Sullivan Barrera vs. Seanie Monaghan Headlines Second Golden Boy Fight Night on Facebook Watch on Saturday, August 18
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania – July 10, 2018 – Former WBC International Light Heavyweight world champion Sullivan Barrera (21-2, 14 KOs) returns to the ring to regain his standing as one of the world’s top Light Heavyweights. Barrera faces top five Light Heavyweight Contender “Irish” Seanie Monaghan (29-1, 17 KOs) in the 10-round main event at the Sands Bethlehem Casino and Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Saturday, August 18, 2018. The event is promoted by Main Events and World of Boxing and will be streamed live via Facebook Watch as part of the Golden Boy Fight Night series. Fans can catch all the fights by clicking here.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, July 13.
Barrera vs. Monaghan is the second live card of the recently announced Facebook series, a collaboration between Golden Boy Promotions, Facebook and Main Events, offered to fans around the world via live online streaming.
Barrera, 36, a native of Cuba who defected to the United States after fighting for the Cuban National Team, now lives and trains in Miami, Florida. He makes his return to the ring after taking WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol deep into the 12th round of their title fight in November 2017 before being stopped, by far the most difficult opponent of Bivol’s professional career. The WBC ranks Barrera fourth in the competitive Light Heavyweight division.
Monaghan, also 36, is a Long Island, New York native with proud Irish roots. He began his professional boxing career at the late age of 28 but quickly made up for lost time. After his first and only loss as a professional in 30 fights to Marcus Browne in July 2017, Monaghan started his comeback quest with a win in November 2017, and intends to make up for lost time against Barrera.
“Thank you to my team, my coach Derik Santos, my promoter Main Events, my manager Luis Molina, and thanks to Seanie Monaghan for taking this fight,” said Barrera. “As always, I’m willing to face the top guys in my division. This is another tough fighter. I look forward to August 18 and I’ll give the fans a great show. They will see me start to climb my way back up to facing the very best light heavyweights in the world.”
Barrera’s trainer, Derik Santos, said training is already underway for the fight. “We are working, and are dedicated as usual. Thank you to manager Luis Molina and our promoter Main Events. Sullivan has gone into tough fights over the years, and has consistently shown himself to be one of the toughest light heavyweight contenders in the division.”
Despite the pressure on them, Barrera and Santos maintain the same confidence and positive attitude that led Barrera to the top. “Train well and overcome, has been the directive since day one,” declared Santos. “Our expectations are the same today.”
Barrera is no stranger to Seanie Monaghan, and he’s looking forward to the match-up. “This fight is do or die for both of us. I’ve been going back and forth with Barrera on Twitter for a couple of years now. This will finally be our chance to settle it in the ring, no more talking,” said Monaghan.
Monaghan recently lost his father, and has plans to bring the late Davy Monaghan’s ashes back to his hometown of Navan in Ireland someday while wearing a title belt around his waist. His fight with Barrera is as much for his father as it is for himself.
In the ultra-competitive Light Heavyweight division, the talent pool is deep, and virtually every fighter ranked among the Top 15 contenders is a threat to the current titleholders. Main Events’ CEO and Barrera’s promoter, Kathy Duva, selected this high-stakes fight as a perfect fit for the first Main Events-promoted card in the Golden Boy Fight Night series. “We have delivered the best in boxing entertainment to the fans for 40 years,” said Duva. “What better way to start our next 40 years in business by expanding access to our fan-friendly fights around the world with online streaming technology.”
Duva promised: “Technology has changed a lot in this world, but one thing will never change about Main Events: our determination to make the best matches and feature amazing athletes in the ring. I know Sullivan Barrera and Seanie Monaghan will give everything they’ve got for their legacy, and for the fans.”
About Barrera-Monaghan: This light heavyweight main event will headline the second live boxing card of the new Golden Boy Fight Night series on Facebook, live from the Sands in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Saturday, August 18. The event is promoted by Main Events and World of Boxing.
Tickets, priced from $105 to $55, go on sale to the public on Friday, July 13 and will be available through Ticketmaster, the Sands Event Center box office and by emailing Main Events at boxing@mainevents.com.
Sullivan Barrera expects bounce back performance on Kovalev-Alvarez undercard and wants the winner
MIAMI, FLORIDA – Light heavyweight contender Sullivan “Sully B” Barrera is back in training camp armed with a new fight date and a fresh attitude.
The former Cuban amateur standout admits that not much went right in his March 3rd loss to Dmitry Bivol but chalks it up to an off night and said that it was a learning experience.
Barrera is back with his team but has also added a sports psychologist to his squad in an effort to make sure a repeat of March 3rd doesn’t happen.
“I feel great. I know that was just one bad night. I am not worried about the past and only looking ahead,” Barrera explained.
The plan is for Barrera to return to the ring sometime in the summer on the Sergey Kovalev-Eleider undercard and he hopes to fight the winner next.
“I think the fans know that I always want to fight the best out there. After this fight I want another big fight. My goal is to fight whoever wins between Kovalev and Alvarez,” said Barrera.
“Boxing is like sex. You can be the best lover in the world but sometimes you have an off night. My fiancee knows I am the best even if I don’t perform as well one night. I want to get back in the ring and show the world my best again.”
Video: HBO Boxing Highlights! #BivolBarrera
Sergey Kovalev vs. Igor Mikhalkin & Dmitry Bivol vs. Sullivan Barrera Final Press Conference Quotes
Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events
“Hello everyone. It has been a very long, cold winter, but don’t worry. Main Events is now here to heat things up. You can count on us to bring you plenty of hot boxing action this weekend at the greatest venue for boxing in the world, Madison Square Garden.”
“Every single one of the fighters in our lineup for Saturday’s fight has sweated through harder workouts and tougher training than ever in their careers. Many will fight at the Mecca of Boxing for the very first time. Some of them are returning, and that is a big deal, whether you’re a champion, or just starting in a four rounder.”
“In our televised fights, four light heavyweights know that the eyes of the world will be on them and they want to make a big impression. You will want to be part of this.”
“Tickets starting at $50 are still available through Ticketmaster and at the Madison Square Garden box office. Although if you want to sit up in ringside, you can’t, because those are gone. You could also watch it live on HBO World Championship Boxing® starting at 10:05 PM Eastern and Pacific.”
“At the top of our card we have a pair of exciting fights in the red-hot light heavyweight division, which I think is the perhaps most competitive division in this sport. First, we have Sullivan Barrera and Dmitry Bivol. In our main event, two-time Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey Kovalev will face his tough Siberian countryman and former amateur teammate Igor Mikhalkin.”
“On our non-televised under card, three talented and undefeated Eastern Europeans out of Egis Klimas’ Boxing Laboratory in Oxnard, California, promise to light up the arena. We have Bakhram Murtazaliev of Grozny, who is co-promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions, facing Keith McNeil of Birmingham, Alabama in a 10-round super welterweight bout. We have two young gentlemen from Kazakhstan. One, a middleweight named Meiirim Nursultanov, who will be in a battle with Alejandro Torres of Mexico. Rounding out this trio is Madiyar Ashkeyev, also of Kazakhstan, who is making his Garden debut versus tough Dominican, Jose Antonio Abreu in a welterweight showdown.”
“As if that wasn’t enough, how about the return of Vaughn Alexander of St. Louis to New York? Vaughn fought here as a rising star in 2004 and now he’s back 14 years later after getting his life together. What an amazing story. He’s going to be fighting a new opponent because apparently the guy he had been scheduled to fight thought better of it yesterday, and so Jolene [Mizzone, Main Events’ matchmaker], as usual, comes through with a miracle…We may have actually ended up with an even better and more competitive fight.”
“You can expect a big, big show from our heavyweights on this card. Cassius Chaney, clearly, was born to box with that name or at least his father decided he was. First, he was an NCAA scholarship basketball player at the University of New Haven. He graduated, switched sports and now we’ve got him.”
“We never forget our New York fans and we are going to take good care of you on Saturday with the three born and bred local fighters who promise some smoking hot performances. They include Brooklyn’s Frank Galarza, who’s going to return to Madison Square Garden after his big win in November. Frank, when you get to the ring it’s sort of like the main event because it seems like everybody in the arena is there to see him. We’re going to hear a lot of noise.”
“We also have Long Island native LeShawn ‘Lightning’ Rodriguez. He’s generating a lot of buzz and electricity.”
“Back after winning in his professional debut, also from New York, will be Ismael Villarreal of the Bronx.”
“We would like to thank our sponsors, Medoff Vodka and Leon.ru. For this card, we are working with Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing, in association with EC Box Promotions. We have Vadim Kornilov, Dmitry Bivol’s manager, and Erol Ceylan of EC Box with us today and I am so happy to see you. Thank you. I also want to thank HBO and especially Peter Nelson, Tony Walker and Ray Stallone for their support. They always have our back, and we will prove worthy of the opportunity.”
Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports
“I want to thank all the members of the press for being here. I want to thank the fans for continuing to put together the pressure on these fighters to take great fights. I want to thank Madison Square Garden, Joel Fisher, you, your team, Sal Federico, everyone, and your continued support of the sport of boxing”
“Sergey Kovalev and Dmitry Bivol are two of the brightest lights in the light heavyweight division. Bivol is one of the most exciting new entrants at HBO. His career has been nothing short of meteoric in recent days. We’re excited to see what he does on Saturday night against a great opponent.”
“Sullivan Barrera and Igor Mikhalkin stand a shot at creating one of the biggest upsets this year. We’re excited to see what kind of fireworks fly on Saturday night. As Kathy mentioned, they’re going to be great fights the show underneath, so if you can make it into the arena and get a ticket, absolutely do that and set your DVR for HBO. Our start time is 10:05 Eastern. We look forward to seeing you all there Saturday night. Thanks very much.”
Duva
“I want to thank everyone here at the mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden. Especially Sal Federico, Larry Torres and of course last, but certainly first, Joel Fisher, Executive Vice President of Madison Square Garden Marquee Events.”
Joel Fisher, Executive Vice President of Madison Square Garden Marquee Events
“First of all, it’s a great couple of weeks here at the Garden. We’ve got the Big 10 Tournament starting tonight, followed up by the Big East Tournament next week. Come Saturday night, we’ve got an incredible boxing match. Two world titles will be on the line Saturday night and it’s going to be a great start to what will be another great boxing season here at Madison Square Garden. Kathy and Jolene, it’s great to work with you again. You put together a great card, and the boxing fans will definitely have a great night here.”
“I’d like to welcome back Sergey Kovalev to The Garden. His performance in November was tremendous. It was a clear message that ‘The Krusher’ is back. We look forward to your resurgence continuing in the light heavyweight division. Igor Mikhalkin is a former European Light Heavyweight Champion and currently on a 10-fight winning streak. That will absolutely prove to be a great, great fight and an exciting night.”
“As Kathy and Peter mentioned, what a great co-main event. WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol, who we have gotten to know some. He’s an undefeated hot, young fighter, who some say, will be the future in this division. He makes his Garden debut here against his mandatory challenger Sullivan Barrera, who also was here recently and beat Felix Valera last November in a great fight.”
“Both of these fights are fights that you don’t want to miss. We’re thrilled to host this great event, to have another great night of boxing in front of the best boxing fans in the world. It’s a great card, top to bottom. As Kathy mentioned, we’re just thrilled to work with her. All of our friends at Main Events, and of course, Peter Nelson and HBO, and the great job they do. We look forward to seeing everybody Saturday night, which will definitely be a great night of boxing.”
Duva
“To the media present and watching live at home, thank you for your time. You have a lot of things competing for your attention. We know that. I say with confidence, you made the right choice coming here today to join us and you will make the right choice when you join us on Saturday.”
“I don’t have to tell anyone in this room that the light heavyweight division is on fire right now. We should invite the FDNY to be here on standby Saturday for the televised fights. Cuban Sullivan Barrera is currently 21-1, 14 KOs and he steps up to challenge WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol of Russia. Bivol has 10 knockouts in 12 fights and is undefeated.”
“Both Sullivan and Dmitry had distinguished amateur careers. Sullivan is a former member of the Cuban National Team. He defected from Cuba in 2009 and quickly made a name for himself in the light heavyweight division, winning his first 17 bouts, with 12 of those coming by way of knockout. He’s won four fights since his only loss. That includes a victory in 2017 over the very hot Joe Smith Jr. He is managed by Luis Molina, who tells me he will let trainer Derik Santos and Sullivan do the talking for him. First, I’m going to bring up Derik Santos.”
Derik Santos, Trainer of Sullivan Barrera
“Thank you everybody for being here. I would like to thank first of all, our manager Luis Molina, who allows us to make everything happen, to Main Events and Kathy for having us here. Peter, HBO, our home gym of Boca PAL, because they really support us and let us do what we need to do back at home. Mike Horner, Gil Gastelum, Ben Lira, Chris Algieri, who we brought into this camp. They’ve all been very supportive and helped us. Finally, to Sullivan Barrera who is absolutely as dedicated as you would want an athlete to be, as a coach.”
“We are here to do, once again, what we’ve been doing since we got together. Walking through the fire together. I’m going to keep it short. I know Bivol’s a talented young man, but we’re going to do what we’ve been doing, we are going to attempt to flip the picnic table right over and stop the party. That’s what we’re going to do here. That’s what we came to do here. Thank you.”
Sullivan Barrera
“Good afternoon, everyone. First, I want to say thank you, and my promoter Kathy Duva and Main Events, Peter Nelson, HBO, Bivol team, Bivol for taking the fight, for this opportunity. This is the dream for me. Fighting for a title fight. I hope Saturday night we can put great show for the boxing fans. Thank you.”
Duva
“This is truly a 50/50 fight, and Sullivan knows what he’s up against. Dmitry Bivol is the definition of a knockout artist. This is Dmitry’s first professional fight at Madison Square Garden. His English is really impressive after training in Los Angeles, and we also have Dmitry’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, who would like to say a few words.”
Vadim Kornilov, Manager of Dmitry Bivol
“It is a pleasure to have a fight at such a legendary arena. We appreciate the support of Madison Square Garden. It has been kind of a dream to have one of our fighters fight here one day and it’s coming true. We appreciate team Barrera. It’s going to be a great night. It’s definitely a 50/50 fight, like Kathy said, and anything can happen. It’s the first opponent of this magnitude that Bivol is fighting. It is this type of fight that we are very nervous about as well. I would expect fireworks from both of the main and the co-main event Saturday night.”
“Just wanted to say thank you to HBO and Peter Nelson for always having a great eye for talent and always bringing on these types of fights onto the network. I want to say thank you to Main Events. The whole team, it’s been a pleasure working with you, as well as World of Boxing, the co-promoter for Dmitry Bivol. Andrey Ryabinsky has actually asked to pass on a message to the press and everybody. He is not going to be able to be here. He wanted to make sure that we mention that it is a great pleasure for him to have one of his fighters fight on a TV network as large as HBO and he appreciates that opportunity. He appreciates the business with Main Events and how great that has been going. It’s been a very, very pleasant experience for all of us. Thank you to everybody, and I would like to bring up WBA World Champion in the light heavyweight division, Dmitry Bivol.”
Dmitry Bivol – WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion
“Hello everyone. I wanted to say thank you for coming, and thank you my promotion, World of Boxing, and promotion of Main Events, and I wanted to say thank you Madison Square Garden. I really glad to be here. Of course, thank you HBO for this chance for me and especially Peter Nelson. Thank you, Sullivan for taking this fight. I hope we will make good fight and people will be glad after. Thank you.”
Duva
“I also would like to thank Andrey Ryabinsky and all the people at World of Boxing. It has been a pleasure working with them and we look forward to continuing to work together in the future.”
“Now for the main event. Sergey Kovalev is back. He’s back on top as the WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion but his opponent is not intimidated. He’s not intimidated by appearing here at Madison Square Garden for the first time, not by facing an old friend, someone he’s known since they were young boxers training as amateurs in Russia many years ago. Igor Mikhalkin says that now he looks back and he believes he was destined to fight Sergey Kovalev from the start and that day is Saturday.”
“Igor may not be familiar to you but one thing I can tell you, he’s hungry. He wants to introduce himself to the American fans by making a very big impression on Saturday. Igor is going to come up here now, but first I’m going to bring up his promoter Erol Ceylan, who will introduce the team.”
Erol Ceylan, Promoter EC Box Promotions
“First of all, I want thanks Kathy Duva for the opportunity to take this fight and also I want to thank HBO. What I want to say about Igor Mikhalkin, he has a lot of courage to take the fight against Sergey Kovalev. We want to thank Sergey for this opportunity and it is a pleasure to take the fight. I hope it will be a very great fight because Mikhalkin is a good worker and he proved himself in Europe, but there are not enough opponents who can move more. He thinks here in US, are the best of this division and he want to show a big fight. After that, he hopes to make a great career in the States. Thank you.”
Igor Mikhalkin
“Thank you very much for Madison Square Garden, for HBO, and Kathy Duva, to Sergey Kovalev for taking the fight. I am very happy to be in New York and fight in Madison Square Garden and I hope that on Saturday the third, we will have a wonderful, exciting fight for all of you to see.”
Duva
“If life is all about lessons learned, and I promise you it is, I am here to tell you Sergey Kovalev has earned his PhD and graduated with honors. To lose after being world champion, such a dominant world champion, it’s a bitter blow. Some guys never recover from that but a rare few take an honest look at the way they are doing things. They change what needs to be changed. No matter how difficult, no matter what you have to give up to do it, this is hard. Sergey is not afraid of hard, as we all know. Sergey was honest with himself about his travel and lifestyle. He brought in a new trainer, Abror Tursunpulatov, and he has handed over control to him.”
“Sergey is the most focused and probably in the best shape I’ve ever seen him. People who had seen Sergey in recent months keep telling us the same thing. How fresh and fit he looks and how happy. The truth is, Sergey has not just changed his attitude. He’s changed his life. Don’t get me wrong. He’s happy to keep crushing his opponents in the ring. For those of you who are as old as me, and know about this reference, as The Who say, ‘Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.’ Sergey is here with his manager, and my dear friend, Egis Klimas.”
Egis Klimas, Manager of Sergey Kovalev
“Good afternoon, everybody. Happy to be here back again at New York City. I wanted to thank the media, Madison Square Garden, HBO, Mikhalkin for giving this opportunity to Sergey to show up.”
“I wanted to talk a little bit about undercard, what there is going to be. Many people come just for the main event, or co-main event, televised fights, because fights are getting boring nowadays. Take my word, we have four undercard guys, which are represented by me. They are very, very excited. Don’t count just on the co-main event and the main event. If you have a chance, come over right from the beginning. You are going to see very, very excited fights. I don’t know whose mission was this for the main event, but as right now, all the things going on in the world, probably they wanted to put two Russians in the ring and looking at beating each other, just to represent American fans. Just a joke.”
“I don’t remember when we saw on the main event, Showtime, HBO, two Russians coming into the fight and trying to fight. I think it’s going to be a very good night, Saturday night. Don’t miss it!”
Duva
“Actually, to echo Egis’ comments, I think based on the looks of the light heavyweight division at the moment, two Russians fighting for the title is going to become pretty normal. Without further ado, as always, my deepest pleasure to be able to introduce to you the light heavyweight champion of the world, Sergey Kovalev.”
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, Two-Time Light Heavyweight World Champion
“I am really happy back to in New York at Madison Square Garden. This is right now my favorite place to fight. Really appreciate it, Joel Fisher, and also thanks to HBO to show this fight on TV, to my promoter, Kathy Duva. Also, to thanks to team of Igor Mikhalkin who came from Russia. Right now, I can say that we met with Igor since amateur, when I was maybe 17 years old. We were like friends, but only friends can beat each other and won’t be upset on each other, you know? I can say that, and be sure that Saturday night will be interesting fight because we will beat each other very, very hard and my goal to defend the title. His goal, to get this title. It will be very interesting fight. Thank you for your support, and I love you, boxing fans. God bless you. Thanks.”
Duva
“Thank you, Sergey. I think that about says it all. As far as we are concerned here at Main Events, the boxing winter is over. I think that we know there are two world champions on this card. Those of you who come early enough to see the undercard, I think you will be able to someday say that you saw more than two world champions on Saturday night because they are all terrific, young fighters. I think that quite a few of the guys in that position are going to make it someday.”
“Once again, tickets starting at $50 still available through Ticketmaster and at the Madison Square Garden box office. You can watch live on HBO World Championship Boxing® starting at 10:05 PM Eastern and Pacific. My thanks to all the talented and dedicated people working hard to put on this impressive show on Saturday. People you have no idea about working in the background, especially our 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone. The guys have to do the work, but Jolene makes the magic happen. Did it again this morning by finding a better replacement of pulling it out of her who knows what, better than the one we had in the first place. Will you please give Jolene and the rest of my staff an applause? They really are the best. Jolene is still making matches as we speak.”
About March 3: The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. Tickets range from $50 to $300 and are available online at TicketMaster.com and at the Madison Square Garden box office. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions, is sponsored by Medoff Vodka and Leon.ru and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.
Dmitry Bivol vs. Sullivan Barrera Scouting Report: Will the Veteran Stop the Newcomer?
New York, NY) – The upcoming Saturday, March 3 Kovalev vs. Mikhalkin HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast opens with a blockbuster battle of two top light heavyweights as WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (12-0, 10 KOs) faces Sullivan Barrera (21-1, 14 KOs) at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Below is the scouting report for this action-packed match-up:
Category
Dmitry Bivol
Sullivan Barrera
Age
27
36
Record
12-0-0 (10 KOs)
21-1-0 (14 KOs)
Strength
Bivol is a strong, hard-hitting light heavyweight. He has knockout power in both hands and has been successful overwhelming his opposition with his in-your-face attack.
Barrera has a strong jab he uses well, and has shown numerous times he can overcome the adversity that takes place in the squared circle, thanks to solid endurance and a granite chin.
Weakness
Although he had an extensive amateur career, Bivol is still only 12 fights deep into his professional career. His inexperience as a pro may come into play if his opponent takes him into deep waters.
Sullivan has great technical boxing skills, but also has a tendency to get into wild slugfests with his opponents. He needs to keep his composure and stay sharp in order to avoid one of Bivol’s thundering blows.
Experience
There is no question Bivol has been through the gauntlet for his first 12 professional bouts. However, he does not have the experience nor has he faced the level of opposition Barrera has faced thus far.
Although this is his first world title fight, Barrera has been in the ring with some of the best the division has to offer: Andre Ward, Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, and Joe Smith Jr. He has overcome adversity in prior bouts, making him a stronger fighter to this point.
Power
Bivol’s power is one of his greatest assets. He throws vicious combinations and possesses significant power in both hands.
Barrera has a powerful jab and a devastating right hand, both of which have played roles in the majority of his stoppage wins.
Speed
The champion has solid speed, quick hands and is fast on his feet as well.
The challenger has average speed, and maintains a steady pace throughout the fight.
Endurance
Due to the way he has steamrolled through his opposition thus far, Bivol has only gone a full 12 rounds once, when he defeated Felix Valera in 2016.
Barrera proved he could go 12 rounds in a decision loss to former titleholder Andre Ward. He earned 10-round decision wins over ranked contenders Joe Smith Jr and Felix Valera.
Accuracy
Bivol’s style allows him to be an accurate puncher. He likes to close in on his opponents, leaving them with little room to run.
Barrera’s is very accurate when he gets his jab going and puts his punches together behind it.
Defense
Bivol’s best defense has been his offensive aggressiveness thus far in his short career.
If Barrera commits to the jab, it can be very effective in taking any fighter out of his element, making it that much more difficult to get anything going offensively.
Chin
We have yet to see a big puncher have any offensive success with Bivol, so his chin is still a question mark.
Barrera has a granite chin. He has been knocked down, but has never been stopped, and he hass risen to the occasion to finish strong.
Style
Bivol is an aggressive, in-your-face fighter who immediately enters attack mode from the start of the bout. He is heavy-handed and is making a name for himself in the division as a knockout artist.
Barrera is an extremely tough and technical fighter who likes to stick his jab and set up his shots. He also has a brawling style that inevitably comes out when his opponents show they are willing to engage.
Intangibles
Bivol makes his first WBA title defense against one of the hottest light heavyweights in the world in Sullivan Barrera. This is no surprise, however, as Dmitry has faced off against a who’s who of opposition in his short career. Although his Cuban opponent believes Bivol is in over his head taking on the WBA’s #1 ranked Barrera, Bivol thinks otherwise. He has full confidence in his abilities, and is well aware that if he has his way with Barrera, the sky is the limit for what he can do in the sport.
Barrera has been petitioning for a title shot for years. He has stepped up and faced off against the division’s best light heavyweights. After years of hard work and victories over the likes of Joe Smith Jr, Karo Murat, and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, he has been offered his long-awaited opportunity. Barrera opted to face the less experienced Dmitry Bivol. Barrera feels his route to a title shot was much more grueling than that of the champion, and believes Bivol will not be prepared for such a seasoned and gritty challenger as Sullivan Barrera.
Crowd Support
Dmitry Bivol is one of the sport’s top prospects, but he lacks the television exposure of Barrera. Despite a loyal Russian following, he may be at a disadvantage here. If he can comfortably handle the challenger in this match, expect his crowd support to increase significantly.
Over the years, Sullivan Barrera has established himself as a crowd-pleasing fighter. He competed at Madison Square Garden in his last bout in which he earned a win over ranked contender Felix Valera. He can expect significant crowd support coming into this bout.
The Match-Up
Will Barrera be able to handle the power and speed of Bivol?
Will Bivol be able to handle the non-stop jab in his face and be able to make adjustments?
Will Barrera be able to focus on Bivol and not overlook him thinking about future opportunities?
Will Bivol be able to handle Barrera down getting up off the canvas after a knockdown and coming back stronger when he does?
According Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone, “This is the kind of fight more top light heavyweights should be taking. Here you have a young guy in Dmitry Bivol who is ready to take the challenge with a much more experienced Sullivan Barrera. You have Sullivan Barrera taking on the youngest light heavyweight champion in the division to prove he belongs there at the top too, belt or not. Both have a lot to prove, and I believe the real winners are the fans, who will get a real show in the ring from both come March 3.”
About March 3: The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. Tickets range from $50 to $300 and are available online at TicketMaster.com and at the Madison Square Garden box office. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions, is sponsored by Medoff Vodka and Leon.ru and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS TAKE CENTER STAGE WHEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®: SERGEY KOVALEV VS. IGOR MIKHALKIN AND DMITRY BIVOL VS. SULLIVAN BARRERA IS SEEN SATURDAY, MARCH 3
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING spotlights the competitive light heavyweight division with two world title bouts when SERGEY KOVALEV VS. IGOR MIKHALKIN AND DMITRY BIVOL VS. SULLIVAN BARRERA is seen SATURDAY, MARCH 3 at 10:05 p.m. (ET/PT) from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.
The fights will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms.
In the main event, light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev (31-2-1, 27 KOs) makes his 2018 ring debut, defending his crown against rising contender Igor Mikhalkin (21-2, 9 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round contest. The 34-year-old Russian reclaimed his title Thanksgiving weekend on HBO when he overwhelmed Vyacheslav Shabranskyy en route to a second-round knockout. Known as “Krusher,” Kovalev now resides in southern California and looks to continue his rise in the pound-for-pound rankings.
Fellow Russian Mikhalkin, 32, now residing in Hamburg, Germany, amassed three impressive unanimous decision victories in 2017, earning a shot at the world title for his biggest test to date. The southpaw will be making his U.S. and HBO debut.
In the co-main event, dominating light heavyweights square off when undefeated Dmitry Bivol (12-0, 10 KOs) defends his portion of the light heavyweight title against top contender Sullivan Barrera (21-1, 14 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round showdown. Bivol, 27, originally from Kyrgyzstan and now hailing from St. Petersburg, Russia, has quickly ascended to the top of the division since turning pro in 2014. Knocking out all but two of his opponents, the champ fought four times in 2017 and has set himself up for his biggest fight yet.
Barrera, 35, of Miami, Fla. by way of Cuba, scored an exciting victory over Felix Valera on the undercard of HBO’s Thanksgiving weekend event. With the only blemish on his pro record coming against future Hall of Famer Andre Ward, Barrera continues to fight top contenders as he chases his first world title.
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of HBO Sports is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jonathan Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.
® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.
Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Kenneth McNeil Super Welterweight Title Bout Leads Off Lineup of Championship Fights March 3
New York, NY: Before fans at the Theater at Madison Square Garden enjoy two light heavyweight championship bouts Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin, and Dmitry Bivol vs. Sullivan Barrera” on Saturday, March 3, Main Events and Krusher Promotions presents the first title fight on the night’s undercard in the super welterweight division.
Bakhram Murtazaliev (11-0, 9 KOs) of Grozny, Russia will face Kenneth McNeil (11-3, 8 KOs) of Birmingham, Alabama, in the first defense of the IBA Super Welterweight World Title he won at The Garden in November.
Murtazaliev, 25, has quickly made a name for himself since coming to the United States in 2016. He hopes to extend his seven-fight knockout streak and improve his already impressive 82% knockout ratio (9 KOs in 11 wins). This will be his third fight under both the Krusher Promotions’ and Main Events’ banners.
McNeil, 28, is coming off a win in his last bout, and a split decision with Samuel Clarkson many observers believe he won. McNeil has never been stopped, so Murtazaliev’s goal of extending his knockout streak will be put to the test in his toughest fight to date.
After winning the title at Madison Square Garden in November, Murtazaliev said of the experience, “It looked like what I dreamed all my life.”
Murtazaliev was able to return home to Russia for a holiday visit with family and friends, but then it was back to sunny Oxnard, California to train with Abror Tursunpulatov, who also trains two-time Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey Kovalev.
“In my preparation, my path is to do. Abror’s is to tell us what to do. Today, he tells us to throw rocks. Tomorrow, he may tell us to throw people. He has a plan … we trust him,” said Murtazaliev.
Murtazaliev recently marked his first anniversary training with Tursunpulatov. “I started to train with him and I really understood what he was saying. It made huge sense to me. I enjoy every day with Abror. I love training with the other boxers, and Kovalev too.”
Murtazaliev says he’s working hard to impress fans and achieve success in the ring. “I’m putting all my heart into practices and all my heart into my fight March 3rd. You aren’t going to be disappointed,” promised Murtazaliev. “I will try to gain more fans, to show nice boxing. I really work hard, and it’s all due to hard work. If you work hard, you will get everything you want in your life.”
There are a few big fans who won’t be watching the young super welterweight on March 3, though. “Nobody from my family has ever seen live video of my fights,” said Murtazaliev. “They are worried about me and they don’t want to see me get punched,” he laughed. Murtazaliev says only his father has ever watched him fight live, in Russia.
About March 3: The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. Tickets range from $50 to $300 and are available online at TicketMaster.com and at the Madison Square Garden box office. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions, is sponsored by Medoff Vodka and Leon.ru and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.
Top International and NY Prospects Highlight the Sergey Kovalev vs. Igor Mikhalkin Non-Televised Undercard
New York, NY: Before fans at the Theater at Madison Square Garden enjoy two light heavyweight championship bouts Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev vs. Igor Mikhalkin, and Dmitry Bivol vs. Sullivan Barrera on Saturday, March 3, Main Events serves up a menu of top international and local prospects on the non-televised undercard.
According to Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone, “matching an undercard like this is a breath of fresh air. The ‘A’ side fighters trust me to do my job and match them with the right opponents. They all want to challenge themselves to be ready when they get to the bigger fights. Some of them even asked me for tougher opposition, which doesn’t happen much these days.”
Vaughn Alexander
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events
Vaughn Alexander (11-0, 8 KOs) of St. Louis, Missouri and older brother of former welterweight world champ Devon Alexander, returns to Madison Square Garden 14 years after his 2004 victory there, as he works his way back into the middleweight division. He will face Jaime Solorio (14-4-2, 8 KOs) of Ensenada, Mexico.
Alexander was a rising star when he was sent to prison and served an 11-year sentence. The 32-year-old picked up his career where he left off with life lessons learned and gratitude for the second chance Main Events and his hard work have provided him.
Solorio, 29, is a come-forward fighter and bigger than Alexander. He’s only been stopped once. Solorio will test Alexander’s ability to handle his size and aggressive approach.
Brooklyn native and community philanthropist, Frank “Notorious” Galarza (18-2-2, 11 KOs), will face Norberto Gonzalez (24-10, 14 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico in a ten-round junior middleweight contest.
Frank Galarza
Photo Credits: David Spangolo/Main Events
Galarza, 32, made his professional debut in 2010 and did not face defeat until 2015. After he signed with Main Events following a 14-month layoff, Galarza won a decisive decision victory in November and can’t wait to continue his road back to championship contention. Outside of the gym, Galarza dedicates his attention to his charitable organization, Youth Fighting Forward, which offers boxing lessons, as well as mentoring and tutoring to underprivileged kids in Brooklyn and Connecticut.
Gonzalez, 36, is a veteran who has fought everyone and took this fight on short notice without a second thought. Forget wins and losses, Gonzalez is a tough customer who puts everyone to the test in typical Mexican style.
Bakhram Murtazaliev (11-0, 9 KOs) of Grozny, Russia will face Kenneth McNeil (11-3, 8 KOs) of Birmingham, Alabama, in the first defense of the IBA Super Welterweight World Title he won at The Garden in November.
Bakhram Murtazaliev
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events
Murtazaliev, 25, has quickly made a name for himself since coming to the United States in 2016. He hopes to extend his seven-fight knockout streak and improve his already impressive 82% knockout ratio (9 KOs in 11 wins). This will be his third fight under both the Krusher Promotions and Main Events banners.
McNeil, 28, is coming off a win in his last bout, and a split decision with Samuel Clarkson many observers believe he won. McNeil has never been stopped, so Murtazaliev’s goal of extending his knockout streak will be put to the test in his toughest fight to date.
Astana, Kazakhstan native Meiirim “The Sultan” Nursultanov (5-0, 4 KOs) will face Alejandro Torres (9-3-2, 4 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico.
Meiirim Nursultanov
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events
Nursultanov, 24, will have a robust cheering section for his second bout at The Garden from enthusiastic Kazakh fans. He has stopped each of his last three opponents. Nursultanov will look to top his most recent performance, which resulted in a TKO win after knocking his opponent, Ismael Bueno, out of the ring.
Torres, age 24, is making his debut at The Garden and appearing in his second bout in the United States. He has been on the short end of several decisions and nearly stopped his last opponent, knocking him down. Torres has only been stopped once, in his professional debut. Nursultanov will need to work hard to make a statement against Torres.
Expect a big show from the heavyweights. Cassius Chaney (11-0, 5 KOs) of Baltimore, Maryland faces Tim Washington (6-5, 6 KOs) of Toledo, Ohio, in a six-round fight.
Chaney, 30, a standout NCAA basketball player at the University of New Haven, switched sports after graduating with his bachelor’s degree in sports management. He’s been a sought after sparring partner, working with Tyson and Hughie Fury. He recently returned to his hometown of Baltimore to work with trainer Calvin Ford, the inspiration for the character “Cutty” in the popular TV series “The Wire.”
Washington, 37, joins the list of fighters making their first appearance in New York at The Garden. Washington has plenty of power and always comes to fight and make a statement. With all of his wins coming by knockout, Washington is a “go big or go home” opponent.
Alexey Evchenko (15-10-1, 6 KOs) of Chelyabinsk, Russia takes on Khiary Gray-Pitts (15-3, 11 KOs) of Worcester, Massachusetts in an eight-round welterweight fight.
Evchenko, age 34, makes his American debut after fighting primarily in Russia. He is a road warrior who has won his last six bouts in Russia and has the opportunity to introduce himself to fans and make a strong first impression that will stick with them.
Gray-Pitts, 25, is fighting for the first time outside Rhode Island and Connecticut. He is coming off his first win at welterweight over the rugged Greg Jackson. When this tough match was offered to Gray-Pitts, he didn’t hesitate, which says a lot about his attitude.
Middleweights Leshawn “Lightning” Rodriguez (8-0, 7 KOs) and Martez Jackson (4-1-2, 2 KOs) are scheduled for six rounds of action.
LeShawn “Lightning” Rodriguez
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events
Rodriguez, 24, of Shirley, New York is generating buzz among fans who love his take-no-prisoners, hard-hitting style. He enjoyed an outstanding amateur career, amassing a record of 160-15 and winning two NY Daily News Golden Gloves before making his professional debut in 2016. Rodriguez promises to entertain and hopes to achieve his third straight knockout victory.
Jackson, 34, from Atlanta, Georgia, has a knack for ruining perfect records. Both of his draws came against previously undefeated opponents. Jackson has never been stopped and his sole loss came to Madiyar Ashkeyev, who is also on the card. Jackson has the ability to dictate the pace and Rodriguez will be tested to keep up with him in his toughest fight to date.
Madiyar Ashkeyev
Photo Credit: David Spangolo/Main Events
Madiyar Ashkeyev (8-0, 4 KOs) of Merki, Kazakhstan will face Jose Antonio Abreu (13-3, 8 KOs) of La Romana, Dominican Republic in a six-round junior middleweight match-up.
Ashkeyev, 29, enjoyed an outstanding amateur career. He earned a bronze medal at the Asia Cadet Boxing Championships (2004), second place at the XIX International Boxing Tournament (2011), and first place at the XX International Boxing Tournament (2014). He scored a second-round stoppage in his professional debut in 2015 over Tavorus Teague, and is coming off a seventh round TKO over Shawn Cameron in his most recent bout. Ashkeyev trains in Oxnard at the Boxing Laboratory under the guidance of Marco Contreras, and is managed by Egis Klimas, who also manages champions Sergey Kovalev, Oleksandr Usyk and Vasyl Lomachenko.
Abreu, 30, made his professional debut in 2012 and won his first 12 bouts with seven of those wins coming by way of knockout. After suffering his first career loss in 2016, Abreu redeemed himself in his next fight by scoring a second round TKO over Euri Gonzalez. With two difficult defeats in a row, Jose is in “must-win” situation against Ashkeyev, which makes him a dangerous opponent.
Opening the evening, two-time NY Daily News Golden Gloves Champion Ismael Villarreal (1-0) from the Bronx, New York returns after his successful professional debut for his second fight at The Garden against Anthony Woods (1-6) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a four-round super middleweight bout.
Ismael Villarreal
Photo Credit: David Spagnolo/Main Events
Villarreal, 20, son of former super lightweight fighter Otilio Villarreal, is quickly gaining fans and making a name for himself despite also carrying a full course load at Brooklyn Community College.
Woods, 31, originally from Georgia, wanted to play in the NFL as a kid. But after he got into a few scraps with neighborhood kids, he decided boxing suited him better. Woods says his attitude is why he’s never been stopped and he doesn’t intend for this to change against Villareal.
Mizzone said, “I am lucky to work with these boxers because they all want to fight the best. It is my job to challenge them, to advance their career, and it is their job to win!
“Every undercard fight is a must-win fight for both participants, whether it be to get to the next level, or to be able to get the next opportunity. I promise every fan who comes to this card on March 3 will be entertained from top to bottom, start to finish!”
About March 3: The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. Tickets range from $50 to $300 and are available online at TicketMaster.com and at the Madison Square Garden box office. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions, is sponsored by Medoff Vodka and Leon.ru and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.
Miami, FL: Yesterday Sullivan Barrera (21-1, 14 KOs) met with members of the media in Miami to discuss his upcoming mandatory challenge fight against WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (12-0, 10 KOs) at The Theater at Madison Square Garden Saturday, March 3. The bout will be the co-main event on the Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev vs. Igor Mikhalkin HBO World Championship Boxing telecast which airs at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.
Sullivan Barrera:
On fighting in a title bout:
“This would be a very important victory obviously because I want to look to the future after this. It would be a dream come true to win the title. And we would see what happens after that. There are a lot of big names out there.”
His plan fighting Bivol:
“Bivol is a good fighter and it is known that he has speed but we have a plan to adjust to the speed and take it away. We are going to impose ourselves and use our abilities.”
His thoughts on Bivol:
“Bivol is the champ and he has to be respected as such but I have fought big names before and that’s going to give me an edge. I have been there before, fighting in big fights.”
Regarding adversity and coming back from knockdowns:
“Things happen in a fight but you can see every time that it has happened the switch has gone on and activated me and I become a lot more dangerous. Obviously, that’s not the plan that it happens in any fight and we hope it doesn’t happen in this fight either. I know the crowd likes the drama and the excitement of it and it’s worked in our favor every time.”
What’s next?
“After March 3rd, when I get the belt, I’m ready, I’m ready right now for everyone, open for everyone. I’m a fighter and open to fight everybody. I’m a throwback fighter. I’m not thinking about sitting down. Of course, things need to be done right financial-wise but I am willing to fight anybody.”
His strategy for Bivol:
“Obviously, we can’t reveal our strategy and our plan, but I can tell you we are going to go out there 100% and leave it all out there in the ring to get the victory.”
About March 3: The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. Tickets range from $50 to $300 and are available online at TicketMaster.com and at the Madison Square Garden box office. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions, is sponsored by Medoff Vodka and Leon.ru and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.
(Norwalk, California) – WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (12-0, 10 KOs) met with news media at the Legendz Gym, owned and run by Roger Ruiz yesterday to discuss his upcoming mandatory title defense against #1 ranked challenger Sullivan Barrera (21-1-0, 14 KOs).
Dmitry Bivol – WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion:
On his debut at Madison Square Garden: “Of course I’m glad I will be fighting in America and Madison Square Garden is a famous place. I’m glad; it’s great. I’m more excited (than nervous), I think. Every fight, I feel excited.”
On starting in boxing as a child: “To be honest with you, I don’t remember much of my life outside boxing. Everything I remember has been something to do with boxing. I’m thankful to my parents that they kept me in the sport and they’ve allowed me to be in the sport.”
On his greatest strengths: “It’s difficult to say, but I move good. My feet, my speed – well, everything! Every fighter must think about himself only the best. Because of that, you can be better, you can be a winner. If you think about yourself, ‘I’m not good,’ negative, you will hurt yourself. Confidence, but not over confidence.”
On fighting Sullivan Barrera: “I want to fight with the best guys. Barrera accepted our challenge. I’m glad he did.”
On getting top opponents to fight him: “Any good fighter probably has difficulties with getting guys in the ring, fighting the right guys. But my job is to train and I believe, I really believe, that my team is going to be able to come together and make things happen. I know they can.”
On seeing a large Russian fan base in New York: “Of course it’s a pleasure to fight on a card where there’s going to be two world champions from Russia, fighting on the same night, one fight after another. I think the fans should be very glad, the Russian fans and all the fans who like both of us, will come and see both of us fight. I hope everybody comes out. It will be an interesting night.”
Any pressure fighting on the same card as two-time world champion Sergey Kovalev: “Every fight for me is a lot of responsibility. I have to be responsible for my fans, for my family, and to my team. That’s my main responsibility. Mostly, I’m happy to be fighting at such a legendary place as Madison Square Garden and fighting with one of the best fighters out of Russia, Sergey Kovalev. He’s considered one of the best right now. That adds a lot and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
On the Sergey Kovalev vs. Igor Mikhalkin fight: “Obviously, Kovalev is the favorite in the fight. But I do think people are underestimating Mikhalkin. He’s not an easy fighter. He’s not an easy opponent.”
About March 3: The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. Tickets range from $50 to $300 and are available online at TicketMaster.com and at the Madison Square Garden box office. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions, is sponsored by Medoff Vodka and Leon.ru and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.
Sergey Kovalev vs. Igor Mikhalkin and Dmitry Bivol vs. Sullivan Barrera International Media Conference Call Transcript
KOVALEV VS. SHABRANSKYY OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN Theater Lobby, Madison Square Garden
Kathy Duva: Welcome everyone to the Sergey Kovalev vs. Igor Mikhalkin and Dmitry Bivol vs. Sullivan Barrera international media conference call. This is Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events. I just want to, on a personal note, tell everybody it’s great to have you back after these few months. This is a long cold winter. Happy to be able to get back into action.
Thank you to all the media who have dialed in on this call today to discuss two sensational championship fights in the light heavyweight division. Both bouts will air on HBO World Championship Boxing®, live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden, on Saturday, March 3rd at 10:05pm, ET/PT.
The main event between Sergey Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title. The co-main event, which features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion, Dmitry Bivol vs. Sullivan Barrera is a 12-round title fight.
Tickets range from $50 to $300. They are moving very well and are available online at ticketmaster.com, in person at Madison Square Garden box office, and directly through Main Events by dialing our office at 973-200-7050, or sending an email to boxing@mainevents.com. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®.
We’ll also be featuring, for those who can be there in person, a fantastic undercard. Jolene Mizzone has always outdone herself and we will be featuring 11 bouts of all young prospects, some local, some from Eastern Europe and all over the world, who are going to be in great, competitive fights. It’s a good night to be there in person.
Sullivan Barrera: I feel alright. My training camp, we are going well too. I have been waiting my whole life for the title fight, so that’s the day finally here. Very important fight for me, so I’m very happy for that.
Question: Sullivan, can you tell us what went into your decision to take the Bivol fight over fighting Kovalev in the main event that night?
Barrera: I was offered the Sergey Kovalev fight initially for a substantial amount more money than the second time but at that time there was no title fight on the line. I felt that after the Wardfight, I was worthy of finally fighting for a title. The second time around when they offered me the Kovalev fight, it was for considerably less money, and they wanted to extend my contract. That is the reason why I decided to fight Bivol.
Question: Sullivan, can you tell us what you think of Bivol so far and if you think what people have been saying about him is justified based on what he’s done in the ring thus far.
Barrera: I respect all fighters. Bivol is a young, talented fighter. I respect anyone that gets in the ring. At the end of the day, when he steps into the ring, he’s going to have to prove everything that all the writers are saying about him.
Question: Why would this fight be different than Bivol’s previous fights? Because Sullivan obviously is the most experienced or most accomplished fighter that Bivol will have fought.
Barrera: All of my opponents have been younger than me. The importance here is that it’s a title fight and I am going in there knowing that it’s a title fight. I am preparing like this is the most important fight. I understand that Bivol is a younger guy and I’m used to that.
Question: What does Sullivan expect from fighting Bivol?
Barrera: I think in the past he hasn’t fought anyone with the experience that I have had and it should be a very competitive fight.
Question: Cuban boxers have had some recent defeats. The fighters that are left are [Luis] Ortiz, Erislandy Lara and Sullivan Barrera. Do you think you can be the show face for the Cuban boxing system?
Barrera: Of course, yes. I believe so.
Question: Kathy, why was Sullivan offered less money to fight Bivol than Kovalev?
Duva: Well, actually, while we were discussing the Kovalev fight, a lot of numbers got thrown around, but as far as the offer is concerned, it was the same, the actual offer. That’s my recollection of the negotiation.
Question: Sullivan also made a reference about extending the contract but I’m a little confused by that. Wouldn’t him becoming champion extend the contract?
Duva: Not at that time, no. Sullivan has been with Main Events a long time, that contract was running out and we were working on another one, where that was not featured in the contract. We did absolutely ask for options, it’s a voluntary defense and that’s typically the way things work.
Question: Sullivan, what weaknesses do you see in Dmitry Bivol that you feel you’ll be able to expose on March 3rd?
Barrera: The biggest difference is the experience. I feel that I’ve fought a lot more experienced fighters and I believe, strongly, that that will be the biggest difference come March 3rd.
Question: If Main Events was able to take you from a virtually unknown commodity of the United States, to a world champion who’s fighting on HBO, why wouldn’t you want to extend your contract with them?
Barrera: I never said that I was never going to re-sign with them or to continue to do business with them. Just that the offer that was made to me initially for the Kovalev fight was something that wasn’t up to par with what I wanted, and I am very thankful for everything Main Events has done for me and continues to do for me. What the future holds is after this fight.
Question: In this fight, is Sullivan betting on himself to improve the offers that he receives from Main Events?
Barrera: Yes, once I am a champion, the WBA champion, of course, I’ll be a champion, the offers do get much better.
Duva: Thank you Sullivan. Dmitry Bivol is the WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion. He is a fantastic fighter. We are partners with World of Boxing on this promotion and delighted to be working with him.
Question: Dmitry, earlier Sullivan said that the reason that he took the fight against you as opposed to Kovalev was about money. Why do you think that he took the fight?
Dmitry Bivol: I do not have any reason not to believe that Sullivan took the fight was because of the money, but at this point, it doesn’t matter why he decided to do it because now the only thing that’s left is the fight itself.
Question: Do you think that Sullivan views him as an easier opponent than Kovalev?
Bivol: At first, those were the thoughts that I might have had that maybe he thought I was a weaker opponent, but now that Sullivan has stated that it’s because of the money, I understand that maybe Sullivan is correct, he just did it because of the money. I don’t necessarily have a reason to not believe Sullivan.
Question: Dmitry, what is your opinion of Sullivan Barrera who obviously has a lot of international experience and has fought some top light heavyweights?
Bivol: Of course, I know that Sullivan has lots of experience and lots of fights behind him, but I know that I also have a lot of experience, might not as much as Barrera, but still lots of experience, good quality fights. I believe that I’ve got good qualities that I can trust. I can trust in myself to win this fight.
Question: How much do you feel that you have to prove yourself in this fight because Sullivan obviously is the best opponent that you have faced?
Bivol: I am definitely aware that Barrera is probably one of the best fighters that I’ve ever faced, probably the best fighter. But to me, every fight is important, and every fight, everything’s on the line, so I need to go out and do my best and make sure that I show my best qualities and do my best fighting.
Question: Dmitry, do you believe that perhaps because of the fact that you’ve only had 12 fights and you were a champion at an early age, you’re considered a rookie, so to speak, and that Barrera accepted you because of the fact that you were the lesser opponent in terms of a championship fight as opposed to Sergey Kovalev, or Superman Stevenson who’s fighting Badou Jack?
Bivol: I said before, at first, I might have thought that maybe Barrera decided to fight me because I’m a weaker opponent between the two. But, as Barrera stated, he accepted the fight over Kovalev specifically because of the money. So now, I know that that is why that fight was arranged. At the end, though, I am very happy that Barrera decided to fight me and I have no reason not to trust Barrera that he picked me specifically because of the money. So that is why I’m happy that we get to fight.
Question: Knowing that this is your title fight, you’re defending your title fight against, as expected, the veteran, which is Barrera, who’s fought Andre Ward and fought Joe Smith and guys with more fights than you. Without giving out any trade secrets, what are you doing extra to make sure that your hand is raised in victory March 3rd in terms of training?
Bivol: I believe that a person must do what he knows how to do. I know my good qualities and I make sure that every time I’m in practice, I’m perfecting the art of boxing. I’m perfecting my skills. I know that I’m not perfect but I want to make sure that I keep on working towards perfection. Nothing specific new is happening in camp; camp is always tough and camp is always good. It’s pretty much the same, the only thing that’s different maybe is tougher sparring partners, but other than that, I know my skills and I know that I want to continue doing what I do best, which is boxing.
Question: Dmitry, this is your New York City debut. How do you feel about fighting at the Theater at Madison Square Garden?
Bivol: I’m very excited about my debut in New York and, of course, to be fighting at Madison Square Garden. My trainer’s dream is to have his main fighter fight in the main event, in Madison Square Garden. This is a small step towards that dream for him.
Question: What are Barrera’s strengths and weaknesses that you’ve seen in his fight?
Bivol: Every fighter has his own weaknesses. I don’t necessarily want to discuss what Barrera’s weaknesses are. I think the best way to see it is just to see the fight and see where he was stronger and where he was weaker.
Question: We saw Andre Ward handle Sullivan Barrera rather easily. Will Dmitry look to deploy some of the same tactics?
Bivol: Ward showed a lot of good speed in a fight. He showed a lot of good movement, a lot of body movement in the fight, and possibly this is some of the things I would like to use in the fight as well.
Question: We’ve seen Sullivan go down in the first round of each of his last two fights. Will you look to jump on him? Do you see yourself getting off to a fast start knowing that in the last two fights whether he came out cold or for whatever the reason he’s been down early?
Bivol: I’m not lining up to necessarily knock him down or send him down in the first round. I’m going to assess the situation to see how the fight is going. And, of course, if there’ll be opportunities where I’m able to capitalize on them, for sure I will do it, but I will have to decide on my feet. I am training for all 12 rounds. I’m not sure if it’s going to go that long, but I’m training my stamina to make sure that I’ve got enough energy for all 12 rounds.
Question: It’s The Garden in New York, do you want this to be an all-out war, a dog fight, or would you prefer it to be a high IQ boxing match basically?
Bivol: When I come out to fight, I always try to fight with a high IQ. I want to make sure that I’m responsible for the movement that I make and I understand what’s going on. I’m always thinking on my feet. But, of course, after the fight, I want to make sure that the fight was also entertaining for the fans and the fans would like to see me fight again and are excited about me fighting.
Kathy: I would like to thank you Dmitry Bivol for joining us. Next on the line we have Igor Mikhalkin joining us from Germany with his promoter Erol Ceylan.
Question: Igor, I wanted to ask you, just looking at Kovalev fights in the past, will you focus on what everybody sees as his biggest weakness and go to the body? Is that something you’re going to stress going into this fight?
Igor Mikhalkin: I am going to judge it by the situation. I’m going to see how it goes, and try to hit in the head as well as go in the body. I’m going to assess the situation as the fight proceeds.
Question: Coming into The Garden, fighting on the big stage on HBO on the main event, if you could write the perfect script, how would he want this fight to play out?
Mikhalkin: [chuckles] Obviously, it’s a dream of every boxer to fight in the main event, Madison Square Garden. It’s obviously a dream fight for me. It’s very important for me. I’m very excited about it. And I’m not only fighting the main fight on the main card, I’m also fighting the main fighter in the light heavyweight division, so I’m going to write the perfect script on March 3rd and, hopefully, I’m victorious.
Question: Would you want it to end in a knockout or do you just want to win?
Mikhalkin: I’m going for points. I’m going for doing a good job boxing. I never was a puncher, so I never necessarily aim for a knockout. I conditioned to fight all 12 rounds, and I enjoy fighting all 12 rounds, so I’m going to go and fight technically and see how it goes.
Question: Igor, you’re making your debut in the Mecca of Boxing Madison Square Garden have you begun to develop perhaps a little bit of butterfly stage fright not only because this is your debut, but you’re fighting, like it was mentioned before, the number one. And what extra are you doing to make sure that your hand, not Sergey’s, is raised in victory on March third?
Mikhalkin: I’m conditioning and training really hard. I’m making sure I’m very well prepared for the fight. This is most likely the most important fight in my career. This is the greatest opponent I’ve ever fought. Before every fight, of course, there’s a little bit of butterflies. Because it’s Madison Square Garden as opposed to another arena, it’s not any more frightening than other places. I’m happy to be there. I’m happy to make my debut in Madison Square Garden, and I’m making sure that I’m training really hard to keep this fight in my favor.
Question: In terms of advantages or disadvantages, is the fact that he is a southpaw and fought very well, he has a very good record of 21 victories, nine knockouts, does a southpaw stance create advantage, you think?
Mikhalkin: Yes. The answer to your question is yes. I think being at southpaw is going to be to my advantage. The short answer is yes, I think so.
Question: Earlier, Igor, you said that you train for the distance and there is evidence of that in your record. Your last several fights, have gone to distance, but you haven’t been in there with somebody like Kovalev. Have you been sparring with bigger punchers than normal in an effort to try to simulate that power?
Mikhalkin: I have been inviting sparring partners that are bigger punchers that are trying to imitate, let’s say, the style of Kovalev. I’m prepared for when it’s time to fight on March 3rd.
Question: Are there any nuances? Is there anything else that you’re doing differently than normal?
Mikhalkin: Nothing specific. At the beginning of the training camp I thought maybe something needs to be changed, but then I realized that training is already good and so I am continuing to train very hard. Continuing to condition myself and make sure that everything goes well on March 3rd. So, not anything specific was changed, just hard training and training all the time.
Duva: I will like to thank Erol Ceylan and Igor Mikhalkin for joining us. Now we have two-time World Champion Sergey Kovalev on the line and Egis Klimas, his manager.
Question: Sergey, welcome back to New York City. This will be your second fight. You’re fighting a southpaw, what do you know about Igor?
Sergey Kovalev: Hi everybody. My pleasure to be back in New York fighting against Igor Mikhalkin. I know this guy from amateurs when I was maybe 17 or 18. And right now, we’re fighting in Madison Square Garden, so it’s interesting for me.
Question: What are his strengths and weaknesses that you know of Igor? If you’ve seen him in amateurs, you’ve seen him fight, maybe you just quarreled with him at amateurs?
Kovalev: I know that he is a nice guy and very good boxer. He’s IBO champion and that he wants to get the champion world titles. I will defend my WBO title March 3. I don’t know any more about him.
Question: Sergey, I was just wondering if you could tell us what Mikhalkin can do to make things difficult for you in the fight that you have to guard against. Being a southpaw, being a boxer, being a guy who moves, how do you guard against that to make sure you get the knockout?
Kovalev: I’m not going to do some something extra to get a victory over Igor Mikhalkin because I’m back already as champion of the world in my last fight. I should be ready for everything because I am very motivated right now. I think Mikhalkin is very excited about the fight with me. It’s going to be a very interesting fight because we are trained mentally, Russians, and never step back, just the fighting till the end. We’re ready to fight for the world title.
Question: Sergey, will you be disappointed if you’re not able to knock him out?
Kovalev: It’s not my goal to knock somebody out every round, every minute. I don’t think about it. I just get into the ring. We’ll get into the ring and I’m going to do my best job for boxing fans. What will happen, we will see. Everybody will see March 3rd. Watch HBO or come to Theater Madison Square Garden.
Question: Going into this fight, I know you talked a little bit about not worrying about the knockout, but you wouldn’t be “Krusher” Kovalev if you don’t knock the people out. That’s what people want. How important is it for you to be in this stage satisfying fans with this fight?
Kovalev: I will be very happy after the fight when I will get the victory over Igor by knockout. I’m really happy when my boxing fans are happy of results of the fight.
Question: Kathy, I want to ask you because I believe that you guys announced your date first, March 3rd, your fight with the main event with HBO. The other guys came in and they announced their date. Did they try to work with you at all or did anybody exchange any words saying, “Hey, look. We already got this date set in New York,” or is it just one of those things they announced it and everybody goes?
Duva: Nobody spoke to me. As you know, we announced this date on the night of Sergey’s last fight back in November. There are many dates that are held throughout the year for boxing events. They do not happen for various reasons. I can only worry about things I can control. Unfortunately, one of those things. We’re very happy with the response thus far from the fans with the ticket sales. At this point, we’ve already exceeded what we did last time. In fact, that was the case early on, actually, a couple weeks into the sales for the fight. We’re expecting a big robust crowd. I would advise anyone, especially, really not just the Sergey fans but the boxing fans, this is a great show, top to bottom. It’s not just about coming to see one fight, it’s about coming for the whole night. We will not disappoint you.
Question: Sergey, in your last several fights, you’ve been in there with pretty much nothing but the best of the best. Is it difficult for you to get motivated for a fight like Igor the same way as a Hopkins or an Andre Ward?
Kovalev: For me, every fight is like a call. It’s a call. Right now, this call I got Igor Mikhalkin, nobody except him. I’m ready to fight anybody. Who’s else right now is ready? Only Igor Mikhalkin. We have the best guys right now. Somebody can come and they have another belt and they defend the title against another challenger. And I’m fighting anybody who is ready to get into the ring against me. And Igor Mikhalkin got the call.
Question: Okay. You haven’t fought any southpaws since 2014 when you fought [Cedric] Agnew and [Blake] Caparello, two southpaws back-to-back. Who were some of the guys you’ve been sparring with to prepare for your first lefty in about four years?
Kovalev: It’s a little bit difficult to find somebody who looks like Igor Mikhalkin. But I’m ready because I have sparred already like three weeks with a southpaw. And day-by-day, spar-by-spar, I feel much better and more comfortable against southpaw. And this thing that will be interesting fight. I’m really excited that I’m fighting early on this year already and I’m really happy that I’m back on the high level to box high stakes.
About March 3: The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. Tickets range from $50 to $300 and are available at TicketMaster.com and the Madison Square Garden box office. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.
Sullivan Barrera “After Ward, Bivol is my toughest challenge”
MIAMI, Florida – Top light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera is working hard in the second half of his training camp for his March 3rd HBO televised clash against WBA light heavyweight champoin Dmitry Bivol.
The 35-year-old former Cuban amateur standout has been on quite a run. After losing a unanimous decision to the now retired former pound-for-pound king Andre Ward, Barrera has put together a four fight win streak against the likes of Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, Paul “Pay Per View” Parker, Joe Smith Jr. and the hard hitting Felix Valera.
While that is an impressive list, Barrera knows that none of those opponents are as formidable as the challenge that lies ahead of him on March 3rd at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden.
“Bivol is a great fighter. He will be the second best fighter I have faced and second only to Andre Ward,” said Barrera. “He has a great amateur pedigree and has been knocking out the majority of his opponents. I know I need to bring my ‘A’ game to beat him.”
Bivol has stopped his previous four opponents and only 2 of his 12 victims have made it to the final bell. Barrera has a lot of respect for his opponent and believes his power is legitimate.
“He has knocked guys out with one punch. I know I have to be careful in there. He is a very confident fighter. He knows he has power and knows how to get in position to use it. That is why I am taking him very seriously,” Barrera explained.
Barrera knows that a victory over Bivol will open a lot of doors as fights against champions like Sergey Kovalev, the Adonis Stevenson-Badou Jack winner and Artur Beterbiev could be available to him but the Cuban refuses to look ahead.
“March 3rd is all that matters. God willing I get the win and then we can talk about future plans but right now I am focused on Bivol. I know I have to concentrate on him and give him all of my attention,” said Barrera.
Kovalev-Mikhalkin & Bivol-Barrera Tickets on Sale Tuesday Presale Begins Monday!
KOVALEV VS. SHABRANSKYY OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN Theater Lobby, Madison Square Garden
New York, NY: Tickets go on sale Tuesday, January 16 at noon for the upcoming showdown between two-time Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (31-2-1, 27 KOs) versus Igor Mikhalkin (21-1, 9 KOs) and WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (12-0, 10 KOs) versus Sullivan Barrera (21-1, 14 KOs), which takes place on Saturday, March 3 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Tickets for this exciting event are priced from $50 to $300 and will be available through ticketmaster.com and the Madison Square Garden box office. From Monday, January 15 at noon until Tuesday, January 16 at 11:00 am, subscribers to the Main Events email list can purchase tickets in advance using an exclusive presale code at www.ticketmaster.com and www.msg.com.
The event will be promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions and televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.
About March 3: The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Tickets range from $50 to $300 and will be available through TicketMaster.com, the Madison Square Garden Box office and the Main Events office by calling 973-200-7050 or emailing boxing@mainevents.com.
New York, NY: Sergey Kovalev continues his rise back to the top of the light heavyweight division when he returns to the Mecca of Boxing on Saturday, March 3rd to defend the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title versus southpaw Igor Mikhalkin, originally of Irkutsk, Russia, now fighting out of Hamburg, Germany. A skilled boxer, Mikhalkin puts his ten-bout winning streak on the line as he steps up to challenge one of the most fearsome punchers in professional boxing at New York City’s Theater at Madison Square Garden.
In the co-main event, newly minted WBA World Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol of Russia makes his second defense of the title against Cuba’s streaking Sullivan Barrera, the mandatory challenger. Viewed as a “toss-up” bout by boxing insiders, Bivol-Barrera matches a young, explosive champion against an experienced veteran hungry for his first world title fight. Presented by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions, the doubleheader will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Ticket information will be announced shortly.
Last month, the Big Apple welcomed Kovalev (31-2-1, 27 KOs), the two-time light heavyweight world champion, with open arms as he made his New York debut with a stoppage of Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in the second round to reclaim his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Eager to return to the ring and to his new home, “Krusher” thrilled his large following of Russian fans last month and he expects an even bigger contingent to greet him in March. As he sits comfortably atop the light heavyweight rankings and in the top five pound-for-pound, Sergey’s goal is to put on a great show for the fans in attendance and watching on HBO.
Kovalev said, “I really enjoyed fighting at Madison Square Garden in November. It feels like my home. I’m very excited to go back to MSG and to fight on HBO. Everyone should to have a great time watching my fight!”
Kovalev’s manager, Egis Klimas, added, “It’s still very difficult to find light heavyweights who want to fight Sergey. I’m surprised! Many thanks to Igor Mikhalkin, who is confident enough to take on The Krusher and get a big opportunity. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Shabranskyy is Ukrainian and Igor is Russian. They’re tough! Not afraid!”
Mikhalkin (21-1, 9 KOs), 32, a southpaw originally from Irkutsk, Russia, now resides in Hamburg, Germany. He made his professional debut in 2007 with a second-round stoppage against Stefan Stanko and went on to win his first 11 bouts with seven of those wins coming by way of knockout. The lone blemish on Mikhalin’s record is a unanimous decision loss to former WBO Light Heavyweight Title contender Aleksy Kuziemski in 2010. In the eight years since, Igor amassed several belts: the IBO Light Heavyweight World Title, EBU Light Heavyweight Title and the WBO Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Title. Mikhalkin will be making his US debut against Kovalev on March 3.
When asked about his upcoming title shot against Kovalev, Mikhalkin replied, “It is a great honor for me to fight in the United States. This will undoubtedly be the biggest and hardest fight in my career. Kovalev is for me the strongest man in this weight class. But I feel ready. The fight against Kovalev comes at the perfect time. I feel stronger than ever and I want to show the American boxing audience a great fight.”
Mikhalkin’s promoter, Erol Ceylan, of EC Box Promotions added, “We are happy to organize this fight together with Main Events. Kovalev is a big name in the light heavyweight division. Igor has absolutely earned this fight and he has the class to defeat Kovalev. Igor has already won many great foreign victories in his career and I’m sure that he will be successful again.”
In the co-main event, the young champion, Dmitry Bivol (12-0, 10 KOs), makes his New York debut and fights in the United States and on HBO for the second time. Sullivan Barrera (21-1, 14 KOs), who has become a fixture on HBO, returns to The Garden for his first world title fight. Both men were very focused on making this fight and facing each other. Some boxing commentators believe this matchup could be the fight of the night.
“This is not the first time that I am training for the most important fight of my career, and this motivates me and makes me happy! Sullivan Barrera is what we wanted and I am glad that we will meet in the ring soon,” explained WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion, Dmitry Bivol.
Andrei Ryabinskiy, of World of Boxing, Bivol’s promoter, explained, “We have planned a very active schedule for Dmitry Bivol and World of Boxing in 2018 and are happy to start the year with an event at Madison Square Garden on March 3rd with Dmitry Bivol vs Sullivan Barrera. I would like to thank Kathy Duva and HBO and hope that our partnership will prosper.”
Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov added, “We are glad that our first appearance in 2018 will be against one of the best in the division in the legendary Madison Square Garden. Sullivan Barrera is a serious test for Bivol and we have a lot of respect for him taking this fight. We want to prove to the world that it was not by accident that this young kid became a world champion in only his 12th ring appearance, he is already fighting on HBO for his third time, and he is fighting one of the best fighters in the division with only one career loss that came at the hands of Andre Ward. Bivol has already been mentioned as a possible pound for pound prospect by many and we will continue fighting the best out there to prove this!”
Barrera said, “I came from Cuba with one dream and that was to win a world title. I know it won’t be easy and I know I chose the toughest road than anyone to get here. But I know all of the tough opponents I have agreed to fight and hard work will pay off. On March 3rd, I will become the most deserving light heavyweight champion in boxing.”
Main Events CEO Kathy Duva remarked, “We’re ready to showcase the light heavyweight division again at Madison Square Garden! We have Kovalev and Barrera both returning to The Theater after big wins in November and we’re adding another light heavyweight champion to the card! Dmitry is a young champion with a bright future ahead of him if he can get past Sullivan, which is no easy task. And Sergey is taking on Igor Mikhalkin, who is a young, but experienced, southpaw and that’s given him some trouble in the past. We’ll round out the show with another lineup of prospects and local guys in great fights to make sure the fans see a really entertaining and satisfying night of boxing.”
About Kovalev-Mikhalkin: The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Ticket information will be available shortly.
Video: Fight highlights: Sullivan Barrera vs. Felix Valera (HBO World Championship Boxing)
FOLLOW KOVALEV – SHABRANSKYY LIVE!!
Follow all the action as Sergey Kovalev looks to regain the WBO Light Heavyweight title against Vyacheslav Shabranskyy. The action begins at 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT with Junior Lightweight contest between former world champions Jason Sosa and Yuriorkis Gamboa followed by a Light Heavyweight fight between Sullivan Barrera and Felix Valera
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Round 1: Kovalev lands a right..Good jab.Body shot..Right from Shabranskyy..BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES SHABRANSKYY..BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES SHABRANSKYY..
Round 2 Hard right from Kovalev..HARD LEFT AND SHABRANSKYY GOES DOWN..Right rocks Shabranskyy..HARD ONSLAUGHT AND THE THE FIGHT IS OVER
10-Rounds–Light Heavyweights–Sullivan Barrera (20-1, 14 KOs) vs Felix Valera ( 15-1, 13 KOs)
ROUND
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
TOTAL
Barrera
9
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
9
10
98
Valera
10
9
9
9
10
8
9
8
9
10
91
Round 1 HARD LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES BARRERA..RIGHT HAND AND DOWN GOES VALERA
Round 2 Left hook from Valera..Good left hook from Barrera..Valera warned for a low blow..Good right from Barrera..Barrera cut over his left eye..Hard right to body from Barrera..
Round 3 VALERA DEDUCTED A POINT FOR LOW BLOW..Left hook from Valera..Left hook to body from Barrera..
Round 4 Good overhand right from Barrera…Hard right…Right to body..right..
Round 5
Round 6 VALERA DEDUCTED ANOTHER POINT FOR LOW BLOW..Barrera lands a right. Valera lands a left..2 lefts Barrera…Good body shot..Right hand..Straight right to the chin..Hard combination
Round 7 Right from Barrera..Trading body shots..Good right from Barrera..Left uppercut
Round 8 VALERA DEDUCTED ANOTHER POINT FOR LOW BLOWS..Good uppercut from Barrera..
Round 9 BARRERA DEDUCTED A POINT FOR A LOW BLOW..Good left to body and right from Barrera..
Round 10 Big left hook from Valera..Body shot…Barrera lands a body shot..Big left hook
Round 2 2 Body shots from Gamboa..Sosa lands a left hook…Cut over Gamboa’s left eye..Good over hand right from Sosa
Round 3
Round 4 Good body shot from Gamboa..
Round 5 Hard right from Gamboa..Good right from Sosa…Right From Gamboa..
Round 6 Left from Gamboa..
Round 7 RIGHT HAND MAKES GAMBOA GLOVE TOUCH CANVAS FOR A KNOCKDOWN..Good left hook from Gamboa..Good right from Sosa..Body shot..
Round 8 Right from Sosa..Left to Body..Left..Right to body
Round 9 Right from Sosa
Round 10 GAMBOA DEDUCTED A POINT FOR HOLDING…
94-94; 95-93; 96-92 for YURIORKIS GAMBOA
Return Of The “Krusher” — Kovalev Stops Shabranskyy In 2
KOVALEV VS. SHABRANSKYY OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN Theater Lobby, Madison Square Garden
NEW YORK CITY –Sergey Kovalev (31-2-1, 27 KO) returned to pre-Andre Ward fight form and captured the WBO world light heavyweight title, blasting through Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (19-2, 16 KO), sending him to the canvas three times inside two rounds en route to a TKO victory.
After a brief “feeling-out” period, where Kovalev was momentarily backed up by a Shabranskyy jab, the 34 year-old Russian marched forward, uncorking massive right hands that seemingly landed at will. It was midway through the first when a “Krusher” right landed flush on the side of Shabranskyy’s head and sent him down to the mat for the first time.
Upon beating the count, Kovalev greeted his 30 year-old Ukrainian counterpart with more haymakers and eventually connected with an even bigger right that collapsed Shabranskyy to the mat again. The “Lionheart” beat referee Harvey Dock’s ten count and was able to survive the round.
In the second round, Kovalev picked up right where he left off, fighting as ruthless and relentless as ever, plodding forward and unloading vicious bombs that continually connected with an alarming success rate.
A left-right-left combo midway through the second sent Shabranskyy down for the third time. Again, Shabranskyy beat the ten-count, but this time he stood on extremely unsteady legs. Kovalev continued to wail on an absent Shabranskyy until referee Harvey Dock stepped between the two combatants and called a half to the bout at the 2:36 mark of round two.
It was Kovalev’s first performance since dropping two straight fights to Andre Ward, both controversial in their own right. In their first meeting, Ward scored a split decision victory, despite hitting the canvas in the second round. In their rematch, referee Tony Weeks controversially waved off the match in the eighth round after a series of borderline low-blow body shots hurt the 34 year-old Russian and left him defenseless.
Tonight also marked Kovalev’s first fight working with head trainer, Abror Tursunpulatov. Previously, Kovalev had been working with John David Jackson. Rumors of a fractured relationship between Kovalev and Jackson began to swirl between the first and second Ward fights, and in October, the inevitable parting of ways become official when Kovalev formally announced Tursunpulatov as his new coach.
Prior to tonight’s devastating loss, Shabranskyy was having himself a solid 2017, scoring back to back stoppage wins over Larry Pryor and Todd Unthank May, respectively. Those wins were enough to land him his first title shot tonight against Kovalev.
Shabranskyy’s only other loss came courtesy of Sullivan Barrera in December 2016.
Barrera, who scored a unanimous decision victory earlier in the night against Dominican, Felix Valera, is certainly a candidate to fight for Kovalev’s title in the near future.
“It’s my goal to be the best in the division,” Kovalev said afterward. “Here tonight was great boxing for me and I love boxing and I want to make great fights.
Bombs Away — Barrera Scores UD Win Over Valera
Sullivan Barrera (21-1, 14 KO) out-slugged and earned a ten round unanimous decision victory over Felix Valera (15-2, 13 KO) in a light heavyweight contest marred by low-blows.
There were fireworks from the opening bell and midway through the bout’s first round, the free swinging Dominican, Valera, caught his Cuban counterpart with a monster left hook that sent Barrera down the canvas. The 35 year-old Barrera was able to shake the knockdown and score one of his own later in the round right as the bell sounded, when a glancing Barrera shot sent an off-balance Valera to the mat.
The first of four point deductions administered by referee Mike Ortega, Jr. for low blows came in the second round when Valera nailed Barrera below the waistline for the second time. Valera would also be deducted a point in the sixth and eighth rounds. Barrera was deducted a point for low blows in the ninth.
It was a bombs away type affair, with both fighters swinging wildly at times, knowing that they possessed the power to end the fight with one punch. But time and time again, however, it was Barrera who landed the more meaningful, significant shots.
In an attempt to rattle Barrera flamboyant Valera tried anything he could to disrupt the always-composed Cuban. The 29 year-old Dominican flailed his arms wildly, stuck his tongue out at Barrera, and even jumped up and down — all to no avail.
At the end of ten, all judges scored the bout widely for Barrera. Don Ackerman had it 98-88, Tom Schreck 97-89, and Glenn Feldman 97-90.
It was another solid win for Barrera, whose only defeat came at the hands of Andre Ward in March 2016. Barrera last fought in July against Joe Smith, Jr., where much like tonight, he rose off the canvas to score a unanimous decision victory.
For the durable Valera, it was his second professional defeat, the other coming courtesy of undefeated superstar, Dmitry Bivol.
Gamboa Earns Controversial Decision Over Sosa
Yuriorkis Gamboa (28-2, 17 KO) scored a controversial ten round majority decision victory against Jason Sosa (20-3-4, 15 KO) in what many viewed as a make or break fight for the former three-division world champion.
It was clear early on that the 35 year-old former Olympic Gold Medalist’s gameplan was to stick-and-move, get-in and get-out. Conversely, Sosa’s plan was to plod forward, apply as much pressure as he could, while landing the bigger, more significant power punches.
After a first round where both fighters staked their flag, Sosa unloaded a looping right that caught Gamboa on the button as the second round drew to a close. Any Sosa attempt to throw follow up shots were quickly squandered by the dinging of the bell.
Gamboa got right back to work in the middle rounds, however, staying true to his stick-and-move gameplan, landing a few shots, then slipping most of Sosa’s return-fire.
Sosa began to swing the momentum back his way in the sixth, and in the seventh, a Sosa left hook clipped an off-balance Gamboa whose gloved fist made contact with the canvas. Referee Ron Lipton immediately ruled a knockdown.
The final three rounds saw good action, with Sosa coming forward, and Gamboa trying to hit and move.
In the tenth round, referee Ron Lipton controversially deducted a point from Gamboa for holding.
At the conclusion of ten, judge Robin Taylor scored the contest even, 94-94. She was overruled by judges John McKaie and Don Trella, who scored the bout 95-93 and 96-92, respectively. 15rounds.com scored the fight 95-94 for Gamboa.
Sosa was initially slated to face Robinson Castellanos (24-13, 14 KO), who scored an upset TKO win against Gamboa in May. However, an injury earlier this month forced the Mexican to withdraw, and Gamboa was called in as a late replacement.
The win makes it two straight for “El Ciclon” since suffering that shocking defeat to Castellanos.
For Sosa, the tough-luck loss his is second in a row, the other coming back in April courtesy of Vasily Lomachenko.
“It was a good fight. I didn’t have enough time to train. I only had three weeks. I didn’t have time to get ready. I needed 2 or 3 more weeks to lose the weight correctly,” Gamboa said afterward.
He continued, “Of course the decision was good. I think won every round. Except for the knockdown and the point deduction.”
Sosa also spoke afterward, saying, “I was a fun fight. I took some breaks but I thought I did enough to win. I know I did enough to win the fight.”
Murtazaliev Destroys Galvan In 5, Wins IBA Super Welterweight Title
Bakhram Murtazaliev (11-0, 9 KO) methodically broke down Carlos Galvan (16-6-1, 15 KO) before closing the show in spectacular fashion in the fifth round of a super welterweight contest slated for ten.
The heavy-handed Russian, who operates under the tutelage of Sergey Kovalev’s new trainer, Abror Tursunpulatov, stalked his Colombian counterpart round after round. Like waves on a shore, Murtazaliev kept coming forward, forcing Galvan to fight going backwards, something he was clearly uncomfortable doing.
After four rounds of systematically crushing Galvan’s will, the 24 year-old Russian broke through in the fifth, sending Galvan to the mat with a vicious one-two. About a minute later, Murtazaliev finished off his wounded foe with a thundering left hook to the liver that put Galvan on the mat for good. Referee Ricky Gonzalez opted not to administer a ten-count and instead, called a stop to the contest at the 1:31 mark of round five.
It was the fourth stoppage defeat in six overall losses for Galvan. It was also his fourth time fighting in the United States, and his fourth loss.
Galarza Grabs UD Win In Return To Ring
Brooklyn’s Frank Galarza (18-2-2, 11 KO) returned to the ring after a fourteen month layoff and scored a unanimous decision win over Chicago’s Jamie Herrera (15-5-1, 8 KO) in an eight round super welterweight contest.
The victory was hard-earned and well-deserved for Galarza, who had dropped his previous two contests — a TKO loss to Jarrett Hurd and a majority decision loss to veteran Ishe Smith, a fight that saw Galarza hit the canvas in the second round.
It was a gutsy affair between two veteran prizefighters who each were coming off lengthy layoffs. For Galarza, who in July inked a new promotional deal with Main Events, the fight marked just his second fight in the last twenty-four months, and the first since September 2016. For the Mexican-American Herrera, it was just his first fight since November 2016, when he suffered UD loss to Taras Shelestyuk.
The fight was a back and forth contest, with a predictable, but entertaining ebb and flow. Round after round, both fighters willingly engaged, eating a few shots before landing their own. But while both fighters enjoyed success over the duration of the contest, it was the 33 year-old Galarza who punches landed cleaner and with more frequency.
In the fifth round, a Galarza right hand opened up a cut over his 28 year-old counterparts left eye. In the seventh, a booming right to the body by Galarza hurt Herrera, hunching him forward where he was met with a flurry of Galarza lefts and rights until Herrera was able to weather the storm.
The Chicagoan’s high-pressure style was both a blessing and a curse for him in that it seemed to slowly wear down Galarza, but also left him vulnerable to Galarza stick-and-move pot-shots as he tried to work his way inside his reach. At the end of eight rounds, all three judges scored the contest for Galarza. Robin Taylor scored it a shutout 80-72, while referees John McKaie and Allen Nace saw it 78-74 and 79-73, respectively.
“I feel good after a 14 month layoff, shaking off some ring rust. I’m so grateful for Main Events to put me on their card,” Galarza remarked afterward.
He continued, “Hopefully I’ll be back in the Garden soon. It felt great, it was where I belong. It felt right. Not many places you can call home, but this is one for me.”
Galarza also acknowledged his legion of fans in the crowd tonight. “I’m grateful for my supporters, for people who waited it out for me,” he said. “As a Brooklyn native, a person from New York who’s been around, they support me and that’s the best thing.”
Nursultanov Stays Perfect, Hands Moon First Loss Inside Two
In a battle that pitted two undefeated middleweights against one another, Kazakhstan’s Meiirim Nursultanov (5-0, 4 KO) made quick work of Marietta, Georgia’s Eric Moon (7-1, 6 KO), stopping him inside two rounds.
It was all Nursultanov from start to finish, as he pressured and battered Moon from the opening bell. Midway through the second, Nursultanov pinned Moon against the ropes and wailed away, mixing shots to the body and head. At the 1:54 mark of the second round, referee Ricky Gonzalez decided Moon had eaten too many uncontested shots and called a halt to the contest.
The win makes it four kayos in five professional fights for the Egis Klimas managed, Main Events promoted, Nursultanov.
Thunder In His Hands, LeShawn Rodriguez Stops Duarte In 3
In a middleweight contest slated for six, former New York Golden Gloves Champion and 2016 US Olympic alternate “Lightning” LeShawn Rodriguez (8-0, 7 KO) powered his way past Sao Paolo’s Brazil’s Alex Duarte (13-3-1, 10 KO) en route to a third round KO victory.
It was an impressive display of patience, prowess, and power from the 24 year-old New York native, who balanced his attack, working to both the head and body of his 37 year-old counterpart.
Midway through the second, Rodriguez ripped a left to the body that put Duarte on his knees. The Brazilian beat Steve Smoger’s ten count and was able to survive the round.
In the third however, a Rodriguez left-right combo to the body and head, sent Duarte to the canvas for good, where he was unable to beat Smogers count. The official time of stoppage was the 1:48 mark of round three.
It was Duarte’s third loss of his career, all of which have come via stoppage.
“It feels good always to win, but to win by knockout is better, sensational, spectacular,” Rodriguez said afterward. “I felt at home. A lot of people came out to see me. This is the first time I’ve fought in New York since I turned pro.”
Gogokhia Stays Perfect, Decisions Abreau
Enriko Gogokhia remained perfect (7-0, 3 KO) with a unanimous decision win over Jose Antonio Abreau (13-3, 8 KO) in a six round welterweight contest.
Action picked up toward the end of the second round when the southpaw, Gogokhia, floored his Dominican counterpart. The 29 year-old Abrea beat the ten count and was immediately met with a barrage of punches as the round drew to a close.
In the next few rounds, the Egis Klimas managed Gogokhia, pressed his foot on the gas and forced the action, continually getting the better of the boxer’s exchanges.
In the end, all three judges scored it widely for the 26 year-old Georgian native, Gogokhia. Scores were 60-53 and 59-54, twice. The judges’ decision resulted in Abreau’s third career loss, all of which have been on US soil.
“It was a good fight, good opponent with a good record,” Gogokhia said afterward. “It was harder because the opponent was ready and he also wanted to win. I was just getting started by the last round. Still, a victory is a victory.”
Villareal Kicks Off Pro Campaign With Win
The undercard of Sergey Kovalev vs. Vyacheslav Shabranskyy kicked off with the successful debut of former two-time New York Golden Gloves champion, Ismael Villareal (1-0). The former amatuer standout scored a unimous decision victory over Race Sawyer (0-5) in a four round super welterweight contest.
Villareal, who fights out of John’s Gym in the Bronx is trained by his father, former welterweight Otilio Villareal, who over his 32 bout pro career, shared the ring with the likes of Zab Judah, Kermit Cintron, and Hector Camacho.
Villareal controlled the contest bell to bell, bruising and battering Utah’s Sawyer with head snapping blows. The 21 year old Bronx debutant would have benefitted by putting in more work to his foe’s body, but that was not on the agenda tonight.
All in all, Villareal won’t have too much to complain about tonight. The Ecuadorian-American pitched a shutout on all three judges scorecards. Don Trella had it 40-35, and John McKaie and Robin Taylor scored it 40-36.
After the contest, Villareal did speak about having some debut butterflies.
“It totally felt different than the amateurs,” he said. “There were so many more people looking at me. I was trying to look good, I was focused on the knockout because it was my very first professional fight.
“I learned I have to work harder and be careful not to get hit.”
HBO SERVES UP A THREE-COURSE THANKSGIVING FEAST WHEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®: SERGEY KOVALEV VS. VYACHESLAV SHABRANSKYY AND SULLIVAN BARRERA VS. FELIX VALERA AND YURIORKIS GAMBOA VS. JASON SOSA IS SEEN SATURDAY, NOV. 25
HBO Sports celebrates the holiday weekend with an action-packed tripleheader, including the return of light heavyweight powerhouse Sergey Kovalev, when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: SERGEY KOVALEV VS. VYACHESLAV SHABRANSKYY AND SULLIVAN BARRERA VS. FELIX VALERA AND YURIORKIS GAMBOA VS. JASON SOSA is seen SATURDAY, NOV. 25 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.
The fights will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.
The main event features the return of the feared Sergey Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KOs) as he battles heavy-handed Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (19-1, 16 KOs) for a vacant light heavyweight title in a scheduled 12-round bout. Following a light heavyweight title reign that spanned more than three years and featured eight successful defenses, polished Russian knockout artist Kovalev, 34, is eager to reclaim the belts he lost in 2016 to future Hall of Famer Andre Ward.
Standing in his way is Ukraine’s Shabranskyy, 30, who turned pro in 2012 after a long amateur career in his home country and has been knocking out top contenders on the way to his biggest fight to date. Both men have been active lately, this being Kovalev’s tenth fight since Jan. 2014 and Shabranksyy’s tenth fight since Jan. 2015. The bout marks Kovalev’s 11th appearance on HBO, while Shabranskyy is making his debut on the main channel after fighting on HBO Latino in 2015.
In the co-main event, one of the top light heavyweight contenders, Sullivan Barrera (20-1, 14 KOs) of Miami via Cuba, closes out his tremendous 2017 by taking on Felix Valera (15-1, 13 KOs) of the Dominican Republic in a ten-round fight. Barrera, 35, is fresh off the biggest win of his career, a unanimous decision victory over Joe Smith Jr. in July and hopes to set himself up for another title shot in 2018 by defeating Valera. Making his U.S. debut, the hard-punching Valera, 29, seeks an upset that would insert him into the light heavyweight championship conversation.
In the opening bout, former unified featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (27-2, 17 KOs) of Miami, Florida squares off against Camden, NJ native Jason Sosa (20-2-4, 15 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round super featherweight contest. Gamboa, 35, is an accomplished veteran with success at all levels, including a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics while representing Cuba and a dominating stretch as a world champion in the pro ranks. Sosa, 29, looks to bounce back after a difficult loss to junior lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko and return to the championship ranks. Sosa is making his third HBO appearance, while the bout marks Gamboa’s tenth fight on HBO.
Immediately following the boxing action, HBO Sports presents a half-hour special spotlighting the career of all-time great Miguel Cotto, who is slated for his professional farewell against Sadam Ali on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Madison Square Garden in a fight to be seen on HBO.
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of HBO Sports is Rick Bernstein; producer, Thomas Odelfelt; director, Johnathan Evans.
® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.
Sullivan Barrera vs. Felix Valera Scouting Report Two Heavy-Hitters Square Off
New York, NY: This Saturday’s Kovalev-Shabranskyy HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast will include a battle between two of the light heavyweight division’s biggest punchers when Sullivan Barrera and Felix Valera square off at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Below is the scouting report for this exciting match-up:
Category
Sullivan Barrera
Felix Valera
Age
35
29
Record
20-1 (14 KOs)
15-1 (13 KOs)
Strength
Barrera has solid endurance and a granite chin. He has a strong jab that he uses well and has shown great patience in breaking his opponents down.
Valera is a crafty southpaw who has one-punch knockout power in both hands. He moves around well and does his best to utilize the whole ring to his advantage.
Weakness
Sullivan is known to get somewhat wild, he needs to keep it together and stay sharp in order to avoid one of his opponent’s thundering blows.
Felix gets careless at times. He likes to drop his guard and taunt his opposition. Barrera is a sharp fighter who can capitalize on this if Felix is not careful.
Experience
He is an experienced fighter who has been in with some of the best fighters in the division: Andre Ward, Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, Karo Murat and Joe Smith Jr. Barrera He came back from a first-round knockdown in his last fight against Smith Jr. to secure a unanimous decision victory. His ability to overcome adversity has made him a stronger fighter.
Although, he has not faced the same level of opposition as Barrera, Valera is still a former world champion. He managed to accomplish a lot in his career despite only being 16 pro fights deep. He earned the WBA Interim Light Heavyweight World Championship against Stanislav Kashtanov in Russia before losing it to current titleholder Dmitry Bivol.
Power
Sullivan has a powerful jab and a devastating right hand that has been very influential in a majority of his stoppage wins.
Valera delivers thunderous blows to his opponents. He relies heavily on his power, which has been a very successful strategy thus far.
Speed
Sullivan has average speed and maintains a steady pace throughout the fight. He understands when to turn it up a notch if he feels he can finish his opponent.
Valera uses many different gears in hopes of throwing his opponents of off their game.
Endurance
Barrera proved he could go 12 rounds when he came up short in a decision loss to former titleholder Andre Ward. He also earned a 10-round decision win over ranked contender Joe Smith Jr. in his most recent bout.
After starting his career with 11 knockout wins, all occurring in the first and second rounds, Valera proved that he is durable when he captured the WBA title in a 12-round decision win over Stanislav Kashtanov.
Accuracy
Sullivan’s is on point when he gets his jab going and puts his punches together behind the jab.
Felix does not utilize his jab as well as his opponent.
Defense
If he commits to the jab, then Barrera can be very effective in taking his opponents out of their element, making it that much more difficult to get anything going offensively.
Although he relies heavily on his power, Valera is a very effective defensively. He is very agile in the ring and is a sharp counter puncher.
Chin
Sullivan has a granite chin. He has been knocked down in prior bouts, but has risen to the occasion to finish strong.
Valera has a solid chin. He was the first opponent to overcome knockdowns and go the distance with knockout artist and current titleholder Dmitry Bivol.
Style
Sullivan is a technical fighter that likes to stick his jab and set up his shots. He also has a brawling style that inevitably comes out when his opponents show that they are willing to engage.
Valera is a knockout artist and a crafty southpaw who relies heavily on his power. He also likes to taunt his opponents, hoping to catch them off-guard and deliver one of his many thunderous blows.
Intangibles
Barrera has taken on some of the division’s best fighters in recent years. He has been extremely vocal about his desire to fight the best in the world on his way to a title shot. There are very few light heavyweights riding the same momentum and, after taking out two of the biggest punchers in the division in Joe Smith Jr and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, he will risk his ranking against another heavy-hitter in Felix Valera. A win over Valera can almost guarantee Sullivan his long-awaited shot at the world championship.
In just 16 professional bouts, Felix Valera has already made a name for himself in the light heavyweight division. He earned the WBA world title in his 13th pro bout and although he lost the title in his next fight, he lasted 12rounds against one of the biggest punchers in the sport, Dmitry Bivol. Since then, Valera has gotten back to his winning ways and is aiming to seize an opportunity by taking out one of the hottest fighters at 175 lb in Sullivan Barrera. A win over Barrera will catapult him into the top of the ratings.
The Match-Up
1. Will Barrera be looking past Valera to future fights?
2. Is Valera in over his head with an active Barrera?
3. Will Barrera be able to handle the power of Valera?
4. Will Valera be mentally prepared for his first fight on US soil on such a big stage?
According Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone, “This is a fight in a very hot division. This is fight, like the main event, is must see! Both guys can punch, which means fans should not miss a minute or it could all be over. These two fighters want to prove they belong in the mix with all the champions and future champions in this division. This fight is not about whose zero will go, it is about who will prove they deserve a title shot next!”
Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Madoff Vodka and Leon.ru. Barrera vs. Valera is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Main Events in Association with Shuan Boxing Promotions. Gamboa vs. Sosa is a 10-round super featherweight fight promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Peltz Boxing and ZR Entertainment. The event will take place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Sullivan Barrera vs. Felix Valera Miami Media Workout Recap
Sullivan Barrera – “Camp has been great. It continues to get better with my new coach, Derik Santos. Every camp we work on different things. I am enjoying camp because I am learning a lot from him and we mix well. Nov 25 expect a great performance from me!”
“The door is wide open for everyone in the light heavyweight division. There are a lot of great fights to be made and I’m just looking to continue being in the mix with all the great fighters we have in our division.”
“I’m very excited to be fighting for the first time at The Garden. I have a tough opponent in front of me, someone who is coming in with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Not only do I have to win but I have to win while giving the fans and HBO audience a good show.”
Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight World Title promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions. Barrera vs. Valera is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Main Events in Association with Shuan Boxing Promotions. Gamboa vs. Sosa is a 10-round super featherweight fight promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Peltz Boxing and ZR Entertainment. The event will take place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Reminder to news media: The deadline to apply for Fight Week credentials is Friday, November 17. Fill out the credential application at http://www.emcevents.com/kovalevshabranskyy.html
Light Heavyweight Showdown Between Sullivan Barrera and Felix Valera Added as Televised Co-Feature for Sergey Kovalev vs. Vyacheslav Shabranskyy
New York, NY: The upcoming battle between former unified light heavyweight world champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev and Vyacheslav “Lion Heart” Shabranskyy already has fans buzzing. Now this much-anticipated event on Saturday, November 25 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden will also include another exciting bout in the light heavyweight division between Cuban Sullivan Barrera (20-1, 14 KOs) and former WBA Interim Light Heavyweight Champion Felix “Mangu” Valera (15-1, 13 KOs) of the Dominican Republic. The bout will serve as the televised co-feature of HBO World Championship Boxing telecast which begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. This bout is presented by Main Events in association with Shuan Boxing Promotions, LLC.
Sullivan Barrera, 35, is ranked number one at light heavyweight by the WBA and, if he can defeat Valera, will be first in line for Dmitry Bivol’s WBA Light Heavyweight Championship belt as the mandatory challenger. A former member of the Cuban National Team who defected from Cuba in 2009, Barrera made his professional debut in 2009 in his adopted hometown of Miami, Florida. He quickly made a name for himself in the light heavyweight division winning his first 17 bouts, with 12 of those wins coming by way of knockout.
Barrera’s only career loss was last year against the recently retired former two-time super middleweight and unified light heavyweight world champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward. Despite the unanimous decision loss to Ward, Sullivan stood toe-to-toe with the former pound-for-pound king for 12 full rounds. In his most recent fight, Barrera came back from a first-round knockdown to unanimously defeat Joe Smith Jr. and claim the WBC International Light Heavyweight Title.
When asked about this match-up, Barrera responded, “I am happy to be back in action, happy to be fighting in New York where boxing is big. Felix Valera is a tricky and tough fighter. He is just another obstacle in my way towards fighting for a world title.”
Valera, 29, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is a knockout artist with 13 KOs in only 15 professional wins. He made his professional debut back in 2012 and won his first 13 contests with 12 of those wins coming by way of the stoppage. Last year, he travelled to Russian and upset Stanislav Kashtanov to secure the WBA Interim Light Heavyweight Title. In his next fight, also in Russia, he suffered his only career loss to the reigning WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol in Bivol’s home country. Since the Bivol bout, Valera is 2-0 with 1 KO. This will be his first professional bout on US soil.
“I appreciate the opportunity offered to me by my promotional company, Shuan Boxing Promotion, and Main Events,” said Valera. “But I am warning Barrera right now that I am not going to New York for a vacation! I am going to score that upset and get the win. After my win against Barrera, I am then going to call out Sergey Kovalev because I want to fight the best fighters in my weight class. I am going to put my country, the Dominican Republic, back on the map and make them proud!”
Main Events CEO Kathy Duva said, “The light heavyweight division is wide open right now! Within a few short months, we’ll probably have four champions in the division. Sullivan Barrera and Felix Valera have both worked very hard over the last couple years to stay in the mix while taking on really tough fights. That experience will be an advantage for the winner of this fight, who will almost certainly fight for a world title next. More importantly for the fans, this is a great match up that will deliver in the ring on November 25 at Madison Square Garden.”
Valera’s promoter and CEO of Shuan Boxing Promotions, Bélgica Peña, added, “We have been waiting for an opportunity of this magnitude in the United States for a long time and we want to thank Felipe Gomez from El Matador Management, who has been the person helping us find a fight like this and he is the one who made this connection between us and Main Events. We know that Valera is not going to disappoint anyone with this fight. My fighter is a boxer with a lot of amateur experience and, with only 12 professional fights, he gained a world title in Russia. We know that Barrera is a great fighter, but he is in for major surprise come November. In all, the fans will be the true winner with this fight because Valera is coming to put on a spectacular show!”
Kovalev vs. Shabranskyy is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Main Events and Krusher Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions. Barrera vs. Valera is a 10-round light heavyweight fight promoted by Main Events in Association with Shuan Boxing Promotions. Sosa vs. Castellanos is a 10-round super featherweight fight promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Peltz Boxing. The event will take place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Sullivan Barrera furious over being bypassed by Broadhurst to face Bivol!
When Andre Ward recently retired it opened up the WBA, WBO and IBF light heavyweight titles and when Badou Jack vacated his WBA “regular” title the division became even more wide open.
Red hot contender Sullivan Barrera was very confident that he would get a shot at one of the vacant belts. So naturally his jaw dropped when he heard that Dmitry Bivol would face Trent Broadhurst for the vacant WBA title on November 4th.
“I should be fighting Bivol. He is ranked number 1 and I am number 2. What is the point of the rankings if they won’t follow their rules?” Said an incredulous Barrera.
Shortly after winning the title against Nathan Cleverly in August, the WBA ordered a purse bid for Jack to face Bivol. When Jack vacated the title the sanctioning body mysteriously bypassed Barrra and several other more deserving fighters.
What makes this decision even more head scratching is that the unknown Broadhurst is only ranked #11 by the WBA and that Bivol is co-promoted by Barrera’s promoter Main Events which should have made it easier to get a deal done to match Bivol and Barrera.
“I think I’ve paid my dues. My promoter should be getting me that fight. While other fighters are avoiding Bivol, I welcome the challenge. I was ready to fight Badou Jack and I would beat Bivol too!”
Barrera has already beaten Vychaslev Shabransky, Paul Parker and Joe Smith and wants to cap off 2017 with a big fight.
“Since I was child all I’ve dreamed about in this sport is becoming world champion and this type of politics in the sport just hurts the fighters who are putting in the work. It’s just blah blah blah,” said a frustrated Barrera.
Barrera calls out Badou Jack for end of year showdown
MIAMI, FLA. – While Southern Florida braces for Hurricane Irma, red hot light heayweight Sullivan Barrera continues to train for what he hopes is an explosive end of year showdown.
After stopping Paul Parker and beating Joe Smith Jr. on the bright lights of HBO, Barrera has his sights set firmly on facing two-division champion Badou Jack before the calendar turns over to 2018.
“First off I want to say congratulations on beating Nathan Cleverly. I know you said you want to fight Adonis Stevenson but he has to face his mandatory next. I want your WBA belt around my waist. You know that your style and my style will make for an explosive fight. I’m sure the fans would want to see the fight. I would love to fight Kovalev too but me and you are both off big wins so let’s do this,” said Barrera after a recent training session.
With Stevenson likely facing his mandatory next and Andre Ward talking about moving up to cruiserweight or heavyweight, Barrera is the best option for Jack as well. With his fan friendly style and Latino fan base, what excuse would Jack have for not having him?
“I haven’t ever seen Badou back down from a challenge so why would he start with me? It is simple, he needs an opponent and so do I. The ball is in your court Badou. Do you accept my challenge?”
Sullivan Barrera wants to cap off banner 2017 with a bang
Top rated light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera has been on a roll since losing a decision to pound-for-pound king Andre Ward in the spring of 2015.
Since his only professional loss, Barrera has rebounded in a major way, stopping the then unbeaten Slava Shabranskyy, Paul “Pay-Per-View” Parker, and in his most recent performance he dominated the red hot Joe Smith Jr. on HBO.
Barrera is now in a position where only the big fights make sense and he wants to finish out the year with a title shot or eliminator.
“I want the Jack-Cleverly winner for the WBA title or Kovalev next. Kovalev is a big name and I would beat him so bad he would retire. If I can’t fight them I want someone like Marcus Browne in an eliminator,” said Barrera.
“With the way I have fought I think I deserve the big fights. Now the question is which fighter will step up and actually fight me.”
The 35 year old Barrera wants to strike while the iron is fight and with his #3 WBC, #2 WBA and #5 WBO rankings, it shouldn’t be hard for him to get a fight versus any fighter looking to make a move in the light heavyweight division.
JOE SMITH JR. FIGHTS NINE ROUNDS WITH BROKEN JAW IN HARD FOUGHT LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE WITH SULLIVAN BARRERA
Popular Long Island light heavyweight contender JOE SMITH JR. (23-2-0, 19 KO’S), gritted his way through Saturday’s ten round battle with SULLIVAN BARRERA (20-1-0, 14 KO’s), after suffering a broken jaw early in the 2nd round. Even with a broken jaw, Smith Jr. dug deep to fire away at the skilled Barrera until the final bell, in which he ultimately fell short by scores of 96-93 and 97-92 twice.
In a fight that had the cheering crowd on their feet throughout, Smith and Barrera went to war from the opening bell. Prior to breaking his jaw, Smith wasted no time showing his sheer power as he drilled Barrera with a hard left hook to the forehead in the opening round sending Barrera sprawling to the canvas. Barrera, hurt from the knockdown, showed his proven grit and determination by rising and finishing the round.
Although having his jaw broken in the second round, Smith continued to fight hard throughout the fight which featured excellent two-way action. Smith showed a great chin and tons of heart as he tried his best to fight through a debilitating injury. Smith landed some heavy blows stunning Barrera on occasion but Sullivan outworked him to grab the decision on the judges scorecards.
“Joe knocked down Barrera hard in the first round but in the second round he sustained a broken jaw,” said JOE DEGUARDIA, CEO and President of STAR BOXING. “It’s a similar injury to the one he suffered five years ago and frankly it’s amazing that he continued to valiantly fight over the next eight rounds and finish the fight.”
In his only other previous loss, Smith also suffered a broken jaw against Eddie Caminero five years ago.
Continued DeGuardia, “After spending part of Saturday night at the UCLA Medical Center, Joe will have surgery later this week in New York and we’ll know more then about a time frame for his full recovery. We congratulate Sullivan Barrera on his victory.”
We at Star Boxing are extremely proud of Joe for fighting this fight under such extreme conditions as are all his fans who came to the fight last night from Long Island and those who watched on HBO. Joe Smith is a true warrior and epitomizes what a real fighter is supposed to be.
Video: Joe Smith Jr. vs. Sullivan Barrera: BAD Highlights (HBO Boxing)
Video: HBO Boxing News: 1-on-1 with Sullivan Barrera
JOE SMITH JR. RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM LABOR UNION IN LOS ANGELES!
WBC International Light Heavyweight Champion JOE SMITH JR., (23-1-0, 19 KO’s) met with a group of his labor union brotherhood following today’s final press conference at The Fabulous Forum for his showdown this Saturday night, July 15 against highly ranked contender SULLIVAN BARRERA, (19-1-0, 14 KO’s), telecast live on HBO’s Boxing After Dark (9:50 p.m. ET/PT).
“It’s great to have the support of the local chapter of LIUNA (Labor International Union of North America) while they’re on the job here building the new football stadium across from the Forum.” said the 27-year-old Smith, himself a long-standing, full time member of LIUNA on Long Island, New York. “LIUNA has been great to me and I’m proud to represent them this Saturday night.”
“The national support of LIUNA for Joe is outstanding as we’ve seen in New York City and now in Los Angeles,” said JOE DEGUARDIA, CEO and President of STAR BOXING.
At the press conference Smith Jr. met with a large gallery of Los Angeles media and posed for photos with Barrera before being interviewed by HBO’s KIERAN MULVANEY.
Known as “The Common Man”, Irish-American Joe Smith Jr. burst onto the international boxing scene last June, knocking out the highly favored, former world title challenger Andrzej Fonfara in the first round of a nationally televised contest (NBC) from the Pole’s hometown of Chicago.
Six months later Smith challenged future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins at the Fabulous Forum and live on HBO. Dominating the legend on December 17 through the first seven rounds, the construction union laborer Smith drilled Hopkins to the canvas and out of the ring earning the knockout in the eighth round.
Sullivan Barrera is riding a two bout knockout streak with victories over Paul Parker on April 15 and Vyacheslav Shabaranskyy on December 16, 2016. His only loss was to light heavyweight champion Andre Ward in March 2016, and Barrera is considered one of the top fighters in the stacked divsion.
Smith vs. Barrera is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Main Events. This fight is part of a sensational triple header featuring Miguel Berchelt vs. Takashi Miura, a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship and the WBA Super Featherweight World Championship with Jezreel “El Invisible” Corrales defending his title against Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos. Berchelt-Miura is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and Teiken Promotions.
The event is sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD and Casa Mexico Tequila and will take place on Saturday, July 15 at Los Angeles’ “Fabulous” Forum and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark at 9:50 P.M EST/PST.
Tickets are priced at $25, $50, $75 and $125, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PST to 7:00 p.m. PST) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
MIGUEL BERCHELT VS. TAKASHI MIURA PLUS TRIPLE-HEADER FIGHTERS FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
LOS ANGELES (July 13, 2017): HBO Boxing After Dark® triple-header fighters hosted a press conference today ahead of their fights on Saturday, July 15, from The ‘Fabulous’ Forum and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 9:50 p.m. ET/PT.
Main event and guaranteed to provide “Fight Of The Year” material, the WBC World Super Featherweight clash between warriors Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) and Takashi Miura (31-3-2, 24 KOs) is scheduled for 12-rounds. Co-main event and match for WBA Super World Super Featherweight championship, Panamanian Jezreel “El Invisible” Corrales (21-1, 8 KOs) will make his U.S. debut against rugged Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos (24-12, 14 KOs). Opening the HBO telecast, current WBC International light heavyweight Champion Joe Smith, Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) will put his belt on the line against the Miami’s Sullivan Barrera (19-1, 14 KOs). On the RING TV live streamed portion of the card, Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (30-1-2, 16 KOs) will run up against Martin “El Brochas” Honorio (33-10-1, 16 KOs), Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (9-0, 8 KOs) will go up against Mario Macias (27-21-1, 14 KOs), and Manny “Chato” Robles (12-0, 4 KOs) will step up his competition with Chihuahua, Mex.’s Juan “El Peñita” Jimenez (23-12, 16 KOs).
Below is what fighters on the Saturday, July 15 HBO Boxing After Dark® triple- header had to say at today’s press conference:
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:
“Thank you to the Forum for hosting this fight night. Boxing here is special-I would know because I made my professional debut nearly 25 years ago in this venue just a few months after I returned from the Olympics in Barcelona. Thank you to our friends at Zanfer Promotions, Teiken Promotions, Star Boxing and Main Events for working alongside us in putting together these fights.”
“Saturday will be a guaranteed action-packed triple-header featuring the newly crowned WBC Super Featherweight World Champion, Mexico’s Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt making his first title defense against former titlist and dangerous Japanese warrior Takashi Miura in the main event.”
“Every fan knows an action-packed main event makes for an exciting night of boxing, but great fights from start to finish are even more exceptional. In the co-main event for WBA Super World Super Featherweight championship hardware, Panamanian Jezreel “El Invisible” Corrales will make his U.S. debut against Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos-a fighter known for massive upsets. Opening the night with another hot-pursuit for a title, current WBC International Light Heavyweight Champion Joe Smith, Jr. will put his belt on the line against Miami’s Sullivan Barrera. As you may all remember, Smith, Jr.’s previous fight at the Forum resulted in handing Bernard Hopkins his only knockout loss-and we can be sure to expect fireworks in this next fight also.”
“Aside from this triple-header, we also have some outstanding rising prospects fighting on the undercard that are hungry and eager to showcase their talents to the fans on Saturday night.”
MARTHA SHEN-URQUIDEZ, California State Athletic Commission:
“The best part of being a part of the commission is coming to events like this, and being able to be a part of great cards. This Saturday, we will see an awesome triple header event. I love to see Oscar choosing to have more fights in California.”
“In California, we have the largest number of boxing fans. We appreciate the relationship we have with Golden Boy Promotions, and the caliber of fights they bring to the state – this year they’ve had 24 events, with about 20 of them televised. This Saturday, you will see a great championship fight, and we are looking forward to help facilitate a safe and successful event.”
PETER NELSON, Executive Vice-President of HBO Sports:
“This card brings an array of talent. We are thankful to The Forum, it’s a great venue and brings great fans. It is emblematic of what we are about – not great names, but great fights because great names come from great fights.”
“To get to this level, its hard water to tread – look at Castellanos who has spoiled the careers of many prospects. This is his opportunity; the first fight of his career was an eight-round fight for 200 dollars. To go from where he was to where he is today, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. I want to thank Oscar and Golden Boy Promotions who make my life easier by putting together such great cards. We have a main event where a fighter has already participated in two ‘Fight Of The Year’ matches already, and Berchelt who is coming off of a spectacular victory against Francisco Vargas.”
“Opening the card, we have returned to the scene of the crime [The Forum] committed by Joe Smith Jr., and you have a veteran like Sullivan Barrera, who goes down to the canvas and comes back with a vengeance. You also have the co-main event with Corrales, who has gone into enemy territory to get the victory, and now will be making his U.S.A debut on HBO.”
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t include my thanks to the promoter partners, Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing and Kathy and Nicole Duva of Main Events. I also want to thank our HBO subscribers and fans of the sport, without you, all of this wouldn’t be possible.”
JOSE “PEPE” SULAIMAN, JR., CEO of the WBC’s Los Angeles Office:
“The fights for this particular belt have been real wars. Miura is known as a Mexican executioner. There is a new rivalry that has built up – before it was Mexico vs. Puerto Rico – but now Japan has taken that place against Mexicans. Berchelt has a stinging precision. Easily, this fight is material for ‘Fight of the Year’.”
“The WBC was created and is always fighting to make the sport better and safer for the fighters. We are pleased and honored to have Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya, who has been a great friend for many years now. I would also like to thank Teiken Promotions – the last fight my father saw was Miura versus Sergio “Yeyo” Thompson. I am certain that this fight on Saturday will be ‘Fight of the Year’.”
BERNARD HOPKINS, Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions Business Partner:
“I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions for being here for me during this transition. Like Peter Nelson mentioned earlier, we return to the scene of the fight; but I’m here as the promoter this time.”
“It is a privilege to be in a historic place like this, and be a part of this scene. You have guys who have the opportunity to break into the light heavyweight division that is wide open right now. I want to speak to my young fighters, this is your opportunity to steal the spotlight. I challenge the young fighters to steal the spotlight from the big guys, in the future, they can be your best promoter. This is the hurt business, so be there to watch this Saturday.”
NICOLE DUVA, COO of Main Events:
“We are happy to help put together a great triple header. Our fight is a matchup of two guys trying to move up in the rankings. This fight is also very meaningful for Sullivan, as his father will be sitting to watch his son for the first time in his career. This is extra motivation as he moves up in the sport, and will be emotional for all of us.”
SULLIVAN BARRERA, Current USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion:
“This fight is very meaningful for me. My father has come all the way from Cuba to watch me. It’s been eight years since I have seen him, and this will be the first time he will see me fight professionally. I’m thankful to Golden Boy and HBO for another opportunity. Joe Smith, Jr. is a great fighter, and I am looking forward to a great fight this Saturday.”
JERRY CAPOBIANCO, Trainer to Joe Smith, Jr.:
“This is going to be a great fight. Joe had a great training camp, is in top condition, and we expect a great fight.”
JOE SMITH JR., Current WBC International Light Heavyweight Champion:
“I am glad to be back at the Forum on HBO, I am expecting a great show on Saturday. Sullivan is a great fighter. It’s another great accomplishment for me and my career. I want to thank my coach Jerry Capobianco, and my team for the opportunity.”
ENRIQUE GUILBERT, Manager to Robinson Castellanos:
“We are thankful to HBO, and we are excited to prove what Robinson can do when he gets the shot to do it. Thank you to the press, I hope that you are paying attention to what is happening here. Castellanos is coming off of a victory over Yuriorkis Gamboa, and has stopped numerous prospects including Ronny Rios.”
ROBINSON “ROBIN HOOD” CASTELLANOS, Super Featherweight Contender;
“This is literally a dream come true. I remember a couple years back, my father and I were watching Yuriorkis Gamboa fight, and we were breaking him down, and we talked about how we would try to win. Who would have thought that years later we would have been able to accomplish that? Who knows what is next. I am thankful for the opportunity, and I am excited to show everyone what I am capable of.”
LESBIA DE MOSS, Manager to Jezreel Corrales:
“I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions for the opportunity and to HBO for introducing my fighter Jezreel Corrales who is all the way from San Miguelito, Panama. I just want to let you guys know that he is a very technical boxer, who is also very aggressive. He is ready to put on a great show.”
JEZREEL “EL INVISIBLE” CORRALES, Current WBA Super World Super Featherweight Champion:
“I want to thank Golden Boy and Oscar De La Hoya for the opportunity. I want to thank Rogelio Espino and the WBA for the opportunities that I have this moment. I feel very happy, very motivated, and very positive for the opportunity that has been presented to me. I’m here with a lot of energy, and to give this victory to my mother.”
“I’m going up against a great fighter. It’s going to be an interesting fight. I just turned 26, and my gift to myself is to come home with the victory.”
SENDAI TANAKA, Trainer to Takashi Miura:
“I want to thank Golden Boy and HBO for this great fight. We had a very good preparation and he is very ready.”
TAKASHI MIURA, Former WBC Super Featherweight World Champion:
“I want to thank HBO, Golden Boy Promotions, Teiken Promotions and the WBC for this fight. The champion is a great fighter, a tough fighter, but I am taking back my belt with me. Please expect a very exciting fight from me. Thank you very much.”
MARIO ABRAHAM, Manager to Miguel Berchelt:
“I want to thank everyone at Golden Boy, HBO and all our sponsors. This is our night, Miguel will have the great opportunity to fight as a champion as the main event in a great city, a great venue, a great show, and a great network. We are very excited. We know we are facing a true Japanese warrior.”
“We respect Takashi Miura. He is a big puncher, he’s been a world champion, and he wants the belt back. But now this is Miguel Berchelt’s time. He is 25, he is a world champion, and he has been working very hard this year with Alfredo Caballero and his team. This Saturday, he is going to prove to the boxing world that he will be one of the great Mexican Champions.”
MIGUEL “EL ALACRAN” BERCHELT, Current WBC Super Featherweight Champion:
“I want to say thank you to everyone, and to the media for the support. I am very happy that this is my third time fighting in the US, and the second time as the main event on HBO with Golden Boy. I want to thank Golden Boy, HBO and promoters at Zanfer for the great opportunity.
“I am very well prepared. I know I have a very good, strong, former world champion ahead of me. Takashi Miura is a typical Japanese kamikaze that is coming with everything. That’s why I prepared myself very well. I respect him tremendously, and I know it’s a great fight on both sides. I am going to give my Mexican people a great show, and take my belt back home.”
Tickets are priced at $25, $50, $75 and $125, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PST to 7:00 p.m. PST) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @hboboxing, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, and follow the conversation using #bercheltmiura.
Berchelt vs. Miura, a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and Teiken Promotions. Corrales vs. Castellanos is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Smith vs. Barerra is presented by Star Boxing in association with Main Events. The event is sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD and Casa Mexico Tequila and will take place on Saturday, July 15 at Los Angeles’ “Fabulous” Forum and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark at 9:50 P.M EST/PST.
Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/BercheltMiura into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.
Joe Smith Jr. vs. Sullivan Barrera Scouting Report Power vs. Power
Los Angeles, CA: When Sullivan Barrera (19-1, 14 KOs) and Joe Smith Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) square off on Saturday night for Smith’s WBC International Light Heavyweight Title it will be an exciting match-up of power against power. Both fighters are coming off monster wins. Smith stopped future hall-of-famer Bernard Hopkins and Andrzej Fonfara in his last two fights and Barrera stopped Vyacheslav Shabranskyy to end 2016. Saturday night they will open the HBO Boxing After Dark® telecast (9:50 p.m. ET/PT)with a 12-round light heavyweight battle. Below is the scouting report for this match-up:
Category
Joe Smith Jr
Sullivan Barrera
Age
27
35
Record
23-1 (19 KOs)
19-1 (14 KOs)
Strength
Smith is a strong fighter who wastes little time once the bell rings. He applies smothering pressure and can end the fight with any punch.
Barrera has solid endurance and a granite chin. He has a strong jab that he uses well and has shown great patience in breaking down his opponents.
Weakness
The Long Island native also tends to get wild when fighting fire-with-fire. If Smith lets his guard down, Sullivan is a heavy hitter who can end the fight early.
Sullivan can get wild so he needs to keep it together and stay sharp in order to avoid one of his opponent’s thundering blows.
Experience
He has managed to stay active throughout his young career. He also gained valuable experience in the past year with wins over Andrzej Fonfara and Bernard Hopkins
He is an experienced fighter who has been in with some of the best in the division: Andre Ward, Vyacheslav Shabranskyy and Karo Murat.
Power
Smith has devastating power in every punch he throws. He delivers nasty combinations to the body and comes out swinging with the first bell.
Sullivan has a powerful jab and a devastating right hand that have been instrumental in the majority of his stoppage wins. His previous eight wins all came by way of knockout.
Speed
Joe’s speed comes on full display when he realizes his opponent is in trouble and the end is near.
Sullivan has average speed; he turns it up a notch once he smells blood and goes for the finish.
Endurance
Smith’s endurance is somewhat of a question; he went 10 rounds once but has yet to go a full 12.
Barrera proved he can go 12 rounds when he came up short in a decision loss to current titleholder Andre Ward.
Accuracy
He has very effective accuracy when he can work his way to the inside or force his opponent to the ropes.
Sullivan’s accuracy is on point when he gets his jab going and puts his punches together behind it.
Defense
Joe’s offense is his best defense; he does an exceptional job at smothering his opponents with an over-aggressive style that wears his opponents down.
If Barrera commits to the jab, it can be very effective taking his opponent out of his element, making it difficult to get anything going offensively.
Chin
Smith was stopped once in his lone pro defeat in 2010. Since then, he has not been in any real danger.
Sullivan has been knocked down but recovered well and finished strong.
Style
Junior is an aggressive, in-your-face fighter who overwhelms his opponents with a vicious onslaught of punches and combinations.
Barrera is a technical fighter that likes to stick his jab and set up his shots. He also has a brawling style that inevitably comes out when his opponents show that they are willing to engage.
Intangibles
Coming off the two biggest wins of his career over Bernard Hopkins and Andrzej Fonfara, Smith is wasting little time in getting back into the ring with the best in the division. A win here could stamp his spot amongst the top of the division rankings and earn him a well-deserved title fight.
Sullivan has been very vocal in his desire to fight the best in the light heavyweight division and there are very few light heavyweights riding the momentum like Smith is now. Sullivan is willing to take out anyone in his path, and he knows a win over Smith can solidify another shot at a world title.
Crowd Support
Smith has a crowd-pleasing style that won the support of boxing fans in Los Angeles when he defeated Hopkins, so the New York native is expected to have substantial crowd support for his return to “The Fabulous” Forum.
With his last eight wins coming by way of knockout, Barrera earned fan support and established himself as a fan-friendly fighter. His last big victory over Shabranskyy also took place in California, so he should have some fans returning to see him.
The Match-up
1. Will Barrera frustrate Smith with his boxing ability?
2. Will each fighter be able to handle the other’s power?
3. Who is going to dictate the fight?
4. Will Barrera fall into Smith’s aggressive style?
According to Main Events’ matchmaker and 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone, “This is a great fight in the ring and kudos to both guys for stepping up and agreeing to fight each other. The winner of this fight will be in a very good position in the light heavyweight division. This fight has bombs away written all over it: both guys have power in both hands.”
Berchelt vs. Miura, a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and Teiken Promotions. Corrales vs. Castellanos is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Smith vs. Barerra is presented by Star Boxing in association with Main Events. The event is sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD and Casa Mexico Tequila and will take place on Saturday, July 15 at Los Angeles’ “Fabulous” Forum and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:50 P.M EDT/PDT.
Tickets are priced at $25, $50, $75 and $125, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PDT to 7:00 p.m. PDT) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @hboboxing, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, and follow the conversation using #bercheltmiura.
Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/BercheltMiura into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.
BERCHELT VS. MIURA, CORRALES VS. CASTELLANOS AND SMITH, JR. VS. BARERRA AND FIGHTERS FROM JULY 14 LA FIGHT CLUB TELEVISED BOUTS LOS ANGELES MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES
LOS ANGELES (July 12, 2017) Fighters from the July 14 LA FIGHT CLUB
card and July 15 HBO Boxing After Dark triple header led by Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) and Takashi Miura (31-3-2, 24 KOs) today hosted a Los Angeles media workout at City of Angels Gym ahead of their respective fights.
On July 15 live from the “Fabulous” Forum, televised on HBO Boxing After Dark, Berchelt will take on Miura in a WBC Super Featherweight Championship main event. The triple header will also feature Panamanian super featherweight Jezreel “El Invisible” Corrales (21-1, 8 KOs) who will make his U.S. debut against Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos (24-12, 14 KOs) for Corrales’s WBA Super World title. Opening up the action-packed HBO telecast, current two-time WBC International Light Heavyweight Champion Joe Smith, Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) will put his belt on the line against the Miami’s Sullivan Barrera (19-1, 14 KOs). On the RING TV live streamed portion of the card, Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (30-1-2, 16 KOs) will run up against Martin “El Brochas” Honorio (33-10-1, 16 KOs), Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (9-0, 8 KOs) will go up against a TBA opponent, and Manny “Chato” Robles (12-0, 4 KOs) will step up his competition with Chihuahua, Mex.’s Juan “El Peñita” Jimenez (23-12, 16 KOs).
Below is what fighters on the Saturday, July 15 HBO Boxing After Dark triple header had to say at today’s workout:
MIGUEL “EL ALACRAN” BERCHELT, Current WBC Super Featherweight Champion:
“I consider myself a world champion, and fighting Takashi Miura is a way to prove that I am the best in my class. Some of my advantages include my height, the fact that I haven’t been in many wars, and my youth.
“I have a youthful hunger that makes the difference between the two of us. It’s cool to know that I am facing the best in my division – I was able to get through Francisco Vargas, so I know that I can take on Miura.
“Our plan is simple: win round by round. I will show the crowd that not only can I box, but that I can keep my energy through the rounds. Fighting with intelligence is key-you can be in a war but if you’re not smart with how you land your punches it won’t benefit you or help you win.
“Overall, I am excited to be able to fight again in Los Angeles with my fellow paisanos (countrymen).”
TAKASHI MIURA, Former WBC Super Featherweight World Champion:
“Training camp went extremely well, and I am pleased with how everything is going. I am getting used to the environment and time difference in LA, but should be fully ready to go come fight week.
“After my last loss, I became depressed for a couple of months. I thought I wouldn’t be able to come back to the level that I once was. However, boxing is everything to me, and I couldn’t just walk away.
“I have more heart than Berchelt. I want this more than I want anything. I am expecting a war because I know he won’t want to give up his belt that easy. But I want it back. If there’s a possibility to unify the titles, I will, if the opportunity is there. Our division is known for a lot of wars.”
JEZREEL “EL INVISIBLE” CORRALES, Current WBA Super World Super Featherweight Champion:
“I’ve always been confident in my training. They call me ‘El Invisible’ because you can’t see me in the ring when I’m moving.
“I’m very happy to be making my U.S. debut and fighting with Golden Boy Promotions.”
ROBINSON “ROBIN HOOD” CASTELLANOS, Super Featherweight Contender:
“We had a great training camp, and we did everything we could to put together the best fight possible. I don’t know which way the fight will go, however what I can tell you is that the only thing on my mind is winning.”
JOE SMITH, JR., Current WBC International Light Heavyweight Champion:
“Since my last fight, everyone recognizes me more. I’ve been working on continuing my journey towards becoming a world champion.
“In my fight with Barrera, we’re just all going to have to see what Saturday brings.”
SULLIVAN BARRERA, Current USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion:
“This fight is special because it is the first time my father will see me fight professionally. Joe Smith, Jr. is very good; he has power, but I have power too. I think I have a lot more experience than him, and I’m his biggest challenge yet.”
MERCITO “NO MERCY” GESTA, Lightweight Contender:
“I’m always excited for every fight to get back in the ring, especially now that I’m fighting at the ‘Fabulous’ Forum for the first time. I’ve been working a lot on my sparring, and I’ve learned a lot going in to this fight. I’m ready.”
RYAN “KINGRY” GARCIA, Lightweight Prospect:
“I’ve been focusing on staying consistent during my training camp, which was five weeks. I’ve been working with my strength and conditioning coach a lot. I know my opponent is a come-forward fighter, and we will both put on a great show on July 15 at the Forum.”
On Friday, July 14 at LA FIGHT CLUB at the Belasco Theater, Venezuela’s Roger “The Kid” Gutierrez (14-0-1, 11 KOs) will face Nicaraguan warrior Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado (24-8, 16 KOs) in an eight-round super featherweight bout. As the co-main event, Edgar “Kid Neza” Valerio will up the ante with Torreon, Mex.’s Jairo Hernandez(18-11, 9 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout. Opening up the Boxeo Estelar telecast on Estrella TV, Panama’s Jaime “Jaimito” Arboleda (10-0, 8 KOs) will take on Philly’s Recky Dulay (9-2, 6 KOs) for a six-round super featherweight contest.
Below is what the July 14 LA FIGHT CLUB fighters had to say at today’s workout:
ROGER “THE KID” GUTIERREZ, Super Featherweight Contender:
“I get to represent my people of Venezuela in this fight. This is my first professional fight in the U.S., and I’m excited to be able to do that against someone like Alvarado who has fought for titles and has proven to be a skillful fighter. We work on everything in camp, so I feel prepared to make my U.S debut.”
RENE “GEMELO” ALVARADO, Super Featherweight Contender:
“I have a lot to gain if I win in this fight. I have to make my upward climb back to the top, and this fight is a step in that direction. I am by no means expecting an easy fight – we both want this.”
EDGAR “KID NEZA” VALERIO, Featherweight Prospect:
“Right now, I feel like I’ve been getting better at being patient and calm in the ring. Boxing isn’t a game and taking punches isn’t easy, but I feel I’ve improved on keeping my composure.”
JAIME “JAIMITO” ARBOLEDA, Super Featherweight Prospect:
“I have so much pride in being able to represent Panama. I will be going up against a Filipino fighter. He is fast, but we have prepared well to take him on and be able to box him. I feel good, and I am excited to fight in Los Angeles and give a good show.”
July 15: Tickets for Berchelt vs. Miura at the “Fabulous” Forum are priced at $25, $50, $75 and $125, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PST to 7:00 p.m. PST) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
July 14: Tickets for LA FIGHT CLUB are starting at only $20 with Flex Passes for multiple fight packages, Group Tickets and Knockout Experience upgrade are available for purchase now at www.goldenboypromotions.com, the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page, by calling 213-233-2957.
Berchelt vs. Miura, a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and Teiken Promotions. Corrales vs. Castellanos is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Smith vs. Barerra is presented by Star Boxing in association with Main Events. The event is sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD and Casa Mexico Tequila and will take place on Saturday, July 15 at Los Angeles’ “Fabulous” Forum and will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:50 p.m. EST/PST.
Gutierrez vs. Alvarado is an eight-round super featherweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate “Born BOLD”, Casa Mexico Tequila, and Adriana’s Insurance. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 5:30 p.m. PT. Boxeo Estelar will air tape delayed on Estrella TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The card will also stream live on EstrellaTV.com and on YouTube via LBI Media, Inc.’s Fenomeno Studios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.
THE SUMMER HEATS UP WITH SIZZLING HOT BOXING ACTION WHEN HBO BOXING AFTER DARK®: MIGUEL BERCHELT VS. TAKASHI MIURA, JEZREEL CORRALES VS. ROBINSON CASTELLANOS AND JOE SMITH JR. VS. SULLIVAN BARRERA IS SEEN SATURDAY, JULY 15
HBO serves up a tripleheader of hot ring action when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: MIGUEL BERCHELT VS. TAKASHI MIURA, JEZREEL CORRALES VS. ROBINSON CASTELLANOS AND JOE SMITH JR. VS. SULLIVAN BARRERA is seen SATURDAY, JULY 15 at 9:50 p.m. (ET/PT) from the renowned venue The Forum in Inglewood, Cal. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.
The fights will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.
The main event is a 12-round super featherweight title showdown between Miguel Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) from Merida, Mexico, and Takashi Miura (31-3-2, 24 KOs) from Tokyo, Japan. Fighting in the U.S. for only the second time, Berchelt will be making his first title defense since taking the belt from Francisco Vargas last January in a thrilling fight seen on HBO. The current mandatory at 130 pounds, Miura is a former super featherweight champ looking to regain the title he lost to Francisco Vargas in 2015, a bruising battle that captured consensus “fight of the year” honors.
The middle bout features Jezreel Corrales (21-1, 8 KOs) from San Miguelito, Panama and Robinson Castellanos (24-12, 14 KOs) from Celaya, Mexico in a scheduled 12-round super featherweight title contest. Corrales’ only loss came in his second pro fight; he will be making his first U.S. appearance after winning the crown with back-to-back victories over Takashi Uchiyama. Castellanos, who experienced a string of losses early in his professional career, has won 14 of his last 16 fights, scoring an emphatic upset win over former Olympic gold medalist and featherweight champ Yuriorkis Gamboa this past May.
The tripleheader opens with an intriguing light heavyweight contest between New Yorker Joe Smith Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) and Cuban native Sullivan Barrera (19-1, 14 KOs). Smith, who worked in construction on Long Island as he built his ring career, stunned the boxing world last December when he knocked future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins out of the ring. Barrera, now living in Miami, Fla., suffered his only pro loss to reigning 175-pound champion Andre Ward. Both fighters are known for heavy hitting, and a big victory in this 12-round matchup will dramatically enhance the winner’s position in the talent-rich division.
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jonathan Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.
® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.
Sullivan Barrera Reunites with His Father for Joe Smith Jr. Showdown
Miami, FL: It has been more than eight years since Sullivan Barrera (19-1, 14 KOs) defected from Cuba and left his friends and family behind to pursue his dream of becoming a professional boxer in the United States. On Saturday, July 15 he takes on Long Island, New York native Joe Smith Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) for the WBA International Light Heavyweight Title and, for the first time in Sullivan’s life, his father, Rafael Barrera, will be watching him from ringside.
After an eight-year separation, father and son were reunited on Thursday when the elder Barrera was finally able to visit from Cuba. In Cuba, it is difficult for Sullivan’s father to watch him fight. On some rare occasions, Rafael is able to travel to one of Cuba’s larger hotel chains to watch his son fight live on television. Usually, though, Sullivan has to ship videos of his fights to Cuba for his father to see them.
The 35-year old from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is elated to finally have his father here in the United States for his fight with Smith. When asked about the reunion, Sullivan said, “It has been eight years since I have seen my father. It is very important for me that he is here for this fight, for my mind and for everything. I want to get for him the victory. I am very excited.”
Understandably, the anticipation of his father’s visit has been a bit of a distraction for Sullivan. According to his trainer, Derik Santos, “I think it is just human nature. Sullivan always says he is out there to do his job, but there has to be an added layer of anxiety with his father being there the first time. You would have to expect that. He hasn’t seen his father in eight plus years. We trained this morning and we spoke about it. There was a kid-like giddiness about him. He can’t stop smiling about it. He is very excited, but it is my job to keep those emotions in check on fight night.”
Despite the added anxiety and anticipation of his father’s arrival, Barrera and Santos agree that they will be ready for Smith on July 15. They are fueled by Barrera being the underdog in this matchup. “I like the status of being the underdog. It motivates me to continue to prove to people that I belong at the top,” said Sullivan. “This is going to be a very interesting fight and it is a great fight for my career. When I come out victorious, it should either give me a shot at the title or get me one step closer to fighting for a title. Smith beat a legend in Bernard Hopkins, but Hopkins had been out of the ring for a long time before their fight. July 15, I am going to come out victorious.”
Berchelt vs. Miura, a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and Teiken Promotions. Corrales vs. Castellanos is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Smith vs. Barerra is presented by Star Boxing in association with Main Events. The event is sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD and Casa Mexico Tequila and will take place on Saturday, July 15 at Los Angeles’ “Fabulous” Forum and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:50 P.M EDT/PDT.
Tickets are priced at $25, $50, $75 and $125, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PDT to 7:00 p.m. PDT) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @hboboxing, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, and follow the conversation using #bercheltmiura.
Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/BercheltMiura into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.
BERCHELT VS. MIURA / CORRALES VS. CASTELLANOS / SMITH, JR. VS. BARRERA CAMP NOTES
LOS ANGELES (July 10, 2017) The all-action fighters participating on the stacked tripleheader this Saturday, July 15 have wrapped up camp and begun their journey to Los Angeles for their championship bouts at The “Fabulous” Forum. The night will feature the rugged Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) defending his hard-earned WBC Super Featherweight belt against Takashi Miura (31-3-2, 24 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round main event championship bout. Serving as chief support in the co-main event, Panamanian super-star and newly signed Golden Boy Promotions fighter Jezreel “El Invisible” Corrales (21-1, 8 KOs) will make his U.S. debut against Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos (24-12, 14 KOs) in a 12-round super featherweight bout for Corrales’s WBA Super World title. Opening up the HBO telecast, current WBC International light heavyweight Champion Joe Smith, Jr. (23-1, 19 KOs) will put his belt on the line in a 12-round fight against Miami’s Sullivan Barrera (19-1, 14 KOs). The action will be televised on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 9:50 p.m. ET/PT.
Hear what the teams had to say about their upcoming bouts:
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:
“We saw what Miguel Berchelt is capable from his slugfest earlier this year against the rugged Francisco Vargas, and that level of action is what fans should expect to see on July 15 when he takes on former world champion Takashi Miura. With Jezreel Corrales facing Robinson Castellanos, who had an impressive upset over Yuriorkis Gamboa in May, plus Joe Smith, Jr. taking on the heavy-handed Sullivan Barrera, this triple header on HBO Boxing After Dark will surely deliver the type of non-stop action fans crave from boxing.”
MIGUEL “EL ALACRAN” BERCHELT, Current WBC Super Featherweight World Champion:
“I am ready to defend my title and very excited to fight in a big city like Los Angeles with the support of all my countrymen. We have prepared a great deal and next Saturday you will see the best Miguel Berchelt.”
“This by no means will be an easy fight – Miura has gone to war many times in his career and I am expecting nothing less in this fight. I want to prove that winning this belt was no fluke, and defending it against a warrior like Miura is the perfect opportunity to do that.”
TAKASHI MIURA, Former WBC Super Featherweight World Champion:
“I have had a great training camp for this fight. The training is going well. I am preparing myself for a tough fight.”
“This will be my third fight in the United States, and I feel comfortable in getting myself acclimated to the time difference. I am looking forward to being on HBO again and putting on an exciting fight for the boxing fans.”
“If I am able to get the belt back Saturday, and the opportunity is there, I would want to unify the belts in the super featherweight division.”
JEZREEL “EL INVISIBLE” CORRALES, Current WBA Super World Super Featherweight Champion:
“I’m going up against a boxer who doesn’t like to waste his punches. I know that he has also watched my fights and that he has studied me well. I know that he will come forward to attack me, and to look for opportunities to get his lost chance back in the sport.”
“He will try to overwhelm me, and he will try to throw punches to knock me out, but, that’s why they call me ‘El Invisible’ (The Invisible). I won’t let him catch me. Like we say here in Panama, he will be left unsatisfied and wanting more after meeting me in the ring.”
ROBINSON “ROBIN HOOD” CASTELLANOS, Super Featherweight Contender:
“I’ve enjoyed this preparation; however, the work has been intense. There is a motivating environment in the team, and I am very encouraged.”
“We have been working with several left-handed sparring players to fine-tune the strategy. I know that Jezreel is surely doing his part to win, and I hope it turns out an attractive fight for fans and HBO for both him and me. This fight opens doors for me to take part in huge cards like this one.”
JOE SMITH, JR., Current WBC International Light Heavyweight Champion:
“It feels great to be fighting on HBO. I’m looking forward to it, and I’m in great shape and ready to put on a tremendous performance against Sullivan Barrera. It’s not like fighting at home but I’m looking forward to fighting at the Forum again, I was treated very well there and it’s a tremendous and legendary venue. I like Los Angeles; the fans were very good to me as well.”
“I saw Sullivan Barrera’s fight with Andre Ward, and I’ve seen a few of his other fights. This fight is a huge challenge to me as he’s got a lot of experience but I’ll be ready on July 15.”
“I’d still like to fight Adonis Stevenson. I was ready this year, and I’ll be ready at any time but now my focus is solely on this fight. Joe DeGuardia has done a great job of getting me these opportunities, particularly with Fonfara and Hopkins and now with Barrera, it’s my job to take care of business in the ring.”
SULLIVAN BARRERA, Former USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion
“This is going to be a very interesting fight, and it is a great fight for my career. When I come out victorious, it should either give me a shot at the title or get me one step closer to fighting for a title. Smith beat a legend in Bernard Hopkins, but [Hopkins] had been out of the ring for a long time before their fight.”
“Down the road, I would like to fight for a title next. But if I cannot fight for a title in my next fight, I would like to fight Eleider Alvarez or Nathan Cleverly.”
“July 15, I am going to come out victorious. I want to let all the fans know that they should tune-in to HBO. With the help of God, on July 15 I will be coming back home with the WBC International light heavyweight belt.”
Berchelt vs. Miura, a 12-round fight for the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Promotions and Teiken Promotions. Corrales vs. Castellanos is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Smith vs. Barerra is presented by Star Boxing in association with Main Events. The event is sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD and Casa Mexico Tequila and will take place on Saturday, July 15 at Los Angeles’ “Fabulous” Forum and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:50 P.M ET/PT. The livestream portion will begin at approximately 6:50 p.m. ET/3:50 p.m. PT through 9:50 p.m. ET/ 6:50 p.m. PT on RingTV.com.
Tickets are priced at $25, $50, $75 and $125, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PT to 7:00 p.m. PT) at (310) 330-7300. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @hboboxing, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, and follow the conversation using #bercheltmiura.
Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/BercheltMiura into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.
