WORLD CHAMPIONS MIKEY GARCIA AND ROBERT EASTER JR. TO MEET IN LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP UNIFICATION


LOS ANGELES, (June 11, 2018) – WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia and IBF Lightweight World Champion Robert Easter Jr. will square-off in a 135-pound unification showdown between unbeaten stars Saturday, July 28 live on SHOWTIME from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The main event of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) will see Garcia look to become a unified champion for the first time in a career that has seen him win titles in four weight classes. Easter, who enters with a 5-inch height and 8-inch reach advantage, looks to stamp his name amongst boxing’s elite by unifying titles at 27 years old, less than two years after capturing his first belt.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Ringstar Sports and TGB Promotions, begin at $50, plus applicable fees, and are on sale today at 12 p.m. PT. To purchase tickets, visit AXS.com.

“SHOWTIME Sports continues to lead the industry with the biggest events, the most important matchups, week after week, month after month,” said Stephen Espinoza, President Sports & Events Programming, Showtime Network Inc. “Mikey Garcia vs. Robert Easter Jr. is the third world championship unification match on SHOWTIME this year. A consensus top-10 pound-for-pound champion facing an undefeated young champion while both are in the prime of their careers. July 28 has all the makings of an instant classic.”

“Mikey Garcia vs. Robert Easter is an outstanding lightweight matchup that is sure to deliver drama for fight fans at STAPLES Center and on SHOWTIME,” Said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Garcia will look to unify in his hometown and further solidify his credentials as boxing’s pound-for-pound best. He’ll have perhaps the toughest test of his career in the unbeaten Easter, who has a lethal combination of size, speed and power that he brings to the ring. With both fighters defending their titles and undefeated records, this is shaping up to be a can’t-miss night of boxing in downtown Los Angeles.”

“This is the kind of matchup that boxing fans love and a fight that I believe will certainly live up to expectations,” said Richard Schaefer, Chairman & CEO of Ringstar Sports. “With two undefeated world champions, and two of the top guys at 135 pounds, this fight is guaranteed drama. Mikey Garcia will look to become a unified world champion and add another accolade to a career that is already shaping up to be historic. Robert Easter Jr, a proud champion in his own right, is coming to STAPLES Center on July 28 to upset Mikey Garcia in his hometown. This is the quality of matchup that fans watching on SHOWTIME have come to expect and I suspect they will be fulfilled once again when these two warriors meet in the ring.”

“We are really looking forward to this incredible fight at STAPLES Center,” said Lee Zeidman, President, STAPLES Center. “These two fighters will undoubtedly headline an amazing night of fights for boxing fans in Los Angeles and we are looking forward to welcoming back Premier Boxing Champions and SHOWTIME for the second time in just two months.”

One of Southern California’s most popular fighters, Garcia returns to STAPLES Center for his first fight since becoming a world champion, and his first in California in seven years. Easter returns to the site of his professional debut, having started his career at STAPLES Center in 2012 after serving as an alternate in the London Olympic Games.

Garcia (38-0, 30 KOs), of Moreno Valley by way of Oxnard, Calif., became only the third fighter in modern history to become champion at 126, 130, 135 and 140-pounds, joining future Hall of Famers Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao, when he defeated Sergey Lipinets for the IBF 140-pound title in March. The 30-year-old relinquished that title so that he can unify the WBC Lightweight World Championship that he won in January 2017 with a highlight reel knockout of Dejan Zlaticanin (Click HERE to watch Garcia-Zlaticanin KO video)

These wins, combined with a summer 2017 victory over Adrien Broner, have seen Garcia return to the top of pound-for-pound lists after a layoff of two and a half years. Garcia accrued wins over a list of notable names while winning his first two titles at 126 and 130-pounds, including Orlando Salido, Roman Martinez and Juan Manuel Lopez.

“This is the toughest fight of my career to date,” said the four-division champion Garcia. “Robert Easter Jr. is an undefeated world champion who presents serious challenges that I’m going to have to work hard to overcome. Unifying titles is something I’ve dreamed of doing for many years, and to do it at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles will make it even more special. This is the kind of fight that will help my legacy. To be the best you have to beat the best, and Easter is certainly one of the best out there. I’m very thankful to have this opportunity and I’m going to make the most of it on July 28.”

Representing his hometown of Toledo, Ohio, Easter (21-0, 14 KOs) has made three successful defenses since winning his world title in an exciting contest over Richard Commey in 2016. The 27-year-old delivered a fifth-round destruction of former champion Argenis Mendez to earn the title shot, and since winning the title has held off challenges from Javier Fortuna, Denis Shafikov and Luis Cruz to retain his 135-pound belt.

Easter will be making the move to work with Kevin Cunningham for the first time for this fight and conducting training camp in West Palm Beach with him. Cunningham, the longtime trainer of former world champions such as Devon Alexander and Cory Spinks, spurred Adrien Broner to a strong performance in a draw against Jessie Vargas and Gervonta Davis to a dominant knockout of Jesus Cuellar in their first fights together in April.

“This is a fight I’ve been waiting for and I’m really excited that the time is now,” said Easter. “This is the best fighting the best. These are the fights that boxing is all about. I made the move to train with Kevin Cunningham down in Florida and I think it’s going to help me reach another level. It’s just eat, sleep and train down there. We’re going to be ready on July 28 to put on a show and deliver fireworks.”

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports, www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.staplescenter.com follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, @PremierBoxing @MikeyGarcia, @RobertEaster_Jr, @Ringstar, @TGBPromotions @STAPLESCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.facebook.com/STAPLESCenter.PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.




Mikey Garcia vs. Robert Easter Jr. Quotes


Please see below for quotes from Mikey Garcia and Robert Easter Jr. from tonight’s interview on the SHOWTIME telecast ahead of their Saturday, July 28 matchup live on SHOWTIME from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

MIKEY GARCIA

“We were fighting at 140 but I always had my mind set on coming back to lightweight. The only fight that made sense was a unification and the only fighter available was Robert Easter. He’s a champion and the man to beat.

“It’s great to be back to finally give my fans here in Southern California a fight. Now that we are I get to give them a unification match and the biggest fight of my career to date.

“I got my fight on July 28, but there’s been a lot of talk about Lomachenko and me over the past year. If I get through Robert Easter Jr. I’d be unified champ and the only other fight that makes sense is Lomachenko.”

ROBERT EASTER JR.

“Lomachenko and Mikey are two skillful guys in the lightweight division and two guys I want to fight. Me and Mikey will do the talking in the ring.

“My height and my reach will give anyone problems as long as I use it skillfully. It will give anyone problems.

On changing trainers to Kevin Cunningham:

“There were some adjustments we needed to make. I was getting too comfortable. I had to do something to take me out of my comfort zone. Coach Cunningham was the guy to pull me in and get on my tail.”




Easter ordered to rematch Commey


According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, IBF Lightweight champion Robert Easter, Jr. has been ordered to rematch Richard Commey.

“Your mandatory defense is due on or before March 30, 2018,” the IBF wrote. “The leading available contender is No. 1 Richard Commey. … Negotiations should start immediately and be concluded by April 12, 2018. If you are unable to reach an agreement by April 12, 2018, the IBF will call for a purse bid to determine who will promote the bout, when and where.”

Commey knocked Luna down twice in the sixth round before referee David Fields waved it off at 1 minute, 54 seconds.

“He was exactly what I expected and if I had connected on more of my punches in the beginning I think the fight would have been over earlier,” Commey said. “I was really trying to work on what we had been focusing on in camp but I just wasn’t performing well at the start of the fight.

“It is the greatest feeling to get the win on my 31st birthday. I am looking forward to fighting for the 135-pound world title and becoming champion.”




FOLLOW SPENCE – PETERSON LIVE!!

Follow all the action as Errol Spence, Jr. makes the 1st defense of his IBF Welterweight title when he takes on former two-division champion Lamont Peterson.  The action kicks off at 9 PM ET as Robert Easter, Jr defends the IBF Lightweight title against former junior lightweight champion Javier Fortuna.

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12 ROUNDS -IBF WELTERWEIGHT TUTLE–ERROL SPENCE, JR (22-0, 19 KOS) VS LAMONT PETERSON (35-3-1, 17 KOS) 
ROUND 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TOTAL
 SPENCE 10  10  10   10 10  10             69
 PETERSON  9  9  8 10   9            63

Round 1: Spence working the body…Jab

Round 2 Spence lands a left to the body..Counter right and left hook to the body from Peterson..Right..Right from Spence..Jab and uppercut..uppercut and right to the body..Peterson lands a left hook..Straight left to body from Spence..Jab

Round 3 Spence lands a left to the body..1-2..Flurry..Chopping left..Digging body shot

Round 4 Left from Spence..Left uppercut..Good left..Counter right from Peterson..Spence lands a left uppercut..Short right..2 lefts from Spence..

Round 5 Left hook to body from Peterson..1-2 From Spence..STRAIGHT LEFT AND DOWN GOES PETERSON….2 big lefts..Hard right from Peterson..Left upper and straight left from Peterson..Left from Peterson..Great Round

Round 6  Double jab and straight right from Peterson..Crisp combination from Spence..Left hook from Peterson..left to the body..

Round 7 Doctor checking swelling over Peterson left eye..FIGHT IS STOPPED IN THE CORNER..WINNER ERROL SPENCE JR

 12-ROUNDS–IBF LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE–ROBERT EASTER, JR. (20-0, 14 KOS) VS JAVIER FORTUNA (33-1-1, 23 KOS)
ROUND 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TOTAL
 EASTER  9  9 10  10   10  10  10 113
 FORTUNA  10  9  10 10   9 10  10   9  9  10  10  10  116

Round 1 Right hook from Fortuna..Combination..Body

Round 2 Fortuna coming out fast..Warned for holding Easter’s head..FORTUNA GETS A POINT DEDUCTED FOR HITTING BEHIND THE HEAD..Good Exchange..left hook from Easter..Combination from Fortuna..

Round 3 Straight right from Easter..Left hand and right hook from Fortuna..right to Face from Easter..Counter left from Fortuna..

Round 4

Round 5 Easter working the body..Left hook to the body..Left uppercut by Fortuna

Round 6 Big right from Easter..Counter left from Fortuna hurts Easter

Round 7

Round 8 Straight right from Easter..

Round 9 Combination from Easter

Round 10 Good left from Fortuna..Good body work..Left..Fortuna tagging Easter

Round 11 Good body work from Fortuna..Body work and left hook from Easter..Left hook..Left from Fortuna and another..Right from Easter..Body work from Fortuna

Round 12 Counter right from Fortuna..Both guys landing wild punches..Right from Fortuna..Left..Left from Easter..

Easter landed 130-567…..Fortuna  120-487

114-113 for Easter…114-113 Fortuna….115-112 Easter…Easter win via Split Decision




Spence Retires Peterson In 7, Retains IBF Welterweight Title

BROOKLYN, NY – Errol Spence Jr. (23-0, 20 KO) successfully made the first defense of his IBF welterweight title by battering former two-division world champion Lamont Peterson (35-4-1, 17 KO) en route to a seventh-round stoppage victory in front of 12,107 fight fans at the Barclay’s Center.

It was as impressive of a title defense one could expect from the Desoto, TX native, who, except for a brief stretch in the third round, controlled the fight from the opening bell to it’s commencement.

In the early rounds, the 28-year old Spence was both patient and aggressive.  The former US Olympian used his jab to head and body establish distance between he and his counterpart.  Spence, a former 2012 US Olympian, would wait for a small opening, and then explode into Peterson before quickly retreating out of range.

In the third round, the 33 year-old Peterson began to engage more and midway through the frame landed a straight right the face of Spence, sandwiched between two thumping left hooks that landed behind the champion’s right ear.  Although Peterson showed signs of life, the round ultimately still belonged to Spence, who regained control and landed his shots before quickly retreating out of range.

In the fifth, Spence’s punches began to regularly penetrate Peterson’s guard.  After landing a sharp right hook, Spence unleashed a vicious left hook around Peterson’s defense that landed flush on Peterson’s temple, sending him crashing back to the mat.  Peterson beat referee Harvey Dock’s ten count, but was clearly still dazed.  Smelling blood in the water, the Derrick James-trained Spence stepped on the gas and continued to batter Peterson around the ring until the bell mercifully sounded.

In the sixth, “The Truth” picked up right where he left off in the fifth and immediately unloaded on Peterson, delivering a calculated and thorough beat-down for the round’s duration.

After the seventh round, a round that very much mirrored the two before, referee Harvey Dock, acting on advice from Barry Hunter and Peterson’s corner, called a halt to the contest.

It was Spence’s tenth straight win inside the distance and his first time in the ring since capturing his title via stoppage against Kell Brook last May.

The loss marked only the second time in Peterson’s career he was stopped.  The other TKO loss came courtesy of Lucas Matthysse in 2013.

Spence spoke after the fight, saying, “My coach came with a great game plan and I just followed through with it.  Keep my range, keep my composure.”

He continued, “I didn’t know I would dominate like that. I expected to get the knockout, but this was a great performance. We were facing a great fighter like Lamont Peterson and we did well in there.”

As for what’s next for Spence, the champion made his intentions clear.  “I want Keith Thurman. He has two of the belts and we both have big names. It’s an easy fight to make and I want it.”

Peterson also spoke afterward regarding his corners decision to stop the fight, stating, ““I always respect Barry’s decision. If he asks me to fight a million people, I will. If he asks me to stop. I will stop. I will never question his decision. I know he has my best interests at heart.”

Hunter echoed that sentiment, saying, ““It was really hard [to stop the fight], but if you know Lamont, you know he was not going to give up. So I had to stop it. At the end of the day this is my son right here. And there’s nothing more valuable than he’s well-being. If it comes to him or winning, I pick him. I care about him.”

As for Peterson’s next step, the 33-year old DC native, with over 280 professional bouts under his belt, admitted that retirement might be something for him to consider in the coming weeks.

Easter Scores Controversial Split Decision Win Over Fortuna

 

IBF lightweight champion Robert Easter Jr. (21-0, 14 KO) earned a controversial split decision victory over crafty veteran southpaw, Javier Fortuna (33-2-1, 23 KO), in a twelve round bout that saw both fighters have their fair share of success.

Originally, the contest was slated to be for Easter’s IBF lightweight title, but Fortuna tipped the scales at 136.4 lbs. at Friday’s weigh-in — a pound and a half over the lightweight maximum – and was ruled ineligible to challenge for the belt.

Easter, who had a 5-inch height and 7.5-inch reach advantage, failed to box on the outside.  Rather, the Ohio native willingly walked forward to engage the much smaller Fortuna.  This played into Fortuna hands, who knew his best chance at landing anything significant would likely come via counterpunch.  If he were to score with any big left hands, he would need the 26-year old Easter to be a willing participant, and forego his reach advantage and engage.

And engage Easter did.  Time and time again, the 26-year old champion came forward and exchanged with his Dominican foe, willing to eat a left hand in order to deliver his own punches.

The 28-year old Fortuna had his best success in round seven as it drew to a close.  With his back against the ropes, uncorked a left cross that buzzed Easter and sent him in retreat.  The southpaw quickly followed up and landed another clean left before the bell sounded to end the round.

Easter did his best work when the fight was fought in the center of the ring, which wasn’t often.  Once he followed Fortuna to the ropes and the proximity between fighters got closer, both fighters had their share of success.  But when Easter could sneak shots in in the center of the ring, he scored.

At the end of twelve, judge John McKaie scored the contest 114-113, Fortuna.  Glenn Feldman and Kevin Morgan saw it the other way, scoring the bout 14-113 and 115-112 for Easter.

In the second round, Fortuna was deducted a point in the second round by referee Ricky Gonzalez after he repeatedly rabbit punched Easter behind the head.

For Easter, although he picked up the win, it was the second straight contest where he failed to impress and his second straight controversial decision.  In June 2017, Easter scored a unanimous decision over Denis Shafikov in a fight that many believed Shafikov to have won.

With the split decision ruling, the Sampson Lewkowicz-managed Fortuna suffered his second career loss.  The other came via eleventh-round TKO against Jason Sosa.

“It was a tough fight, he’s a former world champion for a reason,” Easter said afterward. “We made it tough trying to counter punch. He wasn’t throwing much and it made it difficult for me to chase this guy around.”

He continued, “I couldn’t get the knockout but we got the win and that’s all that matter. I knew he was going to run once he felt my power. He just wanted to grab and hold the whole fight.

Fortuna also spoke after the fight, saying, “The public knows what happened here. They booed because they know that I won this fight.

“If he’s a man let’s fight again at 135-pounds. I will definitely make the weight. I didn’t give myself enough time to train.”

Browne Blasts Ntetu, Destroys Him In One

Light heavyweight Marcus Browne (21-5, 16 KO) is beginning to make a habit of winning via early knockout.  Fresh off his two-round demolition of Seanie Monaghan last April, Browne picked up where he left off and destroyed Francy Ntetu (17-2, 4 KO) in just 2:15.

Midway through the first of a scheduled ten rounds, the ex-US Olympian Browne landed a clean one-two, right-hook, straight-left combo, that collapsed the 35 year-old Ntetu’s legs and sent him face forward to the padded mat.  Knowing he had wounded prey in front of him, Browne was relentless for the remainder of the fight.  The former 3-time New York Golden Gloves champion unleashed hell on Ntetu, who was unable to survive his southpaw counterpart’s onslaught.  After 27 year-old Browne put together one final string of unopposed punches, referee Arthur Mercante Jr. jumped between the two boxers to stop the bout at the 2:15 mark of the first round.

The fight marked the Quebec-native Ntetu’s second career loss, the other coming courtesy of unbeaten lightweight champion David Benavidez in 2016.

“I did not expect him to be that explosive,” Ntetu said. “He got me with his right hook and a straight left.

He continued, giving credit to his opponent.  “[Browne] is very explosive, congrats to him. He’s explosive, he’s fast, he’s smart.”

Browne also spoke after the match.  “We worked for this win. He walked into a sure shot and I made him pay,” he said afterward.  “The overhand left caught him and that was the beginning of the end for him. I knew he was hurt.”

As for what’s next for Browne?  “I need a world title shot. I’m ready to take on any of the champions. I don’t have any preferences.”

Blood, Guts, and Thunder:  Kownacki Stops Kiladze Inside 6

In an all-action slugfest that brought the Barclay’s Center crowd to their feet round after round, Polish-born Brooklyn heavyweight, Adam “Baby Face” Kownacki (17-0, 14 KO) sent Iago Kiladze (26-2, 18 KO) to the mat twice en route to a sixth round TKO win.

It was bombs away from the opening bell, which saw Kownacki charge forward and bullrush his fellow Brooklyn transplant.  The two fighters engaged immediately and seemingly didn’t stop until the final blow landed.

After weathering the initial Kownacki offensive, Kiladze was able to mount his own offense and opened a cut over Kownacki’s left eye midway through the first that immediately drew blood.

The second and third rounds played out much like the opening frame, with Kownacki letting his shots fly, and the Georgian-born Kiladze standing his ground, picking spots to fire back with his own fully-loaded punches.

But as the fight progressed, it was the 28 year-old heavyweight they call “Baby Face” who started getting the better of his opponent.  Perhaps sparked by adrenaline born from having hundreds of enthusiastic Polish fans chanting his name, or by the fact doctors were closely monitoring the state of his increasingly swelling eye, Kownacki fought each round with a sense of urgency — with a burning need to close the show in style.

In the fourth round, a straight right connected and put Kildaze on the mat.  Two rounds later, after raining down a barrage of heavy-handed shots, Kownacki unloaded a straight right that sent a dazed Kildaze stumbling backwards and to the canvas for the second and final time.  Although he beat referee Shada Murdaugh’s ten count, Murdaugh deemed that Kildaze was in no state to continue and called a stop to the fight at the 2:08 mark of the round 6.

Tonight’s fight was the first time Kownacki was back in action since scoring the biggest win of his career, a fourth round TKO of fellow Pole and former heavyweight title challenger, Artur Szpilka.

“I think I made the fight a lot harder than I should have,” Kownacki said after the fight.  “It’s another learning experience and I got the win. That’s all that matters.”

In his post-fight remarks, Kownacki also acknowledged his Polish supporters, stating, “I’m so thankful to all my Polish fans who come out and give me that extra support. I’m going to keep fighting for the fans and give everyone a great show.”

One Round Beatdown:  Price Destroys Ramos, Stays Unbeaten

Mayweather Promotions bantamweight prospect Dylan Price (5-0, 5 KO) displayed a full arsenal of weapons during his one round beatdown of Nestor Ramos (7-8-3, 3 KO).  Price, a Slickerville, NJ native showcased lightning-quick hand speed, launching fists at his Mexican counterpart from all kinds of crazy angles, smothering Ramos with gloved fists for what seemed like the entirety of the first round.  As it turned out, that would be the fight’s only round, as referee Shada Murdaugh, acting on advice from Ramos’ corner, stopped the contest between rounds.

The win makes it 5 stoppage wins in 5 fights for “The Real Dyl”, who is trained by his father, Dave Price.  The loss makes it six in a row for Ramos, who hasn’t earned a win since October 2014.

Anthony Peterson Cruises To Ten Round UD Victory

In just his second fight in the last twenty-seven months, Anthony Peterson (38-1, 24 KO) earned a ten round unanimous decision victory over fellow veteran junior welterweight, Luis Eduardo Florez (23-9, 19 KO).

Peterson, the younger brother of the night’s co-headliner, Lamont Peterson, was the non-stop aggressor, pressing the action all fight, walking forward, letting his hands fly, and battering his Colombian counterpart in the process.  To his credit, the hard-nosed Florez hung in to the best of his ability, and at times was able to sneak in clean counterpunches that momentarily halted Peterson’s momentum.  Florez’s small victories were few and far between, however, and the fight belonged to Peterson, who easily won every round.

After ten, all three judges cards scored a shutout for the DC native Peterson, 100-89 and 100-90, twice.

Peterson’s lone blemish remains a disqualification loss to Brandon Rios in 2010.

Golub Bounces Back From Defeat, Stops Munoz In 3

Ivan Golub (13-1, 12 KO) bounced back from his sole defeat last June and scored a third round TKO win over veteran Fidel Monterrosa Munoz (38-15-1, 30 KO) in a welterweight contest slated for 8.  After a second round that saw Golub on the mat, albeit never hurt, the Ukranian-born Brooklyn transplant came roaring back to put Munoz on the canvas twice in the same round.  In the third round, Munoz found himself on the mat four more times, only twice officially, and never from punches of serious consequence.  The Colombian was fighting on unsteady legs, and was unable to stand toe-to-toe with the eager southpaw.  After Munoz dropped to his knees his fourth time on the ground in a matter of minutes, referee Ricky Gonzalez stopped the contest midway through the round.

Gonzalez Makes Easy Work Of Serna

Ridgewood, NY native Matthew Gonzalez (3-0, 2 KO) bruised and battered fellow middleweight Alexander Serna (1-2, 1 KO) en route to a four round unanimous decision victory.  Gonzalez looked sharp and used his superior skill-set to have his way with Serna over the course of their twelve minute scrap.  In the end, all judges scored the obvious 40-36 shutout in favor of Gonzalez.

Williams and Okoth Fight To Draw

Welterweights Keyshawn Williams (1-0-1, 1 KO) and Denis Okoth (1-0-1, 1 KO) battled to a four round split draw in the first fight of a nine bout card from the Barclay’s Center that will commence when undefeated IBF welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. defends his title against rugged veteran, Lamont Peterson.

After four hard fought rounds, Judge Larry Hazzard Jr. scored the night’s opening contest 39-37 for the 24 year old Kenyan, Okoth. Robin Taylor saw it the other way, 39-37 for the 20 year old DC native, Williams.  Carlos Ortiz Jr. cemented the split draw result by scoring the bout even, 38-38, a score 15rounds.com agreed with.




Video: Robert Easter Jr. with Jim Gray




Robert Easter, Javier Fortuna, Marcus Browne & Adam Kownacki Media Conference Call Transcript & Audio Recording


Lou DiBella
Thanks for joining us. Greetings from the blizzard in New York City. I know that Marcus Browne and Adam Kownacki are both local right now, so they’re experiencing this insanity with me, and I guess a lot of you are also. So we’re going to try to warm up this blizzard afternoon and talk boxing for a little bit.

Errol Spence versus Lamont Peterson, terrific fight Saturday, January 20, 2018 on SHOWTIME, 9 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT, presented by Premier Boxing Champions and of course at the beautiful Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Tickets for the event are priced starting at 50 bucks, and they can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, BarclaysCenter.com, the box office at Barclays Center or by calling 800-745-3000.

We have a terrific undercard, and we’re going to talk to the principals on that undercard on this call. We’re going to start with two gentlemen that are going to be in two fights that are going to start our televised evening off on SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing’s Facebook page.

Marcus Browne, 20-0, 15 KOs in Staten Island, New York, coming off a sensational knockout of Seanie Monaghan, rated Number 3 by the WBC, 7 by the WBA, 6 by the IBF, 4 by the WBO. One of the rising stars at light heavyweight, making his 12th appearance at the Barclays Center and pretty much fighting and waiting out his chance for a huge fight and a world title fight that will be coming, I think, shortly in 2018.

But first he’s got to get past the tough Francy Ntetu. Ntetu is 17-1. His only loss was at the Barclays Center in a hotly contested bout with David Benavidez, the WBC 168-pound champion. The fight was stopped very controversially. Ntetu is a legitimate guy and a guy that’s going to try to test Marcus Browne.

But in getting in the ring with Marcus Browne, he’s getting in with one of the very, very best in the world. Marcus, want to say a couple words?

Marcus Browne
Thank you guys. How you doing? Most importantly, I’m just honored to be able to continue my career on the undercard with guys like Robert Easter, Jr., Adam, myself, and a couple other young fighters.

I know Francy’s a very tough, tough live game guy and we’re prepared for that. And we’re prepared for what he brings to the table. Come January 20, I just can’t wait to go to work, show my skills and continue that march towards the world title.

This is a guy that that’s definitely going to test me. He’s definitely going to be there all night and we got to convince him to not be there. That’s the plan.

L. DiBella
Thanks Marcus. Marcus has really been one of the cogs of the BROOKLYN BOXING® program at Barclays Center. This will be Marcus’s 12th appearance at Barclays Center. So he’s one of the fighters that’s brought the most in the building.

The other fighter on the stream telecast is one of the up-and-coming young heavyweights in the world. He’s already got a huge fan base with Polish fans and Polish-American fans. He’s got a history as a New York Golden Gloves fighter and a young fighter that’s been developed in the New York area, Adam Kownacki, 16-0, 13 KOs, out of Brooklyn.

Born in Lomza, Poland and he moved to Brooklyn with his family when he was 7-years old. Two-time Golden Gloves champion, rated Number 13 by the WBC. In his last fight, he had a sensational four-round knockout of world title challenger Artur Szpilka. That was on the same show that Marcus fought at at the Nassau Coliseum.

On the 20th of January, he’s going to take on a tough kid Iago Kiladze, Number 15 in the IBF. Kiladze is 26-1 with 18 KOs. This is really another step in the road for Adam toward a heavyweight championship opportunity. Adam?

Adam Kownacki
Thanks for the introductions Lou. I can’t wait to get back in the rings on January 20. I would say I’m very hard. I’m ready to shine and prove that I belong with the best heavyweights in the world. This fight will take me one step closer to being heavyweight champion of the world. I’ll prove it once again on January 20 that we’re ready to fight with these top-notch heavyweights. I’ll keep climbing up the ranks.

Q
Adam, how much do you feel that your win against Szpilka kind of legitimized you in being a heavyweight contender and show people that you might be ready for a title shot?

A. Kownacki
I think I showed that I’m ready to shine at the bigger stage. It took Deontay Wilder ten rounds to take Szpilka out of there. It took me four. So that was a big statement, and I’ll continue to improve on that statement on January 20.

Q
Obviously Deontay Wilder fights a lot at Barclays Center. It’s a place where you’ve also fought a lot. He’s probably going to fight there on March 3. But how much have you thought about the possibility of somewhere down the line maybe you challenging Deontay for the WBC title there?

A. Kownacki
My goal is to be world champion. Whoever has the title, that’s who I want. If it’s Deontay, then it’s Deontay.

Q
Marcus, what do you know about your opponent specifically since I know you just got him secured a couple weeks ago? But what have you been able to find out about him and what he brings to the table?

M. Browne
He’s a real scrappy guy in the category of a Sakio Bika kind of. He’ll make a fight ugly if you allow him to do it. Another thing is he throws a high line of punches and he’s real crafty. He may not look like what he seems in the ring on tape.

So I’m just prepared and ready for whatever he brings that night. And I’m just ready to implement our game plan that we have in order to break him down.

Q
Marcus, you obviously had a very good 2017 with some spectacular wins on your record. How important is it for you to kind of start this year off in a similar way and build toward a title shot later in the year?

M. Browne
It’s super important because at the end of the day this is the first actual big card of the year. I have to put the light heavyweights out there on notice that I’m here and I’m not playing.

Q
Marcus is there one guy more than the other that you want to fight or is it just whoever gives you the opportunity to fight for the title?

M. Browne
No, no one guy more than the other. I’m just ready and willing and waiting my turn for whoever gives me the chance at fighting. And I have no picks. I ain’t got no favorites right now. It is what it is. I’m at the point where you either eat or get ate, and I’m ready to eat.

Q
Hey Lou, can you speak on how far Marcus has come and maybe where he’s now in position to get a title shot later this year?

L. DiBella
I think when you look at the light heavyweight division there’s a tremendous demand for quality contenders, guys capable of taking on the top of the division. It’s sort of a division that’s got a little bit heavy at the top and there aren’t a lot of Marcus Brownes.

Marcus is one of the elite prospects in the division. But he’s past the point of prospects. He’s really at the point of contender right now just waiting for the biggest fight out there to materialize.

There’s some big light heavyweight fights on the horizon. Some of them I think will be announced fairly soon. I think in 2018 Marcus is going to get that huge opportunity. He deserves it because he’s really in that handful of top guys.

There are the champions and there’s like a handful of other guys out there. And those guys are all going to be competing in the next year and Marcus is going to get that opportunity. He’s also a professional. He knows he has to take care of business on January 20.

Ntetu, who’s moving up in weight for this chance, really doesn’t have anything to lose. So Marcus can’t look past that. He’s just going to go out there, do his thing. He knows that the title shot is waiting for him later this year.

Q
Can you speak on what Adam showed in the Szpilka fight, especially getting rid of him the way that he did and kind of opening some people’s eyes in that fight?

L. DiBella
I love Adam as a fighter. I’ve always loved Adam as a fighter. He’s a tremendously skilled boxer for a heavyweight. His natural build is not like King Kong. So people look at him and they tend to underestimate them. But what he has is everything – movement, speed, power, boxing skills.

This guy’s a legitimate heavyweight contender, like not like only just a prospect. He’s a legitimate heavyweight contender, and he showed that when he wiped out Szpilka. He didn’t just beat Szpilka, he destroyed Szpilka. No one expected that kind of victory.

Artur Szpilka was a perennial top 10, 15 kind of guy in recent years and a guy that everyone viewed as a tough, rugged heavyweight, certainly a huge test for a young heavyweight. Adam didn’t only pass the test. Adam blew him out of the ring.

In my mind, a couple of more performances like that just keeping the winning track he’s on is going to earn Adam a shot at a world title, particularly with the huge following he has in the Polish and Polish-American communities and the number of people he can bring out when he does eventually challenge for a title, particularly if that bout takes place at the Barclays Center.

Q
Against Szpilka, were you were sure that you were going to do what you did to him?

A. Kownacki
Yes, I told you that before it happened. I’m a man on a mission. That mission is becoming the first Polish, Polish-American heavyweight champion of the world. No one will stop me.

Q
It seems like you have a killer instinct in you that no one really sees until you like get into the ring. Can you talk about that?

A. Kownacki
Yes, as humbly as I can say it, I’m blessed with the talent that God has given me with boxing. I’m trying to build on this, maximize my potential and give my family a better life. But like you said, boxing is a war zone. We put our lives on the line when we fight. So it’s me or him, and I’m just going to keep putting the pressure on guys and making them fold.

Q
What have you heard from the Polish community since that fight? How much has that inspired you further?

A. Kownacki
A lot of doubters turned to believers. I was in Poland a month ago. The love I got there was ridiculous. I really liked that. I have to keep working hard, keep training hard and my goal is be world champion.

So I’m very focused on Iago Kiladze right now. I have to pass this next test on January 20 on my way to become world champion.

Q
Marcus, what does it mean for you to fight in your home state?

M. Browne
At this point, being an Olympian and just being an amateur who fought in different countries, the earth is my turf. Of course it’s cool to fight in New York and it’s a plus.

But it’s annoying at the same time because people ask you for tickets and things of that nature.

So I’m just at the point in my career where I’m just blessed to have the opportunity to fight in general. Fighting in New York is great though. It’s always a great thing to come out and see your people, your family and your friends. But where I’m at in my career right now and mentally, I really don’t care where I’m fighting honestly.

Piggybacking off of Adam, we’re all on missions. His mission is to be the first Polish heavyweight champion and mine is to be the first world champion from where I’m from. We’re on that mission and nothing going to stop that. Whether it’s fighting in New York, Guam, or Dubai, it doesn’t matter.

Q
Marcus, your last fight in Brooklyn, there wasn’t the definitive victory that you wanted. Do you want to return to Brooklyn and be more definitive than that?

M. Browne
Correct. There’s no pressure for me honestly. At the end of the day, we got the win and, everybody has their opinions and everyone’s entitled to their opinions.

But I’m just ready to go in there, implement our game plan, not put on a show for anybody, be defensively sound, be smart and take care of business and just break the tough guy down.

He doesn’t come to play. He comes to work and he’s a real live game guy. He’s not going to give you nothing so you got to take it. And that’s where I’m at with it mentally, physically and spiritually at this point in my career.

I don’t really have anything to prove to anybody. I’m going to just let my skills speak for themselves and not put pressure on myself to do anything that I don’t need to.

Q
But wouldn’t it be nice to keep that streak going?

M. Browne
Of course. It’s always good to knock this guy out. But like the great Bernard Hopkins always told me, take them how they come because they’re all not going to be that easy. So I’m just prepared. I’m prepared for however many rounds we’ve scheduled to fight.

If a knockout comes, it comes. I’ll be implementing our game plan and setting him up and doing what I got to do. I’m not forcing any issues. Because that’s when you get caught up with lunging and fighting outside of yourself and trying to impress people.

I’m going to just stay within myself and be the best Marcus Browne on January 20. I can’t wait to fight.

L. DiBella
One other thing to clarify. You said that Ntetu had been knocked out in his last time at Barclays Center. If you watched the fight, the fight was stopped in a tremendously controversial manner that caused the SHOWTIME announcers to call it one of the strangest stoppages they’d seen. No disrespect to the winner of the fight but I would say if Marcus was able to knock out Ntetu on January 20, he’d be the first person who ever did that.

Q
Marcus, you look really on the cusp of a major fight. If the two most likely fighters you’d fight I would assume would be Adonis Stevenson and Badou Jack. Just wondered if you could give your quick thoughts on each of those fighters.

M. Browne
Quick thoughts on each of those fighters. I’m super focused. I’m not super locked-in on Francy Ntetu at this point. I’m a fighter at heart. So I don’t see no special effects in either of those guys. Adonis is super strong. Badou is a work horse. He comes and he works.

But I don’t see any of them beating me personally. Speak to me after January 20. Then we’ll talk about it more. We can elaborate on it more, but at this point I’m focused on Francy. Those guys are definitely in my sights and I don’t really see nothing crazy impressive.

Q
Adam, can you talk about what we can expect in the fight with Kiladze? Kiladze had been a cruiserweight up until a few years ago. How will that affect your weight and what can we expect for this fight?

A. Kownacki
Like you said, Iago was a cruiserweight. I’m a real heavyweight, so he will feel the difference in the size. I plan to be around 250 come fight day. I’m in great shape though. Sparring ten rounds easily.

I put in great work with a lot of great guys. I’m going to have Bryant Jennings come spar with me. I’ll do what I did to Szpilka, get on the W and keep proving myself.

Q
Adam, where do you think you are in the heavyweight division? Because this year we’re going to see a lot of talk of various title fights, maybe unification fights and all of that. Where are you in the picture and what’s your timeline for getting a title shot?

A. Kownacki
I’m on top. It’s just a matter of time till I get my shot to prove it. That’s what my mind’s telling me. I think I’m the best heavyweight fighter. It’ll take fight after fight to prove it. Iago has it coming on January 20.

Q
Do you want to make a prediction for that fight with Kiladze?

A. Kownacki
Listen, like I always say, if I don’t knock him out, then I’ll take the punishment for ten rounds.

L. DiBella
So let’s start with Robert Easter. The IBF lightweight champion 20-0, 14 KOs, proudly represents Toledo, Ohio, where he’s got a huge following. A lot of his fans travel, so Robert I know we’re going to see a lot of your fans from Toledo there at Barclays Center on January 20.

This is his return to the Barclays Center for the first time since his fifth pro fight in 2013. He won the IBF lightweight title in September ’16 in a terrific fight against very talented Richard Commey. He defended that belt twice by unanimous decision since then.

Trained by his dad Robert, Sr., and he was a U.S. Olympic Team alternate in 2012. The IBF lightweight champion of the world and one of the best young fighters of the world, Robert Easter.

Robert Easter
It’s always a pleasure to fight in Brooklyn in front of my fans on the East Coast. I have a big fan base out there. You’re going to expect the same or even greater in this fight for me. Another victory, it may come by knockout. It may come by knockout.

Q
Do you feel like you are a little bit of a forgotten guy in your weight division and you want to wake people up to the fact that you shouldn’t be?

R. Easter
I wouldn’t actually say I’m the forgotten guy. I’m just the guy they don’t want to fight. You heard these interviews, these guys talking. They always bring up everybody else names except for mine. You cannot forget about me.

I’m tallest in the weight class, maybe the fastest and probably one of the strongest. Of course they’re not going to mention my name because they don’t want to fight me. I’ve been calling these guys out. I know they see that. So how can they not acknowledge that.

Jorge Linares and Mikey Garcia, they’re doing their thing. They’re winning these fights like champions supposed to. But it’s time we unify these titles like I’ve been trying to do.

Q
Can you tell me from your side of things how serious that discussion about fighting Mikey Garcia was and what that was about?

R. Easter
I wanted to fight. It was serious on my side. I wanted to fight. I didn’t care where at. I don’t care about any of that. I wanted to fight.

At first it was I didn’t produce enough fans or the fight didn’t make sense, which that didn’t make sense, and some other excuses the guy came up with. But like I said, I was ready to fight whenever, whatever, how much. It didn’t even matter.

We didn’t actually get an offer. I guess they made an offer towards him. Like I said, I didn’t really care.

Q
Do you feel like you’re just a huge favored in this fight against the smaller guy?

R. Easter
Yes. But, I’m taller than most of my opponents. That’s nothing new. Of course I’m the favorite. I’m the champion. And he’s a former world champion.

These guys haven’t faced nobody with the skills of mine so you’re going to see another great performance from me in this fight.

I would like to make the same statement I’ve been making and that’s why these guys are scared to fight me.

Q
How much longer do you think you can hold 135?

R. Easter
I can hold it just as long as they want me to. But like I said, I’m trying to unify these titles and then move up after that until my goal is reached. For now, I’m going to be at 135, giving these guys trouble.

L. DiBella
Javier Fortuna, 33-1-1 with 23 KOs. Born in the Dominican Republic. Now lives in Braintree, Massachusetts. Promoted by the illustrious Sampson Lewkowicz and Sampson Boxing. He’s a former two-time, two-division world champion.

He was a champion at featherweight and at super featherweight. Now he’s moving up to lightweight to challenge Robert Easter, Jr. So translator, if you could ask Javier to say a few words please.

Javier Fortuna
Good afternoon. God bless everyone. I’m very happy and fortunate that Robert Easter gave him the opportunity to fight for the world title. Nevertheless, it will be the end of his reign. I know he has his fans. He’s a champion. My goal is to become world champion again.

Q
If you win this fight here against Fortuna, do you think it’s realistic that some of the other guys will give you the chance?

R. Easter
When I win this fight. I don’t know. I’ve been calling these guys out for a while. It’s kind of up to them. I’ve been sitting back, taking these mandatory fights and fights that really don’t make sense like unifying the titles will.

Hopefully all the champions meet up and fight. So when I win this fight, hopefully.

Q
If you aren’t going to get the chance to fight one of the other 135 guys, is it possible that you go up to 140 for your next fight?

R. Easter
I don’t know. We’re going to sit back and talk to my camp and we’re going to see what’s the best move after that.

Q
Looking at Fortuna, he’s obviously a leftie, is there anything that you have to do training-wise or that you have done training-wise in preparation for him?

R. Easter
I’ve been facing left-handers my whole career, amateur and pro. I have to make a few adjustments. That’s what professionals do when they get in the ring. That’s why I really don’t study tapes or nothing because they might not fight you the same as what they fought the last person or how they fought an orthodox fighter.

So it’s all about making adjustments once you get in that ring. Whenever I’m in the gym I always give it 110% and I always train till I ain’t got no more left in the gym.

Q
When you’re looking at this fight going into it, what’s the thing more than anything else that you want to gain from fighting Fortuna?

R. Easter
Just keep putting on like I’ve been putting on. He’s going out there making these statements, telling people that “I can’t be beat.” Not only him but these other fighters. As you can see, none of the champions are heading my way, so obviously I’m doing something right.

Q
Do you get a sense maybe the Mikey Garcia fight might not happen for you because he doesn’t necessarily want it for one reason or another?

R. Easter
I’m sensing that. But if both camps come to agreement, I’m hoping we can face off one day – not only Mikey though. You still have Jorge. You still have him. He’s still a champion as well.

Q
Are you looking at it may be like if Garcia decides to stay at 140 pounds that the Linares fight is a fight that you could make for your next fight assuming you win on January 20 also?

R. Easter
Of course. It doesn’t matter if he stayed or he didn’t. I still wanted that fight. Like I said, I’ve been ready to unify these titles for so long. I’ve been sitting back waiting not only on Mikey but the other champions. Flanagan, he has moved up. And now we have Linares.

Q
What do you think of Linares from what you’ve seen from him?

R. Easter
He’s a crafty fighter, fast, moves a lot, but nothing I haven’t seen before. He’s nothing special I haven’t seen before.

Q
Fortuna’s obviously said a lot of things over the last week or so about knocking you out and the referee’s going to have to save you and things like that. What do you make of it?

R. Easter
Those are things he’s supposed to say. He’s supposed to hype himself up, and he’s supposed to hype the fight up. But he and his camp knows the truth. They know what they’re getting themselves into. I don’t really have to trash talk. My work is done in the ring. January 20 we’re all going to see that.

Q
Javier what do you think about Easter and why do you thinks it’s a fight that you’lll be able to win by knockout, maybe some of the flaws or whatever you feel are weaknesses that Robert has?

J. Fortuna
So of course he’s a tall fighter but it’s also very convenient to me. I feel that he won’t be able to hold my punches, the power of them. In this fight I’ll come more focused than any other fight.

I want to tell Easter that hopefully, there’s no excuses with him or his camp. I want the best Easter that could possibly come to fight.

Q
Robert what’s your response to that?

R. Easter
Like I said, he’s supposed to hype himself up. I never have made excuses in the ring. My record is perfect. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, and I’m winning these fights. He’s trying to get where I’m at. He’s trying to get another shot which is going to fail coming January 20.

Like I said, he’s supposed to hype himself up. All this talk, I don’t get into none of that. Everybody has a game plan till they get hit.

Q
Javier you’re viewed as an underdog in this fight. How much has that motivated you?

J. Fortuna
That does motivate me much more. It gives me the opportunity to concentrate that much more. I’ve been the underdog a few times. Like the Omar Douglas fight, I surprised everybody in his hometown.

I would have liked for this fight to be in Ohio. That would have been much better for me because I perform better under pressure.

Q
What do you think of Robert’s last couple of fights?

J. Fortuna
I figure he’ll be a little better now because if he comes the way he fought his last fight, he won’t reach the fifth round. He’s got to reinvent himself because if he doesn’t, he won’t go far.

Q
So Robert do you think that this is just hyping the fight, or do you feel he has the power to knock you out?

R. Easter
Of course they’re just hyping the fight. He has had power in the lower weight classes. But like I said, all that goes out the window once you get hit. Once he gets hit by what I’m bringing, then all that talking is going to go out the window.

He hasn’t faced nobody with the skills I have. He’s been knocked out for one. He’s telling me I got to reinvent myself. He has to reinvest himself. You know, that’s why he’s trying to become a champion again as you said. You know, so I’m already a champion. I’m already in the shoes he wants to be in.

January 20 we’re going to put the gloves on. We’re going to get in that ring and I’m going to come out victorious like I’ve been doing.

Q
Do you feel that you can put together an offer to those other parties like Garcia and Linares to bring the fight to your hometown where you are popular?

R. Easter
That’s just a lame excuse to say when I fight, I don’t produce enough fans. What does Lipinets do? No disrespect to him, but come on now. Everybody knows that is not true.

I have fans all over. My fan base is big, and it doesn’t matter we if we fought in a room with nobody. It shouldn’t even matter to both parties, is the money good and the contract’s good, then we should fight. I wouldn’t care about fighting in front of nobody because I know what I’m going to do.

Q
When it comes specifically to the Mikey Garcia fight, is there maybe something personal there because of your promotion/affiliation with About Billions and Broner having that last fight with Mikey? What is it that you see or seem that you feel that you can do better than your big bro?

R. Easter
This has nothing to do with AB. This has everything to do with Mikey being a champion at 135 and Jorge Linares being a champion at 135. It’s time to unify.

If I was that much of an easy fight for them, the fight would have been made. After the offer they gave Mikey, it would have been made. It just didn’t make sense. I don’t make no excuses. I’m coming to fight and they know that.

Q
Do you think that maybe Robert is overlooking you and can you capitalize on that?

J. Fortuna
I’m just trying to get in position to fight Garcia. January 20 there will be history made in Dominican Republic because from what Easter said about me being knocked out, that never happened to me. I’ve been hurt but that never happened to me, so he got to look out for that.

Q
So can you just express to us how comfortable you’re going to feel at 135?

J. Fortuna
I’m going to be super good at 135 because I am very close to weight and I’ve made that weight a few times already in the last couple fights. I feel a lot stronger and a lot more prepared for this fight.

Q
Robert, just wondering if you can talk about your connection to your fans in Toledo and if you expect a good turnout at Barclays Center?

R. Easter
My connection to my hometown fans, my fans is important. I try to respond to almost each and every person who reaches out. People be so amazed that I do say something back on Twitter or Instagram or Snapchat.

All my fans is real, especially my hometown fans. They love traveling to see me fight because they know where I come from. We all grew up together. I’m first hand here.

I’m one of the only things they got that’s still here, that’s hands on with them. So they come and show support. I love that they always step out whenever they know I’m fighting.

Q
You had good offensive performances in your last three fights but couldn’t get a stoppage. So Javier is a very tough opponent but I’m just wondering if you’re gunning for a knockout, if you’re motivated to try to get back on the knockout track?

R. Easter
Shafikov was a tough opponent. Richard Commey was a tough opponent. Cruz is tough. All these guys are tough. We’re preparing. We’re making adjustments in the ring. And if a knockout comes, it comes.

I’m not going to shoot for a knockout, but I know I’m going to set something up to where I can knock him out. But like I said, if it comes, it comes. But ain’t no way he’s going to beat me. He knows that. His camp knows that.

Q
Javier I’m just wondering why type of sparring you’re doing in preparation for this, if you’re fighting bigger guys? If so, what weight classes they’re coming from? Because there really aren’t many guys at 135 who are that tall.

J. Fortuna
All the fighters that are helping me out sparring they’re 135, 140 and they’re part of my team.
I understand what Robert is saying that he’s more skillful but he can have more skill. He could have whatever he thinks he have. But he’s not going to have my will to win. The only way I can demonstrate it is in the ring.

L. DiBella
I think that’s right and we’re going to get the answer in the ring when champion Robert Easter takes on the challenge of Javier Fortuna. I think we’ve done enough talking for a snowy Thursday afternoon. Thanks everybody for joining us. Robert, thank you. Thank you, Javier. We’ll see you both fight week. And thanks everybody in the press.

Once again, tickets are on sale Barclays Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, BarclaysCenter.com. We hope everybody joins us at the Barclays Center on January 20 for a great night of boxing presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

And if they can’t be there, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING starting at 9:00 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with the earlier bouts featuring Marcus Browne and Adam Kownacki to take place on SHOWTIME’s Facebook page stream and SHOWTIME’s YouTube channel. So I look forward to seeing everybody fight week and brave the storm.
# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports , www.premierboxingchampions.com,
follow us on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter,
and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. PBC is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.




UNDEFEATED 135-POUND CHAMPION ROBERT EASTER DEFENDS AGAINST FORMER WORLD CHAMPION JAVIER FORTUNA IN THE SPENCE-PETERSON CO-FEATURE SATURDAY, JAN. 20 LIVE ON SHOWTIME® FROM BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN & PRESENTED BY PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS


BROOKLYN (December 22, 2017) – Undefeated 135-pound world champion Robert Easter will defend his IBF Title against former world champion Javier Fortuna in the co-main event of Errol Spence Jr. vs. Lamont Peterson live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) on Saturday, Jan. 20 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING® and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Easter vs. Fortuna rounds out the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader that features IBF Welterweight World Champion and 2012 U.S. Olympian Spence making his first title defense against former two-division world champion Peterson.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING PRELIMS, unbeaten light heavyweight Marcus Browne, from Staten Island, will take on once-beaten Francy Ntetu in a 10-round fight and undefeated heavyweight sensation Adam Kownacki, who fights out of Brooklyn by way of Lomza, Poland, will face once-beaten Iago Kiladze of Kiev, Ukraine in a 10-round bout.

The live digital offering will be exclusive in the U.S. on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and the SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page.

SHOWTIME is the only network to offer live streaming coverage of boxing on social media platforms in the U.S., having first done so in 2016 with the presentation of two heavyweight world championship bouts live on YouTube.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, are priced starting at $50, and are on sale now. The Easter-Fortuna bout is promoted in association with Sampson Boxing and About Billions Promotions. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center or by calling 800-745-3000. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Easter (20-0, 14 KOs) will be making the third defense of his lightweight world title since he won it with a split decision over Richard Commey on Sept. 9, 2016. The 26-year-old Easter successfully defended the title twice in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio last year, defeating Luis Cruz by unanimous decision on Feb. 10 and then following it up with a unanimous decision victory over Denis Shafikov in his last outing on June 30.

“When I first won the title I knew that many obstacles would be thrown at me, but that’s what the game is all about,” Easter said. “I’ve successfully overcome them and defended the title in some tough fights and on January 20th we’re looking to do the same thing. I believe every fighter can give you problems, but professionals make adjustments and take over the fight. That’s what I’m going to do. I know he’s a former world champion looking to regain a title, but this time he signed up for the wrong guy. We always work hard and we’ve turned it up a notch since we found out who the opponent would be. I’m just excited. I’m ready to go today if I have to.”

Fortuna (33-1-1, 23 KOs) is returning to the scene of his first world championship victory when he defeated then champion Bryan Vasquez by unanimous decision for the 130-pound title at Barclays Center on May 29, 2015. Fortuna lost the title to Jason Sosa by technical knockout in Beijing, China on June 24, 2016 in a fight Fortuna led on the scorecards. The 28-year-old southpaw who fights out of Braintree, Mass. by way of Dominican Republic, has won four straight since his lone loss to get in contention for a title at 135 pounds, including triumphs over then undefeated fighters Omar Douglas and Nicolas Polanco.

“I’m just very gracious, appreciative and honored for the opportunity to fight for the world title again,” Fortuna said. “I feel really good about this fight. With God first I will be a world champion again. Easter is tall, active and he’s strong. But I feel like I’m stronger and I can punch much harder. Training is going smooth now, but the intensity will pick up as we get closer to the fight. ”

Browne (20-0, 15 KOs) has put together back-to-back impressive knockout victories to continue his rapid rise up the highly competitive 175-pound division. The 27-year-old southpaw knocked out Thomas Williams, Jr. in Cincinnati on Feb. 18, and followed it up with another stunning knockout victory over then unbeaten Seanie Monaghan in Long Island on July 15. The 2012 U.S. Olympian will look to put himself in position for a world title fight with a convincing win on Jan. 20.

Ntetu (17-1, 4 KOs) was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but lives and trains out of Quebec, Canada. The veteran won his first 16 pro fights, including victories over experienced challengers Milton Nunez and Oscar Riojas. Ntetu previously fought at Barclays Center in June 2016 when he went toe-to-toe with current super middleweight world champion David Benavidez before eventually suffering the first loss of his career.

Kownacki (16-0, 13 KOs) has made steady progress up the heavyweight ladder, scoring knockout victories in his last three matches. The 28-year-old Kownacki will be fighting for the sixth time at Barclays Center in his hometown of Brooklyn. In his last fight he knocked out former world title challenger Artur Szpilka at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. on July 15 in a matchup of top Polish heavyweights.

Kiladze (26-1, 18 KOs) will be fighting for a second straight time at Barclays Center after the 31-year-old scored a TKO victory over Pedro Rodriguez in his last fight on Nov. 4 in the non-televised undercard of Wilder-Stiverne II. The only loss of his career came via knockout to Youri Kayembre Kalenga in Berlin, Germany in 2013 back when he was fighting at cruiserweight. Kiladze is unbeaten since campaigning at heavyweight full time and looks to mark his arrival on the division on January 20th.

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