Compiled By: William Holmes
The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of March 5th to March 12th; covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.
MULVANE, KS – NOVEMBER 17: Luis Arias and Gabriel Rosado during their bout on November 17, 2018 at the Kansas Star Casino. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA)
Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing
Hearn: Winner of Rosado-Sulecki Fight Likely for Andrade
The Middleweight clash between Gabriel Rosado and Maciej Sulecki on Friday night (March 15) at the Liacouras Center, Philadelphia live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK, has extra spice added to it as promoter Eddie Hearn announced that the winner is likely to face WBO kingpin Demetrius Andrade in June.
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Rosado and Sulecki promised to be a war from the get-go when the fight was announced in January, but now the WBO International title will be on the line, and with that, a likely shot at Rhode Island star Andrade in the summer.
Rosado (24-11-1 14 KOs) is back in action following his closely fought draw with Luis Arias in Mulvane, Kansas in November – another contentious fight for the Philly favorite who will now be chasing a third World title shot in his first fight on home turf in seven years.
Sulecki (27-1 11 KOs) is hunting a first World title shot having returned to winning ways in November with a second round stoppage of Jean Michel Hamilcaro in his native Poland. The 29 year old gave Daniel Jacobs a stern test in April before the Brooklyn man moved on to become a two-weight World ruler, and Sulecki will believe that experience will serve him against Rosado.
WBO ruler Andrade defended his title live on DAZN in January against Artur Akavov at Madison Square Garden in New York, and the streaming giants rubber-stamped their status as the home of the elite Middleweights by adding Kazakh star Gennady Golovkin to the phenomenal roster of 160lbers, with Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs clashing in a unification blockbuster on DAZN on May 4 in Las Vegas.
“I’m pretty sure that the winner of Saturday’s fight will be the next opponent for Demetrius in June,” said Hearn. “It’s a massive fight for Gabe and Maciej – we know that DAZN is the home of the Middleweights and these two have the opportunity on Friday to unlock the door to the big time.
“I expect an absolute war between both men, I think it could be fight of the night and on this card, that’s saying something!”
Rosado’s clash with Sulecki is part of a huge night of action in Philadelphia on St Patrick’s weekend topped by a World title double-header as Philly’s Tevin Farmer (28-4-1 6 KOs) comes home to defend his IBF Super-Featherweight title against Ireland’s Jono Carroll (16-0-1 3 KOs), and Irish sensation Katie Taylor (12-0 5 KOs) looks to unify the Lightweight division once again, putting her IBF and WBA straps on the line against Brazil’s WBO champion Rose Volante (14-0 8 KOs).
Philly Lightweight’s Hank Lundy (29-7-1 14 KOs) and Avery Sparrow (9-1 3 KOs) battle for local pride, Olympic gold medal pair Luke Campbell MBE (19-2 15 KOs) and Daniyar Yeleussinov (5-0 3 KOs) and silver medalist John Joe Nevin (11-0 4 KOs) taste their first action of 2019, unbeaten Super-Middleweight D’Mitrius Ballard (19-0 12 KOs) faces Victor Fonseca (17-9-1 14 KOs) while exciting New Jersey amateur star Raymond Ford makes his pro debut.
Super Welterweight Contender Jamontay Clark Battles Unbeaten Vernon Brown on March 24th
Exciting super welterweight contender Jamontay Clark joins the Peterson brothers on a Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes show on Sunday, March 24 from MGM National Harbor in Maryland.
Clarkwill take on Vernon Brown of Chicago in a 10-round super welterweight match that will open the broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. ET. Two-division world champion Lamont Peterson takes on former junior welterweight world champion Sergey Lipinets in a 12-round welterweight match that will headline the show. Anthony Peterson, Lamont’s brother, battles former junior lightweight world champion Argenis Mendez in a 10-round junior welterweight bout that serves as the co-main event.
The Peterson brothers are an inspirational duo that rose from poverty and homelessness in Washington D.C. as children to become professional boxers and reach an elite level in the sport. They will be fighting as the main and co-main event in these nationally televised bouts for the first time since 2006 and will look to put on a show for fans just outside of their hometown.
The 24-year-old Clark (13-1, 7 KOs) was on an impressive roll, having defeated Domonique Dolton and previously unbeaten Ivan Golub, before his match against Jeison Rosario last August. Fighting out of Cincinnati, he dropped a tough unanimous decision to Rosario in the first loss of his career. He will be looking to bounce back against the 29-year-old Brown (10-0-1, 7 KOs), who had a busy 2018 with three victories – two by way of knockout.
The FS1 prelims broadcast will begin at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and feature Mexican slugger Jose Miguel Borrego (14-2, 13 KOs) clashing with California’s Jerry Thomas (14-1-1, 8 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight match. It will also see Brandon Quarles (21-4-1, 10 KOs) battling Kansas-native Aaron Coley (15-2-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight bout, plus Baltimore’s Lorenzo Simpson (2-0, 2 KOs) taking on Earl Henry (0-1-1) in a four-round super welterweight attraction.
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and HeadBangers Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.mgmnationalharbor.com/.
Action-Packed Night of Undercard Attractions Lead Up to Errol Spence Jr. vs. Mikey Garcia
An exciting night of undercard attractions will lead up to the first Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event headlined by unbeaten welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. taking on undefeated four-division champion Mikey Garcia on Saturday, March 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The action features 2016 Mexican Olympian Lindolfo Delgado (8-0, 8 KOs) looking to keep his perfect record intact against once-beaten Oklahoma-native James Roach (5-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight fight and undefeated Dallas-native Fernando Garcia (11-0, 6 KOs) taking on Colombia’s Marlon Olea (14-4, 12 KOs) for eight rounds of super featherweight action.
Tickets for this showdown, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Ringstar Sports, are on sale now, and can be purchased at SeatGeek.com, the Official Ticketing Provider of AT&T Stadium.
The undercard will also see a host of local talent from Texas as cruiserweight Burley Brooks makes his pro debut against Randy Mast (1-0) in a four-round bout, Dallas-native Amon Rashidi (5-0, 3 KOs) in a six-round welterweight fight against El Paso’s Gabriel Gutierrez (5-7, 3 KOs), San Antonio’s Jesse Rodriguez (8-0, 4 KOs)facing Rauf Aghayev (26-6, 11 KOs) in an eight-round bantamweight showdown, Mesquite’s Adrian Taylor (8-1, 4 KOs)in a four-round cruiserweight attraction and San Antonio’s Robert Rodriguez (2-0) in a four-round super flyweight fight against Fernando Ibarra.
Rounding out the show are Marsello Wilder (3-1, 2 KOs)facing Mark Sanchez (0-2)in a four-round cruiserweight fight, California’s Luis Coria (10-2, 5 KOs) in a six-round featherweight bout against Mexico’s Omar Garcia (6-7, 1 KO), Milwaukee’s Thomas Hill (7-2, 1 KO) facing Christian Aguirre (8-4, 4 KOs) in a six-round super welterweight attraction, unbeaten Aaron Morales (5-0, 3 KOs) taking on Fernando Robles (2-0) for six-rounds of bantamweight action and Mexico’s Jose Valenzuela (2-0) in a four-round super featherweight bout against Christian Velez (1-1, 1 KO).
Top Rank Announced Media Partnership with MTK Global
Top Rank and MTK Global are proud to announce an exclusive multi-year licensing agreement that will bring MTK Global events to fans in the United States on ESPN platforms, including ESPN+ — the direct-to-consumer sports streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment and ESPN.
The agreement calls for approximately 30 shows a year emanating from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and elsewhere around the globe.
The inaugural Top Rank/MTK Global/ESPN card will be announced soon.
“MTK Global manages a vast number of A-list fighters from around the globe,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “This deal will enable Top Rank, through the ESPN family of networks, to afford viewers in the United States the opportunity to see these great fighters perform.”
“This is a very proud day as MTK Global partners with the biggest and best in the industry to expand the audiences for our incredible fighters,” said MTK Global CEO Sandra Vaughan. “Our sole mission has, and always will be, to afford every possible opportunity we can to the athletes we represent, and this partnership really cements that. Top Rank and ESPN are names synonymous with boxing on an international level, as MTK Global has become in recent times, and we couldn’t imagine better partners to take the next step with.”
MTK Global is the world’s leading boxing management firm with more than 100 fighters under their umbrella, including lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Michael Conlan, Billy Joe Saunders and Carl Frampton. The MTK Global cards will complement the wide variety of international fight offerings already under the Top Rank on ESPN banner.
Prograis-Relikh and Donaire-Tete WBSS Semi-Finals Confirmed for Lafayette
Regis Prograis & Kiryl Relikh and Nonito Donaire & Zolani Tete continue their pursuit for the Ali Trophy on April 27 at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA. Tickets on sale next Friday.
The sensational doubleheader opens the semi-final stage of the World Boxing Super Series.
American and New Orleans native Regis Prograis (23-0, 19 KOs) faces Belarusian Kiryl Relikh (23-2, 19 KOs), who is training in Miami, in a semi-final in the 140lb division and American-Philippine Nonito Donaire (39-5, 25 KOs) meets South African Zolani Tete (28-3, 21 KOs) in a semi-final in the 118lb edition of the tournament.
“Fighting in Lafayette is a perfect situation for me because it’s halfway between my two homes Houston and New Orleans,” said Prograis, the WBC Diamond Champion. “I can’t wait to come out and put in a historical event.”
The World Boxing Super Series is returning to Louisiana after last years 140lb quarter-finals in New Orleans.
“We are thrilled to bring the Ali Trophy lights to Lafayette kickoff the semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer. “The fans in Lafayette and around the world can look forward to two unbelievable blockbusters with the best production in the game all on one night.
“The WBSS is about the best fighting the best and to serve up Fight of the Year contenders in the quest for the Ali Trophy and the supreme international superstars involved in this doubleheader at the Cajundome on April 27 will deliver just that .”
Fans wanting to buy tickets are encouraged to sign-up to Ticket Alerts to receive emails reminders when tickets go on sale.
Fans in the U.S. and Canada can watch all the Ali Trophy semi-finals LIVE, exclusively on DAZN.
