WHAT: Fans can relive the controversial first fight between lightweight contenders Thomas Mattice and Zhora Hamazaryan, available now in its entirety on SHOWTIME Boxing YouTube channel ahead of the rematch September 28 in the second of back-to-back Fridays of ShoBox: The New Generation action.

In one of the most widely disputed fights of 2018, Mattice (13-0, 10 KOs) kept his undefeated record intact when he overcame a knockdown in the second round to escape with the eight-round split-decision victory over the previously undefeated Hamazaryan (9-1, 6 KOs). Two judges scored the fight 76-75 in favor of Mattice with the third judge scoring it 77-74 in favor of Hamazaryan.

Less than three months after judges in Iowa awarded Mattice what Hall of Fame analyst Steve Farhood called “the worst decision I’ve ever seen in the history of ShoBox”, Mattice and Hamazaryan will face off in the co-feature of the ShoBox telecast from Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif.

Hamazaryan, who recently returned stateside after an extended stay to be with family and train in his native Armenia, is looking forward to his opportunity to exact revenge.

“I respect Thomas Mattice,” said Hamazaryan, who is currently training with John Pullman and Buddy McGirt. “He fought a good fight last time, but everyone knows I won the fight and he does too. I respect that I got a rematch and we can settle this once and for all.

“My game plan is to do the same thing I did last time, but just more pressure and aggression. Because of what happened last time, I can’t leave it up to judges. I must get the knockout. If I don’t, then the same thing will happen again and I will get robbed. I can’t have that.”

Mattice, who has watched the July fight multiple times, is hoping to prove that his decision win was no fluke.

“It was important to me to get this rematch so that I can display to the fans the kind of fighter I am and show that I deserved to win the first fight. I’m looking to continue my rise and show the world that I’m the real deal.

“We’re just trying to work on the mistakes we made in the first fight. He may try to do things differently this time, but we’ll adjust and be ready come fight night. It was a controversial decision but I have to remember that at the end of the day I’m a fighter and not a judge. I just have to go out there and fight my fight, and things will be taken care of.”

The September 28 ShoBox is headlined by top undefeated lightweight prospect Devin Haney (19-0, 13 KOs) facing three-time world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos (33-2-2, 21 KOs). The opener will see two undefeated middleweight prospects meet as Cem Kilic (11-0, 7 KOs) and Donnie Marshall (9-0, 6 KOs) face off in the ninth matchup of undefeated prospects of 2018 on ShoBox: The New Generation. The previous Friday, Jon Fernandez (16-0-0, 14 KOs), one of the top prospects in boxing and Sergio Martinez protégé, will face O’Shaquie Foster (13-2, 8 KOs) in the main event of a ShoBox telecast from Firelake Arena in Shawnee, Okla.

For more information visit www.sho.com/sportsfollow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 77 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. /ORANGE, Calif. (Sept. 5, 2018) – Michael Dutchover (10-0, 7 KOs), a fast rising talent in the junior lightweight division, headlines a prospect rich card on Friday, Sept. 21, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Dutchover collides with once-beaten Luis Alberto Lopez (12-1, 5 KOs) of Mexico in the “New Blood” 8-round main event.

Dutchover, 20, hails from Midland, Tex., but has relocated to Santa Fe Springs, Calif. to take advantage of the rich sparring readily available to him in the greater Los Angeles area.

“I first came out to Santa Fe Springs the summer before my senior year of high school,” Dutchover said. “That’s when I met my current trainer Danny Zamora. He put me in with world champ Darleys Perez [WBA lightweight]. After that experience, I knew once I turned professional that I would want to live and train in this area.”

To prepare for Lopez, Dutchover has been clocking rounds against current WBA super bantamweight champion Danny Roman. The former cross country standout at Midland High School credits the elite level sparring for his rapidly evolving game.

“You have to be patient against guys like Danny Roman,” said Dutchover, who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing. “He is too skilled for you to walk in there and think you are going to lay gloves on him. That’s been my biggest growth area. Just learning how to settle into a patient rhythm and capitalize on angels once I see them.”

Dutchover’s patience was on display in his latest outing, a second round, one-punch destruction of Sergio Martinez in July.

“I was setting him up from the first round,” Dutchover said. “He was leaving himself open and throwing lazy jabs. I sat on the right moment and delivered a right hand that ended his night.”

For his fight against the little known Lopez, Dutchover will rely on the experience he’s built up to this point.

“He has a good record on paper, but I know he hasn’t fought the level of talent that I have,” remarked Dutchover. “I’m heading into the fight with a lot of confidence.”

Tickets for “New Blood” are priced at $40, $60, & $100, and are available for purchase by calling 714-935-0900, or online at ThompsonBoxing.com.

All fights will be live streamed on TB Presents: New Blood via Thompson Boxing Facebook page, YouTube channel, and ThompsonBoxing.com.

The livestream starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET with Beto Duran as the blow-by-blow announcer and Steve Kim providing expert, color commentary.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. /ORANGE, Calif. (Aug. 27, 2018) – Ruben Villa (13-0, 5 KOs) continued his trend of routing opponents on the scorecards by thoroughly outpointing Jose Santos Gonzalez (23-7, 13 KOs) in Friday night’s “Locked n’ Loaded” main event.

Villa used his signature quickness to batter Gonzalez throughout the 8-round fight.

“I was able to find the range from the outside and also get inside a little bit,” said Villa after the fight. “He was a little bit awkward, but I still found ways to land combinations.”

To watch a replay of the fight, please click here.

The southpaw from Salinas, Calif. hammered Gonzalez with accurate jabs and punishing left hands. In nearly every round, Villa, 21, rocked Gonzalez on his heels with a variety of punches from all sorts of angles.

Gonzalez, despite his experience in high profile fights, was unable to muster any kind of attack. He nearly went down in the fifth when Villa cracked him with a body shot. Scores: 80-72, 79-73 twice.

Villa is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing

Photo by Carlos Baeza / Thompson Boxing

PHILADELPHIA, PENN. / ORANGE, Calif. (Aug. 24, 2018) – Undefeated featherweight sensation Ruben Villa (12-0, 5 KOs) checked in at a ready 125.8 lbs while his opponent Jose Santos Gonzalez (23-6, 13 KOs) weighed in at 125.9 lbs for their eight-round battle that will take place tonight at Omega Products International in Corona, California.

“We’ll be careful not to fall into any traps,” said Villa during Thursday’s weigh in. “I think he’ll want to fight one specific way and we’ll show him multiple looks to get him off balance.”

Villa is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

All fights will be live streamed on TB Presents: Locked n’ Loaded via Thompson Boxing Facebook page and ThompsonBoxing.com.

The livestream starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET with Beto Duran as the blow-by-blow announcer and Steve Kim providing expert, color commentary.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing

PHILADELPHIA / LOS ANGELES – AUGUST 23, 2018 – Middleweight Brandon Adams will be featured on The Contender that will begin Tomorrow Night, August 24th on EPIX® at 10 PM ET/PT.

Adams, 17-2 with 12 knockouts fights out of Los Angles, California was finalist in the Boxcino Middleweight and Junior Middleweight tournaments in 2014 and 2015.

Adams will attempt to come through in the 16-man competition that in previous years has sprung fighters like Sergio Mora and Cornelius Bundrage to world titles.

About MGM Television
MGM Television is a leading producer and global distributor of premium content for television and digital platforms, with distribution rights to original productions and a robust catalog of television episodes and feature film titles including such premiere entertainment franchises as James Bond, Rocky, Stargate and The Hobbit trilogy. Current scripted and unscripted projects include Fargo (FX); Vikings (HISTORY); The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu); Get Shorty (EPIX); The Voice (NBC); Survivor (CBS); Shark Tank (ABC); Teen Wolf (MTV); Steve Harvey’s FUNDERDOME (ABC); Beat Shazam (FOX); Signed (VH1); Lucha Underground (The El Rey Network); and through its distribution entity, Orion TV Productions, the syndicated daytime courtroom series Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court and Couples Court with The Cutlers. In addition, MGM owns Evolution Media, the innovative unscripted television producers of The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Vanderpump Rules, Vanderpump Rules: Jax and Brittany Take Kentucky, and Sweet Home Oklahoma (Bravo); Botched (E!); Bug Juice (Disney Channel) and Growing Up Supermodel (Lifetime).MGM’s television programming regularly airs in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

About EPIX
EPIX, an MGM company, is a premium pay television network, delivering the latest movie releases and biggest classic film franchises, plus original programming including series, documentaries, and comedy specials – all available on TV, on demand, online and across devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX became profitable in its first year of existence and is now available nationwide to 70 million homes through cable, telco, satellite and emerging digital distribution platforms. A pioneer in the development and proliferation of “TV Everywhere,” EPIX was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and to launch on Xbox, PlayStation®, Android phones and tablets, and Roku® players. EPIX is also available across hundreds of consumer devices including Apple TV, iPhone and iPad, Amazon Fire TV, TiVo, Chromecast, and Android TV, delivering more movies than any other network with thousands of titles available for streaming. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHd (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX) and Snapchat @EPIXTV.

About Paramount Television
Paramount Television is a leading studio, developing and financing a wide range of cutting-edge and entertaining television content across all media platforms for distribution worldwide. The studio’s robust slate includes Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan” (Amazon), “13 Reasons Why” (Netflix), “Maniac” (Netflix), “Shooter” (USA), “Berlin Station” (EPIX), “The Alienist” (TNT), “The Haunting of Hill House” (Netflix), “Catch-22” (Hulu), “First Wives Club” (Paramount Network), “Looking for Alaska” (Hulu), “Briarpatch” (USA), “Boomerang” (BET), “Shantaram” (Apple), “Dream Team” (BET), “The Contender” (EPIX) and “Snow Crash” (Amazon), among others. Paramount Television is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a subsidiary of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a global content company with premier television, film and digital entertainment brands.

PHILADELPHIA, PENN. / ORANGE, Calif. (Aug. 22, 2018) – For the third time in his young career, featherweight Ruben Villa (12-0, 5 KOs) faces a well experienced veteran looking to upend his hot start.

Villa, who turned 21 in April, headlines Thompson Boxing’s “Locked n’ Loaded” event against Jose Santos Gonzalez (23-6, 13 KOs) of Mexico this Friday night from Omega Products International in Corona, Calif.

Gonzalez is no stranger to big fights, having suffered defeats against current bantamweight world champion Zolani Tete, and unbeaten contender Duke Micah. The southpaw Villa, despite his young age, is more than ready to face this challenge.

“Even though I’m young, I saw a lot of styles in the amateurs and even now as a professional I spar with a lot of top quality boxers,” said Villa, who is a former back-to-back National Golden Gloves champion. “Gonzalez might have the big fight experience working for him, but I know how to beat him in a convincing way.”

Villa has certainly gotten off to an impressive start since hitting the paid ranks two years ago. In his seven fights that have gone the distance, Villa has lost only one round on a single scorecard. He boasts an excellent combination of size and speed, plus a defensive acumen far ahead of most prospects his age.

“I feel like my development as a complete boxer has taken a big jump this year,” said Villa, who is managed by Danny Zamora. “I’m able to see things a lot faster and that opens up different angles and combinations.”

Villa, who resides in Salinas, Calif. and is trained by Max Garcia, will fight for the fourth time this year after earning six wins last year. He credits the consistent activity for his fast rising development.

“It’s real important for young fighters like myself to stay as active as possible in the early years,” Villa said. “High level sparring is great, but it doesn’t replicate the real thing. We have all this protective gear and we wear big gloves. It just feels different. That’s why I’m extremely thankful to my promoters for keeping me as active as I’ve been.”

Villa is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

All fights will be live streamed on TB Presents: Locked n’ Loaded via Thompson Boxing Facebook page and ThompsonBoxing.com.

The livestream starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET with Beto Duran as the blow-by-blow announcer and Steve Kim providing expert, color commentary.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing

Philadelphia, Penn.. Orange, Ca. (Aug. 14, 2018) – Ruben Villa (12-0, 5 KOs), one of the rising talents in the featherweight division, takes to the ring for the fourth time this year on Friday, Aug. 24 from Omega Products International in Corona, Calif.

The southpaw from Salinas, Calif. battles well tested veteran Jose Santos Gonzalez (23-6, 13 KOs) of Mexico in the “Locked n’ Loaded” 8-round main event.

Villa, 21, has fought veterans before, specifically Ernesto Guerrero and German Meraz. The seasoned Gonzalez poses a threat in the sense that he’s been in the ring against current bantamweight title holder Zolani Tete, and unbeaten contender Duke Micah.

“These are the types of fights that help you grow into a better fighter,” said Villa, who is managed by Danny Zamora. “We have a smart game plan in place. I’m naturally bigger than him so we’ll use that to our advantage.”

Villa, a two-time national Golden Gloves champion, is coming off an impressive sixth round knockout of Ricardo Lopez in June. The talented featherweight showed off his finishing ability by out boxing Lopez until the knockout moment presented itself.

“I was landing solid punches in every round,” remarked Villa after the fight. “I knew I would be able to take him out. I wore him down and in the sixth, I just let me hands go and I caught him with a lot of heavy punches.”

Villa is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

All fights will be live streamed on TB Presents: Locked n’ Loaded via Thompson Boxing Facebook page and ThompsonBoxing.com.

The livestream starts at 8:00 p.m. PT / 11:00 p.m. ET with Beto Duran as the blow-by-blow announcer and Steve Kim providing expert, color commentary.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing

Photo by Carlos Baeza / Thompson Boxing

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. / ORANGE, Calif. (August 1, 2018) – Earlier this week, lightweight Zhora Hamazaryan visited Philadelphia to meet with his co-promoter Banner Promotions and take in some of the sights of the historic city.

Hamazaryan who engaged in a controversial fight with Thomas Mattice on July 20th that was seen live on ShoBox: the New Generation on SHOWTIME, met with Banner Promotions President Artie Pelullo, where he dined at Ralph’s Italian Restaurant, which is the oldest Italian Restaurant that is continuously owned by the same family. Hamazaryan met with several media members while at dinner.

Hamazaryan also visited the famed Rocky Statue, climbed the Art Museum steps and had a “Philly-Must”, that being a cheesesteak from Tony Luke’s.

Hamazaryan is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check Banner Promotions Facebook Page , and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing

Philadelphia, PA (July 26, 2018) – Undefeated and WBO number-3 ranked junior lightweight contender, Evgeny Chuprakov will have a keen interest in Saturday’s Christopher Diaz – Masayuki Ito clash for the vacant world title in Kissimmee, Florida.

Chuprakov (20-0, 10 KOs) of Ekaterinburg, Russia, and current WBO Intercontinental champion, has really stepped up his performances as his world title opportunity nears.

The 28 year-old Chuprakov has earned his opportunity with wins over five undefeated opponents plus victories over former world champion Dmitry Kirilov, as well as Eden Sosona (36-6-2), Timor Akhundov (15-2-1) and Pablo Manuel Ojeda (14-3).

Most recently, Chuprakov won a ten-round unanimous decision over Ernie Sanchez on July 14th.

“We are happy that Evgeny is closing in on this opportunity to fight for the WBO World Junior Lightweight title. We hope to have hm fighting the winner of Saturday’s fight in the very near future,” said Banner Promotions President, Artie Pelullo.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing