Liverpool fan-favourite Paul Butler will aim to unseat world champion John Riel Casimero as global boxing and media company Probellum brings its first show to Liverpool on Friday, April 22.

Butler will lead a stellar list of big-name fighters such as former WBA super middleweight champion Rocky Fielding, next generation stars including Liverpool-born brothers Peter and Joe McGrail, and the highly rated duo of Will Cawley and Luke McCormack.

In the night’s main event at the M&S Bank Arena, Filipino Casimero (31-4, 21 knockouts) puts his WBO bantamweight title on the line against the UK’s Butler (33-2, 15 knockouts) in a bout which was originally due to be held at Probellum’s inaugural December 2021 show in Dubai before Casimero was unable to make weight.

“Liverpool is one of the most passionate boxing cities in the world and we are delighted to be holding our first show at the M&S Bank Arena in April,” said Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum.

“This is an absolutely fantastic card featuring a combination of world-class fighters, extremely talented aspiring stars and packed with local talent whose fans will no doubt create a truly unique atmosphere.

“With the likes of John Riel Casimero, Paul Butler, Rocky Fielding and the McGrail brothers all set to put on a great show, we fully expect some thrilling fights and a fantastic occasion.”

Local fans will be in full voice supporting recent Probellum signings the McGrail brothers, Peter (2-0, 1 knockout) and Joe (1-0, 1 knockout), who both secured second-round stoppage victories when they fought at the M&S Bank Arena on the Connor Benn versus Chris Algieri undercard in December.

Also on the card are the Probellum duo of rising-star Cawley (1-0) who will be aiming to build on his impressive debut victory in November 2021 and former Olympian McCormack who is set to make his professional bow following a superb career at amateur level, during which time he represented Team GB.

TICKETS HERE

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WBO light heavyweight world champion Joe Smith Jr will make his first title defense against an unlikely contender. British puncher Callum Johnson tested positive for COVID-19, so Smith will now face Steve Geffrard on Saturday, Jan. 15 at Turning Stone Resort Casino and LIVE on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

In the 10-round co-feature, featherweight contender Abraham Nova (20-0, 14 KOs), who was originally slated to fight Jose Enrique Vivas, will fight Dominican veteran William “El Gago” Encarnacion (19-1, 15 KOs) after Vivas dropped out with an injury.

“I give Steve credit for taking this fight on short notice,” Smith said. “He is a tough guy, and I expect him to bring everything he has for this opportunity. I’m ready to fight regardless of who is in the ring with me. My goal is the same, which is to defend my world title and keep it on Long Island where it belongs.”

Geffrard said, “This is the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s crazy how boxing works. One moment I’m thinking about boxing on a local show, then the phone rings for a chance to fight for the WBO world title on ESPN. Unreal!”

Smith (27-3, 21 KOs), the fighting pride of Long Island, won the title last April with a majority decision over Maxim Vlasov. His proposed October return was postponed due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, and with Johnson out, he turns his attention to Geffrard (18-2, 12 KOs), a 31-year-old native of Miami, Florida.

Geffrard is a nine-year pro who has won 18 straight fights since starting his career 0-2. He upped his record to 18-2 last March, winning an eight-round unanimous decision over longtime contender Denis Grachev. Geffrard had a fight scheduled for Jan. 8 in Delray Beach, Florida, but the “South Florida Cinderella Man” jumped at the chance to fight Smith on eight days’ notice.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, tickets priced from $49 to $89 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Resort Box Office, charge by phone by calling 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.

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WBO Middleweight Division – Mandatory Challenger Designation Request Zhanibek Alimkhanuly

Letter received (Sunday, November 21, 2021)
To: Mr. President Francisco Paco Valcarcel
From: Egis Klimas / Zhanibek Alimkhanuly’s Manager

Dear WBO President,

As per WBO regulations, the deadline of mandatory for Middleweight World Champion Demetrius Andrade is next month in December of this year. We would like you and WBO committee to consider my middleweight boxer Janibek Alimkhanuly for mandatory position, he has been ranked #2. Janibek is a 2016 Olympian and in his pro career since October 2016 he got his record 11-0 with 7KO’s. In his 6th pro bout Janibek won the WBO Global title and defended it 5 times with top opponents including former World Champions Rob Brand and Hassan N’Dam in his last 2 fights. We strongly believe that Janibek deserves to be in the mandatory position against the WBO Champion, Demetrius Andrade.

Truly Yours,
Egis Klimas
Manager

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WBO Champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and “Showtime” Shawn Porter didn’t need to hoot and holler to make their point. With fight day three days away, they were all business. The longtime acquaintances came up together in the amateur ranks in the late 2000s. At the time, Porter outweighed Crawford by more than 30 pounds. More than a decade later, the welterweight stars are finally crossing paths.

Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), the three-weight pound-for-pound great, will make the fifth defense of his WBO welterweight title against Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) on Saturday, Nov. 20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Presented by Top Rank and TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. CLICK HERE to view the ESPN+ order page.

At Wednesday’s main event press conference, this is what Crawford and Porter had to say.

Terence Crawford

“I respect everything that Shawn does. Shawn is athletic, he can box, he can bang, he can move around in the ring, he can cut corners and take angles. I’m not going to sit here and say that I don’t respect anything that he does. I’m just going to say that I do a lot of things better than Shawn. I’m going to show him come Saturday.

“Once we signed that contract, the switch was already flipped and I can’t wait to go out there Saturday to display my talent and look good doing it. Until then, right now I’m just chilling, playing Call of Duty in the room by myself all day. I’ve been in the room all day isolating.”

Shawn Porter

“I don’t think there’s too much that I can say to Bud that’s going to change the way he thinks about himself and the outcome of this fight. He can’t look at me and say, ‘I’m going to beat your ass’ and I’m going to believe that, and he knows that, and he won’t dare to do it. I could say the exact same thing he said, and I believe it.

“Terence, you know better than I do that you’ve matured. I feel like people see your personality and your character right now more than they’ve ever seen, but I feel like I’m still correct in saying that when the wrong Tweet or Instagram post goes up, you can get upset.

“There are people you can get to, and there are people that you can’t get to. I’m one of those people that you can’t get to, and I got a feeling that you can get to him quicker on the microphone than you can in the ring. In the ring, he is solid, but there may be something that is posted or said that might have an affect on him {during} the fight.

“I’m relaxing, I’m drinking water and just biding my time. I am a showtime fighter, and I can’t wait for showtime on ESPN+ PPV. I’m a really even-keeled type of guy. I like things to be easy, and fight week is always easy for me.”

SATURDAY, November 20, 2021

ESPN+ PPV, 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter, 12 rounds, Crawford’s WBO Welterweight World Title

Esquiva Falcao vs. Patrice Volny, 12 rounds, IBF Middleweight Title Eliminator

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Hassan N’Dam, 10 rounds, Alimkhanuly’s WBC Continental Americas and WBO Global Middleweight Titles

Raymond Muratalla vs. Elias Araujo, 8 rounds, lightweight

ESPN2 & ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Isaac Dogboe vs. Christopher Diaz, 10 rounds, Dogboe’s NABF Featherweight Title

Adam Lopez vs. Adan Ochoa, 8 rounds, featherweight

ESPN APP (no paywall), 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Karlos Balderas vs. Fidel Cervantes, 6 rounds, junior lightweight

Tiger Johnson vs. Antonius Grable, 4 rounds, welterweight

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Sultan Stuns Caraballo

Filipino veteran Jonas Sultan (18-5, 11 KOs) did not read the script. The former world title challenger spoiled the New York debut of Carlos Caraballo (14-1, 14 KOs), knocking the Puerto Rican contender down four times en route to a 10-round unanimous decision in the bantamweight co-feature. All three judges scored the fight 94-93 for Sultan, who knocked down Caraballo in the second, sixth and ninth rounds. The two traded knockdowns in the third, with Caraballo landing a glancing blow as the bell sounded.

Sultan said, “This is boxing. This is war. And I came to win tonight. Caraballo is a tough man, but I wanted this one.”

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#DayTwo #WBOCongress WBO Executive Committee Meeting, Awards, ‘Get Together’ Cocktail

Two-division WBO World Champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and his trainer Pedro Navarrete received special recognition awards during the WBO Executive Committee meeting and rising prospect Xander Zayas was named Prospect of the Year.

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ATLANTA (Oct. 21, 2021)—They started as acquaintances, but once Jamel Herring acquired the belt Shakur Stevenson wanted, the friendly vibes went out the window. Herring will defend his WBO junior lightweight world title against former featherweight champion Stevenson on Saturday night from State Farm Arena in Atlanta (ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10:30 p.m. ET).

Herring (23-2, 11 KOs) has made three defenses of the title he won from Masayuki Ito in May 2019. Stevenson (16-0, 8 KOs), a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, is considered by many to be the heir to the pound-for-pound throne. He picked up the interim world title in June with a dominant decision over Jeremiah Nakathila.

When Herring and Stevenson had their final faceoff, the fighters and their teams exchanged verbal barbs, with Stevenson grabbing Herring’s belt on multiple occasions. They were separated and will resume the jawing at Friday’s weigh-in.

The ESPN main card will also feature Puerto Rican star Xander Zayas (10-0, 7 KOs) in a six-round junior middleweight bout against Dan Karpency, and the second pro bout for middleweight Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of “The Greatest.”

The ESPN+ undercard stream (7:30 p.m. ET) will showcase junior middleweight prospect Evan Holyfield (7-0, 5 KOs), son of Atlanta legend and former four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

At Thursday’s final press conference, this is what the combatants had to say.

Jamel Herring

“The odds just play to my story. I’ve always been an underdog, not just in boxing but in life, so I don’t get into the oddsmaker thing. It doesn’t bother me at all.”

“It’s not personal, it’s just business. We’re building a fight is all it means to me. I’ve heard worse and been through worse. We’re just two top competitors in the division trying to prove who is the best.”

“It just feels like another elite level fight in a loaded and talented division, so we just take it one fight at a time. We put all personal feelings to the side and just go to work and do what we have to do.”

“Atlanta is cool. I have family out here. My sons live out here as well. It’s another home and it’s an honor just to be fighting in the State Farm Arena because there’s not a lot of fights coming into town, so whenever you can bring a special fight to a certain city, it’s always a great thing.”

Shakur Stevenson

“It means everything to me. This is my first time being able to go against a champion and being able to take a champion’s belt will mean a lot to me…. and I can’t wait to hear them say, “AND THE NEW!'”

“It’s definitely not personal, just business at the end of the day. He’s not my friend. I don’t hit him up and say, ‘let’s fight.'” We don’t have any conversations. I don’t talk to Jamel Herring outside of boxing.”

“It’s going to feel real good beating the whole team. I can’t wait to go against {Herring trainers Brian McIntyre and Red Spikes}. It’s not just Jamel that I’m fighting. I’ve got to beat Bomac and Red, and it’ll feel good doing that.”

“You’re going to see a special night, my coming out party. It’s going to be a great night, and he said he’s going to spoil the party, so let’s see if he can do it.”

Photo by M. Williams / Top Rank

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Demetrius Andrade will top a World title quadruple-header as he defends his WBO World Middleweight against Jason Quigley at the SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Friday, November 19, live worldwide on DAZN.

Andrade (30-0 18 KOs) puts his crown on the line for the fifth time, and the Rhode Island star will be looking for a statement win as he hunts the unification blockbusters with his fellow belt holders at 160lbs. The 33-year-old, who picked up the vacant strap in his first fight with Eddie Hearn in Boston in October 2018, will make it five straight fights with European challengers when he steps through the ropes against Quigley.

Quigley (19-1 14 KOs) moved into prime position to land a World title shot in May by beating Golden Boy stablemate Shane Mosley Jr by majority decision in a thriller in Las Vegas. The former amateur star becomes the second Irishman to challenge ‘Boo Boo’ after Luke Keeler took on the WBO ruler in Miami in January 2020.

“November 19, it’s me again,” said Andrade. “Jason Quigley, world rated, good amateur pedigree, decent skills, comes to fight, and hats off to him, he’s actually willing to step in the ring with me, which you can’t say for any of these other so-called top guys. On November 19, though, I showed him that there are levels to this game.

Just keep winning; that’s all I can do. Go in there, handle my business, do my job, look sensational, come out healthy, and then it’s onto the next. If you have a belt at 160 or 168 lbs, let’s go. Put the politics aside, have your people call Eddie. Let’s get down to business. Charlo, stop running your mouth, making up excuse after excuse. You’re a fighter; let’s fight bro. GGG, where you at? Unify against Murata, and then let’s put the three belts on the line next year.

“Canelo, you are going to run up to 175? Cool, I can meet you there, no problem. First things first, though, I need to go out on November 19, defend my championship belt, and put on a spectacular performance, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing.”

“I’ve worked my whole career to get into this position of becoming world champion,” said Quigley. “Demetrius is a great champion, but now it’s my time, and that World title is coming back to Ireland.”

In other WBO bout for the path to crowing an undisputed women’s champion at 140lbs as Kali Reis takes on Jessica Camara.

Two-weight champion Reis (18-7-1 5 KOs) added the IBO title to her WBA crown last time out with a majority decision win over Australian Diana Prazak. The Rhode Island champion and former WBC Middleweight ruler will be looking to add another title through victory over Camara (8-2), the Canadian that bounced back from defeat to Melissa St Vil with a confidence-boosting win over Heather Hardy in May – and the stakes couldn’t be higher with the winner set to face the victor of the with October 30 clash between WBC champion Chantelle Cameron and IBF champion Mary McGee at The O2 in London, England.

“I am in this tournament to collect all of the belts and become undisputed champion,” said Reis. “I want to thank DAZN, Lou DiBella, and Eddie Hearn for this tremendous opportunity,” said Kali Reis. “Jessica is a talented fighter, but she will not deter me from achieving my goal. No one will.”

“This is going to be a fun fight for the fans and a great fight for women’s boxing,” said Camara. “Kali will be a tough opponent, but I will be ready. On November 19, I will become a world champion. Thank you to DAZN, Lou DiBella, and Eddie Hearn for putting this historic tournament together to crown an undisputed super lightweight champion.”

“This is a fantastic quadruple-header of World title action,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Demetrius wants to show the other champions that he is the man to beat at Middleweight, so he needs to put on a big performance against a hungry and proud Irish challenger in Jason.

“MJ is one of the best fighters in the world, and he’s still in single figures as a pro; I think that we’re going to see a special performance against a tough foe in Ronny. Julio is one of the most entertaining fighters out there right now, and there’s nothing less than fireworks expected as he finally gets in there with McWilliams. And finally, Kali and Jessica are one win away from the chance to fight to be the undisputed Super Lightweight champion – this is a night of action not to be missed.”

“This is a fantastic card for fans to enjoy worldwide on DAZN, and a great example of our two partners Matchroom and Golden Boy, working together to put on excellent shows,” said Ed Breeze, EVP Rights at DAZN. “Jason Quigley steps up against one of the toughest challenges in the middleweight division, the flawless and reigning WBO champion, Demetrius Andrade. What a night of boxing we have on our hands, and we’re thrilled to deliver this fight to DAZN subscribers on November 19.”

“I am delighted to be able to partner up again with Matchroom to deliver the best fights for fight fans on November 19,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman, and CEO of Golden Boy. “Four world titles will be on the line as some of our formable, most exciting fighters take on the toughest challenges of their career to prove they are the best in their weight divisions. First, McWilliams Arroyo will be is exercising his mandatory challenge for the WBC World Flyweight Championship against Julio Cesar Martinez.

“Next, our very own Ronny Rios, who’s been on a winning streak since 2019, challenges Murodjon Akhmadaliev for the WBA and IBF Super Bantamweight World Titles. Finally, one of my favorite Golden Boy fighters, Jason Quigley, will challenge Demetrius Andrade for the WBO Middleweight Title after a stellar performance against Shane Mosley Jr in May. I am fully confident in my fighters coming out successful and am looking forward to adding three new world champions to our Golden Boy roster.”

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Pound-for-pound star Terence “Bud” Crawford has called out the welterweight superstars for years. His long wait for a legacy-defining fight is now over. Crawford will defend his WBO welterweight world title and unbeaten record Saturday, Nov. 20 against two-time welterweight champion and WBO No. 1 contender “Showtime” Shawn Porter at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with TGB Promotions, Crawford-Porter will be a Top Rank PPV exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets starting at $54 go on sale Monday, Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com. Undercard information will be announced shortly.

“This is a fight that reminds me of all the great welterweight battles of the 1980s and 90s, two prime fighters unafraid to tackle the biggest challenge available to them,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Terence has wanted a challenge like this for a very long time, and I am confident he will rise to the occasion. Shawn Porter, however, is not an easy night for any fighter.”

“I’ve been calling out the top welterweights since I moved up to 147 in 2018, and I’m excited that Shawn stepped up,” Crawford said. “This fight will bring out the best in me and showcase parts of my game that the world hasn’t seen yet. On November 20, I will silence my doubters and prove that I am the best welterweight in the world.”

Porter said, “I’ve wanted this fight for a long time and now my patience has paid off. Throughout my career, I’ve taken on the best and proven myself as a man who gives 100 percent in everything I do. Terence Crawford is a great, versatile fighter who is very athletic just like myself. We are the two best welterweights in the world, and on November 20, we get a chance to prove who is the best. Fight fans can expect a great show that night and, with this victory, I will cement myself as the best welterweight of this era.”

Matt Kenny, Vice President, Programming & Acquisition, ESPN added, “We are thrilled to present this blockbuster welterweight showdown exclusively on ESPN+ PPV. This is the kind of fight that boxing fans dream of and we are looking forward to a tremendous event on November 20.”

Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), the three-weight world champion from America’s heartland, Omaha, Nebraska, has made four defenses of his world title since knocking off Jeff “The Hornet” Horn in June 2018. A mainstay near the upper rungs of the mythical pound-for-pound rankings, Crawford has been a world champion since March 2014. He defeated WBO lightweight world champion Ricky Burns on enemy soil in Scotland and made his first title defense in front of the Omaha faithful with a ninth-round stoppage over Yuriorkis Gamboa. Crawford became the first man in the four-belt era to become the undisputed junior welterweight champion, and he is 4-0 with four knockouts since moving up to welterweight. His knockout streak of eight dates back to July 2016, when he notched a one-sided decision over Viktor “The Iceman” Postol at MGM Grand Garden Arena to unify two of the junior welterweight world titles. Crawford is coming off last November’s fourth-round knockout over Kell Brook inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble.

Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs), a 13-year pro from Akron, Ohio, first tasted championship glory in December 2013 when he outfought the previously undefeated Devon Alexander to win the IBF welterweight title. He knocked out two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi in his first title defense before Brook edged him by majority decision in August 2014. Over the next seven years, Porter continued fighting the welterweight elite, becoming a two-time world champion in 2018 when he toppled Danny Garcia to win the WBC welterweight title. He defended that title against future Manny Pacquiao conqueror Yordenis Ugas before taking Errol Spence Jr. to the limit in a September 2019 title unification tilt. After dropping a split decision to Spence, Porter regrouped with a one-sided decision over Sebastian Formella in August 2020 to set up the Crawford showdown.

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Boxing’s consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, Mexican superstar and Unified WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Canelo Álvarez and undefeated IBF Super Middleweight Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant met for an intense stare down that turned into a scuffle Tuesday at a press conference previewing their historic and highly anticipated undisputed super middleweight championship showdown.

During an extended face-off that kicked off the event, the fighters exchanged words and threw glancing blows before their respective teams rushed the stage to separate the combatants, escalating a rivalry that will culminate on fight night in just over six weeks.

Canelo and Plant will battle on Saturday, November 6, live on SHOWTIME PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in a Premier Boxing Champions event, with the winner stamping his name in the history books as the first undisputed 168-pound world champion of the four-belt era.

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. The event is promoted by Canelo Promotions and TGB Promotions and sponsored by Hennessy and Value.

Eddy Reynoso, Canelo’s trainer and manager, and Justin Gamber, Plant’s trainer, joined their fighters on stage at the event in Beverly Hills. Here is what the press conference participants had to say Tuesday:

CANELO ÁLVAREZ

“You are not on my level and you will see on November 6. You don’t want to fight now, I promise you.

“We come from nothing and we worked hard to be here. For somebody to lie and talk trash about us, that upset Eddy. It is what it is though. We just have to show everyone who we are on November 6.

“Caleb might be on the same level as Billy Joe Saunders and Callum Smith, but he’s not on my level. I respect that he isn’t here to back down. You can see from today that this is definitely going to be a good fight.

“I know what I need to do and I know a lot about him. He’s a good fighter but I know my skills. My experience is going to give me the edge in the fight. I have faced similar styles to Caleb’s against Floyd Mayweather, Erislandy Lara, Austin Trout and Saunders.

“He’s an insecure person and that’s why he came with a lot of excuses about lots of things. I don’t care about it though. I’m just going to do my best on November 6 and win the fight.

“To be undisputed is history for Mexico and for everyone on my team. To be the undisputed champion is just a great thing for my career.

On the on-stage scuffle: “You can say whatever to me, but not to my mom. I’m going to fight anyone who says something about my mom. And he swung first. I just pushed him. He swung first, and I do what I do. He crossed the line.

“It will be over in eight rounds or less. I’m going to knock out this guy. Easy.”

CALEB PLANT

“I know only one thing better than proving people right, and that’s proving people wrong. I’ve been doing that my whole life. As soon as I stepped on the stage, people started talking about what I can’t accomplish and what I can’t do. Where I come from, there is no boxing community. There was no other pro I could look to and say that if he can do it, then I can do it. All I had was my mind and my heart.

“I don’t do this to be famous or to get attention. When I first started, it was just me and my dad. No one thought I’d be standing here today. I can remember him and my grandfather scrounged up a little bit of money to open a little boxing gym. There was just one heavy bag hanging in the corner. But when you really want something, you don’t need all the fancy things. You just need your mind and your heart.

“I know that people don’t believe me when I tell them I’m winning on November 6. All those people who tell me that I can’t do something, you live believable lives and you do believable things. I promised myself that I was going to run this all the way to the top, with no problem crashing and burning along the way. I set out to live an unbelievable life and accomplish unbelievable things. Those people who doubt me are the very reason that I’m here.

“Miguel Cotto’s brother can make you do the chicken dance but I can’t? Okay. Mark my words, on November 6 you will hear the words, ‘And the new undisputed super middleweight champion,’ but you will also hear the words, ‘and still undefeated.’

“Being undisputed would mean a lot. I’ve sacrificed so much to this sport and I’ve been doing this a long time. All that work would come down to one moment. I want my name in those history books and that’s the only reason that I’m here.

On the on-stage scuffle: “We just had some normal back-and-forth banter up there and then whatever happened, happened. It’s none of my concern though. I’m focused and locked in on November 6.”

EDDY REYNOSO, Canelo’s Trainer and Manager

“I think this is going to be a great fight, one where we unify the 168-pound division. As we do with every fight, we’re going to work hard in the gym. We’ve always worked hard in the gym.

“I’m a little upset by how things turned out today, but in the end we will settle things in the ring on November 6.

“The offensive language is what offended us the most. We are respectful people, and we move forward from this with our heads held up high. Now we are going to train well, win the fight and see what comes next after that.

“There are a lot of people who say things on social media but then they don’t show up. Some people want to take down a whole country and a great athlete that represents his country. They talk a lot of trash. You need to work hard though. You need to have guts to work as hard as we do.”

JUSTIN GAMBER, Plant’s Trainer

“I want to thank our whole team for believing in us and getting us this fight that we wanted and this opportunity to make history. It’s been blood sweat and tears, literally, to get here. It’s been a long journey. This fight is not about money, it’s about legacy.

“In 1996, when I was 15-years-old, my favorite fighter was the IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Roy Jones Jr. Every fan back then craved an undisputed champion at 168-pounds and now I train the IBF champion and we’re going to be fighting for all of the marbles.

“Tune in on November 6 and you will see the first undisputed super middleweight champion of the world and he’s from Tennessee. Anything that happened today at this press conference is going to drive us and give us more hunger.

TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions

“It took a couple of tries, but here we are today with the undisputed super middleweight championship on November 6. It’s a real pleasure to be working with our network partners at SHOWTIME for this event. SHOWTIME has a long history of being involved in the sports’ biggest and most important events and that continues with this fight.

“It’s an honor to be working with the pound-for-pound king Canelo Álvarez, Eddy Reynoso and everyone with Canelo Promotions. I’m also thrilled to be back working with everyone on team Plant. I promoted Caleb’s pro debut in 2014 and it’s great to see him up here today in this position.

“Canelo holds three titles, while Caleb owns the fourth title in the 168-pound division. They’ll battle to become the first undisputed champ in the four-belt era. History will be made on November 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President, SHOWTIME Sports

“2021 has been a phenomenal year for SHOWTIME Boxing. It’s one of our most prolific years in recent memory. SHOWTIME has delivered 17 live boxing events so far this year, with several more to come. Eight world championship fights, multiple world title unifications and now two fights for the undisputed title as a very good year for SHOWTIME becomes a great year for SHOWTIME. SHOWTIME is the home of big fights. It’s the most trusted and longest-tenured network in boxing. There is no other network making a more meaningful or more significant commitment to the sport of boxing. We are the home of boxing’s biggest and best fights.

“We are proud to welcome Canelo Álvarez back to SHOWTIME. We also welcome Caleb Plant for his SHOWTIME debut. It was almost nine years ago – September 15, 2012 – that Canelo made his debut on SHOWTIME in a thrilling fight against Josesito Lopez. Nine years is a long time. That was a very young Canelo Álvarez and a very young Eddy Reynoso. That started an impressive run of fights in which Canelo demonstrated his willingness, desire and demand to take the toughest fights available. Together back in 2013, we set a record at the time for the biggest pay-per-view of all time as we helped launch Canelo as boxing’s newest pay-per-view star. Now nine years later, we are proud to welcome him back for this mega fight.”

Photos by Amanda Westcott / Showtime

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Boxing’s consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, Mexican superstar and unified WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Canelo Álvarez will face undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant in a historic showdown on Saturday, November 6, live on SHOWTIME PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

Canelo, a four-division world champion, will look to capture undisputed status for the first time in his Hall of Fame-caliber career as he returns to SHOWTIME where he made his pay-per-view main event debut in September 2013. The unbeaten and supremely talented Plant attempts to earn a career-defining victory and keep his perfect record intact as he makes his fourth world title defense. The winner of the November 6 bout will stamp his name in the history books as the first undisputed 168-pound world champion of the four-belt era.

“This is the most highly anticipated fight of the year and rightfully so,’’ said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Canelo Álvarez has proven to be one of the best boxers in the sport today and he is seeking to become the first ever undisputed super middleweight champion. And Caleb Plant, who is a skilled technician in the ring and extremely confident in his abilities, wants to make history and not become a footnote. Both men will bring fire and determination into the ring and the eyes of the sports world will be focused on the action at MGM Grand on the evening of November 6.’’

“We are very happy to have been able to reach an agreement for this fight as we look to make history in becoming the first undisputed champion of Mexico or Latin America, and just the sixth man in the history of boxing,” said Canelo’s manager Eddy Reynoso. “We are going to train very hard, focus on growing the sport of boxing and plan to lift up the name of Mexico.”

“In one of our most prolific years to date, SHOWTIME has delivered 17 live boxing events in 2021 so far with several more to come. None more significant, however, than November 6,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, SHOWTIME Sports. “We are proud to welcome Canelo Álvarez back to SHOWTIME, now as the consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world and the sport’s biggest draw. We also welcome undefeated world champion Caleb Plant to the network as both men chase a historic, undisputed world title in the most anticipated fight of the year.”

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. The event is promoted by Canelo Promotions and TGB Promotions and sponsored by Hennessy and Value.

Having already captured world titles at 154, 160, 168 and 175-pounds, Canelo (56-1-2, 38 KOs) has amassed a Hall of Fame resume at just 31-years-old. The fighting pride of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Canelo began his quest for the undisputed super middleweight championship in December 2020 by defeating then unbeaten Callum Smith to capture the WBA and WBC titles. Most recently, Canelo added the WBO belt via a stoppage victory over previously undefeated Billy Joe Saunders in May. November 6 will be Canelo’s first attempt at an undisputed title.

Under the guidance of Reynoso, his renowned coach, Canelo has faced and triumphed over a long list of elite fighters since turning pro at just 15-years-old in 2005. Shane Mosley, Gennadiy Golovkin, Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto and Sergey Kovalev are among them. Canelo’s lone professional defeat came against undefeated legend Floyd Mayweather in September 2013.

“At the end of the day, this is what I want to do with my career, make history,” said Canelo. “These things, like becoming the first to be the unified champion at 168 pounds, is making history. To potentially be one of the few who holds this prestigious honor in any weight class makes me very happy. For my country, this would be a huge accomplishment. I want to be remembered as one of the greatest in the history of the sport.”

The 28-year-old Plant (21-0, 12 KOs) captured his world title and burst onto the 168-pound scene by defeating Jose Uzcategui in January 2019. Plant was the underdog coming into the Uzcategui fight. He quickly set the tone scoring two early knockdowns on his way to a clear unanimous decision victory. It was an emotional night for Plant, who had dedicated his championship win to the memory of his late daughter, Alia, who passed away in 2015.

A native of Ashland City, Tennessee, Plant now lives and trains in Las Vegas, guided by his trainer Justin Gamber, along with his father and co-trainer Richie Plant. Caleb has successfully defended his title three times, dominating Mike Lee to earn a third-round stoppage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in July 2019. He then earned a TKO victory over Vincent Feigenbutz in a homecoming bout in Nashville in 2020. Most recently, Plant bested former super middleweight world champion Caleb Truax, winning a unanimous decision in their January clash.

“On November 6, the world will witness boxing’s first ever crowned undisputed super middleweight champion,” said Plant. “When my hand is raised in victory, the world will know then, that I’m the new face of boxing. Everyone should order the PPV now and get their popcorn ready, because I’m about to put on a performance that will go down in history as one of the best ever. This man is in trouble.”

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Mexico’s fighting cowboy is ready to roll into San Diego. Two-division kingpin Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete will defend his WBO featherweight world title against mandatory challenger Joet Gonzalez on Friday, Oct. 15 at Pechanga Arena San Diego.

In the 10-round welterweight co-feature, San Diego native Giovani Santillan makes his first hometown appearance in more than seven years against Angel “Relampago” Ruiz, the southpaw windmill from Culiacán, Mexico.

Navarrete-Gonzalez and Santillan-Ruiz will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ starting at approximately 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT. The undercard — also streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ — will feature middleweight prospect Javier “Milwaukee Made” Martinez (4-0, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder, undefeated 2016 Mexican Olympian Lindolfo Delgado (13-0, 12 KOs) in an eight-rounder at junior welterweight, and an eight-round junior lightweight battle between rising Puerto Rican prospect Henry “Moncho” Lebron (13-0, 9 KOs) and noted spoiler Manuel Rey Rojas (21-5, 6 KOs).

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $55 go on sale Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

“Emanuel Navarrete never disappoints, as he’s a true Mexican warrior who fights in a crowd-pleasing style,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Joet Gonzalez earned his position as the mandatory challenger, and he has everything it takes to give Navarrete a formidable challenge. I am also thrilled that Giovani Santillan will get an opportunity to fight in front of the hometown fans in an excellent fight against Angel Ruiz.”

Navarrete (34-1, 29 KOs) is 8-0 with six knockouts in world title fights, a busy championship run that began in December 2018 with his dominant decision over Isaac Dogboe to win the WBO junior featherweight world title. Following five title defenses in nine months, Navarrete moved up to featherweight and bested Ruben Villa by unanimous decision last October to win the WBO world title. He defended that title in April and knocked out Christopher Diaz in the 12th round. Gonzalez (24-1, 14 KOs) fell short in his first world title opportunity in October 2019, losing a decision to pound-for-pound star Shakur Stevenson. He returned last September and handed a one-sided beating to three-time world title challenger Miguel Marriaga to earn his WBO No. 1 ranking.

“I am focused on winning this fight and defending my world title for the second time. I know that Joet Gonzalez is a good fighter. I respect him and he is also my mandatory challenger, but I am the champion, and I will show him why. This belt isn’t going anywhere,” Navarrete said. “I hope that my Mexican fans will support me in San Diego, and my fans from Tijuana can also come to the fight. I will give them a great fight, and it will be a great victory for all my Mexican people.”

Gonzalez said, “I am excited and thankful to receive a second world title opportunity, this time against a great Mexican warrior like Navarrete. I know I have what it takes to become a world champion, and I will show the world that on Oct. 15. No disrespect to Navarrete, but this is my time.”

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New York, NY – Continuing their extraordinary run of outstanding, once-in-a-lifetime events, TRILLER FIGHT CLUB has announced ‘THE TAKEOVER’ TEOFIMO LOPEZ, (16-0, 12 KOs), fighting out of Brooklyn, NY, will defend his UNDISPUTED Lightweight World Titles, (WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF) in the highly anticipated 12-round battle against Mandatory Challenger ‘FEROCIOUS’ GEORGE KAMBOSOS JR., (19-0, 10 KOs) of Sydney, Australia on Monday, October 4 in the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden and live on Pay-Per-View (8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT) with a FREEVIEW starting at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT.

Presented in association with DiBella Entertainment, advance tickets priced at $306, $206, $106, $81 and $56, will go on-sale Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 15 at 12:00 p.m. ET through MSG.com. The event will be broadcast live on Pay-Per-View priced at $49.99 available globally through FITE.TV and on traditional cable/satellite via iNDemand.

Additional musical guests will also be announced for the full evening of entertainment. The entire event will be presented by NIGEL LYTHGOE, the Triller Fight Club visionary and producer.

Boxing fans will also be able to watch the fight on both streaming and TV PPV platforms. To order online/streaming, go to TRILLERFIGHTCLUB.com or FITE or any FITE OTT/Smart TV/mobile apps.

To watch on TV, viewers can order the event through every major cable, satellite, and telco provider in North America, including: Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, DIRECTV & U-Verse TV, Dish, Fios, and Optimum, among others (U.S.), as well as Rogers, Shaw, Sasktel, and TELUS (Canada). iNDemand, the leading transactional video-on-demand and PPV programming provider in North America, will serve as the exclusive U.S. and Canadian cable, satellite, and telco distributor.

The eagerly awaited clash between the two undefeated warriors, at the top of the year’s boxing schedule for international boxing fans, was originally scheduled for June 19, 2021 prior to Lopez testing positive for Covid-19 of which he has made a full recovery. Known for his stunning knockout power, Lopez is world ranked #5 pound-for-pound by ESPN and #7 by RING Magazine.

The 24-year-old Lopez was the recipient of the prestigious 2020 ‘Fighter of the Year’ award by both RING Magazine and the Boxing Association of America in addition to many other international sporting platforms. On October 17, 2020, Lopez defeated unified (WBA, WBO, IBF) junior lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko in Las Vegas, NV, completing the rare four-belt UNDISPUTED status, an esteemed historical honor only achieved by five other male boxers.

Truly feeling at home at THE Mecca, Lopez has fought six previous times at Madison Square Garden including his IBF world title knockout victory over Richard Commey on December 14, 2019.

A true sporting road warrior, the 28-year-old Kambosos Jr. earned his Mandatory Challenger status by traveling to London, United Kingdom on October 31, 2020 and soundly defeating hometown favorite Lee Selby over twelve rounds. Prior to that, Kambosos Jr., also fighting on December 14, 2019 at Madison Square Garden, was victorious in a dominant ten-round performance against former world champion Mickey Bey.

Known for his extended training camps with boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, Kambosos is an Australian born fighter of Greek heritage. He is a huge star in both Greece and Australia drawing tens of thousands to each of his fights.

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The purse bid for the bout between Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford and challenger Shawn Porter scheduled for today has been cancelled following an agreement between the parties. Tom Brown, representing Porter, and Top Rank, Crawford’s promoter, informed the WBO of the agreement.

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