Power-punching WBC #13 and WBO #14 light heavyweight contender Ali Izmailov returned to action last Friday night (January 7, 2022) with an impressive four-round stoppage of capable Panamanian veteran Israel Duffus on the untelevised undercard of the ShoBox: The New Generation event at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Fla.

One of the heaviest punchers in the world at 175 lbs., Izmailov (7-0, 5 KOs), from Malgobek, Russia, had things all his way against the determined but outgunned former WBC FECARBOX Light Heavyweight Champion Duffus (20-8, 17 KOs). Despite facing a long list of top prospects, the normally durable Duffus hasn’t lost to a fighter with a loss on his record since 2014 and hadn’t been stopped since 2016. Izmailov dropped Duffus in the third with a clubbing right hand and stunned him badly with another before Referee Chris Young halted the action mercifully at :34 of the fourth.

As promised, Izmailov concentrated much of his brutal attack on the body with both of his concrete hands, which softened Duffus up for the thudding finish. Surprisingly, Izmailov looks to have shored up his defense considerably as Duffus missed more than other opponents have previously in the Russian’s career.

The fight was Izmailov’s second with all-star trainer John David Jackson, with whom he now works and resides in Florida.

“I felt unbeatable,” said Izmailov, post-fight. “He couldn’t touch me and I was hitting harder than ever. Thank you to my trainer John David and Salita Promotions for this opportunity to stay active and show my improved skills.”

“Ali’s fight last Friday was a very good performance for him,” added John David Jackson. “He systematically broke his opponent down with a good jab, a great body attack and very good defense. Some people were concerned with the opponent we had chosen for him, but I knew that he would come through with flying colors. He is definitely ready for bigger and better boxing matches.”

Quickly gaining a reputation with his punching power as the next Russian Bloc strongman soon to make his considerable presence felt in the light heavyweight division, the 28-year-old Izmailov appears to be rounding into form for a championship challenge, despite just seven professional fights. The former amateur star has been fast-tracked by promoter Salita, who says he likes what he saw last Friday from his fighter.

“I was very impressed with the improvements Ali and John have already made together,” said Dmitriy Salita. “Ali is going from the hardest puncher in the division to a nightmare for anyone to try and face with John in his corner and it showed Friday night. That was a good opponent that Ali took apart easily and didn’t have to pay a heavy price for doing it with his improved defense. I am very happy with his performance, overall. He will be in an even bigger fight sometime this year.”

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About Salita Promotions

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action.

On Friday, January 7, 2022, power-punching WBC #13 and WBO #14 light heavyweight contender Ali Izmailov will return to action in a tough match-up against transplanted Panamanian veteran Israel Duffus on the untelevised undercard of the ShoBox: The New Generation 2022 kickoff episode (9 p.m. ET/PT) from the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Fla.

Izmailov (6-0, 4 KOs), from Malgobek, Russia, and Duffus (20-7, 17 KOs), now living in Los Angeles, will be fighting in support of the history-making ShoBox event in which, for the first time in the 20-plus year history of the series, all six fighters enter fight night without a loss.

“The Rumble at Caribe Royale,” presented by Sampson Boxing (Ali Izmailov appears courtesy of Salita Promotions), will see the Dominican Republic battle Puerto Rico in the 10-round featherweight main event, as Puerto Plata’s Luis “The Twist” Nunez (15-0, 11 KOs) meets Trujillo Alto’s Carlos “The Chosen One” Arrieta (14-0, 8 KOs) in the middle of the ring. The co-feature pits the Dominican Republic’s Starling Castillo (16-0, 12 KOs) against County of Georgia’s Otar Eranosyan (10-0, 6 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout. And in the telecast opener, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic knockout artist Edwin De Los Santos (13-0, 12 KOs) battles William “The Silent Assassin” Foster III (12-0, 8 KOs) of New Haven, Conn., in an eight-round super featherweight showdown.

A fast-rising force in the light heavyweight division, the 28-year-old Izmailov was last seen making his US ring debut at the Performance Arts Center in Dearborn, Mich., in October of this year, with an impressive two-round demolition of James Ballard (pictured above courtesy of My Art My Rules). Now residing in the United States, the fight with Duffus will be Izmailov’s second with new trainer John David Jackson.

“I am twice the fighter I was last time you saw me,” said Izmailov through an interpreter. “I have had more time to work with John David Jackson and with all that he is teaching me, I have become a new kind of animal. You will see me destroy to the head and body with non-stop intelligent pressure.”

“Ali is quickly becoming a very versatile boxer,” added Jackson. “As you know he can punch, but his boxing skills are so underrated because he hasn’t use them yet. His opponent will be somewhat crafty in the beginning, but after Ali begins to land his body punches, the fight should quickly change into his favor. He listens and learns quickly.”

A former WBC FECARBOX Light Heavyweight Champion, 29-year-old opponent Duffus went on a recent eight-fight winning streak, culminating with his title-winning victory in June 2018; a second-round stoppage of Mexico’s Victor Alfonso Leon. Never one to turn down a challenge, even internationally, three of Duffus’ last four opponents have been undefeated contenders.

“How he did against them will show you how good I am,” said Izmailov. “I’m going to tear him apart. Should I demolish him if I can or just bash on him until he quits? I will be throwing with power from new angles and in beautiful combinations. My left hook to the liver is going to really hurt.”

“Ali is a blue-chip contender, he is a skilled boxer and a big puncher,” said his promoter, Dmitriy Salita. “He is fighting the durable and very experienced Israel Duffus in only his seventh professional fight. An impressive win will show the boxing fans that Ali is on the fast track to a world title.”

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About Salita Promotions

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action.

Oxnard, CA: Former unified light heavyweight world champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KOs) did a lot of soul-searching after his controversial loss to Andre “S.O.G” Ward over the summer in Las Vegas, Nevada. He travelled back to his home in Russia for several months with his wife, Natalia, and his son Aleksandr and even spent time meditating at a monastery in Greece. After months of contemplation, he decided it was time to sever his relationship with long-time trainer, John David Jackson.

When Kovalev began the first half of his training camp in Big Bear Lake, California for his upcoming bout with Vyacheslav “Lion-Heart Chingonskyy” Shabranskyy (19-1, 16 KOs), he had not yet settled on a new trainer, but he did have his eye on someone. One of the first fighters signed by Sergey’s promotional company, Krusher Promotions, is a middleweight prospect from Grozny, Russia named Bakhram Murtazaliev. After Bakhram began training at the Boxing Laboratory in Oxnard, California with Kovalev, Sergey became impressed by his trainer, Abror Tursunpulatov of Uzbekistan.

Tursunpulatov is best known for working with 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Fazliddin Gaibnazarov and other members of the Uzbekistan Olympic Team. Seeing what Tursunpulatov did for Murtazaliev in his last two fights, Kovalev decided that Abror was the perfect person to train him for his upcoming battle with Shabranskyy.

Tursunpulatov is a quiet man who does not actively seek the spotlight, so Kovalev decided to announce his choice in a simple Instagram post where he said, [translated from Russian] “I’m presenting you my coaches of physical conditioning, Aleksandr Sedov, and boxing coach, Arbor Tursunpulatov. I feel very comfortable to be working together and preparing for Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy at MSG in New York City. Hope our connection will bring us new success for my boxing career.”

Left to Right: Tursunpulatov, Kovalev and Sedov
Photo Credit: Instagram @SergeyKrusherKovalev

When asked about the personnel change, Kovalev’s manager, Egis Klimas replied, “I’m just happy that Sergey found someone who can train him and I’m happy that Sergey is listening to somebody, which means a lot because I believe the trainer needs to have the respect from the fighter and it can’t be the other way. If fighter goes to the trainer and tells him what to do, he’s not the trainer. The trainer needs to tell the fighter what should be done.”

Klimas added, “Arbor is a real trainer. He’s not a showman going for the camera and getting into the press talking about it. He’s just helping Sergey to get him into better shape and to get him ready for boxing. And he reminds Sergey of his old trainer from the beginning in Russia, Roshchenko. Especially because Sergey wants to hear Russian language spoken in his corner. That is important to him.”

Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions. Barrera vs. Valera is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Main Events in Association with Shuan Boxing Promotions. Sosa vs. Castellanos is a 10-round super featherweight fight promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Peltz Boxing. The event will take place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

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LAS VEGAS, NV (November 17, 2016) – World renown trainers, John David Jackson and Virgil Hunter, squared off in a debate moderated by HBO Boxing Insider Kieran Mulvaney on Wednesday, Nov. 16, ahead of Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward “Pound For Pound” showdown on Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

John David Jackson is the trainer of WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs). Virgil Hunter is the trainer of Two-Time World Champion and 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs). Here is what the trainers had to say:

John David Jackson, Trainer of Sergey Kovalev:

“Alright, thank you very much it’s nice to have the press out here and I’m glad you made it out the Sergey Kovalev – Andre Ward fight is a fight that I am glad was made for a lot of reasons, but one reason is for the fans because this fight was deserved. In boxing today, there’s too many fights that aren’t being made these are the best fighters in the world so it definitely had to be made.

“Decline I say because when you look at his past (Ward’s) last five years and the way he dominated 168. He fought different fights and he fought a different way.

“In Andre I see many thing but you know what on that night they might not show. He may become totally different but we are prepared for what he brings to us.

“Andre has a lot of strengths. You know when you look at him or when you really study him he’s a well schooled fighter he listens to everything Virgil preaches and he definitely absorbs it. The one beautiful thing I’ve noticed from that is he trusts Virgil. When you trust your trainer that speaks volumes for you, you listen to everything he tells you to do, so any game plan that Virgil advises he’s gonna follow.

“I really studied Andre these past few weeks I have a great appreciation for what he does because looked and I said you know what his style was similar to mine. I was busy in my fights, I was very captivated in my moves, I set traps for my opponents. As soon as I sat down and recognized what he does, I like what he (Ward) does he’s very smart.

“Once I really sat down and studied Andre and Virgil I had to sit back and give them all the credit they deserve I kinda sold them short a couple years back.

“He don’t need to worry about the knockout if the knock come it come but if it doesn’t we are prepared to go 12 hard rounds to get the victory by decision.

“We knew going in that this was the fight that would make Sergey a household name his names good but being in a fight with a name like Andre ward makes it even better.

Virgil Hunter, Trainer of Andre Ward:

“Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward ‘Pound For Pound’ is going to be a historical initiation. As far as preparing for this fight, we’ve been preparing for it from the first time that he started boxing.

“Each fighter is different but you have the masses, the critics who need to be impressed by a certain way that a victory comes up. We came out of the garage from a one-and-a-half-year layoff and fought Sullivan Barrera. He was the number one contender at the time, so it was a dangerous fight until the fight was over, then Barrera was garbage. Nobody is ever going to be satisfied. That’s just the nature of the game so you have to be satisfied with yourself.

“I’m very attuned to body language, I’m very attuned to tone of voice, and from what I hear, from what I see, it’s safe to say that there is a lot of disarray in that camp. What I mean by that is I don’t even know if Coach Jackson is getting the respect he is due in that camp but time will tell. For instance, why do we have to make an excuse for Kovalev in Russia for selling tickets and things. Don’t you have a team who could have taken care of that? You’re supposed to have a team to take care of that to take the pressure off the fighter.

“I believe somebody probably told Kovalev to say that Ward is a dirty fighter because you go eight, nine weeks and all of a sudden he is a dirty fighter? Kovalev will learn, one day, to not be everyone’s robot and do what they tell and ask him to do. He does it because he’s loyal. It doesn’t even sound like him. That’s not him saying that. That’s not in his character. That is his promoter saying that. It’s nothing but if he kicks Ward, he’ll get kicked back. Simple as that.

“We know Kovalev is a dangerous fighter, we give him all he’s due. I give Coach Jackson all he’s due. The coaching fraternity is a very tough fraternity. We are the first ones to get the blame. The fighter never takes full responsibility for his shortcomings. The fighter always has other people in his ear, telling him there is a better way, so I understand what he goes through as a coach.

“I just want the best Andre Ward and the best Sergey Kovalev. If Kovalev wins the fight, my respect goes out to him. If we win the fight, my respect goes out to him because they can’t be great unless they fight each other. Sometimes two people come out of that situation looking great. I wish the best to both of them regardless of what happens.

“‘Do I believe that Ward will exhibit mental toughness? Yes, without a doubt. Do I believe that Kovalev will exhibit it? I’m sure he will as well, and that’s the making of a great fight.”

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Monster Products, JetLux, Zappos, Jordan Brand and Shoe Palace. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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Oxnard, California: As WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev prepares to face Andre “S.O.G.” Ward live on HBO Pay-Per-View from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada he will once again have former two-time world champion John David Jackson in his corner. Kovalev and Jackson have worked together for several years and all of Kovalev’s big-time fights. Below Jackson breaks down Kovalev’s keys to victory:

Question: What is the one thing Kovalev has to accomplish in the ring in order to beat Ward?

John David Jackson: “In order to beat Ward, Sergey has to be able to cut the ring off. He has to make Ward engage and if Ward engages he will make himself vulnerable and leave himself open to the counter-punches. Sergey also has to beat his body down and make Ward, as the rounds go by, depleted of his energy. Then he will get him late with a knockout.”

Q: What is the one thing that Kovalev has to prevent Ward from doing in order to beat Ward?

JDJ: “What Sergey has to prevent Ward from doing is getting into a trap of falling behind in rounds. He can’t let Ward get two, three, four, five, six rounds ahead where he is behind the eight ball trying to play catch-up. Sergey has to come out of the gate and establish his power, his strength and his boxing abilities. If he does not win the first three rounds, he at least has to keep him even, so down the stretch as he begins to deplete Ward of his power, he will get him with either a late-round knockout or dominate the later rounds and win by decision. He cannot let Ward get ahead early and have to try to play catch-up.”

Q: You have said that non-American fighters are hungrier than American fighters. Do you still adhere to that, and, if so, does it apply to the Kovalev-Ward fight?

JDJ: “I still stand by that. To a degree, most American fighters today aren’t really that hungry. The European fighters that come from Russia or Germany they are hungry because their lifestyle and their way of living is a little bit harsher. Either you are rich or you are poor in Russia. There is no middle ground. There are no subsidies from the government to help you out. You are either rich or you are poor and that is what makes these fighters hungry. I still believe in that. A lot of these guys who come from European countries, they are hungry. They don’t have the advantages that we have in America. I still believe that they are hungry and they are more dedicated at least in the beginning of their careers when they first get here.”

Q: What is Kovalev’s biggest advantage in this fight?

JDJ: “Kovalev’s biggest visible advantage is his punching power. Power like his is God-given. You either have it or you don’t and he has it. He may not look like he is strong but he has tremendous punching power. That is definitely his biggest advantage. His second biggest advantage is he is a better boxer than most people give him credit for.”

Q: Does Ward have an advantage in any area in this fight?

JDJ: “Ward has an advantage in ring generalship. Ward is a very intelligent, smart fighter. He has had to win most of his battles with ring smarts. He has had to be able to be evasive and able to avoid the big shots. He does that very well along with his grabbing tactics. He suffocates his opponents so they can’t punch. Those are Ward’s biggest advantages. He is able to deflect a lot of your strengths while exposing a lot of your weaknesses. His advantage is that he is a very smart, tactical ring fighter. He uses ring generalship to his advantage. Up to this point in his career it has worked for him but I think with Sergey’s power and ring generalship it is going to be a different night for Ward. I think he is going to taste defeat for the first time since he was 12 years old.”

Q: You have said that Ward has several disadvantages-suspect chin, lack of power and three major mistakes he makes and hasn’t and can’t correct. Is this still your opinion?

JDJ: “Ward has three major mistakes but I cannot reveal them until fight night. On November 19 we will see if he has corrected them. Ward still made mistakes in his last two fights. He is past his prime. He is on the downward decline. Some have said that so is Sergey but Sergey is a puncher. His decline will not be as visible as Ward’s will be. We will find out on fight night if Ward has corrected any of the mistakes I have seen him make in prior fights. That will be the tell-tale sign. As far as his suspect chin, if Sergey hits him flush that question will be answered right away because Ward will go down like a ton of bricks. As for lack of power, if Ward tries to prove that he has power now, that would work to our advantage because it means he will have to stand there and try to engage with Sergey. That is really what Ward doesn’t want to do.”

Q: You have said that Kovalev will win within the 12-round distance. Is this still your prediction, Kovalev by KO or TKO?

JDJ: “Let’s just say that I predict that Kovalev will win, by knockout or by decision. Hopefully, for the fans, the win will come by knockout but I believe Sergey can also win by decision. Sergey is a very good boxer. He is a very good technician. He knows how to box. Sergey is also very well-schooled from his amateur days and now as a pro. He has better boxing skills than people realize. Can he win by decision? Yes, he can. Will he win by decision? I hope not. I hope he knocks this kid out and cements his pound-for-pound number one rating.”

Q: If or when Kovalev wins, can there be any doubt that he is, unquestionably, the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound?

JDJ: No doubt. If Sergey wins, he is the best fighter pound-for-pound.

Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound For Pound”, a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA light heavyweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is presented by Main Events, Roc Nation Sports, Krusher Promotions and Andre Ward Promotions and is sponsored by the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Corona Extra, Zappos, JetLux and Monster Products. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.

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Uncasville, Connecticut: When heavyweight Cassius Chaney (7-0, 4 KOs) returns to the ring on Nov. 26 to face veteran Carlos Sandoval (10-10-1, 7 KOs) on the undercard of premiere event for the Mohegan Sun’s Rising Stars on November 26 it will be the first fight working with his new trainer, John David Jackson.

The four-round fight with Sandoval will also be the first for Chaney since he underwent shoulder surgery over the summer. After he received the green light from his doctors to return to the ring, the 29-year old from New London, Connecticut headed to Oxnard, California to begin his first training camp with world-renowned trainer and former world champion John David Jackson. Jackson is best-known as the trainer for WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev.

Usually Jackson trains out of Boca Raton, Florida but he is currently in Oxnard to prepare Kovalev for his upcoming pay-per-view fight with Andre Ward. Therefore, Cassius and Main Events’ stablemate, Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens, who also trains with Jackson, needed to move their camps to Oxnard as well so the two decided to live together for the duration of camp.

According to Chaney, “Curtis and I run together. We go to the gym together. We are all on different times with John but I go with him and watch him spar. We watch Kovalev spar too. I noticed that Curtis and Kovalev take their time when they spar and that is something I have had to learn to do. It is a different atmosphere. This is the first camp where I get to concentrate just on boxing.”

One of the big changes for Chaney between Jackson and his previous trainers is temperament. He said, “John is always telling me to relax. He is so mild-mannered. He is not too loud but he is not too soft-spoken either. He adjusts to me. If I pick something up quick, then he will move on to the next thing.”

Jackson added, “Cassius is a big lovable kid. He has boxing ability but it hasn’t been brought out in him yet. I am trying to make him become a better boxer. I want him to be more sound and use his jab more. He also needs to use his height and his distance. He is a big guy. He has that reach advantage over most fighters but he hasn’t been using that. My impression is that his best skills weren’t being brought out of him. I try to make all my fighters relax. They need to be able to relax in order to do their job better. I just kept telling Cassius to relax, relax. It allows him to punch better and use his jab a lot more. I told him not to put so much pressure on himself to impress anybody.”

Jolene Mizzone, Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year said, “This fight is a step up for Cassius and believe with the training camp he has had for this fight and working with John David Jackson, he will come out victories and more confident than ever.”

NEW YORK (April 6, 2016) – SHOWTIME Sports® presents its latest installment of a year-long salute commemorating 30 years of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® with “Fights of the Year” in April on SHO EXTREME®.

The fourth round of a 12-month tribute will be highlighted by four of the most rousing and unforgettable fights in boxing history:
Jorge Castro vs. John David Jackson I – 1994 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year (Round 9 earned Round of the Year honors)
Paulie Ayala vs. Johnny Tapia I – 1999 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year (Ayala earned Fighter of the Year honors)
Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I – 2005 Consensus Fight of the Year (Round 10 earned Round of the Year honors)
Lucas Matthysse vs. John Molina Jr. – 2014 Boxing Writers Association of America Fight of the Year.

The four celebrated battles will air on “Throwback Thursdays” all month at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO EXTREME and are available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and via the network’s online streaming service. Each fight will be wrapped with brief context and commentary from SHOWTIME Sports ring announcer and International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Lennon Jr.

Below is the schedule of SHOWTIME EXTREME premieres for the month of April:
Thursday, April 7: Jorge Castro vs. John David Jackson I
Thursday, April 14: Lucas Matthysse vs. John Molina Jr.
Thursday, April 21: Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I
Thursday, April 28: Paulie Ayala vs. Johnny Tapia I

Castro-Jackson I (Dec. 10, 1994, Castro KO 9) –Castro, thoroughly battered, bloodied and losing by a wide margin, rallies from the absolute brink of defeat to score three knockdowns in the ninth round to overcome Jackson in one of the most dramatic turnarounds ever.

Ayala-Tapia I (June 26, 1999, Ayala W 12) – In some of the fiercest two-way action in the history of Las Vegas boxing, southpaw Ayala hands Tapia his first professional loss in 49 fights and captures the WBA bantamweight title by the scores of 115-114 and 116-113 twice. Game On: As the boxers were being announced, Tapia walked across the ring and shoved Ayala causing a momentary skirmish.

Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo I (May 7, 2005, Corrales TKO 10) — After nine intense, back-and-forth rounds, Corrales accomplishes the unthinkable, miraculously regrouping from two knockdowns in the 10th to stop Castillo in the same round (2:06) and etch his spot in boxing lore. After managing to beat the count (and lose a point for excessive spitting out of the mouthpiece), Corrales got Castillo on the ropes and connected with a huge right hand. He continued to unload and Castillo got nailed with a bundle of vicious punches. Moments later, the ref stopped it.

Lucas Matthysse-John Molina Jr. (April 26, 2014, Matthysse KO 11) — A bloody slugfest, in which both fighters were knocked down multiple times, became an instant classic. Matthysse who went down in the second and fifth rounds, came back with a late-fight onslaught to wear down and drop Molina in the eighth, 10th and 11th rounds. The tremendous brawl was as brutal as it was exciting and more compelling to witness than anyone could have imagined.

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NEW YORK, NY (March 3, 2016)–This Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio,
Victory Sports & Entertainment is pleased to announce that undefeated middleweight prospect, Luis “Cuba” Arias will make the first in what we hope, are many headlining appearances when he takes on power punching Gilberto Santos of Brazil in a bout scheduled for ten rounds under the direction of world class trainer, John David Jackson.

Arias of Milwaukee, Wisconsin has a perfect record of 13-0 with six knockouts.

“Camp has been excellent. Things have been coming together nicely and on time. I get better and stronger every camp,” Said Arias. “I am not overlooking Santos as he’s a strong fighter who’s coming to win but this is my time and I want to make a statement in my first headliner.”

“Training with John David Jackson has been a great. Having someone with his level of experience has helped me develop as a fighter. He has helped take my game to another level. Him and Derik Santos have been a great fit for me. I feel I have the best training team in boxing.”

The 25 year-old came into the pro ranks with high aspirations after a stellar amateur career that saw him win two US National Championships and a National PAL title, in addition to numerous medals on the international level.

In Jackson, he has a trainer who has trained many world champions and is currently one of the hot cornermen in boxing due to his work with current Light Heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev.

“Luis has had a great camp he’s strong and on weight. He’s ready for his first headlining bout and wants to showcase his talent and show people that he’s the real deal,”said Jackson of his prized pupil,” said Jackson.

“For this camp we are stressing the body attack. Luis is a good boxer with excellent skills and power. We are trying to develop his all-around game so we are focusing more on working the body for this fight.”

Jackson does not feel Cuba Arias is just any boxer. He sees major things in the
future for him.

“Luis has the potential to become a World Champion. He was a tremendous amateur, he’s tough, determined with excellent power and great all around skills. 2016 should be his breakout year. He has the skills and needs to be showcased on a bigger stage. It’s time to take the wraps off and let him prove himself. He can fight, he gets better each time out, he wants to test himself in bigger fights and is ready for the challenge.”

“After this fight, I want a real test for Luis, a good name fighter where he can be challenged and have to work. I know he can be great and will rise to the occasion so I just want him to get the opportunity to showcase his skills and show everyone what a great fighter he is.”

Arias, who is promoted by Roc Nation Sports and managed my Victory Sports & Entertainment, now has the complete team in place with the addition of the world class trainer.

Said Victory Sports & Entertainment’s Rick Torres, “2016 is the year where Cuba has to step up the level of competition and show everyone how great he is. This is his first headlining bout which is a big deal for him and we know Santos is a dangerous opponent with real punching power so this should be a good test for Cuba. After this fight we are looking forward to Roc Nation putting him on higher profile fights, TV fights where the world can see what we already know – that he’s one of the best young fighters in the world and a future Champion. With the right development Cuba can become a star attraction in the sport and we know Roc Nation can make this happen. We just want the opportunity and Cuba will handle the rest.”

Victory Sports & Entertainment is an athlete management company with offices in New York and Las Vegas. Founded by noted sports attorney Rick Torres and boxing trainer Michael Leanardi, Victory has steadily built an impressive stable of young prospects that it is grooming for future stardom. Vi

Ft. Lauderdale, FL: 2014 has brought many changes for Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov (17-0-1, 11 KOs). He defeated veteran Tomasz Adamek to claim the NABF North American Heavyweight Title and secure the #2 position in the IBF. After, he immigrated to the United States from war-torn Ukraine with his wife and daughter and moved to sunny Fort Lauderdale, FL. In Florida, he started training with world-renowned trainer John David Jackson. Jackson also trains fellow Main Events’ stable mate Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev. This Saturday boxing fans will finally get to find out how all of these changes have affected Glazkov’s game as he steps into the ring with Derric “El León” Rossy (29-8-0, 14 KOs) at Sands Resort Casino and live on NBCSN Fight Night.

Czar Glazkov – Interview with Asst. Trainer Derik Santos
Czar Glazkov
Interview with Asst. Trainer Derik Santos

Glazkov, 29, is an Olympic Bronze medalist but, according to Jackson’s assistant trainer, Derik Santos, before training with Jackson, Glazkov’s game was very one-dimensional, “One of the things we saw from a lot of his past fights is he throws a lot of good ones. His jab is good but everything was in ones.” Jackson decided he wanted Glazkov to add more combinations. Santos added, “He is very fast. He’s agile. He rolls well. So we decided to work with combinations. That’s how you’re going to beat people. You are going to out-box them. You are going to beat them. You are going to outsmart them. You gotta stick that good jab out there.”

Czar Glazkov
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events

Jackson also pushed Glazkov more than his previous trainers and Santos believes Czar has stepped up in response to the challenge, “We have pushed him hard since he got here. He’s liked it. I am not sure that he was pushed that hard before. I am not sure that the technical aspect was broken down for him. One thing that John [David Jackson] does really well, he breaks things down and explains to the fighter why they are doing it.” The new approach as paid off according to Santos, who said, “In our first sparring session, in the beginning he was throwing ones and twos and threes, but then after he started getting the combinations we have been working on and his sparring partner called it short. We are working on him rising up with that right hand.”

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva added, “I’ve seen what John David Jackson accomplished with Sergey Kovalev. Knowing how good Glazkov was before he started working with John, I can’t wait to see what he looks like now. This is an important fight to see where Czar is in his training and development. Bigger things are on the horizon for him when he’s ready.”

About August 9:

The Aug. 9th special triple-header edition of NBCSN Fight Night will take place at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem and will feature a ten-round heavyweight match-up between Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov and Derric “El León” Rossy, a twelve round light heavyweight match-up between Robert “The Butcher” Berridge and Vasily “The Professor” Lepikhin and an six-round heavyweight fight featuring Joseph Parker and Keith “Untouchable” Thompson. The undercard bouts will be announced shortly. Ticket prices are $50 and $75 and available at Ticketmaster.com. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing and Pushka Promotions in association with Final Forum Promotions and Duco Events. The special triple-header NBCSN Fight Night telecast will begin live at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT.

NBC Sports Live Extra:

NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT on August 9.

Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

All NBC Sports Network live events live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

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Undefeated Russian heavyweight crusher Magomed “Mago” Abdusalamov (18-0, 18 KOs) is hard at work in Florida with new trainer John David Jackson, preparing for his first premium-cable appearance, a showdown with also undefeated Cuban Mike Perez (19-0, 12 KOs) on Saturday, November 2, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City and televised Live on HBO®.

The hard-hitting pair, both southpaws, will meet for Abdusalamov’s WBC USNBC Heavyweight Championship on the televised portion of the undercard of middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin’s World Boxing Association and International Boxing Organization title defense against Curtis Stevens.

Sampson Lewkowicz, exclusive promoter of Abdusalamov, says the addition of trainer Jackson will give the 32-year-old Russian a new dimension to his game. “Who better to train a southpaw to become champion than one who has already done it?” he asked. “Magomed already had the best power in the heavyweight division and now with John David Jackson fine-tuning his defense, he will be unstoppable.”

A victory over 27-year-old Perez would be another significant notch on Abdusalamov’s belt. The big Cuban is a former Prizefighter UK champion who holds victories over respectable veterans such as Zack Page, Tye Fields and Travis Walker.

“Magomed is training to prove he is the real heavyweight on the horizon,” continued Lewkowicz. “Victories over other strong contenders like Perez are how he will do it. I’m very happy that HBO has chosen to spotlight Magomed. This exciting KO victory will allow him to establish himself as the most exciting puncher in the heavyweight division today.

Abdusalamov manager, Boris Grinberg, says his fighter will be the best version of himself he’s ever been on November 2.

“John David Jackson is the final piece of the puzzle to make the next heavyweight champion. The strongest offense in the division is now being taught defense by one of the slickest fighters in boxing history. We are very excited for the world to see the improved Magomed on HBO.”

ABOUT SAMPSON BOXING

After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.

DEERFIELD, Fla. (August 2, 2013) – Two-division world champion John David “Action” Jackson, one of the most respected trainers in boxing today, has joined Iron Mike Productions as co-head coach of the promotional company’s stable of world-class fighters.

Acquinity Sports, under CEO Garry Jonas, partnered with Hall of Famer Mike Tyson to form Iron Mike Productions, whose inaugural promotional event is the August 23rd “Tyson Is Back!” card, airing on ESPN Friday Night Fights, live from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Jackson (36-4, 20 KOs) was world light middleweight and middleweight champion in the late eighties through the mid-nineties. He has trained Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley, among the more notables, and his present fighters include three-time world champion Randall Bailey and world light heavyweight challenger Sergey Kovalev.

“I’m very happy to be reunited with John David Jackson,” Iron Mike Productions COO Henry Rivalta said. “We worked together in 2008 at The Heavyweight Factory. He brings a lot to the table and is an incredible asset on our coaching staff. Our fighters are going to benefit from John David’s teaching.”

Jackson will be co-head coach of Team Iron Mike Tyson with Herman Caicedo. Assistant coaches on staff include “Irish” Micky Ward, Kenny “Emerald City Assassin” Ellis, Andy Bell, Claudio Lamothe and Stacey McKinley.

“Mike Tyson Productions is committed to giving our young fighters the absolute best coaching,” Rivalta added. “It was Garry Jonas’ idea to add John David to our coaching staff. Caicedo, Jackson, Ward and all our other coaches complement each other and give our kids a ton of invaluable experience.”

Iron Mike Productions growing stable of world-class fighters includes IBF super featherweight champion Argenis “The Thunderstorm” Mendez, two-time, two-division world champion Joan “Little Tyson” Guzman, featherweights Claudio “The Matrix” Marrero Alexei “The Hurricane” Collado, welterweights Ed “The Lion” Paredes and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz, light heavyweights Umberto “El Don” Savigne and Isiah Thomas, bantamweight Juan Carlos Payano, and light middleweights Dominque “3D” Dolton and 2008 Olympic silver medalist Yudel Jhonson.

Iron Mike Promotions, previously Acquinity Sports, is a boxing promotion company founded and led by Acquinity Interactive CEO Garry Jonas. It is committed to changing traditional boxing promotion by advocating for its fighters’ successes inside the ring and out, throughout their professional careers and into retirement. For additional information go online at www.IronMikeProductions.com

In a very eventful week, trainer John David Jackson guided two of his fighters to victory in title elimination bouts, proving that he is indeed one of the best rising trainers in the boxing business. Jackson, a former two-time world champion himself, helped two young boxers move a step closer toward their own championship dreams.

First, on Friday, June 14th, in Bethlehem, PA, “Russian Wrecking Ball” Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, 21-0-1, 19 KOs, destroyed Houston’s Cornelius “Da Beast” White to take the #1 spot in the IBF light heavyweight rankings. Kovalev’s resounding 3rd round TKO in the scheduled 12-rounder was seen by a live national television audience on NBC Sports Network, and was the latest in a streak of devastating knockouts that have made fans cheer and opponents run.

Kovalev Hits White

Photo credits to Rich Graessle/Main Events

The victory earned Kovalev a shot at the 175-pound belt currently held by boxing legend Bernard Hopkins. But rather than waiting for the 48 year old Hopkins to get around to giving him an opportunity, Kovalev instead accepted an immediate offer by HBO to face WBO light heavyweight champ Nathan Cleverly, 26-0, 12 KOs, on August 17th.

On the following Friday night, June 21st, another of John David Jackson’s top talents, Cuban Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy, 19-0, 12 KOs, lived up to his nickname by blasting out Fahsai Sakkreerin, 39-4-1, 21 KOs, of Thailand, at the Minneapolis (MN) Convention Center, in another title eliminator. Barthelemy, who now fights out of Miami, needed less than two rounds to claim the #1 perch in the IBF junior lightweight ratings. The fight, which ended at 1:26 of round two, was televised nationally by ESPN2.

Now the undefeated Barthelemy can look forward to a crack at New York-based Dominican Argenis Mendez, 21-2, 11 KOs, who currently holds the IBF belt at 130 pounds.

John David Jackson has worked with a number of world champions including Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley, Nate Campbell, and Randall Bailey. Now with Kovalev already booked for a title fight and Barthelemy presumably following right behind, Jackson appears to be on the verge of soon adding more championship luster to his already impressive resume. Talk about a good week!

BETHLEHEM, PA – When Russian knockout sensation Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, 20-0-1, 18 KOs, squares off against Houston’s Cornelius White, 21-1, 16 KOs, at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, the light heavyweight contender will have a not-so-secret weapon in his corner. Over the last year, Kovalev has been working with former world champion John David Jackson, who in recent years has become a standout as a boxing trainer.

The Kovalev-White bout is part of a knockout triple header on the next edition of NBC Sports Network’s popular Fight Night, on Friday, June 14th. The broadcast begins at 8PM ET, and also includes a 10-round heavyweight fight between Philadelphia’s Bryant Jennings, 16-0, 8 KOs, and Andrey Fedosov, 24-2, 19 KOs, of Russia, as well as a 10-round welterweight clash between Bethlehem’s Ronald Cruz, 17-1, 12 KOs, and Ray Narh, 25-2, 21 KOs, of Ghana.

Before becoming a trainer, John David Jackson had an excellent boxing career that included world titles in both the junior middleweight and middleweight divisions, and an overall pro record of 36-4, 20 KOs. In his post-punching era, Jackson has worked with fighters like Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley, Nate Campbell, Randall Bailey, and others. Now, his latest charge, Kovalev, is quickly climbing the ranks toward a world title shot.

“He’s a tremendous puncher, probably the most pure puncher in the division,” Jackson said. “I don’t try to change anything he does because his style is very unique. It’s not conventional. He punches from different angles. One thing he does really nice is when he throws his shots, he sits on almost all his punches. I just try to add small things to his game.”

Jackson learned the training trade during his five years in Philadelphia, when as a boxer, he worked with legendary trainer George Benton.

“Georgie Benton was my one and only true teacher of boxing,” Jackson said of the North Philly icon. “I would just pick his brain. I think the relationship we built, and just watching him and the way he did things, made the transition (from boxer to trainer) easy for me. He was the first person to tell me that I would make a very good trainer. He said, ‘You’ll make a great trainer because you have patience and you understand the game.’ So Georgie was the main reason I’ve had success as a trainer.”

Jackson and Kovalev

Jackson needed that patience when he first started working with Kovalev. At first they didn’t click, but over time, their relationship grew and their communication and understanding of each other began to pay off.

“I just took my time,” Jackson said about the early days in Camp Kovalev. “With each passing day, we began to click, and by the second fight, we really began to gel. Now he’s a pleasure to deal with.”

There is no question that Kovalev’s career has been on the fast track over the last year, and Jackson sees more success in his immediate future, starting with the fight against White, on June 14th.

“Cornelius White is a nice fighter,” Jackson said. “But I don’t think he has enough ammunition to offset what Sergey is bringing to the table that night. I know it won’t go the distance.”

ABOUT FRIDAY, JUNE 14

The Jennnings-Fedosov, Kovalev-White and Cruz-Narh fights top a seven-bout card at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. Doors open at 6:15pm ET. Tickets priced at $50 and $75 and $130 (luxury suites) can be purchased through the offices of Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and at all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000). Tickets also are on sale at www.peltzboxing.com, www.SandsEventCenter.com, and www.Ticketmaster.com. In Bethlehem, tickets are available at Deja Brew, Inc., 101 West 4th Street (610-865-2739) and at Pronto Insurance Notary, 232 East 3rd Street (610-419-6790). NBC Sports Network will televise the Jennings-Fedosov, Kovalev-White and Cruz-Narh fights, beginning at 8 pm ET, Friday, June 14th. The card is promoted by Main Events and Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions, Hitz Entertainment and Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

South Florida’s based Heavyweight Factory is determined to churn out the next American Heavyweight champion of the world and tonight they put their young raw talent on display at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood Florida. The Heavyweight Factory has Former WBC heavyweight champion Oliver McCall and famed trainer John David Jackson training and grooming these former top level collegiate athletes to become the next Big thing in the heavyweight division. Recently the company has added top fighters in the lower weight divisions to round out a fantastic stable of young and emerging talent.

In the Main event of the evening Richard Abril 13-2(6KO) won the WBC Latino lightweight title with a unanimous decision win over Jose Reyes 23-9(8KO). Abril paced himself throughout the bout picking his shots and often landing great straight right hands and stunning Reyes however seldom throwing multiple punch combinations fighting a safe and slow fight. The cards read 99-91, 97-93, 98-92.

In the Co-Main event of the evening Jr Middleweight Joey “Twinkle Fingers” Hernandez 17-1-1(10KO) from Miami won in impressive fashion by way of TKO over Saul Duran. The beginning of the end came when the southpaw Hernandez floored Duran with a heavy straight left in the second round and, after barley beating the count Hernandez jumped on Duran and finished the job at 2:28.

In the second Co-Main event of the Heavyweight Factory product Luis Ortiz 4-0(3KO) won by TKO over tough veteran Zack Page 21-30(7KO). Ortiz, who had over 360 amateur fights, floored Page in round 5 with a heavy straight left in response to boos by the crowd which motivated the Cuban fighter to turn it up a notch. Ortiz overpowered Page in the 8th and final round prompting referee Sam Burgos to step in at 42 seconds putting a stop to the fight.

Another Heavyweight Factory fighter and former University of Miami fullback James Bryant 4-1(4KO) won by TKO over Dieuly “The Untamed Beast” Aristilde 7-4(1KO). Both fighters exchanged power shots throughout the entire fight, but it was Bryant who was more effective. Bryant dropped Aristilde three times throughout the fight. The fight was called at 1:38 of the fourth when referee Frank Gentile wave Aristilde off after getting up from the final knockdown.

Light heavyweight Azwa Augustama, representing the Heavyweight Factory, improved to 9-0 with a nice knockout win over tough Reggie Pena. Azwais of Haiti, now making his home in Hollywood Florida connected with a brutal body shot then a left hook to the head that caused referee Sam Burgis to step in and put a stop to the fight. The end came at 2:14 of the fourth round.

Yordenis Ugas 5-0(3) who won bronze medal for Cuba in the lightweight division at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games won a convincing unanimous decision over Anthony “Physco” Woods 7-14 from Nassau Bahamas. Woods came out aggressive while the seasoned young Cuban fought a great counter punching fight landing numerous bit shot on the way to victory. All three judges seen the fight 40-36

Light welterweight Russian Khabib Alakhuerdiev 12-0(6KO) remained perfect with a unanimous decision win over Juan Nazario 6-3(4KO). Alakhuerdiev, who is trained by John David Jackson, often rocked Nazario who fought the entire fight going backwards, trying to stay out of reach of the southpaw, just to tie up when close. All three judges scored the fight 60-52.

Cruiserweight Nicholas “The American Showstopper” Iannuzzi 15-1(9KO) won a hard fought unanimous decision over hard hitting Colombian Jose Luis Herrera 16-8(16KO). Round four was entertaining when where both fighters where down and both beat the count. Iannuzzi dropped Herrera again in the final seconds of the sixth and final round to secure the victory. The cards read: 60-54 59-54 60-52.

Cuban amateur standout Inocente Fiz 3-0(2KO) pressured the very game and tough journeyman Jose Angel Roman 11-27(5KO) all night on the way to a unanimous decision win. The cards read 59-55 58-56 59-55.