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MIGUEL COTTO AND CANELO ALVAREZ SET FOR HIGHLY ANTICIPATED MEGA-FIGHT

WBC MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION MIGUEL COTTO AND FORMER TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION CANELO ALVAREZ SET FOR HIGHLY ANTICIPATED MEGA-FIGHT ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21
FROM THE MANDALAY BAY EVENTS CENTER IN LAS VEGAS
PRESENTED LIVE BY HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®
NEW YORK (August 13, 2015) – Roc Nation Sports, Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and Canelo Promotions are pleased to announce the highly anticipated clash of two titans in a classic Puerto Rico vs. Mexico battle. On Saturday, Nov. 21, Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs), the reigning WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion and the first native of Puerto Rico to become world champion in four different weight classes, and Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs), a former WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Champion will finally meet in the ring at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas for the WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championship. The championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
The fight promises crowd-pleasing, high-intensity action between two powerful fighters competing in the primes of their careers who are both coming off of impressive, dominating performances in their most recent respective fights. With seven world titles between them, their impressive resumes and their levels of popularity in their home countries, Cotto vs. Canelo is shaping up to be the biggest fight in boxing this year and the biggest fight in the history of the famed Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry. The rivalry, which dates back to the 1930s, has seen epic clashes including those between Salvador “Sal” Sanchez and Wilfredo “Bazooka” Gomez, Julio Cesar “J.C.” Chavez and Hector “Macho” Camacho as well as the last super-fight of the 20th century between “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya and Felix “Tito” Trinidad.
Information regarding ticket availability and a press tour for the fight will be announced soon.
“I will give the fans the fight they want to see,” said Cotto. “As I have always said, during my whole career, I am here to fight the best names and the best fighters. This will be another chapter in my career and I will be ready for him. Fans will enjoy a real fight, another classic battle in the Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry.”
“Historically, mega-fights are made because fans demand them,” said Alvarez. “In this case, the fans have spoken out, longing for this fight and it is my pleasure to say that it is finally happening. All fights at this level are very important, but this fight in particular has something more. It will hold a special place in history as part of the big rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico, and I promise all the fans that this is going to be an event that will not disappoint.”
“Cotto vs. Canelo is the biggest fight in boxing, period,” said David Itskowitch, COO Boxing of Roc Nation Sports. “Given the fighters’ styles, it has all the makings of a can’t-miss, all-action fight. Couple that with the popularity of both Miguel and Canelo, and you have a true mega-fight that fans have been clamoring for and one that no sports fan should miss. November 21 has all the makings of a fight that will go down in boxing history as one of the greats.”
“This is the ‘Fight of the Year’ that true boxing fans have been waiting for between two of the biggest stars in the sport today, Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez,” said Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Cotto vs. Canelo will be an epic showdown, full of non-stop action from the moment the first bell rings. This fight is an example of exactly what Golden Boy Promotions does: puts on the best fights between top fighters in the primes of their careers.”
“We are excited to bring the fight that the fans of boxing deserve,” said Hector Soto, Miguel Cotto Promotions vice president. “This will be a real fight. On November 21, the world will witness the biggest fight in the history of Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry.”
“The great rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico has a rich history in the sport of boxing,” said Jose “Chepo” Reynoso, Manager to Canelo Alvarez. “Classic fights like Julio Cesar ‘J.C.’ Chavez vs. Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho and Wilfredo Gomez vs. Salvador Sanchez are prime examples of the history of that great rivalry. Cotto-Canelo will become part of that history, a fight that most likely will be the biggest fight to date due to the great popularity of both of the warriors. Fans demanded this fight and now have it!”
“Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez have earned the adulation and respect of fans the world over for both stepping into the ring against the most formidable opposition as well as giving everything in their arsenal to try and win their fights,” said Mark Taffet, Senior Vice President, HBO Pay-Per-View. “Uniquely, Cotto-Canelo is a can’t-miss fan-friendly mega-fight and the most highly anticipated event of the second half of the year. We are delighted to serve as the television partner for this red-hot PPV showdown on November 21 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.”
“The Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez championship event will be one of the most entertaining, action-packed fights of 2015,” said Richard Sturm, president of sports and entertainment for MGM Resorts International. “We look forward to hosting these two great warriors in November as they deliver boxing fans worldwide a thrilling night from inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center.”
Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) is the reigning WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion and the first native of Puerto Rico to become world champion in four different weight classes. He is the former WBO Junior Welterweight World Champion, the former WBA Welterweight World Champion, the former WBO Welterweight World Champion and the former WBA Super Welterweight World Champion. He also represented Puerto Rico in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Cotto has competed in 23 world championship fights, compiling a record of 19-4 with 16 knockouts in those bouts. In Puerto Rico, he is hailed as a national hero and the successor of Felix “Tito” Trinidad as the island’s most revered boxer. Cotto is one of the biggest gate attractions in boxing and one of the largest pay-per-view draws among active fighters. In June 2014, Cotto made history in his first fight as a middleweight by dominating Argentine southpaw and defending WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KOs). He is trained by legendary Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and has fought some of the biggest names in the sport including Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. Cotto owns his own boxing promotional company in Puerto Rico, Miguel Cotto Promotions, and presides over his charity La Fundación El Ángel de Miguel Cotto, a non-profit organization dedicated to combatting childhood obesity. In March 2015, Cotto and Roc Nation Sports announced that they had entered into a partnership that includes a co-promotional agreement with Miguel Cotto Promotions to promote Cotto’s fights. On June 6, 2015, almost one year to the day since his last appearance in the ring, Cotto defended his WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships against former two-time World Champion Daniel Geale (31-3) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Cotto scored a thunderous knockdown early in the fourth round before finishing matters with a second knockdown midway through the round, which left Geale unable to continue. He now looks to further cement his Hall of Fame resume with a win over Canelo.
At the age of 25, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico’s Canelo Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) has conquered the boxing world, captivating fans both in Mexico and around the globe with his action-packed fighting style, charisma and willingness to take on the toughest challenges. Alvarez’s road to stardom began in 2011 with a win over Matthew “Magic” Hatton for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World title in March, his first title defense against Ryan Rhodes in June and stoppage victories over Alfonso Gomez and former World Champion Kermit Cintron in September and November respectively. On May 5, 2012, Alvarez defended his belt for the fourth time when he faced future Hall of Famer Sugar Shane Mosley as part of the “Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto” pay-per-view telecast. Even though the fight lasted 12 rounds, the popular Mexican showed the 40 year-old veteran the road to retirement, winning via unanimous decision. The victory over Mosley set up a September 15 showdown with breakout star Josesito Lopez in which he knocked Lopez down three times before ending the bout with a fifth round technical knockout. Next, boxing’s most popular phenom continued on the path to superstardom with a 12-round unanimous decision over WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin Trout on May 4, 2013 in front of over 39,000 fans at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas which made him a unified world champion. The win proved Alvarez’s supremacy at 154 pounds and also made it clear that he was a bona fide ticket seller wherever he decided to fight. On September 14, 2013, Alvarez faced the man on top of the pound-for-pound list, Floyd “Money” Mayweather. He put forth a stellar effort before falling short of victory for the first time as a professional via a 12-round majority decision. The fight ended up being not just the biggest of 2013, but also the second highest grossing bout of all time and the second most watched boxing event ever on Mexican television (only behind this year’s Mayweather-Pacquiao). Since then, Alvarez has won three straight fights, defeating top stars Alfredo “Perro” Angulo on March 8, 2014 via technical knockout in the 10th round and Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara via split decision on July 12, 2014. On May 9, 2015, Alvarez dazzled with a victory over the fierce James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland at Minute Maid Park in Houston in front of more than 31,000 fans that featured what many have already deemed the “Knockout of the Year.” Now, Alvarez is on a mission to position himself as the most popular boxer of his generation and break into the top pound-for-pound list when he faces the feared Miguel Cotto on November 21.
Cotto vs. Canelo, a 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships, takes place Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Golden Boy Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra; Mexico, Live it to Believe it! and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
For more information, visit www.rocnation.com,www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.mandalaybay.com; follow on Twitter at @RocNation, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @RealMiguelCotto, @Canelo, @HBOBoxing, and @MandalayBay; become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/RocNation, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/RealMiguelACotto, www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MandalayBay; and follow on Instagram @rocnation, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @realmiguelacotto, @Canelo, @HBOboxing and @MandalayBay. Follow the conversation using #CottoCanelo.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 317: Callum Walsh, Dana White and More

As Callum Walsh stood on the observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building with fists clenched, it harked back to actor Jimmy Cagney, an actor of Irish descent, yelling “Top of the world, ma,” in the 1949 motion picture White Heat.
The Irish-born Walsh brings that kind of attitude.
Once again Walsh (12-0, 10 KOs) returns to New York City and this time faces Scottish warrior Dean Sutherland (19-1, 7 KOs) in a super welterweight match set for 10 rounds on Sunday, March 16, at Madison Garden Theater.
UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions event.
Flanked by master trainer Freddie Roach and managed by Dana White it brings questions as to the direction that Walsh will be steered. It was just revealed that White will head a new boxing promotion outfit with big plans to make a more UFC type of organization.
Is Walsh part of the plans?
It’s a lot to digest as the hot prospect from Cork, Ireland proceeds toward world championship dreams. Can he cleanse his mind of this major distraction?
Walsh and Sutherland are both southpaws who are meeting at the crossroads in the heart of New York City. At this point of their careers a loss can mean rebooting and taking a few steps backward. The winner moves on to the next crucial step.
Sutherland, 26, hails from Aberdeen and has never fought outside of his native Scotland. It’s a lot to ask of someone whose country’s population of 5 million is dwarfed by New York City’s 8.2 million inhabitants all packed together.
Ireland’s population is also 5 million. So basically, both Walsh and Sutherland are on even terms when they enter the prize ring on Sunday.
Who knows what kind of competition Sutherland faced in Scotland. He beat two undefeated fighters and also conquered two foes who each had more than 100 losses on their resumes.
Meanwhile, Walsh has faced only one undefeated fighter but handled veterans like Benjamin Whitaker, Ismael Villareal and Carlos Ortiz Cervantes. But you never know until they meet face to face. Anything can happen in a prize ring.
Walsh has a three-fight knockout streak. Sutherland has slept two out of his last three foes. They will be joined by several Irish fighters on the card plus Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin.
Dana, Turk and TKO
The announcement earlier in the week that Turki Alalshikh together with TKO Group Holdings that include Dana White and Nick Khan formed a new boxing promotion company.
White, who does not own UFC but guides the MMA ship, works for Endeavor, the parent company of UFC and WWE. Their events are all shown on ESPN, the powerful sports network (albeit WWE’s flagship weekly show “Raw” recently moved to Netflix). It seems Endeavor has decided to allow White to guide its boxing program too.
Where does that leave Top Rank?
It seems the partnership plans to rid boxing of the many sanctioning organizations and have only one champion per division. The champion will be given a Ring Magazine belt. Recently, Turki Alalshikh purchased The Ring magazine from Golden Boy Promotions. This seems to have been the plan all along.
Is this good for boxing?
Mark Shapiro, the president of TKO Group Holdings, said:
“This is a strategic opportunity to re-imagine the sport of boxing globally. TKO has the deep expertise, promotional prowess, and longstanding relationships. HE Turki Alalshikh and Sela share our passion and vision for evolving the current model. Together, we can bring the sweet science back to its rightful place in the forefront of the global sports ecosystem.”
DAZN all day
Three boxing cards take place on Saturday beginning with WBA featherweight titlist Nick Ball (21-0-1) the human cannonball, defending against former champion TJ Doheny from Liverpool, England. The first bout begins around 9:30 a.m. (Pacific Coast Time). Ball likes to charge forward and punch. Doheny is no slouch and has experience.
Later, Matchroom Boxing presents a show from Florida that features Edgar Berlanga (22-1) fresh off a solid contest against Canelo Alvarez. He fights undefeated Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) in a super middleweight match. Also, Ammo Williams (17-1) returns to face dangerous Patrice Volny (19-1) in a middleweight clash. The card starts at 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time.
Saturday evening MarvNation presents Amado Vargas (11-0) meeting Eduardo Hernandez (8-2) in a super lightweight contest at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. Start time is set for 8 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time). The son of the great Fernando Vargas remains undefeated.
Fights to Watch
Sat. DAZN 11:30 a.m. Nick Ball (21-0-1) vs TJ Doheny (26-5).
Sat. DAZN 3:30 p.m. Edgar Berlanga (22-1) vs Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) ; Ammo Williams (17-1) vs Patrice Volny (19-1).
Sat. DAZN 8 p.m. Amado Vargas (11-0) vs Eduardo Hernandez (8-2).
Sun. UFC Fight Pass 3 p.m. Callum Walsh (12-0) vs Dean Sutherland (19-1).
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A Fresh Face on the Boxing Scene, Bryce Mills Faces His Toughest Test on Friday

“He wants to test himself and find out just how good he really is,” said International Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Russell Peltz regarding super lightweight Bryce Mills. Peltz, who has dealt with a wide range of fighters throughout his lifetime in boxing, recognized the fire that burned inside Mills at a local show in Philadelphia in early 2022. At the time Mills had less than ten professional fights under his belt.
Mills hails from Liverpool in upstate New York and trains in nearby Syracuse. Currently 17-1 (6 KOs), he’s undefeated in his last 11 since losing a split decision to a Puerto Rican fighter from the Bronx who had fought much stiffer competition.
The fight in question that caught Peltz’s eye was arranged by the well-known and respected matchmaker Nick Tiberi who paired Mills in an intriguing fight against Daiyaan Butt, a tough and skilled fighter from the Philadelphia area. They fought at LIVE Casino in South Philadelphia on Feb. 24, 2022.
Although the crowd on hand that night favored Butt, Mills, although then only 20 years old, wasn’t intimidated and was the clear-cut winner at the end of their exciting, back-and-forth battle. This showed Peltz that Mills was serious about seeing just how far his ability could take him.
That’s why Peltz decided to join forces with Mills. Despite being semi-retired, Peltz is still active enough to help guide fighters through the ever-changing wild west landscape that is boxing. Since their union after Mill’s victory over Butt, Mills has been on a nine-fight winning streak heading into what Peltz believes is the toughest test of his career this Friday against Alex Martin 18-6 (6 KOs) of Chicago.
“I didn’t want him to take this fight, it’s a dangerous fight for him. Martin is a southpaw and is tricky, he’s a veteran and is experienced. His father (Mills’s father) called me and said that Bryce wanted the fight, to his credit,” says Peltz. One look at Martin’s resume and it confirms what Peltz stated. All six of Martin’s losses came against fighters with outstanding records including a former world title challenger. Martin also holds some quality wins over undefeated prospects that were at similar points in their careers to where Mills currently is in his development.
Bryce Mills looks like a fighter (he’s always in shape), acts like a fighter (testing his craft against all comers), walks the walk of a fighter, and fights with a fan-friendly pedal-to-the-metal style. That is a winning combination that could be the breath of fresh air the boxing world could surely use and on Friday night at the Wind Creek Events Center in Bethlehem, PA, live on DAZN, Mills is going to have the opportunity to put the boxing world on notice.
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DAZN will televise the Mills-Martin fight along with a main event that features undefeated middleweight Euri Cedeno (10-0-1, 9 KO’s) against Ulices Rivera (11-1, 7 KO’s). Knockout artist Joseph Adorno (20-4-1, 17 KOs) and undefeated Reading, PA super featherweight Julian Gonzalez (15-0-1, 11 KOs) appear in separate bouts on the undercard. Tickets for the Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotion show are still available through Ticketmaster. Lobby doors open at 5:00 pm. First bell is at 7:00.
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High Drama in Japan as ‘Amazing Boy’ Kenshiro Teraji Overcomes Seigo Yuri Akui

Overshadowed by countrymen Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani, Kenshiro Teraji embossed his Hall of Fame credentials in Tokyo tonight with a dramatic 12th-round stoppage of Seigo Yuri Akui. At stake were two pieces of the world flyweight title. A two-time world title-holder a division below (108), Teraji (25-1, 16 KOs) was appearing in his 16th world title fight.
This Japan vs. Japan matchup will go down in Japanese boxing lore as one of the best title fights ever on Japanese soil. Through the 11 completed rounds, Akui was up 105-104 on two of the cards with Teraji up 106-103 on the third. However, judging by his appearance, Akui was more damaged. The stoppage by Japanese referee Katsuhiko Nakamura, which came at the 1:31 mark of the final round with Akui still standing, struck some as premature but the gallant Akui was well-beaten.
A second-generation prizefighter, Kenshiro Teraji, 33, came bearing the WBC 112-pound belt which he acquired this past October with an 11th round TKO of Nicaraguan veteran Cristofer Rosales. The 29-year-old Akui (21-3-1) was making the second defense of the WBA strap he won with a wide decision over previously undefeated Artem Dalakian.
Although Teraji keeps on rolling – this was his seventh straight win which began with a third-round blast-out of Masamichi Yabuki, avenging his lone defeat – things aren’t getting any easier for the so-called “Amazing Boy.” In his last three fights, which include a hard-earned majority decision over Carlos Canizales, he answered the bell for 35 rounds.
By and large, fighters in his weight class don’t age well. While Teraji is starting to slip, he has no intention of retiring any time soon. His goal, he says is to unify the title and eventually move up a notch to pursue a world title in a third weight class. The other pieces of the 112-pound title are currently the property of Mexico’s Angel Ayala who defends his IBF diadem against Yabuki later this month and LA’s Anthony Olascuaga who was in action on tonight’s undercard.
Other Bouts of Note
Olascuaga, a stablemate of Junto Nakatani, trained by 2024 TSS Trainer of the Year Rudy Hernandez, advanced to 9-1 (6) with a hard-earned unanimous decision over Hiroto Kyoguchi. The judges had it 118-110 and 117-111 (scores condemned as too wide) with the third judge having it 6-6 in rounds but scoring it 114-113 in acknowledgement of the knockdown credited to Olascuaga in round 11, the result of a short left that produced a delayed reaction.
Olascuaga was making the second defense of his WBO belt in his fifth straight trip to Japan. In his lone defeat, he was thrust against the formidable Teraji as a late sub, acquitting himself well in defeat (L TKO 9) despite having only five pro fights under his belt and having only 10 days to prepare. Kyoguchi (19-3) had previously held titles in the sport’s two smallest weight classes.
In a big upset, Puerto Rico’s Rene Santiago, thought to be well past his prime at age 32, wrested the WBO light flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Shokichi Iwata who was making the first defense of the title he won with a third-round stoppage of Spain’s previously undefeated Jairo Noriega. Tokyo’s Iwata was a consensus 9/1 favorite.
Santiago, who advanced to 14-4 (9), won by scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112. It was the second loss for Iwata who had knocked out 11 of his first 15 opponents.
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