ORANGE, Calif. (May 22, 2017) – Top featherweight prospect Ruben Villa (6-0, 4 KOs) continues to impress early in his professional career. Villa, a southpaw fighting out of Salinas, Calif., picked apart Anthony de Jesus Ruiz (2-3, 2 KOs) to win by fifth round technical knockout.

Villa, who was naturally bigger than Ruiz, unloaded a serious of damaging shots in the fifth round. By that point, Ruiz had already absorbed a great deal of punishment and his corner wisely put an end to the onslaught at the 2:43 mark.

“My jab was working well all night,” said Villa, who is promoted by Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions. “I worked off backing him up with the jab and then that opened up a lot of angles for me to land power shots.”

“Ruben looked fantastic on Friday night,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing. “He looked really comfortable and was in firm control of the fight from start to finish. He managed to fight a patient, yet aggressive fight to secure another knockout win.”

“We have been very happy with Ruben’s development. He is shaping to be the fighter we believe he will be,” said Banner Promotions vice-president, Matthew Rowland. “He is going to have a big future.”

The fight can be viewed on Thompson Boxing Promotions Facebook page.

Connect with Ruben Villa on social media: Instagram: RubenV4 , Facebook: Ruben Villa IV , & Twitter: @Ruben_Villa4 .

ORANGE, Calif. (May 17, 2017) – Blue chip featherweight prospect Ruben Villa (5-0, 3 KOs) headlines an action-packed “New Blood” undercard when he puts his undefeated record on the line against Anthony de Jesus Ruiz (2-2, 2 KOs) this Friday, May 19, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Thompson Boxing’s 17 year anniversary show will be live streamed on its website and Facebook Live beginning at 7:45 p.m. PDT this Friday.

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

Friday’s bout marks the fourth time Villa will fight in front of an expected sold out crowd at the Doubletree Ontario. It will be his first, however, fighting on a live streamed show.

“I’m definitely excited for it. It’s great exposure for us new guys trying to make a name for ourselves,” said Villa, who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing. “I know a lot of my friends and family will be watching. It also gives an opportunity for boxing fans all over the country to tune in and watch some quality fights.”

Villa, a southpaw, is coming off his East Coast debut in April where we notched his third career knockout win over the previously unbeaten Luis Diaz Torres. Villa stopped the stiff-chinned Torres in the sixth and final round. It was the first, sixth round fight of Villa’s career, one that tough him several impactful lessons.

“It’s important to stick to the plan and listen to my corner,” said the 20-year-old, who hails from Salinas, Calif. “He was somewhat reckless so I needed to show a little more patience with him. I’m used to fighting guys who are a little more technical. Diaz was able to take a shot. He was willing to absorb two or three punches to set up one of his own. I learned not to give him those opportunities.”

For Friday’s six-round bout versus Ruiz, Villa spent most of his training camp sparring at the Robert Garcia Gym in Riverside, widely seen as one of Southern California’s most boxing rich environments. His chief sparring partner was Hector Tanajara, another highly regarded prospect with an undefeated record.

“Training camp went great,” said Villa, who as an amateur won back-to-back National Golden Gloves championships. “I had quality sparring sessions against Hector Tanajara. He fights one division higher than me so it’s always good to learn from guys that are naturally bigger than you.”

While Villa comes from a well-rounded amateur career that saw him bank two wins against fellow high ceiling prospect Shakur Stevenson, the Northern California native is always on the quest to better his skills.

“I’ve been working on using more angles to set up punches,” Villa said. “The goal is to develop better range with my jab so I can be more effective. With Ruiz, I plan to feel him out for the first round and then I’ll start going at his weaknesses. A lot of what I plan to do will come off the jab.”

The live stream, titled “TB Presents: New Blood,” will be anchored by blow-by-blow announcer Beto Duran with Steve Kim providing expert color commentary.

Connect with Ruben Villa on social media: Instagram: RubenV4 , Facebook: Ruben Villa IV , & Twitter: @Ruben_Villa4 .

Philadelphia, PA / Ontario, California (April 17, 2017)–This past Friday night, two highly regarded Prospects, featherweight Ruben Villa and junior lightweight Michael Dutchover each made a big splash in their East Coast debut’s as they took out opponents Luis Diaz and Eder Amaro at the MGM National Harbor in National Harbor, Maryland.

Villa stopped Luis Diaz in the 6th and final round of their bout, while Dutchover took out Amaro after the 3rd round of their scheduled six-round bout.

With the wins, the 19 year-olds (Villa turned 20 on Sunday), Villa raised his perfect mark to 5-0 with three knockouts, Dutchover kept his perfect stoppage streak, and is now 4-0 with 4 knockouts.

Villa and Dutchover are promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

“I was very proud of both Ruben and Michael. They did terrific. It was their first fight on the East Coast in their young career’s. They both performed at the high level that I always knew they would, and I am more than pleased about the progress they continue to make with each outing,” said Banner Promotions President, Artie Pelullo.

“In their knockout wins, both Ruben and Michael showed great command of the ring,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing Promotions. “They are far more advanced than their records would indicate. It hasn’t been even a year since their professional debuts and we’ve already seen tremendous growth.”

Dmitry Bivol 174.6 – Samuel Clarkson 173.4
(WBA Interim Light Heavyweight title)
Malik Hawkins 146 – Carlos Soto 148.2
Glenn Dezurn 120.8 – Leroy Davila 119.8
Joey Dawejko 234.2 – Rodney Hernandez 262.4
Travis Reeves 173.4 – Taneal Goyco (Will weigh in tonight)
Ruben Villa 128 – Luis Diaz 129
Michael Dutchover & Edner Amaro will weigh in tomorrow
Hasim Rahman, Jr. 234.4 – Ralph Alexander 239.6
Sergey Kuzmin 246 – Keenan Hickman 142.4
Justin Hurd and opponent will weigh in tomorrow

Promoters: Banner Promotions, Greg Cohen Promotions, World of Boxing and Uprising Promotions
Venue: MGM National Harbor
1st Bell: 7:15 PM ET (Doors open at 7)
TV: ShoBox: The New Generation on Showtime 10 PM ET/PT

OXON HILL, MD. (April 13, 2017) – Undefeated WBA Interim Light Heavyweight Titlist Dmitry Bivol and streaking challenger Samuel Clarkson made weight on Thursday for their 12-round main event tomorrow/Friday on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME® (10p.m. ET/PT) from MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

The fast-rising Bivol (9-0, 7 KOs) earned his interim belt in just his seventh professional fight while Clarkson (19-3, 12 KO’s) enters Friday’s main event on a nine fight winning streak.

Undefeated welterweight prospects Malik Hawkins (10-0, 7 KOs) and Carlos Soto (13-0-2, 7 KOs) meet in the eight-round co-feature. Hawkins, a Baltimore native trained by Calvin Ford, is a stablemate of IBF Junior Lightweight Champion Gervonta Davis.

In the opening bout of the telecast, Baltimore native Glenn Dezurn (8-0, 6 KOs) takes on former amateur standout Leroy Davila (5-0, 3 KOs), of New Brunswick, N.J., in an eight-round matchup of undefeated super bantamweights.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions and Banner Promotions in association with World of Boxing and Uprising Promotions, are priced at $103, $73 and $48 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800.745.3000.

FINAL QUOTES:

DMITRY BIVOL:
“The plan was to become world champion in my first 10 fights. We’re almost there.

“Clarkson is a big light heavyweight, but I have fought bigger guys. This is a tough fight, but we were willing to take a risk for this opportunity to fight on TV.

“I did have a transition from amateur to pros. The WSB helped that transition and gave me experience. I’ve been able to learn from fight to fight, and I’ve gained experience in each fight.

“I’ve been trying to be more aggressive and control the pace of the fight. I’m comfortable going forward and backward.

“We’ll feel out the power and timing in the beginning. I know what people expect of me – they want the KO – and if the opportunity comes I’ll try to finish him.

“Working at Wild Card has been a big difference. Training in the U.S. is completely different. In Russia it’s mostly amateurs, so you get used to the wrong style. Most of what I’ve learned has been from sparring with pros here in the U.S.

“Clarkson usually comes forward. He seems uncomfortable moving back. We think we can use our advantages to cap on his mistakes and get him out of his comfort zone.”

SAMUEL CLARKSON:
“I’m not an underdog. I’ve fought my way up here to this position and the winning streak. I feel like I’ve proven myself to be here. My losses have helped me get to where I am. I know I belong here.

“I’ve never been one to get knocked down and stay down. I’m ready for whatever comes. The pressure isn’t on me. I just need to do my thing.

“I’ve been in some wars. I know what it’s like to get knocked down. He hasn’t been there before. I need to stand my ground. I’m not backing up.

“I want to see what the hype is about. His whole career is my winning streak.

“I’ve been sparring with top quality guys. I’m ready for this fight. It’s a big opportunity and I don’t feel any pressure.

“He hasn’t been in wars like we have. It’s hard when you face a guy like me that isn’t afraid of you. He’s one dimensional. We want to make him as uncomfortable as possible.

“We’re coming to take his belt. He’s going to have to stop us from taking it. He’s never faced anyone like me – a really fast fighter with a lot of power.”

CARLOS SOTO:
“I’ll do whatever it takes. If I have to come forward, I’ll come forward. If I have to box, I’ll box.

“Hawkins a smart fighter, fast, tall. He likes to fight at a distance. I need to pressure him to win the fight.

“I’ve faced fighters as tall as him before. This isn’t new for me.

“I’ve only been in the U.S. once before, and I’ve never fought here. I need to take advantage of this experience.

“My goal is to go for it. I want to be the best in my weight class. Everything starts now for me.”

MALIK HAWKINS:
“I grew up with Gervonta (Davis). I saw him win the title, I’ve seen his success, and now it’s my turn. It’s been great motivation for me. For him to become a champion motivated me even more.

“We’ve sparred 1,000’s of rounds with Gervonta. We’ve been in there with the champ and know it’s our time.

“We’re here to prove we’re ready. We don’t want to take any shortcuts. We’re taking this one fight at a time. We’re building and building.

“I’m tall, but I have an inside game. I fight inside better than a short fighter.

“People don’t want to take the chance to fight me. Credit to Soto for taking the fight, but he’s going to learn the hard way why no one wants to fight me.”

LEROY DAVILA

“We knew this was coming some day and now it’s here. We know all about Dezurn. He’s the perfect opponent for us. We know can break him down.

“When I didn’t make the Olympic team, I got right over it. But I wasn’t sure I was going to turn pro. I have a family to take care of and I can’t let anything distract me from being a father. But now I’m 5-0 and fighting on national TV. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.

“Dezurn is an aggressive and has a lot of heart, but I’m not worried about him. I need to focus on myself.

“A win puts me in the conversation with the other up-and-coming fighters. A win could really change my career.”

GLENN DEZURN:

“Sparring with my wife helps me. She hits like a dude. She’s taught me a lot – she taught me discipline. We push each other in the gym; we make each other better fighters.

“If you can make an adjustment with a sharp female woman, there’s no reason you can’t do it with a man.

“I like to break down my opponents. I become aggressive when I see a weakness.

“I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to get in there. I worked hard and now it’s time to have fun.

“I sparred with Rau’Shee (Warren) for this fight. He has tremendous talent. He’s an inspiration for me. We also sparred with Vasyl Lomachenko for this fight. You have to be physically and mentally in shape to fight him.”

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, and @GCPBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing/ and www.facebook.com/BannerPromotions/.

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 68 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, 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.

About MGM National Harbor
The newest addition to the MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) portfolio, MGM National Harbor has an unrivaled setting offering stunning panoramic views of the eastern shore of the Potomac River in Maryland. The $1.4 billion LEED® Gold Certified resort, which opened December 8, 2016, sits a short distance from Washington, D.C. to the north and historic sites, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate across the river in Virginia. The 24-story, 308-room resort features premier amenities and experiences for locals as well as visitors from around the world including a dynamic casino with over 125,000 square feet of space that includes slots, table games and poker; a world-class spa and salon; an entertainment theater with flexible seating for up to 3,000; high-end branded retail; 50,000 square feet of meeting space; and restaurants from renowned local, national and international chefs. For more information, visit mgmnationalharbor.com or follow on Facebook and Twitter.

NEW YORK (April 11, 2017) – Undefeated former Russian amateur standout Dmitry Bivol will defend his Interim WBA Light Heavyweight Title against Samuel Clarkson in the 12-round main event of ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, April 14 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in National Harbor, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C.

Known for his aggressive style, the 26-year-old Bivol (9-0, 7 KOs, 2-0 WSB) was a decorated amateur and former Russian National Champion at 178 pounds, who is now determined to make his mark in one of boxing’s toughest weight classes. Clarkson (19-3, 12 KOs), of Cedar Hill, Texas, has won his last nine fights in a row and will make his third appearance on ShoBox.

Bivol is managed by Los Angeles-based Vadim Konilov and trained by Gennady Mashianov. He has recently ended his sparring sessions at both Wild Card Gym and Wild Card West in Southern California where he has been training in the same camp with fellow countryman and 2010 European super heavyweight amateur gold medalist Sergey Kuzmin.

Here’s a quick question and answer session through an interpreter after visiting with Bivol at the apartment where he has been residing for the past five weeks in the heart of Hollywood.

Question: Overall, how would you assess how your training camp went?

Bivol: “I think that training camp went very good. One of the reasons I decided to come to Southern California to train was that there are so many different sparring partners here. We had a very spirited camp and I consider myself ready for the fight.”

Question: What kind of fight do you expect from such a strong opponent as Samuel Clarkson?

Bivol: “I’m expecting for him to get in the ring and push himself and come forward. I know he’ll come out aggressive and try to put the pressure on me. We’ll see.”

Question: You are young and have only nine pro fights, but are already fighting to defend an interim world title. Are you happy with the way your pro career has started?

Bivol: “To be honest, I don’t really ever think about the belt and the interim title. For me the main WBA belt is the most important one and I want to stay at the top of the rankings to get it. As far as my career going too fast, I don’t believe so. I think I have more than enough experience in the amateurs and that I’ve aligned myself with the best trainer and sparring partners out there. So I’m happy where my career is at right now. I don’t think it’s progressing too fast.”

Question: There are some that are picking this fight as 50/50? Why do you think they are predicting this fight can go either way?”

Bivol: “This is boxing and I think there are a lot of fights that are 50/50. Anything can happen. You never know; upsets can happen at any time. For me this is step-up fight. Not only because of how good my opponent is, but also because of what it means to me. Winning this fight will open the door to many opportunities.”

Question: How important is it to put on a good show and put on an exciting performance fighting in your first main event on SHOWTIME?

Bivol: “Sure everything is amped up a little bit more because it’s on SHOWTIME. But every time I step into the ring I want to put on a good show for the fans. This time, probably a little bit more so, but the most important thing is to get the win.”

Question: Is there one weaknesses you have worked on during this training camp?

Bivol: “I don’t think there are any weaknesses, so it’s been like any other training camp. I can’t talk about what I’ve been preparing for from my opponent. You will have to wait and see it in the ring.”

Question: What do you think about training in Southern California?

Bivol: “I love everything about it. The best thing though is the weather. In my hometown city in Russia, St. Petersburg, we don’t have weather like this. I like the atmosphere here and the people and where we train. I just like it all.”

Question: You have a large collection of amateur medals. Where are they displayed?

Bivol: “I keep them all in one place in my parents’ home. We don’t think we deserve them all. It is something they are very proud of.”

Question: What do you think about the other top Russian boxers like Ruslan Provodnikov and Sergey Kovalev?

Bivol: “I respect them all. There are some that are very famous in Russia, but also very famous here. And I see that. They are really good fighters and I’m ready to be at that same level, if not even at a higher level. I’m not in this sport just to stay in shape, I’m here to show and prove that I can be the best in the world.”

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions and Banner Promotions in association with World of Boxing and Uprising Promotions, are priced at $103, $73 and $48 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000.

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

# # #

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, and @GCPBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing/ and www.facebook.com/BannerPromotions/.

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 68 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, 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.

WBO Lightweight world champion Terry Flanagan weighed in at 134.5 lbs while number-2 ranked Petr Petrov checked in at 134.6 lbs for Saturday’s WBO Lightweight world title fight in Manchester, England.

The live stream of Saturday’s Championship fight will be available for free to logged-in and logged-out users exclusively on Twitter and connected devices in the United States. Access to the live stream will be available Saturday night at boxing.twitter.com and on @BannerBoxing at 5 PM ET.

Below are images from Thursday’s Press conference featuring WBO Lightweight world champion Terry Flanagan and number-2 contender Petr Petrov. Flanagan and Petrov will meet this Saturday, and the fight will be streamed in the United States Live on Twitter.

The live stream of Saturday’s Championship fight will be available for free to logged-in and logged-out users exclusively on Twitter and connected devices in the United States. Access to the live stream will be available Saturday night at boxing.twitter.com and on @BannerBoxing. Follow at @BannerBoxing to find out the exact timing of the live stream in the coming days.

Banner Promotions is pleased to announce that it will live-stream the WBO Lightweight world championship bout between undefeated champion Terry Flanagan and number-two contender Petr Petrov live exclusively on Twitter in the United States this Saturday.

The live stream of Saturday’s Championship fight will be available for free to logged-in and logged-out users exclusively on Twitter and connected devices in the United States. Access to the live stream will be available Saturday night at boxing.twitter.com and on @BannerBoxing. Follow at @BannerBoxing to find out the exact timing of the live stream in the coming days.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to bring the WBO Lightweight World Championship exclusively to Twitter in the United States on April 8th ,” said Banner Promotions President, Artie Pelullo. “This is a great opportunity to partner with Twitter on this unique medium, in order to reach a broader fan base and to reach potential new fans of boxing.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Banner Promotions to bring more live boxing to Twitter,” said Anthony Noto, COO at Twitter. “Our passionate boxing fans can view the live stream of the WBO Lightweight World Championship and join the live conversation all on Twitter.”

Saturday’s title bout features the undefeated Flanagan, who will be attempting to make the 5th defense of the title that he won on July 11th, 2015 with a 2nd round stoppage over Jose Zepeda. Flanagan, 27 years-old, has made defenses of former world champion Mzonke Fana as well as his last bout when he stopped Orlando Cruz in eight-rounds on November 26th.

Petrov of Madrid, Spain has a record of 38-4-2 with 19 knockouts, and has won six straight bouts. The 2014 Boxcino Lightweight champion has victories over undefeated Fedor Papazov (14-0), Chris Rudd (13-1), former world champion Gamaliel Diaz, and Marvin Quintero (28-6). In his last bout, he stopped Michael Perez in six rounds on September 30th.