LOS ANGELES (May 10, 2016) — A picture may be worth a thousand words but a stamp is Forever. Just ask World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight world champion “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL who presented a larger than life commemorative stamp of himself to his opponent World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world titlist TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD at today’s Beverly Hills press conference (photo attached). The undefeated world champions announced their 12-round world title unification fight to determine the lineal king of the exciting 140-pound division.

Photo attached: Credit Mikey Williams/Top Rank

The stamp not only featured Postol’s image but also foreshadowed the result of their upcoming fight, with a caption that included Postol’s record after their rumble, complete with projected record and unified titles.

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night nor Terence Crawford stays this Postol courier from the swift completion of unifying the titles,” said World-Famous Freddie Roach, Postol’s Hall of Fame trainer. “Come July 23, Postol will deliver just like he did against Lucas Matthyse.”.

After viewing the artwork, a bemused Crawford told Team Postol, “There’s only one place for junk mail and that’s the shredder. I’m going to cancel your stamp and your reign as WBC champion on July 23. The new face of boxing isn’t on that stamp, it’s in front of you.”

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association withTecate and the motion picture “Hands of Stone,” the Crawford vs. Postol world championship event will take place on Saturday, July 23, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets, priced at $304, $204, $104, and $54, not including applicable service fees, went on sale today. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or ticketmaster.com.

Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., already a two-division world champion, has won four of his last five bouts by stoppage. The consensus Top-10 pound-for-pound fighter will be making his MGM Grand Garden debut in his third title defense of his WBO junior welterweight world championship crown.

Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), from Kiev, Ukraine, put his stamp on the boxing landscape when he scored a 10th-round knockout of the heavily-favored former world champion Lucas Matthysse to capture the vacant WBC super lightweight world title on October 3, 2015. Having won two of his last three fights by knockout, the Freddie Roach-trained Postol will be making his first defense of that title.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #CrawfordPostol to join the conversation on Twitter.

LAS VEGAS, NV. (May 10, 2016) — Undefeated junior welterweight champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD and “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL will go mano a mano, in a 12-round world title unification fight, to determine the lineal king of the exciting 140-pound division. The Crawford vs. Postol world championship event will take place on Saturday, July 23, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate and the motion picture “Hands of Stone,” tickets to Crawford vs. Postol, priced at $304, $204, $104, and $54, not including applicable service fees, go on sale Today! Tuesday, May 10, at 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or ticketmaster.com.

“This is a great opportunity to show the world I’m the best champion at 140,” said Crawford.

“We are about to show the world that I am indeed a better trainer than Postol’s trainer Freddie Roach,” added Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s trainer and co-manager.

“I believe this is a GREAT fight and Terence will prove he’s not only the best 140-pound fighter in the world but that he is pound for pound the best fighter in the world,” said Cameron Dunkin, Crawford’s co-manager.

“I have been waiting for this fight for a long time and I want to thank my promoters Elite Boxing and Top Rank for making this fight a reality for the fans,” said Postol.

“This has Fight of the Year written all over it,” said Hall of Fame Trainer World-Famous Freddie Roach. “For the second consecutive time Viktor will be involved in a world title tilt pitting the two best fighters in the division. He’ll be ready.”

“This is one of those fights where no one knows who will come out victorious,” said Vadim Kornilov, Postol’s manager. “It’s the type of fight fans crave but rarely get to see. There are no opponents in this battle, only champions. Postol and Crawford each have 28-0 records and they have both fought great opposition.”

“This title unification battle between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol is evenly matched and both undefeated champions are determined to prevail. This is must-see television,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum

“We look forward to hosting what very well could be the ‘fight of the year’ this summer at MGM Grand,” said Richard Sturm, president of entertainment and sports for MGM Resorts International. “These two fighters will make their Grand Garden Arena debut and undoubtedly provide an exciting evening for boxing fans worldwide.”

“We are excited to present two accomplished champions in a major unification title showdown at 140 pounds” said Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. “Terence Crawford stands today among boxing’s elite attractions. His opponent Viktor Postol, Crawford’s toughest to date, seeks to seize that star power for himself with an upset under the bright spotlight in Las Vegas.”

Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., a two-division world champion who has won four of his last five bouts by stoppage, will be making his MGM Grand Garden debut in his third title defense as World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world champion. The consensus Top-10 pound-for-pound fighter will be looking to build on his star-making 2014 which featured three world championship victories as well as Fighter of the Year honors from the Boxing Writers Association of America and major media alike. Crawford, 28, captured the vacant WBO junior welterweight crown on April 18, 2015, via a devastating sixth-round knockout of once-beaten No. 2 world-rated contender Thomas Dulorme. He has successfully defended the title twice — stopping No.2 world-rated contender Dierry Jean in front of a packed house at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha on October 24, 2015, and knocking out Top-10 contender Hank Lundy in the fifth round last February 27, at a soldout Theater at Madison Square Garden. Crawford began his career-best year on March 1, 2014, just 13 days short of the sixth anniversary of his professional debut. He captured the WBO lightweight title, dethroning defending champion Ricky Burns on Burns’ home turf of Glasgow, Scotland. Scoring a powerful and unanimous decision, Crawford put the boxing world on notice with his virtuoso performance as he pulled out all stops in dismantling Burns, rocking the defending champion throughout the fight, while switching back and forth between orthodox and southpaw stances. He followed that with a dramatic and critically-acclaimed knockout victory of undefeated former world champion and Cuban Olympic gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa on June 28, 2014, in a Fight of the Year nominee. It was one of the most-watched fights of the year with over 1.2 million viewers catching the live, first-time airing of the fight, according to Nielsen Media Research. He concluded 2014 on November 29 with a thorough shellacking of one-time world title challenger and No. 1 contender Ray Beltran, winning 11 of the 12 rounds. Crawford, who is friendly with Warren Buffet, is only the second Nebraska native to be recognized as a boxing world champion. Perry “Kid” Graves, from Rock Bluff, captured the welterweight crown, knocking out Johnny Alberts in Brooklyn, in 1914, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), from Kiev, Ukraine, put his stamp on the boxing landscape when he scored a 10th-round knockout of the heavily-favored former interim world champion Lucas Matthysse to capture the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight world title on October 3, 2015. World-rated No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, Postol and Matthysse went toe to toe throwing every weapon in their arsenals at each other until Postol caught Matthysse with a right uppercut and a left hook effectively turning out the lights on one of boxing’s most fearsome punchers. A former sparring partner of eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, Postol’s resume includes victories over top-rated contenders Selcuk Aydin, Jose Lopez, Lundy, and former world champion DeMarcus Corley. Postol, who has been trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach for his last three fights, with two of those ending in knockouts, will be making his first defense as the WBC super lightweight champion.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #CrawfordPostol to join the conversation on Twitter.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the July 23 HBO PPV fight between WBO 140 lb champion and WBC titleholder Viktor Postol is now set for Las Vegas.

“It’s a very good matchup, the best you can make in the junior welterweight division,” Top Rank CEO Bob Arum told ESPN.com. “What it really is is a fight for supremacy in the division. I’m very pleased with it, and I think it will be a very competitive fight.”

“This is a great opportunity to show the world I’m the best champion at 140 pounds,” Crawford said.

Cameron Dunkin, Crawford’s co-manager, said he was pleased to get Crawford such a meaningful fight.

“This is a great fight, and Terence will prove he’s not only the best 140-pound fighter in the world but that he is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world,” he said.

Said Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s trainer and co-manager: “We are going to show the world how basic Postol really is and that he got very lucky against (Lucas) Matthysse.”

“I have asked for this fight for some time,” Postol said. “I am very confident, and this will be a great fight for me. I want to thank my promoters, Elite Boxing and Top Rank, for making this fight a reality for the fans.”

Vadim Kornilov, Postol’s manager, said he believes the fight is about as even a matchup as one could ask for.

“This fight is pay-per-view view material because no one knows what to expect,” Kornilov said. “Both guys are 28-0. Either one of these guys can win and go on to become the next star in the division. It’s the type of fight fans don’t get to see often these days.”

In one undercard bout, newly minted WBO Super Middleweight champion, Gilberto Ramirez will take on Dominick Britsch.

WBO Jr. Welterweight champion, Terence Crawford has signed on to fight Viktor Postol in a unification bout on July 23, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Crawford had signed, and everything is virtually resolved with Postol,” Arum said. “There are a couple of little issues we have to iron out, but the big stuff is done. The money is done.

“The reason these little issues are not resolved yet is because [manager] Vadim [Kornilov] has to get our take on things and then go back to Elite Promotions and get their take,” Arum said, referring to Postol’s Ukrainian co-promoter. “It takes some times. There’s a language barrier. But it’s nothing of any serious consequence. All the major terms have been agreed to.”

“I told them they can go to the Nevada commission and ask for two neutral judges, but we can’t tell the commission who to appoint,” Arum said. “They’ll understand that. It will get worked out. We want fair judging.”

A former lightweight champion and the 2014 fighter of the year, Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, will be making his third 140-pound title defense. Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), 32, of Ukraine, will be making the first defense of the world title belt he won in upset fashion by knocking out Lucas Matthysse in the 10th round on Oct. 3 in Carson, California. Cameron Dunkin, Crawford’s co-manager, confirmed to ESPN.com that Crawford signed the contract.

“He signed, and it’s a terrific fight,” Dunkin said. “I’m glad he is fighting. Postol is the toughest guy out there in the division, and not only do you get Postol, but you also have to go up against his trainer, Freddie Roach, one of the best in the business. But I believe in my guy. I believe he’s the best fighter in the world right now, and we win this fight and move on to bigger and better things.”

“We expect a few thousand people to make the trip from Omaha to Las Vegas for the fight,” Arum said.

Boxing superstar Gennady Golovkin returns exclusively live to BoxNation on Saturday 23rd April when he defends his unified world titles against top undefeated contender Dominic Wade at the Fabulous Forum, Los Angeles.

The pound-for-pound great is back on the The Channel of Champions, headlining an awesome April of fistic entertainment that features Golovkin’s big rival Billy Joe Saunders – with both heading towards a seismic collision this year – defending his WBO World Middleweight title against “Mad” Max Burbank on Saturday 30th April, live from the Copper Box Arena, London.

More big live fight action in April sees the thunderous, punching, all-action, British star Liam Williams defending his British and Commonwealth Super-Welterweight titles against Nav Mansouri on Saturday 2nd April from Harrow, England.

Undefeated Golovkin has destroyed 31 out of 34 opponents – an incredible 91% KO ratio – and the fearsome Kazakh puts his WBA Super, Interim WBC and IBF World Middleweight titles on the line for the 16th time – the second highest in the 160lb division’s history – against Wade and will aim to remain on course for a showdown with Saunders this year to unify all four belts.

Wade, from Largo, Maryland, is the mandatory challenger for GGG’s IBF World title and is undefeated in 18 fights with 12 knockouts. In his last fight he defeated from IBF World Champion Sam Soliman and goes into the showdown against Golovkin looking to cause a tremendous upset.

BoxNation viewers have been treated this year to the world’s best fighters all featuring on the channel with Sergey Kovalev, Terrence Crawford, Andre Ward on March 26th against Sulivan Barrera and now Golovkin.

But on the same card as Golovkin, arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world Roman Gonzalez, the WBC World Flyweight Champion, will defend his title against McWilliams Arroyo.

The Nicaraguan hot-shot has an incredible unbeaten record of 44 wins with 38 KO’s and has left a trail of destruction in the last two and half years with ten-fight KO run.

BoxNation’s Managing Director Jim McMunn is thrilled to have the top three pound-for-pound best: Gonzalez, Golovkin and Kovalev plus the 6th and 9th placed Ward and Crawford all on BoxNation in the first four months of this year.

He said, “That will be some feat to have five of the ten best fighters in the world by April all live on BoxNation and really cements our position as THE channel to watch boxing’s biggest names. Having Golovkin on BoxNation is fantastic, but with Gonzalez also on the card, the number one and two on the planet, it is fantastic for our subscribers to get to see these greats in action, live.”

– Ends –

About BoxNation

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

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By Norm Frauenheim

Jose Benavidez Jr. is considering several options, including a move up in weight, in an attempt to re-ignite a career that has stalled since Top Rank thought about putting him in against Terence Crawford, yet decided on Hank Lundy.

Benavidez, unbeaten (24-0, 16 KOs) at 140 pounds, was considered a leading possibility for Crawford, who on Feb. 27 blew away Lundy in a fifth-round stoppage on HBO in The Theater at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

But Benavidez didn’t look good in scoring a unanimous decision on Dec. 12 over unknown Sidney Siqueira of Brazil on a Univision card in Tucson that featured emerging featherweight Oscar Valdez in a sensational victory.

The crowd booed Benavidez, whose rope-a-dope tactics are not popular. He said he had the flu. At the weigh-in, he was 152.4 pounds, 4.4 heavier than the contracted 148 for a non-title fight. Between rounds, he struggled to breathe.

It’s not clear whether that performance knocked the Phoenix fighter out of consideration for Crawford, whom he called out repeatedly before the Tucson card. But Benavidez didn’t regret the decision to fight, despite the flu.

“No, not at all’’ his father, trainer and manager, Jose Benavidez Sr. said from Hill Street Boxing in Los Angeles where he is training his younger son, David Benavidez, for an appearance on the Chris Algieri-Errol Spence Jr. card on April 16 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. “I mean, he was in the co-main event. In that kind of situation, you’re never right. Imagine the reaction if we had canceled out.

“At the same time, I knew he could beat the guy. It was a big risk. We knew he’d win. But we also knew he wouldn’t look good. But the crowd thought he should of stopped him. I thought he should have stopped, too. But he was sick.’’

The best that can be said is that Benavidez emerged from difficult night with his unbeaten record intact. Still, one of boxing’s brightest prospects six years ago faces an uncertain future. He no longer has the WBA’s interim 140-pound belt, according to his father. He took it from Mauricio Herrera about sixteen months ago in a decision as controversial as any in 2014.

After defending it once in a 12th-round stoppage of Jorge Paez Jr. last May, the WBA ordered a mandatory for the acronym’s regular belt against Italian Michele di Rocco (40-1-1, 18 KOs), an Italian. That’s when Benavidez found out what interim really means.

“They stripped him,’’ the senior Benavidez said. “It’s kind of ridiculous what they wanted. They wanted us to go fight over there. They wanted us to fight for very little money. Then, they wanted us to pay the sanctioning fee. It didn’t make sense.

“I mean, we were trying to fight Crawford, or Jessie Vargas, or Viktor Postol. Those fights make sense.’’

Dollars, too.

Now, common sense says it’s time for the 5-foot-11 Benavidez to move up to welterweight. He’ll be 24 years old on May 15.

“I think we go to 147 and stay there, unless something big breaks like Crawford, or Postol, or something like that,’’ Benavidez Sr. said. “He’s still young. The body hasn’t really changed much. He could definitely make 140 for a big opportunity. If not, we’ll just stay at 147.

“But I do think he needs big fights. So many of these guys he’s been fighting, there’s just no motivation.’’

Nothing has been scheduled, yet. However, Benavidez is expected to resume training with brother David next week in Los Angeles.

“We want to fight, but I don’t what’s going to happen,’’ his father said. “We’re just going to stay focused and try to regroup. Hopefully something comes up. You never know.’’

Emanuel Taylor , who in his last 4 fights fought former WBO world champion Chris Algieri, WBA Jr, Welterweight champ Adrien Broner, undefeated world rated Antonio Orozco, and rated contender Karim Mayfield, looked very sharp as he dismantled the rugged Wilfredo Acuna on the undercard of the Terrance Crawford- Hank Lundy fight at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, on Saturday night. The event was televised live on HBO.

Taylor (19-4 14KO Edgewater, MD) started fast as Acuna (16-19 11KO Nicaragua) was a willing participant as the two traded blows freely in the 1st round. Taylor, returning from a 9 month layoff showed no signs of rust as he punished Acuna with crisp combinations to the head and body. Acuna, to his credit, fought gamely and landed a few very hard blows which Taylor shook off.

As the bout wore on Taylor began to hurt Acuna with both head shots and body shots. Taylor opened up the 6th round with multiple hooks to the head of Acuna and continued the assault finally dropping the game Nicaraguan near the end of the round forcing referee David Fields to call a halt at the 2:29 mark of round 6.

Star Boxing promoter Joe DeGuardia had this to say about Taylor’s performance: “Emanuel is a skilled fighter in a very hot Jr. Welterweight division. He fought a very tough kid in Acuna who we have used in the past with Chris Algieri and Cletus Seldin and Acuna always comes to fight. In the past, Emanuel has fallen just short in a couple of close high profile fights (like Adrien Broner and Antonio Orozco), but after tonight he is now on the path to get another great opportunity in his quest to become a world champion”.

Taylor weighed 143.8 and Acuna 144.4 for the fight.

Link to Baltimore Sun article:
http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-86056556/

Twitter at @Star Boxing, Instagram at StarBoxing, and
Facebook.com/StarBoxing.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in New York City, undefeated Nebraska junior welterweight Terence “Bud” Crawford, an HBO fighter, put the sixth blemish on Philadelphian Hank Lundy’s ledger via TKO in round 5. Though Crawford’s assault did not take Lundy’s consciousness, it took his spirit, much as was anticipated by their records and all who watched. Crawford is aware there is an unseemly dearth of viable opponents for him, with the men who might’ve played challengers in bygone eras currently being overpaid by the PBC to behave like titlists, and he properly beats them to submission. If Crawford is not creating new aficionados, he is at least ensuring no more aficionados depart our sport on his watch.

Once televised boxing became predictable, we moved our commentaries to new subjects, and many concerned judges and their disagreeable tallies and referees and their improper stoppages, ever early or late, and point deductions, ever too much or too little, and if it isn’t an apt substitute for writing especially well about great spectacles, our unfortunate choice is partly palliated by the quality of the spectacles: It is no more possible to write greatly about a mediocre subject than stitch a great suit from burlap. Saturday’s match was not mediocre fabric, quite, it was in its punchcount and intent about good, though certainly not great, and what precluded its mediocrity, or eventual and desperately required salvation from mediocrity, was a choice its referee made in the closing moments of round 3.

Steve Willis, whose trademark enthusiasm is appearing ever more frequently during televised mainevents, chose not to act at the end of the third round, and it redeemed almost immediately a match that was strolling, and feinting and flexing, its way towards mediocrity. With a halfminute remaining in the round, Hank Lundy tried valiantly to close distance by swinging wildly and folding forward, and once Crawford began to set his weight on the back of Lundy’s neck in mammals’ universal manner of establishing dominance over another, Lundy flashed his torso leftwards then upwards, jamming the top of his head exactly where Crawford did not want it: against his chin. Crawford covered Lundy’s head with both blue gloves, and a leveraging match ensued with Lundy in the manifestly favorable position of having a lower center of gravity.

It has become an unspoken clause of sorts, call it the Mayweather Rule, that a fight’s promotional a-side shall not be discomfited by anything but a perfectly clean punch. While the b-side can be forearmed, elbowed, clinched, suffocated and occasionally butted, the a-side must not lose his title on anything but unspotted punching with the middle knuckle of his opponent’s fist – all other tactics must be treated as infractions and subjected to intense audiovisual scrutiny.

Referee Willis eschewed the Mayweather Rule, very much the way Tony Weeks got the Mayweather Rule ratified in 2014 (when, after allowing Marcos Maidana to strike Floyd Mayweather without Mayweather’s express permission a few too many times, in a fight, Weeks found himself quietly barred from officiating Mayweather matches evermore), and an actual fight began, allaying what fears aficionados developed after seeing the usually composed Crawford behave brashly during fightweek media events. Crawford is no one’s bitch, and he responded to Lundy’s aggression exactly as a champion should do: he clubbed his challenger nearly unconscious in the next five minutes.

Before that, though, Crawford found himself forced, via Lundy’s appropriate activity and Willis’ more appropriate inactivity, to grab hold of Lundy and wrestle him away. What was Willis doing meanwhile? HBO viewers will never know; blessedly Willis was removed enough from the combatants the frame did not contain him through much of it.

Crawford got Lundy off him and began to give Lundy what Lundy wanted and needed: less space to close. This is the sort of choice Crawford makes that makes him a better entertainer than his stylistically similar peers across the dial on the PBC. Crawford had the size and reflexes to discourage Lundy with space; however many inches taller Crawford actually is, he must’ve looked a foot taller and a meter farther away to Lundy than he was in Saturday’s first 2 1/2 rounds. Crawford, were he a PBC prospect, would have gone on feinting and flexing and scowling and leaping inrange long enough to pushoff a chest jab, and then leaping out of space, over and over, hoping Lundy might fatigue enough to make a sustained attack perfectly safe, and even then perhaps not chancing it. Crawford must know this; it would be impossible to watch boxing in the last decade, much less practice it at such a level, without noticing men of good reflexes no longer need to get struck in order to make their first million; so long as you purport to ferocity and make c-level opponents look bad, boxing needn’t be a fullcontact sport for you.

Crawford has the excellent fortune of being a Top Rank fighter, not a PBC asset; he is developed by the same experts who crafted Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya, and they didn’t develop those men by tolerating a pacifistic approach to combat (unbeknownst to most of the Money Team, in his first eight fights young Mayweather was compared to Mike Tyson). Crawford is a finisher, the way Top Rank expects its fighters to be; the rare case of a Top Rank fighter not being a born finisher, Tim Bradley for instance, is marked by that man’s willingness to undergo hellacious tests regularly. Not every match must end in a knockout, but boxing’s dwindled fanbase is through with talented athletes moving cautiously for a halfhour then suing posterity for scorecard points – particularly after making fraudulent prefight promises during press conferences and other promotional perfunctories.

Crawford expects to knock his opponents rigid, and he knows his promoter expects the same. If there are moments in his matches Crawford wonders about his professional choice to practice his brutal profession quite so brutally, he draws reinforcement from pride and expectations. Crawford is a very proud man, and his corner and promoter have very high expectations.

A good bit of punching, a restrained ref, and a decisive ending; if Saturday was not boxing’s best, it was a pleasant distance from its worst.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Terence Crawford retained the WBO Jr. Welterweight title with a 5th round stoppage over Hank Lundy at a sold out Madison Square Garden Theater.

It was a close fight early with Lundy getting in a few shots.  Lundy was cut above the right eye in round four from an accidental headbutt.  In round five, Crawford caught Lundy with a left down the middle that rocked the challenger.  Crawford jumped on Lundy and the two had a heated exchange with Crawford getting the better to the point where another left hand sent Lundy Spawling to the canvas in his corner.  Lundy got up to only eat a barrage of heavy punches that forced referee Steve Willis to stop the bout at 2:09

Crawford, 139.2 lbs of Omaha, NEB is 28-0 with 20 knockouts.  Lundy, 138.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 26-6-1.

Crawford Quotes

What did you tell Lundy after the fight?

I told him good fight and I appreciate him taking the fight

Cause I got my respect – I said he was going to respect me at the end of the fight and he was going to respect me today and I respect him back. He said good fight it’s all love and I appreciate it

Why do you get hit in eearly rounds?

Cause they are earlier rounds and we are feeling each other out. Once I make the adjustment I start touching him more

Seems like you have more power

I was killing myself to make 135 and it was taking a lot out of me. I want to thank got for the V.

I told everyone I got power in both hands and the boxing ability that I have and it’s going to take me a long way in this game

I never duck anyone and I’ll fight anybody. My manager will make the fights happen and and I will train and fight.

Hot-shot prospect, Felix Verdejo won a 10-round unanimous decision over Willian Silva in a battle of undefeated Lightweights.

Verdejo was solid throughout and won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91.

Verdejo, 135 lbs of San Juan, PR is 19-1.  Silva, 134.4 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 23-1.

Verdejo Quotes

“I felt very goodd uring the fight. My opponent moved a lot, but I did what I had to do and got the win”

“This is a new learning experience. I will learn from this and I will keep moving forward”

Julian Rodriguez remained perfect with an 8-round unanimous decision over King Daluz in a Super Lightweight bout.

Rodriguez dropped Daluz with a right to the body in round seven and cruised home to the victory by scores of 80-71 on all cards.

Rodriguez, 141.6 lbs of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ is now 12-0.  Daluz, 140.4 lbs of Santa Cruz, Spain is 12-3-2.

Juan Carlos Torres remained undefeated with a 3rd round stoppage over Miguel Gloria in a scheduled 4-round Lightweight contst.

Torres scored a knockdown in round one and floored Gloria twice more in round two.  Gloria only lasted 20 seconds into round three before the fight was halted.

Torres, 136.4 lbs of Trujillo Alto, PR is 4-0 with three knockouts.  Gloria, 136 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 1-2.

Christopher Diaz was impressive in scoring a 4th round stoppage over Angel Luna in a scheduled 8-round Featherweight bout.

Diaz pummeled and rocked Luna in round three with heavy blows.  In round four, Diaz landed a booming right that basically knocked Luna out on his feet.  prone in the corner, Diaz unloaded two more blows and the bout was stopped at 2:42 of round four.

Diaz, 127 lbs of Barranquitas, PR is 15-0 with 10 knockouts.  Luna, 126.8 lbs of Santiago, DR is 12-2-1.

World ranked Light Heavyweight Seanie Monaghan tuned up Janne Forsman in round five of their scheduled 10-round bout.

Monaghan landed a flurry of body shots in round four that sent Forsmann to his knees.  Monaghan continued the assault until the bout was halted at 1:34 of round five.

Monaghan, 179.8 lbs of Long Beach, NY is 26-0 with 17 knockouts.  Forsmann, 177 lbs of Vassam FIN is 21-4.

Emanuel Taylor scored a sixth round stoppage over Wilfredo Acuna in a scheduled 8-round Jr. Welterweight bout

In round six, Taylor landed a blistering combination that featured a right uppercut and left hook that sent Acuna to the canvas and the fight was waved off at 2:59

Taylor, 143.8 lbs of Baltimore, MD is 19-4-2 with 13 knockouts. Acuna, 144 lbs of Minagua, NIC is 15-19.

TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD

“Fighting at Madison Square Garden…headlining the event at the Mecca of Boxing is personally historic.

“I love to give back…to my community…to the sport of boxing…and on Saturday night I’m going to give something back to Lundy. I’m going to show him that punches hurt a lot more than words.

“Manny [Pacquiao] is the only fighter in the Top Rank stable who can take me to the next level. [Viktor] Postol is good but only real boxing fans know him.

“With Lundy, I need to look out for head butts, low blows and elbows. He’s going to get rough in this one. But once he gets careless, and he will, he’s going down.

“Lundy’s trash talk makes me laugh. But I don’t think he’ll laughing too much on Saturday night. Deep down in his soul he knows what he’s in for. He’ll respect me Saturday. Don’t blink. It might be a quick one.”

“Hammerin'” HANK LUNDY

“It’s going to be a war. I’m going to be the new champion of the world. It’s going to be a new life for my family and for me when I go home s world champion.

[Regarding press conference scuffle] “He can’t take the pressure. I’m in his head. I have him. I’m going to beat his ass and he is going to feel these hammers.

“Crawford is going to feel my pain, my struggle and all of Philadelphia. I’m going to crack his head like the Liberty Bell.

“Tell Crawford to bring some suspenders to The Garden on Saturday because when I take that belt off of him he’s going to need them to hold up his pants.”

****************************************

Undefeated superstar champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD and FELIX “El Diamante” VERDEJO will make their 2016 debuts in title defenses,This Saturday! February 27, at the “Mecca of Boxing” — The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Crawford, the two-division world champion and 2014 Fighter of the Year will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world championship belt against Top-10 contender “Hammerin'” HANK LUNDY. Verdejo, the boxing gem of Puerto Rico, will be risking his WBO Latino lightweight title crown and his march to a world title shot when he rumbles with undefeated Brazilian buzz saw WILLIAM “Baby Face” SILVA. Both fights will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

These four warriors boast a combined record of 95-5-1 (60 KOs) — a winning percentage of 94% with close to 2/3 of their victories coming by way of knockout.

*****************************

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES), Diamante Promotions and Madison Square Garden, any remaining tickets to the Crawford vs. Lundy / Verdejo vs. Silva championship doubleheader, priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25, can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #CrawfordLundy or #VerdejoSilva to join the conversation on Twitter.

Double-action comes exclusively live on BoxNation from both sides of the Atlantic tomorrow night when cruiserweight warriors Marco Huck and Ola Afolabi clash for a fourth time followed by pound-for pound great Terence Crawford’s collision with Hank Lundy.

Huck and Afolabi get the night underway when they meet for an incredible fourth time at the Gerry Weber Stadium, Halle, Germany, in a crucial crossroads fight for both men with the winner going on to a possible world title shot.

Serbian born, German resident, Huck is 2-0-1 going into the fight against London born Afolabi with the previous encounters being close and exciting affairs and although Huck’s WBO World title was previously on the line this time Afolabi’s IBO World title is up for contention.

“Käpt’n” Huck lost his WBO crown in a shock defeat to Krzysztof Glowacki last August in his American debut, but it was a thrilling fight that saw Glowacki floored in the sixth round and then rally back to stop Huck in the eleventh.

The 31-year-old will be looking to prove that he is not finished and has one more shot at glory with a strong performance against Afolabi. Although his preparations could have taken a hit when he revealed last week that he had split with trainer Conni Mittermeier and joined up with Varol Vekiloglu just 10 days before the fight.

For Afolabi, he’ll be looking to continue his hot form on the back of his stunning fifth round knockout of hard Russian Rakhim Chakhkiev last November when he went into the fight as the underdog. In the fight prior, Afolabi extended Interim IBF World Champion Victor Emilio Ramirez the distance in Argentina and lost on the scorecards.

At 35, the man known as Kryptonite, knows that a victory over his rival – which would be his first – is crucial if he is to get a fourth world title opportunity.

Once the dust settles in Germany, the action switches to the Mecca of Boxing at New York’s legendary Madison Square Garden where American star Crawford defends his WBO World Super-Lightweight Championship against Hammerin’ Hank in a potential thriller.

“Bud” Crawford is on the cusp of becoming boxing’s next big crossover star following Floyd Mayweather Jnr’s retirement and the soon to be retired Manny Pacquiao and many believe the all-action and exciting Omaha man could be the one.

Unbeaten in 27 fights with 19 KO’s and with fast switch-hitting hands and power, Crawford shot to prominence when he totally outclassed Ricky Burns in his Glasgow backyard to take the WBO World Lightweight title in March 2014. He immediately made a hero’s return to his hometown in Nebraska and inflicted the first loss to former Unified World Featherweight Champion and 2004 Cuban Olympic Gold Medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa with a sensational ninth round knockout in June 2014 in the first defence of the title. Defences against Raymundo and Thomas Dulorme followed and last time out he smashed Dierry Jean in nine rounds on BoxNation.

The 28-year-old faces a hard test in his MSG debut against the trash-talking Philadelphian Lundy, who took the challenge after top super-lightweights Ruslan Provodnikov, current WBC World Champion Viktor Postol, and former Interim World Champions Lucas Matthysse and Mauricio Herrera all turned down the fight and Lundy is supremely confident with his chances.

At the press conference this week the pair clashed when Crawford nearly pushed Lundy off the stage following their head-to-head stare down after getting annoyed with Lundy’s trash-talking.

Crawford said, “That’s his main objective — to get in my head. But he doesn’t understand that just makes me fight harder, makes me be better, makes me be sharper. I’m not just going to go in there and try to just knock him out. I’m going to go in there and do what I do. That’s what he doesn’t understand.”

Lundy fired back, “I’ve been watching him ever since he came on the scene at 135, and nothing impressed me. Now, he’s going to have a guy in front of him that can do all the things he can do. It’s going to be a big mistake on his part.”

Also on the card will be fast the rising and undefeated Puerto Rican lightweight sensation Felix Verdejo who defends his WBO Latino Lightweight title against Brazilian William Silva. Britain’s WBO World Lightweight Champion Terry Flanagan will be keeping a close eye on Verdejo who if he emerges victorious could be a future potential opponent after his clash with Derry Mathews next month.

Live coverage for Huck v Afolabi starts at 7pm on Saturday night with live of Crawford v Lundy beginning at 2am on Sunday morning. To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 525, Freeview 255, TalkTalk 415, iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices) for only £12 a month visit boxnation.com or to watch online subscribe at watch.boxnation.com

– Ends –

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By Norm Frauenheim-

A pound-for-pound debate without a mention of Terence Crawford isn’t much of a conversation. At least, he doesn’t think so. Does Crawford belong?

“Of course,’’ he said. “I feel like I’m already in that conversation.’’

Maybe.

Hank Lundy has some of his own ideas. Turns out, Crawford wouldn’t even make the top three on Lundy’s list.

“No, he’s not the best guy I’ve fight,’’ Lundy said.

Lundy went on to say a lot of things. On the Lundy list, Crawford would rank behind Viktor Postol, Ajose Olusegun, and maybe Dannie Williams.

Lundy might have found a few other names to rank ahead of Crawford if only he had had more time to hold court on his portion of a conference call this week

If he’s as good a fighter as he is a talker, Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs) is in trouble Saturday night (10 p.m. ET/PT) in an HBO-televised junior-welterweight bout in The Theater at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

But the guess in this corner is that Lundy has only managed to talk himself into trouble while also giving Crawford a big chance on a very big stage. An impressive victory over Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs) would get Crawford off the fringes of a debate currently dominated by flyweight Roman Gonzalez, middleweight Gennady Golovkin and light-heavyweight Sergey Kovalev.

“It’s hard to rank myself against guys who are in different weight classes,’’ Crawford said. “They would never be my opponent. They are either too big or too small. They do good in their weight division and I do good in mine.’’

So good, in fact, that you can make a pretty good argument that Manny Pacquiao bypassed him for Timothy Bradley for the same reasons that middleweight belt-holders have ducked Golovkin for so long. The risk is too big.

If true, the unbeaten Crawford is left with the motivation to be as impressive as possible. Wittingly or not, Lundy’s talk might have sparked some emotional flint not yet seen in the somewhat stoic fighter from the Midwest.

“I don’t know what’s going on in that boy’s head,’’ Crawford said. “Come Saturday there’s not going to be much talking to do.’’

Crawford conceded that there was some disappointment at not getting the chance to face Pacquiao, who says he’s retiring after the Bradley bout on April 9.

“I wouldn’t say it was a letdown but I wouldn’t say it was exciting,’’ Crawford said the Pacquiao decision. “When they told me the names, they then told me Lundy. He and I had been going back and forth on Twitter for a long time. Now I just want to shut him up.

“He has said a couple of things that upset me, but nothing that has made me change my game plan or fight different than I would normally fight. I am going to go in there and fight my fight. Do what I have to do to get the job done.’’

Then, maybe, Crawford can say thanks to Lundy and hello to a more accepted place in an ever-evolving argument.

NEW YORK (Feb. 25th, 2016) — The playful ribbing between Hank Lundy and Terence Crawford that began in mid-January continued at Thursday’s final press conference when Crawford’s trainer, Brian McIntyre — a former fighter himself — walked to the podium at Chase Square with a T-shirt that read, “I went to the Madison Square Garden and all I got was knocked out by Terrence Crawford,” an obvious jab at Lundy.

“These will be available for Hank and his team following the fight,” McIntyre deadpanned.

Team Lundy, led by CES Boxing president Jimmy Burchfield Sr., Lundy’s promoter, enjoyed a quick laugh at its own expense, with Burchfield taking the shirt, folding it carefully and placing it on his lap while McIntyre continued his monologue, merely an extension of the month-long social media war between the two sides.

Though the verbal back-and-forth has helped turned Saturday’s event into a near sellout — Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti reported only 23 tickets remain at the box office — Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs) is leaning on a more powerful source of motivation heading into the biggest fight of his life Saturday night in New York City.

“My babies are going to be right there,” Lundy said, referencing his daughters, Amiriah, 7; Adriana, 8; Amari, 10 and Aniyah, 12.

“This is the first time I’m going to battle in front of my four little queens and God knows the electricity, every punch I hit you with, you’re going to feel Philadelphia, you’re going to feel my pain, my struggle. You’re going to feel ‘Hammerin” Hank and you can guarantee come the 27th of February I’m going to be the new champion of the world.

Saturday’s 12-round showdown against the unbeaten Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), the reigning World Boxing Organization [WBO] Junior Welterweight Champion, is the main event of HBO’s World Championship Boxing doubleheader, promoted by Top Rank and CES Boxing.

Written off by the press as the third or fourth choice for this fight by Crawford’s camp, Lundy’s quick wit and boastful pride have turned many fans onto what Burchfield says could be the “fight of the year” against the heavily-favored Omaha, Neb., native, who’s defended his world title four times since winning it in 2014.

“This is a great event,” Burchfield said. “You’re going to see a great fight Saturday night. You couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Lundy has taken fights on short notice in the past with mixed results, but he’s had two and a half months to prepare for Saturday’s world title bout and was ready the moment he got the call — “I was already on weight,” he said — a rare luxury for a fighter who’s climbed the ladder in two separate weight classes as a self-proclaimed “B-sider.”

“What’s the difference with this fight and the previous fights Hank has had? The difference is he’s had since December to train and get ready for this battle,” Burchfield said. “He’s had one of the best camps he’s ever had, so I think — I know — you’re going to see a great fight and you’re going to see the real Hank Lundy because he’s had time to get ready.

“Hank has never turned away from a fight. Never,” Burchfield continued. “When he signs a contract, he’s going to show up and he’s going to give it everything he’s got. He’s taken some fights on very short notice. His last 17 fights, he’s been in 13 different states and two different countries, but that hasn’t stopped him at all.”

Unlike most interviews or press gatherings, where Lundy tends to steal the spotlight, the Philadelphia native was unusually subdued Thursday, simply referencing his family and hard work leading up to this fight while eschewing the desire to “go on and on” or “talk your head off.” Lundy even refrained from barking back at McIntyre, whom he already went to war with several weeks ago via social media when he publically drudged up McIntyre’s less-than-stellar 7-14 record as a pro.

McIntyre, meanwhile, continued to pile on; five weeks after declaring he’d bet $10,000 on his own fighter during Top Rank’s introductory press conference in January, Crawford’s head trainer draped the anti-Lundy shirt over the front of the podium Thursday, suggesting, “I just want to give everyone a chance to read the gift we got for Team Lundy.

“I was going to take the low road and come to talk smack about Hank about how he wants to blast me on Facebook with him and his people,” McIntyre continued, “but I’m going to take the high road and seize this opportunity to say that I’m so excited to where I’m in tears for Terence, his sisters, his mom, his grandma. I’m also excited for the city [of Omaha] because they’re about to experience the good whooping Hank’s about to take.”

The typically reserved Crawford offered another backhanded compliment for Lundy, applauding him Thursday for giving “the best speech you gave the whole time you’ve opened your mouth.

“I respect that,” Crawford said, “because deep down in his heart he knows what he’s up against. I just take that as a sign of respect. If he doesn’t respect me now, he’ll respect me Saturday.

“It’s been a great camp. I feel good. I’m excited. The whole camp, I kept saying, ‘I can’t wait for this fight!’ It’s like a countdown. This dude doesn’t’ know what he’s gotten himself into. Everyone says, ‘I’m going to do this,’ or, ‘I’m going to do that to him,’ or, ‘I see a flaw in him,’ but when you get in front of me you see a different thing. Come Saturday, don’t blink, because it might be a quick one.”

Both sides have had ample opportunities to speak their piece and take shots at one another through the press and on social media. The real fight begins in 48 hours and Lundy is prepared to bring the world title back to Philadelphia, a fitting tribute to a consummate road warrior who’s paid his dues and taken the long road to the top.

“This fight is going to be electrifying,” Lundy said. “I just can’t wait until Saturday night. This is what I’ve been fighting for, to make my family, my kids, take them and give them a different lifestyle. It’s going to be war. I’m coming to win this world title.”

The Feb. 27th HBO doubleheader, which begins 10 p.m. ET, also features a 10-round WBO Latino lightweight title bout between reigning champion Felix Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and unbeaten challenger William Silva (23-0, 14 KOs) of San Paolo, Brazil.

For more information, visit www.cesboxing.com or www.toprank.com, or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.twitter.com/trboxing using the hashtag #CrawfordLundy to join the conversation. Updates are also available on www.facebook.com/cesboxing, www.facebook.com/trboxing or www.facebook.com/trboxeo.

HBO Boxing presents an action-packed doubleheader when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: TERENCE CRAWFORD VS. HANK LUNDY AND FELIX VERDEJO VS. WILLIAM SILVA is seen SATURDAY, FEB. 27 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/ tape-delayed PT) from The Theater at Madison Square Garden, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports broadcasting team will call the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Feb. 28 (10:30 a.m.) and 29 (11:30 p.m.)

HBO2 playdate: Feb. 28 (3:00 p.m.)

Terence Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), 2014’s Fighter of the Year, defends his junior welterweight title and unblemished record against veteran Hank Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round contest. Hailing from Omaha, Neb., the 28-year-old enjoyed an impressive 2015 with knockout victories against top 140-pound contenders Thomas Dulorme and Dierry Jean. Known for his speed, precision, defense and power, Crawford will be making his pro debut in New York.

Philadelphia native Lundy, 32, suffered a technical decision loss to Mauricio Herrera on HBO Latino in July 2015, but rebounded in October with an impressive stoppage win against Carlos Velasquez. He’ll look to deploy his ring savvy against the younger Crawford.

In the evening’s co-main event, undefeated lightweights square off as Felix Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, takes on William Silva (22-0, 13 KOs) of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in a scheduled ten-round affair. Just 22 years old, Verdejo will be making his fifth appearance at the Garden. The rangy Silva, 28, will seek to halt the young star’s rise.

HBO’s flagship “World Championship Boxing” series marks its 44th year in 2016, while HBO Boxing presented its 1,000th fight last year.

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 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jonathan Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Brooklyn, N.Y. (Monday, Feb. 22, 2016) – Uprising Promotions featherweight Angel Luna (11-1-1, 6 KOs) looks to knock off another undefeated prospect this Saturday night, facing Puerto Rico native Christopher Diaz (14-0, 9 KOs) at the Theater in Madison Square Garden. The bout will be featured on the undercard to a WBO Super Lightweight Championship bout between Terence Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs) and Hank Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs).

“Luna has been working hard for this fight, and I am fully confident that he is going to perform well,” said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. “I watched him spar another undefeated fighter for 10 rounds recently, and he is in great shape. As far as conditioning and his mental approach are concerned, he is 100% ready. We have been working on strategy together as a team, and I believe that we have the right strategy to beat this guy. I just can’t wait for the fight.”

Luna returns to the ring on Saturday night for his first appearance in 2016. Trained by Mateo De La Cruz and Frank, Luna fought his first nine professional bouts in his native country of the Dominican Republic before signing to Uprising Promotions. The Brooklyn transplant joined the promotion in 2014 and will fight under its banner for the sixth time when he faces Diaz.

In his last outing, Luna handed Jose Lopez (15-1-1, 11 KOs) his first professional loss at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on the undercard to Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale. In that contest, he dropped Lopez twice to secure an eventual unanimous decision. Luna was slated for a return to the ring last October as part of a televised quadrupleheader on ShoBox: The New Generation, meeting another undefeated prospect in Filipino lightweight Harmonito Dela Torre (16-0, 11 KOs). However, Typhoon Koppu ravaged Dela Torre’s home country of the Philippines the week of the fight and forced a cancellation of that bout due to travel restrictions.

Diaz enters this contest with nine knockouts over 14 victories, with the majority of his fights taking place in his native Puerto Rico. The Barranquitas resident had a busy 2015, recording six wins and most recently competing this past December when he scored a knockout of Jerry Guevara in San Juan.

For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of our latest news, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and follow us on social media: @UprisingNYC

BROOKLYN, NY (February 22, 2016) — Undefeated two-division world champion and 2014 Fighter of the Year TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD will meet with military veterans to discuss and demonstrate boxing training techniques Tomorrow! Tuesday, February 23, at Gleason’s Gym (77 Front St., Brooklyn, NY 10201), beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. The veterans are members of a New York-based boxing club.

One of boxing’s Top-10 pound for pound fighters, Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., will make his debut at the “Mecca of Boxing ” — Madison Square Garden on Saturday, February 27. He’ll be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world title against Top-10 contender “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA. The fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will open with a battle between undefeated gladiators — the gem of Puerto Rico and Top-Three contender Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo, defending his WBO Latino lightweight title against Brazilian buzz saw William”Baby Face” Silva.

These four warriors boast a combined record of 95-5-1 (60 KOs) — a winning percentage of 94% with close to 2/3 of their victories coming by way of knockout.

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Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES), Diamante Promotions and Madison Square Garden, the remaining few hundred tickets to the Crawford vs. Lundy / Verdejo vs. Silva championship doubleheader, priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25, can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #CrawfordLundy or #VerdejoSilva to join the conversation on Twitter.

LAS VEGAS, NV (January 28, 2016) — Before they enter the ring for their super brawls, MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY JR., TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD and FELIX “El Diamante” VERDEJO, who are headlining upcoming world championship events, took time out to make predictions on Super Bowl 50, which will pit the Denver Broncos against the Carolina Panthers on February 7. Also adding their two cents were trainers World-Famous FREDDIE ROACH and TEDDY ATLAS, who will be facing each other from opposing corners for the first time, with Pacquiao and Bradley, respectively, Top-10 contender “Hammerin'” HANK LUNDY and undefeated Brazilian buzz saw WILLIAM “Baby Face” SILVA, the respective opponents of Crawford and Verdejo.

THE PREDICTIONS

MANNY PACQUIAO
“Peyton Manning is a great competitor and with the possibility that this could be his last game I think he will be an inspiration to the Broncos to win and to end Peyton’s career as a world champion. He is certainly an inspiration to me.”

TIM BRADLEY
“It’s very clear to me — Carolina Panthers 31-27.”

FREDDIE ROACH
“I’m going with the Broncos because Peyton Manning, like Manny Pacquiao, has racked up all the records and the victories against superior opposition. Champions like Manning and Pacquiao know only one way to go out in their last rodeo and that’s on top. It’s Manningfest Destiny.”

TEDDY ATLAS
“It is Cam Newton’s time as I believe it is Tim Bradley’s and that is why Newton will win a Super Bowl and Bradley, a super championship, while Peyton Manning and Manny Pacquiao both retire after great careers.”

TERENCE CRAWFORD
“I don’t know what the score will be but the Carolina Panthers are the better team. One big reason is that they have Cam Newton as quarterback.”

HANK LUNDY
“I’m not really into it that much because I’ve got my own Super Bowl to worry about on February 27th and I’m coming to win the championship. I like Peyton Manning a lot, but I think Cam Newton is going to take care of business. Panthers 21-14.”

FELIX VERDEJO
“I’m going to pick the Carolina Panthers to win the Super Bowl this year. They are the better team”

WILLIAM SILVA
“I’m from Brasil so I do not get to see a lot of American football, but I think the Panthers will be the better team on Super Bowl day based upon their performances in past games. As far as the score, I think it will be the Panthers with three touchdowns to the Broncos’ one touchdown.”

********************

Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade, collides with five-time world champion Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif., in a 12-round world welterweight championship battle. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions, Pacquiao vs. Bradley will take place Saturday, April, 9, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), of Omaha, the 2014 Fighter of the Year and a two-division world champion, will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world title against Top-10 contender Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA. Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, will be risking his WBO Latino lightweight title, Top-Five world ranking and his impending world title shot when he takes on Silva (23-0, 14 KOs), of São Paulo, Brasil, in a battle of undefeated contenders. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Tecate, Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES), Diamante Promotions and Madison Square Garden, the Crawford/Verdejo championship doubleheader will take place on Saturday, February 27, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Both fights will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

For fight updates go to toprank.com, hbo.com/boxing or mgmgrand.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing,, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #PacBradley, #CrawfordLundy or #VerdejoSilva to join the conversation on Twitter.

London (14 January) – The next super-star of boxing Terence Crawford’s WBO World Super-Lightweight title defence against Hank Lundy on Saturday 27th February at the iconic Madison Square Garden, will be televised exclusively live on BoxNation.

Crawford, a two-time and two-weight World Champion, a big favourite with UK fans’ on The Channel of Champions, returns to action as he looks to elevate into the position of boxing’s main man with Floyd Mayweather retired and Manny Pacquiao soon to be, many experts believe the exciting 28-year-old from Omaha can be that man.

A hero in his hometown, Crawford, who sits inside the top ten of boxing’s Pound-for-Pound best rankings, now looks to make that transition when he makes his debut at MSG, known as the “Mecca of Boxing”, where the immortals of the sport have all plied there trade.

Undefeated in 27 fights with 19 knockouts, 12 coming inside three rounds, the big-hitting and dangerous Crawford, 28, could have been a potential final opponent for Pacquaio, who instead wisely opted to go for a third fight against rival Timothy Bradley.

Crawford, began his title reign when he totally out-classed Scotland’s Ricky Burns in his own backyard in March 2014 to win the WBO World Lightweight title. He then saw off undefeated Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa, a former Olympic Gold medallist, in nine rounds in the first title defence in June before outpointing tough Mexican and former world title challenger Raymundo Beltran in November in his second title defence.

“Bud” started 2015 by stepping up to super-lightweight and destroying number two ranked contender Thomas Dulorme to capture the Vacant WBO Crown with a sixth round stoppage in April, followed by a first title defence against the tough Puerto Rican based Frenchman and number two ranked challenger Dierry Jean in ten rounds last November.

His challenger, Lundy, hails from the mean streets of Philadelphia and brings the old school fight mentality of the greats who have come out of the fighting city like Bernard Hopkins and Joe Frazier, into his showdown against Crawford.

Never to shy away from a fight, his challenger “Hammerin” Lundy has defeated former world champions including David Diaz and Richar Abril as well as contenders Olusegan Ajose, Patrick Williams, Dannie Williams and Angelo Santana in his 32-fight career with 26 wins, five losses, one draw and 13 knockouts. In his last fight he captured the WBC Continental Lightweight title with a fifth round stoppage of Carlos Velasquez and is rated number eight in the world by the organisation.

At the recent fight announcement Crawford and Lundy clashed and both are promising an exciting fight.

“I will show the world I am the best fighter at 140 pounds,” Said Crawford.

He added, “Lundy runs his mouth too much. He’s about to get hurt real bad. But Lundy can fight. He will battle.”

Lunday retaliated, “This is the type of fight I have been waiting for. The last couple of fights I have beaten guys but didn’t get the fair shake. If you’re a true fan of boxing, you know I belong in the ring with the best fighters in the world. I’m the type of guy that no one wants to fight, because I am the real deal. On February 27th, I am coming to Madison Square Garden to fight Terence Crawford, and on the 28th I’ll be leaving with his belt.”

Also on the exciting card another potential boxing super-star Felix Verdejo aims to break through into the mainstream when he defends his WBO Latino Lightweight title against big-hitting Brazilian Williams Silva in his return to MSG.

The red-hot undefeated talent known as “El Diamante” fights out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and aims to become the next big name fighter from the famous fighting island that has produced countless greats like Miguel Cotto, Felix Trinidad, Wilfredos Gomez and Vasquez, Hector Camacho and many more.

Fire-fisted Verjdejo has stopped eight of his last ten opponents inside the distance and this will be the third defence of his title. He won the belt with a fifth round knockout of Marco Lopez in April 2014 and then outpointed undefeated contender Ivan Najera in his first defence. Last time out in December he smashed Josenilson Dos Santos inside two rounds.

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NEW YORK (January 12, 2016) — No one needed to ask, “Where’s the beef?” at today’s press conference at Madison Square Garden, where undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world champion and 2014 Fighter of the Year TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD and his opponent, Top-10 contender “Hammerin'” HANK LUNDY, announced their world title rumble. Each fighter had his own beef and they weren’t afraid to serve it up. Here are their quotes.

TERENCE CRAWFORD (27-0, 19 KOs), of Omaha, Neb.

“I’ve always wanted to fight in New York — at The Garden — even as a small boy. Fighting in New York tells me where my career is really at and where we are going. I can get a big fan base here. It’s very exciting

“Lundy runs his mouth too much. He’s about to get hurt real bad. But Lundy can fight. He will battle.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with this dude. He better be for real about it. [Mauricio] Herrera? Lundy lost. Doesn’t matter what people think. He lost.

“I used to watch a lot of old fights Uuntil I got older then I wanted to develop my own style, like, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones, Marco Antonio Barrera.

“I wouldn’t be in this sport if I didn’t think I was the best. If you don’t think lthat you are the best then you are in the wrong sport. I feel like I am one of the guys that will put boxing on my back and carry the sport. I want to do that.

“Best thing about boxing? I get to hit people in the mouth. And I get paid to do it. Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to fight — so why not get paid for it?

“All my kids watch me fight. They see me on HBO and say, “Dad, that’s you – you won that round.

“If I won Powerball would I would still fight? Boxing is my life. You bet I would.”

HANK LUNDY (26-5-1, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA.,

“I am going to break you down, Crawford. This is East Coast fighting, you homie. I’ve been a better, tougher fighter since I reunited with my first trainer, the great Charles Ramey.

“I will be the big ticket seller in this fight not Crawford. We will have fans coming to see me, not Crawford — from Philadelphia, Boston and Providence. I ‘ve always fought on the road. I have fans everywhere.

This is Madison Square Garden. They want to fill the place they know who to get — Hank Lundy. I’m not the ‘B’ side I’m the ‘A’ side

Herrera? I was getting ready to knock him out and Golden Boy knew it. I told them I would fight him again, no purse bid. Nothing.

“I’m Hank Lundy. At the end of the day. I’m one of these fighters that can fight anyone. I fought a whole fight with a damn broken jaw. I put the guy down and he kept coming. But I had a broken jaw. The next day I woke up and it looked like I had grapefruit on the side of my face.

“I’ve got five kids. When I was 18 I was taking them to the gym with me, one on my arm and one in the stroller. Nothing stopped me. They’ve been with me my whole career. They know what it takes to work hard.

“You already know what’s going down. It’s my time. Crawford’s going to be going down early and often. I’ve been in there with the best. Nobody flat out beat my ass and nobody will. That’s why I keep getting these fights. That’s Philly fighting –.Broad Street Bullies.

“I’ve known Crawford since the amateurs. He’s a tough guy. If he’s the best I’m about to show you something. It’s about to be Hank Lundy night at Madison Square Garden.

“This guy is scared to fight me. I’ve been moving all over to try to get him.
I’ve got him now. If I’m under his skin now wait till fight time. One thing about it, I back it up. If you want to talk stuff you’ve got to back it up. You’ve got to have tough skin in this game.

“My kids said, “Dad you’re going to fight Crawford. You’ve been waiting for that.”

*****************************

The Crawford vs. Lundy world title fight will take place on Saturday, February 27, at the “Mecca of Boxing” — The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The co-main event will feature undefeated Top-Five contender FELIX “El Diamante” VERDEJO (19-0, 14 KOs), from San Juan, Puerto Rico, defending his WBO Latino lightweight title against undefeated Brazilian buzz saw WILLIAM “Baby Face” SILVA (23-0, 14 KOs), of São Paulo, Brasil. Both fights will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

These four warriors boast a combined record of 95-5-1 (60 KOs) — a winning percentage of 94% with close to 2/3 of their victories coming by way of knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES), Diamante Promotions and Madison Square Garden, tickets to the Crawford vs. Lundy / Verdejo vs. Silva championship doubleheader will go on sale Tomorrow! Wednesday, January 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #CrawfordLundy or #VerdejoSilva to join the conversation on Twitter.

NEW YORK (Jan. 12th, 2016) — Brimming with confidence during Tuesday’s press conference at Madison Square Garden, Hank Lundy made it abundantly clear he’s more than just a backup plan for his upcoming opponent, Terence Crawford, boldly predicting the coronation of a new 140-pound king on Feb. 27th.

While the mainstream media has painted Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs) as the second or third choice among the Crawford camp for their fighter’s first title defense of 2016 (contenders Mauricio Herrera, Viktor Postol, etc., reportedly turned down the fight), Lundy promises to steal the show when the two square off for Crawford’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) Junior Welterweight Title in the main event of HBO’s World Championship Boxing doubleheader at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, promoted by Top Rank and CES Boxing.

“I guarantee fight night I’m going to break you. I’m going to break your will,” said Lundy during an animated, sometimes heated, exchange Tuesday with Crawford, who mostly chuckled during Lundy’s delivery. “I already got you out of your comfort zone.

“I want you to get this in your head. You can be funny all you want. I’m going to beat your ass. It’s going to be bad.”

Though he’s the clear underdog on paper against the undefeated Crawford, Lundy expects to have “homefield advantage” on Feb. 27th considering he grew up in Philadelphia, less than 100 miles from New York City.

“Philly, Jersey, Boston, they’re all going to be here,” Lundy said. “One thing and one thing’s for sure, the Garden knew what they were doing by picking ‘Hammerin” Hank because they know this bum can’t sell the place out!”

“When we come to New York and we come to Madison Square Garden, we are going to have homefield advantage,” added CES Boxing president Jimmy Burchfield Sr. “If you study homefield advantage, it means a lot. Not only will Philadelphia and New York be here, but Boston and Providence and Connecticut will be here. We will fill that theater with Hank Lundy’s fans.

“Everybody is looking at Hank Lundy as an underdog, or this is your second and third choice. We’re not coming here to be the underdog. Don’t underestimate that. We’re coming here to take the belt back to Philadelphia.

“I think you made a mistake. I really do,” Burchfield said to Crawford, “but we appreciate the opportunity. We’re going to be up for the challenge.”

Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), the reigning WBO champ, is considered one of the sport’s breakthrough stars, perhaps a top five pound-for-pound fighter by the end of the year if he survives Lundy on Feb. 27th.

Since winning the title from Ricky Burns in England in 2014, Crawford has defended his title four times with knockout wins over Yuriorkis Gamboa, Thomas Dulorme and Dierry Jean.

“Everybody knows you, Hank. You’re like the boy who cried wolf,” Crawford said. “You talk a good game, but when you lose it’s always something. ‘I’m going to do this … I’m going to do that.’ You ain’t gonna do shit. You talk about how street you are. That’s talking, boy.

“We know about you. We’ve heard about you getting socked up in the gym and not doing anything. You can smile all you want. You can talk all you want. For real, though, when you look at me in the eyes, I’m about that lifestyle. You’ve heard my background. We ain’t heard nothing about Hank. We just hear you talking.

“I’m going to put on a spectacular show come Feb. 27th. I’m gonna hit him in his mouth and he’s going to end up like [Dierry] Jean and get what he’s looking for.”

The 27th will be Lundy’s first shot at a world title, a long overdue opportunity after nearly a decade of working his way to the top by facing the toughest opposition in the sport. Lundy’s last 17 fights have covered 13 different states and two countries and the combined record of his opponents during that stretch is a remarkable 276-44.

“He’s fought real fights,” Burchfield said. “He’s never backed down from anyone. He stays in the gym. He’s done nothing to harm his body. He’s a warrior. Terence is a warrior. This is why this fight has the ingredients to be the top fight of 2016.”

No stranger to controversy, Lundy suffered a split-decision loss to Dulorme in December of 2014 after battling back from an early knockdown before his highly-publicized 2015 showdown in Los Angeles against Herrera, which ended in a technical decision loss for Lundy when the fight was stopped toward the end of the fifth round due to a pair of cuts over each of Herrera’s eyes caused by accidental head-butts.

“Another round and it would’ve been a knockout victory for Hank,” Burchfield said. “We’ve told Herrera we’d fight him. We’d fight him for nothing. They won’t fight us.”

Crawford went on to stop Dulorme in six rounds in April in a blistering performance by the reigning champ in Texas, but, Burchfield said, Dulorme was “damaged goods” by that point courtesy of the test he faced from Lundy in his previous bout.

“I beat the brakes off him,” Lundy said of Dulorme. “Had the man running around the ring.”

Crawford’s trainer, Brian McIntyre, had a different perspective from watching the fight.

“He said he was beating up Dulorme. No you weren’t,” McIntyre countered. “You were losing, dog. You did come back, though, but you needed help. You needed someone to coach you in the corner, to get you up. ‘Come on, man. You got dog in you! You got dog in you!’

“I don’t have to do with that Terence, because the dog’s already in him when he comes out. I know that for sure. You don’t have confidence in yourself. Another thing I noticed about you, you’ve switched coaches time and time again. That’s inconsistency, bro, along with your chin. Your chin is inconsistent!

“I respect you. I’m just stating the obvious and the obvious is you’re going to get your ass kicked. I bet you that. I bet $10,000 on that.”

The Feb. 27th HBO doubleheader, which begins 10 p.m. ET, also features a 10-round WBO Latino lightweight title bout between reigning champion Felix Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and unbeaten challenger William Silva (23-0, 14 KOs) of San Paolo, Brazil. On sale beginning tomorrow, tickets are priced at $25, $50, $100, $200 and $300 and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone at (866) 858-0008 or online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com.

“[Crawford-Lundy] reminds me of a fight a long time ago, Floyd Mayweather and Emanuel Burton,” said Top Rank president Todd DuBoef. “People said, ‘Burton’s got nine losses. How can you put Mayweather in with him?’ and what a fight it was. Floyd had to earn every bit of that, probably his most difficult fight to date and someone that gave him an enormous amount of difficulty and challenges in the ring. Don’t ever judge a fighter by their record. Hank Lundy has been in there with everybody. People thought he was beating Dulorme and Herrera. He is a top quality fighter.

“What Terence Crawford represents in the sport right now is one of the most excellent fighters in the sport,” added HBO Sports executive vice president Peter Nelson. “In front of him in Hank Lundy is one of the best tests that can be found, a fighter that will step up and take the challenge.”

For more information, visit www.cesboxing.com or www.toprank.com, or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.twitter.com/trboxing using the hashtag #CrawfordLundy to join the conversation. Updates are also available on www.facebook.com/cesboxing, www.facebook.com/trboxing or www.facebook.com/trboxeo.

NEW YORK (January 12, 2015) — Undefeated superstar champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD and FELIX “El Diamante” VERDEJO will make their 2016 debuts in title defenses, Saturday, February 27, at the “Mecca of Boxing” — The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Crawford, the two-division world champion and 2014 Fighter of the Year will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world championship belt against Top-10 contender “Hammerin'” HANK LUNDY. Verdejo, the boxing gem of Puerto Rico, will be risking his WBO Latino lightweight title crown and his march to a world title shot when he rumbles with undefeated Brazilian buzz saw WILLIAM “Baby Face” SILVA. Both fights will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

These four warriors boast a combined record of 95-5-1 (60 KOs) — a winning percentage of 94% with close to 2/3 of their victories coming by way of knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES), Diamante Promotions and Madison Square Garden, tickets to the Crawford vs. Lundy / Verdejo vs. Silva championship doubleheader will go on sale Tomorrow! Wednesday, January 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

“I will show the world I am the best fighter at 140 pounds,” said Crawford

“We can’t wait to shut up this dude, once and for all,” said Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s chief trainer and co-manager.

“This is an excellent matchup,” said Cameron Dunkin, Crawford’s co-manager. “Terence, the best in the world, against Lundy, a world-class fighter. Fans at The Garden and at home watching on HBO will be on their feet for as long as it lasts.”

“This is the type of fight I have been waiting for,” said Lundy. “The last couple of fights I have beaten guys but didn’t get the fair shake. If you’re a true fan of boxing, you know I belong in the ring with the best fighters in the world. I’m the type of guy that no one wants to fight, because I am the real deal. On February 27th, I am coming to Madison Square Garden to fight Terence Crawford, and on the 28th I’ll be leaving with his belt.”

“I feel happy to be going back to New York where last time I didn’t have one of my best performances because of the injury I suffered on my left hand, but I hope that this time I can give all my fans in ‘The Big Apple’ the spectacle that they deserve,” said Verdejo. “I’m coming ready to demonstrate to the world that in Puerto Rico there is a hungry fighter that wants to continue the tradition of champions that our Island has a rich history of producing.”

“We are going to New York to face William Silva, who on paper looks like the toughest fighter Felix has ever faced, but we are confident we will do the right preparation to pass this test,” said Ricky Marquez, Verdejo’s trainer and manager. “We know that we can count on the support of all the boricuas and we dedicate this fight to them, because they inspire us to wake up every morning at dawn to keep working harder and harder.”

“This is the fight I’ve wanted for a long time. At last, we get Verdejo in the ring,” said Silva.

“All of us at Top Rank are thrilled to return to the Theater at Madison Square Garden,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “We are particularly delighted that America superstar Terence Crawford will defend his world junior welterweight title against an ever dangerous Hank Lundy. The big boxing program will also showcase rising superstar prospect and the pride of Puerto Rico Felix Verdejo who will take on undefeated contender William Silva of Brazil.”

“It is great to be working with Top Rank and HBO Boxing on this event. This is the type of fight that is great for the sport of boxing, said Jimmy Burchfield, Sr., president of CES, Lundy’s promoter. “Fans will see two true warriors who will leave it all in the center of the ring, and it should go down as one of the best fights of the year. Hank Lundy has been waiting for a well-deserved opportunity like this his whole life, and he is hungry and ready for this bout. “Hammerin'” Hank has never turned down an opportunity, and in his past 17 bouts he has fought in 13 different states against opponents with a combined record of 276-44-4. On February 28th the world will see the best Hank Lundy yet.”

“Making his Manhattan debut, Terence Crawford stands today among boxing’s fastest rising stars” said Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. “His opponent Hank Lundy, Crawford’s toughest to date, seeks to usurp that star power for himself on fight night with an upset at the historic Madison Square Garden Theater. This will be a memorable night that will catapult the winner to new heights.”

Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., who has won three of his last four bouts by stoppage, will be making his debut at the “Mecca of Boxing” in his second title defense as WBO junior welterweight world champion. The consensus Top-10 pound-for-pound fighter will be looking to build on his star-making 2014 which featured three world championship victories as well as Fighter of the Year honors from the BWAA and major media alike. Crawford, 28, captured the vacant WBO junior welterweight crown on April 18, 2015, via a devastating sixth-round knockout of once-beaten No. 2 world-rated contender Thomas Dulorme. He successfully defended the title on October 24, stopping No.2 world-rated contender Dierry Jean in front of a packed house at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha. Crawford began his career-best year on March 1, 2014, just 13 days short of the sixth anniversary of his professional debut. He captured the WBO lightweight title, dethroning defending champion Ricky Burns on Burns’ home turf of Glasgow, Scotland. Scoring a powerful and unanimous decision, Crawford put the boxing world on notice with his virtuoso performance as he pulled out all stops in dismantling Burns, rocking the defending champion throughout the fight, while switching back and forth between orthodox and southpaw stances. He followed that with a dramatic and critically-acclaimed knockout victory of undefeated former world champion and Cuban Olympic gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa on June 28, 2014, in a Fight of the Year nominee. It was one of the most-watched fights of the year with over 1.2 million viewers catching the live, first-time airing of the fight, according to Nielsen Media Research. He concluded 2014 on November 29 with a thorough shellacking of one-time world title challenger and No. 1 contender Ray Beltran, winning 11 of the 12 rounds. Crawford is only the second Nebraska native to be recognized as a boxing world champion. Perry “Kid” Graves, from Rock Bluff, captured the welterweight crown, knocking out Johnny Alberts in Brooklyn, in 1914, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA., will be bringing anything but brotherly love when he battles Crawford. The nine-year pro has a refreshing “old school” attitude about competition which can be boiled down to three words, “Bring It On!” Boasting a professional resume that doesn’t shy away from any tough fights, Lundy, 32, has several impressive victories, including former world champions David Diaz and Richar Abril as well as contenders Olusegun Ajose, Patrick Lopez, Dannie Williams and Angelo Santana. Lopez and Williams were both NABF lightweight title fights. In his last fight, on October 17, Lundy captured the World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas lightweight title via a fifth-round knockout of Carlos Velasquez. Like Crawford, he can switch effectively and seamlessly to the southpaw stance. He is currently world-rated No. 8 by the WBC.

Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs), from San Juan, Puerto Rico, who earned “Prospect of the Year” honors in 2014 and 2015, is looking to begin this year as a bona fide world title contender. He returns to the ring having won eight of his last 10 fights inside the distance, including his first and last fights of 2015 — a fifth-round knockout of Marco Lopez, on April 25, for the vacant WBO Latino lightweight title and a second-round pasting of Josenilson Dos Santos on December 11, which was Verdejo’s second defense of the title. In between those two fights, Verdejo successfully defended his title on June 13 at Madison Square Garden during Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend, winning a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated contender Ivan Najera of San Antonio, TX. Already world-rated No. 4 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), No. 6 by the WBO and No. 7 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), Verdejo, 22, continues to develop into a major gate attraction, producing standing room only crowds every time he fights. A former amateur standout who represented Puerto Rico in the 2012 Olympics, Verdejo has been mentored by Puerto Rican boxing icon and Hall of Fame inductee Felix Trinidad.

Silva (23-0, 14 KOs), of São Paulo, Brasil, who will be making his HBO debut, has only gone the distance three times over the past five years. He began to separate himself from the pack in 2013, when he captured the WBO Latino welterweight title via a 12-round unanimous decision over Hector Santana. In his 2014 debut, he captured the WBO Latino lightweight title, again by a 12-round decision, over Pablo Barboza. Santana and Barboza had a combined record of 40-5 when Silva fought them. Silva, 28, won all his 2015 fights by knockout, including a third-round stoppage of Bayanmunkh Bayaanjargal on the undercard of the December 11 Verdejo-Santos fight. Silva was licking his chops at the prospect of fighting Verdejo and made no secret of his desire at the post-fight press conference. World-rated No. 15 by the WBO, Silva will be one of the biggest and most dangerous opponents Verdejo has ever faced.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #CrawfordLundy or #VerdejoSilva to join the conversation on Twitter.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Jan. 11th, 2016) — When it came time for undefeated junior welterweight world champion Terence Crawford to find a suitable opponent for his first title defense of 2016, only one of the so-called top 140-pounders in the world answered the challenge.

Philadelphia’s “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy, boxing’s most feared road warrior, will get his long-overdue title shot Saturday, Feb. 27th, 2016 against the unbeaten Crawford in the 12-round main event of HBO’s World Championship Boxing doubleheader at The Theater at Madison Square Garden for Crawford’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) title.

Top Rank and CES Boxing, Lundy’s promoter, will host a press conference Tuesday at Madison Square Garden beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET to officially announce the fight.

“I’m running with a dream,” said Lundy, ranked No. 8 in the world. “This is what I’ve been fighting for my whole career.

“I’m telling Crawford: ‘You’re coming to the east coast. You’re coming into my backyard. I’m coming here to knock you out. I’m going to give you everything you’re looking for.'”

Ten years since his debut, Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs) has finally reached the pinnacle of his profession, a well-deserved opportunity for a fighter who’s always been willing to fight anyone, anywhere at any given time, traveling from Quebec to the Ukraine to earn his respect in a sport where such persistence and dedication sometimes goes unrewarded.

“We’ve waited for this opportunity for a long time. No one deserves this more than Hank,” said CES Boxing president Jimmy Burchfield Sr. “We’ve fought everywhere. We’ve taken last-minute fights overseas. We’ve been the underdog. No one works harder than Hank and no one is hungrier for a shot at a world title. On Feb. 27th the whole world will see why he is the best 140-pounder in the world.”

According to Crawford’s promoter, Top Rank founder and CEO Bob Arum, no one else would step to the plate against Crawford, not even Mauricio Herrera, who beat Lundy in July in a controversial technical decision; reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Viktor Postol, whom Lundy faced in 2013; or former champ Ruslan Provodnikov.

“That’s what I tell you about these fighters. They want to pick and choose,” Lundy said. “One thing I tell you about me and in my career, you never see ‘Hammerin” Hank pick and choose. I don’t care who I’m in the ring with. I’m an old-school, throwback fighter. You put them in front of me, let’s get it. I don’t have time for picking and choosing. The opportunity came for a world title and I’m ready. I’ve been ready.”

Facing Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs) is a unique challenge, but not the first time Lundy has stood toe-to-toe with an unbeaten vet. A 5-foot-8 right-hander from Omaha, Neb., Crawford rose to prominence in 2013 with a dominant, unanimous decision win over Breidis Prescott, followed by back-to-back wins over former WBC Silver Lightweight champ Alejandro Sanabria and unbeaten Russian Andrey Klimov before earning his shot at 140-pound title-holder Ricky Burns in 2014.

Crawford has defended his WBO title four times since beating Burns, including wins over contenders Raymundo Beltran and Thomas Dulorme, both of whom Lundy lost to in close, controversial decisions (a majority decision loss to Beltran in July of 2012 and a split decision loss to Dulorme in December of 2014 on HBO). Three of those aforementioned title defenses took place at the CenturyLink Center in Crawford’s hometown. He hasn’t fought on the east coast since beating Angel Rios in New Jersey in 2011.

“I’m not going to downplay it. [Crawford] does what he’s supposed to do when he gets those guys in front of him, but at the end of the day I haven’t seen any improvement,” Lundy said. “If you look at my resume, I’ve fought the tougher opposition than Crawford.

“He fought a couple of guys I already fought and I’ll you like this, after you fight me you’re never the same. Those guys are never the same after fighting Hank Lundy. Dulorme? I gave you the blueprint on how to beat him. Beltran? I beat him but didn’t get a fair shake. At the end of the day, think about it, if I didn’t get robbed on those fights, ‘Hammerin” Hank Lundy would be undefeated and would’ve already had a world title.

“I can really say no one has flat-out beat me. I’ve suffered controversial losses. I consider myself undefeated. That’s how I go into my fights. This fight, fighting for the word title, I’m looking at it as if I’m undefeated and he’s trying to take my pride.”

Lundy’s bold claims aren’t without merit. The Philadelphia native has faced an undefeated opponent with at least eight pro fights on his record five times in his career and is 3-1-1 in those bouts, including a win over Tyrese Hendrix on ESPN in 2010 and a knockout victory against Jason Cintron, the younger brother of former world champ Kermit Cintron, in 2009. Lundy also owns a split decision win over current World Boxing Association (WBA) Lightweight Champion Richar Abril.

Win or lose, Lundy’s fights never lack in excitement or drama. After reviving his career with wins over Ajose Olusegun and Angelo Santana, the latter in his Showtime debut, Lundy lost a controversial technical decision to Herrera when the fight was stopped toward the end of the fifth round due to a pair of cuts over each of Herrera’s eyes caused by accidental head-butts. The fifth round turned out to be the difference-maker; the fight was even after four, but judges Eddie Hernandez and Fernando Villareal awarded the partial fifth round to Herrera while Zac Young ruled it an even 10-10 round. Herrera won, 48-47, 48-47, 48-48.

Feb. 27th will be Lundy’s third fight since reuniting with his original trainer, Charles Ramey, who coached Lundy as an amateur and helped guide him to wins in each of his first 16 pro fights. The difference is noticeable in Lundy’s defense, which appeared impenetrable in Lundy’s recent knockout win over Carlos Winston Velasquez in October.

“I’m back to the fighting ‘Hammerin” Hank that everybody loves,” Lundy said. “Before, in previous fights, you saw a lot of brawling, but I’m back to my boxing and punching, slickness, going to the body — I’m back, man. Listen, I can’t wait until the world sees me February 27th. I’ve got something to show you.

“Everybody knows ‘Hammerin” Hank is an elusive guy. I make guys miss, I make them pay, but with my boxing ability there’s going to be more damage done now. After I make you miss, I’m going to make you pay.”

Those who’ve followed his career know Lundy’s been clamoring for a title shot as far back as 2012 when he called out 135-pound title contender Antonio DeMarco. Even though it’s taken longer than anticipated for that opportunity to come, the 32-year-old Lundy is grateful for the experiences in between, both good and bad.

“I grew into a hell of a fighter — smart, I know what I’m doing in there,” he said. “When I first jumped onto the scene, I started boxing at the age of 18, turned pro at 23, so in professional fights I was still learning the game. Now I’m actually the complete package. I don’t have any wear and tear on me.

“Most of these guys I’m fighting, because they had long amateur careers, have a lot of wear and tear on their bodies. Sometimes they don’t last that long in the pro game. I’m fresh and I’m going to show the world on Feb. 27th on HBO at Madison Square Garden that ‘Hammerin” Hank is bringing that world title to Philadelphia.”

The Feb. 27th HBO doubleheader, which begins 10 p.m. ET, also features a 10-round WBO Latino lightweight title bout between reigning champion Felix Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and unbeaten challenger William Silva (23-0, 14 KOs) of San Paolo, Brazil.

For more information, visit www.cesboxing.com or www.toprank.com, or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.twitter.com/trboxing using the hashtag #CrawfordLundy to join the conversation. Updates are also available on www.facebook.com/cesboxing, www.facebook.com/trboxing or www.facebook.com/trboxeo.

It’s a holiday treat for HBO Boxing fans. Over four consecutive nights in late December, the HBO service will present nine of the year’s standout fights, spotlighting some of the biggest names in the sport in riveting performances. Featured are signature wins by Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin, Sergey Kovalev, Terence Crawford, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Timothy Bradley Jr.

Starting Sunday, Dec. 27, HBO will replay nine major league showdowns from this year sprinkled over four consecutive nights. All the fights will also be available on HBO ON DEMAND® as well as the HBO NOW and HBO GO® services.

The “Boxing’s Best” lineup airs at 11:00 p.m. each night and includes:

Sunday, December 27 Sergey Kovalev vs. Jean Pascal I
Terence Crawford vs. Dierry Jean
Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland

Monday, December 28 Lucas Matthysse vs. Ruslan Provodnikov
Timothy Bradley Jr. vs. Brandon Rios

Tuesday, December 29 Gennady Golovkin vs. David Lemieux
Takashi Miura vs. Francisco Vargas

Wednesday, December 30 Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez
Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez vs. Brian Viloria

*Winners names are in italics
All Times ET/PT

Jose Benavidez Jr. fights for titles. Fights to stay unbeaten.

Fights to stay busy, too.

He’s been pretty good at the first two, but staying busy has eluded him at an age when the young junior-welterweight needs fights like a talented student needs consistent challenges on a long lesson plan.

The 23-year-old Benavidez (23-0, 16 KOs) hopes to eliminate that problematic idle time, beginning on Dec. 12 in Tucson when he fights for only the second time since winning a controversial decision over Mauricio Herrera for a WBA interim title on Dec. 13, 2014, in Las Vegas.

“I was supposed to fight in November, but it didn’t happen,’’ Benavidez said Thursday before a Top Rank news conference in Tucson announcing a Unimas-televised card that will also feature emerging featherweight Oscar Valdez. “I was supposed to fight a couple of times.’’

Both times, Benavidez was mentioned as a possibility for Terence Crawford, the 2014 Fighter of the Year. But Crawford bypassed Benavidez, winning both — first in March over Thomas Dulorme in his 140-pound debut and then Dierry Jean in October.

Benavidez is still a possibility for Crawford. Top Rank’s Bob Arum mentioned him again during the weigh-in last
Friday for Timothy Bradley’s victory over Brandon Rios In Las Vegas.

“I’d love to fight Crawford, absolutely’’ said Benavidez, who in May scored a 12th-round stoppage of Jorge Paez Jr. in Phoenix, Benavidez’ hometown.

It looks as if Benavidez is an alternate for Crawford. Manny Pacquiao is reportedly interested in career ending fight against either Crawford or Bradley. If the Filipino opts for Bradley, Benavidez might the next man up for Crawford. Viktor Postol is another Benavidez possibility.

“Anybody, I’ll fight anybody,’’ said Benavidez, who title will not be at stake on Dec. 12 when he is scheduled to fight Brazilian Sidney Siqueira (26-10-1, 17 KOs), perhaps at a catch weight between 140 and 150 pounds.

Meanwhile, Benavidez is staying busy. He has too. Boxing is the family business. He’ll be with his brother, David, (10-0, 9 KOs), an 18-year-old light-heavyweight who fights Mexican Felipe Romero (19-9-1, 13 KOs) Saturday night on ShoBox card (Showtime 10:45 p.m. ET/PT) at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock.

“Oh, yeah, I have to be there for my brother,’’ Benavidez said. “We train together. Always have. He keeps me ready. We spar and, man, he beats the bleeping bleep out of me.’’

Nothing bleeping busier than a sibling rivalry.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in Omaha’s CenturyLink Center, in what was probably another attendance record of some prepositional sort – in October, against a French speaker, after a Texas fight, under the rules of the WBO, within the American Midwest, without a doubt, beyond expectations – Nebraska junior welterweight Terence Crawford razed Haitian-Canadian Dierry Jean in 10 rounds. Before Jean was able to retrieve his check from the scorer’s table with a shrug, talk turned to Crawford’s next opponent: Manny Pacquiao, in his first last match, in April, on pay-per-view! And the shrugging commenced.

Anybody see Terence Crawford repeating as Fighter of the Year for 2015?

They can’t all be good twelvemonths, and to be fair, the exceptionality of Crawford’s 2014 was impossible in 2015, known forevermore in boxing annals as the year 0 AH (After Haymon), but Crawford, or at least his handlers at Top Rank, the incredible shrinking promoter, might have put in an effort slightly more inspired than what 2015 shined. There was the compulsory migration to a new weightclass, junior welterweight, that might’ve impressed if Crawford’dn’t already fought a better junior welterweight, Breidis Prescott, on no notice, in 2013 (2 BH). Then there was the inexplicable University of Texas venue in Arlington, on a campus even UT alumni needed to google, and a typically tough, hopeless opponent.

Saturday’s match, an achievement-award homecoming tilt, a way for Omahans to thank a fellow Nebraskan for excelling at some sport other than football, happened against a man not even fightweek festivities bothered embellishing. He was Dierry Jean, the Haitian-born Canadian smuggled out of Montreal to rehab Lamont Peterson in 1 BH, after Lamont got spincycled by Lucas Matthysse, just before Lucas got handled by Danny Garcia. Whatever the ratings boards say of Jean, and no, I don’t care enough to check, intuition says he’s roughly half the opponent someone of Crawford’s talent and pedigree should be confronting in his third match at 140 pounds, on HBO.

So bring on the Pacman!

That’s actually an uncharacteristically interesting fight if it happens in 1 AH, which it likely will not, because honestly, how often does anything genuinely interesting still happen in our oncebeloved sport? Faded as Pacquiao is, a return to 140 pounds – where he fought only once, stiffening Ricky Hatton in 6 BH – might quicken his movements some and make a fight entertaining enough to disarm the righteous rage aficionados feel about the performance, and postfight gracelessness, Manny and Coach Freddie staged against Floyd Mayweather in May. Disarm is perhaps a verb too far: Boxing is just beginning to experience the first sensations of the injury it suffered from The Fight to Save Boxing.

If the pay-per-view numbers are to be believed, and they never ever are, Mayweather took a 90-percent haircut, Pacquiao-to-Berto, and Gennady “Our Next Superstar” Golovkin didn’t do even half Mayweather’s new number, despite allegedly breaking Madison Square Garden attendance records not even the Empire State though to track till GGG’s invasion. The official model is probably broken, and adherence to it – basic cable to premium cable to PPV – almost assuredly will frustrate any who obstinately power towards it.

Bob Arum is not to blame. His legacy as a legendary promoter is assured by the company and fighters he built and the enduring changes he wrought (how do you think boxing got off free TV in the first place?), and he’s been semiretired, anyway, since Juan Manuel Marquez dangled Manny Pacquiao between life and death in 3 BH. What has happened to Top Rank since then is a descent that now accelerates.

There’s a chance all living systems follow the same spiraling pattern, and if they don’t, certainly boxing’s television model has: Disorder –> Negative Feedback (diminishing returns) –> Order –> Positive Feedback (increasing returns) –> Disorder.

The consolidation of broadcasting from many to few imposed an orderly system for exponentially increasing the revenues generated by select men like Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. This increased revenue summoned new agents, like Al Haymon, and disproportionately empowered a few men to move the sport according to their whims. And the more whimsically they behaved, the more revenue they generated till the order disintegrated in the spectacle of a network, HBO, despite having invested extraordinary resources in the promotion of two fighters, Mayweather and Pacquiao, being powerless to make them face one another.

The Fight to Save Boxing was not the beginning of disorder so much as its highest manifestation: A match no expert believed would please its consumers found the largest paying audience assembled in our sport’s history. What 30 years of splintering titles and feuding promoters and deteriorating talent pools could not do to obliterate boxing’s fanbase – decimate, yes, but not obliterate – May 2 did in less than an hour.

Aficionados’ hostility now makes them casual fans whose indifference ensures diminishing returns for every organism in the boxing ecosystem. Opponents of the truly talented are no longer talented enough to improve them, and the truly talented’s skills subsequently erode till they bore their audiences away or lose in matchmaking mishaps. Suddenly boxing is ubiquitous on free television, the last era’s Promised Land, and yet nobody cares at all. The negative feedback has begun in earnest, and while human technology ever has an acceleratory effect on its spirals, the last cycle took decades to complete and this one is barely begun.

Prizefighting, in the sense of men paying to watch other men bludgeon one another to unconsciousness, will endure, but prizefighting, in the sense of a match generating $500 million again, is finished for years, definitely, for decades, probably, and for a lifetime, possibly.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Terence Crawford made his case for a fight with Manny Pacquiao as he defended the WBO Super Lightweight title with a 10th round stoppage over Dierry Jean at the Centurylink Arena in Omaha, Nebraska

Just before the end of round one, Crawford landed a straight left and right hook that sent Jean to the canvas.  Crawford continued to beat up Jean over the course of the bout.  Crawford dominated the bout from the southpaw stance as he only occasionaly ate right hands.  In round nine, Crawford dropped Jean again with a couple of chopping shots to the top of the head.

Crawford came out in round ten and hurt Jean several times before landing a hard combination that sent Jean into the bottom ropes and referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight.

Crawford of Omaha, Nebraska is 27-0 with 19 knockouts.  Jean of Montreal, QUE is 29-2.

Andy Ruiz Jr. battered Raphael Zumbano Love over eight rounds to win a unanimous decision in a Heavyweight bout.

Ruiz, 248 3/4 lbs of Imperial Valley, CA won by scores of 80-72 two cards and 80-70 on the 3rd card and is now 26-0.  Zumbano Love, 247 3/4 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is now 37-12-1.

Mikael Zewski scored a 5th round stoppage over Ayi Bruce in a scheduled 10-round Jr. Middleweight bout.

In round five, Zewski landed a big uppercut that was followed by a left and right to the head that sent Bruce to the canvas.  Bruce tried to get up but was counted out at 1:41 of round five.

Zewski, 149 1/2 lbs of Trois-Riverst, QUE is 27-1 with 21 knockouts.  Bruce, 149 1/2 lbs of Accra, GHA is 15-12.

Former world featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich won a 8-round split decision over Aldomir Silva in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

Gradovich, 127 3/4 lbs of Oxnard, CA won two cards by 79-71 and 78-74 scores while Silva took a card 77-75.

Gradovich is 20-1-1.  Silva, 127 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 19-9.

Julian Rodriguez remained undefeated with a 4-round unanimous decision over Alvaro Ortiz in a Welterweight bout.

Rodriguez, 143 1/4 lbs of Hasbrook Heights, NJ won by scores of 40-36 on two cards and 39-37 and is now 11-0. Ortiz, 140 lbs of Ciudad, MX is 7-5-1.

Alex Saucedo remained undefeated by scoring 2 knockdowns en route to a 6-round unanimous decision over Angel Martnez in a Welterweight bout.

In round five, Saucedo dropped Martinez from a chopping right hand. In round six, Saucedo dropped Martinez with an accumulation of punches on the ropes.

Saucedo, 142 1/4 lbs of Oklahoma City, OK won by scores of 60-52 twice and 60-54 and is now 19-0. Martinez, 141 1/2 lbs of Empalma, MX is 12-8-1.

Alfredo Martinez registered three knockdowns en route to a 4-round unanimous decision over Darin Hampton in a Welterweight fight.

In round two, Martinez dropped Hampton with a series of body shots. Martinez continued to batter Hampton by scoring another knockdown just seconds later. In round four, Martinez scored another knockdown from a left to the body.

Martinez, 142 lbs of Scotts Bluff, NE won by scores of 40-33 on two cards and 40-34 and is now 5-0. Hampton, 141 1/2 lbs of Kansas City, MO. is 1-2.

Zsolt Daranyi scored a 2nd round stoppage over Sean Rawley Wilson in a scheduled 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout

Daranyi dropped Wilson with a right hand at the end of the opening frame. In round two, Daraanyi landed about 25 unanswered blows with most being body shots until the bout was stopped at 1:55 of round two.

Daranyi, 153 lbs of Toronto, CAN is 5-0 with 5 knockouts. Wilson, 153 3/4 lbs of Lavista, NE is 5-16-1.