NEW YORK, NY (October 18, 2024) Next Wednesday, October 23, Lou DiBella’s DiBella Entertainment presents “Heroes on the Hudson 2,” a stacked card including three title fights, live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The main event features the much-anticipated rematch between IBF Bantamweight World Champion Miyo Yoshida and Shurretta Metcalf. “Heroes on the Hudson 2” will be broadcast live on ProBoxTV, beginning at 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT. A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to West Point Society of New York, Merging Vets & Players, and The Headstrong Project.

Tickets for “Heroes On The Hudson 2”, priced at $182, $157, $82 and $57, can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com HERE. Doors at The Theater at Madison Square Garden will open on the night of the event at 7:15 PM ET.

How to Watch: Download the free ProBoxTV app available in all app stores, in English and Spanish. It is available on Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung, LG and Fubo Sports Channel, as well as on ProBoxTV’s YouTube channel.

The evening will kick off with a heavyweight clash between Jerry “Slugger” Forrest (27-6-2, 20 KOs), of Newport News, VA, and Brooklyn, NY’s Earl Newman (10-3-1, 7 KOs), scheduled for eight rounds. Forrest, who is coming off of a unanimous decision win against Robert Hall Jr. late last year, plans to set the stage for a major fight in 2025. Before turning pro, Newman was an accomplished amateur, winning the National Golden Gloves, National PAL tournament, and New York Golden Gloves twice.

Forrest, the heavy-handed six-foot-one southpaw was given his “Slugger” nickname by his grandmother after he survived complications at birth. In 2021, Forrest engaged in back-to-back slugfests, both of which ended in controversial draws, against then-undefeated Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang and a rematch against top-rated contender Michael Hunter. Forrest has also battled Jermaine Franklin, Carlos Takam, Kubrat Pulev and Jared Anderson.

“I’ve been in camp for the last few months,” said Forrest. “I always stay in shape, and I’m always ready. I’m feeling good, feeling healthy, and I’m ready for a fight. We’ve been studying footage of Newman. I’m not going in the ring feeling like this will be a pushover. I will be prepared for whatever Newman brings.”

Being a part of “Heroes on the Hudson 2” is especially important to Forrest, as his father, Duane, was a Master Chief Petty Officer aboard the USS Nimitz before recently retiring from the Navy. At the outset of his ring career, Jerry had been employed as a nuclear electrician for 10 years, working on submarines and aircraft carriers.

“My parents were always very supportive of me pursuing boxing. When my dad was in the Navy, he would get the carriers to show my fights. I had soldiers all over the world supporting me whenever I fought. It is an honor to fight on this card. The military blessed my family. We wouldn’t have what we have now without it.”

The elder Forrest is proud of his son for pursuing his dream.  

“Jerry got into a fight at school with a bully, a gang member,” said Mr. Forrest, describing his son’s start in boxing. “The bully hit my son from behind, and Jerry responded by beating him up. The school official described my son’s punches sounding like a bat hitting a wall. After that, some kids came to our front door at home looking to fight my son, and he beat up them too. I told my son that if he wanted to fight, he needed to do it in the ring.

“We have always been supportive of my son’s career,” continued Mr. Forrest, who is proud that his son will fight on an event benefiting veterans. “My heart is with the veterans. I’m one myself. Men and women sign their names on dotted lines to defend this country and it’s about freedom. We enlist at our free will. That takes courage, heart, grit and guts. Only one percent of the population joins. Any member of any branch, I applaud you and thank you for your service. A lot of people won’t make the sacrifice. Most people do other things in life. It’s not easy by any means. Veterans made a sacrifice to give a part of their lives to defend democracy and freedom in our nation. I tip my hat to them because they are true leaders.”

Also on the undercard, Polish light heavyweight Konrad Kaczmarkiewicz (7-1-1, 3 KOs), a popular fighter out of Brooklyn, NY, takes on Pennsylvania’s Khainell Wheeler (7-5, 6 KOs) in a six-round bout. A Polish National Champion as an amateur, Kaczmarkiewicz trains out of the same gym as world champion Miyo Yoshida and is cornered by Aureliano Sosa. Managed by Lukasz Kownacki, he made his US debut last month in Queens, NY, with a fifth-round stoppage.

World-ranked super lightweight contender “Marvelous” Mykquan Williams (21-0-2, 10 KOs), of East Hartford, CT, squares off against Rochester, NY’s Lavisas Williams (10-1-1, 3 KOs) in the co-main event. Mykquan, who will defend his WBA Continental Americas Gold Super Lightweight title, last fought in June, stopping Willmank Brito in the third round. 

Edward “Kid” Vazquez (16-2, 3 KOs), of Fort Worth, TX, vies for the vacant IBF USBA Junior Lightweight Championship against Kenneth Taylor (14-3-2, 6 KOs), of Tyler, TX, in a 10-round contest. Vazquez has been anxious to return to the ring following his dominant win against Daniel Bailey in May. The fight followed a controversial majority decision loss to then-IBF featherweight world champion Joe Cordina in an action-packed “Fight of the Year” contender for 2023.

“Heroes on the Hudson 2” is proudly sponsored by CAVU Securities and Morgan Stanley. Companies interested in purchasing sponsorship packages available can contact DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577.

A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to the following Veterans causes: 

West Point Society of New York provides camaraderie and support to graduates and former cadets of the United States Military Academy.  

Merging Vets & Players is an organization that combines veterans with the sporting community to help our heroes thrive and make connections and a difference on the field and in their communities. Learn more at vetsandplayers.org.

The Headstrong Project provides free, confidential, and easy-to-access mental healthcare for members of the military community. More information can be found at theheadstrongproject.org.

New York, NY (September 14, 2023) – Heavyweight contender Jerry “Slugger” Forrest (26-6-2, 20 KOs), of Newport News, VA, returns to the ring tomorrow night near his hometown headlining an event at John Marshall Hall, in Richmond, VA. He will take on Robert Hall Jr. (14-1, 11 KOs) in the eight-round main event. The card, titled “Ritz & Rumble” and promoted by River City Promotions, will be streamed live on FITE+ at 7:00pm ET.

“I’m thrilled to get back into the ring after taking some time off after my last fight. I’ve studied Hall and I know he’s not as fast as me nor can he keep up with my pressure. I believe that no one can beat me when I’m 100 percent healthy and in shape. I’ve had a great training camp with my new head coach, Eric Ash, out of his gym, Vintage Boxing Gym & Fitness, in Richmond, VA. The gym is actually down the road from where one of Lou DiBella’s MiLB baseball teams, the Richmond Flying Squirrels, play. We went to a few games and the team helped promote the event with their fans,” said Forrest.

“Last year, I was dealing with injuries going into both of my fights. Following the Jared Anderson fight, I took some time off to heal and now I am fully healthy. After I get this win, I’ll be looking to get right back into the mix. There are a lot of opportunities at heavyweight right now and I’ve already proven that I can compete at the top of the division.”

Last year, Forrest battled rising contender Jared Anderson and former world title challenger Kubrat Pulev. In 2021, Forrest engaged in back-to-back slugfests, both of which ended in controversial draws, against then-undefeated Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang and a rematch against top-rated contender Michael Hunter. Most observers felt that Forrest deserved to win both bouts.

The heavy-handed southpaw was given the nickname “Slugger” by his grandmother after he survived complications from his birth. Forrest, whose father is a master chief petty officer in the US Navy aboard the USS Nimitz, was employed as a nuclear electrician for 10 years, working on submarines and aircraft carriers at the outset of his boxing career.

Forrest’s opponent tomorrow, the six-foot-three Hall Jr., from Johnson City, TN, is a former WBC USA titlist. He is coming off of a three-fight winning streak, all by knockout, following his only defeat in 2017. He has shown that he is a dangerous adversary and is capable of causing an upset, evidenced by his 10-round unanimous decision victory against the previously unbeaten prospect Dimar Ortuz.

Former undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez took a 10-round split decision over Sandor Martin at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

In round two, Martin was cut in the bridge of the nose from a headbutt. Later in the round, Martin was able to score a knockdown when Lopez charged in and Martin landed a little right hook to the side of the head. In round four, Martin began to bleed from the nostrils. Martin was awkward, but Lopez had a better workrate and landed more punches as the punch stat statistics read 97 of 391 for Lopez, while Marin was 77 of 244.

The scorecards read 97-92 and 96-93 for Lopez. Martin won a card 95-94.

Lopez is now 18-1. Martin is 40-3.

Jared Anderson Takes Out Forrest in 2

Jared Anderson remained perfect with a second round destruction of Jerry Forrest in their 10-round heavyweight bout.

After Forrest landed a couple of power punches in round one, Anderson unleashed a blitz of vicious power shots that landed on the head of Forrest. Forrest did not go down, but that meant he ate more destructive punches in the second frame and finally referee David Fields mercifully ended the fight at 1:34 of round two.

Anderson of Toledo, OH is 13-0 with 13 knockouts. Forrest is 26-6-2.

Zayas Decisions Salazar

Xander Zayas remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Alexis Salazar in a junior middleweight bout.

Zayas won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice and is now 15-0. Salazar is 25-5.

Davis Decisions Burgos

Hot-prospect Keyshawn Davis won a eight-round unanimous decision over former three-time world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos in a lightweight bout.

Davis won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 7-0. Burgos of Tijuana, MEX is 35-7-3.

Joe Ward won an eight-round unanimous decision over Frederick Julan in a light heavyweight bout.

Ward of Moate, IRE won by scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74 and is now 8-1. Julan of Brooklyn, NY is 12-2.

Damian Knyba stopped Emilio Salas in round two of their six-round heavyweight bout.

The bout was stopped at 1:50 for Knyba who is now 10-0 with six knockouts. Salas is 10-4-1.

Tiger Johnson stopped Mike Ohan in round five of their eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Johnson hurt Ohan with a hard right hand and then unleashed 20 unanswered shots that forced referee Steve Willis to stop the bout at 1:29.

NEW YORK (Oct. 26, 2022) — Four of boxing’s most electrifying young talents hope to strike the Heisman pose Saturday, Dec. 10, at Madison Square Garden.

Former lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez makes his second appearance at junior welterweight in the 10-round main event against former two-weight world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza.

In the 10-round heavyweight co-feature, Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson aims for his 13th straight knockout against the battle-tested Jerry “Slugger” Forrest.

Puerto Rican junior middleweight star Xander Zayas steps up in class against 28-fight veteran Alexis Salazar in a scheduled eight-rounder special feature. And, in the televised opener, Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis looks to jumpstart his world title ambitions in an eight-round lightweight duel versus Juan Carlos Burgos.

Lopez-Pedraza, Anderson-Forrest, Zayas-Salazar, and Davis-Burgos will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT immediately following the Heisman Trophy Ceremony.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $51 go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 12 p.m. ET.

“Four of boxing’s mega talents, headlined by the great Teofimo Lopez, will be in action December 10 at the iconic Madison Square Garden. This will be a special evening,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Lopez is targeting a junior welterweight title shot in 2023, and Jose Pedraza is a Puerto Rican warrior hungry for another world title opportunity. With Jared Anderson, Xander Zayas, and Keyshawn Davis, this card features three additional fighters who will one day be headlining superstars.”

Lopez (17-1, 13 KOs) toppled pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko in October 2020 to become the lightweight champion. Thirteen months later, he lost his titles via split decision to George Kambosos Jr. He returned August 13 as a junior welterweight and stopped Pedro Campa in the seventh round. Lopez is no stranger to “Heisman Night,” as he’s authored two of the most indelible Top Rank on ESPN moments on that platform. In 2018, he knocked out Mason Menard in 44 seconds, donned the jersey of Heisman winner Kyler Murray, and topped things off with the Heisman pose and a backflip. One year later, he stopped Richard Commey in the second round to win the IBF lightweight world title and immediately put on the jersey of that year’s victor, LSU’s Joe Burrow. He didn’t forget the pose or the signature backflip that time, either.

Lopez said, “It’s Heisman Night at Madison Square Garden. I’m born for this stage. Once I beat Jose Pedraza in front of my hometown fans, I am coming for all the junior welterweight belts in 2023. The Takeback is in full effect, and I am on a mission to become a champion again.”

Pedraza (29-4-1, 14 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, won world titles at junior lightweight and lightweight before moving up to the 140-pound ranks in 2019. Despite a competitive decision loss to Jose Ramirez and a draw against Commey in his last two fights, Pedraza still ranks among the most accomplished junior welterweight contenders. Ranked No. 10 by the WBO and WBC, Pedraza can earn another title opportunity with a win over Lopez and move closer to his goal of becoming the first male Puerto Rican boxer since Miguel Cotto to capture world titles in three weight divisions.

“I am here to face the elite fighters of the division, and to me, that is what Teofimo represents,” Pedraza said. “I have come to show that I am still one of the best fighters at 140 pounds. I’m still a threat to everyone in the division, and on December 10, I’m going to prove it. For me, the goal doesn’t change. I want to be crowned world champion in a third division, and I know I’m going to achieve it.”

Anderson (12-0, 12 KOs), the fighting pride of Toledo, Ohio, has seen his stock skyrocket since turning pro in October 2019 following a decorated U.S. amateur career. He has prototypical heavyweight size at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, and he’s stopped nine of his 12 foes in two rounds or less, including four straight second-round stoppages. In August, he returned from an eight-plus month layoff to knock out Serbian veteran Miljan Rovcanin.

“I’m happy to finally be getting a step-up fight,” Anderson said. “Hopefully, this solidifies my place as a contender and confirms that I’m not a prospect anymore.”

Forrest (26-5-2, 20 KOs) is the ultimate heavyweight litmus test, a 6’1, 230-pound southpaw who has mixed it up with some of the division’s most notable names, including Carlos Takam, Michael Hunter, and Zhang Zhilei. His only stoppage loss came nearly 10 years ago, and he held Hunter and Zhilei to 10-round draws in 2021. Forrest returned in May and dropped a 10-round decision to two-time world title challenge Kubrat Pulev.

“I’m in camp now. I’m excited and motivated to make a big statement. Jared is the up-and-coming fighter, and all the pressure is on him,” Forrest said. “After my last performance, I feel everyone has forgotten how good I am. I’ve been in the ring against top fighters, and I know that I can compete at the top level. The question is, what can he do against an experienced veteran like me? I am coming to send the ‘Big Baby’ home crying after his first loss. This will be a great fight for the fans in attendance at Madison Square Garden and those watching nationally on ESPN.”

Zayas (14-0, 10 KOs), the youngest signee in Top Rank history, turned pro as a 17-year-old in October 2019 on the same card as Anderson. Since that debut, he’s developed into Puerto Rico’s newest sensation and has knocked out three of his past four foes. He received the co-feature spotlight on the Lopez-Campa card, knocking out Elias Espadas in five riveting rounds. In March, Zayas shined at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden with an eight-round drubbing over Louisiana-born spoiler Quincy LaVallais. Salazar (24-4, 9 KOs), from Guadalajara, Mexico, has won 16 of his last 17 bouts, the only defeat coming via third-round knockout to rising middleweight contender Carlos Adames. He has not fought since January 28, an eight-round decision over Valentin Martinez Guzman in Tijuana, Mexico.

Zayas said, “I am very happy to be part of another amazing card at the legendary Madison Square Garden, and as always, I’m grateful to Top Rank for giving me these opportunities to showcase my skills on such a big stage. Salazar is a strong Mexican veteran, and with this performance, I’m looking to close the year strong and set the tone for a big 2023.

Davis (6-0, 5 KOs) hopes to open the ESPN telecast with his blend of in-fighting and precision that has already made him a lightweight contender to watch. The 23-year-old phenom from Norfolk, Virginia, fought three fought pro fights in 2021 before becoming one of the standouts of Team USA’s boxing team at the Tokyo Olympics. He stopped 2016 Olympic silver medalist Sofiane Oumiha before dropping a tight decision to Cuban sensation Andy Cruz in the gold medal match. Since signing with Top Rank last November, he’s scored a pair of knockouts, most recently a fifth-round drubbing of Omar Tienda on the Shakur Stevenson-Robson Conceição bill in Newark, New Jersey. Burgos (35-6-3, 21 KOs), from Tijuana, is a three-time world title challenger who has fought the likes of retired four-weight world champion Mikey Garcia and undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney. He has never been knocked out and has experienced a career renaissance of late. In March, he held highly regarded prospect Angel Fierro to a draw.

Davis said, “I will send another message to the lightweight division to end the year. Burgos is a veteran who demands respect, and I can’t overlook the man in front of me on December 10. It’s an honor to fight on ESPN after the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, and I plan on representing Norfolk while putting on a show for all the fans tuning in.”

Undercard action — streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ — is highlighted by featherweight prospect Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and welterweight standout Jahi Tucker. Carrington (5-0, 3 KOs), the latest prodigy from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, steps up in his first scheduled eight-rounder against Texas native Juan Tapia (12-4, 4 KOs). Carrington, a 2020 Olympic Trials gold medalist, shut out Jose Argel on the Stevenson-Conceição undercard. Tapia, who has battled the likes of Stevenson and Olympic bronze medalist Vladimir Nikitin, has never been knocked out.

Tucker (9-0, 5 KOs) looks go 10-0 in an eight-rounder against Ivan Pandzic (14-2-1, 8 KOs). Tucker, from Deer Park, New York, is 4-0 in 2022, including a near-shutout decision over Jose Luis Sanchez in his last outing.

New York, NY (May 12, 2022) – On Saturday, May 14, heavyweight contender Jerry “Slugger” Forrest (26-4-2, 20 KOs), of Newport News, VA, collides with two-time world title challenger Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev (28-2, 14 KOs), of Sofia, Bulgaria, in a 10-round contest. The exciting bout will serve as the co-feature to Triller Fight Club’s “TrillerVerz 5: Lineage of Greatness” pay-per-view event, live from the Forum in Inglewood, CA, on FITE.TV and TrillerFightClub.com, priced at $29.99.

“Training camp went great. I never really stopped training following my last fight. I stayed sharp, working on technique and fundamentals. I’m coming into this fight knowing I deserved victories in my last two fights. Against Zhang, I got off the canvas three times and came back to dominate and nearly stop him. I made some mistakes, but it was a learning experience. Against Hunter, I beat a world-rated guy who gave Oleksandr Usyk a tough fight, and I proved that I belong with the top contenders. I controlled the tempo and landed the bigger shots. When you’re the B-side and you get a draw, that usually means you won. I left it in the hands of the judges when I should have knocked him out,” said Forrest. “I’m looking forward to this fight against Pulev. He is a very skilled fighter who has shared the ring with Joshua, Klitschko, and so many others, but I am faster and stronger than he is. He won’t be able to withstand what I bring for 10 rounds.”

“Jerry Forrest should be a top-ten world-ranked contender. In his last few fights, he has proven himself against touted, undefeated contenders, but was unjustly denied victories against Jermaine Franklin, Zhilei Zhang and in his rematch against Michael Hunter,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Facing an experienced fighter like Kubrat Pulev, who has only lost to the very best, Forrest has another opportunity to show the world that he belongs among the top echelon of the heavyweight division.”

Forrest is coming off of back-to-back slugfests that ended in controversial draws last year. On February 27, in Miami, FL, Forrest battled undefeated six-foot-six Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang, rising from three early knockdowns to control the remainder of their bout and nearly stop his adversary. In his last fight, on December 2, 2021, headlining TrillerVerz 4, at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom, Forrest fought a rematch against Michael Hunter and was the aggressor throughout their bout, tagging him often with his straight left and wearing him down. Most observers felt that Forrest deserved to win both bouts.

Forrest, whose father is a master chief petty officer in the US Navy aboard the USS Nimitz, was employed as a nuclear electrician for 10 years, working on submarines and aircraft carriers at the outset of his boxing career.

Los Angeles, CA (April 4, 2022) Triller Fight Club has announced that heavyweight contender Jerry ‘The Slugger’ Forrest, (26-4-2, 20 KOs), of Newport News, VA will now face two-time world title challenger Kubrat ‘The Cobra’ Pulev (28-2 14 KOs), over ten rounds at the ‘Lineage of Greatness’ event set for Saturday, May 14 at the Forum in Los Angeles. The hard-throwing southpaw, Forrest, replaces Andrey Fedesov who was previously scheduled to face Pulev.

Forrest returns to battle following a hotly contested split-decision draw against top-rated heavyweight contender Michael Hunter on December 2, 2021 at the Hammerstein Ballroom

in New York City headlining TrillerVerz IV. Earlier last year, Forrest battled to a majority draw against undefeated contender Zhilei Zhang, the fight taking place in Miami, FL at the Hard Rock Stadium on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez / Avril Yildirim Super Middleweight World Title Fight.

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The Trillerverz 5 ‘Lineage of Greatness’  includes legendary boxing families and a once-in-a-lifetime VERZUZ battle between Cypress Hill and Onyx. This event at the Forum is the perfect night for sports and entertainment, whether you are in the arena or in the comfort of your home streaming it with family and friends.

Tickets starting at $31.00 are now on-sale through TrillerFightClub.com, TheLAForum.com, and Ticketmaster.com at http://www.ticketmaster.com/trillerverz5

The full TrillerVerz V boxing card includes:

                SERGEY KOVALEV VS. TERVEL PULEV (10 Rounds / Cruiserweight)

Sergey Kovalev last fought evenly with the current #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World, ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, before getting stopped in the 11th round. His illustrious career includes victories over Bernard Hopkins, Eleider Alvarez (twice), Jean-Pascal (twice), and Isaac Chilemba. He also holds two highly controversial losses to Andre Ward. 

The heavy-handed Tervel Pulev, the 2012 Bronze Medalist at the Olympic  Games, the younger brother of two-time heavyweight world title challenger Kubrat Pulev, returns to the ring following a knockout victory of Vikapita Meroro on July 29, 2021. He is currently the holder of the WBA International Cruiserweight Title. 

                KUBRAT PULEV VS. JERRY FORREST (10 Rounds / Heavyweight)

Kubrat ‘The Cobra’ Pulev (28-2, 14 KOs) will clash with Andrey Fedosov (32-3, 26 KOs) over ten scheduled heavyweight rounds. Pulev is returning to action after a first-round knockout of Frank Mir on November 27, 2021, at the first-ever Triad Combat event in Arlington, TX. Pulev has defeated numerous heavyweight boxing contenders, including Samuel Peter, Hughie Fury, Dereck Chisora, Tony Thompson, Alexsandr Ustinov, and Alexander Dimitrenko. His only losses have come to Heavyweight World Champions Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua. 

Two outstanding, evenly fought battles against top contenders Michael Hunter and Zhilei Zhang in 2021 have prepared Jerry ‘Slugger’ Forrest, (26-4-2 20 KOs) for the biggest fight of his career against Kubrat Pulev.

                            SON OF A LEGEND EVAN HOLYFIELD VS. MAURICE WILLIAMS 

Also featured on the undercard, Son of a Legend, Evan ‘Yung Holy’ Holyfield (9-0, 6 KOs), will compete in a scheduled six-rounder in the junior middleweight division. He is the son of Three-Time Heavyweight World Champion Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield. He will face Maurice Williams, 7-2-0 (3 KOs).

FERNANDO ‘EL FEROZ’ VARGAS JR., AMADO ‘EL MALVADO’ VARGAS,  AND THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED PRO DEBUT OF EMILIANO VARGAS

Rounding out the card, The Fernando Vargas Dynasty continues with the highly anticipated professional debut of Seven-Time Amateur Champion, lightweight Emiliano ‘El General’ Vargas. He will be joining his highly regarded and undefeated brothers on the card at the star-making venue, junior middleweight Fernando ‘El Feroz’ Vargas, Jr. (5-0, 5 KOs) and Amado ‘El Malvado’ Vargas (3-0, 2 KOs), competing in the featherweight division. They are the sons of three-time junior middleweight world champion Fernando ‘El Feroz’ Vargas. All three bouts will take place over four rounds. 

Launched less than two years ago, Triller Fight Club has already sold over 3,000,000 Pay-Per-Views in the past year, making it one of the top-selling combat sports/entertainment platforms. TrillerVerz’s widely acclaimed monthly series, including world-class professional boxing and musical Verzuz battles, has consistently been at the top of watched broadcasts averaging over 6,000,000 views. 

TrillerVerz 5 signals Triller’s continued commitment to its legacy of innovation by recognizing the ‘Lineage of Greatness,’ a one-time, iconic, cultural experience that showcases world-class fighters and global hip hop legends in an epic Verzuz rap battle. TrillerVerz 5 carries its legacy into this unique event, streamed globally for fans of a new form of entertainment. TrillerVerz 5 opens doors and answers questions for those in the ring, on the stage, in the arena, and everyone watching worldwide on their TVs and devices. Fans of what’s new, now and next, make sure you get your tickets to attend or order the PPV now to make sure you don’t miss a second of this amazing collision of entertainment and action.

In December 2021, Triller entered into a definitive merger agreement with SeaChange International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEAC), in a transaction that would result in the combined company being named TrillerVerz Corp., and its common stock will be listed on Nasdaq, subject to completion of the conditions listed in the S4, which was filed recently by SeaChange (NASD: SEAC).

This Triller Fight Club PPV event, priced at $29.99, will be carried in North America across all traditional PPV TV platforms, including cable, satellite & telco TV PPV providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Fios, and Optimum (U.S.), among others, as well as leading operators in Canada. It will also be offered to commercial outlets via Joe Hand Promotions and globally via digital streaming to all major outlets as listed below.

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**HOW TO WATCH THE May 14^th event via Worldwide Streaming **

Digitally broadcast via FITE and all FITE mobile, Smart TV, IPTV, game controller, and OTT apps as well as the event microsite hub: TrillerFightClub.com

Commercial outlets can order through Joe Hand Promotions at 1-800-557-4263 or through their website at orders.joehandpromotions.com. 

Follow Triller Fight Club on social media: 

Instagram: @Triller, @TrillerFightClub
Twitter: @Triller, @TrillerFight

Facebook: @TrillerFightClub

NEW YORK–In a rematch of heavyweights, Jerry Forrest and world-ranked Michael Hunter battled to a 10-round split draw at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

It was Forrest who landed the more impactful shots, and seemed to Hunter in trouble throughout the fight. Hunter rallied down the stretch to make it closer on the cards as it looked like Forrest deserved the verdict.

Forrest landed 110 of 402 punches; Hunter was 126-of 458.

Each fighter won a card 96-94 and a 3rd card was 95-95.

Hunter of Las Vegas is now 20-1-2. Forrest of Newport News, VA is 26-4-2.

The fight was a rematch of Hunter taking an eight-round unanimous decision on June 21, 2014.

George Arias won eight-round split decision over Cassius Chaney in a heavyweight bout.

Arias landed 79 of 309 punches; Chaney was 45 of 225.

Arias took two cards by 99-91 and 97-93. Chaney won a card 96-94.

Arias is now 17-0. Chaney is 21-1.

Khainell Wheeler took a six-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Frederick Julan in a light heavyweight bout.

Julan landed 105 of 322 punches; Wheeler was 83 of 285.

Wheeler won by scores of 59-55 twice and 58-56 and is now 6-1. Julan is 12-1.

Mike Balogun stopped Trey Lippe Morrison in round one of their scheduled 10-round bout.

Balogun dropped two knockdowns and the bout was stopped at 2:40.

Balogun is now 18-0 with 14 knockouts. Morrison is 18-1.

Joe Jones stopped Junior Wright in round two of a scheduled six-round heavyweight bout.

Jones dropped Wright at the end of round one. Jones finished him off 13 seconds into round two.

Jones is now 13-4 with 10 knockouts. Wright is 18-4-1.

Photos by Nolan Shaffer

New York City (November 30, 2021) Triller announced today that #2 Ranked Heavyweight Michael ‘The Bounty’ Hunter II, (20-1-1, 14 KOs), of Las Vegas, NV has been added to the Thursday, December 2 ‘Night of Heavyweights’ card against heavy-handed southpaw veteran Jerry ‘Slugger’ Forrest, (26-4-1, 20 KOs), of Newport News, VA. Hunter vs. Forrest is the new ten-round main event at the TrillerVerz IV professional boxing card at The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City followed by an iconic VERZUZ battle between music legends Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia from the world-famous Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, CA.

This Thursday’s TrillerVerz IV will be broadcast exclusively on TrillerFightClub.com and FITE  starting at 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT through the TrillerVerz subscription package priced at $2.99 per month.  

TrillerVerz, successfully bringing together first-class professional boxing with iconic VERZUZ battles, is produced by the award-winning Nigel Lythgoe, the Triller Fight Club visionary in addition to the producer and creative force behind American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.

The Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center is located at 311 W. 34th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue’s. Advance tickets priced at $200, $125, $75 and $45 are now on-sale and may be purchased online at Ticketmaster / Triller Fight Club. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. ET with the first bell at 5:45 p.m. ET. Following the fights at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT, the TrillerVerz IV broadcast will switch to Los Angeles for the VERZUZ battle.

Advance tickets starting at $39.50 for the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony / Three 6 Mafia VERZUZ battle may be purchased through LIVE NATION. The Hollywood Palladium is located at 6215 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. PT.

World ranked #2 by the World Boxing Association, Michael ‘The Bounty’ Hunter II returns to New York City after a fifth-round knockout of Mike Wilson on August 3, 2021. Since turning professional eight years ago, Hunter’s highly successful career in the professional ranks includes victories over top contenders Sergey Kuzmin, Aleksandr Ustinov, Martin Bakole, Isiah Thomas and Iago Kiladze. He also fought to a controversially scored draw with former heavyweight world champion Alexander Povetkin in 2019 with his only loss coming in 2017 at cruiserweight to current Unified Heavyweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk.

 A professional for nine years, southpaw Jerry ‘Slugger’ Forrest hits the ring against Hunter following a controversially scored majority draw against world ranked and undefeated Zhilei Zhang on February 27, 2021 in Miami, FL. Forrest has also competed in hard fought ten-round battles with world ranked heavyweights Carlos Takam and Jermaine Franklin over the last two years.

The ten-round fight replaces Andrey Fedesov vs. Junior Wright after Fedesov suffered a training injury.

Co-featured at ‘Night of Heavyweights’ in a scheduled ten-rounder of UNDEFEATED Contenders, ‘Son of a Legend’, knockout artist Trey Lippe-Morrison, (18-0, 17 KOs), of Tulsa, OK faces former NFL Linebacker, Mike Balogun, (17-0, 13 KOs), of Upper Marlboro, MD. Well-known in the sport as the son of former Heavyweight World Champion Tommy Morrison, Lippe-Morrison, popular for his stunning knockouts, has built a huge following since turning professional in 2014. On August 14, 2021, Lippe-Morrison saw his most recent action, a dominant victory over Don Haynesworth. A college football standout for the Oklahoma Sooners before playing for six teams in the NFL, Balogun also turned professional in 2014. In his first start this year, he knocked out Keith Barr on April 10, 2021 in Vero Beach, FL.

In a Special Attraction ten-round battle also featuring UNDEFEATED Contenders, Cassius ‘C.O.G.’Chaney, (21-0, 14 KOs), of New London, CT clashes with Bronx, NY native ‘Gentleman’ George Arias, (16-0, 7 KOs). A college basketball player at the University of New Haven before turning to professional boxing, Chaney returns to action succeeding a dominant ten-round decision over fellow contender Shawndell Winters on August 14, 2021 in Worcester, MA. On November 27, 2019, Chaney won the vacant World Boxing Council United States title with a third-round stoppage of Nick Jones. A native of the Dominican Republic, Arias hits the ring coming off a unanimous decision win over Joel Caudle on February 17, 2021. Prior to that victory, Arias defeated fellow undefeated prospect Gabriel Hernandez on October 24, 2019.

Just added in a six-round heavyweight fight, UNDEFEATED and heralded prospect Isaac Gutierrez, (12-0-1, 10 KOs), of Mexico City, Mexico faces veteran Joe ‘Louis’ Jones, (12-4, 9 KOs), of Jersey, City, NJ. The 28-year-old Gutierrez compiled 220 amateur victories prior to turning professional in 2011. Standing 6’2” tall and weighing 230lb., the heavy-handed Gutierrez has knocked out his last six opponents and will be making his highly anticipated United States debut this Thursday. Looking to play the role of spoiler, the 26-year-old Jones returns after a third-round knockout of Dhafir Smith on July 24, 2021. Jones had also faced a number of top contenders over his eight years as a professional including Joey Dawejko, Efetobor Apochi and Richard Rivera.

Rounding out the exciting five bout card, in a six-round light heavyweight bout, UNDEFEATED top prospect Frederic ‘The French Revolution’ Julan, (12-0, 10 KOs), of Brooklyn, NY faces promising prospect Khainell Wheeler, (5-1, 5KO’s), of Bethlehem, PA. Julan hits the ring following a second-round knockout of Fidel Monterrosa Munoz on January 25, 2020. Wheeler enters the battle following a show stopping first-round knockout of Vincent Baccus on June 5, 2021 in Philadelphia, PA.  

TrillerVerz IV is the fourth event in the TrillerVerz series with the first three events each garnering over 5,000,000 unique viewers. TrillerVerz III saw a massive crowd at Barclays Center on October 16 witness an extraordinary VERZUZ battle between Brooklyn based music legends Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One which followed a world class professional boxing card headlined by a sensational knockout performance from Brooklyn’s Cletus ‘The Hebrew Hammer’ Seldin.

Formed in Cleveland, OH and an iconic American hip hop group for almost three decades, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have sold millions of records through their ten-record discography. Their acclaimed career includes Grammy Awards, Soul Train Awards and American Music Awards.

Originating in Memphis, TN in 1991, Three 6 Mafia emerged as a horror themed hip-hop music group which would carry them to mainstream success. Releasing nine records, one of the group’s biggest hits, “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” won an Academy Award in 2006 for its inclusion in the movie ‘Hustle and Flow.”

Triller Fight Club is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its extraordinary launch on November 28, 2020 which shook up the sports and entertainment world as Boxing Legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones battled in Los Angeles, CA on a Pay-Per-View broadcast which garnered 1,600,000 PPV buys.

Canelo Alvarez did what he was supposed to do. He dominated Avni Yildirim and scored a stoppage win after round three to retain the WBA/WBC Super Middleweight world championships at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Alvarez came out landing vicious body shots and hard uppercuts that started to soften Yildirim up. In round three, Alvarez landed a hard right hand that sent Yildirim on his back. Yildirim continued to take punishment for the rest of the round the fight was stopped in the corner.

Alvarez, 167 1/2 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 55-1-2 with 37 knockouts. Yildirim, 167 1/2 lbs of Turkey is 21-3.

Arroyo stops Rodriguez in 5; Wins Interim Flyweight Title

McWilliams Arroyo won the WBC Interim Flyweight title by stopping very late replacement Abraham Rodriguez in round five.

Arroyo broke Rodriguez down with hard shots until the fight was stopped at 1:41 of round five.

Arroyo, 112 lbs of Fajardo, PR is 21-4 with 16 knockouts. Rodriguez took the fight on less than a day notice as champion Julio Cesar Martinez hurt his hand. Rodriguez is now 27-3.

Forrest and Zhang fight to a Draw

It looked like it would be an easy night at the office for world ranked heavyweight Zhilei Zhang, it was anything but as he had to literal hold on to get a 10-round draw with Jerry Forrest.

Zhang scored hard knockdowns in each of the first three rounds, and was seemingly one punch away from ending things. Forrest hung in there, and and dominated the second half of the fight as he landed quick and hard combinations that had an exhausted Zhang holding on to the point where he was deducted a point in the 9th frame. Forrest had a strong final round that saw him hurt Zhang on a couple of occasions.

Zhang was 104 of 311 punches; Forrest was 156 of 555.

Forrest took a card 95-93 and two cards were even at 94-94.

Forrest 236 3/4 lbs of Newport News, VA is 26-4-1. Zhang, 256 3/4 lbs of China is 22-0-1.

Pacheco Decisions Gomez Jr.

Diego Pacheco remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Rodolfo Gomez Jr. in a super middleweight fight.

Pacheco landed 117 of 382 punches; Gomez was 70 of 351.

Pacheco, 168 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 79-73 on all cards and is mow 11-0. Gomez, 167lbs of Laredo, TX is 14-5-1.

Castro Stops Moraga in 2

Marc Castro stopped John Moraga in round two of their scheduled four-round junior lightweight bout.

In round one, Castro dropped Moraga in the opening seconds with a jab. In round two, Castro dropped Moraga with a hard right hand. Moments later Castro ended thing when he landed a hard uppercut that sent Moraga down again, and the fight was stopped at 2:29.

Castro, 129 1/2 lbs of Fresno, CA is 2-0 with two knockouts. Moraga, 131 lbs of Pheonix, AZ is 1-3.

Highly-touted prospect Keyshawn Davis stopped Lester Brown in round two of their scheduled four-round lightweight bout.

In round two, Davis put Brown down with a solid right to the head. Later in the round, Davis continued the assault until the bout was stopped at 2:50

Davis, 136 1/2 lbs of Norfolk, VA is 1-0 with one knockout. Brown, 134 1/2 lbs of Nassau, BAH is 4-3-3.

Aaron Aponte remained undefeated by winning a four-round unanimous decision over Harry Gigliotti in a junior welterweight contest.

In round four, Aponte landed a right hand that sent Gigliotti down. Later in the round Gigliotti was deducted a point for headbutting.

Aponte, 139 3/4 lbs of Hialeah, FL won by scores of 40-34 on all cards, and is now 2-0. Gigliotti, 139 1/4 lbs of Havenhill, MA is 6-2.

Alexis Espino remained undefeated with a fifth round stoppage over Ashton Sykes in a super middleweight fight.

In round five, Espino hurt Sykes with hard left. That gave Espino the opportunity to land a series of hard punches that left Sykes prone, and the fight was stopped at 2:03.

Espino, 167 3/4 lbs of Las Vegas is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Sykes, 166 1/4 lbs of Colombia, MD is 5-4.

Former world title challenger Carlos Takam won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jerry Forrest in a heavyweight bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Takam was was more active and landed more shots early.

In round four, Takam was cut below his eye from a head clash. After that Forrest picked up a little bit, but it was too little-too late as Takam won by scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94.

Takam landed 106 of 455 punches; Forrest was 70 of 321.

Takam, 245.7 lbs of Douala, CAM is now 39-5-1. Forrest, 225.6 lbs of Newport News, VA is 26-4.

“My father passed away a week ago, so I came into the fight with a heavy heart. It may not have been a spectacular knockout, but most importantly, we got the win,” Takam said. “We took this fight on short notice, but the opportunity on ESPN was too big to pass up. We knew we could beat him regardless.

“I want anyone in the top five, or a title shot if that materializes.” 

Carlos Castro remained undefeated by stopping former two-time world title-challenger Cesar Juarez after round four of their scheduled 10-round super bantamweight fight.

Castro beat up and battered Juarez. In round’s three and four, Castro was especially effective by landing some crushing body blows, and the bout was stopped in the corner.

Castro, 123.8 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is now 26-0 with 11 knockouts. Juarez, 124.4 lbs of Mexico City is 25-9.

“I admire Cesar Juarez as a Mexican warrior and for everything he’s given the sport. I told him it was an honor to share the ring with him,” Castro said. “I want any title opportunity or an interim title shot. Whatever comes my way, I am ready. I am highly ranked and prepared for the next step.”

In a battle of undefeated junior lightweights, Joshafat Ortiz won a six-round majority decision over Joshua Orta.

In round five, Ortiz was cut around his right eye from an accidental headbutt. Ortiz banked the 1st four frames by working the body behind a nice jab.

Ortiz landed 74 of 354 punches; Orta was 75 of 293.

Ortiz, 130.8 lbs of Ponce, PR and now residing in Reading, PA won by scores 58-56 twice and 57-57 to raise his mark to 8-0. Orta, 132.7 lbs of Springfield, MA is 6-1.

Donte Stubbs won a six-round unanimous decision over Fred Wilson Jr. in a middleweight bout.

In round three, Stubbs was bleeding from his nose. Later in the round, Stubbs dropped Wilson with a right hand.

In round four, Wilson was deducted a point for holding. In round five, Stubs dropped Wilson for a 2nd time with a long right hand to the head.

Stubbs landed 88 of 291 punches. Wilson was 62 of 262.

Stubbs, 159.5 lbs of Riverside, California won by scores of 58-54 and 58-53 twice and bounced back from his 1st professional loss nine days ago, and is now 7-1. Wilson, 159 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 6-1-2.

 •         Carlos Takam 245.7 lbs vs. Jerry Forrest 225.6 lbs
(Heavyweight — 10 Rounds)
 
    •         Carlos Castro 123.8 lbs vs. Cesar Juarez 124.4 lbs 
(Junior Featherweight — 10 Rounds)

•     Joshafat Ortiz 130.8 lbs vs. Joshua Orta 132.7 lbs 
(Junior Lightweight— 6 Rounds)

•      Fred Wilson Jr. 159 lbs vs. Donte Stubbs 159.5 lbs 
(Middleweight— 6 Rounds)

•         Peter Cortez 147.5 lbs vs. Corey Champion 147.6 lbs 
(Welterweight— 4 Rounds)

LAS VEGAS (July 1, 2020) — A southpaw stylist weighing 140 pounds and a 250-plus-pound heavyweight will enter “The Bubble” spotlight at MGM Grand for Week 5 of Top Rank on ESPN’s Summer Series.

On Tuesday, July 7, two-time world title challenger and top junior welterweight contender Jose “Chon” Zepeda will face Kendo Castaneda in a 10-round clash of styles. Two days later on Thursday, July 9, longtime heavyweight contender Carlos Takam will fight Jerry “Slug” Forrest in a 10-rounder.

Both shows will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. 

“In the main events, you have four fighters hoping to seize an amazing opportunity live on ESPN,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Jose Zepeda is one of the world’s elite 140-pounders, and I credit Kendo for taking on this challenge. I believe Carlos Takam can climb the heavyweight rankings again, and most importantly, he is a fan-friendly fighter who is guaranteed entertainment.”

July 7
Main Event
Jose Zepeda (31-2, 25 KOs) vs. Kendo Castaneda (17-1, 8 KOs)
10 Rounds, Junior Welterweight

Zepeda is a little more than a year removed from challenging junior welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez in Ramirez’s backyard of Fresno, California. He fell short via majority decision, but many experts believed he’d done enough to win the title. Zepeda shined on the Tyson Fury-Otto Wallin undercard last September at T-Mobile Arena, outboxing former two-weight world champion Jose Pedraza over 10 rounds. Castaneda, from San Antonio, stepped in after Zepeda’s original opponent, Ivan Baranchyk, suffered an injury in training. Castaneda hopes to rebound from his first career loss, a majority decision to fellow unbeaten Yomar Alamo in February.

“I’m ready to fight on July 7, whether it’s Ivan Baranchyk, or any of the other fighters in the 140-pound division,” Zepeda said. “I’ve trained for July 7 since early May, so no matter who’s in the opposite corner, I’ll be ready. I’m a professional. I’m coming to MGM Grand ready to prove, once again, why I’m one of the elite junior welterweights.”

Co-Feature
Andy Vences (23-1-1, 12 KOs) vs. Luis Alberto Lopez (20-2, 11 KOs)
10 Rounds, Junior Lightweight

Vences makes his 2020 debut with intentions to carry over the momentum from his final outing of 2019, a unanimous decision over Mark Bernaldez. The San Jose native recently called out WBO world champion Jamel Herring, and he hopes a win over Lopez will push him closer to a world title shot. Lopez, from Mexicali, Mexico, has won three straight since a decision loss to unbeaten contender Ruben Villa.

“I’m very excited to return to the ring against the tough, rugged Luis Alberto Lopez,” Vences said. “I want to fight the best and prove to the boxing world that I am one of the best in the junior lightweight division. I’m grateful to have Top Rank and my manager, Peter Kahn, behind me 100 percent. My hard work, discipline, consistency, and sacrifices will pay off.”

Undercard 

In an eight-round lightweight bout, the Las Vegas-born Andres “Savage” Cortes (12-0, 7 KOs) will return from a yearlong layoff to face Alejandro Salinas (10-3, 9 KOs). Cortes, who holds a pair of amateur wins over current lightweight world Teofimo Lopez, is 9-0 with 5 KOs when fighting in Las Vegas.

Genaro “El Conde” Gamez (9-1, 6 KOs) will look to bounce back from his first career defeat in an eight-round junior welterweight fight against Reymond Yanong (11-5-1, 9 KOs). Gamez, from San Diego, hasn’t fought since a decision loss last August to fellow unbeaten Luis Feliciano. Yanong bested Clay Burns by split decision June 25 live on ESPN.

In a four-round lightweight bout, the undefeated Eric Puente (2-0) will take on Diego Elizondo (2-1-2), who is coming off his first career defeat last October on the Shakur Stevenson-Joet Gonzalez undercard.

Gabriel Muratalla (3-0, 3 KOs), the fighting preschool teacher who scored a first-round knockout in “The Bubble” on June 11, returns on short notice to fight Sergio Lopez (4-5-3, 0 KOs) in a four-rounder at bantamweight. The Robert Garcia-trained Muratalla knocked out Fernando Robles in 2:33 live on ESPN, earning him another televised slot.

July 9
Main Event
Carlos Takam (38-5-1, 28 KOs) vs. Jerry Forrest (26-3, 20 KOs)
10 Rounds, Heavyweight

Takam has been at, or near, the top of the heavyweight hierarchy for the past decade. He is a former world title challenger who has won three fights in a row and is seeking another championship opportunity at the age of 39. A 2004 Olympian for his native Cameroon, Takam, who is co-promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, has wins over former world title challengers Michael Grant and Tony Thompson. Forrest has suffered only one defeat since 2014, a controversial split decision against Jermaine Franklin last July. The winner of this main event will take a seismic step forward in the heavyweight landscape.

“For the past two weeks, I didn’t think I was fighting since my fight with Oscar Rivas fell through, but I stayed ready,” Takam said. “I want to give a great fight to everyone watching on ESPN.”

DeGuardia stated, “I am thrilled the ESPN audience will be able to see Carlos Takam on July 9. Takam-Forrest is a significant fight in a hot heavyweight division. Carlos is a true pro, and he didn’t let the Oscar Rivas pull-out affect him. He stayed ready and now can jump in on less than two weeks’ notice to capitalize on this opportunity. This will be his third fight in less than a year, and kudos to him as he is a fighter who wants to stay active.”

“I respect Carlos Takam as a man, but I will have to hurt him and do what I have to do to win,” Forrest said. “This is an amazing opportunity for me to fight on ESPN. I feel I’ve earned it, and I’m more than ready. The change in opponent was of no huge concern. Though Takam has been more active and is in better shape, he and Jarrell Miller have a similar style, so I didn’t have to change much in training camp.”

Co-Feature
Carlos Castro (25-0, 10 KOs) vs. Cesar Juarez (25-8, 19 KOs)
10 Rounds, Junior Featherweight

Castro, from Phoenix, Arizona, is 5-0 since signing a co-promotional deal with Top Rank, rising the rankings with a classic boxer-puncher style. He dominated former world title challenger Genesis Servania over 10 rounds in February 2019 and is coming off a tight majority decision verdict over longtime contender Jesus Ruiz. Juarez is synonymous with toe-to-toe battles and is perhaps best known for his 2015 Fight of the Year contender against Nonito Donaire, which he lost by unanimous decision. Juarez is 8-4 since the Donaire fight, including a knockout win over Albert Pagara (26-0 at the time).

Undercard

Heavyweight sensation Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson (4-0, 4 KOs), who notched a KO win inside “The Bubble” on June 9, will return in a six-rounder against an opponent to be named.

Philadelphia middleweight Fred Wilson Jr. (6-0-2, 2 KOs), who is coming off a pair of draws, will fight Ashton Sykes (5-3, 1 KO) in a six-rounder.

In an eight-round cruiserweight tilt, the unbeaten Robin Sirwan Safar (10-0, 7 KOs) will fight DeShon Webster (12-3-2, 6 KOs). Safar has won his last three by first-round knockout.

In a four-rounder at welterweight, Peter Cortez (2-1, 1 KO) will take on an opponent to be named.

Puerto Rico-born junior lightweight prospect Joshafat Ortiz (7-0, 4 KOs) will collide with fellow unbeaten Joshua Orta (6-0, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder.

New York, NY (06/05/20) – DiBella Entertainment has signed heavyweight contender Jerry “Slugger” Forrest (26-3, 20 KOs), a 6-foot-1 southpaw from Newport News, VA, to an exclusive promotional agreement.

Forrest was born in Lafayette, LA, but moved to Virginia as a young child when his father enlisted in the Navy. His boxing aspirations began after a series of high school senior year brawls convinced Forrest that he had the aptitude to compete in the sweet science. Accumulating a 34-5 amateur record, Forrest won gold medals four times at the Virginia State Golden Gloves tournament, four times at the Washington D.C. Regionals tournament, twice at the California Tournament of Champions, and once at the North Carolina Golden Gloves. He also competed in the National Golden Gloves tournament twice and made it to the semi-finals of the 2012 Olympic Qualifiers.

His ring nickname, “Slugger”, was given to him at birth by his grandmother.

“My mother’s bloodstream got poisoned while pregnant with me and she had to have an emergency Caesarean section,” said Forrest. “The doctors told my family that I probably wouldn’t make it through the night. When my grandmother saw me in the incubator, she said, ‘You have to be a fighter, you have to be a slugger. If you die, my daughter will want to die. That can’t happen.’ When she said that, I started to respond and it was the first time that I opened my eyes. From day one, ‘Slugger’ was my nickname.”

Forrest turned pro in 2012, winning seven of his first nine bouts. Those two early career setbacks paved the way for a rededicated Forrest to win his next 18 fights. Following an impressive win against the 19-2 Joshua Tufte, Forrest challenged unbeaten prospect Jermaine Franklin on July 12, 2019, live on SHOWTIME’s “ShoBox” series. After 10 rounds, Forrest felt that he had clearly outboxed his adversary, but would lose a controversial split decision. Many ringside observers believed Forrest deserved the victory, including all three of SHOWTIME’s commentators. Barry Tompkins and Steve Farhood both had Forrest winning seven rounds, while Raul Marquez had him the winner by eight rounds to two. Trained by Anthony Chase and managed by James Hogan, Forrest rebounded from that loss with a second-round knockout of Martez Williamson last September.

While starting his boxing journey, Forrest got married and now has three children. To make ends meet, he had a career as a nuclear electrician, working for Huntington Ingalls Industries on submarines and aircraft carriers for 10 years. Nearing the end of 2019, Forrest made the decision to move on and fully focus on boxing.

He is also heavily involved with charitable causes in his community, helping to steer inner city youth away from crime and street life. Forrest is active in such programs as Gladiator School Boxing, Together Lives Change (TLC) and the Future Actors and Media Makers (F.A.M.M.) Project, all of which provide kids with academic, athletic and vocational training.

“When I watched Jerry’s fight against Franklin, not only did I think he deserved to win, I saw a fighter with a lot of talent and potential. I’m thrilled to add him to the DiBella Entertainment roster,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “With his size, style and strength, Forrest can be a big player in the heavyweight division.”

“Lou called me the day after I lost to Franklin and, from then on, I knew we’d be working together,” said Forrest. “This is an unbelievable moment for me and my family, not simply because I signed with a promoter, but because of who signed me. Lou was the only promoter that I wanted to be with because of his heart and the man that he is. I can’t wait to make my family proud and make Lou proud. The better I look, the better he looks.

“There are a lot of good fighters in the heavyweight division right now, but I believe that I train harder than any of them. I’m an old school gym rat. Like Muhammad Ali said, ‘Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’ I love the craft of boxing and I have a calculated style, but I also have that killer instinct inside of me. I know that I can compete at the top level.”

Filip Hrgovi? will take on Jerry Forrest and Daniyar Yeleussinov will meet Julius Indongo in big step-up bouts for the talented pair on Friday April 17 at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, live on DAZN.
TICKETS START AT JUST $43 (PLUS FEES)
Hrgovi? (10-0 8 KOs) made his debut under the Sauerland-Matchroom Boxing USA co-promotional banner in the same venue in May, hammering Gregory Corbin in the first round in his first defense of his WBC International title, and has added two more big KO wins since then, stopping Mario Heredia in Mexico in August in three rounds and then needing under nine minutes once again to blast away former World title challenger Eric Molina in Saudi Arabia in December.

Hrgovi? expects tough resistance from Forrest (26-3 20 KOs) in his first fight in 2020, with the Virginia man having ran unbeaten Jermaine Franklin close in July and returning to action in September to record his 20^thKO win from 23 fights. 

“I am looking forward to getting back in the ring,” said Hrgovi?. “I have good memories from fighting at the MGM National Harbor. This is where I made my American debut when I knocked out Gregory Corbin in the first round, and I’ve been training hard to give the fans another exciting performance on April 17.

“Jerry Forrest is a good boxer. He is a southpaw with a good record, and I’m expecting a tough fight, but I’m confident I will beat him.

“2019 was a great year for me. I fought in America, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. I had three fights against three strong opponents and got three knockouts wins. This year will be even better. My goal has always been to become World Champion, and I’m now closing in on that goal. I’m coming for belts!”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland said: “Filip is in fantastic shape and ready to start his 2020 campaign in style. Last time out at the MGM National Harbor he introduced himself to the American fight fans with an explosive first-round knockout, and they can expect a similar display this time round. Whenever Filip steps into the ring you’re guaranteed excitement. He is the future of the Heavyweight division and it’s only a matter of time before he’s fighting for World honors.”

Yeleussinov (9-0 5 KOs) looked explosive in his last two outings of 2019, hammering Reshard Hicks inside the opening round of their September clash in New York before stopping Alan Sanchez in the fifth round of their clash in Phoenix in September. 

The Kazakhstan 2016 Olympic gold medal man now faces a stiff test of his talents in his first action of 2020 against Indongo (23-2 12 KOs). The rangy Namibian rose to prominence in December 2016 when his stunning first round one-punch KO win saw him rip the WBO World Super-Lightweight title from Russia’s Eduard Troyanovsky in Moscow and then unified the division against Scotland’s three-weight World champion Ricky Burns in Glasgow in April 2017.

The 37 year old faced Terence Crawford for the undisputed Super-Lightweight title in August 2017 and then met former World Super-Lightweight champion and Maryland headliner Regis Prograis in March 2018. Indongo fell to both champions but bounced back with a 12^th career KO win in Alabama in August, and Yeleussinov has vowed to shine against the former World ruler.

“This is the most important fight of my career,” said Yeleussinov. “I had a great end to the year, and I feel I am building real momentum in the pro game now, but this is a big leap in quality of opponent. Julius is a former unified World champion and has huge experience at the very top level, so I will need to put on a career-best performance to keep my run going.”

One of Matchroom Boxing USA’s bright young talents joins Hrgovic and Yeleussinov in the shape of Raymond Ford (5-0 2 KOs), who will be eager to build on an explosive performance in December in destroying Francisco Mura in the first round in Phoenix.

“This is a big night in the careers of Filip Hrgovic and Daniyar Yeleussinov,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Filip is a big problem for the Heavyweight division. The Croat is gaining valuable experience with every camp and fight, and all eyes will be on the 27 year old in Maryland as he looks to make another statement in boxing’s glamour division.

“Daniyar is really growing in the paid ranks and has been impressive in his recent outings, but Julius Indongo is a big step-up for the ‘Kazakh Thunder’. The former unified World champion will look to carry his power up to 147lbs so Daniyar will be under pressure to both impress again and stave off the attack of the dangerous Indongo.

“Our young stable of fighters is the best in the States, and Raymond continues his pro education on what promises to be another exciting night of action on DAZN.”

Tickets are currently on general sale now starting at just $43 (plus fees) via Ticketmaster. 

Jermain Franklin Jr. remained undefeated with a 10-round split decision over Jerry Forrest in a heavyweight bout at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington.

It seemed that Forrest may have landed the better shots and deserved the nod, but two judges ruled in favor of Franklin by 97-93 tallies, while Forrest took a card 96-95.

Franklin, 240 1/4 lbs of Saginaw, MI is 19-0. Forrest, 222 3/4 lbs of Newport News, is 25-3.

“I didn’t think it was that close,” said Franklin, widely regarded as the top American heavyweight prospect who was the 2014 National Golden Gloves Champion. “I won more rounds. I think you could give him a couple rounds, but it wasn’t that close. Even when they said split decision I knew it wasn’t that close. I wasn’t worried.”

“My big chance on SHOWTIME was well deserved and I proved I belong in this league,” Forrest said. “I said before the fight that I have already been doing this for years. Now more people know about it. My people knew what was up already.”

Giovanni Cabrera Mioletti remained undefeated by pounding out a 10-round unanimous decision over Luis Porozo in a junior lightweight bout.

Mioletti, 129 1/2 lbs of Seattle, WA won by scores of 98-92 twice and 97-93, and is now 17-0. Porozo, 129 1/2 lbs of Santo Domingo, ECU is 14-1.

“It took me a couple rounds to relax,” said Cabrera Mioletti, who was fighting in Tacoma for the 11^th time in 17 career bouts. “My whole strategy was to stay relaxed, but in the first couple rounds, the cameras got to me a bit. But once I started getting my rhythm and working my jab, I started to take control.”

“I didn’t feel his punches, but I felt his head,” said Cabrera Mioletti, who was born in Seattle but currently lives in Chicago. “That guy has a head like a rock. He butted me a bunch of times and that’s what cut open my eye, but I don’t think about that I just focused on what I had to do.

“I started to hear him breathing heavily when I’d hit him to the body, not even that hard and that’s when I knew he wanted to fight a much slower pace. Once my jab started landing a lot, I knew I had him.”

Porozo said he simply ran out of gas in the later stages of the fight. “I lost because I moved too much and didn’t throw enough punches,” said Porozo, who had more than 500 amateur fights. “I give him credit. I felt some of his power shots. I was winning for the first five rounds. After that I got tired. I feel bad. I’m very disappointed. I could have done so much more.”

STATEMENT FROM SALITA PROMOTIONS REGARDING OTTO WALLIN vs. B.J. FLORES HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT

”As part of the licensing process in the state of Washington, the doctor appointed by the boxing commission to oversee tonight’s event reviewed medical tests and determined that B.J. Flores would not be medically cleared to compete. Based on that opinion, Washington State Department of Licensing spokesperson Gigi Zenk notified Salita Promotions this afternoon that they would not issue B.J. Flores a license to fight against Otto Wallin tonight.  Due to medical privacy requirements we are unable to provide further information at this time.”

STATEMENT FROM WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING SPOKESPERSON GIGI ZENK:

“Benjamin Flores was not medically cleared to compete.”

Tonight on the un-televised undercard of the SHOWTIME televised “Battle at the Boat 122” at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, cruiserweight contender Constantin Bejenaru (14-0, 4 KOs) got back to business after a year and a half away by pounding out a sixth-round TKO (time 2:02) over Mexican veteran Jose Corral.
The southpaw Bejenaru looked sharp and won every minute of the fight with his crisp, fast hands and excellent work to the head and body.
“It felt good to be back,” said Bejenaru, “I’m happy that I’m back in the title hunt and in good shape. After a year and a half, I felt a little rusty for a little bit in the beginning, but I came back pretty quick.”
Bejenaru says he’d have liked to go the full eight-round distance but did enough to know he won’t be needing another tune-up fight before getting back in the mix.
“I am ready for a big fight next. I kept myself in good shape the whole time I was away. I wasn’t sure if I needed one or two tune-up fights, but I felt really good in the ring. Thank you to my opponent for lasting as long as he did and thank you to my team and my new promoter. I’m hoping for a title fight as soon as possible.”
Bejenaru, from Ungheni, in the Republic of Moldova and now living in Brooklyn, is a former 10-time Romanian champion, a Bronze Medalist at the European Amateur Boxing Championships in 2006, a Finalist in the European Union Championships in both 2006 and 2007, and a Gold Medalist at World Combat Games in 2010.
After turning professional in 2012, Bejenaru has gone on to score wide decision victories on ShoBox: The New Generation over previously undefeated Alexey Zubov (10-0, 6 KOs) and Stivens Bujaj (16-0-1, 11 KOs), and in his most recent fight (broadcast on NESN), a decisive points victory over previous world title challenger Thabiso Mchunu (18-3, 11 KOs).
In his seven-year career, he has held both the WBC Continental Americas Cruiserweight Title and the WBC International Cruiserweight Championships.
“We hoped he might have to go all eight rounds to make him breathe and to make him feel the ring,” said trainer Ilia Masishchev, “but once he lands a few punches, he tries to finish. That’s how he is.”
Battle at the Boat 122 is presented by Salita Promotions and Brian Halquist Productions.

TACOMA, Wash. – July 11, 2019 – Heavyweight prospects Jermaine Franklin Jr., and Jerry Forrest both weighed in on Thursday for their ShoBox: The New Generation main event clash Friday night live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) from Emerald Casino in Tacoma, Wash.

The co-featured bout will feature a 10-round matchup between undefeated Swedish heavyweight and top-10 ranked contender Otto Wallin (20-0, 13 KOs) and former world title challenger BJ Flores (34-4-1, 21 KOs). 

Prospects Franklin (18-0, 13 KOs), Forrest (25-2, 19 KOs) and Wallin aim to leap into contention and further their resumes in the resurgent heavyweight division, while the veteran Flores will look to play spoiler and hand Wallin his first professional defeat. 

The opening bout of the tripleheader telecast will feature a 10-round matchup of undefeated super featherweight prospects as Giovanni Cabrera Mioletti (16-0, 7 KOs) faces off with Luis Porozo (14-0, 7 KOs).

The event, billed as the “Battle at the Boat 122,” is promoted by Salita Promotions in association with Brian Halquist Productions.

Barry Tompkins will call the action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

FINAL WEIGHTS, REFEREES AND JUDGES

Heavyweights 10-Round Bout 

Jermaine Franklin Jr. – 240 ¼ lbs. 

Jerry Forrest – 222 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Robert Howard; Judges: Alan Krebs (Issaquah, Wash.), Tim Wood (Lakeland, Wash.), Hunter Walton (Tacoma, Wash.) 

Heavyweights 10-Round Bout 

Otto Wallin – 234 lbs. 

B.J. Flores – 234 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Joel Scobie; Judges: Alan Krebs (Issaquah, Wash.), Tim Wood (Lakeland, Wash.), Hunter Walton (Tacoma, Wash.) 

Super Featherweights 10-Round Bout 

Givovanni Cabrera Mioletti – 129 ½ lbs.

Luis Porozo – 129 ½ lbs.

Referee: Robert Howard; Judges: Alan Krebs (Issaquah, Wash.), Tim Wood (Lakeland, Wash.), Hunter Walton (Tacoma, Wash.) 

Here is what the fighters had to say on Thursday from Emerald Casino.

FINAL QUOTES:

JERMAINE FRANKLIN JR.:

“With the heavyweight division being wide open, a lot can change if I continue to win. The Joshua-Ruiz fight showed that anything can happen in the ring. I see myself right in there as a prospect in the heavyweight division. I feel like I belong and deserve my shot to prove I’m amongst the top heavyweights. I’m just going to take care of business and show people why I feel like I belong.

“I’m just ready to go. It’s a surreal experience, I mean headlining on SHOWTIME. I’m up to the task and just trying to get the job done.

“I really took it to another level in my training camp. I think the boxing fans will see it.  I knew I had to push myself harder after my last fight. I made some mistakes and was impatient. I was looking for the knockout and rushing things. A lot of people said I fought better than I give myself credit for, but I’m my own worst critic.

“I’ve watched a lot of film of my opponent. I think he’s going to be over-anxious and try to rush me. I’m a sharpshooter and I’m going to give him a bunch of different looks.

“I think I had some nerves and jitters in my last fight [April 13]. But I know exactly what to expect this time. [Rydell] Booker was a hard guy to look good against. I could have used my jab more and picked him apart. I missed a lot of opportunities that were presented to me. 

“Boxing has had its ups and downs in the state of Michigan but it’s now on the up with the Direll brothers and Claressa [Shields]. Detroit has had some top boxers and now me in Saginaw. I’ve been doing interviews with some of the Detroit daily papers and have a big following there. I can’t wait to show them and a national TV audience what I can do in the ring.”

JERRY FORREST:

“Jermaine is a very explosive guy. I don’t really look at film, my coaches do. I just fight my fight and don’t plan for much. I don’t focus too much on what the other guy is going to do. We know who we are fighting and we know he’s good.

“Everything I’ve done since I was a kid has prepared me for this and prepared me for boxing. I’m the ‘B’ side but all the great champs were once the ‘B’ side. This is the perfect timing for me.

“We’ve tried to fight some top guys and now we are starting to get noticed. We’re making our moves at the right time.  The heavyweight division is hot and it’s time to strike.

“Looking back, I probably took fights that I ended up losing against Gerald Washington and Michael Hunter a bit too early in my career. I wasn’t fully focused.  But now I’m ready to prove I can face the top guys.

“I’ll probably come in around 225, 227 pounds and feeling like I’ve prepared for this fight better than in other fight in my career.”

OTTO WALLIN:

“The heavyweight division is hot right now, and this is a fight for me to show I belong with the top guys.

“We’re prepared and had great sparring. My opponent has a name and people will recognize him. So it’s a good matchup for me.

“I want to look good and I want rounds. At the same time, I don’t want to get carried away and I want to just keep developing. It’s not a race.

“I was a little bit bummed out after what happened in the last fight with it ended with a first-round no-conest. In the [Nick] Kisner fight, he didn’t want to fight. Hopefully we have a guy who wants to come and fight.

“Sparring with Anthony Joshua (in 2016) really helped me. I just went in and had them take a look at me and I ended up staying the entire seven-week camp.”

B.J. FLORES:

“I’m the only opponent who comes in expecting to win. I honestly believe I will win and I should win. And I’ve been working on that for the past 10 weeks.

“I have no plan after tomorrow. I’m just thinking about round 1, then I’ll focus on round 2. It’s all I care about. I’m going to take it one round at a time.

“I don’t care how I win this fight. I just have to win. I don’t have a Plan B.”

“I thought I was done after my last fight [a loss to Trevor Bryan in August, 2018]. The fight date kept getting changed and I didn’t think it would happen. Then I got the call saying the fight was happening in 18 days. I wasn’t ready for it. That wasn’t the best version of me as a fighter.

“After the New Year I took time off and didn’t plan on coming back. But I was working out in the gym and felt I should give it another shot. And that’s when Dmitriy [Salita] called me with this opportunity.  

“I have nothing to lose, that’s my mindset for this fight.”

GIOVANNI CABRERA MIOLETTI:

“This is my hometown. The fans know me. My first fight here was just my second professional fight and against Jeremy McCleary, who was actually the hometown favorite. They were all quiet at first until I beat him. Then I became the hometown favorite. This is kind of my office, the Emerald Casino. I’m stepping into comfortable territory and this is nothing new to me. I’m comfortable and in my zone.

“I’m familiar with my opponent. He’s an Olympian. He was in the Pan-Am Games. This is a step up for me. He’s an international guy and he’s trained hard for this fight, as I’ve been told.

“I’ve beaten six undefeated fighters. I’m hoping to make this No. 7.

“I want it to be an action fight. I want to see what this guy brings. I hope he comes and tries his best. I like an action fight and I want him to come forward.

“This has been my dream to fight on SHOWTIME. I’m a boxing historian and have watched lots of video. Growing up Muhammad Ali and Manny Pacquiao were my favorites. I also liked Pernell Whitaker, Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard. I’ve watched guys with a lot of different styles.

LUIS POROZO:

“I’ve been in the States since January and working out at a gym in Brooklyn.

“Ecuador has never had a world champion boxer, so that is my motivation. It would be great to be the first one. A lot of things would change for me and my family if I was able win a world title.

“I’ve fought several southpaws and have been sparring with some bigger guys.

“I’m 29 years old and so there is an urgency. I’ve been fighting since I was 10 and had more than 500 amateur fights. I spent 10 years on the Ecuadorian National team and they supported me and my family.

“This is a turning point for me in my career. I have to go in there and show what I can do and that I’m ready for this next step.”

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook atFacebook.com/Shosports

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 80 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more. 

NEW YORK – July 1, 2019 – Both Jermaine Franklin and Jerry “Slugger” Forrest are predicting knockouts when the two heavyweights face off in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, July 12.

Franklin (18-0, 13 KOs) from Saginaw, Mich., and Forrest (25-2, 19 KOs), of Newport News, Va., will meet in the 10-round main event live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) from Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash. Battle at the Boat 122 is presented by Salita Promotions and Brian Halquist Productions.

In the co-featured bout, undefeated Swedish heavyweight and top-10 ranked contender Otto Wallin (20-0, 13 KOs) will battle former world title challenger BJ Flores (34-4-1, 21 KOs) in a 10-round clash. The opening bout of the tripleheader telecast will feature a match-up of undefeated featherweight prospects as Giovanni Mioletti (16-0, 7 KOs) faces off with Luis Porozo (14-0, 7 KOs).

The 25-year-old Franklin, a 2014 National Golden Gloves Champion and widely regarded as the top American heavyweight prospect, says he’ll be a different fighter against Forrest than the one who made his ShoBox debut with a unanimous decision over former No. 1-ranked U.S. amateur Rydell Booker last April.

“I learned to have more self-control and patience in that fight,” said Franklin. “Boxing is a tough sport and I think as a boxer, sometimes we try too hard to go for the knockout. I learned to stay patient, be calm, fight my fight and not rush things.”

Against Forrest, Franklin will be facing a more aggressive and less mobile style, which may be more suited to him than Booker’s elusive counterpunching.

“I’ve seen some tape on Forrest and I know he’s left-handed and throws a lot of looping punches,” Franklin said. “He’ll be right in front for me to hit. He seems very flat-footed, so I’ll use angles against him. But I feel like I don’t need a certain opponent to look good against. I took myself out of my last fight. I didn’t show what I can do. I’ll be more focused this time. I’ve developed to another stage since then.”

Franklin says it’s slowly sinking in that he’s graduated to a main event fighter.

“It just hit me two or three days ago that I’m headlining my own card on SHOWTIME,” said Franklin. “For a while it seemed unreal, but I don’t want to get too excited, so I’m trying to stay level-headed right now. I’ve been doing a lot of weight training and resistance training and pushing past the limit. I do a full workout in the gym and then workout on something else for another hour. I’m pushing past the limits of being tired to regain that second wind faster. I’m learning how to work hard without emptying my gas tank.”

According to Franklin, if he uses all his tools the way he’s supposed to, he’ll walk away with another knockout on his record.

“I picture a knockout or TKO,” Franklin said. “I’m not going to rush anything. I’m just going to fight my fight, but I feel I can get the KO if I stay calm. It’ll come. It’s inevitable.

The 31-year-old Forrest has won 18 consecutive fights and says this fight will show the world what he already knows: that he’s a world-class heavyweight who was waiting for his big break.

“Honestly, it’s kind of like the first chance for people to see what I’ve already been doing for years,” Forrest said. “The only difference is the cameras. It’ll still be my fight. Just the world gets to see it. I can’t wait to show on a national scale what I was capable of.”

Surprisingly, Forrest says his ring name of “Slugger” has nothing to do with boxing.

“Slugger is not really a nickname,” Forrest said. “My entire family calls me slugger because I almost passed away when I was born. My mom had blood poisoning and had to have transfusions. They told my parents to go ahead and get a casket prepared for me. My mom told me ‘you got to fight, slugger.’ Shortly after that, I opened my eyes for the first time.”

Forrest says he and trainer Anthony Chase are putting in good work but haven’t done anything different in the gym for this big test.

“I’ve already had four fights this year,” Forrest continued. “I’m in fantastic shape and training is going well. I do two or three workouts a day. I’m working on my recovery time a bit more, but I haven’t changed the way I do things. I don’t change the process if it works. I just do more.”

Power and experience are the reasons why Forrest predicts he’ll stop Franklin.

“I’m going to outbox him until I stop him,” said Forrest. “He can’t outbox me. I don’t think he has the skills, power, stamina, accuracy or boxing IQ to stand with me. It’s not a real planned style of his. I don’t think he thinks much in the ring. If you’re in better shape as a heavyweight, you will win the fight. I’m sure he’s training a bit harder, but he didn’t take his last fight seriously and he got hit with a lot of flush shots.

“I’m a power puncher. I have 19 KOs and a lot of them are in the early rounds. I’m good at seeing punches and being able to avoid them. I’m also very adaptive in the ring and even though he’s taller, his reach is shorter than mine. A lot of guys get thrown up really fast and they’re not ready for it. This is one of those cases. I will stop him.”

Barry Tompkins will call the action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 80 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.