The Return of Antonio Tarver, Abner Mares vs. Eric Morel, STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix Final Victor Ortiz vs. Andre Berto II

SHOWTIME^® SPORTS SPRINGS FORWARD

WITH HEAVY-HITTING BOXING & MMA SCHEDULE

On Friday, March 16, ShoBox: The New Generation returns with a doubleheader from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. In the 10-round main event, unbeaten lightweight Omar Figueroa (14-0, 11 KOs), of Weslaco, Texas, meets Ramon Ayala (23-2, 11 KOs), of Mexico. Super bantamweights Randy Caballero (13-0, 7 KOs), of Coachella, Calif., and Jose Luis Araiza (29-5, 20 KOs), of Mexico, will mix it up in the 10-round co-feature.

On the Friday, March 23 edition of ShoBox, unbeaten sensation Diego Magdaleno (21-0, 7 KOs), of Las Vegas, returns in a 10-round super featherweight bout against an opponent to be named. In the co-feature, undefeated junior welterweight prospects Yordenis Ugas (11-0, 5 KOs), of Cuba, and Johnny Garcia (11-0, 8 KOs), of Holland, Mich., will square off in an eight-rounder from Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Ariz.

Then, on Saturday, April 21, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT), former bantamweight world champ Abner Mares (23-0-1, 13 KOs), of Hawaiian Gardens, Calif. by way of Guadalajara, Mexico, will make his super bantamweight debut against former flyweight kingpin Eric Morel(46-2, 23 KOs), of Madison, Wisc., by way of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in a 12-round bout. The telecast will also include a 12-round WBA Bantamweight Super Championship fight between champ Anselmo Moreno (31-2-1, 11 Kos) of Panama City, Panama, against Tijuana’s David De La Mora (24-1, 17 KOs). Plus, preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts returns to the network on Saturday, May 19, with the championship fight in the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament. The final will match Josh Barnett (36-5), of Seattle, Wash., against Daniel Cormier (9-0), of San Jose, Calif. A full card, complete with preliminary fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME, will be announced by STRIKEFORCE in the coming weeks.

The following Saturday, May 26, former undisputed light heavyweight champ Antonio Tarver (29-6, 26 KOs), of Tampa, Fla., will face a top cruiserweight prospect he critiqued while serving as expert analyst on ShoBox, Lateef Kayode (18-0, 14 KOs), of Los Angeles, in the 12-round main event.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will wrap up its spring schedule the way it started it – with a sensational and highly anticipated rematch between two of boxing’s most talented and exciting fighters. Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KOs), of Ventura, Calif., will try to rebound from his loss to pound-for-pound champ Floyd Mayweather while Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KOs), of Winter Haven, Fla., will look to avenge the only loss of his career when the two square off in a 12-round welterweight bout on Saturday, June 23. In the co-feature, veterans Humberto Soto (54-7-1, 34 KOs), of Los Mochis, Mexico, and Lucas Matthysse (30-2, 28 KOs), of Trelew, Argentina, will square off in a junior welterweight bout. Plus, additional preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

(ANDRE BERTO, VICTOR ORTIZ AND ANTONIO TARVER PHOTOS BY; Keisha Morrisey)

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

WORLD RANKED CRUISERWEIGHT CONTENDER BJ FLORES TARGETS LATEEF KAYODE

World Ranked Cruiserweight, BJ Flores wants to make a statement and he has pinpointed the man that will not only make a fan friendly fight with, but be a fight of importance.

Fresh off his 5th round TKO victory of highly rated Nick Iannuzz on July 23rd, Flores wants world rated and undefeated cruiserweight Lateef Kayode next. Flores has a date in Springfield, Missouri in October and is more than willing to bring in the highly rated rugged Nigerian as his next opponent.

Flores is 25-1 with sixteen knockouts.

Kayode, 17-0 with fourteen knockouts is ranked Number one by the WBA; Number three by the WBO; number four the WBC; and Number five by the IBF.

"I wanted Kaydoe after the fight he had with Iannuzzi. For whatever reason, they went in another direction. Now I have another date in Springfield, Missouri at the end of October and Lateef is on the top of my list! I contacted his promoter today and still waiting for a response. I want to clear up any confusion about who the top US cruiserweight contender is. This is a new phase in my career”, said Flores

"We had a wonderful turnout at the O’Rielly Center and had over 2100 people at the event! The guys at the O’Rielly are very excited to do another show as are we! I will be fighting here every 3 months until I get a shot at a title! If Lateef Kayode will take the fight then he will be the next victim. If not that, I will fight another highly rated US contender."

“Kayode is rated higher than me and I'm willing to prove in the ring that I can beat him. It’s nothing personal but he has something I want and that’s a number-one ranking by the WBA and top five rating by all three other sanctioning bodies. He stands in my way of returning to a title fight and I want to set the record straight that I will fight any cruiserweight that is in my way of a title shot"!

VIDEO LINK TO HIGHLIGHTS OF FLORES KO OVER IANNUZZI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4el80ZHPNYM

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Troy Ross added to June 24 professional boxing, show in Canada‏

World cruiserweight contender Troy Ross has been added to the “Friday Night At The Fights” professional boxing card, June 24 at Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

“Friday Night At The Fights” is being presented by United Boxing Promotions in association with Hennessy Sports and Groupe Yvon Michel.

Ross is the top-rated IBF contender at No. 3 (#1 and #2 are not rated), as well as ranked No. 5 by The Ring magazine, No. 14 by the WBA, and No. 15 by the WBC. The two-time Canadian Olympian will face an opponent to be determined June 24 in a eight-round bout. Troy wants a rematch with IBF champion Steve Cunningham and he also has issued a challenge to unbeaten Lateef Kayode for a major showdown later this summer.

“I can’t wait to get back in action,” Ross said. “I’m trying to force (IBF champion Steve) Cunningham into a rematch. I dropped him and should have won that fight by technical decision because he thumbed me in the eye and the fight was stopped (cut eyelid) because of that. I’m fighting June 24^th to get sharp for Cunningham, Kayode or any of the top 10 fighters I may fight this year on my way to winning a world title.”

A native of Guyana who lives in Toronto, Ross (24-2, 16 KOs) was a member of the 1996 and 2000 Canadian Olympic Teams, and winner of The Contender, Season Four reality television series.

Ross’ most notable wins to date have been against former NABF/USBA champion Felix Cora, Jr. (TKO1), Ehino Ehikamenor (TKO4), David Haye-conquerer (as an amateur) Michael Simms (DEC10), Akinyemi Laleye (DEC5), and Brazilian Olympian Daniel Bispo (KO1). Troy’s last fight was a win by unanimous 10-round decision over Carl Handy (24-7-2) this past October.

Troy Ross (L). Photo by Durell Wambolt/The Boxing Examiner

EL Boxing Empress See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

LATEEF KAYODE & MATT GODFREY Live on ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME, Friday, June 10

It’s June so no better time than Friday for Graduation Day for three talented ShoBox: The New Generation alums returning for a Friday night tripleheader LIVE on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

LATEEF KAYODE:

“We didn’t want to take a step back. We have a lot to prove after my last fight. I just wasn’t feeling right. You will see a different fighter on Friday night.

“We’ve been sparring with a lot of southpaws. We’ll be ready for whatever he throws at us. We could have taken another tune-up, but for what? To drop a guy in the second round? We get more out of sparring at Wild Card.

“I’ve been sparring with Chris Arreola and feel great. This is my moment to go from prospect to contender

“We’re in the perfect situation. I hope Godfrey brings it because we need that kind of fight. I think he will. I didn’t see any tape on (Nicholas Iannuzzi) but I have of Godfrey. I have more information on this guy than on any fight I’ve ever had.”

MATT GODFREY:

“I fought for a world title and came up short so in order to get back to that level you have to beat someone who is one step away from that as well. So this is big for me.

“Styles are so much different in Europe. They don’t appreciate boxing. Here you box around a guy for three rounds and the crowd goes crazy. Over there, they’re all straight-up fighters. They don’t appreciate guys just going out and boxing.

“I think Lateef’s team is a little bit crazy because they think they have more than what they have. For me this is perfect. They’ve been on SHOWTIME a couple times, he has a great record and he has a good punch and that makes for good TV and what the fans want to see, but experience wise I’m just light years ahead. It’s going to be great for me to exploit that on this network, a great network.

“They’re going by the result of my last fight but I fought the best guy in the division (Marco Huck). They’re thinking they will be able to duplicate what he was able to do but he’s just not at that level and it’s just not going to happen.

“They’re thinking they are going to capitalize on that loss and that I’m bringing that last fight into this one and they’re dead wrong.

“I’ve hit the mitts with Freddie (Roach) before but that was a long time ago. He’s so busy that I don’t’ think he’d even remember it.

“If I win tomorrow night I might just end up in Europe again.

“I’m not insulted that (Kayode) picked me to fight. It’s a business for him. They have to get a return on their investment. They have to fight the best to get to where they want to be.”

Photos by:Tom Casino / SHOWTIME

EL Boxing Empress See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

Lateef Kayode Returns to ShoBox: The New Generation - Friday, June 10 at 11 p.m. on SHOWTIME‏

SHOBOX: KAYODE VS GODFREY. This Friday at 11pm ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Undefeated knockout specialist LATEEF KAYODE returns! Showtime’s ShoBox series features two fighters on two seemingly different paths June 10 at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, Calif.

One fighter, Nigeria’s Lateef Kayode (16-0, 14 KOs), is on the rise while the other, Matt Godfrey (20-2, 10 KOs) is coming off his most painful loss.

ShoBox Rising Star: Lateef Kayode - SHOWTIME Boxinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WCohBSEkZU

EL Boxing Empress See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved