knew what he was talking about.

“This is a great fight. This is what the boxing fans want to see. I truly believe you are looking at two of the best welterweights in the world.

“I’m here as an entertainer. I’m here for the love of the sport. The fans want to see these kinds of fights. It’s obvious in the welterweight division that we are the two most exciting and devastating fighters in the division.

“Everybody kept talking about the sparring video, so I just decided to put it out. Sparring is sparring and fighting is fighting. This fight will be judged and this time I’ll have eight-ounce gloves on.

“It’s always been my dream to be the undisputed champion of the world.
“I’m looking forward to a great performance. I’m excited to a great challenge from Shawn Porter. There is a burning desire within myself to have a knockout victory. It’s hard to make world-class fighters quit. The fans ultimately want to see that knockout victory.

“There are real stakes are on the line this Saturday night. Our careers are on the line. My title is on the line. My undefeated record is on the line. It’s a great fight and a great matchup.

“I do believe that with each and every fight, you step up, you step up and you step up. So, thus the stakes are always higher and there are those times where you get a decent fight. But like I said, this is a great fight at a great moment of both athletes’ careers. We are both in our prime. I’m 27-years-old, Shawn is 28-years-old, we’ve both accomplished many great things and a victory on Saturday night is just going to be another thing to add to the resume.

“This really is the best fight of the best. We’re trying to satisfy the fans and we’re trying to challenge ourselves, push ourselves, and see where we fit in and how great we really are. I’m going to show you Saturday night how great Keith “One Time” Thurman really is.

“Just like Ali said, Saturday night, I’m going to show you how great I am.”

SHAWN PORTER

“It’s here. It’s been long anticipated and it’s here. I have never been more excited to fight in my life. It’s a blessing. Along this journey I’ve been able to learn the basics and excel in the basics and I found myself in a position where I’ve been able to be very successful.

“My hometown Cleveland Cavaliers winning the NBA title is definitely a motivation. It motivates me to be a winner. I want to bring this belt back to Ohio.

“I’m looking forward to this kind of moment to shine. That’s how you gain notoriety and become bigger. There’s no pressure, just excitement.

“I’m just looking forward to getting in there and getting that energetic feeling. I want to feel the excitement of getting into the ring and all the adrenaline that rushes through.

“This is the fight I wanted. I wanted to have fun training for a fight like this. Keith has made it possible. He’s so good it pushes me to be better.

“This isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last time that two friends fight. I’m done talking about us being friends because it’s time for us to start punching each other. My plan is to have great defense, avoid getting hit and win the fight.

“I didn’t take much time off after the postponement. We tried to train and stay ready through the cancellation. You never know when the phone is going to ring. We just wanted to stay in shape, get better and be ready for anything.

“I feel like if Floyd Mayweather comes back, he should fight the winner of this matchup. I believe that will be me.

“I’m not going to go in there looking for a knockout and throw my hands wildly. I’m going to keep up the pace that I normally keep up. I’m a great boxer. People consider me a boxer, but I may surprise you.”

JARRETT HURD

“I’m thankful for this opportunity. This is a great shot for me right now. In my last fight I had an opportunity similar to this. I was a fill-in for television and I did what I was supposed to do.

“Success is accomplished when preparation meets opportunity. I know things like this can happen. It doesn’t change anything. We’re going to go out and do what we trained for.

“You always get butterflies before getting in the ring but that’s normal. Molina is very experienced and has good hand speed but I know what I can do. We’re ready for this.

“I’m happy to be on this stage. This could be the biggest fight of the year and I’m extremely blessed to open it up.

“I’m going to go out there and put on another terrific performance. Molina, he’s an Olympian and he has a lot of experience. He’s a crafty fighter and we’re going to do what we have to do to get the victory.

“We’re ready to do what we’re going to do. It’s going to be a great fight on Saturday night.”

OSCAR MOLINA

“I’m ready for this. I’m more than ready for this. These type of fights are what gets me up to train.

“This guy I’m fighting is young, undefeated and a prospect like myself. I know he’s going to be ready and it’s going to be a tough fight but I’m ready for him.

“This is a huge deal for me. I was already excited to be on this huge undercard. When they told me that I was moving up to CBS I knew how big of an opportunity it is for me and my career.

“Hurd is a tall and lanky fighter. I saw his last fight and I see that he does well with guys who are flat footed. My boxing skills and my footwork are something he’s never seen before. Frank Galarza was tailor-made for Hurd and I think I’m going to be able to give him different looks.

“I’m a boxer-puncher and I can adapt to different styles. I also have power for big knockouts but my boxing skills are most important.

“Fighting in the Olympics taught me to adapt to different styles. I have a fan-friendly style and I’m excited to put on a show.”

DAN BIRMINGHAM, Thurman’s Trainer

“We’re ready for this fight. Keith trains hard every day and we know Shawn and Kenny well. I’ve brought them to my gym and these two guys have gone a lot of rounds together.

“I think Keith Thurman is the most gifted guy in boxing. He does everything right. Saturday night we’re looking for a great fight and I know in my heart that we will be victorious.”

KEN PORTER, Porter’s Father & Trainer

“It’s great to be here. It’s great to be on this stage with Shawn. This isn’t something we just started getting ready for, this is something he’s been getting ready for since birth. I always had a mindset to put Shawn in a position to excel in life. He has not disappointed.

“I know these guys are going to give it everything they have. It will be 100 percent for as long as it lasts. We’re prepared to take the championship. These are great guys here to the right, but on Saturday we’re bringing everything to the table.

“We’re coming to deliver a great show. Enjoy yourselves on Saturday night.”

LOU DIBELLA, President of DiBella Entertainment

“This is what it’s all about. This Saturday night, the best is fighting the best. It’s right here in Brooklyn on CBS. It’s the first fight on CBS in primetime since Muhammad Ali fought over 30 years ago.

“This is a terrific card from top to bottom. There is a tremendous undercard, a great co-feature and a main event that boxing fans have been waiting for a long time.

“This is an undercard chock full of talent. You will want to get there early as there are evenly matched bouts all night.

“SHOWTIME has highlighted the 154-pound division in recent shows, so it makes sense that there will be another significant matchup in that division on CBS Saturday night with Jarrett Hurd and Oscar Molina.

“We’re not going to talk about friendship and respect anymore with these two guys, that’s in the past and the future. These guys know their future is dependent on beating up the other guy and a fight of this magnitude makes the stakes even higher.

“The best want to fight the best and it starts Saturday night. The winner of this fight wants to be the best in the world. Both men want to be an undisputed welterweight champion.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“June 25 is a very special day and night for us at CBS. It begins with the heavyweight world title being contested between Anthony Joshua and Dominic Breazeale and then the return of boxing to primetime CBS for the first time in almost 40 years.

“This was an easy fight to make. Shawn and Keith, neither one hesitated for a second in taking this fight. All credit goes to them for taking this fight. It’s a difficult fight for both on a big stage.

“Boxing takes criticism for not making the right fights at the right time. One of the bad habits we have is that we spend time thinking about fights that might get made. But now we have the right fight, at the right time and at the right venue. It’s a disservice to not recognize that what is going on Saturday is very special and very exciting.”

BRETT YORMARK, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment

“It’s an exciting week at Barclays Center. Tonight we host the NBA Draft, the weigh-in tomorrow and our big event Saturday night. The momentum is building for this fight and we are on pace for the biggest crowd for a boxing event since we opened.

“We are excited about bringing a great night of fights to Brooklyn. We welcome Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter back to Brooklyn as they have both fought there once before.

“It’s become tradition to have both of you fight in our ring and we know how popular you are with our fans and we love to have you back.

“This will be the first primetime fight on CBS since the first Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks fight in 1978 and it’s a big moment for the boxing community for sure. We look forward to hosting everyone on Saturday night.”

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing @KeithFThurmanJr, @ShowtimeShawnP, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports,www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.facebook.c

BROOKLYN (June 20, 2016) – An intriguing matchup between undefeated super welterweights Jarrett Hurd and Oscar Molina will open this Saturday’s Primetime CBS broadcast from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS broadcast, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, airs live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is headlined by a welterweight blockbuster between undefeated champion Keith Thurman and once-beaten former titlist Shawn Porter.

The 10-round showdown between the 25-year-old Hurd (17-0, 11 KOs) and 26-year-old Molina (13-0-10 KOs) is a rare matchup between young undefeated prospects in one of boxing’s hottest divisions. The winner graduates to contender status in the stacked 154-pound class, a division featuring Erislandy Lara, Jermall and Jermell Charlo, Demetrius Andrade and Julian Williams.

Hurd vs. Molina represents the toughest professional fight for either man.

“The dictionary definition of ‘Swift’ is to happen quickly or promptly,” said Hurd. “So just like my ring name, that’s exactly what you’ll see on Saturday night. I’m so grateful that this fight was made and that the whole world will be able to see my boxing skills on this highly anticipated card.”

“I’m excited for this fight and I’m grateful that it’s even bigger now that it’s on CBS,” said Molina. “I’ve seen Hurd fight. I know what he does well and what his weaknesses are and I’ll be looking to capitalize on them. It’s important for me to defeat the top guys and this is someone I have to beat to become a world champion one day. I’m excited about fighting in Brooklyn on the big stage, but my focus will be on my trainer’s game plan and coming out victorious.”

Hurd, of Accokeek, Md., just south of Washington, D.C., has an unblemished record since turning professional in 2012. He is coming off a career-best performance last November with a six-round destruction of previously undefeated Frank Galarza on ShoBox: The New Generation. Hurd, who has never been down or cut as a professional, will be facing his third consecutive unbeaten opponent.

Molina, of Norwalk, Calif., just east of Los Angeles, was a 2012 Mexican Olympian. He tore through his opposition after turning professional in 2013, registering knockouts in 10 of his 14 fights. Molina, who has also never been down, is coming off a 10-round draw with fellow unbeaten highly regarded prospect Dominque Dolton last September. He returns to the ring this Saturday against another undefeated opponent as he looks to make a statement in the 154-pound division.

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Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $49 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP. Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @PremierBoxing @KeithFThurmanJr, @ShowtimeShawnP, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebookat www.Facebook.com/SHOSports,www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.facebook.com/BarclaysCenter.

BROOKLYN (May 19, 2016) – A stacked undercard featuring top rising talent and local favorites will light up the ring at Barclays Center in Brooklyn as part of an extraordinary night of action on Saturday, June 25.

The June 25 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® on CBS event, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, is headlined by the highly anticipated welterweight showdown between world champion Keith Thurman and former champion Shawn Porter. Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with an exciting battle between featherweight world champion Jesus Cuellar and former three-division world champion Abner Mares.

In undercard action, undefeated super welterweights, Maryland’s Jarrett Hurd (17-0, 11 KOs), and California’s Oscar Molina (13-0, 10 KOs), will collide in a 10-round bout while undefeated light heavyweights, Arizona’s David Benavidez (14-0, 13 KOs) and Francy Ntetu (16-0, 3 KOs), will mix it up in an eight-round fight.

Two staples of Brooklyn boxing will also enter the ring on June 25 as Heather “The Heat” Hardy (16-0, 4 KOs) competes in an eight-round super bantamweight attraction while Polish bruiser Adam Kownacki (13-0, 10 KOs) competes in a heavyweight bout.

Also in action on June 25 is hard-hitting, highly regarded 140-pound prospect Regis Prograis (17-0, 14 KOs) in a 10-round fight, 2012 Spanish Olympian Jonathan Alonso (8-0, 4 KOs) in a six-round super lightweight scrap and Mayweather Promotions prospect Josue Vargas (4-0, 3 KOs) in a four-round fight.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, start at $49 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Fighting out of Accokeek, Md., Hurd has an unblemished professional record since turning pro in 2012. The 25-year-old opened up 2015 with a third-round stoppage of veteran Eric Mitchell and followed with a seventh-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Jeff Lentz in August. He stepped up in competition last November when he faced Frank Galarza in Las Vegas and was able to show off his considerable skill by stopping the previously unbeaten fighter in the sixth round of perhaps a career-best performance.

Representing Mexico, the 2012 Olympian Molina fights out of Norwalk, Calif., and is unbeaten in his brief professional career. The 26-year-old turned pro in 2013 and after winning a decision in his first bout, he went on to knock out six opponents in a row. His last bout came against fellow unbeaten Domonique Dolton and featured exciting back-and-forth action before the fight was ruled a majority draw.

The younger brother of undefeated Jose Benavidez, David has racked up a perfect 14 wins in 14 starts at just 19-years-old. Fighting out of Phoenix, Benavidez picked up four victories via stoppage in 2015 and kicked off his 2016 with a knockout of Kevin Cobbs in January. Most recently, he scored a second round knockout of Phillip Jackson Benson in April. The next challenge for Benavidez is the 33-year-old Ntetu, who won three times in 2015. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, he fights out of Montreal and will be making his fifth appearance in the U.S. on June 25.

A popular Brooklyn fighter who competed in Barclays Center’s first-ever professional female boxing match, Hardy has become a staple at the arena since. On June 25, she will be making her seventh appearance at Barclays Center. A little over two years after her pro debut, Hardy won an international title belt in the super bantamweight division in October 2014. In 2015, she defeated Noemi Bosques and Renata Domsodi twice. In her lone 2016 fight, she stopped Anna Donatella Hultin in the fourth round.

A two-time New York Golden Gloves champion, Kownacki had a big 2015, notching four victories including knockouts of Maurenzo Smith and Randy Easton. Born in Lomza, Poland, the 26-year-old now calls Brooklyn home. His 2016 campaign began in January at Barclays Center when he defeated Danny Kelly in front of a raucous Polish crowd.

Originally from New Orleans but fighting out of Houston, Prograis continues to work his way up the 140-pound rankings as he takes down veteran contenders. The 27-year-old looked sensational in his last outing as he scored a first round knockout over Mexico’s Aaron Herrera. Already named on of ESPN’s top prospects in 2015, he will look to cement his contender status in 2016.

Born in the Dominican Republic, Alonso moved to Spain at seven-years-old and would eventually represent the country at the 2012 Olympics. Now training in Brooklyn, the 25-year-old is undefeated since turning pro in 2014 while splitting time fighting in New York and Spain. He is coming off a victory over Ricardo Maldonado in February.

Vargas began boxing at age eight and by by age 13 the New York Daily News dubbed him a “prodigy.” Fighting out of New York, the 17-year-old Vargas recently signed to the Mayweather Promotions stable and will make his debut with his new promoter on June 25.

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

LAS VEGAS (November 02, 2015) – As he nears his Saturday, Nov. 14 showdown against WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs), featherweight contender Oscar Escandón (24-2, 16 KOs) is primed and ready for the challenge. The 12-round SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® main-event will be televised live on SHOWTIME (10:45 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The co-main event of the evening will see undefeated super welterweights Frank “Notorious” Galarza (17-0-2, 11 KOs) and Jarrett “Swift” Hurd (16-0, 10 KOs) in a 10-round clash.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $155, $105, $80, $55 and $30, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office, by calling 888-9-AXS-TIX, or online at www.axs.com.

Less than one month after Russell Jr. and Escandon square off, SHOWTIME Sports® will present another high-profile matchup between elite 126-pound fighters as WBA Featherweight World Champion Jesus Cuellar defends against Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Oquendo on Dec. 5 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

While working out in Las Vegas with Coach Ruben Guerrero, Escandón gave his thoughts on training camp, fighting Gary Russell Jr., and his quest to become a world champion.

On his matchup with Gary Russell Jr.:

“Gary Russell Jr. is a very skilled fighter but he doesn’t know what it’s like to be in a rugged fight. Everyone knows I come to fight and Russell is going to find out firsthand what it’s like to be in a war. He better be ready to take some lumps.”

On training in Las Vegas:

“Running in the high elevation here in Las Vegas has been great for my stamina. I’ve adjusted to the atmosphere and my body feels extremely strong. I’ve gotten some great sparring with a lot of different looks, guys that move like Russell. I couldn’t be more prepared then I’ll be for this fight.”

On working with Ruben Guerrero:

“Ruben and I have been working great together. His knowledge of fighting southpaws is excellent and we have a great game plan going into this fight. Everyone can expect to see me throw a lot of punches.”

On his quest to become a world champion:

“Becoming a world champion is something I’ve wanted my whole life. I’ve been close a couple of times. In those fights I made the mistake of leaving the decision in the judges’ hands. This time around, I’m going for the knockout, to assure myself victory.”

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @MrGaryRussellJr, @TGBPromotions, @HardRockHotelLV and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.

CONTACTS:

LAS VEGAS (October 28, 2015) – Undefeated super welterweights Frank “Notorious” Galarza (17-0-2, 11 KOs) and Jarrett “Swift” Hurd (16-0, 10 KOs) will meet in an important 10-round clash that serves as the co-featured event for SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (10:45 p.m. ET/PT) on Saturday, Nov. 14 from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The main event, live on SHOWTIME®, will feature WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) in the first defense of his world title against Oscar Escandon (24-2, 16 KOs).

“I’ve been here before but I know that I still have something to prove,” said Galarza. “I’m grateful for this opportunity and I’m ready to show the world I’m one of the best 154-pound fighters in all of boxing.”

“It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hands,” said Hurd. “I’m excited about this fight and ready to show the world my ability come Nov. 14.”

“Galarza and Hurd represent two of the best undefeated prospects in the super welterweight division,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “It’s a high risk, high reward fight which will bring out the very best in both fighters for those watching on SHOWTIME and in attendance at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $155, $105, $80, $55 and $30, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased at Hard Rock Hotel box office, by calling 888-9-AXS-TIX, or online at www.axs.com.

A contender in the 154-pound division, Galarza has won six straight fights since the start of 2014, including a thrilling second-round knockout over previously unbeaten John Thompson. A Brooklyn native who turned pro in 2010, the popular Galarza has inspired many with his personal story of perseverance. In his last appearance on April 10, Galarza scored a third round knockout of Sheldon Moore in his hometown of Brooklyn on ShoBox: The New Generation. The 30-year-old will look to make his mark in his first shot on a big stage when he enters the ring on Nov. 14.

Fighting out of Accokeek, Md., Hurd has an unblemished professional record since turning pro in 2012. The 25-year-old opened up 2015 with a third-round stoppage of veteran Eric Mitchell and followed with a seventh-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Jeff Lentz in August. He will take a step-up in competition when he challenges Galarza on Nov. 14.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @MrGaryRussellJr, @TGBPromotions, @HardRockHotelLV and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.