LAS VEGAS, NV (October 10, 2019) – Prince Ranch Boxing’s undefeated welterweight contender, Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (12-0-1, 8 KOs), who is by promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, faces Carlos Ortiz (11-4, 11 KOs) of Torreon, Mexico, for the vacant NABF title. The 10-round bout will take place on November 2, 2019, as part of the undercard of Canelo Alvarez versus Sergey Kovalev at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, which will air live on DAZN.

“It is a great opportunity and one I’m going to take full advantage of,” said Blair Cobbs, who is managed by Greg Hannley of Prince Ranch Boxing. “I have worked very hard and I feel that fighting on a Canelo card, and for the NABF title, is the perfect chance for me to elevate my game, as well as put on a show for my fans.”

Cobbs, who is also advised by Shahid Malik, made noise earlier this year by defeating
Ferdinand “Lucky Boy” Kerobyan (12-1, 7 KOs), in Kerobyan’s hometown of Hollywood, California, and in his last bout stopped Steve “Manos de Oro” Villalobos (11-1, 1, 9 KOs) by way of a ninth-round knockout. Blair’s last three opponents had a combined record of (29-1-1, 22 KOs) making Cobbs one of the most battle-tested contenders in the welterweight division.

“We’re very excited with the way that Blair Cobbs has performed as a professional,” stated Greg Hannely, Cobbs manager. “He has defeated great opponents and is rising to the occasion each and every time he steps up in competition. A win in this bout will catapult him to a top-15 ranking. In addition, the exposure he will get fighting on this card will be unbelievable. Blair is a fan favorite, and everyone wants to see him fight.”

“I just want to put on a show and have fun like I always do,” Cobbs continued. “I am excited to show off my talent to a bigger audience. Blair “The Flair” is coming…Whooo!”

#

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN – an entire fall featuring boxing’s biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254, $854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.MainEvents.com
and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/,
https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and
https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloKovalev to a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy or Main Events where applicable for any photo and/or video usage.

LAS VEGAS (October 8, 2019) – The Canelo vs. Kovalev undercard will be brimming with action as it features the returns of Ryan Garcia, Bakhram Murtazaliev, Seniesa Estrada, Marlen Esparza and many others. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively as one of the most anticipated events this fight season on DAZN.

“We have put a lot of thought into this long-awaited night, and we’re eager to deliver one of the best undercards of the year,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “This event will feature some of our brightest talents taking on the toughest fights of their careers. With Ryan Garcia, we have a huge star in the making, but he’ll need to get past a tough, hard-hitting contender in Romero Duno to secure his path for a world title. We also have Seniesa Estrada and Marlen Esparza, who will look to final end their rivalry in a fight for the Interim WBA Flyweight Title. So, whether in person or live on DAZN, a new chapter in boxing’s history will unfold on November 2.”

As announced previously, rising superstar Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. will look to unify the vacant WBC Silver Lightweight Championship with NABO Lightweight Champion “Ruthless” Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs) of Cotabato City, Philippines in the 12-round co-main event to Canelo vs. Kovalev. This will be a fight between two of the hardest-hitting lightweights in the Golden Boy stable.

“This is a big moment for me,” said Ryan Garcia. “These opportunities don’t come often. It’s my chance to show what I’m capable of on the biggest stage in boxing. I’m not going to let this opportunity slip. I’m fighting against Romero Duno, the opponent I wanted since the beginning, so I’m going show that I’ve reached another level on Nov. 2.”

“This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for,” said Romero Duno. “I’m so excited to be part of a such a big night as the co-main event of Canelo vs. Kovalev. This fight has been building up for some time. I’ve had my eye on Ryan Garcia for a while now. I promise to do everything it takes to beat him on Nov. 2 and take home a big victory for the Philippines!”

Undefeated Russian prospect Bakhram Murtazaliev (16-0, 13 KOs) will face the biggest test of his young career in a 12-round elimination bout with Jorge Fortea (20-1-1, 6 KOs) of Valencia, Spain for the mandatory position in the IBF Junior Middleweight Division. Murtazaliev was originally supposed to fight Jeison Rosario on September 21 for the #1 position but Rosario pulled out due to an injury. This exciting bout will be co-promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Sampson Boxing.

“I have been waiting a long time for this opportunity. I am excited for my first fight with my new trainer, Virgil Hunter. We will be ready on November 2ndto face Fortea and become mandatory challenger. Thank you to my team Main Events, Krusher Promotions, Kathy Duva, Sergey Kovalev, my manager, Egis Klimas and Virgil Hunter for making my dream a reality.”

According to Fortea, “It’s a moment I have been waiting for whole my life, to be part of the undercard of Canelo vs Kovalev for my US debut is like a dream. I trained 15 years for this. I want to thank Sampson Lewkowicz for making it true, Main Events and Golden Boy for hosting the eliminator. Murtazaliev is indeed a strong and dangerous boxer but I will be ready for that and my skills will prevail. I won’t waste the opportunity to fight for a world title”

Bakhram is a terrific fighter and we are so pleased to be able to give him this great opportunity on such an auspicious night,” said Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva. “With any luck, Main Events and Krusher promotions will have another world champion soon.”

Two of the most exciting and popular female boxers in the sport today will finally settle their heated rivalry as Seniesa “Superbad” Estrada (17-0, 7 KOs) of East Los Angeles, Calif. and Marlen Esparza (7-0, 1 KOs) of Houston, Texas battle for the vacant Interim WBA Flyweight Title. This clash has been building up for over two years as both fighters have been exchanging words over social media and various interviews.

“Thank you to my promoter Golden Boy, especially Roberto Diaz for making this fight possible,” said Seniesa Estrada. “I’m happy to give the fans the fight they’ve been wanting to see. I’m looking forward to representing women’s boxing in a positive way. I’m going to put on a great show and demonstrate my skills, showing things that people have not yet seen from me. Thank you to all the people who continue to support me.”

“My team and I have been pushing for this fight,” said Marlen Esparza. “I know this is what the fans want. Now I’m forcing her to back up everything she has ever said. She knows it’s going to be a long night for her.”

Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (12-0-1, 8 KOs), a fan-favorite native of Philadelphia, will fight for the vacant NABF Welterweight Title against Carlos Ortiz (11-4, 11 KOs) of Torreon, Mexico. Cobbs is an exciting, unconventional fighter who has taken the undefeated records of Ferdinand “Lucky Boy” Kerobyan and most recently against Steve “Manos de Oro” Villalobos.

Rising 17-year-old prospect Tristan Kalkreuth (2-0, 2 KOs) of Duncanville, Texas will return in a four-round cruiserweight fight.

Meiirim Nursultanov (12-0, 8 KOs) of Merki, Kazakhstan will fight in a 10-roumd middleweight battle against Cristian Olivas (16-5, 13 KOs) of San Ysidro, California for the WBC – USNBC Middleweight Title. Nursultanov is a top prospect in the hot middleweight division and is current ranked #10 in the IBF. Olivas hits hard with power in both hands and has never been stopped. This should be an explosive match-up.

Evan Holyfield, the son of legendary Hall of Famer Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield, will make his much-anticipated professional debut in a four-round junior middleweight fight against Nick Winstead (0-1) of Abita Springs, La.

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN – an entire fall featuring boxing’s biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254, $854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.MainEvents.com
and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/,
https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and
https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloKovalev to a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy or Main Events where applicable for any photo and/or video usage.

Las Vegas, NV: On November 2, before thousands of fans in attendance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV are treated to the most-anticipated fight of the year, the live audience will witness the professional debut of Evan “Yung Holy” Holyfield. The 21-year-old son of Hall-of-Famer and five-time world heavyweight champion, Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield, will face Nick Winstead of Abita Springs, Louisiana in a 4-round junior middleweight matchup on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev.

Evan is the middle child of the 11 Holyfield children and older brother of Carolina Panthers running back Elijah Holyfield. As an amateur, Holyfield amassed over 80 fights including the Semi-Finals for the US Team. Standing 6’1.5″, Evan is extremely athletic, a boxer-puncher with lightning fast speed and hard-hitting power.

When asked about debuting on the biggest fight card of the year, Evan said, “There is no added pressure. I have fought on the top level before as an amateur. All this really isn’t too much of a big deal. I am just here to do my job.”

He continued, “I know I am ready. My trainers have been switching things up a bit and making things more difficult to ensure I am ready. I would like to tell everyone who has helped me get here that I appreciate all the support and I love y’all.”

Evan “Yung Holy” Holyfield
Photo Credit: Hosanna Rull

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, said, “Heading into our 42nd year in business, it’s just wonderful to be able to debut Evan Holyfield on the biggest fight card of the year. His father, Evander, made his pro debut with Main Events on November 15, 1984 – almost exactly 35 years ago. I’m thrilled to have two generations from this family of incredible athletes under the Main Events’ banner.”

Evan has assembled a top-notch team fighting out of the Fighter Nation Boxing Gym in Houston, Texas. His trainer/manager is Maurice “Termite” Watkins (61-5-2, 42 KOs) and his strength and conditioning coach is Tim Hallmark, who has over 40 years of experience and is best-known for working with Evander Holyfield throughout his professional career.

“I know people called Evander ‘Real Deal’ but Evan is the real deal,” said Watkins. “There is pressure on him for this big card and because he has the Holyfield name, but that is part of the game. To be a great world champion you must be able to handle the pressure. You got to handle whatever circumstances are thrown at you.”

He explained, “Evan’s conditioning is incredible, but he is also amazingly talented with speed and power in both hands. We are training him to be skillful. We are going to look for him to hit and move.”

“We are prepared for a fight,” added Watkins. “We are ready to show our stuff and we are excited about being part of the Main Events team with Kathy Duva.”

Holyfield’s strength and conditioning coach, Tim Hallmark, said “We are constantly challenging Evan in different ways, and he is always up to those challenges. We are challenging him physically and mentally to keep him out of a rut. We are just trying to stay on the cutting edge and constantly looking at a better way to reach our end result.”
He continued, “We are excited about this opportunity. Evan has come a long way and he is a hard worker. He is mentally strong and very intelligent. He is a pleasure to work with. We will be ready for November 2nd.”

According to Main Events’ Matchmaker, Jolene Mizzone, “I am excited and honored to work with Evan and his entire team to get him to that championship level one day. I am going to fly the plane (make the fights) but he is the one who going to have to land it (win the fights). I have complete faith in him, his abilities and his team, Termite and Tim.”

Click Here for Evan Holyfield Video

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254, $854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, www.facebook.com/thekrusher/, www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloKovalev to a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy or Main Events where applicable for any photo and/or video usage.

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 18, 2019): Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico and Russian warrior Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) hosted a press conference today at Union Station in Los Angeles, Calif. to formally announce their 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title. The event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live on DAZN.

Below is what today’s participants had to say at the presser.

CANELO ALVAREZ, WBC, WBA, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion:

“I’m very grateful to all the fans as always. I’m very motivated here, it’s an honor for me to
share the ring with a fighter like Kovalev who I met in 2012. Now we’re about to make
history. I know it’s going to be the most difficult fight of my professional career. I will give the best I have in the ring and that day we can yell “Viva Mexico.”

SERGEY KOVALEV, Current WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion and Three-Time Light Heavyweight World Champion:

“I’m very happy to be here back in Los Angeles. Thanks to God and thanks to Canelo and his team for making this opportunity to get this fight. I think this is a big test for me in my boxing career because this is one of the best fighters in the world in boxing right now. I’m happy and I am excited. Thank you very much for the support.”

EDDY REYNOSO, Head Trainer and Manager of Canelo Alvarez:

“Thank you to Golden Boy and DAZN – this was a very difficult fight to make happen but the fight is now here. Only the big fighters and those that leave a footprint become these type of fighters. We know Kovalev well and we know the challenge that we are facing. He’s a great fighter that leaves everything in the ring and in one punch, he could end the fight. And we know it’s going to be a great challenge. We want Saul to be a champion in four weight classes,.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Trainer and Manager of Canelo Alvarez:

“I’m nostalgic and cannot help but remember the beginnings of all this. To look back and
see everything-all the victories that Saul has given myself and my son, and the future victories, makes me happy. The Reynosos have been with Saul for over 15 years-ever since he was a child. We trust that he will gain victory here.”

BUDDY MCGIRT, Trainer of Sergey Kovalev:

“Both these guys are true champions. Canelo, I’ve always admired you. Your trainers did a
great job with you. I gotta admit that. I really take my hat off to you for having the balls for
taking a step up and not having a catch weight and stepping up to the challenge. Sergey, I
love you to death, I respect you for accepting the challenge. In all honestly, the only losers
on November 2 are the people who don’t want the fight or come to the fight.”

EGIS KLIMAS, Manager of Sergey Kovalev:

“I don’t think this fight needs to be introduced. When you hear the names Canelo Alvarez,
Krusher Kovalev, it says all that’s going to happen on November 2. I don’t need to talk
about Sergey – everybody knows who he is in boxing, and regarding Canelo, they know
what they mean when they say – grandes kajones.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy:

“Canelo hopes to become the fourth Mexican to win a world title in four divisions, with the only other ones being Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez and Jorge Arce. One big difference is that Canelo is at a higher weight class. And this opens the possibility for many more matchups, and bigger opponents with strong punching and star power. When talking with Canelo about his career goals, he said he wanted to make history, and fight the best. This is why we had to be very strategic and thoughtful in planning out his next fight and while it may have taken a bit longer than we wanted, we know that it was worth the wait. Canelo has been preparing for this moment and we know that on Nov. 2 he’ll write a new chapter in boxing history by becoming the second Mexican ever to win a world title in the 175-pound division (Light Heavyweight). Together with DAZN, we’re committed to making boxing more accessible and affordable by giving fans the best fights – without the price tag of pay-per-view. Historic fights are a hallmark of this company and Golden Boy continues to deliver the biggest fights of the year. November 2 will be no exception, and we expect a great performance by our champion, Canelo Alvarez, as he becomes the new WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion.”

“I’m happy to announce that with a major bout like this one, the fans deserve the best
undercard possible. Our next big major star in the making, Ryan Garcia, will be fighting in
Las Vegas. He’s fighting Duno-it’s a fight the fans wanted and it’s going to be a tough fight.”

BERNARD HOPKINS, Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Business Partner:

“I know a little bit about history. And for Canelo to take a big leap from 160 to 175, to dare
to be great, to make history, anyone that’s not educated in boxing history, wouldn’t know
what I’m talking about right now. But just in case you want to learn because it’s never too
late, it’s very historic to be in the position of Canelo. And to bite off challenges and
challenge himself and dare to be great to make history. As Oscar said, not only Mexican
history, but also boxing history. There’s very few fighters who have accomplished 160 to
175 and been successful. As you know, you’re standing and hearing from one right now.
I have a personal feeling about making history because I’ve been there and done that
and now it’s Canelo’s time. I understand what it’s like to be in there with the Krusher. He
earned that and I respect that and I respect that to this day. Enjoy this historic fight and
watch Canelo Alvarez – who I call the Evil Knievel in boxing – who’s taken on the best
so far and is now taking on the best at light heavyweight.”

KATHY DUVA, CEO of Main Events:

“I want to give special thanks to Sergey Kovalev and Canelo Alvarez – as a lifelong
boxing fan, not just as a promoter. Unfortunately, sometime around the turn of the last
century, boxing began to lose its way. Instead of building a legacy, avoiding
unnecessary risk became the goal and to this day, some fighters are praised for it.
Competitions suffer because of that. When we first met, Sergey was so adamant that he
wanted to test his skills against the very best. He wanted to find out how good he really
was. Canelo, you may have bit off more than you can chew, but that’s okay. Great fighters are not afraid to challenge themselves. And win or lose, history will reward you for taking
a risk. Congratulations Ryan, you will not be the only spectacular young fighter on the card that night, because also sharing that ring is another intelligent, well-spoken, absolutely
fantastic young fighter – his name is Evan Holyfield. And he is the son of the great
Evander Holyfield. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to work with Evander’s son after all
these years. You’re all going to see him and meet him, and I think you will all be thrilled.”

RYAN GARCIA, Lightweight Contender:

“I want to thank the fans for coming out because it’s a weekday, you guys didn’t need to
come here. Thank you guys for coming. I’m excited. The co-main event on the biggest card
of the year. I’m so honored. It’s a big night. I get to fight the guy I wanted to fight most,
Romero Duno. They all said I was scared and I was worried about him and now I have the
chance to get my respect and show everyone I’m a real fighter. Everybody stay tuned. It’s
going to be a big fight. Thank you to everybody for believing in me and thank you to Golden Boy for getting the job done. Let’s make history.”

JOSEPH MARKOWSKI, Executive Vice President, DAZN North America:

“In one year’s time, I believe we’ve managed to assemble the best schedule in the history of
boxing. Let’s just look where we are: Canelo vs. Kovalev – boxing’s biggest star jumping up
two weight classes; Ruiz vs. Joshua II – the rematch of the biggest heavyweight upset in
some year; KSI vs. Logan Paul, bringing millions of new fans to the sport of boxing; GGG,
back in title contention from MSG; the list goes on for DAZN. To our subscribers, you’re in
for a tremendous end to 2019 and tremendous year to come.”

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.MainEvents.com
and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/,
https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/.
Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloKovalev to a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy or Main Events where applicable for any photo and/or video usage.

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 16, 2019): Golden Boy and Ryan Garcia have solidified their pact as the popular lightweight sensation has extended his multi-year agreement with the company. The rising star will make his return in the co-main event of Canelo vs. Kovalev. Additional details will be announced shortly.

Garcia is one of the most exciting and innovating talents in boxing. The native of Victorville, Calif. has an appeal that is already reaching mainstream audiences, demonstrating that his potential for worldwide success is limitless. The 21-year-old pugilist has already defeated tough contenders such as Jayson “La Maravilla” Velez, Carlos “The Solution” Morales and Jose “Wonder Boy” Lopez. But as he gets closer to a world title opportunity, Garcia has extended his contract with Golden Boy in one of the most lucrative deals in history for a boxing prospect.

“One of our defining features as a company is to develop champions and make them into stars,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “From the second we discovered Garcia, we knew he was different. We knew he was special. We knew he could move the needle. Besides his amazing talent, he brings an outside appeal that few fighters can achieve. At the same time, he also needs the right environment to develop, and that environment is with us. Under our guidance, I have no doubt that this young, charismatic fighter will become the biggest star in the sport.”

“Actions speak louder than words,” said Ryan Garcia. “I’m here today to show everybody that I consider Golden Boy my family and that we’re going to be in this together as I fulfill my dreams. Just like I have all the capabilities to become a big star, Golden Boy has all the tools to get me there. But I just want to tell all of our fans: Enjoy the ride!”

About Golden Boy
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy is a media and entertainment brand committed to making fighting entertainment more accessible and affordable. The company’s in-house production team develops creative original programming for ESPN, RingTV.com and international channels across the globe. The company holds the exclusive rights to top boxers and has promoted some of the biggest and highest grossing events in the history of the sport. Now, Golden Boy is one of the most successful boxing entertainment companies in the world and shapes the future of boxing for fighters and fans alike through its 2019 partnership with streaming platform, DAZN.

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 13, 2019) – Canelo Alvarez (51-1-2, 34 KOs), the face of boxing and the king of the middleweight division, will take on a new challenge as he moves into the 175-pound weight class in a 12-round bout against champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 28 KOs) for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be streamed exclusively live on DAZN in all of its nine markets, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are priced at $1,754, $1,254, $854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.axs.com.

“We promised to make this fight happen, and now we are delivering it,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “Historic fights have been a hallmark of this company, and we are pleased to once again live up to the high expectations we’ve set for our fans. The best pound-for-pound fighter is also boxing’s biggest star. Few fighters in boxing’s history can claim to be both like Canelo Alvarez. Now, he’ll look to become a four-division world champion against one of the most dangerous fighters of recent years, and I’m certain that he will stop him. There’s no better home for this than on the DAZN platform or live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.”

Canelo, the 29-year-old native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, became the face of boxing by taking on some of the biggest names in the sport. At 154 pounds, Canelo captured several world titles and defeated the likes of Austin “No Doubt” Trout, Sugar Shane Mosley, Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara and Liam “Beefy” Smith.

At 160 pounds, Canelo defeated Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs to establish himself as the king of the middleweight division. And, shortly after signing a groundbreaking partnership with global sports streaming giant DAZN, Canelo moved into the 168-pound division by stopping Rocky Fielding in three rounds to become the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion.

Canelo will now look to make history once again by becoming the second Mexican boxer to hold a world title in the light heavyweight division, a feat only done by Julio Cesar Gonzalez in 2003. The pound-for-pound king will at the same time join an elite group of four-division world champions from Mexico.

“The second phase of my career is continuing just as we had planned, and that’s why we are continuing to make great fights to enter into the history books of boxing,” said Canelo Alvarez. “That’s also why I’ve decided to jump two weight classes against one of the most feared champions of recent years. Kovalev is a dangerous puncher, and he’s naturally the bigger man, but that’s the kind of challenges and risks that I like to face.”

On November 2nd, Kovalev, 36, will participate in his 17thconsecutive world title bout and the most lucrative fight of his career against the biggest star in boxing. A Russian knockout artist and three-time light heavyweight world champion, “Krusher” is no stranger to fighting in hostile territory. He captured the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title in 2013 when he traveled to Wales and scored a stunning knockout of Nathan Cleverly. Kovalev traveled to Atlantic City to meet future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins near his Philadelphia home to unify the WBO, WBA and IBF titles with a lopsided unanimous decision victory in 2014.As unified champion, “Krusher” successfully defended his titles twice against current WBA Interim Light Heavyweight titleholder Jean Pascal in Pascal’s hometown of Montreal, scoring a stoppage victory both times.

Kovalev suffered two controversial losses to former Olympic Gold medalist Andre Ward (in 2016 and 2017) and a surprise upset to Eleider Alvarez last year, but quickly regained his WBO Light Heavyweight Title each time. In August, the road warrior finally got the chance to fight in his own hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia, stopping undefeated mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde in a sold-out arena.

When asked about this fight, Kovalev said, “In order to be the best you have to beat the best. I have always tried to fight the toughest opponents in my division, but many have ducked me throughout my career. Canelo wanted to fight me; to step up to higher weight and challenge for my belt. I will be ready on November 2nd. Thank you, Main Events, Kathy Duva, Egis Klimas, DAZN and Canelo for making this fight happen.”

“Canelo is to be praised for asking to challenge Sergey Kovalev,” added Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva. “Win or lose, he will make history and Sergey is extremely pleased to get the chance to test his mettle against another future Hall of Famer.” She continued, “Anyone who cares at all about the Sweet Science should circle November 2ndon their calendar. I have a feeling that this will be one for the ages.”

“Canelo vs. Kovalev is a fascinating matchup between champions that will highlight our entire season of premium fights on DAZN over the next several months,” said DAZN Group Executive Chairman John Skipper. “Simply stated, this is the best schedule in boxing history.”

Richard Sturm, President of Las Vegas Live Entertainment and Sports, said, “We look forward to hosting this tremendous matchup between Canelo and Kovalev at MGM Grand in November. These two great fighters always put on a fantastic show and we are confident they will, once again, provide boxing fans worldwide a thrilling fight when they return to Las Vegas.”

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, “THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING,” Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor.The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.MainEvents.com
and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/,
https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxingand https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloKovalevto a browser. Credit must be provided to Golden Boy or Main Events where applicable for any photo and/or video usage.

Sergey Kovalev retained the WBO Light Heavyweight title with a thrilling 11th round stoppage over previously undefeated mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde at Traktor Sport Palace in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

Kovalev boxed well over the 1st half of the fight, and got out to an early lead.

In round seven, Yarde started working the body. The very next round, Yarde had Kovalev in serious trouble as he rocked the champion with several hard shots. Kovalev was lucky to not have been put down. Kovalev got back to boxing and started to break Yarde down.

In round 10, Kovalev began to hurt Yarde. In the next frame, Yarde looked exhausted, and Kovalev landed some more thudding blows, and finally put Yarde down with a thumping jab that ended the fight at 2:04.

Kovalev is now 34-3-1 with 29 knockouts. Yarde of England is 18-1.

Former cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu won a 12-round majority decision over previously undefeated undefeated Alexander Papin in a action-filled fight

Both guys landed big shots, with Makabu hurting Papin in round 11. In round 12, Makabu dropped Papin with a straight left hand. Papin wobbled Makabu in the closing seconds of the bout, but it was too little-too late as Makabu won by scores of 115-113 twice and 113-113.

Makabu, 198 3/4 lbs of Congo is 26-2. Papin, 199 1/2 lbs of Russia is 11-1.

Papin outlanded Makabu 212-209.

Chelyabinsk, Russia: The much-anticipated match-up between three-time light heavyweight champion and current WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (33-3-1, 28 KOs) and mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde (18-0, 17 KOs) is a modern-day “Clash of the Titans.” Both fighters have reputations as hard-hitting punchers. Kovalev brings to the table his extensive resume which includes his 15 consecutive world title fights, his ability box as well as punch and his devastating jab. Yarde has an impressive 94% knockout-to-win ratio, a nine-year age advantage and the hubris that accompanies a nearly perfect professional record. These two warriors will square off in Kovalev’s home town of Chelyabinsk, Russia tonight at the Traktor Arena. Below is the scouting report for this exciting match-up:

Category
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev
Anthony Yarde
Age
36
27
Record
33-3-1 (28 KOs)
18-0-0 (17 KOs)
Strength
Experience and power are the two biggest assets for the champion coming into this bout. He also has arguably one of the most effective jabs in boxing when he commits to using it.
The challenger is young, athletic, and just hitting his prime. He has ferocious power in both hands and fights with extreme confidence.
Weakness
Kovalev needs to tidy up his defense for this bout, Yarde is very heavy-handed and can end the fight with one shot if landed clean.
Yarde is very inexperienced. This will be his toughest fight to date and he has yet see the championship rounds.
Experience
Krusher has been competing exclusively in title fights since 2013. This will be his 16th consecutive title fight.
This will be Yarde’s first shot at a world title and by-far the biggest fight of his career. This is just his second time fighting outside of the UK; he will be in legitimate hostile territory for the first time in his young career.
Power
Kovalev has always been known as one of the biggest punchers in the sport. He has knocked down and stopped fighters that have never been stopped; including current Interim WBA titleholder Jean Pascal on two separate occasions.
Anthony has made a name for himself as a power-puncher. He has stopped his last 16 opponents and has quickly established himself as major threat in the light heavyweight division because of it.
Speed
Sergey has a quick jab and throws rigorous combinations behind it.
Yarde has good speed and likes to fight at close-range, unleashing vicious shots to both the head and the body.
Endurance
Although Krusher is known for knocking out his opposition, he has proven numerous times that he has the gas tank to go the distance, including his last fight where he earned a unanimous decision win over Eleider Alvarez to recapture his title.
Anthony’s endurance is still to be determined, he has knocked out 17 of his 18 opponents and has yet to see the eighth round.

Accuracy
Kovalev has a pin-point accurate jab which allows him to deliver thunderous shots behind it.

The challenger does not waste shots; he likes to fight at close-range and deliver as much punishment as his opponents can withstand.
Defense
Sergey is an offensive-minded fighter who stays in attack mode from start-to-finish. When he commits to his jab it is very difficult for his opposition to get going offensively.
Up to this point in his career, Yarde has been all power and offense. He has not had to utilize any real defensive tactics other than the shoulder-roll which he has shown in some recent fights.
Chin
Kovalev has been stopped twice in his career, most-recently in his first bout with Eleider Alvarez in August of last year.
We are going to find out on August 24th just how durable the challenger’s chin is; he has yet to be in any real danger with any of his previous opposition.
Style
Krusher is not a fighter who is looking for a decision win, he likes to use a sharp jab to create openings and opportunities to break his opponents down both physically and mentally.
Anthony is a strong and heavy-handed fighter who wastes very little time once the first bell rings. He fights with utter confidence and lets his power do the talking.

Crowd Support
Chelyabinsk, Russia is where the champion grew up, the crowd will be overwhelmingly pro-Kovalev.
UK fans are loyal so it would be no surprise if some Yarde fans make the trip. However, he should still have a significant disadvantage coming into hostile enemy territory.
Intangibles
Considering Yarde’s power, this may be the closest thing Sergey has seen in his career to fighting a duplicate of himself. That is why this fight is extremely risky by the champion. However, Sergey has taken risks his entire career. He understands that as long as he has the man to beat in the light heavyweight division, he will have a target on his back. He wants to continue to fight the best in the world.
Anthony Yarde has a rare opportunity to prove to the world that he can handle the pressure of fighting the best light heavyweight in his own backyard. He has spent almost his entire career fighting in the UK, so to embrace this fight in the champion’s hometown speaks volumes regarding his confidence and just how badly he wants the title.
The Match-Up
Will Yarde be able to handle the presser of fighting outside his comfort zone in the UK?
Will Kovalev be able to handle and stay away from Yarde’s power?
Will Yarde be able to handle going around with Kovalev’s jab, combinations, and power?
Will Kovalav be able to handle the presser of fighting in his hometown for the first time in his career?

According to Main Events matchmaker, Jolene Mizzone, “This is a great match-up, there is so much to say about both guys and their willingness to move forward with this fight. We all know it was a mandatory, but we have seen guys duck these mandatory fights before. The fact that Kovalev was willing to give a young up-and-coming Yarde the opportunity to fight for his WBO Light Heavyweight Title and Yarde was willing to go into Kovalev’s backyard to fight him, to me that says a lot about the mentality of both fighters. I think this fight will be nothing less than fireworks!”

ANTHONY YARDE will take on WBO World Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey Kovalev on Saturday night in Chelyabinsk, Russa live on BT Sport 2 from 5pm.

The fighters are expected to begin their ring walks at 7.30pm just after the Premier League football game between Liverpool and Arsenal on the same day.

Yarde (18-0, 17KOs) and Kovalev (33-3-1, 28KOs) weighed in today.

**Media are welcome to download a video of today’s weigh in and face off here, with credit to BT Sport.**

**Media can download photographs from today’s weigh in here, with credit to RCC Boxing**

Here are the official weights from today’s weigh in.

Sergey Kovalev (Champion) – 174.6lbs

Anthony Yarde (Challenger) – 173.9lb

Sergey Kovalev v Anthony Yarde for the WBO world light heavyweight title is live and exclusive on BT Sport 2 from 5pm on Saturday with ringwalks expected at 7.30pm.

ANTHONY YARDE will take on WBO World Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey Kovalev on Saturday night in Chelyabinsk, Russia live on BT Sport 2.

Yarde (18-0, 17KOs) met Kovalev (33-3-1, 28KOs) for the first time today at their fight week press conference.

**Media are welcome to use the photographs on this link via RCC Boxing**

Here are a selection of quotes from the media event ahead of Saturday night’s show.

Anthony Yarde

“I’m just here to do a job… and enjoy myself.”

“I haven’t done no trash talking. I don’t do trash talking. I posted pictures, to me they are good pictures. I am a fighter, that’s what I’m meant to visualise. I’m meant to see these things in my mind, the same way Kovalev probably sees things in his mind. As fighters we want to do the best we can so we visualise what we want to happen. I posted a picture that a fan made, when I saw this picture I reposted it as that’s what’s going to happen.” (In reference to a journalist’s question on an Anthony Yarde social media post)

“I believe that right now I’m mentally very strong and I believe what happens on the night is what matters.”

“I’m just going to literally go in the ring and be myself. I’m going to focus on myself, be the best that I can be and get the knockout victory because that’s what I feel like I need to do to win the fight.”

“I don’t know which round. I’m not a psychic… but that’s my plan. In boxing you can’t predict rounds. I’ve just got to go in there with a goal in my head and produce.”

“This is my first time in Russia. I’m enjoying myself, I’ve been treated well and I’m enjoying the country but I’m not nervous. This is why I’m smiling so much. Because where I’ve come from, I’ve rose very quickly to be here, so I’m happy to be at this level and I’m going to make the most of it.”

“No disrespect to Kovalev, he’s been a champ for a long time, he’s unified, he’s been there and done it. I’m very ambitious and I’m literally just hungry and I want to get to that stage and change my life. I’m sure he wanted to change his life when he started so I’m at that stage now and I’m just aggressive with my approach and how hungry I am.”

“Life is about challenges and you don’t know if you can do something until you try. I’m here to do a job. It don’t matter who the crowd is rooting for, Kovalev would probably say the same… once you get in the ring, it’s you and your opponent and that’s all that matters.”

Sergey Kovalev

“I am indeed very pleased to be home. We have a big fight ahead of us. We’ll try to do our best to come out happy and very pleased after the fight.”

“My career and my schedule doesn’t really let me live here. I try to be as far as possible from home so I can work harder and not lose energy.”

“We did have an offer (from Canelo Alvarez) but we can talk about that after Saturday night. Official agreements were already made with Antony Yarde. My primary task is to defend the title. If the fight is still interesting for Canelo afterwards then OK.”

“I understand Anthony Yarde’s ambitions. He calls himself a lion but to me he is a cub. He is so young. I will have to get rid of all that baby fur off his skin so he will run away back home. It is clear he comes here and he wants to be like that. I have this experience. Now is my time.”

“The plans are to have all the belts and become an absolute champion. I think there should be only one champion. We have four in our weight division, it’s not quite clear who is strongest. It would be great to decide amongst us who is strongest.”

“He thinks that he will knock me out but Saturday will show to everybody what will be exactly. He has had a lot of fights and he’s won them by KO but Saturday will show.”

George Warren (Queensberry Promotions)

“Thanks again to Main Events, Egis Klimas, Top Rank, RCC Boxing Promotions and Krusher Promotions in helping us to get the deal done and over the line. It wasn’t the easiest deal, it took some time but we’re here and we’re here to win.”

“Credit to Anthony, he’s stepping up to the challenge. It’s been mentioned already Anthony has had 18 fights, 12 amateur fights, which I believe is 6 or 7 less than Sergey has had professionally… it’s a testament to his character and the belief that Tunde has in him.”

“We are fully aware and know about Kovalev and what he’s capable of. He’s a fantastic boxer and will go down as a potential future Hall of Famer.”

“It was actually on our promotion in the UK back in 2013 when he knocked out Nathan Cleverly to win the title.

“Anthony is here for Queensberry Promotions and for the UK to get the title back.”

Tunde Ajayi (Anthony Yarde’s trainer and manager)

“I’m his sparring partner, Tunde Ajayi. I’m Anthony’s best sparring partner. Because I believe just like in the old martial arts movies that the teacher is the trainer of the student.”

“I have developed a system which I know is capable of bringing a fighter from an embryonic stage to the stage where we are now.

“That belief in myself and the belief Anthony has in himself and the belief he had in me and my system is why we’re here today.”

Vadim Evdokimov (Deputy Governor of Chelyabinsk)

“The Chelyabinsk region and the South Urals are the center of energy power. Here are the Ural Mountains and the country of the cities of Arkaim. And only in such a place can integral and purposeful people, such as Sergey, be born. Of course, we are all very proud of him. When Sergey enters the ring, he always remembers his home region. And his every victory is a victory of all residents of the Chelyabinsk region. ”

Egis Klimas (Sergey Kovalev’s manager)

“We started working with Sergey in 2009, and in 2012 a contract was signed with a promotion company. Ten years ago, we believed in each other and started working. And today we have created each other. Today I have 17 people from the countries of the former USSR, the guys are good and can become champions. ”

Sergey Kovalev v Anthony Yarde for the WBO world light heavyweight title is live and exclusive on BT Sport 2 from 5pm on Saturday

ANTHONY YARDE WAS quick to dispel the notion that his forthcoming mission into Russia to face Sergey Kovalev bears some sort of comparison to the storyline behind Rocky IV.

The unbeaten light heavyweight KO-artist this week travels to the outpost of Chelyabinsk, the home town of the man known as Krusher, in a bid to prize the WBO world title from the formidable foe.

Of course, in the fourth instalment of the Rocky series, Ivan Drago – played by Dolph Lundgren – was exported to America and slayed former world champion Apollo Creed in an exhibition contest, prompting Rocky to brave a brutal winter and go into full log-chopping mode to exact his Russian revenge.

“I don’t know about all that,” said the 18-0 challenger. “I like to keep movies as movies and reality as reality.

“I ain’t going out there and doing no Rocky IV because I’m sure the punches Rocky Balboa was taking were very unrealistic and I am not looking to leave there with a face looking like that!

“I am not looking to take as much punishment as Rocky did and I am not even putting that kind of thing into my brain. That was a movie and I would like to keep it as a movie.

“I might watch Rocky IV after the fight.”

Indeed, Yarde won’t be following a film script when he rocks up at the Traktor Sport Palace. In fact, visualising the experience at all – a popular tactic with elite sports people – will prove tricky because Yarde has no idea what to expect from his voyage into the unknown.

“I have no clue and that is the excitement for me,” added the 28-year-old. “I don’t know nothing, literally nothing! I don’t know what the venue is going to look like, what the crowd is going to be like…

“I might go out there and some of the crowd will be cheering for me. We might be fighting in the gym of his old secondary school. I don’t know.

“Again, that is the beauty of it and that is the challenge.”

Sergey Kovalev v Anthony Yarde for the WBO world light heavyweight title is live and exclusive on BT Sport 2 from 5pm on Saturday

THE FURY BROTHERS, Tyson and Tommy, came up with a split decision when asked to assess the prospects of Anthony Yarde dethroning WBO light heavyweight king Sergey Kovalev when the pair collide in Krusher’s home town of Chelyabinsk in Russia on August 24.

Heavyweight ruler Tyson, a devout student of the sport, placed himself firmly in the corner of Yarde, the mandatory challenger who has notched up 18 wins, with 17 of them coming via brutal KO.

The lineal champion believes the time is right for a young, hungry lion to overthrow the long-standing leader of the light heavyweight pride.

“I fancy Anthony Yarde,” stated Tyson, who faces Otto Wallin in Las Vegas on September 14. “I really do fancy Yarde. I think Kovalev is on the slide.

“He has been a good world champion in his time and has done very well, but I think the Andre Ward losses have done him really, although he lost that fight to (Eleider) Alvarez and then came back and beat him.

“I think a young man will always beat an older one and that has always been my motto. I fancy Anthony Yarde to knock him out, not just beat him on points, stop him.

“Because that is what he needs to do in Russia anyway. It will only make his career better when he wins away from home. I’ve been all over and kept winning. If you’re any good, you’ll win, and if you’re not, you’ll lose, simple as.

“Home advantage means nothing to me but it does to a lot of people because they are not natural fighting men. Some people can’t fight off their own soil, but I can because it was bred in me.

“So we are going to see what Anthony Yarde is made of and I think he’ll do it. A good young man should beat a good older one. I believe he’ll do it and I believe he’ll be a good world champion.”

Love Island inhabitant and fellow light heavyweight Tommy suspects Yarde might just be biting off more than he can chew in bidding to knock Kovalev off his world championship perch.

“It is a very, very good fight for Yarde and I think he deserves it,” commented the 2-0 20-year-old. “His time has come and I hope to God he can pull it off because he is from here and we’ve got to support our own.

“As far as the actual fight is concerned, it is a huge task. If he is going to beat him at any time it is going to be now because he is on the downfall and has been for quite a long time. So I am pretty sure he is going to be at his most vulnerable.

“But, listen, big props to him if he can pull it off, but my money would be on Kovalev because he has mixed it at a higher level and fought much better fighters.

“Obviously I hope Yarde can pull it off, but I just don’t see it happening.”

Kovalev v Yarde on August 24 can be seen exclusively live on BT Sport

By Norm Frauenheim-

Trouble between Canelo Alvarez and Golden Boy Promotions isn’t exactly a surprise. Seeds and signs of discontent have been circulating for at least a year.

It’s not clear how it will end. For now, Golden Boy is saying all is okay, meaning business as usual will continue despite news a couple of weeks ago that Canelo is unhappy.

That wasn’t a mere rumor. It came from him in a social-media salvo full of frustration at how he said he was kept in the dark by Golden Boy throughout the futility that led to the International Boxing Federation’s move to strip him of its middleweight title.

Canelo wanted answers.

A couple of weeks later, it’s not clear how many he got. There was a reported meeting this week about what to do next, or at least when to do it.

November 2 is the proposed date for Canelo’s next bout, his fourth since signing a $365-million landmark deal with DAZN. Golden Boy president Eric Gomez told ESPN Thursday that the first Saturday in November has been placed on the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s agenda for consideration at its meeting on Tuesday.

But there’s not much else about where or even against whom. There are only the questions.

Demetrius Andrade, who holds the World Boxing Organization’s 160-pound belt, still appears to be the most likely foe. But there’s also persistent talk that Canelo, who has a World Boxing Council “franchise belt” and the World Boxing Association’s title, is still thinking about a jump up to light-heavy for a shot at Sergey Kovalev, who fights Anthony Yarde on Aug. 24 in Russia.

Just a guess, but DAZN executive John Skipper’s preference might be Kovalev. Andrade could be a tougher challenge for Canelo. But Andrade is not as well-known as Kovalev, who generated headlines throughout controversial losses to Andre Ward, first in 2016 and again in 2017.

Kovalev also might be a perfect fit for Canelo in a PR battle to halt the erosion in the Mexican’s popularity. In boxing’s traditional good-versus-evil plot, Kovalev would play the bad guy. He’s a natural.

There are lots of reasons for fans to wonder why they like Canelo. Against Kovalev, however, he’d look good in comparison and perhaps even better in fact if he wins definitively. Winning, however, is the risk. Kovalev has proven to be resilient since Ward.

The Russian is still dangerous. For Canelo, however, there’s more danger to his career and public persona if he doesn’t try to halt a string of controversy that has left fans exasperated.

First, there were negotiations with just about everybody but Gennadiy Golovkin.  Then, there was the announcement that Canelo would forgo his expected bout on Sept. 14, a date that would coincide with Mexico’s annual Independence Day on Sept. 16. Then, there were failed talks with Ukrainian middleweight Sergiy Derevyanchenko and the IBF’s subsequent stripping.

Canelo apologized to the fans in the same message that asked Golden Boy for answers. But fans aren’t very forgiving. Guess here, they want Kovalev, more than an apology or an Andrade.

For a while, at least, a winnable bout at 175-pounds against Kovalev might make fans forget about Golovkin while also re-assuring DAZN that it made a good investment. GGG would still be there, waiting and ready for a third fight. For now, however, GGG is off the board. But Kovalev will be there, if – as expected – he beats Yarde, a UK prospect.

Kovalev and a Canelo victory over the feared Russian also might be the only way Golden Boy and Canelo can start over. It’s a risk, but business-as-usual poses even bigger risks.

(Aug. 14, 2019) — WBO light heavyweight champion and future Hall of Famer Sergey Kovalev will face off against his hard-hitting mandatory challenger, Anthony Yarde, in a highly anticipated showdown Saturday, Aug. 24 from Traktor Arena in Kovalev’s hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia.

Kovalev-Yarde will stream live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT. The stream will also showcase the co-feature bout between unbeaten cruiserweight contender Aleksei Papin (11-0, 10 KOs) and former world title challenger Ilunga Makabu (25-2, 24 KOs). Fans in the U.S. can sign up at www.ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App.

“I am thrilled to fight for the first time in my hometown of Chelyabinsk,” Kovalev said. “It is a dream to defend my WBO title in front of all my friends and family back home. I am also thankful ESPN+ will show the fight to my fans in the U.S. Thank you to Igor Altushkin, Egis Klimas, Main Events and Top Rank for making this dream a reality, and thank you to Anthony Yarde for agreeing to fight in my home.”

“Sergey has done just about everything a professional fighter can do, other than fight in his own hometown,” said promoter Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events. “One of the sport’s greatest road warriors, Sergey will finally get the chance to salute his legion of fans in Chelyabinsk, where he grew up. It will be an exciting, long overdue homecoming for Sergey. And I am so happy to confirm that Sergey’s many fans in the U.S. will be able to watch this great event only on ESPN+. I wish to thank Igor Altushkin, German Titov and everyone at RCC for making this all possible. I also wish to thank Bob Arum and Top Rank for their continued support.”

Kovalev (33-3-1, 28 KOs) is a veteran of 15 world title bouts and has won the light heavyweight world title on three occasions. A former unified champion, he revived his career in February by scoring a wide points win over Eleider Alvarez, the man who’d knocked him out less than six months prior. One of this generation’s most decorated champions, Kovalev holds victories over Jean Pascal, Nathan Cleverly and living legend Bernard Hopkins. In Yarde (18-0, 17 KOs), he faces a London native with a giant hand who is taking a giant step up in competition. Yarde has won his last 16 bouts by knockout, most recently stopping Travis Reeves in five rounds in a bout that streamed on ESPN+. This will be only his second pro bout outside of England.

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtag #KovalevYarde to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+
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DWAYNE ‘THE ROCK’ JOHNSON has given Anthony Yarde the green light to copy his famous chant and celebration if he shocks WBO light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev next month.

The Hollywood and WWE legend has used his catchphrase; ‘If you smell what The Rock is cooking’ for almost 20 years during his wrestling career.

And Ilford’s Yarde (18-0, 17KOs) is planning to honour his hero when he challenges Kovalev (33-3-1 (28KOs) in Chelyabinsk on Saturday August 24

Yarde, 27, vowed: “When I win I am gonna do ‘The Rock’s’ celebration and get on the top of the rope with the belt and shout ‘If you smell…’. I might use his ring entrance music also.”

Johnson who has starred in a stack of blockbuster movies including Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, Fast Five and San Andreas was blown away when he heard of Yarde’s plan.

He told Yarde: “You set the stage brother, do my iconic pose justice if you win.”

Johnson is a huge boxing fan and cannot wait for the big showdown in Russia, and promised: “Gonna be a great fight.

“Kovalev and Yarde are two bad ass dudes. Phenomenal fighters.”

WATCH KOVALEV V YARDE LIVE ON BT SPORT ON AUGUST 24

LYNDON ARTHUR insists arch rival Anthony Yarde can shock the world and crush Sergey Kovalev next month.

Ilford hitter Yarde faces a tough assignment when he travels to Kovalev’s back yard in Chelyabinsk and challenges for the Russian’s WBO light-heavyweight title on Saturday August 24.

Yarde has won all 18 fights since turning professional, and knocked out 17 of his opponents, but will be a big underdog away from home.
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Arthur, 28, said: “It is a hard task, but I do think Yarde has got a good chance.

“Yarde is a very hard puncher and has a chance of knocking him out, but we are still waiting to see him get hit at that level.

“I think he has a good chance, but it isn’t just Kovalev. Boxing there in Russia is a lot different to being in London where there are home comforts.

“Kovalev is very good and it’s a case of what is left in him.”

Mancunian Arthur has won all 15 professional fights and next year is a likely opponent for fellow Frank Warren promoted boxer Yarde.

They might be enemies, but Arthur will be cheering Yarde on when he makes the daunting trip to Russia.

“Even though he is a potential opponent and rival we have to support him and I wish him all the best out there. I will support any British fighter especially on the road,” explained Arthur.

“I have seen people online saying Yarde has no chance against Kovalev,  but those saying that are the ones who will say, ‘I knew he could do it,’ if he wins.

“As fighters in the public eye we have to accept that people give opinions on us and will want us to get beat.

“But Anthony has to do what he wants and he is by having this fight. That is the main thing and all I can do is wish him well.”

Kovalev v Yarde will be live on BT Sport on August 24.

ANTHONY YARDE WILL challenge long-standing world champion Sergey Kovalev for his WBO World Light Heavyweight championship in Chelyabinsk, Russia on August 24. The fight will be broadcast live and exclusive in the UK on BT Sport.

Yarde, 18-0 with 17 Kos, has again accepted the delayed mission of heading into the home nation of the world champion known as Krusher in order to fulfil the first part of his dream of holding multiple world title belts and ruling the division for years to come.

The 27-year-old now gets the opportunity to take on the most experienced and formidable of the current world champions, with the 36-year-old having clocked up 28 Kos from his 33 wins. Kovalev has operated in world title competition since parting Nathan Cleverly from his WBO belt in August 2013 in Cardiff.

“This is my time now and I am going to show the world what I am all about,” said the challenger, the self-styled Beast from the East of London. “Waiting for my time to come around could have been a frustration but we turned it into a positive and I am even more ready to seize the moment.

“Everything has fallen perfectly into place for me, this will be my coronation as world champion and I am going to realise my dream by beating the most decorated of the current world title holders.

“I am more than happy to achieve my goal in Russia and I think it is only right that a great world champion such as Kovalev is given the opportunity to defend in his home country. He has earned that right.

“What I know is that on August 24 another world title belt will be under British ownership and I will have done it the hard way, one that nobody will be able to question.

“My promoter and my manager have made all the right moves to get me into this position and I thank Frank Warren and Tunde Ajayi for creating this opportunity for me. They have done their part and it is now up to me to deliver.”

Frank Warren said the self-belief of his light heavyweight star was the key to accepting a mandatory challenge on away territory.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for Anthony and he has earned his shot by working his way to the No.1 spot in the rankings,” said the promoter. “He has showed what he is all about by being prepared to go into Kovalev’s back yard and it demonstrates the confidence he has in his own ability.

“Everybody knows Kovalev is a tremendous puncher and a fearsome presence in the ring. It is something we first saw over here when he fought Nathan Cleverly and he has continued to operate at the very highest level.

“Anthony possesses tremendous self-belief and we back him to come away with the spoils but, whatever does happen in the fight, it is one that he will take a lot of valuable experience from.”

Yarde’s trainer-manager Tunde Ajayi added: “We’re here now! It’s been stage by stage, it’s been calculated and everything is timing, which I have said from the start.

“The time is now and we are about to shock the world. I cannot remember a fighter with so little experience going over to another man’s back yard to take on a great champion, so I don’t want to hear any excuses when Anthony knocks him out.

“I know that is going to happen.”

BALTIMORE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT Travis Reeves will now be in the opposite corner to Anthony Yarde at the Morningside Arena in Leicester on February 23 after original opponent Mehdi Amar was forced to withdraw due to injury.

Reeves, 17-3-2, has suffered only one defeat in his last 17 fights in a challenge for the IBO world title against Karo Murat and last fought in January at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where he recorded a unanimous points victory over Lanell Bellows.

With former European champion Amar not in a position to travel, Reeves will provide the next test on the journey to the top for Yarde, who will have his 18th professional fight in Leicester.

The 27-year-old has quickly switched his attention to the new challenge to be put in front of him.

“Injuries are unfortunately an unavoidable part of boxing and it is just the nature of the business,” reasoned the WBO Intercontinental champion.

“There is nothing anybody can do about it and I am just happy that a good replacement has been lined up for me.

“I have still got a job to do and I intend to put on a show in Leicester. Every fight and every win is important for me because everybody knows what is planned for me this year and I have got to move from strength to strength with no mistakes.

“Sergey Kovalev regained the WBO world title over the weekend with a strong performance but, as far as I am concerned, him holding the belt is just a temporary arrangement and it will be in my hands before too long.

“My time is coming but the next fight is always the most important and, for now, my focus is just on getting the job done in Leicester.”

Promoter Frank Warren added: “It is always a shame when you lose a good opponent, but we have a more than capable replacement in Travis Reeves, who has been active and is on a good run of form.

“This fight is about Anthony making a case for a world title shot and showing us all that he is ready to take the next big step. The light heavyweight division is right up there with the strongest in world boxing and Anthony is in a great position to make his entry into the elite and I firmly believe he has got what it takes.”

Anthony Yarde’s defence of his WBO Intercontinental light heavyweight title against Travis Reeves at the Morningside Arena shares top billing with British super featherweight champion Sam ‘Bullet’ Bowen. Local fighters CJ Challenger and Kyle Haywood do battle for the vacant Midlands Area super welterweight title, with Nathan Gorman, Lyon Woodstock, Ryan Garner, Willy Hutchinson, Tommy Fury, Ryan Hatton and Mark Chamberlain also featuring on the card.

Tickets are available from £40 are on sale NOW via Eventbrite

By Bart Barry-

Saturday or Sunday on ESPN+ Russian Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev decisioned Colombian Eleider “Storm” Alvarez in Texas to reclaim one of the titles Kovalev won, in part, by losing so spectacularly to Andre Ward in 2017 that Ward decided to retire on the highest note of his career. In avenging his latest knockout loss, Kovalev boxed well, Saturday, and Alvarez did not, and that was that.

Kovalev is and will be remembered as a b-level prizefighter cleverly presented as much more by a b-level network, in mid-descent from a-level, a symptom more than a cause, a titlist folded in half by the only a-level prizefighter he faced – average ingredients well-prepared during a famine. Much of what happened Saturday, much of what you’ll read and hear for the rest of Kovalev’s career, is and will be about preserving illusive credibility despite concessions to illusions past.

“Others are wrong!” in other words, not “I was right.” Overtraining this or distractions that. Paeans to Kovalev’s age aside, what aficionados saw in Kovalev-Alvarez 2 was the same guy they saw tentatively box to victory against Bernard Hopkins, a once a-level prizefighter 50 or so days from his 50th birthday.

Now that we have the hindsight of the same B-Hop being knocked outframe, outboxing, outring by Joe Smith 13 months after Kovalev’s careful showing we might reexamine our insightfulness before we reappraise Kovalev. Could he punch? Sure he could. Was he a frontrunner? Sure he was. Could he finish? Yup. Was he great? No, never.

There’s selfservice in Andre Ward’s ongoing postrematch analyses of Kovalev, even while there needn’t be, an opening desire to reassert Ward’s superiority followed by a closing desire to burnish Ward’s legacy a smidgen more at halfprice. What remains constant as gravity, though, is a fact like: Were Ward and Kovalev matched at Ward’s best weight, not Kovalev’s, Ward would’ve gone 10-0 (10 KOs) in both this lifetime and the next.

Saturday’s question, finally, isn’t whether Kovalev underwent some historic revision in one training camp with Buddy McGirt (he didn’t) or whether Eleider Alvarez underwent some historic dissipation in the last halfyear, but why we actually care. Some of it, though much less than years past, is standard Stockholm-syndrome stuff. The January boxing calendar is historically anemic, leading young fans and pundits to get unseemly giddy at anything better than an obviously mediocre happening before March.

Most of it, though, is vestigial HBO hype. Like the network’s defunct commentary trio scoring midrounds according to prefight prejudice, quite a few of us did not notice HBO’s shift from singular authority to underbudgeted shell, when it happened, because it was incremental.

The emerging consensus is that HBO Sports’ last great boxing authority was Lou DiBella, who left the network in 2000. That feels about right. The talents and promotional relationships DiBella built and featured carried the network a little less than a decade before the network’s dearth of knowledgeable programmers began showing its ribs. The departure of a talented producer though talentless programmer in 2010 began the qualitative freefall that followed. Wealthy and knowledgeable became wealthy and gullible became middleclass and gullible became poor and gullible became canceled.

Nearabout HBO’s middleclass and gullible stage arrived a surfeit of prizefighters raised in the Soviet Union to prey, at once, on the juvenile nightmares and adulthood nostalgia of fiftysomething viewers. It took little in the way of imaginative squinting, then, for HBO Sports’ target demographic to see in Kovalev, and his fellow Eurasian bogeyman, Gennady Golovkin, far more than what they actually were (later confirmed, of course, when both were beaten by smaller men from North America, “controversially”). A reflexive reality still happened in viewers’ minds and that reality affected commentators’ perceptions even as they sought to affect viewers’ perceptions.

One monument to this, probably the greatest, was Kovalev-Hopkins in 2014. Kovalev dropped Hopkins in their first round together and then did not imperil him again in the 11 that followed. A fearsome 31-year-old puncher, in other words, was unable to snatch consciousness from his dad in 36 minutes of trying. Absurd as that sentence reads today we all obeyed a tacit moratorium on calling it what it was – desperate as we were to keep the juggling balls in the air, to contend our oncegreat sport broadcasted on a oncegreat network was something more than risible goofy. Surrealer still was the twoyear, fourfight Kovalev victory pageant HBO hosted in the great man’s honor after Kovalev decisioned a man 10 years nearer Social Security eligibility than his physical prime.

This really happened. You may even be old enough to remember it.

It took super middleweight Andre Ward 20 rounds to do it, but this too happened surely enough: Kovalev, eyes averted, belly up, offered himself to Ward with thighs splayed – the better to be sniffed – in an act of animal submission more ably narrated by David Attenborough than Jim Lampley.

And still HBO persisted! This time with silly opponents and sillier narratives right up until Kovalev got himself whupped by a shortnotice Colombian making a world-title-match debut after his 33rd birthday. Yet another coursecorrection ensued and Eleider Alvarez, a man who’d knocked-out a perfectly symmetrical if entirely unimpressive 12 of 24 opponents, became some Andean beast whose fists Kovalev would need God’s own luck to survive.

OK, fair point: This last was ESPN’s manufacture, not HBO’s. Alvarez regressed to his mean; the Krusher character begins its next rewrite. Fortunately Kovalev’s latest comeback has found its proper platform, off premium cable and on a $5/month boxing-after-midnight app.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Sergey Kovalev quieted his many nay-Sayers by putting on a boxing clinic, and recapturing the WBO Light Heavyweight decision with a 12-round unanimous decision over Eleider Alvarez in a rematch that took place at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Kovalev boxed very well as he showed consistent boxing with his jab that set up his workrate over the 36 minute fight.  Alvarez only threw 30 punches per round which did not provide him with the opportunities  to the land the big shots that propelled him to a knockout victory over Kovalev last August.

Kovalev took the advice of new trainer Buddy McGirt and took what the Alvarez gave him, which was jabbing through out the rounds and getting in his right hand which kept Alvarez on the defense.

Kovalev doubled up Alvarez on the punches landed, and won by scores of 120-108 and 116-112 to raise his mark to 33-3-1.  Alvarez is 24-1.

“We worked a lot on my jab,” Kovalev said. “Right now, I am working with {trainer} Buddy {McGirt} the way I was when I was an amateur

“After this, I want unification fights.”

Said Alvarez: “I don’t see myself as a loser tonight, but I do give him credit, especially in that 12th round. I think that he went out and proved that he wanted to win.”

Rising star, Teofimo Lopez, beat up, bloodied and battered Diego Magdaleno and stopped him in round seven of a scheduled ten-round lightweight fight.

Magdaleno’s face started chopping up in round two from the hard blows from Lopez.

In round six, Lopez landed a blistering left hook to the chin that Magdaleno to the canvas.’In round seven, Magdaleno landed two of the powerful and concussive left hooks on a beaten Magdaleno that plummeted him to the canvas at 1:08 and the fight was halted.

Lopez, 134.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 12-0 with 10 knockouts.  Magdaleno, 134.7 lbs of Las Vegas is 34-3.

“I take nothing away from Diego Magdaleno. We picked our shots, and we knew that in the later rounds, he’d drown in those deep waters,” Lopez said. “As the competition gets tougher, you will see more of what I can do. I dissected him like a surgeon.”

Oscar Valdez shook off 11 months of ring rust and stopped Carmine Tommasone in round seven to retain the WBO Featherweight title.

In round four, Valdez dropped Tommasone with a right hand.  Tommasone began to bleed from his nose.  Later in the round, Valdez sent Tommasone down with a hard jab.  In round five, Tommasone began to bleed from his mouth.  In round Round six, Valdez sent Tommasone down with a left hook.

Valdez ended things just nine seconds into round seven, Valdez dropped Tommasone with a perfect left uppecut to the chin and Tommasone went to the deck, and the fight was stopped.

Valdez, 125.8 lbs of Nogales. MEX is 25-0 with 20 knockouts.  Tommasone, 125.4 lbs of Italy is 19-1.

“I was very excited. I kind of didn’t want to get too crazy in there. It was tough the first round to get {my rhythm},” Valdez said. “But finally, I got the job done. I congratulate him. He’s a great fighter. I wish him nothing but the best.

“We started 2019 well. The sky’s the limit.”

Richard Commey stopped Isa Chaniev in the 2nd round to win the IBF Lightweight championship.

In round one, Commey landed a perfect right that dropped Chaniev hard to the canvas.  In round two, Commey rushed out and landed a perfect left hook that sent Chaniev to the deck.  Commey was all over Chaniev, and landed power shots.  As referee Laurence Cole stopped the bout, Commey added two more shots and sent Chaniev to the deck at 39 seconds.

Commey, 134.3 lbs of Accra, Ghana now will face WBA/WBO champion Vasyl Lomachenko on April 12th with a record of 28-2 with 25 knockouts.  Chaniev, 134 1/2 lbs of Russia is 13-2.

“This is everything for me. This is what I worked so hard for,” Commey said. “Finally being a world champion, I feel like I fulfilled a destiny for me.”

Next up for Commey is a potential showdown with WBA/WBO lightweight champion and pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenko. He hurt his right knuckle in the opening round, and if receives a clean bill of health, Lomachenko will be next.

“When I hit him in the first round, I hurt my right knuckle,” Commey said. “I’m going to have to get it looked at and see what happens.”

Janibek Alimkhanuly stopped Steven Martinez in round five of a scheduled eight-round middleweight bout.

In round three, Alimkhanuly dropped Martinez with a left to the body.  Alimkhanuly continied to pound away on Martinez, who had his nose bloodied in the fourth and finally was pulled out the fight 21 seconds into round five.

Alimkhanuly, 162 lbs of Kazakhstan is 5-0 with two knockouts.  Martinez, 160 1/2 lbs of Bronx, NY is 18-5.

“I showed what I was capable of against a tough opponent,” Alimkhanuly said. “I am close to world title contention. It’s going to be a big year for me in 2019. This is only the beginning of my journey.”

Enriko Gogokhia stopped Vitor Freitas in round three of their six-round junior welterweight bout.

Gogokhia dropped Freitas in the 1st round with a straight left that barely touched Freitas.  Gogikhia was cut on his forehead in round two from an accidental headbutt.  In round three, Gogokhia landed a little left to the body that put Freitas down, and the bout was stopped.

Gogokhia, 142 1/2 lbs of Georgia Republic is 10-0 with five knockouts.  Freitas, 141 lbs of Salvador, BRA is 15-4-1.

Jason Sanchez stopped Daniel Olea in round two of their scheduled eight-round featherweight bout.

Sanchez was dominant and landed a big right hand that dropped Olea and the bout was stopped at 1:35.

Sanchez, 125 1/2 of Albuquerque, NM is 14-0 with seven knockouts.  Olea, 125 1/2 of Mexico is 13-7-2.

“I wanted to be patient in there. I wasn’t necessarily looking for the knockout right away,” Sanchez said. “But the opportunity came, and I took advantage of the opening.”

In an entertaining ten-round junior middleweight scrap, Patrick Day won a unanimous decision over Ismail Iliev.

Day, 153 3/4 lbs of Freeport, NY won by scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94 to raise his mark to 17-2-1.  Iliev, 154 lbs of Russia is 11-1-1.

Bakhram Murtazaliev stopped Elvin Ayala in round nine of their scheduled ten-round junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Murtazaliev was credited a knockdown when he landed a combination that made Ayala stumble into the ropes.

In round nine, Murtazaliev dropped Ayala with a hard right hand.  Seconds later, a follow flurry of hard power punches forced the ref to stop the bout at 2:05.

Murtazailev, 153 1/2 lbs of Russia is 15-0 with 12 knockouts.  Ayala, 154 lbs of New Haven, CT is 29-13-1.

Follow all the action as Eleider Alvarez tries to retain the WBO Light Heavyweight title against the man he won the belt from in Sergey Kovalev.  The action starts at 10 PM ET / 9 PM CT with 2 world title fights.  Richard Commey and Isa Chaniev battle for the IBF Lightweight title.  Oscar Valdez defend the WBO Featherweight title against Carmine Tommasonne.  Rising star Teofimo Lopez takes on former two-time world title challenger Diego Magdaleno.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Good body shot from Alvarez

Round 2 Right from Kovalev..Another..

Round 3 Left from Kovalev..Jab from Alvarez..Left hook from Kovalev..Kovalev outlanding Alvarez 47-28 through 3 rounds

Round 4  Body shot from Alvarez..Good uppercut from Kovalev..Left hook..Jab and right hand

Round 5 Good right from Kovalev..Left..Combination..Right from Alvarez..2 lefts and right from Kovalev..

Round 6 Right from Alvarez,,Good right..Right from Kovalev..Jab from Alvarez..Double left to body from Kovalev..Right from Alvarez…Swelling under right eye of Kovalev…Good right from Kovalev

Round 7 Good body work from Alvarez..Good right

Round 8 Good jab from Kovalev..Alvarez lands a right

Round 9  Good jab from Kovalev…2 more…Right hand land..Sweeping left..Over hand right from Alvarez..Hard jab from Kovalev…176-86 for Kovalev in punches landed

Round 10 3 punch combo from Kovalev..Left rocks Alvarez on the ropes

Round 11 Right from Alvarez..Double jab from Kovalev..Good counter right

Round 12 Right and left from Kovalev..Hard jab..Good right from Alvarez…Right from Kovalev..Right..

116-112 TWICE AND 120-108 FOR THE WINNER AND NEW CHAMPION SERGEY KOVALEV

Round 1 Hard right from Lopez

Round 2 Straight left from Magdaleno..Counter right from Lopez..Big right uppercut..Hard straight left..Uppercut and hard right..Left hook..sweeping right..Short right…Blood on bridge of Magdaleno’s nose..

Round 3 Lopez lands a counter uppercut..Straight right..Combination to the body

Round 4 Uppercut from Magdaleno…Combination from Lopez

Round 5 Right Hook from Magdaleno..Hard uppercut from Lopez..Left from Magdaleno..Lopez lands a punch from behind his back..

Round 6 Counter uppercut from Lopez..Hard right..HUGE LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES MAGDALENO..Big Right at the bell

Round 7 Lopez lands about 8 hard shots..Right uppercut...2 NASTY LEFT HOOKS AND DOWN GOES MAGDALENO…FIGHT OVER

Round 1 Right from Valdez..Tommasone goes to the body with a right..Jab from Valdez..

Round 2 Jab from Valdez..Nice right to the body

Round 3 Counter right from Valdez..Right to the body..

Round 4  Good left hook buzzed Tommasone…Blood from nose of Tommasone…RIGHT HAND AND DOWN GOES TOMMASONE…Jab and TOMMASONE GOES TO A KNEE

Round 5  Body shot from Valdez..Body/Right combo..Blood from Mouth of Tommasone

Round 6  Left froM VALDEZ AND DOWN GOES TOMMASONE..3 Punch combination

Round 7 HARD UPPERCUT TO THE CHIN AND TOMMASONE GOES DOWN AGAIN…FIGHT OVER

Round 1 Commey lands a left hook..Uppercut from Chaniev..Commey lands a right..Short right..another right..Straight right..Good exchange..COMMEY LANDS A PERFECT RIGHT AND DOWN GOES CHANIEV..Commey lands more power shots and then trips

Round 2 HUGE LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES CHANIEV…Commey all over Chaniev..STRAIGHT RIGHT AND LEFT AND DOWN GOES CHANIEV…FIGHT OVER

Eleider Alvarez 174.8 lbs vs. Sergey Kovalev 174 lbs
(Alvarez’s WBO Light Heavyweight world title – 12 Rounds)

Teofimo Lopez 134.8 lbs vs. Diego Magdaleno 134.7 lbs
(Lopez’s USBA, NABA, and NABF Lightweight titles – 10 Rounds)

ESPN/ESPN Deportes (10 p.m. ET)

Oscar Valdez 125.8 lbs vs. Carmine Tommasone 125.4 lbs
(Valdez’s WBO Featherweight world title – 12 Rounds)

Richard Commey 134.3 lbs vs. Isa Chaniev 134.6 lbs
(Vacant IBF Lightweight world title – 12 Rounds)

ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET)

Janibek Alimkhanuly 162 lbs vs. Steven Martinez 160.4 lbs
(Super Middleweight – 8 Rounds)

Pat Day 153.7 lbs vs. Ismail Iliev 154 lbs
(Vacant IBF Intercontinental Junior Middleweight title – 10 Rounds)

Jason Sanchez 125.4 lbs vs. Daniel Olea 125.5 lbs
(Featherweight – 8 Rounds)

Bakhram Murtazaliev 153.6 lbs vs. Elvin Ayala 154 lbs
(Murtazaliev’s WBC USNBC Super Welterweight title – 10 Rounds)

Enriko Gogokhia 142.5 lbs vs. Vitor Freitas 141 lbs
SWING BOUT
(Welterweight – 8/6 Rounds)
Promoted by Top Rank, Main Events and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $225, $165, $85, $55, and $25 (including facility fees) are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com.

About The Star
The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and training facility in Frisco, Texas. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco and Frisco ISD, The Star features 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; Cowboys Club, a members-only club where the country club meets the NFL; 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 throughout The Star District. For more information on The Star, visit www.TheStarInFrisco.com.

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ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App, the leading sports app and the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans. The ESPN App is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation, delivering a rich, personalized experience that curates all of ESPN’s content around each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also be available through ESPN.com.

Frisco, Texas: When current WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion, Eleider Alvarez, steps in the ring to face Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev in their much-anticipated rematch on February 2 at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas live on ESPN+ (https://plus.espn.com), it will Kovalev’s fifteenth consecutive world championship fight. As the challenger, Kovalev will seek to utilize his extensive championship experience to avenge his title loss in his ESPN+ debut and take back his title. Alvarez looks to prove his upset over Kovalev in their last fight was just the beginning of a championship run. Below is the scouting report for this exciting event:

Category
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev
Eleider “Storm” Alvarez
Age
35
34
Record
32-3-1 (28 KOs)
24-0-0 (12 KOs)
Strength
Coming into his 15th consecutive championship bout, The Krusher has more elite level experience than any of the current light heavyweight titleholders. He also possesses significant knockout power in both hands.
The Storm has quick hands, possesses a sharp and accurate jab and is a great counter-puncher. He is patient in the ring. He waits for his opponents to make a mistake, which showed in the first Kovalev bout.
Weakness
Sergey needs to preserve his energy for the later rounds, if he cannot score a knockout early in the fight. He will need to be prepared to go into deep waters with the champion.
Alvarez is an accurate puncher, but he needs to turn up the volume on his punch output. Although he earned the stoppage win in the first bout, he was down on all three scorecards going into the seventh round.
Experience
The championship experience of the former champion is his main strength. He has fought nothing but the best opposition available throughout his career and has comeback after adversity.
The champion gained vast experience in capturing the title from The Krusher. He overcame some big shots and was down on the scorecards before he turned the tables on Kovalev.
Power
The Russian’s power is still the most dangerous component heading into this fight.
Although he is not known for being a puncher, he did land the perfect knockdown punch in their first encounter.
Speed
The challenger has good speed and even quicker combinations.
The champion has quick hands and is an even quicker counter-puncher.
Endurance
He has been a full 12-rounds just three times in his lengthy career against top-notch competition including Bernard Hopkins and Andre Ward.
Eleider has been a full 12-rounds on three occasions as well, including two former Kovalev foes, Isaac Chilemba and Jean Pascal.
Accuracy
One of Kovalev’s secret weapons has always been his jab. When he fully commits to it, the rest of his offensive weapons are even more effective.
Patience has been one of the champion’s most prominent strengths. He picks his shots wisely and does not waste any punches.
Defense
Kovalev has always been an offensive-minded fighter. His best defense is his jab and he will have to keep it busy to avoid a repeat of what happened in the first fight.
Contrary to his opponent, Alvarez focuses much more on defense. He moves his head well and shows great composure while waiting for his opponents to make a mistake.
Chin
Kovalev has always been known to have a strong chin. He’s only been stopped twice as a professional.
Alvarez has a proven chin; he has withstood shots from some of the division’s heaviest hitters.
Style
Kovalev has always had a fan-friendly style. He likes to come forward and press the action from start to finish. He is an aggressive, in-your-face fighter that utilizes an aggressive jab and legitimate power shots during the fight.
Eleider is a counter-puncher with quick hands and a solid jab. He is patient in waiting for his opponents to make a mistake and capitalizes once they do. He has also shown that he is not afraid to stand toe-to-toe with anyone.

Crowd Support
Although he has never competed in the state of Texas, he has been one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world for several years. He is expected to have significant crowd support.
This will be just his third appearance on U.S. soil and his debut in the state of Texas. He is not expected to have a vast amount of crowd support.
Intangibles
It has never been in Kovalev’s nature to take tune-up bouts, whether it be following a win or coming off a loss. He exercised his right to an immediate rematch and got right back into the gym to correct what went wrong in the first fight.
Alvarez waited a long time for his shot at the title and seized the opportunity against Kovalev. He fully understands that if he wants to fully dethrone Kovalev for good, then he needs to defeat the Russian one more time for his name to be discussed as one of the elites in the light heavyweight division.
The Match-Up
1. Will Kovalev be able to keep his stamina for the later rounds?
2. Will Alvarez go in there looking for one shot and get caught by Sergey?
3. Will Kovalev be able to stick to the game plan with his new corner?
4. Will Alvarez be able to take Sergey’s power the second time around?

Main Events’ matchmaker, Jolene Mizzone commented, “Who doesn’t love a rematch in a fight that was an upset win? This is what boxing is all about! Kudos to both fighters to sticking to promises and contracts and moving forward with it so quickly.”

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtag #AlvarezKovalev2 to join the conversation on social media.

About The Star

The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and training facility in Frisco, Texas. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco and Frisco ISD, The Star features 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; 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 throughout The Star District. For more information on The Star, visit www.TheStarInFrisco.com.

FRISCO, Texas (Jan. 31, 2019) – Super Saturday is almost here. Three world title fights, including one of the most anticipated rematches in recent memory, will take place Saturday at Ford Center at the Star, the practice home of the Dallas Cowboys.

At midnight ET on ESPN+, Eleider “Storm” Alvarez will attempt to repeat the deed when he defends his WBO light heavyweight world title against former two-time light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev. Back in August, Alvarez came from behind to starch Kovalev with three knockdowns in the seventh round. And, in the ESPN+ co-feature, 2018 Prospect of the Year Teofimo Lopez (11-0, 9 KOs) takes on former world title challenger Diego Magdaleno (31-2, 13 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight fight.

In the ESPN main event (10 p.m. ET), Oscar Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) defends his WBO featherweight title for the fifth time against Carmine “Mr. Wolf” Tommasone (19-0, 5 KOs). In the ESPN co-feature, Richard Commey and Isa Chaniev will duke it out for the vacant IBF lightweight title with the winner set to fight unified champion Vasiliy Lomachenko later this year.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from Ford Center at the Star.

Eleider Alvarez

“Things have changed a lot for me. This is my first time being a main event {defending my world title}. What has changed is my popularity, but I’m still the same guy.”

“Thanks to God, I’m a mentally strong person. I have come from the bottom, basically, and little by little, I’ve been getting my stuff. Now I have more, so that’s why I think I’ve been able to handle everything well. That’s why I am a mentally strong person.”

On Kovalev saying he was overtrained for the first fight

“I believe that’s a lot of excuses he’s making. When you lose, you have a lot of excuses. I had a great game plan with my team. If he says that was an accident, then he needs to get ready for another accident.”

Sergey Kovalev

“I want to say a big thanks to Top Rank and my team at Main Events to make this rematch and get my belt back. This is the most important {fight} for me because I couldn’t stop my boxing career as a loser. It’s not in my character. First of all, this is my goal, to get back my belt that I dropped on the way to my big goals. I made a mistake last time {against Alvarez}, but this time I will fix it. This Saturday, I will fix this situation and be on top again. If not, I am not the Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev. Believe me, this Saturday will be the best version of me because I turned everything on to get in the best shape of my boxing career.”

“My goal is to collect all four belts, but I dropped this belt on my way to my huge goal. After {the Alvarez loss}, a lot of people thought I should stop my boxing career. No, that’s not in my character to stop my career by losing. When I win, I will think, stop or not to stop? But when I lose, it was 100 percent no.”

Oscar Valdez

On recovering from the broken jaw suffered in the Scott Quigg fight

“It was one of the most difficult times of my life. Having my jaw wired shut for two months was the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with. That’s in the past now. I’m ready to focus on this fight. I’m 100 percent healed from that injury. That’s not going to bother me no more. I’m just excited to get back in the ring. It’s been almost a year since my last fight. I’ve been training hard with my new trainer, Eddy Reynoso. It’s been a great training camp, and I just can’t wait to get in there and start again where I left off.”

“We had a great training camp, me and Eddy Reynoso. I never take no fighter lightly. There was a point where no one knew who Manny Pacquiao was when he came to the United States and had his first fight. And he became a star. So, we don’t know what Tommasone can bring. I will be 100 percent ready for him, or for any fighter, because I don’t take no fighter lightly. I have the same respect for all fighters inside the ring, and I’m going to do whatever I have to do come out victorious. One thing in my mind is to not take him lightly and just try to get the job done and keep on improving my career. I’m definitely focused on this fight and start where I left off.”

Eddy Reynoso

“Working with a world champion and an athlete that works as hard as Oscar does is a proud moment for me to be part of that team.”

Carmine Tommasone

“I fought in America as an amateur. This is my first time as a professional. When I got the call {to fight Valdez}, it was like an early Christmas present because it was early December. I prepared well for this opportunity.”

“Winning a title in the United States is every boxer’s dream. It would be a great opportunity.”

On people calling this a “tune-up fight” for Valdez

“It doesn’t bother me. I’m confident in my skills, and this is an opportunity to show my skills.”

Teofimo Lopez

“I’m taking over the show, and it’s with all due respect to these fighters out here. What we came out to do, and what we plan to do, is take over and exceed everybody’s expectations. People are talking very highly of me, so I have to back it up. I’m used to it through my father, who is my coach, who talks very highly of me already. Come Saturday night, you will see something bigger and better. As the opponents get tougher, we’re going to get better.”

“I believe the fight with Mason Menard on Dec. 8 (a 44-second KO) proved to everyone at that point that we are contenders. To me, I already feel like I’m a world champion. To me, the only thing {missing} is a world title.”

Diego Magdaleno

“Top Rank, they built my whole entire career. You’ve been there to watch it. Some of the best people in boxing are with Top Rank. Brad Goodman is matchmaker of the year for a reason. I just have to use my personal experience and thank Top Rank for building me and putting me in this position. I thank you guys because everything leading up is going to win me this fight. Everything I’ve been through is gonna {help me}. Even the losses I’ve had or whatever only made me stronger. I am here with fuego, and I will bring everything I need to. I’ve been in the ring, but you haven’t been seeing me. My last two fights were in Mexico, but what you haven’t seen is who I’ve been in the ring with. Pedraza, I got him ready for Lomachenko. Linares, I got him ready for two fights.”

“It’s nothing but fire. We are ready to do this.”

Richard Commey

“After my fight with Robert Easter Jr. (split decision loss in 2016), I felt like I won that fight. I kept working. I’ve got good management and I met {trainer} Andre {Rozier}. I feel like everything is working for me. I’ve got to do this. I kept working, and here I am today.”

On the fighting tradition of Ghana

“It means the world to me. This is the opportunity I’ve been working for since I started boxing, and thank God I’ve got the opportunity to fight come Saturday. I have to win this fight. No matter what, I have to win this fight. It means a whole lot to me. It’s all about winning. That’s it.”

Isa Chaniev

“I am very pleased that I have a chance to showcase myself, showcase my skills here in a big arena on ESPN. I’m ready for whatever, and I am here to win.”

“I never lost a fight. The loss I have on my record, I didn’t really lose that fight. I am ready for this fight. This is the most important fight of my life. My team trusts in me, and I trust in myself. Other things don’t matter to me.”

ESPN+, 12 a.m. ET

Eleider Alvarez (champion) vs. Sergey Kovalev (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO light heavyweight world title

Teofimo Lopez vs. Diego Magdaleno, 10 rounds, Lopez’s NABF, NABA, and USBA lightweight titles

ESPN/ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET

Oscar Valdez (champion) vs. Carmine Tommasone (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO featherweight world title

Richard Commey vs. Isa Chaniev, 12 rounds, vacant IBF lightweight world title

ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Steven Martinez, 8 rounds, super middleweight

Jason Sanchez vs. Daniel Olea, 8 rounds, featherweight

Ismail Iliev vs. Pat Day, 10 rounds, vacant IBF Intercontinental junior middleweight title

Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Elvin Ayala, 10 rounds, Murtazaliev’s WBC USNBC super welterweight title

Enriko Gogokhia vs. Vitor Freitas, 8/6 rounds, welterweight (swing bout)

Promoted by Top Rank, Main Events and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $225, $165, $85, $55, and $25 (including facility fees) are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com.

Top Rank on ESPN is bringing a fistic extravaganza to Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Saturday, Feb. 2 with three world title fights, the return of 2018 ESPN “Prospect of the Year” Teofimo Lopez, and an action-packed undercard spread across ESPN/ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.

The light heavyweight world title rematch between champion Eleider Alvarez and challenger Sergey Kovalev and Teofimo Lopez-Diego Magdaleno will stream LIVE in English and Spanish exclusively on ESPN+ at 12 a.m. ET. Alvarez knocked out Kovalev last August in a come-from-behind upset that shook up the boxing landscape. Kovalev, one of the most dominant champions of this era, is seeking to become a three-time world champion. Lopez, the consensus 2018 Prospect of the Year, is coming off a stunning 44-second knockout over Mason Menard December 8 on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza undercard.

The Oscar Valdez-Carmine Tommasone featherweight world title fight and the Richard Commey-Isa Chaniev lightweight world title bout will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Valdez, one of boxing’s elite action heroes, returns to the ring for the first time since suffering a severely broken jaw in a decision win over Scott Quigg last March 10. The winner of Commey-Chaniev will eye a unification bout against Lomachenko later this year.

The scheduled five-fight undercard, which includes top middleweight prospect Janibek Alimkhanuly, will kick off the evening at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

ESPN’s coverage of Top Rank on ESPN: Eleider Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev 2 also includes live streaming on ESPN+ of the Official Press Conference Thursday, Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. ET and live television coverage (ESPN2) and streaming (ESPN+) of the weigh-in on Friday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. ET.

Top Rank on ESPN Alvarez vs. Kovalev 2 LIVE on ESPN+, ESPN and ESPN Deportes

Date

Time (ET)

Event

Platform

Thurs., 1/31

1 p.m.

Top Rank on ESPN: Alvarez vs. Kovalev 2/Valdez vs. Tommasone Official Press Conference

ESPN+

Fri., 2/1

5 p.m.

Top Rank on ESPN: Alvarez vs. Kovalev 2/Valdez vs. Tommasone Weigh-In

ESPN2, ESPN+

Sat., 2/2

7 p.m.

Super Saturday ESPN+ Undercard INCLUDING

Janibek Alimkhanuly (4-0, 1 KO) vs. Steven Martinez (18-4, 13 KOs) & Jason Sanchez (13-0, 6 KOs) vs. Daniel Olea (13-6-2, 5 KOs)

ESPN+

10 p.m.

Super Saturday ESPN Main Events

Oscar Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) vs. Carmine Tommasone (19-0, 5 KOs), 12 rounds, Valdez’s WBO featherweight world title

Richard Commey (27-2, 24 KOs) vs. Isa Chaniev (13-1, 6 KOs), 12 rounds, vacant IBF lightweight world title

ESPN, ESPN Deportes

Sun., 2/3

12 a.m.

Super Saturday ESPN+ Main Events

Eleider Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs) vs. Sergey Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs), 12 rounds, Alvarez’s WBO light heavyweight world title

Teofimo Lopez (11-0, 9 KOs) vs. Diego Magdaleno (31-2, 13 KOs), 10 rounds, lightweight

*ESPN+

*ESPN+ to stream in English and Spanish

To subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 per month, go to www.espnplus.com.

###

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FRISCO, Texas (Jan 30, 2019) — Their first fight ended with a dramatic knockout that shook up the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The rematch between Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs) and Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs) will bring two of the light heavyweight division’s biggest names to The Star.

Alvarez will defend his WBO light heavyweight world title against former unified light heavyweight world champion Kovalev on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys practice facility.

Krusher and his trainer Buddy McGrit had this to say today, Wednesday, January 30 in Frisco:

SERGEY KOVALEV
First, I am very excited to get the opportunity to get back my belt. Thanks to God for this opportunity and thanks to my promoter and my manager to make this fight happen. Right now I must prove that I am the best in this division by this victory on Saturday night

I didn’t have enough gas, enough power. You saw my condition. I was lazy it was like something was wrong with my body.

Proving again that I always push myself more than needed and that was my biggest mistake in my boxing career. Always push further than needed. Right now Buddy has taught me a lot – saving energy for the fight and I listen to him 100% on his recommendations and I follow his instructions. I like this training camp but we’ll see Saturday what the boxing side will show.

Right now at this time before the fight I am used to dieting. This time I wanted to be better for everything – in life and in the boxing gym and in life and my team change. I am happy working with Teddy Cruz my strength coach and Buddy McGirt my boxing coach. They are really a great team and they are great persons. We have a great understanding with each other and I like the team very much.

When I became pro I got three belts just by using my amateur experience be cause my fights went often my first two years as a pro I fought 5 or 6 times a year. Then later I fought two or three times a year and one year I fought only once. That’s crazy. Between the fight it was long rest and I didn’t work out. I was busy with my life. I was famous in my small group, in my circle. I was busy with my family and with my friends. Every fight I started my training from zero. No one was there to work on or remind me of my style. I fought every fight just on my memory from the amateurs. I had coaches but they didn’t help me bith my boxing or my conditioning or anything. Everything I did myself. Everybody has seen the result. I am happy that I started working with Buddy and he has reminded me of my amateur style and using a lot of boxing – not the goal to knock somebody out, but boxing. It’s a good idea to not have to win by knockout, but by boxing. The will be, at one time, a punch that will catch him. If you can punch, you will.

This time we have been working on defense too and with the shape I am in on Saturday it will be very interesting. I am excited in my last day of camp and I am excited for the fight to see what I can show. Right now I am really motivated because I know that I can beat this guy.

The last fight he got lucky. He got lucky of course. I lost concentration for just a couple of seconds – a lack of attention just for one second. Then I couldn’t get focused after the knock down.

Maybe I wasn’t ready enough. I don’t want to use it as excuses but on Saturday I will prove that I am better than Alvarez. And that is my goal to get my belts back. That’s my goal right now and it is a big motivation.

(So, you are going to be a boxer on Saturday night?)

You never know what will happen tomorrow. I don’t even know what will happen when I go around this corner of the wall when I get up. I do have motivation and I should use it to get my belt back.

I like belts. Right now I have a co-promotion with Top Rank and I am on ESPN and I can get to the highest level in boxing again. I am in Dallas, and Texas is a state that has a lot of boxing fans – a lot of Mexican fans and a lot of American fans. The site is very bog and it looks great. And I am a Cowboys fan.

My prediction is that I will get back my belt. I don’t know how, ut I will get it back at any price or any cost.

BUDDY McGIRT
No, I did not watch the first fight. The night that they fought I had a fight in New York. You want to hear something? Whenever I watched tapes of an opponent, as a fighter, I lost. When I watched tapes as a trainer, my fighter lost.

I watched tape of Meldrick Taylor, and I lost the fight.

I don’t need to watch tapes. I’m old school. I prepare for anything and everything. If you watch a tape of a guy, and you see something, then you expect it to happen and you wait all night for it, and it doesn’t.

If you get in a street fight you don’t have any tape on the guy. You have to adjust. So that’s what I go by.

I have watched quite a few Kovalev fights. I have seen enough of him. Things that he told me how he prepared for the fight and what happened during the fight – that was enough for me to understand what we have to do.

Sergey told me what went wrong in the fight and I just went from there. I had a guy fight Alvarez, Isaac Chilemba – we got jerked in the decision but it is what it is.

A lot of people told me that he was difficult to work with, but, he wasn’t. Everyone was telling me this and telling me that and I was like “OK,” and when I got with him everything was gravy.

I know that he had a strength and conditioning guy, to not only help with strength and conditioning but to help him with his diet – to eat the right foods. He told me how he ate for the last fight and I told him he was crazy. Lot of these fighters they wait till the last week to lose ten pounds – that’s not healthy.

He told me what he did wrong then we got in the gym and I said ‘OK Buddy, you can’t really make any big adjustments. He’s been doing this too long.’ So I just kept it simple. You can’t beat the basics. So you just keep it basic and simple, not complicated, and let the rest take care of itself.

He’s in shape. He’s eating the right foods. His weight is good. So now it’s all up to him.

There are days that we are in the gym and I say “That’s it.” He says ‘No, I want to do this.” I say no, that’s it. You can do that tomorrow.’ Then I have to sit there and wait for him to leave the gym so he won’t do anything. I know if I left the gym he would do extra. So I have to sit there with him and walk outside with him then he gets in his car and leave then I get in my car and leave.

It was a fun camp. Everything went good, thank God. Now it’s all up to him.

Teddy Cruz did strength and conditioning. Teddy worked on his diet and monitored his weight.

(What do you think will happen in the fight?)

I am excited about the fight just like everybody else.I know he will be champion after this fight And we take it from there.

* * *

Oscar Valdez vs. Carmine Tommasone will headline the ESPN/ESPN Deportes world championship doubleheader (10 p.m. ET) that also features the IBF lightweight world title fight between Richard Commey and Isa Chaniev.

The action will then turn to the OTT streaming service ESPN+ at 12 a.m., as Teofimo Lopez versus Diego Magdaleno will serve as the co-feature to boxing’s most anticipated rematch — the WBO light heavyweight world title bout between champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and former division kingpin Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev.

Promoted by Top Rank, Main Events and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $225, $165, $85, $55, and $25 (including facility fees) are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com.

7 p.m. – 10 p.m. — ESPN+ — Undercard Fights
10 p.m. – 12 a.m. — ESPN / ESPN Deportes — Oscar Valdez vs. Carmine Tommasone & Richard Commey vs. Isa Chaniev
12 a.m. — ESPN+ — Eleider Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev 2 & Teofimo Lopez vs. Diego Magdaleno

Kovalev was arrested on June 9 in connection with an incident in Big Bear Lake, California, in which he is accused of punching a woman in the face, according to San Bernardino County online court records. Kovalev was released on $50,000 bail, according to the court records.

He was charged with assault likely to cause great bodily injury and on Aug. 27 pleaded not guilty, according to court records.

On Friday, TMZ reported the incident in which Kovalev was said to have met a woman at a party and after she rejected his advances, allegedly punched her, which resulted in the woman suffering a broken nose, a concussion and a displaced disk in her neck.

Main Events promoter Kathy Duva, Kovalev’s longtime promoter, told ESPN on Friday night that the fight is still on.

“While every woman deserves to be heard, Sergey deserves the right to clear his name in court,” Duva said. “And that is what he will do when this goes to trial.”

(Dec. 20, 2018) — Top Rank announced today it has reached a multi-year agreement with Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) to co-promote WBO light heavyweight world champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez. Alvarez’s first bout under this co-promotional agreement will be Feb. 2 at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, for his highly anticipated rematch against Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (ESPN+, 12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PST).

Alvarez knocked out Kovalev in August in the seventh round of a slugfest, which propelled the 34-year-old to the upper reaches of the sport.

A Colombian amateur star who represented his homeland at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Alvarez has spent his pro career based in Montreal, where he has become a fan favorite.

“I am really proud of this agreement. I am thankful to GYM for always believing in me. I am also grateful that Top Rank and ESPN demonstrate trust and confidence in my talent,” Alvarez said. “I can’t wait to show the world that I am a great champion.”

“The world discovered Eleider Alvarez last August in Atlantic City, with his speed, athleticism, strength and stamina. Soon, his personality will transcend his WBO title and the world will discover he has all it takes to be a great star,” said Michel, GYM president. “We are very happy to join Top Rank’s team, Bob Arum and Todd duBoef, in Alvarez’s quest for fame and achievement.”

“Eleider Alvarez showed he had the heart of a true champion when he came back to knock out Sergey Kovalev,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “We look forward to working with Yvon Michel and his team to bring Eleider the biggest and best fights, which starts Feb. 2 with the Kovalev rematch.”

Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs) is a nine-year pro who climbed the ranks steadily, defeating former middleweight world champion Edison Miranda in only his 13th pro fight in 2013. Following the Miranda win, he captured the WBC silver light heavyweight belt on Oct. 25, 2014 via seventh-round TKO. Despite his high world rankings, it would be years before Alvarez challenged for world title honors. He earned his title shot by fighting, and defeating, many of the light heavyweight division’s top contenders.

Alvarez outlasted perennial contender Isaac Chilemba via majority decision on Nov. 28, 2015, a fight that saw him weather a late-rounds Chilemba rally. In February 2017, he knocked out former longtime super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute in the fifth round. Later that year, Alvarez turned back former light heavyweight world champion Jean Pascal by majority decision, using a stiff jab to control the action.

The Chilemba, Bute, and Pascal victories earned him a shot at Kovalev. That August night on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Kovalev built an early lead, but Alvarez rallied to score three knockdowns in the climactic seventh round.

FRISCO, Texas (Dec. 19, 2018) — Four significant fights, three world title bouts, one rematch for the ages, all on ESPN and ESPN+. The best card of 2019 is coming to North Texas.

The hotly anticipated light heavyweight world title rematch featuring WBO champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and challenger Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will stream live on ESPN+ and headline a huge night of boxing that will showcase a quartet of meaningful fights — including three world title bouts — spread across ESPN/ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Ford Center at The Star, home to the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and training facility.

Alvarez-Kovalev 2 and the return of unbeaten lightweight sensation Teofimo “Brooklyn” Lopez, fresh off a 44-second knockout of Mason Menard on Dec. 8, will stream live starting at 12 a.m. ET on ESPN+ — the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment and ESPN.

Before the action turns to ESPN+, a pair of world title fights will take place on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

Oscar Valdez will make the fifth defense of his WBO featherweight title against the unbeaten Carmine “Mr. Wolf” Tommasone. Valdez will be making his first ring appearance since suffering a severely broken jaw in a March 10 unanimous decision win against an overweight Scott Quigg.

In the ESPN-televised co-feature, presented by DiBella Entertainment, Richard Commey will battle Isa Chaniev for the vacant IBF lightweight world title.

Before the ESPN telecast, the entire undercard will stream live on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, Main Events and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets priced at $225, $165, $85, $55, and $25 (including facility fees) are on sale now and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com.

“It’s Super Saturday, and by syncing the ESPN linear and ESPN+ platforms for one night, fans have an incredible opportunity to watch a stacked show with many of the world’s best fighters and rising superstars,” said Top Rank President Todd duBoef.

7 p.m. – 10 p.m. — ESPN+ — Undercard Fights
10 p.m. – 12 a.m. — ESPN / ESPN Deportes — Oscar Valdez vs. Carmine Tommasone & Richard Commey vs. Isa Chaniev
12 a.m. — ESPN+ — Eleider Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev 2 & Teofimo Lopez vs. TBD

Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) made his name as one of the sport’s foremost action stars with a trio of 12-round wars against Miguel Marriaga, Genesis Servania and Quigg. The Quigg fight was shrouded in controversy as the Englishman missed the featherweight limit by nearly three pounds and refused a day-of weight check. Valdez fought with a broken jaw against Quigg for more than half the fight and still managed to prevail via clear unanimous decision. Valdez, whose jaw was wired shut for two months after the bout, is ready to move on and prove that the injury was nothing more than a speed bump.

“It will be great to see our little warrior, Oscar Valdez, back in action on Feb. 2 after his full recovery from a broken jaw and a courageous victory over Quigg,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Oscar always brings thrills and excitement to his fights.”

“The fans can expect the same Oscar Valdez as far as being an aggressive and exciting fighter,” Valdez said. “They are also going to see a different side that nobody has seen, which is the boxing skills that I also have and that I’m perfecting and learning with my new trainer, Eddy Reynoso.”

Tommasone (19-0, 5 KOs), an eight-year pro from Avellino, Campania, Italy, is a former Italian, European and WBA Intercontinental champion who will be making his first ring appearance outside of his home country. He captured the vacant European crown on Sept. 26, 2015 with a wide unanimous decision win against Jon Slowey. Tommasone made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics as the first professional to take part in an Olympic boxing match. One of three pros to participate at the 2016 Olympics, Tommasone won his opening bout before losing to the eventual bronze medalist, Cuba’s Lazaro Alvarez.

Lopez (11-0, 9 KOs) has established himself as one of the sport’s rising superstars, a 21-year-old power-punching prodigy who is on the cusp of a world title shot. The one-punch KO of Menard, a “Knockout of the Year” candidate, was televised by ESPN on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza undercard. Following the knockout, Lopez went viral after he struck the Heisman pose and wore the jersey of Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray of the University of Oklahoma.

“I took over my last show, and I am going to do it again,” Lopez said. “‘The Takeover’ is coming to Texas, and I can’t wait to get back in the ring.”

Commey (27-2, 24 KOs), a native of Ghana and the IBF’s No. 1 contender, has won three consecutive bouts since a two-fight losing skid. He lost a razor-thin split decision to Robert Easter Jr. for the vacant IBF lightweight title on Sept. 9, 2016, knocking down Easter in the eighth round. Less than three months later, he was on the short end of another split decision, a controversial verdict against Denis Shafikov in Shafikov’s home country of Russia. Commey last fought Aug. 4 against Yardley Armenta Cruz and had little trouble in notching a second-round TKO.

Chaniev (13-1, 6 KOs) is battle-tested, having gone 10 rounds or more in five of his past six bouts. He is on a three-bout winning streak since a close 12-round unanimous decision to Fedor Papazov on May 25 of last year. He is coming off his most impressive victory to date, a unanimous decision against former interim lightweight world champion Ismael Barroso. Chaniev survived a second-round knockdown to score a pair of knockdowns and secure the win.

“When I started working with Richard in September 2016, our plan was to give him another chance to fulfill his dream of becoming a world champion,” promoter Lou DiBella said. “While Chaniev is a very tough Russian fighter, I’m confident that Richard has the skills, punching power and the mental toughness to come out victorious. Thanks very much to ESPN and Top Rank for partnering with DiBella Entertainment in televising this outstanding lightweight championship battle.”

“I have to say a big thank you to my promoter, Lou DiBella. I know how hard it is for Ghanaian fighters to get promoted by the top promoters, but Lou has consistently shown that if he thinks you’re the man, then he will be the man for you,” Commey said “He has shown this by the investment DiBella Entertainment has put in me and by getting me this shot at the title and securing it in the United States. I also want to thank my manager, Michael Amoo-Bediako, for the faith he has put in me over all these years. He is more than a manager to me, and come Feb. 2, I will be repaying him in full.”

“I have the biggest motivation ever to win, and there is no other result that will satisfy me,” Chaniev said. “On Feb. 2, I will demonstrate all my skills and hard preparation. Some people don’t think I will win, but they will be shocked on Feb. 2. No bad words or any disrespect to Commey. He is an excellent fighter.”

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FRISCO, Texas (Dec. 8, 2018) —Their first fight ended with a dramatic knockout that shook up the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The rematch between Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev will bring two of the light heavyweight division’s biggest names to The Star.

Alvarez will defend his WBO light heavyweight world title against former unified light heavyweight world champion Kovalev on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility.

Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs) scored a come-from-behind knockout against Kovalev on Aug. 4 in a major upset to shake up the division. Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs), who has made nine title defenses across two reigns, will seek to become a three-time world champion and regain his position in boxing’s pound-for-pound top ten.

Alvarez-Kovalev 2 and a soon-to-be announced co-feature will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN beginning at 10 p.m. ET. The entire undercard will stream live beginning at 7 p.m. ET in the United States on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. Promoted by Top Rank, Main Events and Krusher Promotions, in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, tickets, priced at $225, $165, $85, $55, and $25 (including facility fees), go on sale Friday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. CST and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com.

”The fact that Kovalev said it was a mistake and that I was lucky is motivation for me,” Alvarez said. “He is a sore loser, and I will make sure there will be a second ‘accident.’ ‘I expect Kovalev to be stronger in that second fight. I expect the best Kovalev because he won’t underestimate me this time, but I am fully aware of this. I am able to be even better than in the last fight.”

“I am very thankful to fight on ESPN on Feb. 2,” Kovalev said. “I will look to take back my title and put on a great show for the fans. Together with my new trainer, Buddy McGirt, I will be ready for Alvarez.”

“Sergey and Eleider are two of the world’s best fighters, and we look forward to hosting their rematch and another great night of boxing at Ford Center at The Star,” said Stephen Jones, Chief Operating Officer of the Dallas Cowboys. “Ford Center has proven to be a premier fight venue, and there is no better way to continue that legacy than to bring the world light heavyweight championship to North Texas.”

Alvarez, 34, a native of Colombia who now resides in Montreal, turned pro in 2009 following an amateur career that included a pair of Pan American Games gold medals and a 2008 Olympic berth. In 2013, he defeated former middleweight world champion Edison Miranda by unanimous decision, and by 2015, he had established himself as one of the world’s top light heavyweight contenders. He earned the shot at Kovalev following a trio of high-profile wins: a 2015 majority decision against perennial contender Isaac Chilemba, a 2017 knockout of former longtime super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute, and a majority decision over former light heavyweight kingpin Jean Pascal. That all led to his triumphant night on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, a feat he hopes to duplicate in Frisco.

Kovalev is one of the most dominating world champions of his era, a devastating puncher with nine title defenses across two title reigns. He won the WBO world title in August 2013, traveling to Wales and knocking out hometown champion Nathan Cleverly in the fourth round. He became the unified champion in November 2014 with a dominating 12-round decision against future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins and further enhanced his résumé with a pair of knockout wins against Jean Pascal. He lost his world titles in November 2016 via controversial decision to pound-for-pound great Andre Ward. Nearly seven months later, Kovalev was stopped in the eighth round by Ward, a bout remembered in part for the multiple low blows that immediately preceded the stoppage. Kovalev rebounded, winning the vacant WBO light heavyweight title with a second-round TKO against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in his next bout. He defended the title once, a seventh-round TKO of Igor Mikhalkin in March, before running into Alvarez.

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Alvarez knocked down Kovalev three times in the seventh round and scored a TKO to capture the WBO light heavyweight title in a shocking upset. Kovalev led on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage and hopes to pick up where the first six rounds left off.

“We are very happy to be joining forces with Top Rank and ESPN for what we expect will be another exciting and historic fight,” said Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events. “Sergey was clearly winning his first bout with Alvarez when he just got caught. It happens. Congratulations to Alvarez for his spectacular performance, but Sergey is a warrior. He let me know that he is anxious to avenge this loss as soon as possible. We are looking forward to the new year!”

“Bringing this marquee rematch to boxing fans on ESPN is a great way to start 2019,” said Top Rank President Todd duBoef. “The light heavyweight division is loaded, and both Kovalev and Alvarez have fan-friendly styles that will make for another gripping fight.”

Added Burke Magnus, ESPN Executive Vice President of Programming and Scheduling: “This has been an exciting year for boxing on ESPN, and the Kovalev-Alvarez rematch is another example of the world-class caliber of events we look forward to continue to showcase on Top Rank on ESPN in 2019.”

Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs) established himself as one of this generation’s preeminent light heavyweight champions with nine title defenses across two title reigns. He first won the WBO title in August 2013, traveling to Wales and knocking out hometown champion Nathan Cleverly in the fourth round. He became the unified champion in November 2014 with a dominating 12-round decision against future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins and further enhanced his résumé with a pair of knockout wins against former lineal light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal. Kovalev lost the title via controversial decision loss to Andre Ward in November 2016. After dropping the rematch via eighth-round TKO, Kovalev recaptured the WBO title with a second-round TKO against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in November of last year. He defended the title once before the first Alvarez bout.

Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs), a former Colombian amateur standout who resides in Montreal, is a nine-year pro with a host of A-list names on his résumé, including: Kovalev, Pascal, and former super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute. The Kovalev triumph is the signature victory on his record. Come 2019, Alvarez hopes it’s repeat rather than revenge.

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