Rigondeaux vs. Flores, De La Hoya vs. Salinas Added to Cotto-Kirkland PPV Undercard

NEW YORK, NY – (January 25, 2017) – Two action-packed fights featuring world champions, emerging stars and fierce rivalries have been added to the televised pay-per-view undercard of Miguel Cotto vs. James Kirkland “The Return” on Saturday, February 25 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco. The event, sponsored by Corona Extra, will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

The co-feature bout will spotlight reigning WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs) in a mandatory 12-round WBA title defense against WBA interim titleholder Moises “Chucky” Flores (25-0, 17 KOs). Both fighters are eager to contend for the top super bantamweight status and upset the other’s perfect record.

“I would like to start by thanking HBO, Roc Nation Sports and Caribe Promotions for making this fight happen. I’m very excited, it’s my first fight back in the states in over a year. I want to show the world and my loyal fans that I am still one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world,” said Rigondeaux. “I will be defending my title on February 25. I’d like to thank Moises Flores for having the courage to face me in the ring. He is a tough fighter and will have all his fans in Texas cheering for him. It’s going to be a battle so fans, get ready to see me in action.”

“I’m very excited to be facing Guillermo Rigondeaux on Saturday, February 25 on HBO Pay-Per-View,” said Flores. “I’d like to thank my team at Probox Management along with HBO for providing this opportunity. I’m training hard and look forward to making the Mexican fans proud when I defeat the great Rigondeaux.”

“Just when we thought the Cotto-Kirkland event could not get any more exciting for sports fans – Roc Nation Sports is thrilled to announce Guillermo Rigondeaux’s championship defense against Moises Flores on the televised undercard,” said Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy Michael R. Yormark. “One of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters, Rigondeaux is coming off his most impressive performance to date, shattering James Dickens’s jaw in Wales last June. The bout with Flores is set to be even more exciting as Ford Center at The Star looks to open its professional boxing account with a fight card for the ages.”
“TGB Promotions is proud of this world title opportunity for Moises ‘Chucky’ Flores as he takes on one of the premier fighters in the sport, Guillermo Rigondeaux,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. ‘’Chucky is well prepared and looking forward to making the Mexican fans proud of their new world champion.”

The televised undercard will also include WBC Youth World Super Bantamweight Champion and Golden Boy Promotions top-flight prospect Diego De La Hoya (16-0, 9 KOs) against Cuban pugilist Yoandris “El Nino” Salinas (21-2-2, 14 KOs) in a 10-round super bantamweight contest. De La Hoya, already a Dallas-area fan favorite, drew a unanimous decision against veteran fighter Orlando Del Valle at AT&T Stadium on the undercard of September’s Canelo-Smith showdown. Salinas seeks a big return to the ring following 18 months away from boxing because of a hand injury.

“I want to be at the top, and leave a legacy behind that makes people look at me as one of the greats – and that comes with accepting tougher fights like this one,” said De La Hoya. “Salinas has fought a number of great fighters, but with my discipline and hunger to become the best I can be, I will put it all on the line to come out victorious! I want to thank everyone at Golden Boy Promotions, Roc Nation Sports for the opportunity, and my manager Joel De La Hoya for giving me the chance to put on a great show for the amazing fans in Texas.”

“Diego may be undefeated but I’m here to show the world that I’m back and still a contender” said Salinas. “Everything is bigger in Texas and the Texas fans can expect a big show on February 25 when we go toe-to-toe. This fight is about pride and a victory on the undercard of Cotto-Kirkland puts me one step closer to my goal of winning a world title.”

Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs), was one of the most celebrated amateur boxers in Cuba before defecting and making his professional debut on May 22, 2009 in Miami, Florida. High expectations had no ill effect on Rigondeaux as he tore through his next five opponents. On Nov. 13, 2010, in just his seventh pro fight, Rigondeaux faced Ricardo Cordoba for the vacant WBA World interim super bantamweight title and left the ring with the belt after scoring a split decision victory. Rigondeaux turned his attention to supremacy in the 122-pound division and accomplished what many considered the unthinkable by knocking out WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion Rico Ramos on January 20, 2012, becoming a world champion in fewer than 10 professional bouts. On April 13, 2013 at Radio City Music Hall in New York, Rigondeaux scored his biggest victory to date by defeating WBO and Ring Magazine World Champion and 2012 Fighter of the Year Nonito Donaire. Rigondeaux came away with the victory by unanimous decision after out landing and out punching Donaire throughout the fight to unify titles. In November of 2015, Roc Nation Sports announced that it had signed Rigondeaux to an exclusive promotional agreement and featured him on the HBO Pay-Per-View undercard of the Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez mega-fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, where he defeated veteran Drian Francisco via a 10-round unanimous decision. Prior to beating Francisco, Rigondeaux was stripped of his title belts due to inactivity, but remained the WBA champion in recess. In May of 2016, Roc Nation Sports announced that Rigondeaux was reinstated of his WBA belt ahead of a 12-round WBA World super bantamweight championship showdown against number 13 rated WBA super bantamweight contender Jazza Dickens on July 16 at the Cardiff Ice Arena in Wales. In his first ever appearance in the United Kingdom, Rigondeaux gave fans a thrilling knockout against Dickens. The southpaw landed a big left hook, shattering Dickens’s jaw, halting the fight in the second round with a referee’s decision. Rigondeaux will be raring to go on Feb. 25 in his title defense against interim champion Moises Flores.

Moises “Chucky” Flores (25-0, 17 KOs) learned the fight game growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, and spent the early years of his professional career building up his résumé in his home country. Now established as a title contender at 122 pounds, Flores looks to climb to the top of the division with his considerable talent. Flores is exceptionally tall for his weight class, measuring in at a rangy 5 feet 9 inches. As such, he tends to have a reach advantage over most of his opponents although, Flores isn’t one to merely fire punches from a distance and box from the outside. He likes to mix it up, and his record reflects that, with most of his opponents going down by knockout. Flores made his pro debut in August 2008 with a second-round knockout of Oswaldo Salgado in Guadalajara, Mexico. He fought exclusively in Mexico over the first six years of his career and made quick work of most of his opponents. Flores made his U.S. debut in September 2014, winning a six-round unanimous decision over Pablo Batres in Mesquite, Texas. He then gained a seventh round technical knockout of Mexican veteran Mario Macias in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in November 2014. That victory set up a 122-pound title shot against interim WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion Oscar Escandon in Carson, California, in April 2015. In an electrifying, all-action brawl, Flores earned a split decision to win the title. In his last two fights, Flores was able to defend the interim WBA World super bantamweight title against Luis Emanuel Cusolito, while also adding the IBO World super bantamweight title against Paulus Ambunda. Flores looks forward to claiming the full rights to the WBA World super bantamweight title on Feb. 25 when he faces current champion Guillermo Rigondeaux in a 12-round championship showdown.

On September 12, 2013, 19-year-old Diego De La Hoya (16-0, 9 KOs) made his professional boxing debut, stopping Luis Cosme in three rounds to introduce the next generation of De La Hoya boxing, a family best known for the body of work turned in by Diego’s cousin, Oscar de la Hoya. A former member of the Mexican National Team with over 250 amateur bouts to his name, De La Hoya also won a silver medal in the Mexican Olympic Nationals. While expected to make a run at the 2016 Olympics, the talented prospect instead decided to turn professional, leading to a flurry of anticipation amongst fight fans and the boxing media. Currently training with Joel Diaz in Indio, California, De La Hoya followed up his win over Cosme with 10 more victories through the midway point of 2015. De La Hoya’s string of victories earned him a 10-round championship bout against Jesus Ruiz at September 2015’s LA FIGHT CLUB, where he defeated Ruiz via unanimous decision for the vacant WBC Youth World super bantamweight title. The Mexicali native kept rolling, and in his last fight of 2015 at the Hard Rock Casino and Resort in November, De La Hoya topped Giovanni Delgado via unanimous decision. De La Hoya then picked up where he left off, opening his 2016 campaign in the main event of LA FIGHT CLUB on February 19 with a fourth round knockout of Arturo Badillo. Part of the freeview of Canelo vs. Khan on May 7, 2016, De La Hoya displayed his power against Rocco Santomauro. Both fighters entered the ring with high energy and intensity, yearning to maintain their undefeated status. By the second round, De La Hoya sent him to the mat with a massive body punch – after Santomauro got back up, he was met with a series of combination punches from De La Hoya, trying to finish Santomauro off, though eventually cut off by the bell. The fight turned into an all-out brawl, as both hungry fighters entered into heated exchanges of punches throughout the bout. De La Hoya was able to get Rocco various times in the head, wounding Santomauro with a cut over his eye by the end of the sixth round, and was on the offensive with consecutive blows to the head. Santomuaro’s corner decided to call the fight in the seventh round at 1:59, landing De La Hoya a very impressive technical knockout victory, pleasing the crowd with the show. In his last outing, De La Hoya made his pay-per-view debut against Orlando Del Valle on the undercard of the Canelo vs. Smith fight that drew more than 51,000 to Cowboy Stadium outside Dallas, Texas. De La Hoya defended his WBC Youth World super bantamweight title with a unanimous decision victory.

Yoandris “El Nino” Salinas (21-2-2, 14 KOs) is a Cuban boxer fighting out of Miami, Florida. Salinas made his professional debut on Dec. 4, 2009 against Felix Flores at La Covacha in his adopted city of Miami. Amassing an undefeated record in his first 21 fights, Salinas was given the opportunity for a shot at a world title on November 5, 2013 against Scott Quigg at the O2 Arena in London, England. Contending for the WBA World super bantamweight title, the fighters went the distance for a draw. In his most recent fight on Aug. 8, 2015 vs. Manuel Avila, Salinas retired in the sixth round due to a hand injury.

Cotto vs. Kirkland is a 12-round junior middleweight fight presented by Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions and Ford Center at The Star, and is sponsored by Corona Extra. The 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 priced at $304, $204, $154, $104, $79, $54 and $29 not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000 and the AT&T Stadium box office.

For more information, please visit www.throneboxing.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter @rocnation and Instagram @rocnationsports and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Follow the conversation using #CottoKirkland.

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ABOUT ROC NATION SPORTS
Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports led to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, supporting athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been working alongside and advocating for artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports launched its boxing division, a full service promotional company which represents Five-Time World Champion Miguel Cotto and Two-Time World Champion Andre Ward, in August 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Strong, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar, Justise Winslow, Willie Cauley-Stein, Jerome Boateng, Miguel Sano, CJ Prosise, Ronnie Stanley, Henry Ellenson, Caris LeVert, Mike Gbinije, Melvin Ingram, Rudy Gay, Ty Lawson, Leonard Fournette, Juju Smith-Schuster and Isaac Rochell.

ABOUT THE STAR
The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and practice facility in Frisco, Texas. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco and Frisco ISD, The Star features the Ford Center, a 12,000-seat stadium that hosts Frisco ISD football games and other events; Cowboys Fit, a 60,000 square-foot gym developed in partnership with leading fitness developer, Mark Mastrov; and Cowboys Club, a members-only club where the country club meets the NFL. Throughout 2017, The Star will welcome The Omni Frisco Hotel, a 16-floor, 300-room luxury hotel; Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, a 300,000 square-foot center of excellence for sports medicine; as well as a variety of shopping, dining and nightlife options. For more information on The Star, visit: http://thestarinfrisco.com/.

BOXNATION ADD TWO BLOCKBUSTER BILLS TO THE SCHEDULE AS MIGUEL COTTO V JAMES KIRKLAND & DAVID LEMIEUX V CURTIS STEVENS LAND ON THE CHANNEL

Miguel Cotto vs Canelo Alvarez
PPV Weigh-in 11-20-2015
WBC Middleweight Title
Miguel Cotto 153.5 vs. Canelo Alvarez 155
photo Credit: WILL HART

LONDON (20 January) – BoxNation will air two blockbuster bills exclusively live on the channel with five-time world champion Miguel Cotto facing knockout king James Kirkland on February 25th before former IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux takes on Curtis Stevens on March 11th.

Puerto Rican legend Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) has long been one of boxing’s biggest and best names and he, like Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs), is coming off a loss to Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez, as both men seek redemption in a 12-round light-middleweight showdown.

Taking place at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, this event will be the first of its kind to be held at the state-of-the-art, 510,000 square foot indoor athletic facility used by the Dallas Cowboys.

“I’m excited to return to the ring and put on a great show. I’m enjoying training camp and can’t wait for February 25th,” said ring legend Miguel Cotto. “Fighting inside the beautiful Ford Center, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboy’s newest creation, and headlining the first ever boxing event there pumps me with a lot of enthusiasm and energy.”

“I’m very excited to get back into the ring against a legend like Miguel Cotto. I’m going to train like never before so I can show the world that the old James Kirkland is back,” said James Kirkland. “You know the fight will be exciting while it lasts. February 25th can’t come soon enough.”

The bout promises to be an all-action affair on BoxNation as two of the most exciting fighters around do battle as they look to kick start their careers with hopes of securing a world title shot down the line.

That thrilling bill will be followed the month after by another mouth-watering clash when big-hitters Lemieux and Stevens meet at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York.

The 12-round middleweight bout for the NABO middleweight championship will see Montreal favourite Lemieux, with a record of 36-3, 32 KOs, look to regain his position amongst the elite at 160-pounds against the tough Stevens, who enters with a record of 29-5, 21 KOs.

“After all this talk, here we are. I’m so excited that this fight will finally be happening. We have big plans for 2017 and this will be the first step. I will make sure to take care of Stevens on March 11. Curtis Stevens came knocking on the wrong door,” said Lemieux. “I’m going to be victorious. I’m going to be vicious. It’s a fight that all the fans will want to see. We’ll see who is stronger, who takes the punches better. It’s going to be exciting.”

“It should be an excellent fight. He comes to fight. I come to fight. It should be a move to move battle. You are going to want to see this,” said Stevens.

Cotto v Kirkland and Lemieux v Stevens joins an already bulging 2017 BoxNation schedule which has a number of world class fights, including Keith Thurman taking on Danny Garcia in a welterweight unification clash, plus the return of Adrien Broner against Adrian Granados.

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “We are pleased to add two further sizzling showdowns to the BoxNation schedule in Miguel Cotto v James Kirkland and David Lemieux v Curtis Stevens. These are two high-quality matchups that are sure to have BoxNation subscribers on the edge of their seats. We look forward to continue adding the very best bouts on BoxNation in 2017.”

BoxNation is available on Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/EE/Apple TV/ online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (iOS, Android, Amazon) for just £12 a month. Buy now at boxnation.com.

– ENDS –
About BoxNation

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

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Khan vs Canelo.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon, Apple TV). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

Available on selected internet-connected Freeview products only, subject to coverage. Visit freeview.co.uk/availability.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV customers

Maurice Hooker vs. Juan Pablo Lopez Added to Cotto-Kirkland Undercard

Reigning NABO Junior Welterweight Champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (20-0-3, 14 KOs) will face Mexican knockout specialist Juan Pablo “Che Che” Lopez (29-3, 24 KOs) in a 10-round champion defense on the freeview undercard of Miguel Cotto vs. James Kirkland “The Return” on Saturday, February 25 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

It comes as no surprise the Dallas-native was on hand when Roc Nation Sports, Miguel Cotto Promotions and the Dallas Cowboys organization officially announced the event in December at the team’s newly minted World Corporate Headquarters.

Maurice Hooker and Roc Nation Sports confirmed the card today on their social media handles.

MAURICE HOOKER TWITTER: https://twitter.com/mightymohooker/status/819578558905548800
MAURICE HOOKER INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/p/BPK6oL5DCib/?taken-by=mauricemightymohooker
ROC NATION TWITTER: https://twitter.com/RocNation/status/819580458216411136
ROC NATION INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/p/BPK7fJYgEKi/?taken-by=rocnationsports

MIGUEL COTTO AND JAMES KIRKLAND NEW YORK CITY & LOS ANGELES MEDIA TOUR QUOTES

NEW YORK, NY – (January 6, 2017) – Five-Time World Champion Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) and James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) participated in a media tour with stops in New York City and Los Angeles to address the media on their upcoming showdown on Saturday, February 25 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Dubbed as “The Return”, the 12-round junior middleweight contest will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $304, $204, $154, $104, $79, $54 and $29 not including applicable service charges and taxes are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000 and the AT&T Stadium box office.

Below is what the fighters and dais guests had to say in New York City and Los Angeles:

Miguel Cotto – Five-Time World Champion

“James is a tough fighter and stout boxer and he’s going to go to work with victory on his mind. I’m going to work with that, too. We are going to start camp today with Freddie and we are looking forward to the fight.

“I will do my best as always in Los Angeles with Freddie Roach commanding our group. All we need is to be ready for Kirkland.

“It’s going to be a great fight, I know that James always comes with a wiry attitude. And I’m going to do the same.

“I’m here for the best fights and the best fighters out there so if Canelo Alvarez wants to fight, to clear what happened November 2015, they know where to find me. It was close. We orchestrated the plan in a perfect way and we believe that we were the winners of the fight.

“I’m going to do the same as always with Freddie Roach. We’re going to work hard and have a game plan in mind. We’re going to work for James Kirkland.

“I’m committed to this fight. I’m committed to look the best possible for February 25. Freddie is in charge of my camp. Freddie is the captain of the boat. I trust him and I know I am going to be ready for February 25.

“It’s good to be back. It’s good to be sweating. I know that Freddie has everything set for our training camp. I rested a lot. I healed. And now I am ready to fight.

“Jerry Jones is a great promotor. I have a lot of respect for the Dallas Cowboys organization. It’s great to have them support this event.

“This fight is going to be the newest chapter in my career. I’m going to take it. I’m going to handle it in the best way possible. I’m going to do my best first with Freddie in the gym and then the night of the fight to make my family proud. I can’t control my legacy. I can’t control what people say about me after I retire. All I do in life is for my family and my kids. That is going to my legacy – what they think about me.”

James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland – Former WBC Continental Americas & WBO NABO
Champion

“I’m definitely going to put on a great performance against an icon and legend like Miguel Cotto.

“I definitely feel this is a step up. Like I said, it’s Miguel Cotto. Someone who’s been putting on for the sport of boxing for a long time and I’m definitely feeling like this is a great opportunity for me to bounce back. I’m definitely going to give my fans a great performance.

“I feel it’s a lot different with Ann. They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Dealing with Ann, we have a certain trust factor with each other when it comes to the training and techniques and things that we do to prepare for any fight. Bringing someone who knows me from the beginning back to the fight game and training Kirkland, it’s overwhelming on both ends. She’s a person that you feel in this atmosphere, the boxing game, who can push Kirkland to his ultimate limits.

“I’ve been training with Ann for so long. Everything that she put me through, or whatever situation might come with training with Ann, I feel like it was always worth it. She pushed me to the ultimate limit but never broke me down, never wear and teared my body, and always has put me in a great position for my performance.

“I just have one agenda, one focus, one mind frame and this is set for February 25.

“Boxing is always a learning experience. And I’ve learned from fighting Alvarez and certain people that I’ve made mistakes against. I take those mistakes and I build from them. I try to learn. I’ve learned a lot from my defeats. Biggest thing that I’ve learned is move your head!

“I’m more focused than ever. Cotto is somebody who has fought all of the greats so I know that he has many tricks up his sleeves and that he prepares well for his fights. At the end of the day, to fight someone who knows the sport, I think about what would he do and how he would feel about certain things. I try to get in the head of Miguel Cotto when I’m training. I’m anxious for the opportunity and I’m thankful for the opportunity.

“Miguel Cotto is someone I look up to. For to me to able to get the opportunity to show what I can bring and take my boxing skill to the next limit is definitely something I can put down in things I have accomplished in boxing. My career needs to get back on the rise and show not just the fans but to the sport of boxing itself that Kirkland is definitely someone that can put on a great show.”

Freddie Roach – Trainer of Miguel Cotto

“If Miguel Cotto didn’t have a lot left, I wouldn’t be here. He’s great in the gym, he’s always in shape and he keeps himself close to weight, all the time. He’s tremendous. He works hard. If he didn’t look great in the gym, I wouldn’t let him fight. I care that much about him. He will be 100% ready for this fight and if he’s not 100% for this fight, it won’t happen.

“James Kirkland always fights better with Ann Wolfe in his corner. He’s doing everything possible to be the best in this fight and we’re going to do the same.”

“Obviously, I thought Miguel won his last fight. A rematch would be great there. Miguel always tells me if I was in his corner when he fought Mayweather, we would have won. What’s next? Who knows? But right now we have a tough fight in front of us. And we’re getting ready for that fight. I did send my guys out a couple of times to work with Miguel in Puerto Rico just to keep him fresh. Miguel in just the past two days has been great. We dusted off the body bag. Body punches are hard. Yes, I peed blood last night. It’s good to be back to work and I am happy to have him back in the gym.”

Michael Yormark – Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy

“On Feb. 25 at Ford Center at The Star, we will witness the big return of boxing legend Miguel Cotto. This is the first pay-per-view fight of the year and this will be Miguel Cotto’s 10th pay-per-view fight of his career. I know there has been some stories and comments out of the market, pre-holiday, regarding the pay-per-view status of this fight. Miguel Cotto has been a pay-per-view fighter for a long time. He is a pay-per-view fighter. This fight belongs on pay-per-view.

“We priced this fight very attractively, $49.95. We listened to consumers, we heard what they wanted to see. HBO heard what they wanted too which is why we priced it at $49.95, a great value proposition. Think about what this fight is going to be…action packed…and will probably end in a knock out. So people who buy this fight can anticipate a lot of action, hard punching and probably a knockout. That is what people what to see, that is what they are willing to investment their money in if they are confident that they are going to get it.

“James Kirkland is an aggressive and lethal opponent. The perfect opponent for Miguel Cotto. From the opening bell, you are going to see action. That is what this fight is all about. For as long as it lasts, it’s going to be a brawl and whoever wins this fight, will move on to a huge fight in 2017. So, there is a lot at stake here.

“It’s all about entertainment and it’s all about value proposition. We know that people want to see this fight. The local market place is telling us that. We have sold over 50% of our tickets during the holidays. Now typically as you know, people don’t usually buy tickets during the holiday but we ‘ve got a great partner in Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, who have really been promoting this fight, very aggressively. We’ve sold over 50% of the inventory with seven weeks to go so people are showing that they want to see this fight.

“We have a great relationship with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys organization through our client, Dez Bryant. We knew that Jerry was looking for a high profile event to bring as the first professional sporting event to The Star. Jerry also has an incredible passion for boxing. With all of the success that he had promoting with Oscar De La Hoya and the Canelo fight that took place at AT&T Stadium, we sat down with Jerry and his team and asked if he would be interested in doing this fight and he said absolutely. Let’s not forget that the Cowboys have the largest Hispanic following in the NFL. We know that is going to help us sell tickets; it already has. Jerry Jones is clearly one of the greatest promoters in the world whether it’s the Cowboys or any event that he brings into one of his venues. He is the best of the best and his marketing team is second to none. You add all of that together and you’ve got a great, no-lose combination. Then you have a great, action packed fight. This was the right venue at the right time, in the right market with the right partner.”

Mike Miller – Manager of James Kirkland

“From Team Kirkland, we just want to thank Roc Nation, HBO Pay-Per-View and Team Cotto for the opportunity. We look forward to showing our talent on February 25. Texas is our home state. And with Ann Wolfe training James, he’s never lost. He’s got a tremendous knock out record percentage. We look forward to the upcoming weeks of training. When the bell rings, we’ll be ready come February 25. Get your tickets early. Texas is going to come out proud and strong for James.”

Peter Nelson – Executive Vice President, HBO Sports

“Fans can decide how they want to watch the fight or if they want to watch the fight. Ultimately, what you see is that the original pay-per-view was whether or not fans are buying tickets for a fight. As Michael just laid out, that’s already happening, you’re already seeing momentum. People know that this is an incredibly high-quality pick up match between Cotto and Kirkland, and that’s what people show up to buy and people want to see.

“I give Roc Nation and Jerry Jones and these two fighters credit for wanting to get out in front of the market place. Some of the fights that people talk about being pay-per-view fights end up never coming together, we see this in boxing every single year. The key is who can get the fights done that fans want to see. That’s at the core of whether or not people are going to show up. To Roc Nation and Jerry’s credit and the fighters, they got the job done here.”

For more information, please visit www.throneboxing.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter @rocnation and Instagram @rocnationsports and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Follow the conversation using #CottoKirkland.

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MIGUEL COTTO VS. JAMES KIRKLAND DALLAS PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

FRISCO, TX (December 20, 2017) – On Monday, December 19, 2016, Five-Time World Champion Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) and James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) participated in an official press conference to kick off the announcement of their February 25 showdown at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Dubbed as “The Return”, the anticipated bout is a 12-round junior middleweight contest. The 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 priced at $304, $204, $154, $104, $79, $54 and $29 not including applicable service charges and taxes, go on sale Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. local time and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000 and the AT&T Stadium box office.

Below is what the fighters, promoters and other dais guests had to say at the press conference:

Miguel Cotto – Five-Time World Champion

“It’s good to be back. I’ve missed boxing and all I can say right now is that I’m going to bring my best, every day, at every training session. I’ll bring my best here on February 25 to face James Kirkland and hopefully take another victory for Puerto Rico. Thank you to everyone who made this fight happen.”

James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland – Former WBC Continental Americas & WBO NABO
Champion

“First and foremost, I want to give thanks to God for this opportunity and to my team and the people out there watching and those who will be attending the show. I definitely want to put on a great performance. I didn’t give it my all when I fought Canelo Alvarez. I didn’t prepare the way I needed to but I’m not going to bring any excuses to the table. This fight is to show my team, my fans and everyone who has followed and supported me, that James Kirkland is still in the race. Kirkland is still here to make a stand. Keep my name alive, please attend and watch it come February 25. It’s going to be a war.”

Michael Yormark – Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy

“One of Roc Nation’s core philosophies has always been to do things differently. When we began planning this event we took those words seriously, and partnered with the Dallas Cowboys organization to host the first professional sporting event at this facility, Ford Center at the Star. And what an epic event it will be, because returning to the ring for the first time in 15 months, will be Puerto Rican legend and future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto. On February 25, Miguel will face off against the extremely dangerous James Kirkland, in what is sure to be an all-action fight that will thrill mainstream fans as well as boxing purists alike.

“This matchup will be one that sports fans simply cannot afford to miss. With Miguel’s return for his tenth Pay-Per-View fight, he is looking to cement his legacy as one of the greatest fighters in boxing history, a man that will fight anyone, anytime, no matter what. Meanwhile, Kirkland has the power and ability to end Cotto’s return with one punch as he continues to electrify the sport with his captivating, action-packed style, and enters this fight in search of a signature win to boost him to true contender status.

“I want to applaud Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ vision in bringing a world class boxing event to Ford Center. This magnificent facility was built to host epic global events, and I am confident that on February 25 this venue will provide a unique and iconic setting for an action-packed bout.

“At Roc Nation, we are honored to be a part of this event, and are confident that February 25 will be a night that captivates the sporting world and alters the boxing landscape. For both men, much is at stake, and Roc Nation is thrilled to be the promoter that will deliver this event to a global audience.”

Jerry Jones – Owner, President & General Manager, Dallas Cowboys

“I’m really proud to be standing here today. When we thought about The Star, the Ford Center – this event center that we have here – the dream was to have a partner like we have with the city of Frisco and the education department of this area, and to join them in doing everything that we could to enhance the amateur sports experience for young people. We want Frisco to be an example so the visibility of what we do here is a big deal.

“This is very propitious to be here right now because we are, at this junction, having a great year. We have a lot of attention, right now. We have the nation interested in sports and interested in football, and they’ve got their eyes on us. Our dream when we built AT&T Stadium was for it to become a familiarity when it comes to sports, to be something like Madison Square Garden. To play and compete at Madison Square Garden is something. I feel the same way about The Star. Consequently, that’s a long winded way of saying, for us to have Miguel Cotto open our initial professional effort here at The Star is really a dream come true. I know him to be a competitor, I saw his fight with Canelo Alvarez and I know what a gamer he is.

“I must again mention that the capability of this building was meant to be versatile for all types of sports and entertainment events. I want to thank our partners the city of Frisco and the independent school district partnership. It’s energetic how exciting amateur athletics and the high school experience can be, and to interject that and join it at the hip with Miguel Cotto and have him and his accomplishments walk out there.

“We’re honored to partner with Roc Nation Sports. We’re proud to be JAY Z’s partner and we are proud of the group of athletes that he has put together. They mean business and they want their athletes to be as professional as the very sport that they represent so this is a ground breaking announcement from that stand point.
“We have 510,000 square feet in this building and we expect there to be over 10,000 people here to watch this fight. We’re look forward to a big fight. I admire these athletes–they are out there with no one else with them in that ring and they are giving everything that they have. We are honored that they are opening up the first professional event at The Star.”

Hector Soto – Vice President, Miguel Cotto Promotions

“I’m happy to be here at this field. Thank you to our partner Roc Nation Sports, Mr. Jerry Jones, Corona Extra and HBO Pay-Per-View for putting this event together. Thank you to James Kirkland’s team for accepting this challenge. Miguel Cotto is back in the ring for his return on February 25. I invite all of the Latinos and all of the boxing fans in Dallas to come out and support this fight. It will be a great show.”

Ann Wolfe – Trainer of James Kirkland

“I know everyone knows that I’m not one for all of the talking, even the sh*t talking or whatever. Every time that Miguel Cotto has entered the ring, I rooted for him to win. Every time that James Kirkland has entered the ring, even when I wasn’t there, I rooted for him to win. This is going to be the first time that that I won’t be rooting for Miguel to win. Now, a lot of people are saying this shouldn’t be Pay-Per-View. Bullsh*t, this should be Pay-Per-View because you know that if I’m with James, he is going to fight. Regardless of who Cotto is with, he is going to fight. So I’m telling you that it’s going to be a good fight. Somebody is going to get knocked out. So, come and see who it’s going to be.”

Tony Walker – Vice President, HBO Pay-Per-View

“On behalf of the Executive President of HBO Sports, Peter Nelson and the rest of our staff, I would like to say thanks for coming out. I want to thank Roc Nation – this is an outstanding main event and they are going to put together a great undercard as well. This is going to be a great boxing event for local fans to come and see. I also must thank Mr. Jones and the Dallas Cowboys – every time that we have been able to do a broadcast here, they have been so accommodating and we love coming back. We have been honored to have most of Miguel Cotto’s fights on HBO and HBO Pay-Per-View against the greats, Mosley, Mayweather Jr., and the two epic fights against Antonio Margarito. They were all great shows in the ring and they were great successes financially. The one constant in those fights was the effort that Miguel Cotto gave. Every show was a battle, fans got their money’s worth and left those nights thinking “I’ve got to see this again”. I want to say that James Kirkland has also brought that warrior spirit to all of his fights. Every show that we have seen him on, on HBO, he has owned the ring or has tried his best to. That clash on February 25 will be decisive and will provide the type of drama that we’ve come to love in the sport. The suggested retail price for Pay-Per-View is $49.95. We promise you a great broadcast that night.”

Greg Alvarez – Texas Combative Sports Program Manager

“We’re excited, once again, to have a big show come to Texas. Thank you to Mr. Jones, who promised us a couple of months ago that he will be pushing to have all of the big shows come to our state. This is a big show with two guys who are ready to fight. I’ve known James Kirkland since he was eight years old running around in Austin, fighting all the time. Miguel Cotto had his first two fights here in Texas and those were one of the first few fights that I worked on so I’m really excited to have him back. We’re a big happy family because you get to see how everybody develops over the years. To see fighters come up in Texas and to be a part of it makes us proud. Come out here to see this fight or get it on Pay-Per-View. Don’t blink, don’t close your eyes because that is the kind of fight it’s going to be.”

Cotto vs. Kirkland is a 12-round junior middleweight fight presented by Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions and Ford Center at The Star, and is sponsored by Corona Extra.

For more information, please visit www.throneboxing.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter @rocnation and Instagram @rocnationsports and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Follow the conversation using #CottoKirkland.

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FIVE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION MIGUEL COTTO VS. JAMES KIRKLAND SHOWDOWN SET FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 AT FORD CENTER AT THE STAR IN FRISCO, TEXAS

NEW YORK, NY (December 19, 2016) – Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions are pleased to announce that Five-Time World Champion Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) will return to the ring on Saturday, February 25, 2017 when he takes on James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Coming off respective losses to Canelo Alvarez, both fighters will be seeking redemption in a 12-round junior middleweight showdown. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Cotto and Kirkland will join Roc Nation Sports and the Dallas Cowboys organization on Monday, December 19, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. CT for a press conference at Ford Center at The Star to officially announce the fight. This will be the first event of its kind to be held at the state-of-the-art, 510,000 square foot indoor athletic facility shared by the Dallas Cowboys, the City of Frisco, and Frisco ISD’s high schools. Ford Center at The Star is also the home to the Dallas Cowboys Football World Corporate Headquarters.
Tickets priced at $304, $204, $154, $104, $79, $54 and $29 not including applicable service charges and taxes, go on sale Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. local time and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000 and the AT&T Stadium box office.

“I’m excited to return to the ring and put on a great show. I can’t wait to start training camp and get ready for February 25,” said Five-Time World Champion Miguel Cotto. “Fighting inside the beautiful Ford Center, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboy’s newest creation, and headlining the first ever boxing event there pumps me with a lot of enthusiasm and energy.”

“Miguel Cotto is back and ready to put on an exciting show against the always tough James Kirkland,” said Hector Soto, Vice President of Miguel Cotto Promotions. “We can’t wait to see Miguel back in the ring on February 25 on HBO Pay-Per-View.”

“On behalf of Roc Nation Sports, we are so thrilled about Miguel Cotto’s return to the ring and to bring the first public event to Ford Center at The Star,” said Michael Yormark, Roc Nation President & Chief of Branding and Strategy. “This will undoubtedly be a historic event with an exciting, all-action bout in store for the fans in Frisco and all of North Texas along with those watching from home on HBO Pay-Per-View.”

“We are excited to host an incredible matchup for the very first boxing match here at Ford Center at The Star,” said Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager. “This venue was designed with the idea of versatility in mind, and we expect a great crowd in Frisco, Texas to experience a world class fight between Miguel Cotto and James Kirkland.”

“Throughout his brilliant ring career, Miguel Cotto has never backed down from a challenge and on February 25 he takes on a dangerous knockout specialist in James Kirkland,” said Tony Walker, Vice President, HBO Pay-Per-View. “Fans watching live in Frisco and those tuning in on pay-per-view should not blink in what should be an all-action slugfest.”

Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) is a former WBC and Ring Magazine middleweight world champion and the first native of Puerto Rico to become world champion in four different weight classes. He previously held the WBO junior welterweight world title, the WBA welterweight world title, the WBO welterweight world title and the WBA super welterweight world title. He also represented Puerto Rico in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Cotto has competed in 24 world championship fights, compiling a record of 19-5 with 16 knockouts in those bouts. In Puerto Rico, he is hailed as a national hero and the successor of Felix “Tito” Trinidad as the island’s most revered boxer. Cotto is one of the biggest gate attractions in boxing and one of the largest pay-per-view draws among active fighters. In June 2014, Cotto made history in his first fight as a middleweight by dominating Argentine southpaw and defending WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez. He is trained by legendary Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and has fought some of the biggest names in the sport including Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. Cotto owns his own boxing promotional company in Puerto Rico, Miguel Cotto Promotions, and presides over his charity La Fundación El Ángel de Miguel Cotto, a non-profit organization dedicated to combatting childhood obesity. In March 2015, Cotto and Roc Nation Sports announced that they had entered into a partnership that includes a co-promotional agreement with Miguel Cotto Promotions to promote Cotto’s fights. On June 6, 2015, Cotto defended his WBC, Ring Magazine and lineal middleweight world championships against former two-time World Champion Daniel Geale at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Cotto scored a thunderous knockdown early in the fourth round before finishing matters with a second knockdown midway through the round, which left Geale unable to continue. On November 21, 2015, Cotto cemented his status as one of the biggest pay-per-view draws among active fighters in his much anticipated mega-fight against Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, despite going the distance for a twelve-round unanimous decision loss. The hard-fought bout has been dubbed as the biggest fight in the history of the famed Puerto Rico vs. Mexico boxing rivalry. The Five-Time World Champion is eager to return to the ring against James Kirkland on February 25.

A Texas titan, representing the city of Austin, 32-year-old southpaw James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) has built his reputation with explosive power. His fists have accounted for 28 knockout victories over the course of his nearly 14-year professional career. A former NABO and WBC Continental Americas Champion, Kirkland bounced back from his lone defeat against Nobuhiro Ishida in 2011 with five consecutive wins, four coming by way of knockout. Kirkland has defeated Brian Vera, Alfredo “Perro” Angulo and Carlos “King” Molina and handed Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia his first professional loss by way of a punishing sixth round technical knockout, prior to taking the stage for a 12-round super welterweight war with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on May 9, 2015 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.

Cotto vs. Kirkland is a 12-round junior middleweight fight presented by Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions and Ford Center at The Star, and is sponsored by Corona Extra.

For more information, please visit www.throneboxing.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter @rocnation and Instagram @rocnationsports and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Follow the conversation using #CottoKirkland.

Cotto to battle Kirkland on February 25th in Frisco, Texas

Former 4-division world champion Miguel Cotto will take on James Kirkland on February 25th in Frisco, Texas in a bout that will be televised on HBO Pay Per View, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

The bout will take place at the Dallas Cowboys training facility in a venue that holds around 12,000 fans.

“Miguel is back in the ring and we are all excited,” said Cotto Promotions Bryan Perez. “Like he always does, Miguel wants to go in the ring and put on a great show.”

“We tried to do other fights, but you know how the business is,” Perez said. “Kirkland was there, he was willing to fight Miguel, he makes good fights, and we made the fight. Miguel will do his best to give a great show and an exciting fight.”

“Miguel can’t wait to start training with Freddie,” Perez said. “I think the year off was good for Miguel, but he is ready to fight again.”

“It’s a beautiful place,” Perez said. “We’re excited to be the first big sports event there other than football.”

Cotto to be back in 2017

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, four-division world champion Miguel Cotto will be back in the first quarter of 2017.

“We have had several conversations with Roc Nation about where Miguel is at and what he wants to do. Everything is good but with different circumstances he decided not to fight in 2016,” Bryan Perez, a Miguel Cotto Promotions executive and Cotto’s close friend, told ESPN. “We had different conversations about fighting in December but we decided not to fight and do it in the first part of 2017, between February or March.”

“The next fight is the last fight on the agreement we signed in 2015 but Miguel feels healthy and good and wants to continue fighting,” Perez said. “He has the last word and will decide what to do and what his plan will be but he says he wants to continue to fight and to explore facing the best names out there and getting the best guarantee (in terms of money). He will fight twice in 2017.”

“He will be comfortable fighting below 160, but whatever opportunities pop up and whatever fight is the best guarantee and benefits his career he will consider,” Perez said. “We will wait to see.

“Lamont Peterson is a former world champion, a great fighter and it would be a great fight but not a pay-per-view fight. But I think it’s a fight that could get done,” Perez said, adding that even though Peterson is aligned with adviser Al Haymon it would not prevent a deal being made with Roc Nation Sports, which is owned by music star Jay Z, a longtime rival of Haymon’s.

“That’s one of the fights Tim would like before he is done with his career,” Monica Bradley, his wife and manager told ESPN in August when he re-signed with promoter Top Rank.

Said Perez: “Bradley is a huge fight, a great fight to make. It’s a great fight for the fans, a good style fight. Miguel is always willing to fight the best and if Bradley is there and available and we can agree on terms, we are more than happy to put them in the ring.”

“We ended our business relationship with Top Rank but if there’s a fight we can work on together we will work together, no problem,” Perez said. “We had a great relationship with Top Rank and we like and respect Bob [Arum] and Todd. I think Bradley would be a huge fight and a great fight.”

“If it’s a fight that Tim Bradley and Monica want, I would discuss it,” duBoef said.

“This is the first time he had a layoff like this,” Perez said. “But at this point in his career it’s good for him. He’s been moving around in the gym to maintain his condition but it’s good for him to get the rest. But he is ready to fight again.”

Video: Watch: Cotto vs. Canelo 2015

HBO SPORTS® TO REPLAY MIGUEL COTTO VS. CANELO ALVAREZ 2015 & CANELO ALVAREZ VS. AMIR KHAN 2016 ON HBO2 AS A SPECIAL PREVIEW TO THE UPCOMING CANELO VS. SMITH PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT

September 1, 2016 – Leading up to the junior middleweight title bout between Canelo Alvarez and Liam Smith – set for Saturday, September 17 and presented live by HBO Pay-Per-View® – fans can enjoy an enlightening look at two of Canelo’s dazzling ring performances when HBO Sports presents classic back-to-back bouts of the 154-pound superstar.

On Friday, September 9 at 12:00 a.m. (ET/PT) and Saturday, September 10 at 9:15 a.m. (ET/PT), HBO2 will replay Cotto vs. Canelo 2015 and Canelo vs. Khan 2016 back-to-back.

In the bright spotlight of Las Vegas on November 21, 2015, Canelo put on a dominating performance over sure fire future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto to win the lineal middleweight championship.

Canelo’s reputation as slugger was solidified on May 7, 2016 with a resounding 6th round KO triumph over Amir Khan at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Both fights will also be available 24 hours a day to HBO NOW, HBO On Demand® and HBO GO® subscribers beginning Monday, September 5.

Canelo Alvarez challenges Britain’s Liam Smith for his junior middleweight crown when Canelo vs. Smith takes place Saturday, September 17 from AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, live on pay-per-view beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING 30th Anniversary Celebration Continues In August With “UPSETS” – Thursdays At 10p ET/PT On SHO EXTREME

Josesito_Lopez
NEW YORK (Aug. 4, 2016) – In continuation of the 30th anniversary year of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, the network will feature four of its most memorable “UPSETS”. For the past three decades SHOWTIME Sports® has been home to countless upsets—some of the most shocking each year. Whether it be SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING or, for the last 15 years, ShoBox: The New Generation, fighters often face their biggest challenges, their most fierce opponents, live on SHOWTIME.

It started in 1986 when Iran Barkley knocked out heavily favored Thomas Hearns and continued through this past weekend when Carl Frampton edged the favored featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz by decision in thrilling Fight of the Year candidate. To date, some 151 fighters have suffered their initial loss on ShoBox since the series premiere in July 2001.

Below is the schedule of SHOWTIME EXTREME premieres for the month of August:

· Thursday, Aug. 4: Josesito Lopez vs. Victor Ortiz

· Thursday, Aug. 11: Marcos Maidana vs. Adrien Broner – Ring Magazine 2013 Upset of the Year

· Thursday, Aug. 18: Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson I – Ring Magazine 1996 Fight of the Year and Upset of The Year; Holyfield was named The Fighter of the Year by The Ring and Boxing Writers Association of America

· Thursday, Aug. 25: Austin Trout vs. Miguel Cotto

These unforgettable battles will air on “Throwback Thursdays” on SHOWTIME EXTREME (10 p.m. ET/PT) throughout the month of August and will be available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and via the network’s online streaming service. Each fight will be wrapped with context and commentary from SHOWTIME Sports host Brian Custer.

“Throwback Thursday” Tidbits

Lopez vs. Ortiz – June 23, 2012 – Staples Center, Los Angeles, Calif.

Former welterweight world champion Ortiz was set to fight Canelo Alvarez in September. All he needed to do was to win his upcoming match. After two fights with Andre Berto earlier in the year fell through, Ortiz took on the relatively unknown and inexperienced Lopez. Stepping up in weight and competing for the first time as a welter, Lopez became the “Riverside Rocky” as he shocked the boxing world by breaking Ortiz’s jaw and winning by TKO.

Lopez rallied to triumph despite swelling to his left eye from the end of the sixth round on. After nine rounds, he was trailing on all three scorecards (88-83, 87-84 and 86-85). But in the ninth of what had been a back-and-forth, seesaw, tough battle, Lopez connected late with a punch to Ortiz’s jaw that broke it on impact. Moments later, the skirmish was stopped when Ortiz said he could not continue because of a broken jaw. Lopez landed a fight against Canelo. The unbelievable upset remains the biggest victory of Lopez’s career.

Maidana vs. Broner – Dec. 14, 2013, Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

The unbeaten Broner, a 5-1 favorite to retain his WBA Welterweight World Title on his first defense, was instead dealt his first defeat.

A poised yet aggressive Maidana, the target of heavy trash talk all week, overpowered and dominated the brash Broner from the outset while putting him down for the first time in his career. In a surprisingly one-sided performance, Maidana scored knockdowns in the second and eighth and won a 12-round unanimous decision by the scores of 119-109, 116-109 and 115-111. While tying Maidana up after going down in the eighth, Broner absorbed what appeared to be an intentional headbutt. Broner’s reaction: He over-dramatized the effect of it, falling to the canvas in a heap and rolling over in agony. Maidana more than doubled Broner’s punch output, out-throwing him, 964-400.

After the decision was announced, Broner exited the ring hastily without being interviewed by SHOWTIME or congratulating Maidana. Fans booed at Broner as he made his way back to the dressing room. The victory propelled Maidana into two consecutive fights against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Holyfield vs. Tyson I – Nov. 9, 1996, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nev.

In one of the most legendary and monumental bombshells in history, Holyfield, who opened as a 25-1 underdog, bullied the bully and stopped Tyson on a TKO at 0:37 of the 11th round to capture the WBA Heavyweight World Title.

Holyfield, a built-up cruiserweight not known for power, utilized his reach advantage and superior strength to engage Tyson and fight him on his terms. The action was intense and non-stop; Holyfield applied constant pressure and kept in close to nullify Tyson’s power (left hook). Tyson landed hard shots, but only one at a time, and Holyfield took them all. As the bout wore on, Tyson wore down. With 20 seconds remaining in the 10th, Holyfield chilled Tyson with a right hand to the chin. A barrage of powerful combinations to the head and body sent Tyson staggering backward into the ropes. Tyson, out on his feet and defenseless, was saved by the bell. Thirty-seven seconds into the 11th, Holyfield landed a big right that left Tyson staggering again. Moments later, the referee stopped the fight. Holyfield was ahead by 100-93 and 96-92 twice.

A fight that was aired on SHOWTIME PPV® was supposed to be a mere formality for Tyson: he’d won eight straight since bowing to Buster Douglas in Japan and Holyfield was thought to be “washed-up” after three lackluster performances in a row. It was the third time Holyfield attained a heavyweight title; he was the first one to do so since Muhammad Ali. The Holyfield-Tyson rematch took place seven months later (June 28, 1997).

Trout vs. Cotto – Dec. 1, 2012, Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.

Cotto, a Puerto Rican hero and three-division world champion, was deemed unbeatable in New York where he was 9-0—7-0 at Madison Square Garden. He had a fight slated with Canelo Alvarez next. Seven months after dropping a competitive decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr., all Cotto had to do was hook Trout, throw him back to sea and then, gear up for the deepest waters. It was that simple, but it didn’t go as planned. Trout won a controversial 12-round unanimous decision. He boxed beautifully to successfully defend his WBA Super Welterweight Title for the fifth time (119-109 and 117-111 twice).

With the majority of his passionate fans cheering and waving Puerto Rican flags, Cotto came on strongly in the middle rounds, trapping Trout on the ropes and keeping him there. He had his greatest success in the closing seconds of the 10th when he backed Trout into a corner and dazed him with a flurry of punches. The big crowd erupted. But southpaw Trout silenced them by cranking up the pressure and roughing up Cotto the last two rounds. Cotto was bidding for a fifth world title. Trout got the shot at Canelo.

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Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon and Google. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Prime Video. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Cotto – Marquez talks fail over weight

Talks for a potential showdown between Miguel Cotto and Juan Manauel Marquez have fallen by the wayside in a discrepancy over what weight a proposed bout what take place at, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“A fight with Juan Manuel Marquez is not happening, 100 percent for sure,” said Bryan Perez of Cotto Promotions. “Maybe we can make it later on, but it will not be Miguel’s fight this year.

“Miguel wanted the fight, but it was all about getting a deal for the right weight. Financial-wise, there were no problems making a deal. Usually making a big fight, it’s financial when there are issues. That was not what happened with Marquez.”

“We are working on Miguel’s next fight with our [promotional] partners at Roc Nation Sports,” Perez said. “The Marquez fight was something Miguel wanted, but we couldn’t agree on the weight. They both wanted to fight each other. Miguel wanted 150, Juan Manuel Marquez wanted 147. Juan Manuel decided not to come up a couple of more pounds and we respect his decision about not coming up to 150. He’s a great fighter and a great champion. But 150 is where Miguel would feel comfortable going down to.”

Cotto return in the works; Marquez a possibility

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, 4-division world champion Miguel Cotto could be returning this fall with a leading contender for his opponent could be Juan Manuel Marquez.

“We are hoping to have Miguel back in the ring before the end of the year,” said Michael Yormark of Rock Nation Sports. “We’re working on that now. We’re hopeful to have some kind of an announcement over the next couple of weeks.”

The 42-year-old Marquez (56-7-1, 40 KOs), who has won world titles at featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight (and also owns a brutal knockout of Manny Pacquiao in a nontitle welterweight fight), has not fought since winning a unanimous decision against Mike Alvarado in a May 2014 welterweight title eliminator, mainly because of a knee injury.

“We’re looking at a couple of opponents, but it’s too early to disclose who we’re talking to,” Yormark said.

Video: Classic Boxing: Cotto vs. Canelo 2015 – Full Fight

GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS PICKS FIGHTERS TO WATCH IN 2016

Bernard Hopkins
LOS ANGELES (Jan. 20, 2016) – Golden Boy Promotions has a great reputation in the sport as one of the leading promoters as well as a skill for creating and promoting world champions and boxing superstars. Having worked and promoted multi-divisional world champions including: Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, Erik “Terrible” Morales, Juan Manuel “Dinaminta” Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Marco Antonio “Baby Face Assassin” Barrera, Sugar Shane Mosley, Canelo Alvarez, Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse, Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares, Randy “El Matador” Caballero, Abner Mares, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, Danny “Swift” Garcias, Keith “One Time” Thurman, Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs, Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, and Adrien “The Problem” Broner. In 2016, Golden Boy Promotions is looking to the future to usher in the New Era of Boxing spearheaded by current WBC, RING Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs).

For 2015, Golden Boy Promotions received extraordinary media acclaim for exciting fights year-round and was awarded the honors of Promoter of the Year, Event of the Year, Fight Cards of the Year, Fight of the Year, Fighter of the Year, and Knockout of the Year. Also, top prospects Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. (19-0, 11 KOs), Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chingonsky” Shabranskyy (15-0, 12 KOs), Jason “El Animal” Quigley (9-0, 8 KOs), and Diego De La Hoya (13-0, 7 KOs) not only graduated into contender territory, but also received honorable mentions for Prospect of the Year while Shabranskyy debuted at number nine on the light heavyweight pound-for-pound list.

Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz (24-0, 21 KOs), also debuted on the pound-for-pound list at number five in the heavyweight division after defeating former world champion challenger Bryant “By-By” Jennings via seventh-round technical knockout. Other fighters on the divisional pound-for-pound list include Canelo Alvarez, Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas (23-0-1, 17 KOs), Jorge “El Nino de Oro” Linares (40-3, 27 KOs), Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs), Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs), Sadam “World Kid” Ali (22-0, 13 KOs), Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs), Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs), Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (23-0, 15 KOs), Ronny Rios (25-1, 10 KOs), David Lemieux (34-3, 31 KOs), Sergio “Yeyo” Thompson (30-4, 26 KOs), and Jayson “Star” Velez (23-1-1, 16 KOs).

Golden Boy Promotions’ top picks for “Fighters to Watch in 2016” include (in alphabetical order):

WORLD TITLE CONTENDERS:

WBA International Welterweight Champion, Sadam “World Kid” Ali

Sadam “World Kid” Ali: A member of the 2008 United States Olympic team fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, Sadam “World Kid” Ali (22-0, 13 KOs) impressed boxing fans with his unanimous decision victory over Francisco “Chia” Santana in April, 2015 that earned him the WBA International Welterweight Title and also made him the mandatory challenger for the WBO Welterweight World Championship.

Randy “El Matador” Caballero: Indio star Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs) hit the heights of the boxing world in 2014 when he defeated Stuart “Stuey” Hall for the vacant IBF Bantamweight World Championship. In 2015, forced Caballero to vacate the title, however, 2016 looks promising for the fighter as he prepares his big return to the ring on February 5 against Ruben Garcia at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano: Already a respected welterweight contender after bouts against the likes of Erik “El Terrible” Morales, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Mexico’s Pablo “El Demoledor” Cesar Cano (29-4-1, 21 KOs) kept his march to a world title going in 2015, as he went unbeaten in three bouts against Jorge “Pantera” Silva, Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu and Silverio “Chamaco III” Ortiz.

Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos: The mandatory

WBC Featherweight World Championship Mandatory Challenger, Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos

challenger for the WBC featherweight world title, Celaya, Mexico’s Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos (23-11, 13 KOs) started his journey to become a champion very differently in 2014. Coming off a loss to Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado in February 2014, Castellanos followed it up with a dominant victory over Ronny Rios in October 2014, stopping the then-unbeaten prospect in the fifth round. Castellanos continued to show his power in January of 2015 facing the warrior Rocky Juarez for the chance to win the WBC Silver Featherweight title and become the mandatory challenger for the WBC Featherweight World Championship. Both fighters showed a lot of heart and put on one of the bloodiest fights of 2015, but it was Castellanos’ dominance that was on display as his powerful jabs, brutal uppercuts and well-timed counter-punching knocked down Juarez in the fifth and twice in the 10th round to win via unanimous decision with scores of 118-106, 118-106 and 118-107. Now, Castellanos is the WBC Feather World Championship mandatory challenger.

Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera: One of the truest warriors in the sport today, Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs) continued to show his supreme boxing skills and heart in a decision win over “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy in July to win the vacant NABF Super Lightweight title, and in 2016, big things are expected from Riverside’s “El Maestro” once more.

Tureano Johnson: A native of Nassau in the Bahamas, 31-year-old Tureano Johnson (19-1, 13 KOs) proudly represented his nation in the 2008 Olympics, making it to the quarterfinals in Beijing. In 2010, he turned professional and soared up the middleweight ladder before a controversial 2014 loss to Curtis Stevens. Undeterred, Johnson has since won five fights, four by knockout, and is one of the newest members of the Golden Boy Promotions roster. In his first fight since signing with Golden Boy Promotions, Johnson gave the fans a thrilling performance in the undercard of Gennaday Golovkin vs. David

Antonio “Relentless” Orozco

Lemieux at Madison Square Garden on October 17, 2015. Johnson faced Ireland’s Emmon O’Kane for the IBF Middleweight Title Eliminator, knocking down O’Kane twice in the first round and winning the fight via unanimous decision with scores of 118-108, 117-109, 119-107. Now the Nassau native is next in line for a shot at the unified middleweight championship in 2016.

Antonio “Relentless” Orozco: Unbeaten as a professional, San Diego’s Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (23-0, 15 KOs) made his move to the elite level of the super lightweight division in 2015. In May, Orozco defeated fellow rising star Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor in Phoenix, but the best was yet to come, as he decisioned multi-division world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto in their October bout at StubHub Center.

Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz: On Dec. 19, at Turing Stone Resort Casino inVerona,New York, Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz (24-0, 21 KOs) defended his WBA Interim Heavyweight World Championship against one of the toughest fighters in the division, Bryant “By – By” Jennings in a fantastic display of boxing skill with a dramatic seventh round knockout of the former world champion challenger Jennings. Ortiz, dominated the fight early on with powerful hooks, uppercuts and jabs that kept him in

WBA Interim Heavyweight World Champion,
Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz

control of the pace throughout the 12-round heavyweight brawl. The victory allowed Ortiz to keep his undefeated status but also made a loud announcement to the boxing community that a new heavyweight threat had arrived to the division. This fight catapulted Ortiz on the heavyweight pound-for-pound list debuting at number five.

Michael “The Artist” Perez: Undefeated since 2012, exciting New Jersey native Michael “The Artist” Perez (23-1-2, 11 KOs) had one of the biggest years of his career in 2015, as he decisioned always toughMiguel “Aguacerito” Acosta in January and then knocked out Luis “Chespi” Sanchez in six rounds in July to win the vacant NABO lightweight title.

Ronny Rios: After suffering the first loss of his career to Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos in 2014, Santa Ana, California’s Ronny Rios (25-1, 10 KOs) came back more determined than ever in 2015, and his performances in defeating Sergio “El Frio” Frias and previously unbeaten Jayson “Star” Velez proved that this 25-year-old was ready for prime time again.

USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion, Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chingonsky” Shabranskyy

Vyacheslav “Lion Heart – Chingonsky” Shabranskyy: People might have troublespelling the name of Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (15-0, 12 KOs), but among boxing fans, his name spells action, and he continued to deliver the goods in 2015, moving to 15-0 with wins against Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson, Fabiano “Pit Bull” Pena, Paul “Pay Per View” Parker and Yunieski “El Monstro” Gonzalez, the latter three foes owning a combined 34-1-1 record and breaking him into the top 10 light heavyweight rankings on USA Today’s Boxing Junkie and ranking number 12 on the WBC’s rankings.

Patrick Teixeira: Brazil’s best boxing import since beloved former champion Acelino Freitas, unbeaten southpaw Patrick Teixeira (26-0, 22 KOs) fought twice in the United States in 2015, impressing fans in New York and California with knockouts of Patrick Allotey and Don Mouton that sent a warning to his fellow 154-pound fighters that he was here to stay.

CONTENDERS TO WATCH:

Manuel “Tino” Avila: Fairfield, California’s Manuel “Tino” Avila (19-0, 8 KOs) has long been one of the most exciting prospects on the local scene, and in 2015, he made his name on the national scene with wins over Erik Ruiz, Yoandris “El Nino” Salinas and Jose Angel “Pepe” Beranza, the Salinas fight earning him the interim NABF super bantamweight title.

WBC Youth Super Bantamweight Champion,
Diego De La Hoya

Diego De La Hoya: Highly-touted super bantamweight Diego De La Hoya (13-0, 7 KOs)made the jump to eight and ten-round bouts in 2015 and he continued to impress every step of the way en route to five more victories. In September, De La Hoya won his first pro title, decisioning against former world title challenger Jesus “Estrella” Ruiz for the vacant WBC Youth World Super Bantamweight belt.

Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr.: A member of the 2008 United States Olympic team, South El Monte, California’s Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. (19-0, 11 KOs) won his first professional title in his fifth victory of 2015, as he impressively stopped Hugo “Olimpico” Partida in December to win the vacant NABF featherweight title and an honorable mention as one of ESPN.com’s 2015 Top 20 Rising Stars.

KeAndre “Black Magic” Gibson: 24-year-old welterweight undefeated fighter, KeAndre “Black Magic” Gibson (14-0-1, 6 KOs), who now makes his home in Las Vegas, has become quite popular with impressive victories over John Nater, Jose Hernandez and Nelson Lara. In his second fight of 2015, Gibson faced Jorge Ramos in an eight round fight winning the bout via unanimous decision in the undercard of Canelo-Kirkland on May 9.

Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez: East LA’s Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (19-0, 13 KOs) is known for his exciting style and powerful punches. He is the owner of 13 knockouts in three rounds or fewer and can also box, as shown in his near-shutout victories over longtime contenders Vernon “Ice Man” Paris in July of 2014 and Jorge “Pantera” Silva in October of 2015. A decorated amateur who won the 2009 United States Championship and earned a Silver medal in the 2009 World Championships, Gomez is ready to face the top opposition in the division and chase his dreams of a world championship in 2016.

Gilberto “El Flaco” Gonzalez: A former WBC Youth World Lightweight champion,

Abraham “Chamaco” Lop
Gilberto “El Flaco” Gonzalez (25-3, 21 KOs) picked up two early knockout wins in 2015, halting David “Nene” Rangel and Hevinson Herrera to set up a big 2016 for the Mexico City native.

Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez: Featherweight standout Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez (19-0-1, 14 KOs) returned from three years away from the sport in 2015 and the El Puente product picked up where he left off with knockout victories over former Ghana Olympian Alfred “The Stinging Bee” Tetteh and Jorge “King” Diaz and a draw against Juan “El Pez” Carlos Martinez.

Marcelino “Nino” Lopez: The latest star to emerge from the boxing hotbed of Argentina, Buenos Aires’ Marcelino “Nino” Lorenz (32-1-1, 17 KOs) continued dominating the local scene in his home country, but in October of 2015, he finally got the chance to introduce himself to United States fans when he knocked out David Rodela in three rounds at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Roberto “Tito” Manzanarez: Los Mochis, Mexico native Roberto “Tito” Manzanarez (32-1, 26 KOs) continued romping through the lightweight division in 2015, adding to his stellar record with a decision over Edgar “Lupillo” Ramirez and knockouts of Daniel “El Mulato” Valenzuela and Cristian “Veneno” Lopez.

NABF Lightweight Champion, Marvin “Cachorro” Quintero

Marvin “Cachorro” Quintero: Born in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, but now making hishome in Tijuana, Marvin Quintero is a former world title challenger whose first title fight was a razor-thin split decision loss to Miguel Vazquez in 2012. Since then, the 29-year-old southpaw has won two fights by knockout over Carlos Sanchez and Cesar De la Mora. In September of 2015 the veteran fighter proved he still had what it takes to chase championship gold when he defeated Puerto Rico’s Jeffery Fontanez via fifth-round knockout to gain the NABF Lightweight Title.

PROSPECTS TO WATCH:

Damon Allen: 23-year-old Philadelphian Damon Allen (8-0, 3 KOs) stepped through the ropes twice in 2015, stopping Luis “Yeye” Rodriguez in three rounds at home in Philly before making his Los Angeles debut in November with a decision victory over Oscar Santana.

Nick Arce: Hard-hitting 19-year-old Nick Arce (6-0, 6 KOs) didn’t stick around long for his five wins in 2015, as he knocked out each of his opponents before the final bell. This power and finishing ability has made this featherweight a must see for California fight fans, and the rest of the country should get introduced to him in the coming year.

D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard

D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard: 2015 was a pivotal year for Maryland supermiddleweight D’Mitrius Ballard (11-0, 7 KOs), and he passed his tests with flying colors, showing that he could box as well as bang in decision victories over Josue “Chiquilin” Ovando, Juan Carlos “Chiflado” Rojas and Fabiano “Pit Bull” Pena.

Ivan “Striker” Delgado: Keeping a steady pace throughout 2015, 25-year-old lightweight prospect Ivan “Striker” Delgado (8-0-1, 2 KOs) won five more bouts, and with fans packing the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles to see him fight on the LA Fight Club events, the future is bright for this up and comer.

Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez: 20-year-old Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (12-0, 11 KOs) added four more wins to his perfect pro record in 2015, and while he went the distance for the first time against Darryl Hayes in June, he closed out the year with a pair of second-round knockouts of Luis “Lichito” Lizarraga Jr. and Alejandro Ochoa.

Joet Gonzalez: Former amateur standout Joet Gonzalez (12-0, 6 KOs) is finding his way onto many hot prospect lists after a 2015 campaign that saw him go 4-0 with three knockouts. Included on that slate is a third-round KO of 12-0-1 prospect Marcos Rios in November.

Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis: A swift and ferocious striker, the undefeated Rashidi “Speedy”

WBA Fedecentro & WBC Interim Latin Welterweight Champion,
Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis

Ellis (14-0, 11 KOs) has repeatedly showcased his skills to audiences, most recently with a fourth-round technical knockout victory in Puerto Rico over Victor “Pambele” Gonzalez in March 2015 to claim the vacant WBA Fedecentro and the WBC Interim Latin Welterweight titles. Ellis won his three previous fights via technical knockout, defeating Joseph De los Santos and Joanthony Vazquez in Puerto Rico and Jose Martinez in the Dominican Republic. Later in 2015, Ellis played a key part in the training camp of Golden Boy Promotions fighter and now WBC, RING Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez. The 22-year-old Ellis trained with Canelo as a sparring partner in preparation for Alvarez’s November 21 super fight against Miguel Cotto. After “Speedy” put Alvarez to the test with his notoriously fast fists in training camp, Alvarez defeated Cotto via unanimous decision.

Travell “Black Magic” Mazion: 20-year-old Travell “Black Magic” Mazion (10-1, 10 KOs) is one of the top prospects in boxing, a fact evidenced by his a perfect professional record and knockout ratio, ending six fights in the first round. Now ready for his biggest year yet, Mazion is looking forward to start off the year strong in 2016.

Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete: Now making his home in Los Angeles, 27-year-old Colombia native Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (12-0, 5 KOs) was a stellar amateur before turning professional on May 24, 2013 with a four-round decision victory over Cristian Ciciliano. Two more wins would follow in 2013 for Negrete, but it was in 2014 that he began to get noticed in his adopted home state of California, as he stepped up to the plate four times and hit it out of the park with each appearance, decisioning unbeaten Carlos

Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa

Medina and stopping Pablo Cupul, Gabriel Braxton, Salvador Perez. 2015 proved to be a
busy year for Negrete as he fought five times winning all his bouts via decision excluding the most recent in December, where he defeated Ernesto Guerro via third-round technical knockout.

Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa: After winning the first nine fights of his professional career onthe east coast, Brooklyn’s Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa (13-0, 6 KOs) took his show on the road in 2015 and he continued to show off the skills that have made him a top prospect as he picked up four wins, including a big victory in Los Angeles over David Rodela and Alejandro “Soma” Rodriguez.

Jason “El Animal” Quigley: Former Irish amateur star Jason Quigley (9-0, 8 KOs) began his professional career in the United States in 2014, and he never left, learning his craft in Southern California. In 2015, Quigley scored five more wins by knockout before decisioning Marchristopher Adkins on November 20 and earning an honorary mention by Boxing News Magazine UK as one of the top prospects in the sport.

Julian “El Camaron” Ramirez: 22-year-old southpaw sensation Julian Ramirez (15-0, 8 KOs) kept piling the wins on in 2015, with his victories over seasoned veterans Raul “Bule” Hidalgo and Hugo “Olimpico” Partida setting Los Angeles’ “El Camaron” up for even bigger bouts when 2016 rolls around.

Lamont Roach Jr.

Lamont Roach Jr.: Washington D.C.’s Lamont Roach Jr. (9-0, 3 KOs) nearly doubled his
professional experience in 2015 with four victories that proved this 20-year-old super featherweight prospect is the real deal and a fighter to watch in 2016 and beyond.

Emilio Sanchez: Popular 21-year-old featherweight Emilio Sanchez (10-0, 7 KOs) had a busy year fighting in Golden Boy Promotions’ LA Fight Club series, going 5-0 with three knockouts at downtown Los Angeles’ Belasco Theater. The wins helped build Sanchez’ following and set the stage for another big year in 2016.

Hector “El Finito” Tanajara Jr.: Hailing from San Antonio, Hector “El Finito” Tanajara Jr. (4-0, 3 KOs) has been fighting since 2007 and during that time has won eight national championships. In 2012, he qualified to attend the Veles Cup in Kurgan, Russia and took the gold medal in his weight class and was selected as one of seven to go to the 2016 Olympic trails. Decinding instead to become a professional boxer and sign with Golden Boy Promotions in 2014, Tanajar Jr. is now the owner of an undefeated record of 4-0 with three knockouts. Tanajara will look to continue his winning streak in 2015 when he fights on Feb.5.

ABOUT GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by 10-time world champion in six divisions Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the world and has worked with networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, Estrella TV, ESPN, TeleFutura, FOX Sports 1, FOX Deportes, Televisa and TV Azteca. The company has also promoted some of the top boxing events in the history of the sport including De La Hoya vs. Mayweather, Mayweather vs. Canelo and other notable pay-per-view fights featuring fan-favorites Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Marco “Baby Faced Assassin” Antonio Barrera, Erik “El Terrible” Morales and Sugar Shane Mosley. For more information, visit www.GoldenBoyPromotions.com, or follow on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube @GoldenBoyBoxing.

SMITH EYES COTTO MEGACLASH AS HE MAKES FIRST DEFENCE AGAINST KELLY THIS SATURDAY NIGHT

World champion Liam Smith is hungry to take on boxing’s biggest names including Puerto Rican superstar Miguel Cotto.

The Merseyside maverick will make the first defence of his WBO light-middleweight world title, which he captured from John Thompson in spectacular fashion in October when he stopped the American inside seven rounds.

He now takes on the undefeated Jimmy Kelly exclusively live on BoxNation this Saturday night from the Manchester Arena and though he is not overlooking the Manchester man he has ambitions of sharing the ring with the division’s leading names.

“I know Kelly is going to go into the ring thinking this is his big chance but I’m not going to give him an inch the fight,” said Smith.

“I have big ambitions and I’m not going to be foolish to overlook the threat he will bring. There are some major fights for me if I come through this one and certainly Miguel Cotto is right up there as one of the names I want to face.

“Cotto’s been a great champion and to share the ring with him and beat him will take me to that next level. I definitely believe I have what it takes to overcome him because my style would cause him some big problems,” he said.

27-year-old Smith, who has a record of 21 wins unbeaten with 11 KOs, is also interested in unifying the 154-pound division with WBA champion Erislandy Lara and undefeated IBF titleholder Jermall Charlo on the list of future targets.

“2016 is going to be an even better year for me,” said Smith. “This year has been amazing by getting a shot at the world title and winning it but the next year can be something even more special.

“I’m in this sport to face the best and if the opportunity presents itself I would love to unify the titles against either Erislandy Lara or Jermall Charlo next year. Fans want to see the best fights and having all the champions face each other makes sense.

“I believe I can beat anyone in the division and I want to go in there and prove it,” he said.

Tickets for Lee v Saunders and Smith v Kelly priced from £40 are available from frankwarren.com, ticketmaster.co.uk, eventim.co.uk and manchester-arena.co.uk or watch exclusively live on BoxNation. Go to boxnaion.com to subscribe.

Video: Watch: The Fight Game Takes a Look back at the HBO Pay-Per-View Cotto vs. Canelo Mega-Fight

Cotto – Canelo generates 900,000 PPV buys

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the November 21 fight that saw Canelo Alvarez win the Middleweight championship generated 900,000 Pay Per View buys.

“At 900,000 buys and $58 million in PPV revenue, Cotto-Canelo performed superbly,” said HBO senior vice president Mark Taffet, who oversees the network’s pay-per-view franchise. “Not since [Lennox] Lewis-[Mike] Tyson in 2002 has a pay-per-view fight generated at least 900,000 buys without featuring [Floyd] Mayweather, [Manny] Pacquiao or [Oscar] De La Hoya.

“It puts an exclamation point on the biggest year in pay-per-view history. I couldn’t be more thrilled for boxing, Golden Boy, Roc Nation and the fans.”

“It was an incredibly strong performance in a historical context,” Taffet said. “It’s very significant for a fight to do 900,000 when it doesn’t involve one of the biggest stars in the history of pay-per-view: Mayweather, De La Hoya, Pacquiao, Tyson and [Evander] Holyfield.”

“Canelo is now officially the biggest star in all of boxing. Period,” De La Hoya said. “And by committing to fight on Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day — boxing’s two biggest annual dates — Canelo’s popularity will only continue to soar for years to come.”

“I was fortunate to do [the first pay-per-view] Evander Holyfield-George Foreman and then have a few pretty good fights in between,” Taffet said with a laugh. “So to end with Cotto-Canelo, it couldn’t have been a more satisfying finale for me.”

Video: Cotto – Canelo post fight press conference

Teasing the strippers: Canelo becomes lineal middleweight champion of the world

By Bart Barry-
Canelo_Alvarez
Saturday at Mandalay Bay, Mexican junior middleweight Saul “Canelo” Alvarez widely decisioned Puerto Rican junior middleweight Miguel Cotto to become the lineal middleweight champion of the world. If there were any surprises during the pay-HBO telecast, they came on the undercard – Guillermo Rigondeaux finally fought old as he looks, and Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura made an incredible match – because nothing unexpected happened during the main event.

It’s the ferocity that counts with Canelo, and until an aficionado has been within earshot of a Canelo fight, he doesn’t know that. After four rounds in which Cotto and Canelo appeared to land an equivalent number of blows, on television anyway, analyst Roy Jones was not hesitant in his analysis: Canelo was clearly the more effective man in the match. Jim Lampley turned to big data – his buddies’ ringside Twitter scorecards – and learned they had Canelo winning every early round.

That announcement brought guffaws of disbelief from my viewing party, a group about inversely proportionate to the Mandalay Bay crowd – we had five Puerto Ricans and two Mexicans and a token white guy – with a curious exception among the guffawing Puerto Ricans: The one guy who’d been a few rows back of ringside when Canelo decisioned Austin Trout agreed absolutely Canelo was handling Cotto from the opening bell.

By round 6 it was apparent to all but Coach Freddie th’t Cotto needed a plan b, and when Coach Freddie returned Cotto to the blackmat armed only with a double-jab idea a few minutes later, a bad idea Canelo blasted crosses over, at will, Cotto decided to treat Canelo like the sort of overmatched b-level guy Cotto feasts on (excepting only Trout, a b-level guy Cotto did not feast on, Cotto’s losses come to a-level guys [or a b-level guy with an a-level equipment advantage {allegedly, allegedly!}]), and when that approach endangered Cotto’s consciousness, Cotto returned to Coach Freddie’s plan, which, in its perspicacity and nuance and adaptability, bore a frightening resemblance to Coach Freddie’s masterplan for Manny Pacquiao’s lame effort against Money May, and the only suspense that remained after that concerned the question of Canelo stopping Cotto, which Canelo simply was not good enough to do. Simply.

That’s a terrible thing to write, of course, on this, the second day of the Cinnamon Era, but aside from his impressive physicality and ferocity, Canelo is not that spectacular. And straining one’s throat to make it so will not make it so. Canelo is much, much better than anyone else Cotto fought during his rehabilitation – a vivacious union with Coach Freddie in which Cotto whispered to Coach Freddie sweet nothings about how much better things might have gone for the starcrossed men if only they’d met sooner, and Coach Freddie whispered sweet nothings to reporters and HBO cameras about the houses he’d bet on Cotto (how does one do this at the sportsbook?) – and Canelo revealed the quality of the Cotto rehabilitation almost deftly as Juan Manuel Marquez once revealed Coach Freddie’s actual improvement of Manny Pacquiao’s footwork.

If that’s ungracious, it’s also written without a hankering for a cinéma-vérité sequel to “On Freddie Roach”: The depth of Roach’s craft has not gotten shallower so much as it has splashed its way from training to marketing. Coach Freddie no longer improves his prizefighters so much as their purses; during training camp Roach sold the certainty of a Cotto victory far better than he assured it. Quite a few times Saturday, in fact, Cotto resembled no previous version of himself so much as the man anxiously scrambling away from Antonio Margarito seven years ago: face swelling, mouth agape, leadhand lowered, backhand alternately wiping and bracketing his face, four steps back-sidewaysback for every one step forwards. Aside from the obvious advantage Margarito may have had over his firehaired countryman, when they confronted Cotto, he also had this: Margarito never misspent a second of his career proving he could avoid a smaller man’s punches.

Because he couldn’t? Well, yes, but. Or perhaps, yes, and.

Margarito was an embodiment of the puncher’s compact: You hit me, and I’ll hit you, and we’ll do this until one of us is unconscious, and I don’t much care which. Had Canelo taken his gumshield more fiercely betwixt the molars and entered the same compact Saturday, there’s a very good chance he would have stopped Cotto, who showed nervous energy, ineffective nonaggressiveness, as it were, from the match’s opening minute.

There’s something like a “geometry of boxing” – Roach’s phrase – that did not fail to favor Canelo every round Cotto committed to stepping round him. More precisely put: Cotto’s circles got wider and wider as the fight progressed, which mightn’t have been a damnable thing if it were the plan, which it could not have been. If a man sets out to make as many laps possible with as little energy expended, that man should choose shorter laps and not longer ones. Cotto’s early steps-around became walks-around became skips-around became laps-around. Frankly, it’s a testament to the conditioning enhancements Wild Card fighters discover at Coach Freddie’s rejuvenating gym that Cotto stayed fresh as he did, working at a rate so much more frantic than Canelo’s.

Now we are told to ready for an epic stripping, if, according to HBO and the other handlers of the network’s middleweight champion, in the next two weeks Canelo fails to agree to open conceivable preliminary negotiations in principle for a potential fight possibly to come in the future with the undisputed HBO middleweight champion. It bears repetition: Not in this universe or the next will a sanctioning body in Mexico City strip Mexico’s most popular fighter of his middleweight title. Call it corruption or greed or scrofulous roguery, whatever, but vague as the WBC’s requirements appear, by ordering Max Kellerman to fetch his gloves in Saturday’s essential postfight interview, Canelo undoubtedly just satisfied Mexico City’s negotiation mandate, even if he shamelessly goes on to make consecutive defenses against the likes of Marco Antonio Rubio, Martin Murray and Willie Monroe Jr.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

HBO to replay the Cotto-Canelo fight Saturday, Nov. 28

HBO Sports serves up the exclusive replay of the world middleweight super fight MIGUEL COTTO VS. CANELO ALVAREZ, SATURDAY, NOV. 28 on HBO. The HBO Sports team, which was ringside for the live coverage at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, called all the action. Available in HDTV, the hard-hitting ring action will be presented along with the encore replay of the “HBO World Championship Boxing®” event featuring Wladimir Klitschko vs. Tyson Fury from Dusseldorf, Germany, beginning at 10:15 p.m. (ET/PT).

Other HBO playdates for both bouts: Nov. 29 (9:00 a.m.) and 30 (11:15 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates for both bouts: Nov. 29 (5:00 p.m.) and Dec. 1(11:00 p.m.)
The highly anticipated super fight took place Saturday, Nov. 21, live on HBO Pay-Per-View®, with 160-pound attractions Cotto and Canelo colliding in the ring.

Live Stream: Cotto vs. Canelo Preliminary Undercards – Saturday at 7:00 P.M. ET/4:00 P.M. PT

Video: HBO Boxing News: Cotto’s Keys to Victory

DIEGO DE LA HOYA SHINES IN HIS GRAND RETURN TO LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 20, 2015) An action-packed card kicked off a weekend of back-to-back fight nights in Las Vegas, preceding the highly-anticipated Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez card at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Saturday, November 21 on HBO PPV. Attracting a crowd of 1,339, the night featured undefeated boxing legacy and fan-favorite Diego De La Hoya (13-0, 7 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico facing fellow countryman Giovanni “Lloviznas” Delgado (15-4, 9 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico in what was an explosive eight-round super bantamweight main event, live on Boxeo Estelar on Estrella TV.

Ring legend Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, former world champion Fernando “Feroz” Vargas and Golden Boy Promotion’s fighters “King” Gabriel Rosado, who also stars in the upcoming film CREED, Ivan “Striker” Delgado, Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete and Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa were all on hand to enjoy the night of action.

De La Hoya shined with a unanimous decision victory over Delgado in his grand return to Las Vegas and to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The fight saw back and forth action as both fighters traded combinations in the middle of the ring. Delgado proved a difficult opponent, landing hard combinations to the body and then following up with shots to the head of De La Hoya. De La Hoya showed his toughness and durability, taking Delgado’s shots and countering with clean effective punches of his own.

“I knew he (Delgado) was going to be a tough opponent,” said De La Hoya. “I used to spar with him when I was 15 years old so I was familiar with his style but I think now I am a faster and more intelligent fighter and that’s what gave me the victory tonight. This victory also proved to me that I have a great passion for the sport and hope to become a world champion soon. I’m not going to quit until I achieve my goal. I want to thank all the fans that came out to support me and I’m glad I closed out the year with victory.”

In the co-main event, undefeated John Karl Sosa (13-1, 6 KO’s) of Caguas, Puerto Rico battled Alan Sanchez (17-3-1, 9 KO’s) of Fairfield, CA in an eight-round welterweight bout. A tactical affair in the first few rounds, the two fighters showed their skill and ring intelligence as they got accustomed to the other’s style. Entering the final stanza of the fight, Sanchez was able to catch Sosa with a powerful shot that sent him to the canvas. Clearly hurt, Sosa bravely met the count but was sent down twice more, forcing the referee to call a stop to the bout, awarding Sanchez the win by sixth round technical knockout.

“I think my experience showed tonight. I was able to beat the favorite tonight, a young undefeated top prospect and this win means a lot to me and my career. I won and in a great way dropping him three times in the sixth round. This win proves that I have grown as a fight and am ready to go to the next level and compete for a regional title,” said Sanchez.

In the first televised bout of the evening, Guadalajara, Chihuahua, Mexico’s Horacio Garcia (30-1, 21 KO’s) took on Raul “Bule” Hidalgo (24-14, 8 KO’s) of Nuevas Casas Grandes,Chihuahua, Mexico. With Jose “Chepo” Reynoso, trainer of Canelo Alvarez in his corner, Horacio attacked Hidalgo from the opening round, landing hard shots to the head and body. The second round saw more of the same, as Garcia cornered Hidalgo on the ropes and landed clean, unanswered shots, prompting the referee to stop the fight, declaring Horacio the winner by second round technical knockout.

“This is my first time fighting in the U.S. and I feel that I gave a great performance. I am a strong, hungry fighter and this victory impressed the fans. I was prepared and I am ready to come back and show fans more,” said Garcia.

The last bout on The Ring TV’s live stream, Roy “Pitbull” Tapia (11-0-2, 6 KO’s) of East Los Angeles faced Erik Ruiz (14-4, 6 KO’s) of Oxnard, CA in an eight round super bantamweight matchup. The bout was close throughout, with both fighters landing shots at close range and trading momentum back and forth. Going to the scorecards, Ruiz was able to come away with a win via split decision.

“I thought I won the majority of the rounds but I got the win and that’s all that matters. Roy was a really tough guy and he came out throwing hard to the body like he said he would. It was a good fight and I’m glad the fans enjoyed it,” said Ruiz.

“He was beating me to the punch from the first round and it made it difficult to keep my rhythm. Honestly, I felt like I had lost but I know that I will come back stronger when I am in the ring next,” said Tapia.

As part of The Ring TV’s live stream, crowd favorite, Jason “El Animal” Quigley (9-0, 8 KO’s) put on a show as always in a four-round super middleweight bout against Marchristopher Adkins (5-2, 2 KO’s) of Dallas, TX. Quigley boxed effectively, controlling the distance and landing clean, hard shots, earning his first unanimous decision victory.

“It’s very exciting to get a knockout, but it’s also good to go the distance. I felt I showed my fans that I can box as well. I was in control the whole time and able to pressure him whenever I wanted. At the end, I knew I won every round,” said Quigley.

Opening up The Ring TV’s live stream, Francisco Esparza (2-0, 1 KO) of Las Vegas, NV, battled Jose Rodriguez (2-2, 1 KO) of San Juan, Puerto Rico. In a thrilling opening bout, the two fighters traded shots in the center of the ring, setting the tone for the card. At the end of the bout, Esparza was awarded a majority decision victory making his trainer Fernado “Feroz” Vargas proud.

“This was my second professional fight and I felt more comfortable and able to pace myself. I was also able to apply pressure when I wanted. My strategy was to move my head and break him down on the inside and I feel I did that efficiently tonight,” said Esparza.

Diego De La Hoya vs. Giovanni Delgado was presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra and Carmelita Chorizo. Doors opened at 4:30 p.m. and the first bout began at 5:00 p.m. The Boxeo Estelar broadcast aired live on Estrella TV at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00p.m. PT. The card also streamed live on EstrellaTV.com and on YouTube via FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream began at approximately 5:00 p.m. PT through 6:00 p.m and was viewed on RingTVLive.com, YIPTV.com, Fightsports.tv, UCNLive.com,Facebook.com/RingTV, Livestream.com, and The Ring TV Channels on Roku and Amazon Fire.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.estrellatv.com, www.hardrockhotel.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV, @HardRockHotelLV and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/EstrellaTVNetwork, www.facebook.com/HardRockHotelLV visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV and @HardRockHotelLV and follow theconversation using #BoxeoEstelar.

Hear The Buzz: It was off the scale for Cotto-Canelo

By Norm Frauenheim-
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LAS VEGAS – Measuring interest in a fight isn’t exactly a science. It’s more a haphazard adventure. Either a so-called buzz is there, or it isn’t. For a couple of days, media prospectors were sifting though all the events surrounding Miguel Cotto-Canelo Alvarez, searching for one.

For days, not much was there. Echoes instead of real noise created doubt about the pay-per-view hopes and suspicions about fans staying away from Mandalay Bay Saturday night because of skepticism left over from the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao mess in May.

But the empty echoes were suddenly gone Friday. Instead, there was a buzz that filled three ballrooms from crowds of fans who waited in line for three to four hours to watch the Cotto-Canelo weigh-in.

The buzz was off-the-scale amid sudden optimism about pay-per-view numbers for an HBO telecast (6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET) that Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya has said could approach 1.5 million.

That expectation might still be too high. But a buzzing crowd at the weigh-in indicated that a very good PPV audience is likely. Latino fans – Puerto Rican for Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) and Mexican for Canelo (45-1-1, 32 KOs) – jammed one ballroom for the live weigh-in and two adjacent ballrooms to watch the telecast.

Both made the catch-weight, 155 pounds, for a 160-pound, middleweight title that the WBC stripped from Cotto on Monday after he refused to pay the $300,000 sanctioning fee. A sculpted Canelo was right at the agreed-upon weight. Cotto was at 153.5, which is a half-pound lighter than the junior-middleweight limit. This is a middleweight fight in name only. But it doesn’t matter.

The anticipation is real for a classic, cut straight out of the rich tradition of the Mexican-Puerto Rican history.

“They are here because they think they are about see a war,’’ De La Hoya said.

The war parallel is little tired and probably too much, especially these days with all that is going in France and Syria. But boxing without hyperbole is a fight without a buzz. Nobody would care.

At the weigh-in, the roar said — again and again — that a lot people care intensely about one fight that might take the business beyond Pacquiao-Mayweather.

The weigh-in included at least one disappointing moment. Unbeaten Randy Caballero was at 123.5, or 5.5 pounds too heavy for the 118-mandtaory in a scheduled defense of his IBF bantamweight title against the UK”s Lee Haskins. About an hour after the weigh-in, the Nevada State Athletic Commission said that the title fight had been cancelled.

Did it matter? No, not at all. If there were any complaints, you couldn’t hear them. You could hear only that buzz.

VIDEO: HBO Boxing News: Canelo’s Keys to Victory

VIDEO: 24/7 Cotto/Canelo Episode 2: Full Show

Live Stream: Cotto vs. Canelo Official Weigh-In – Friday at 5:30 P.M. ET/2:30 P.M. PT

TEAM COTTO EYES MAYWEATHER AS TRAINER ROACH BACKS HIM TO WIN REMATCH ON EVE OF BLOCKBUSTER SHOWDOWN WITH CANELO LIVE ON BOXNATION

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LONDON (Nov 20) – Miguel Cotto’s trainer Freddie Roach wants the Puerto Rican ace to rematch and knockout pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather.

The Hall of Fame trainer believes he has the right strategy to overcome boxing’s number one fighter and wants four-weight champion Cotto to face him again should he be victorious in his middleweight blockbuster this weekend against Canelo Alvarez, live on BoxNation.

35-year-old Cotto was outpointed by Mayweather when they met in May 2012 but had not yet joined forces with the much respected Roach, someone who Cotto believes would have helped him knockout the now retired superstar.

“I would love for Miguel to win this fight [against Canelo] by knockout, call out Mayweather and then end his career,” said Roach.

“Miguel always tells me that if he had me in his corner when he fought Mayweather he would have knocked him out. He tells me that story all the time.

“I think Miguel could pull off the strategy I have to beat Mayweather. I think that would be a good fight for him. I think I could put Miguel in a very aggressive mode,” he said.

Any hopes of facing Mayweather however could be dashed this Saturday night when Cotto steps into the ring against Mexican foe Canelo.

The former unified light-middleweight champion goes in as the bookies favourite in the fight but trainer Roach says his man is in top shape and ready to expose the Latino boxing idol.

“Miguel has had a great training camp for this fight. We’re 100% ready for this fight, the biggest fight of the year. I’ve never seen Miguel better than this,” said Roach.

“We are going to box a lot in this fight. We’re not just going out there looking for a knockout. I don’t want him doing that. I want him using his foot speed and his angles. He’s a more complete fighter now than ever.

“Canelo’s defence is terrible. He follows you wherever you go. He’s like a robot. If you use angles on him, he will be lost. He cannot make adjustments well,” he said.

Flame-haired Canelo though is well aware of the threat he is up against but will be looking to continue the momentum from his last fight that saw him knockout James Kirkland inside three rounds.

“I’ve had a great preparation. I’ve worked very hard. I am patiently waiting for Saturday night to have my hand raised in victory once again. It’s going to be a difficult fight – I know that – but that is why I prepared properly, and I am ready to give a great fight,” said Canelo.

British fighter Lee Haskins is also set to feature on the undercard as he takes on Randy Caballero for the IBF bantamweight world title.

The Bristol boxer will get his chance to shine under the bright lights of Las Vegas and can’t wait to step into the ring.

“Fighting in Las Vegas, fighting in a fight of this magnitude, I never thought in my dreams I would be on an undercard like this, that’s what’s giving me the extra push. It feels absolutely amazing just to be here,” said Haskins.

“The magnitude of the fight, seeing everybody here, just up in the middle of the Vegas square, it’s incredible.

“I’m sure he’s done a lot of sparing and he’s just as ready as myself. I’m just looking forward to having a great fight,” he said.

Cotto v Canelo is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 525, TalkTalk 415, online or app) this Saturday night. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

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

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

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

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

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Video: Cotto – Canelo weigh in

Video Alert: Countdown to Cotto vs. Canelo

Breakdown of Cotto – Alvarez

By Alejandro Echevarria
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Whether or not the WBC Middleweight Title is on the line this Saturday’s match between Miguel Cotto (40-4-0, 33Ko’s) and Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez (45-1-1, 32Ko’s) will decide who the lineal middleweight champion will be. If all the pieces fall in place, it will also decide who fights Gennady Golovkin for recognition as the best middleweight on the planet. That is one of the many aspects that make this fight interesting. The storied rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican boxers and the fact that both fighters are at (or close to) the peak of their popularity also adds to the significance of the bout.

With that being said, what makes this fight appealing to many boxing fans and insiders is that the match-up of styles suggests this will be a war. Both fighters are good boxers but both are fighters. They are usually willing to trade, they both have power and both have shown to have a fight instinct instead of the flight one.
Canelo brings more stopping power to the fight but Cotto’s recent displays as a middleweight suggest he can also hurt bigger fighters. Similarly, Canelo proved he can use his strength and aggression to overcome a more skilled boxer as he did against Lara. It is easy to imagine that Cotto’s edge in class is offset by Canelo’s youth and physical advantages leaving us with a very even playing field.

Even though odds makers have the young Mexican as a 3 to 1 favorite, boxing analysts see this as a much more even fight and I agree. I do believe that whoever wins the fight will probably do so in a convincing fashion but that will be more because of the way these fighters carry themselves in the ring than because there will be a significance difference between them as fighters. Both of them will leave everything in the ring and, as happens to most fighters who fight this way, when they lose they will do so in spectacular fashion.

Most agree that for Miguel to win he has to use his well timed jab, foot work and not a small amount of body work. Canelo should be looking to press the action. If he can impose his size and strength on Cotto, who has had problems with this in the past, he should be able to get a stoppage in the second half of the fight. This same fight plan could instead prove deadly for Saúl if Cotto is able to disrupt his momentum with jabs and footwork as this would eventually lead to openings for left hooks to the body.

Regardless of who is ahead on the scorecards after the sixth round, the manner in which these initial rounds are fought will probably determine the outcome of the fight. Canelo has to land some big shots. Otherwise he will succumb to frustration and be worn down by Cotto’s left hand. Cotto needs to avoid punishment and must conserve his energy. If he doesn’t, his 35 year-old, battle-ravaged body will not hold up for twelve rounds.

With Freddie Roach in his corner, the four-division Puerto Rican champion seems revitalized. Whether this is just a mirage or he has really regained part of the physical prowess that made him so dangerous early in his career is up for discussion but the fact that he believes it doesn’t seem to be. I expect to see a very confident Miguel Cotto use his timing and footwork to stop Canelo from putting combinations together. Alvarez will have his moments and will probably win some of these rounds but at too high a cost. Cotto’s jab will be there at all times zapping Canelo of the necessary confidence to press the action and if left hooks are landing, his stamina may very well be diminished before the twelfth round. It’s not impossible for Cotto to get a late stoppage but I don’t think it will happen. More likely we will see a Cotto, ahead on the score cards, do enough to win a unanimous. Canelo will prove too strong to go down.
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Quality of opponents – Within their last five fights, both fighters shared two opponents. They both lost against Floyd Mayweather while Alvarez defeated Austin Trout to whom Cotto lost. Against “Money” Mayweather, Cotto looked better and was more efficient but he was clearly beat by Trout whom Canelo knocked down en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Canelo looked impressive in his two stoppage victories against Alfredo Angulo and James Kirkland. Of these two, the Kirkland victory stands out because it was fought the way the “Mandingo Warrior” wanted, that is to say it was a slugfest, and still Canelo won with a “Knockout of the Year” candidate.

Regarding his split decision win against Erislandy Lara, many thought this fight could’ve gone either way. Canelo had trouble dealing with the lateral movements and angles Lara presented but nonetheless came out with a victory. In this fight, Canelo proved that he can press enough and has enough hand speed to deal with slicker boxers.
On his side, since losing consecutive fights against Mayweather and Trout, Cotto has stringed three stoppages in a row. He outclassed and out gunned an over matched Delvin Rodríguez then challenged linear middleweight champion Sergio Martínez. Martínez had gone down in his last three fights, was almost knocked out against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (after which he needed surgery on his knee) and squeaked by Martin Murray in a fight that could’ve gone either way. Still, Cotto looked sharp and powerful in his first fight as a middleweight.

Against Daniel Geale, a former middleweight beltholder, Cotto again looked impressive until Geale quit after going down twice in round four. It must be noted that Geale looked drained the day of the weigh-in where a catch weight of 155 pounds was set but not met by Geale.

These recent fights offer a bit of an insight into the fighter’s strengths and weaknesses. Cotto’s two losses came at the hands of slick boxers and before his switch to training with Freddie Roach. His three victories came against foes that were either not on his level or not in their prime. Canelo’s loss to Mayweather and struggles against Lara show that he also has issues with angles and speed. His victories against a diminished Angulo and a James Kirkland without Anne Wolfe in his corner were impressive but not unexpected.

If we look back at their entire records, Cotto’s is more impressive. He’s faced more undefeated fighters, more past and eventual champions and more A-level opponents. He’s also come up short on his two biggest matches (Mayweather and Pacquiao) but his experience will serve him well. Still, I believe Canelo has a slight edge based on his victories over Lara, where he edged an opponent with a wrong style for him, and Kirkland where he fought his opponent’s fight and still came out with the win. In a sport where the saying “what have you done for me lately?” is so important, Alvarez has made a statement with his three most recent victories.

Defense and Chin – Neither fighter is a defensive master. Cotto may hold a slight advantage because his footwork is more polished and effective than Canelo’s but Alvarez is definitely the stronger more resilient fighter. It helps Canelo that he is quite fresh despite having 47 fights under his belt and has not been through the wars Cotto has endured. Even though Cotto has not been cut or badly bruised in his last fights, he hasn’t been hit by a big puncher in some time.

Both fighters have been hurt by single punches in the past. Cotto against the likes of Ricardo Torres, “Chop Chop” Corley and Zab Judah and Canelo against Jose Cotto but those all seem to be in the distant past. If this becomes a give and take fight, Canelo will probably have more resilience down the stretch and that may prove to be the difference maker.

Skill an Technique – In terms of pure skill and boxing technique, it is Cotto who holds the upper hand. A decorated amateur and Olympic boxer, Cotto has proven he can outbox almost everybody (his victory over an almost prime Shane Mosley being the best example of this) when he is sharp. His well timed jab is a very disruptive weapon and carries enough pop to stun and stop the momentum for many fighters (he’s even floored several of his opponents with it).

Canelo has very good hand speed and when he feels comfortable in his stance, he can let those heavy hands go in good multi-punch combinations. Still, he has issues with moving targets and angles which Cotto could very well use to his advantage. If he freezes against Cotto, the Puerto Rican’s jab and left hook could prove deadly to whatever Canelo’s fight plan is.

At the end of the day, if Cotto could box for 12 rounds and avoid a give and take fight, he would probably come out on top.

Strength and Power – Here is another category where one of the boxers holds a clear advantage. Even though they both started at the welterweight limit, Canelo is the naturally bigger guy and seems to have a bit more pop in his punches. In his victories against Carlos Baldomir, Alfonso Gómez and most recently James Kirkland, The Mexican proved he can hurt opponents with single shots. Cotto usually needs to break down opponents before he can get his stoppages.

Both fighters can hurt each other but Canelo has a bigger opportunity of landing a single punch or combination that can determine the course of the fight. Cotto hasn’t been hurt by a single punch in some time but, has also not been hit by a big puncher in some time as well. Were they to trade punch for punch, Canelo would have a clear advantage.

Miscellaneous and Intangibles – As the name suggests, there are other aspects to consider. The last time Canelo was in a fight of this magnitude he lost and seemed frustrated by the end of the fight. Will the memories of the Mayweather fight haunt the young boxer and keep him from performing at his best? Is Cotto’s resurgence real or just the by-product of great matchmaking? Will Canelo’s lengthy training camp result in over training and drain him of the necessary explosiveness he will need to come out victorious? Can Cotto take the kind of shots that Canelo has landed on the likes of Angulo and Kirkland? And most important, are we in line to see a true classic? Out of all these questions, the one I would like most to be answered in the affirmative is the last one.

ESPN & ESPN Deportes Experts Provide Their Cotto vs. Canelo Predictions

In anticipation of the upcoming fight, ESPN boxing experts share their forecast and analysis around the match between superstars Miguel Cotto and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Julio Cesar Chavez, former boxing star and ESPN Deportes’ A Los Golpes analyst
As Mexican, logically I’m rooting for Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. I also lean towards him for his youth, strength and hunger for winning the fight.

Ivan “El Iron Boy” Calderon, former professional boxer and ESPN Deportes’ boxing coverage analyst
If Miguel follows his style of blocking a giving at the same time, he could surprise. But I as things are looking, I have to lean towards Canelo.

Joe Cortez, ex boxing referee
This is a fight that will please fans […]. It’s going to be very close, but I align myself with Cotto winning by divided decision.

The boxing legends will appear as special guests in Cotto vs. Canelo: a One Nación & A Los Golpes Special, airing Thursday, November 19 at 7:30 pm ET on ESPN Deportes, and Friday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 pm on ESPNEWS. The pre-show show is hosted by the Networks’ boxing experts Bernardo Osuna, Claudia Trejos and Marysol Castro.

Bernardo Osuna, lead commentator and reporter for ESPN and ESPN Deportes’ boxing coverage
Any time a Mexican and a Puerto Rican fighter step into the ring, special things happen and I expect the same when Cotto and Canelo fight on Saturday night, giving us a battle worthy of this great rivalry.

Claudia Trejos, ESPN’s Friday Night Fights host
Puerto Rico vs Mexico is the most exciting rivalry in boxing. I expect Cotto-Canelo to be one for the books

Marysol Castro, ESPN’s Premier Boxing Champions host
Both of these fighters are looking to take home a title that is legendary between Puerto Rico and Mexico. It will be a thriller for sure and with national bragging rights on the line, I am going to go with Miguel Cotto.

For more information on ESPN and ESPN Deportes’ extended coverage around the fight, see http://es.pn/1WZGFim

Video: HBO Boxing News: Cotto-Canelo Final Press Conference

Roc Nation Sports + Miguel Cotto Promotions Present Vazquez vs. Rivera on 12/5 on HBO Latino

NEW YORK, NY – Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions are pleased to announce their next co-promotion as part of the HBO Latino Boxing series. On Saturday, Dec. 5, former WBO Junior Featherweight World Champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (24-1-5, 19 KOs) of Bayamon, Puerto Rico will take on undefeated Rafael Rivera (20-0-2, 14 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico in a ten-round featherweight showdown from the Osceola Heritage Park Exhibit Hall in Kissimmee, Florida televised live on HBO Latino beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

In the televised co-feature, Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (28-0, 15 KOs) will take on Steve Claggett (23-1-3, 16 KOs) in a ten-round welterweight co-featured bout. Opening the HBO Latino telecast will be a ten-round light heavyweight tilt featuring Colombian slugger Alexander Brand (24-1, 19 KOs) and Russian knockout artist Medzhid Bektemirov (16-0, 12 KOs) which is presented in association with Camponovo Sports and Gary Shaw Productions.

Tickets are priced at $67 and $35. Tickets go on sale Thursday, November 19 at 12:00 PM ET and will be available at www.ticketmaster.com and www.ohpark.com. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

“I’m very happy with my team and blessed by God to have the opportunity to do what I do best which is fight,” said Vazquez Jr. “I can see that Rivera is an excellent fighter looking to go far in this business, but I am coming to give it my all. I need to overcome this challenge in order to climb back to a number one rating and win a world title belt. It’s always exciting to be part of this great rivalry between Puerto Rico vs. Mexico and this one won’t be an exception.”

“It’s a real honor to be able to fight a former world champion and to do it on national television with HBO Latino,” said Rivera. “I’m young and hungry to be successful in the sport of boxing and I can’t wait to trade shots with Papito Vazquez.”

“Once again, Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions are committed to providing fight fans with an action-packed night of boxing on Dec. 5,” said David Itskowitch, COO Boxing, Roc Nation Sports. “The HBO Latino broadcast will showcase three exciting fights featuring some of the brightest young talents in the sport.”

“We are excited to come back to Orlando, Florida to give the fans great fights,” said Hector Soto, Vice President of Miguel Cotto Promotions. “On Dec. 5, Vazquez Jr. has the opportunity to show that he still has what it takes to be at the top level of boxing when he faces a tough Mexican fighter that is hungry and willing to make a great fight. This will be another great chapter in the storied rivalry of Puerto Rico vs. Mexico.”

Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. has emerged from the large shadow of his father, Puerto Rican legend Wilfredo Vazquez, to make a name for himself inside the squared circle. The 30-year-old former world champion from Bayamon is on a quest to capture a world title belt in the featherweight division. After storming out of the gates with an 18 fight unbeaten streak, Vazquez captured the WBO junior featherweight world championship by defeating then fellow unbeaten Marvin Sonsona via a fourth round knockout on February 27, 2010 in his hometown. Two successful title defenses followed before Vazquez lost his title to Three-Time World Champion Jorge Arce in an all-out war that the judges had a draw at the time of the twelfth round stoppage. Another world title challenge came against Six-Time World Champion Nonito Donaire on February 2, 2012, but Vazquez came up short, dropping a split decision to the champion. In his last bout on June 6, Vazquez lost via a unanimous decision against Fernando Vargas in an eight-round bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on the undercard of Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale. Dec. 5 is a true crossroads fight for the former world champion.

Undefeated featherweight boxer Rafael “Big Bang” Rivera made his pro debut on Aril 27, 2012 against Mario Lemus and came out with a technical knockout win in the second round. Since drawing in two of his next four fights, Rivera has reeled off 17 wins with 12 of them coming by way of knockout. In his last fight, Rivera scored an eight round unanimous decision win against Cancun, Mexico native Ruben Garcia in an eight round bout at Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, California. On Dec. 5, Rivera will look to hold on to his undefeated record when he battles Vazquez Jr.

Washington, DC’s Dusty Hernandez-Harrison made his professional debut as the youngest licensed professional fighter in the United States on June 11, 2011, less than a month following his 17th birthday. Twenty-four straight victories would follow before Hernandez-Harrison headlined Roc Nation Sports’ inaugural throne boxing event at The Theater at Madison Square in a fight televised by FOX Sports 1 on January 9, 2015, capturing the vacant WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Championship with a dominant ten-round unanimous decision victory over Tommy “The Razor” Rainone. Since then, he’s continued his winning ways, scoring three more wins, including a first round knockout over James Wayka in his last fight on September 26. On the 5th of Dec., he’ll look to keep that momentum going against Steve Claggett.

Claggett (23-3-1), from Alberta, Canada, holds the Canada Professional Boxing Council welterweight title over his most recent fight over Stuart McLennan in a third round TKO and the Canada Welterweight Title from his win by unanimous decision earlier this year against Tebor Brosch. He looks to finish his winning year, and Hernandez-Harrison’s unbeaten streak, on Dec. 5.

Bogota, Colombia native Alexander Brand is riding a seven fight winning streak dating back to July 2012. That streak began following his only professional defeat which came at the hands of current World Champion Badou Jack via an eight-round split decision on May 11, 2012. Since that fight, Brand has passed every ring test with flying colors, notching seven consecutive victories. In his last bout on August 9, he defeated Bernard Donfack by unanimous decision. He faces the sternest test of his professional career on Dec. 5 when he faces Bektemirov.

Born in Makhachkala, Russia, Medzhid Bektemirov began his professional career in 2009 in Houston Texas, where he currently resides. The undefeated Bektemirov’s 16-0 record includes 12 KOs. He most recently fought on April 18, 2015 at the University of Texas against Michael Gbenga, where he won an eight-round bout by unanimous decision. He looks to stay undefeated against Brand on Dec. 5.

Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. vs. Rafael Rivera, a ten-round featherweight bout, takes place Saturday, Dec. 5 at Osceola Heritage Park Exhibit Hall in Kissimmee, Florida and will be televised live on HBO Latino. The fight is presented by Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions.

For more information please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

About Roc Nation Sports
Roc Nation Sports, a sub-division of Roc Nation, launched in spring 2013. Founder Shawn “JAY Z” Carter’s love of sports lead to the natural formation of Roc Nations Sports, helping athletes in the same way Roc Nation has been helping artists in the music industry for years. Roc Nation Sports focuses on elevating athletes’ career on a global scale both on and off the field. Roc Nation Sports conceptualizes and executes marketing and endorsement deals, community outreach, charitable tie-ins, media relations and brand strategy. Roc Nation Sports launched its boxing division, a full service promotional company which represents world champions Miguel Cotto and Andre Ward, in August 2014. Roc Nation Sports’ roster includes premiere athletes such as Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Strong, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar, Justise Winslowm Willie Cauley-Stein and Jerome Boateng.

About Miguel Cotto Promotions
Miguel Cotto Promotions is the leading promotional company in Puerto Rico founded by the five-time and four-division world champion Miguel Cotto and entrepreneur Hector Soto in 2005. Miguel Cotto Promotions has the vision of developing the best talent in Puerto Rico and Latin America, while searching for the best partnerships in the business to present the best quality shows in the industry. In 2015, Miguel Cotto Promotions launched their most recent project named “Boxeo Al Maximo” in partnership with Univision Puerto Rico network, capturing great ratings results on the new Saturday night fights’ platform.

About Osceola Heritage Park Exhibit Hall
Founded in 1977, SMG provides management services to more than 240 public assembly facilities including convention and exhibition centers, arenas, stadiums, theatres, performing arts centers, equestrian facilities, science centers and a variety of other venues. With facilities across the globe, SMG manages more than 15 million square feet of exhibition space and more than 1.5 million sports and entertainment seats. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides venue management, sales, marketing, event booking and programming, construction and design consulting, and pre-opening services for such landmark facilities as McCormick Place & Soldier Field in Chicago, Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, Houston’s NRG Park and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through its concessions and catering company SAVOR, currently serving more than 140 accounts worldwide. For more information visit www.smgworld.com.