News Wrap: On KO Kings Tix, Porter-Gomez, Josesito, Broadway Boxing

Los Angeles, CA (July 20)…Tickets for “Knockout Kings,” featuring WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez defending his title against breakout star Josesito Lopez, go on sale Today! Friday, July 20 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 p.m.

The Mexican Independence Day celebratory event will feature unparalleled action in the ring by some of boxing's most exciting talent. In addition to Canelo vs. Lopez, audiences will be treated to battles between WBC Featherweight World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez and former World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon as well as former World Champion Marcos Maidana and contender Jesus Soto Karass.

Tickets are priced at $400, 300, $200, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of ten (10) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

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“Knockout Kings,” headlined by Canelo Alvarez defending his WBC Super Welterweight World Championship against Josesito Lopez, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. In the co-featured attractions, WBC Featherweight World Champion Jhonny Gonzalez defends his crown against former World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon in fight presented in association with Promociones Del Pueblo and former World Champion Marcos Maidana faces perennial contender Jesus Soto Karass in a fight presented in association with Universum Box-Promotion. The Saturday, Sept. 15 quadruple-header, packed with Mexican pride and power, will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be televised live on SHOWTIME.

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LOS ANGELES (July 20, 2012) – “Showtime” is coming to SHOWTIME on Saturday, July 28 when top-rated welterweight prospect “Showtime” Shawn Porter steps into the ring at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., against his toughest foe to date, two-time world title challenger Alfonso Gomez for the NABO Welterweight Title.

Porter vs. Gomez will open the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast followed by the homecoming main event between Bay Area favorite and former Three-Division World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and number one rated WBC welterweight contender Selcuk Aydin for the vacant WBC Interim Welterweight World Championship.

Guerrero vs. Aydin is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arena-Box Promotion and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will air live at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with Shawn Porter facing Alfonso Gomez for the NABO Welterweight title in the co-featured fight. Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets, priced at $252, $127, $62 and $26, are available for purchase at the HP Pavilion ticket office, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

With over 275 victories to his name, Akron, Ohio's Shawn Porter (19-0, 14 KO's) is known as one of the best amateur boxers of this era, and now he's proving that he has the goods in the professional game as well. Unbeaten in 19 fights since his debut in 2008, Porter has already nabbed two regional titles, the NABO junior middleweight crown and the NABF welterweight belt, en route to announcing his arrival at the elite level of the game. On April 28, he scored his first win of 2012 with a sixth round technical knockout over Patrick Thompson, but he now has his sights set on making a definitive statement by beating perennial contender Alfonso Gomez on July 28.

An undisputed fan favorite whose action-packed battles have thrilled fans for years, Alfonso Gomez (23-5-2, 12 KO's) has come a long way since his stint on NBC's boxing reality show “The Contender,” and the 31-year-old from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico who resides in Los Angeles has plenty to offer in the welterweight division. The winner of five of his last six fights with his only loss coming in a courageous effort against 154-pound World Champion Canelo Alvarez last September, Gomez knows that Porter will meet him in the center of the ring and fight on July 28, and that's just the way he likes it.

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RIVERSIDE, CA (July 20) – Earlier today WBC Silver Welterweight Champion Josesito Lopez (30-4, 18 KOs) met with Riverside's Mayor Ronald Loveridge to celebrate his recent upset victory over 'Vicious' Victor Ortiz.

Just under a month ago Mayor Loveridge and the mayor of Ventura, Mike Tracy, put up a friendly wager of their city's home-grown fruits for the Victor Ortiz – Josesito Lopez fight. Mayor Tracy bet a flat of strawberries to Riverside Mayor Loveridge's box of oranges that Ventura's Ortiz would beat Riverside's Lopez for the WBC Welterweight Silver Belt Championship. The Ventura resident did not succeed. It was a stunning upset win for Lopez who took the fight on short notice after Ortiz's original opponent, Andre Berto, tested positive for an illegal substance.

“We're very proud to have Jose Lopez as a member of the Riverside community. He is a great athlete that showed his determination to achieve his goals. He represents the heart of Riverside. I have no doubt that he will continue being successful.” Now, Lopez is scheduled to take on reigning WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 KOs) on Saturday, September 15 in front of thousands of fight fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The “Knockout King” card will also be televised on SHOWTIME Championship boxing – free to subscribers.

“Knockout Kings,” a tremendous evening of pure Mexican pride, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. The quadruple-header will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be televised live on SHOWTIME.

Although Mayor Loveridge has yet to receive his flat of fresh strawberries, it didn't stop the two Riverside representatives from shaking hands over a strawberry shake. With the crowning belt proudly draped over Lopez's shoulder, the pair discussed the dramatic upset victory and their future plans to keep their city on the map.

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New York, NY (7/20/12) – On Thursday, August 2, DiBella Entertainment (DBE) returns to Roseland Ballroom in midtown Manhattan with another installment of the ever-popular Broadway Boxing series. Headlining the nine-bout card will be DBE's red-hot undefeated super middleweight contender Thomas “Tommy Gun” Oosthuizen (19-0-1, 13 KO's) squaring off against Florida's Rowland Bryant (16-1, 11KO's) in a 12-round clash for Oosthuizen's International Boxing Organization (IBO) title. In the co-featured bout, DBE's newly crowned WBC Continental Americas light heavyweight champion, “Irish” Seanie Monaghan (14-0, 9 KO's), will look to keep his perfect record intact when he takes on George Armenta (14-9, 11 KO's) in a 10-round light heavyweight matchup.

Up-and-coming undefeated DBE prospects Alex Perez (16-0, 9 KO's) and Jonathan Cepeda (11-0, 10 KO's) will also see action on the card in separate bouts. The southpaw Perez is coming off his career-best victory-a 10-round unanimous decision over former NABF light welterweight champion, and long-time perennial contender, Francisco Figueroa, back on March 7of this year. Perez suffered an injury to his left hand during the bout, but is now fully healed and ready to continue making serious noise in the welterweight division.

The hard-hitting Cepeda will be stepping into a ring for the first time in a little over a year.Cepeda was scheduled to take on fellow prospect Steven Martinez on ESPN's “Friday Night Fights” earlier this year but was forced to pull out after suffering an injury during a car accident. Cepeda has been chomping at the bit to get back in the ring and plans on taking out his frustration on his opponent come fight night.

West Point graduate Boyd “The Rainmaker” Melson (8-1, 4 KO's) will be looking to get back to his winning ways after suffering the first loss of his professional career in an absolute barnburner against fellow undefeated prospect Delen Parsley in March.Melson and Parsley traded knockdowns and kept a furious pace for their entire eight round junior middleweight contest, making it one of the most entertaining fights ever to take place on a Broadway Boxing card. Melson, who leads the “Fight To Walk” boxing team and donates almost his entire purse to the Justadollarplease organization-which specializes in stem cell research-will be taking on Khalik Memminger (6-8-3, 4 KO's), of Killeen, TX, in a six-round junior middleweight matchup.

Making his third straight appearance on a Broadway Boxing card will be current IBF Mediterranean super featherweight titlist Floriano “L'Italiano” Pagliara (13-4-1, 7 KO's), as he takes on Willie Villanueva (10-4, 2 KO's) in a six-round super featherweight showdown. Pagliara grew up in Italy but has since relocated to the US, now living in Brooklyn and training at the famed Gleason's Gym. Pagliara has not lost since dropping an eight-round decision to highly touted WBC #2 and WBA #2-rated undefeated super featherweight contender Diego Magdaleno back in 2010.

Robert Garcia-trained Allan Benitez (5-1, 1 KO) will also see action on the card as he faces Osnel Charles (9-3-1, 1 KO) in a six-round junior welterweight matchup. Benitez is looking to make it six wins in a row since losing a decision in his pro debut.

Also fighting on the card is former New York amateur standout, 19-year-old Zach Ochoa (1-0, 1 KO). As an amateur, Ochoa was a NY Metro 132lb. champion as well as a two-time junior Olympic champion. While still in high school, Ochoa successfully turned pro in September 2011 with a devastating fourth-round TKO over William Ware.The talented and heavy-handed Ochoa has since received his high school diploma and is now ready to put his full concentration into boxing. Ochoa will square off against Cody Osbourne (0-2). The bout is scheduled for four rounds in the junior welterweight division.

Rounding out the card will be a four-round female bantamweight matchup between Brooklynite Heather Hardy (pro debut) and Mikayla Nebel (0-2). The popular Hardy has been a staple in the NY amateur boxing scene over the past few years and is now looking to make her transition into the pro ranks.

Tickets are on sale now and are priced at $125, $85, $65 and $45, with a limited number of VIP tables available for purchase as well. VIP tickets are priced at $150, and there are four seats to a table. Tickets can be purchased by calling DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577. Doors open at 6PM with the first bout scheduled for 7PM.

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