July 2019 – Page 2 – LATINBOXSPORTS.COM

HOOKER: MY TEAM IS PERFECT FOR ME

Humble Dallas star praises tight-knit team ahead of unification clash

Maurice Hooker has credited his tight-knit team for getting him to the edge of greatness as he prepares to face Jose Ramirez in a World Super-Lightweight unification battle on Saturday night at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

Hooker (26-0-3 17 KOs) penned a deal with Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN alongside his long time promoters Roc Nation Sports last July as he entered a new phase of his career as WBO ruler having travelled to Manchester to take the title from Terry Flanagan in June 2018. The 29 year old saw off the challenges of Alex Saucedo and Mikkel LesPierre on the road before landing the unification clash with Ramirez (24-0 16 KOs) on home turf.

The Dallas ace attributes his path to the point of unification to the men that have guided his career from the start in trainer Vince Parra and his assistant manager Arnie Verbeek and promoter Dino Duva, and hopes to repay their faith and support with a big night of celebration after Saturday’s pick-em clash.

“I just like to smile and be happy in boxing and my life,” said Hooker. “I don’t like big crowds even outside of boxing, I just hang with a few people. I don’t like too much attention and you get people arguing around you and you have to worry about everybody. I keep close to the people I trust because I know that they have got my back. All you need is a few great people and you will be ok.

“Vince and I grew up with each other, learned the sport together and did everything as a partnership, the trust is there with us and I know that whatever he tells me to do in the gym or in the corner between rounds is the right advice to get the win.

“We’ve done it all from day one, gone on the road and stayed in dirty hotels to get great sparring with Terence Crawford, Miguel Cotto and more, but now we’re in the best hotels as World champion! We’ve done it all and been through a lot. It’s good to have someone in your corner that you trust as much as I do with Vince.

“There’s a lot of fighters in and around San Diego, we’re down the street from Mexico so we can get fighters in with that Mexican style. We drive to LA, Big Bear and Las Vegas and get great work as we’re right in the middle of that.”

Hooker and Ramirez clash on a bumper night of action in Arlington, as Tevin Farmer defends his IBF World Super-Featherweight title against mandatory challenger Guillaume Frenois. Tramaine Williams takes on Yenifel Vicente for the vacant USBA Super-Bantamweight title and a trio of unbeaten talents look to continue their 100 per cent KO records in Nikita Ababiy, Artur Biyarslanov and Houston’s Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams.

Heavyweight Joey Dawejko meets Rodney Hernandez over ten rounds and there’s action for three Dallas fighters in Stephen Acosta, Javier Martinez and debutant Darius Bagley.

ERROL SPENCE JR. VS. SHAWN PORTER PRESS CONFERENCE

IBF Champion Errol Spence Jr. & WBC Champion Shawn Porter Meet in Welterweight World Title Unification Showdown Headlining Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View Event Saturday, September 28 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles

Photo from Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions

LAS VEGAS – Undefeated IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and WBC Welterweight World Champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter squared-off Saturday in Las Vegas to officially announce their welterweight title unification that headlines a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event Saturday, September 28 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Also in attendance at Saturday’s event was unbeaten former world champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez, who will challenge WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell in the co main event of the pay-per-view that begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Here is what the fighters had to say Saturday from MGM Grand, plus quotes from Spence’s trainer Derrick James and Porter’s father and trainer Ken Porter:

ERROL SPENCE JR.

“He didn’t want to fight me. I wanted him. I have no choice but to come out on top. I’m the guy that’s going to make the fight on pay-per-view. I’m the guy that’s going to make the most money. So I feel like he didn’t have a choice but to fight me. It just had to happen.

“I want to be the best. I want to be the undisputed welterweight champion of the world and he is in my way. I feel like by the end of next year, you’ll find out who is really the best welterweight in the division.

“I’m used to fighting and sparring aggressive guys that come forward. He’s not a fighter that just likes to come forward, but he likes to use his angles and use his legs. I’m expecting a Shawn Porter that is going to try to get on the inside for the fight.

“This is a fight that I have been asking for, for a long time. If you follow me on social media, you can see that since I was 14-0, I have been calling out the big name fighters and they decided not to fight me. All to keep me out. You all wanted to fight each other. Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, even Shawn Porter. I had to get in the ring and ask for this fight, saying I will fight you anytime, anyplace. Now it’s finally happening.

“I guarantee you, I will become the undisputed welterweight champion of the world, but I have to get through Shawn Porter first and become unified. This is going to be a tough fight. Shawn is a dog and he has amazing heart. I am not going to say he has all the skills in the world, but he does have talent. He’s a guy that’s going to come to fight and give it his all. But I believe I do have the skills and talent and the dog and the heart to not only make this an easy fight but I can stop him and that’s what I am looking to do.

“You saw a different fight when I fought Mikey Garcia. Everybody said I didn’t have the boxing IQ or the boxing intellect to keep up with Mikey Garcia, or to box him on the outside and to show that I was sharp. I am not just a guy who will just maul you and run through you and beat you up. In this fight I will get back to my old self and you’ll see a guy who is going to push the pace, look for the fight and try to go for the stoppage or the knockout to score an impressive one-sided victory.

“Everybody tune in to the fight. It’s going to be a great fight, action packed fight and it can be the Fight of the Year.

“I feel like there’s no way he’s going to be fighting me on the outside. So he’s going to be a guy that’s going to try to come forward and try to set the pace and rough me up. He’s going to try to show me things that have never been brought out of me, that I’m going to have to prove.”

SHAWN PORTER

“When I fought Keith Thurman in 2016, he was considered to be the most dangerous guy in the division. I wanted to take that away from him. I wanted to take that title away from him. So yes, in a lot of ways, I’ve been down this road before. I think I’m more prepared this time around.

“When you talk about the new monster in the division as Errol Spence Jr., I’m not foreign to taking on those challenges, or being prepared for this kind of challenge. I’m not foreign to understanding what a fighter can do and what skills he possesses. I’m willing and able to come out on top of the challenge. That’s why he was selected. Once he got a belt, I needed to get a belt. There’s nothing but excitement around this.

“My natural mentality is to be more aggressive. But, we have a guy right here in Errol Spence Jr. that likes to be aggressive too and dictate the pace and be the general of the ring. I like to do the same thing. So our skills are really going to be a big part of this fight.

“By the beginning of next year, we will know who is the best. It’s not just going to be who is the most aggressive in our fight that will determine who is going to win, but also who has the most skill and who is the most talented fighter. If there is any fight that can prove I’m the biggest dog in the welterweight division, it will be this one versus Errol Spence Jr.

“This guy right here calls himself ‘The Truth’, so I felt it was fitting that today I tell the truth. The truth is that you guys are in for a treat. The truth is that this going to be a fantastic fight. The truth is that this dude has skill, he has power and speed. He has everything, but the truth is, I have all those things as well.

“The truth is I don’t think you all have seen him in the ring with someone like him before. You all have not seen him in the ring before with someone who possesses all of those things. The speed, the quickness, the power, the intelligence, the mental fortitude, the dog, the fight. The truth is that I have all of those things. The truth is that it takes all of those things to beat the guy called ‘The Truth.’ The truth is, I am prepared to do those things to beat this guy and give him his first loss and finally become the unified champion in the welterweight division, which we don’t have right now.

“The truth is, I believe in myself. The truth is, I will be ready September 28 at STAPLES Center. The truth is, I am extremely excited that it will be at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. I have never fought there before. You guys asked me where I wanted to go, I say Las Vegas or Brooklyn because I have been there before. I even said Dallas because it was a great promotion when he did it against Mikey Garcia. But the truth is, I would love to fight in STAPLES and I can’t wait to get there.

“The truth is you all are going to have to wait until September 28 to see what goes down. But I am telling you the truth right now, I will leave that ring as the unified champion.

“He knows I’m a dog and have plenty of heart. I have heart to give and he knows I’m bringing all of it. He’s saying there’s going to be a man down, but I’m not focused on that. I’m focused on being prepared. I know he thinks in some ways he can make it an easy fight, but trust me, me and my team are looking at the exact same thing. No surprises on September 28 when I knock him out, it’s been said.”

DAVID BENAVIDEZ

“I’m thankful to my team for allowing me to be in this fight. It’s going to be an amazing card with Errol Spence and Shawn Porter, two of the biggest welterweight stars in boxing right now. I get to co-headline the pay-per-view and I also get to go fight for my title back, which is something that I have wanted since I lost it.

“I’ve worked extremely hard to get to this point in my life. I’m only 22 years old and I’m fighting for my second world title, so everyone knows I’m very talented. People want to see me because I have exciting fights. I feel like I could be that next star, because I’m bringing that old school boxing back and knocking people out. If I’m not knocking them out, I’m beating them up the whole fight.

“Anthony is a tough fighter. He’s a fighter that I want to go against to not only show my fans but to show myself I’m the best in the division in the world today. There are so many good fights in my weight division. But right now there’s just a lot of opportunities in front of me, so I’m going to keep working hard and showing the fans and everyone that I am the best.

“I am very excited and motivated. Anthony Dirrell is a rugged tough fighter and a veteran in this sport. I have been watching him since I was 13 years old. This is a fight that I really want and I know I can go in there and really dominate and I am going to do that in spectacular fashion. I will knock Anthony Dirrell out.”

DERRICK JAMES, Spence’s Trainer

“I am very happy to be here on this special occasion. This is one step closer to Errol Spence’s personal goal that I plan to help him get. He wants to be the undisputed welterweight champion of the world and this is another move towards that.

“We have a very formidable champ in Shawn Porter, who is a very tough rugged fighter and we look forward to the challenge. We know what he brings and that he will have a great strategy and game plan. I know that he has a great trainer in his father helping him.

“I look forward to putting together an amazing game plan. It is my goal to help my fighter be the man that he wants to be. He wants to be the IBF world champion as well as the WBC world champion and we are heading towards the WBA and anything else, and my job is to help him do that. That’s what we are in for and we are really happy to be here.”

KEN PORTER, Porter’s Father & Trainer

“It feels good to be here. Shawn has done everything I have asked him to over the course of the last eight or nine weeks. All we needed was a date and location.

“Errol Spence is a great fighter and he has a great trainer. I have been a fan of Errol Spence as long as he’s been boxing. I have been up against him, been with him and I knew one day he would be a world champion. And if he recalls, we had a conversation a few years ago that he and Shawn would probably fight. When Errol is not fighting Shawn Porter, I am the biggest Errol Spence fan.

“They gave him the name ‘The Truth’ but I knew that a long time ago. He is definitely ‘The Truth,’ he always has been. So it’s up to us, Team Porter, my son Shawn Porter, my coaches and all of us to change everything that has already been said. To change the perception of what is going to happen that night. I believe we can do it. We have the team to do it. I have the fighter to do it and it’s a great challenge.

“It’s the biggest challenge of Shawn’s career but this is why we box. This is why we fight. Everybody can say what they want but the only thing that matters is fight night. When it’s over with then we will know.

“I am looking forward to this. We have great fight in front of us. This is what it takes to make great fighters. These guys can make each other great. This is for the legacy.”

DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT’S BROADWAY BOXING SUMMER SERIES RETURNS ON UFC FIGHT PASS THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, WITH A NIGHT OF THE CONTENDERS

IEVGEN KHYTROV AND ERIC WALKER RETURN IN THEIR FIRST FIGHTS

FOLLOWING “THE CONTENDER” SERIES

IVAN GOLUB BACK IN ACTION

MONROEVILLE CONVENTION CENTER

MONROEVILLE, PA

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1

UFC FIGHT PASS STREAM BEGINS AT 8:30PM ET / 5:30PM PT

New York, NY – On Thursday, August 1, DiBella Entertainment will return with the second edition of its Broadway BoxingSummer Series, titled “NIGHT OF THE CONTENDERS”, from the Monroeville Convention Center, in Monroeville, PA. Two participants from the last season of “The Contender” tournament, Ievgen Khytrov and Eric Walker, will be co-featured in separate bouts. The event will be live streamed exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS^®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT. Broadway Boxing: NIGHT OF THE CONTENDERS is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with Pinnacle Fighting Championships, and is presented by Nissan of Queens, Azad Watches, OPTYX, Christos Steak House and Gagliardi Insurance.

“I’m thrilled to bring the second leg of the Broadway Boxing Summer Series to the Monroeville Convention Center, just outside of Pittsburgh, an old school fight town,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Streamed exclusively on UFC Fight Pass, we are calling the August 1 event the ‘Night of the Contenders’ with former Contender series stars Ievgen Khytrov and Eric Walker appearing in co-featured bouts. Ukrainian welterweight contender Ivan Golub and hard-hitting undefeated heavyweight prospect Mike Balogun will see action as well.”

Fighting for the first time since competing for “The Contender”, Ievgen “The Ukrainian Lion” Khytrov (18-2, 15 KOs), of Brooklyn, NY, will headline the event against Gabriel Pham (11-1, 5 KOs), of Atlantic City, NJ. The heavy-handed Khytrov, co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc., defeated both Morgan Fitch and Malcolm McAllister by knockout on “The Contender” series last year.

Pham is riding a five-bout winning streak, including a unanimous decision victory against previously undefeated Jaba Khositashvill on June 20, in Atlantic City.

In the co-featured bout, junior middleweight Eric “The Baby Faced Assassin” Walker(18-2, 8 KOs), of Plaquemine, LA, will take on Jose Antonio “Bachata” Abreu (14-5, 8 KOs), of La Romana, Dominican Republic, in an eight-round bout. On “The Contender”, Walker defeated John Jackson and John Thompson before losing a hard-fought majority decision over five rounds to tournament champion Brandon Adams on May 22, 2018, in Los Angeles. In his last fight, Walker won an eight-round unanimous decision versus Michael Moore on November 9, 2018, at the Forum in Los Angeles, CA.

The upset-minded Jose Antonio Abreu returns following an outstanding victory against hometown favorite Wesley Tucker in Toledo, OH, on July 6. The battle-tested veteran has faced numerous contenders and top prospects over his seven years as a professional, including Kerman Lejarraga, Euri Gonzalez and Madiyar Ashkeyev.

Welterweight contender Ivan “The Volk” Golub (16-1, 12 KOs), of Brooklyn, NY, will see action on the undercard in an eight-round bout. Co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc., the 30-year-old Ukrainian southpaw is currently riding a three-bout winning streak. He last fought on April 10, earning a dominant 10-round unanimous decision against Manuel Alejandro Reyes at Sony Hall in New York City. As an amateur, Golub accumulated a 270-32 record, while becoming a five-time Ukrainian National champion, and won bronze medals at the Junior World Championships in 2006 and at the World Championships in 2009. He also participated in the World Series of Boxing, winning all five of his bouts.

Undefeated heavyweight prospect Mike Balogun (13-0, 10 KOs), of Upper Marlboro, MD, faces St. Louis veteran Ed Fountain(12-5, 5 KOs) in what promises to be an exciting clash, scheduled for eight rounds. The athletic Balogun is a former college football standout who started for the Oklahoma Sooners before playing in the NFL for three years. The southpaw Balogun will be fighting for the third time this year, with knockout victories against Marquis Valentine and Danny Calhoun coming in February and April. Fountain is seeking to rebound from a hard-fought loss to undefeated contender Hemi Ahio on March 2, in Columbus, OH.

Local fan favorite Bill Hutchinson (17-2-4, 8 KOs), of Pittsburgh, PA, will face Charlie Serrano (16-4-2, 5 KOs), of Tampa, FL, in a scheduled eight-round lightweight attraction. The 30-year-old Hutchinson is currently on a seven-bout winning streak, which included a stoppage victory against Justin Savi last August.

In a four-round middleweight bout, Rick Borowski (2-0), of Pittsburgh, PA, will face John Gregory (2-2, 1 KO), of Youngstown, OH.

Rounding out the card, heavyweight Bob Weisen, of Pittsburgh, PA, will make his pro debut against Dennis Vance (1-0, 1 KO), of Detroit, MI.

HEAVYWEIGHTS ADAM KOWNACKI & CHRIS ARREOLA PREVIEW UPCOMING SHOWDOWN ON “PBC FACE TO FACE”

Unbeaten Polish Star Kownacki Battles Former Title Challenger Arreola in Heavyweight Showdown that Headlines FOX PBC Fight Night Saturday, August 3 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn

BROOKLYN – Unbeaten Polish heavyweight star Adam Kownacki and former title challenger Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola exchanged words and previewed their upcoming showdown on “PBC Face to Face” ahead of their heavyweight duel Saturday, August 3 that headlines FOX PBC Fight Night from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

The program originally aired on Sunday on FOX and will re-air tonight, July 24 on FS1 and 9:30 p.m. ET.

The August 3 main event will see Kownacki, a rising contender in the red-hot heavyweight division, as he looks to make a statement in his hometown of Brooklyn against the three-time title challenger Arreola, who can vault himself back up the heavyweight rankings with a win against the currently unbeaten Kownacki.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.

Here are highlights from when the two heavyweights sat down and went “face to face”:

Opening Statement

Adam Kownacki: “I love fighting. I love the mentality of going out and fighting and putting on a good show making sure the fans are happy and getting their money’s worth. I think I am the best heavyweight out there. I just haven’t been given the opportunity to prove myself.”

Chris Arreola: “If I lose this fight, I will retire, plain and simple. I love the sport of boxing and I want people to still remember me as a world heavyweight champion. I believe I still have the skills to do so.”

Kownacki on being the face of Polish boxing

Kownacki: “Wearing the red and white colors means a lot to me. That’s where I was born. That’s where my family is from, it means everything to be the first Polish born heavyweight champion of the world. There were six fighters that tried it and none of them accomplished it. So I will be the first to do it.”

Arreola on fighting former heavyweight champions

Arreola: “I literally love fighting. I think it’s the most enjoyable thing to do. The most gentlemanly sport there is. Two guys beating the crap out of each other and then after that just shaking hands like nothing happened. There’s nothing more gentlemanly than that. The older that I get, the more I appreciate that.”

Arreola on a possible title push with new trainer Joe Goossen:

Arreola: “I needed someone like Joe to light a fire in me and to be right next to me and point out the mistakes that I am making.”

Kownacki on having similar body frame to Heavyweight Champion Andy Ruiz Jr.

Kownacki: “Andy Ruiz Jr. just proved that the dad bod is in style for the summer. That’s the look. That was something I dealt with my whole career, but the last couple of fights were tough ones, so the cat is out of the bag, that I can fight.”

Kownacki on watching Chris Arreola fight as he was growing up

Kownacki: “I remember even watching him as an amateur growing up. Every time he fought, I had to tune in because he was so exciting. I think our styles are perfectly matched for each other to make a fight that will be a legendary night. I think it will be an action-packed fight. Truly I wish I could watch it from the sideline, and I will do that after the fight is over.”

Arreola on what’s different about this fight for him

Arreola: “I love boxing. The love for boxing came back to me and the fact that I’m a different person. I’m more mature, I understand the significance of this fight. This is a big fight, there’s a big opportunity for him and a big opportunity for me. I can’t leave one stone unturned because I know that this man is going to come and try to break my head and try to make a statement with my name and I can’t let that happen.”

On the friendliness between the two of them and if it lasts until August 3

Arreola: “Oh no, the smiles are going to go away. That’s right. That’s for sure. But, the thing is, I have a respect for him. I have a lot of respect for him. Like you said, he was watching me. While I was at home during those two years off that I was just watching PBC at home, I got to watch him do his thing and watch him mature watch him grow and what I love most about him is his smile. The fact that he fights with a smile. I love that.”

Kownacki: “Your life is always on the line with your fight. You got to be ready, I’ve got to prove myself. He’s been there with everybody, from Klitschko to Deontay Wilder, and I think if I could beat him in a better fashion than Deontay beat him before, then that’s a good statement.”

Arreola on if he is happy with his career so far

Arreola: “No, I’m not happy at all. I started boxing when I was seven years old because I wanted to be a world champion. I remember seeing we Julio Cesar Chavez. I remember meeting him and being in awe with this man and my dream was always to be a world champion. So if I’m not a world champion. I did nothing with my career.”

Kownacki: “That definitely makes him a lot more dangerous. But don’t let the door hit you on the way out man.”

Kownacki on what version of Chris Arreola he will see & Arreola’s response

Kownacki: “Time will tell. I feel like a young, hungry dog and this will be a passing of the torch.”

Arreola: “This is this is kind of fight how I felt when I was fighting for the title. When I fought Jameel McCline, he was one of those big heavy weights that everybody was talking about, but never made it. I don’t want to be that guy. I don’t want to be his Jameel. So that’s why I’m working hard out here with Joe Goossen. To make sure to put a little setback to his plans for the world title. He will get there, but my plan is to not let him use my name as a stepping stone.

Arreola on how he plans to stop Kownacki’s offense

Arreola: “Offense.Like you said, offense is the best defense. I’ve got to give offense and that’s the beauty about this fight that we are having. We’re both fighters that just want to fight. We don’t care who we are fighting. We respect them but we just want to fight, and we love what we do. That’s the fun part about this fight.”

Kownacki on Arreola’s weaknesses that he can take advantage of

Kownacki: “He leaves himself open, he throws a lot too, he’s a little bit wild and the age, I think that will be a huge factor. But I think out of all of the boxing names out there, he’s the biggest one. He’s been through everybody and out of his generation, he’s the one who’s actually left, everybody else is either retired or gone. So I’m going to try to make sure he’s going off into the sunset.”

Kownacki on if he is ready for title fight against the elite of the heavyweight division

Kownacki: “I have been with two guys that Deontay Wilder fought with Artur Szpilka and Gerald Washington. It took Wilder 10 rounds to knockout Artur Szpilka in a very competitive fight when I just walked right through him and the same thing with Gerald Washington, I knocked him out in two rounds. My next fight against Chris Arreola, another fight Wilder and I have in common, and I plan to do the same thing, walk right through him.”

Arreola on if he can stop Kownacki

Arreola: “That’s the goal. I have to stop him to win in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is his home. I have to. There is no ifs ands or buts about it. No I have to go in and bring him a war and give him a fight that he wasn’t expecting.”

Kownacki’s expectations for August 3rd

Kownacki: “I am expecting a war. I can say I was watching Chris for a long time. I know he always comes to fight so I am ready for a war.“

Plant Crushes Lee In Three

Las Vegas, NV. – IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant (19-0, 11 KOs) crushed Mike Lee (21-1, 11 KOs) in three one-sided rounds in the first defense of his world title on Saturday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Plant dropped Lee in round one, then floored him three more times in round three to end it. Time was 1:29.

Post Fight: CALEB PLANT

“It went exactly how I planned it would go. Absolutely. I’ve been telling you all week it wasn’t going to go 12 rounds and I stuck to my word and I tried to do that. I hope you guys had a good time.

“I tip my hat to Mike (Lee) because it takes a true champion to step between these ropes. But it’s ‘And Still’ just like I predicted.

“I think I have a high boxing IQ and I do this at a really high level. So it was just about making adjustments. He’s a big, strong guy and he just came in here to give it his all.

“Oh yeah, we can definitely unify (against Anthony Dirrell vs. David Benavidez winner). I ain’t hard to get a hold of. I ain’t hard to make a fight with. Come see me. You know my advisor.”

Photo credits: @mrs_a_saldana 📸

The Welterweight World Title Takeover Continues! IBF Champion Errol Spence Jr. Battles WBC Champion Shawn Porter In Highly-Anticipated 147-Pound Title Unification Match that Headlines a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View Event Saturday, September 28 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles

PLUS! Two-Time Champion Anthony Dirrell will Defend His WBC Super Middleweight Title Against Undefeated Former Champion David Benavidez in the Co-Feature

Tickets On Sale, Monday, July 22 At 12 p.m. PT!

LOS ANGELES – Welterweight world champions collide when IBF Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. clashes with WBC Champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter in a massive 147-pound title unification match headlining a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View on Saturday, September 28at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The co-feature of the evening will pit WBC Super Middleweight Champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell against unbeaten former champion David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez in an explosive 168-pound showdown.

Tickets for the event go on sale Monday, July 22 at 12 p.m. PT and can be purchased at AXS.com.

“Errol Spence Jr. versus Shawn Porter in a welterweight unification match brings to mind some of the great 147-pound clashes of the past – Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Kid Gavilan, Leonard vs. Hearns or Whitaker vs. Chavez,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Both men are in their primes and both like to apply pressure. With that clash of styles, something has to give. In the co-feature, Anthony Dirrell doesn’t want to give up the title and David Benavidez wants it back. Played out before an electric crowd at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and headlining a PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View, this show has instant classic written all over it.”

Spence vs. Porter represents a major step forward in the quest to find the best 147-pound boxer on the planet. Spence has declared that anyone who wants to make that claim will have to come through him. Porter has already faced the some of the biggest names in the division, including Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia, and will make Spence back up his boast.

The unbeaten Spence (25-0, 21 KOs) is a young, powerful welterweight who vaulted to the top of the welterweight scene with a punishing 11^thround knockout victory over Kell Brook for the IBF championship in front of Brook’s hometown fans in Sheffield, England in 2017. Fighting out of Desoto, Texas, Spence has successfully defended the title three times. Most recently he scored a unanimous decision victory over three-division world champion Mikey Garcia in a PBC on FOX Pay-Per-View show before a hometown crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on March 16.

“It’s going to be a very exciting fight,” said Spence. “Shawn is never in a boring fight and I always entertain. It will be a ‘Fight of the Year’ type fight because our styles mesh. Shawn Porter is a guy who tries to rough you up. That’s what he’s always done. With Yordenis Ugas he tried to box and he said he didn’t like that style. He said he is going back to his original style. If he brings that style to me, it’s going to be a great fight because I’m going to bring it right back to him.”

The 31-year-old Porter (30-2-1, 17 KOs) is a two-time welterweight champion whose high-pressure style has served him well in his rise in the 147-pound division. Born in Akron, Ohio and now living in Las Vegas, Porter won the IBF welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Devon Alexander in 2013. He lost the title, which Spence now has, to Kell Brook by a majority decision in 2014. Porter moved back into the championship ranks with a unanimous decision victory over Danny Garcia for the vacant WBC title in 2018. He successfully defended the title with a split decision victory over Yordenis Ugas in March on FOX.

“There haven’t been too many fights as a professional that I’ve been this excited about,” said Porter. “I was really excited about the Danny Garcia fight and I’m really excited about this one. Ever since Spence got a belt, I really circled this fight on my calendar. Preparation is the key. I think I have everything it takes to beat Errol Spence. I’m very confident and my team is confident in what I have to do on September 28.We’ll be ready.”

Dirrell vs. Benavidez promises to be a hotly contested battle for the WBC Super Middleweight title. Dirrell is a two-time WBC 168-pound world champion and will bring experience, while Benavidez will bring his high-octane style.

The 34-year-old Dirrell (33-1-1, 24 KOs) won the WBC title for the first time with a unanimous decision over Sakio Bika in 2014. The native of Flint, Michigan lost the title the next year to Badou Jack by majority decision. He put together six straight victories after that loss to get back into position to fight for the championship again. He won the title with a technical decision victory over Avni Yildirim in February on FS1. Dirrell is the younger brother of Andre Dirrell, who won a bronze medal as a member of the U.S. Olympic boxing team in 2004.

“I’m going to work my butt off, putting in extra hours in the gym, because this is one of the toughest opponents I’ve ever fought,” Dirrell said. “He’s young and he’s tough. But I’m more than ready for anything that he can bring. I bring an exciting fight. He knows that. The world knows that. He can talk, but nothing matters but what happens in the ring. I wanted this fight to be out west because I will fight anybody anywhere. It’s only two people in the ring and we’re going to give a good entertaining fight for the fans.”

Benavidez (21-0, 18 KOs) won the WBC title with a split decision victory over Ronald Gavril in 2017. Fighting out of Phoenix, Arizona, Benavidez successfully defended the title with a more convincing unanimous decision over Gavril in the rematch four months later. The 22-year-old returned to the ring to score an impressive knockout victory over veteran J’Leon Love in March on the Spence vs. Garcia PBC on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View.

“I’m looking forward to reclaiming my WBC belt in my next fight against Anthony Dirrell,” said Benavidez. “This fight is overdue and I guarantee I will be ready for whatever he brings to the ring. The fans are really going to enjoy this one.”

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Teofimo Lopez Beats Tough Nakatani by Decision

Report by Damon Gonzalez

Photo credits: Mikey Williams/TopRank

National Harbor, MD -Brooklyn’s Teofimo Lopez (14-0, 11 KO’s) goes the distance winning by 12th unanimous decision victory against Masayoshi Nakatani (18-1, 12 KO’s) a fighting dragon who bought the fight right to Lopez. Judges official scores 118-110 (2x), 119-109 for Lopez.

Jr Welterweight Subriel Matias (14-0, 14 KO’s) carried Puerto Rico On his shoulders tonight in a all out battle against Maxim Dadashev (13-1, 11 KO’s) both fighters battled hard early on but it was Matias who left everything in the ring tonight breaking down Dadashev as his trainer James “Buddy” McGirt called the fight in the red corner right before the start of the twelve round.

In the opening bout of the night on @trboxing ESPN+ Middleweight Brazilian Esquiva Falcao (24-0, 16 KO’s) put his punches together in a back and forth Punching affair against very tough Jesus Gutierrez (25-4-2, 12 KO’s) no question he was in the fight until Falcao stepped on the gas dropping Gutierrez in round eight, Falcao jumped right back on him with hard shots as referee David Braslow seen enough waving off the contest at the official time of 1:35 seconds of round eight by TKO victory for Falcao.

Lightweight Tyler McCreary (16-0-1, 7 KO’s) pulls out a razor close split decision tonight against a game Jesse Rosales (22-3-1, 10 KO’s) no question McCreary was pushed hard by Rosales hard but was able to fight him off by getting the decision from the judges 77-75, 77-75 & 78-74 for McCreary.

Middleweight Tyler Howard (18-0, 11 KO’s) grinds out a unanimous decision victory over tough Philadelphian Jamaal Davis (18-15-1, 7 KO’s) who wasn’t just a journey man, Howard clearly worked very hard in this fight Punching with the puncher Davis, both fighters has there moments in action but it was all Howard catching Davis all night long with hard counter shots, Judges official scores 80-72 (2x), 78-73 for Howard.

Heavyweight Cassius Chaney (16-0, 10 KO’s) blasted Joel Caudle (8-3-2, 5 KO’s) with a devastating over hand right followed by a hard combination of punches that sent Caudle flying through the ropes outside the ring, Caudle was able to continue as Chaney jumped right back on him finishing him off at the official time of 1:52 seconds in round one by TKO victory for Chaney.

Middleweight local Dusty Harrison (33-0-1, 19 KO’s) broke down a very tough Juan De Angel (21-12-1, 19 KO’s) finishes him off with a hard hook to the body ending his night at the official time of 2:30 seconds of round seven by TKO victory for Harrison.

@teofimolopez

Teofimo Lopez Set to Begin Lightweight Takeover Against Masayoshi Nakatani LIVE on ESPN+

LIVE and exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

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Photo credits: Mikey Williams 📸

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