I don’t just punch mass, I punch organs and I punch that chin.” – Antonio Tarver

Tarver vs. Lateef “Power” Kayode to Headline “Four Warned” Quadruple Header

On Saturday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®

From The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

TAMPA, Fla. (May 15, 2012) – Less than three weeks before Antonio Tarver steps into the ring to continue his campaign at cruiserweight by taking on the unbeaten power puncher Lateef Kayode, the “Magic Man” held an open workout on Tuesday before a packed house of his hometown media at Calta’s 24/7 Fitness.

Tarver vs. Kayode will headline “Four Warned,” a stacked night of boxing on SHOWTIME® featuring four high-stakes prizefights. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will air live at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) on Saturday, June 2 from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Joining Tarver at the workout on Tuesday was his good friend Ronald “Winky” Wright, who will fight in the co-main event, making his return to the ring against rising star “Kid Chocolate” Peter Quillin.

After a storied career at light heavyweight, Tarver (29-6, 20 KO’s), of Tampa, Fla., made an emphatic debut in the cruiserweight division last summer. The Magic Man headed to Sydney, Australia and stopped hometown favorite Danny Green (RTD 9) on July 20, 2011 to capture the IBO cruiserweight title. Wright (51-5-1, 25 KO’s), of St. Petersburg, Fla., will return to the ring for the first time since April 11, 2009. He faces Quillin (26-0, 20 KO’s), who will risk his unblemished record.

Kayode (18-0, 14 KO’s), who is trained by the acclaimed Freddie Roach, is not only taking the biggest leap in competition in his career, but he is also facing a man who knows him very well. Tarver has been ringside providing expert analysis for all five of the Nigerian-born Kayode’s appearances on ShoBox: The New Generation.

Here’s what Tarver and Wright had to say on Tuesday:

ANTONIO TARVER:

“This guy is predicting he’ll knock me out in the fifth round. If Kayode comes in with that type of recklessness, he can be out before that because he has never been hit by someone who can punch as hard as me. And not just punching hard, I’m a sharpshooter. I punch organs. I target organs: liver, kidney, heart. I don’t just punch mass, I punch organs and I punch that chin. Remember that the chin is not a muscle so you can have all the muscles surrounding your neck and body, chest and abs, because if I touch that chin the right way, it’s lights out, baby.

“There are no more guys like myself. Shane Mosley lost. Bernard Hopkins lost. I’m the last Mohican. I’m the last guy who is 40-plus.

“We have a storyline here: A young guy who took offense to what I was saying as a commentator. I was just doing my job. I think the youth, the inexperience got the best of him. He’s got his handlers saying that he’s ready to roll the dice. But you’ve got to respect his position. He’s a young fighter coming up that has nothing to lose. So Kayode is in a beautiful position and if he loses to me, what has it done? It’s going to set him back a little bit but he can regroup. I can’t regroup if I lose to Lateef Kayode. There would be an asterisk and a question mark by my name and we can’t have that.

“He’s only got two hands and he can’t throw them but one at a time. We’re going to simplify it. I’ve fought a lot of strong guys that didn’t get lucky, that couldn’t hit me, couldn’t find me. So he’s coming in here trying to get lucky. I’m coming in here to rely on my skills, my experience and my conditioning to win this fight. I’ll take Kayode places he’s never been. And that’s in deep waters. He’s never been in there with a fighter like me and I’m going to show him what it’s all about.

“This is what sparring is all about. I’ve got young guys in here. I don’t have any old punching bags in here. Because if I can’t get it done in the gym, I can’t get it done June 2.

“We’re putting everyone on notice. Expect the unexpected. Kayode said the fight is going to end, that he’s going to knock me out in the fifth round. He might have a good prediction in the fifth round but I think he’s got the storyline a little twisted.

“We’re in a phone booth in camp. That’s definitely what we think the fight will represent, a phone booth. We like it in close quarters. I’m too old to run.

“I had a chance to commentate a few of his fights and he didn’t like the things I was saying. But as a young fighter, you can’t always feed them cake and ice cream. Sometimes you’ve got to put something in the back of his head so he could say, ‘You know what? Maybe there is something I can go back and work on.

“It’s about skill and I got it. We’re not going to wait for anyone to tell us how great we are because if you wait for someone to give you a compliment, you’ll be waiting forever and a day. We know who we are and we are going to continue to display it. We’re going to kill our critics with success. We got the skill, us throwback fighters. And I’m a throwback fighter because I’m older now, I’m sitting down [on my punches] more and I’m a fan friendly fighter.

“What keeps the fire burning? Critics, naysayers and my own personal achievement. People can laugh now when I tell them I’m going to become heavyweight champion. They don’t want to buy into it but they will because at 210 pounds, I’m elusive. I’m powerful. I’m strong and they can’t hit what they can’t see. I’m not a big, robotic fighter that can’t move. So those are they’re advantages. The only hope they got is to hit me on the chin and knock me out. And that’s never been done before. .

“I’m going to get that heavyweight title. Wladimir Klitschko, here I come. I’m going to get that heavyweight title. That’s coming back to America, baby. Trust it. Stamp it. Write it down.”

WINKY WRIGHT:

On making his return to the ring on a card with friend and fellow Floridian Antonio Tarver:

“It feels good. It makes it easy. To have your homeboy on the same card, we go out there and kick some butt. You know me.

When discussing the bravado displayed by Kayode and Quillin at the kickoff press conference:

“Young guys, young guys. Inexperience and all of that. The nervousness is getting to them and they want to prove this and prove that. The only time you’ve got to prove something is in the ring.

“Fans cans expect a great fight. They can come to see Winky Wright knock Kid Chocolate’s head off – not knock him out – knock his head off. He thinks I’m going to run? We’ll see. I’m going to show him a fight.”

“Four Warned” features former Light Heavyweight World Champion Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver (29-6, 20 KO’s) facing unbeaten Lateef Kayode (18-0, 14 KO’s) in a 12-round cruiserweight fight, former undisputed junior middleweight kingpin Winky Wright (51-5-1, 25 KO’s) returning to the ring to meet undefeated Peter Quillin (26-0, 20 KO’s) in a middleweight bout, Austin Trout (24-0, 14 KO’s) risking his perfect record and WBA Super Welterweight belt against Delvin Rodriguez (26-5-3, 14 KO’s) and IBF number one rated bantamweight contender Vusi Malinga (20-3, 12 KO’s) facing IBF number five rated contender Leo Santa Cruz (19-0-1, 11 KO’s) for the vacant IBF bantamweight title. All four bouts will be telecast on Saturday, June 2, live on SHOWTIME® (9:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. “Four Warned” is presented by A.T. Entertainment, Golden Boy Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions with Trout vs. Rodriguez being presented in association with Greg Cohen Promotions and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Malinga vs. Santa Cruz being presented in association with Branco Sports Productions. The event is sponsored by Corona and AT&T.

Tickets for “Four Warned” are available for as low as $25, with VIP floor seats priced at $200. Other tickets in the 8,000-seat outdoor stadium at The Home Depot Center are available at $50 and $100. Fans can purchase tickets at AXS.com or by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available for purchase by calling 1-877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 1-877-234-8425.

For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com.

Photos By Jeff Young / SHOWTIME

LAS VEGAS (May 11, 2012) – After losing his perfect record in his ShoBox: The New Generation debut, Willie Nelson survived a highlight reel knockdown to upset Yudel Jhonson by unanimous decision. The 10-round junior middleweight SHOWTIME® main event was scored 97-92 twice and 95-94. In the evening’s co-feature from Texas Station Gambling Hall & Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev., Badou Jack defeated Alexander Brand via split decision by the scores of 77-75 two times for Jack and 77-75 for Brand in the eight-round super middleweight bout.

When ShoBox fans last saw Nelson, he entered his bout against Vincent Arroyo as the favorite with a sparkly undefeated record. The gritty Arroyo turned in a career-best performance and knocked down Nelson three times en route to a majority decision victory.

Tonight’s scenario was much different for Nelson (18-1-1, 11 KOs), of Youngstown, Ohio, as he entered the ring as an underdog against the unbeaten Cuban amateur standout Jhonson (12-1, 8 KOs), of Miami, Florida. Nelson started strong with one-two combination punching and standing tall to take full advantage of his six-foot-four frame. In the second, the southpaw Jhonson rocked Nelson with a big left hand but Nelson retaliated later in the round with a perfectly placed right that sent Jhonson to the canvas for the first time in his career. Jhonson quickly returned to his feet and continued to stalk Nelson with his powerful left hand.

In round four, Jhonson’s left hand landed in spectacular fashion. Jhonson threw a counter overhand left that sent a stiffened Nelson directly onto the canvas. Nelson bounced right back up to survive the round.

Working under the direction of new trainer Jack Loew, Nelson regained his composure and momentum by avoiding Jhonson’s left and staying more active than his opponent. Jhonson landed 77 of his 377 punches, while Nelson connected on 136 of 534.

“It was my fighter’s instinct that got me back to my feet after that knockdown,” said Nelson. “But once I got up, I was only hurt for a couple more seconds.”

Jhonson felt differently about the knockdown. “The referee did a poor job. He gave [Nelson] a lot of time to recover from that knockdown,” said Jhonson. “I thought I did enough to win.”

Nelson added, “I will definitely be staying at 154 pounds. I felt great in there. I can’t be beat at this weight.”

The first fight of the night featured a pair of unbeatens when Jack (11-0, 8 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev., was pressed to his limits by Brand. Jack began the bout by controlling the pace with his jab before Brand disrupted his rhythm with an unusual fight style. Brand (17-1, 15 KOs) of Bogota, Colombia, loaded up on wide, lunging punches and moved throughout the ring with bursts of aggression in such an unorthodox manner that it caught Jack off guard at times throughout the bout.

Although Jack abandoned his signature body punching for most of the eight-round affair, both men landed their share of punches.

By the middle rounds, SHOWTIME boxing analyst Steve Farhood pointed out of Brand, “This guy’s technique is terrible and he’s still landing shots.”

In the eighth, the action was temporarily stopped when Brand’s protective cup fell down through his shorts. After his corner helped return the cup to its proper position, the two fighters began throwing bombs as they both completed eight rounds for the first time in their professional careers.

“[Brand] was awkward and he didn’t want to fight. I had to press him to get to him,” said Jack after the fight. “I will do better next time.”

The telecast will replay on Tuesday, May 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME®. The event was promoted by Warriors Boxing.

Mike Crispino called the blow-by-blow action on ShoBox with Farhood serving as expert analyst. Gordon Hall is the executive producer of ShoBox with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com.

Photo Credit: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

Photo: Jake Roth, US Presswire

UNBEATEN Floyd Mayweather Jr. 43-0 (26) continues his success at the gate with his 12-round unanimous decision victory over Miguel Cotto 37-3 (30) this past weekend. The performance earned Mayweather the WBA super welterweight title along with another Top 10 ranking at the gate. With 14,612 tickets sold at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, totalling a live gate of roughly $12 million, Mayweather-Cotto placed at #9 on the Top 10 richest boxing gates in Nevada state history. This marks the second time a Mayweather bout has reached the list, and this particular bout is just one better than rival Manny Pacquiao’s 54-3-2 (38) third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez 54-6-1 (39). Floyd’s first appearance on the list, also his first at 154 pounds, was his 2007 super fight with Oscar De La Hoya 39-6 (30),which ranks #1 in the history of the sport.

“I really can’t wait for May 5th, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime for me and I’m not intending to let it pass”

Red Hawk Promotions’ Maria Ni Shiuilleabhain is equally as excited at the prospect of Darren Cruise competing in Prizefighter: “We are feeling very confident in Darren’s abilities and are looking forward to getting him into the ring on May 5th where his hard work will speak for itself,” stated Maria. “Darren has been working extremely hard with his team in recent weeks. John Waldron and Finton Flynn have been putting him through a rigorous training regime and he has been getting some top class sparring both here in Ireland and in the UK.”

A successful run in the exciting winner-takes-all contest will set Cruise up nicely for a Roscommon Rock ‘N Rumble in The Hub venue on May 26th and a hometown event that guarantees entertainment both in and out of the ring. The show also features: John Waldron, Christina McMahon, Alan Donnellan, Stephen Reynolds, Michael Waldron, Brandon Peake, Finton Glynn and Willie Mitchell.

Prizefighter tickets are available directly from RedHawk Promotions by emailing redhawkpromotions@ gmail.com or also via www.prizefighter.co.uk or Ticketmaster. A bus service will be running from Castelrea on the night, for bookings please contact RedHawk Promotions.

For sponsorship enquiries, please contact Maria Ni Shiuilleabhain on +353 86 8387313.

Tickets for Rock ‘N Rumble are available from the participating boxers or contact
redhawkpromotions@ gmail.com.

For more information on any Red Hawk events:

Maria Ni Shiuilleabhain
redhawkpromotions@ gmail.com
Tel: 00353 86 8687313
Find us on Facebook: RedHawk Boxing Promotions or Maria Ni Shiuilleabhain
Twitter @RedHawk_Boxing

Photos: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

World Championship Doubleheader This Saturday, April 21,

Live on SHOWTIME® (9:30 p.m. ET/PT) From Don Haskins Center;

Preliminary Fights on SHOWTIME Extreme (7 p.m. ET/PT)

EL PASO, Texas (April 19, 2012) – The four fighters who’ll compete in the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader this Saturday, April 21, live on SHOWTIME® (9:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) at UTEP’s Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas, participated in the final press conference Thursday at Don Haskins Center.

In Saturday’s 12-round main event, talented, unbeaten former Bantamweight World Champion Abner Mares (23-0-1, 13 KO’s) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, will return to the 122-pound division for the first time since 2006 to face former Two-Time World Champion Eric “Little Hands of Steel” Morel (46-2, 23 KO’s), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Bantamweight World Championship.

In a second world title fight, World Boxing Association (WBA) Bantamweight Super World Champion Anselmo “Chemito” Moreno (32-2-1, 11 KO’s), of Panama City, Panama, will defend his title for a 10th time when he faces David “Morita” de la Mora (24-1, 17 KO’s) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Scheduled matchups for the SHOWTIME Extreme telecast (begins live at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT): Librado Andrade (30-4, 23 KO’s) vs. Rowland Bryant (15-1, 10 KO’s), 10 rounds, super middleweights; Luis Ramos, Jr. (21-0, 9 KO’s) vs. Daniel Attah (26-9-1, 9 KO’s), 10 rounds, lightweights; Francisco Vargas (9-0-1, 7 KO’s) vs. Rafael Lora (11-7, 5 KOs), 6/8 rounds, junior lightweights (swing bout); and Antonio Escalante (25-4, 17 KO’s) vs. Francisco Camacho (10-1, 3 KO’s), 8 rounds, junior lightweights (swing bout).

Tickets, priced at $25, $50, $75 and $150, are available at the UTEP Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster locations or by phone at (800) 745-3000. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, please call: (915) 747-5234.

A special preview episode of THE FRANCHISE: A SEASON WITH THE MIAMI MARLINS will air Saturday at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) immediately preceding SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on SHOWTIME.

Here’s what the participants had to say on Thursday:

Abner Mares

“Ever since I entered the SHOWTIME Bantamweight Tournament, people started recognizing me. People started noticing me and getting a close look at Abner Mares, the real Abner Mares. People didn’t know much of him, just the fact that he went to the Olympics, and now I’m making a name for myself.

“This fight is going to be really good. I am not underestimating Eric Morel. Never will I underestimate any fighter. I train really hard for any fighter because I want to give a great show. I want to show a different Abner every time I face anyone. I’m ready. I’m ready for Eric.

“I know Eric trained really hard as well and it’s only going to make this fight really interesting. This is really going to be a good and explosive fight.’’

Eric Morel

“This is going to be a great fight. Nothing is going to stop me. Age is not going to be an excuse. I’m well prepared. I know what I’m getting into. I know Mares is extremely hungry and a very good fighter, very talented. He has his dreams and I’ve got mine, too.

“But on Saturday the best man will win. It’s not going to be easy for either one of us.’’

Anselmo Moreno

“I am ready to fight, I have the will to fight and have come 100 percent prepared. I plan to do good work and hopefully everything comes out fine because I came prepared to win.

“I want to fight everyone in the 118-pound division and 122-pound division.”

David de la Mora

“I spent five weeks in Mexico preparing for this fight, so I am very prepared. If Moreno beats me, there will be no excuses like a lot of fighters make. If Moreno wins, he was better than me. There will be no excuses.

“It was a mistake for Moreno to take this fight because I am going to take that title away.’’

“Mares vs. Morel: Battle on the Border” is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight World Championship set for Saturday, April 21 at UTEP’s Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas. The co-featured fights will see Anselmo “Chemito” Moreno vs. David de la Mora in a 12-round fight for Moreno’s WBA Bantamweight Super Championship. The event is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The SHOWTIME Championship Boxing doubleheader airs live at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Just prior to the action on SHOWTIME, preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Lf Traux n RT Taylor Photo Credit: Craig Bennett / SHOWTIME

Jermain Taylor – 160.5

Caleb Truax – 160.75

Erislandy Lara – 156.5

Ronald Hearns – 156.25

BILOXI, MISS., (April 19, 2012) – All four fighters participating in Friday’s ShoBox: The New Generation doubleheader made weight at the Coast Nightclub at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss., on Thursday, just one day before the exciting night of fights on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In the main event former undisputed 160-pound World Champion Jermain Taylor (29-4-1, 18 KO’s) weighed in at 160.5 pounds, while his undefeated opponent Caleb “Golden” Truax (18-0-1, 10 KO’s) tipped the scales at 160.75 pounds for their 10-round middleweight bout. In the 10-round junior middleweight co-feature, former Cuban amateur standout Erislandy Lara (15-1-1, 10 KO’s) weighed 156.5 pounds and former world title challenger Ronald Hearns (26-2, 20 KO’s) 156.25 pounds for the fight contracted at 157 pounds.

The special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Golden Boy Promotions.

Tickets, priced at $150, $100, and $50 plus tax and service charges, are available online at www.beaurivage.com, by phone at (888) 566-7469, or in person at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office. Beau Rivage room reservations can be made by calling (888) 567-6667 or visiting www.beaurivage.com.

What the fighters had to say on Thursday:

JERMAIN TAYLOR:

“I just want to say thank you to my team. I’m back in love with boxing. I can’t say it any other way. After losing in Berlin, I took two years off. They were the best two years of my life, because I’m hungry again.

“I’ve been boxing since I was 11 and I never took a break. Never. When I lost those fights, it was time for me to take a break. I spent time with my family and for the first time in a long time, I missed boxing. Now, I’m back. I feel strong. I took care of business in December and I’m going take care of business tomorrow.

“I love this sport because I’m a fighter. And this is the only sport where you can lose, get knocked out, look bad and then fight your way back to the top. You can get down real low and you can still come back and be on top. I’m on my way back.”

CALEB TRUAX:

“I’ve prepared for the man that beat Bernard Hopkins but we’ll see where Jermain’s at tomorrow. I think he might be on the decline but that’s not who I prepared for so I’m ready.

“This is where I wanted to be with my career, in a big fight. Being from Minnesota, I don’t get all the opportunities to fight in California and New York or other big places. This is the biggest opportunity of my life and I plan to take advantage of it. Everything went well in my preparations. All I have to do is go in there tomorrow and get the job done.”

ERISLANDY LARA:

“I’m part of the A class of my division. A lot of guys don’t want to fight me so I have to thank Ronald Hearns for taking this fight.

“I’m going by the name of “The Punisher” for this fight because people saw that I punished Paul Williams. I’m ready to fight another great fight.”

RONALD HEARNS:

“I’m grateful for my fight tomorrow. Thanks to my team, Lou DiBella and SHOWTIME. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I can’t wait for the world to see me perform. It’s time to get to work.”

LOU DiBELLA, Promoter:

“The Beau Rivage is our southern home away from home. It’s truly the jewel casino of the South. Thanks to SHOWTIME and Stephen Espinoza for putting on this great card. It should be a tremendous night of boxing.

“Jermain is not an ordinary fighter. This is a man who was a pound-for-pounder, one of the few men to hold all four middleweight belts at one time and the only man to beat Bernard Hopkins twice. And this is a new beginning. It’s not usual for you to see a guy like him fight in a 1,400-seat venue. But this is a comeback done the right way. It’s not a cash out. He is looking to the future by looking into the past and remembering what got him to the top.”

PAT BURNS, Taylor’s trainer:

“Jermain has made a new commitment to boxing and life. We’re fighting a heck of a tough kid because that’s how you pave a comeback. You can’t fight guys from the graveyard. Caleb knows his life will change if he wins. It will change his financial situation so he’s hungry.”

For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com.