Behind The Gloves » Al Haymon

Reunited with Medina, Mares looks to become world champion in 2015

Jose Quintero — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 05:07:45 +0000

Reunited with Medina, Mares looks to become world champion in 2015

Abner Mares will be the first to tell you he was out of his comfort zone in Northern California under the tutelage of renowned trainer Virgil Hunter.

After suffering his first career loss at the hands of Jhonny Gonzalez in August 2013, Mares decided to join the stable of fighters in Hunter’s Oakland gym. Mares’ first fight and only fight under the watchful eye of Hunter was a success. Mares scored a unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Oquendo in July.

But something didn’t seem right. Since the rebound victory, Mares joined forces with the powerful Al Haymon after a successful run with manager Frank Espinoza. Mares also made another significant change when he reunited with previous trainer Clemente Medina.

“I wasn’t surprised when he came back to me because before he left he told me that he wanted to try to learn something different,” Medina said. “I wasn’t happy, but I understood. He needed to learn something different from someone else. I told him that if he wants to come back to train with me, the door is always open. … The reason he came back to me is because he knows my style, and my style is similar to Mares. He and I together are a very good team.”

Mares credits Hunter for teaching him so much in such a short time because he’s a wise man. Many speculated Mares’ departure was on bad terms, but the featherweight dispelled the rumors during his media workout Wednesday.

Mares said he had much respect for Hunter because he took him in and showed him new techniques. But Mares talked about being out of his comfort zone in Oakland. Mares cited factors as being away from his family and Hunter’s approach to the fight against Oquendo as reasons for being out of his comfort zone.

“Stick to your plan, stick to distance,” Mares quoted Hunter’s approach in the corner. “Either way, I got the win. I think that was the way to win. Yeah, maybe I would have looked more aggressive, let loose, but at the end of the day, I listen to what my corner says. It’s a different type of training that I was trying to adapt to my style. I did a little bit, and I learned. Now it’s just adding to my arsenal.”

Mares said he was fortunate to work with Hunter and will still incorporate some of Hunter’s tactics in the ring against Jose Ramirez next week.

“Mares is an aggressive fighter, but he’s also very smart. I expect to see the old Mares on Dec. 13. I think that Mares was thinking too much in his fight with Virgil and I think that he will go back to being more aggressive and smart.”

Ramirez (25-4, 15 KOs) is a tested veteran, who has not appeared in the ring since being knocked out by Vasyl Lomachenko in October 2013. The two will meet on the stacked undercard of a welterweight showdown between Amir Khan and Devon Alexander at the MGM Grand on Dec. 13. Mares said he Friday will be his last sparring session as he intends on preparing for the 10 round bout.

Mares said he knows little about Ramirez and it worries hims.

“When you don’t know much about a fighter it reminds you that he can bring anything,” he said. “It’s been a long camp for me, I thought I was originally going to fight on Nov. 22 but then they told me not until December.”

Medina is excited to have his protege back and said you can tell mares is happier after not feeling 100 percent in Oakland. Mares said the environment of beign in his own gym, that was recently built in Bell Gardens, and with his family has helped him overcome the disappointment of losing his WBC featherweight championship to Gonzalez.

Mares went nearly 11 months without competing after a rigorous schedule that saw him earn seven victories over world titlists over a three year stretch. Mares was scheduled to meet Gonzalez in a rematch in February but a injury forced him to withdraw from the bout.

“At first, I was disappointed in myself, very discouraged,” Mares said. “I really needed this time away. Things happen for a reason. I needed more time to spend with my kids and my family. If it wasn’t for the free time I wouldn’t have built my own gym. … I think I grew mentally as a person with my time off. I just turned 29 this past Friday; I’m blessed, healthy and hungry. Hungry is the key word for me. I’m hungry to become a world champion again and to get back to where I was.”

Fight fans have turned on Mares. After announcing his alliance with Haymon, people flooded his social media with negative comments and insults. Many questioned his desire to fight world class opposition. But the former titlist seems content with his life and the direction of his career despite the criticism.

“I’m going to let my actions speak louder than my words,” Mares said. “I’ve been in this situation before. No one knew about me when I entered the Showtime bantamweight tournament and then I won that and no one expected it. I’ve won many fights that people didn’t expect me to win.

“I’ve fought all the best fighters you could think of in my weight class and I plan to do that in 2015. The featherweight division is packed with great talent, strong fighters and it motivates me to get in better shape and become the beast I once was.”

- Jose Quintero / @JoseSwift8755
US Editor for BehindTheGloves.com

Update: Chavez Jr. confirms deal with Haymon

Jose Quintero — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 04:33:25 +0000

Update: Chavez Jr. confirms deal with Haymon

After months of speculation, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has confirmed he has aligned himself with powerful advisor Al Haymon, according to a report by Kevin Iole.
Ben Thompson broke the news Monday, saying sources closes to the situation told FightHype.com of the signing. The signing comes in the wake of Chavez claiming he was a promotional free agent in September, a claim Top Rank president Bob Arum denied.

Thompson reported a source said Chavez inked the deal early Monday morning. Thompson also claims a showdown with WBA and IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch is being targeted for February.

According to carious reports, Chavez had previously split ties with his manager Billy Keane, who managed him since 2010.

On Monday, Chavez released a statement exclusively to Iole.

“I had a great meeting with my team; My lawyer Howard Weitzman, my manager Al Haymon and Billy Keane,” he stated. “We are looking at a number of top opponents because I only want to fight the best moving forward. The details of my next fight will be finalized in the very near future.”

Arum told Iole, Chavez still has one more fight left on his contract with Top Rank Promotions, which filed a suit against Chavez in U.S. District Court in Nevada last month.

“We want the court to declare that we have one more fight with (Chavez),” Arum told Iole. “In other words, we’re in court as it is now. Now we’re going to bring action against Haymon and so forth for interfering with our contract.”

Chavez has been inactive, last fighting in March, a unanimous decision victory over Bryan Vera in a rematch from their 2013 bout. Since September 2012, Chavez has fought just three times, a loss to Sergio Martinez and two victories over Vera.

According to various reports, Chavez was offered a showdown with Gennady Golovkin in July, but his dispute with Arum and Top Rank over contract extensions forced him to pass on the offer.
– Jose Quintero /@JoseSwift8755
US Editor for BehindTheGloves.com

Rances Barthelemy wraps up camp for title defense

admin — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 17:57:47 +0000

With one week to go until his first defense of his IBF Super Featherweight world title, Champion Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (20-0, 12 KOs) wraps up his final day of training camp with an intense day of sparring. Barthelemy will face challenger Fernando David Saucedo (52-2, 8 KOs) in a 12-round bout at the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The fight will be televised live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT) as the main-event on Oct, 4, 2014.

“This is the best camp I’ve had since turning professional,” said Barthelemy. “My weight is good and I’m going to be well prepared for anything Saucedo brings. We did some things different in this camp as we added some old techniques from the Cuban School of boxing. I’m ready to show the world I’m the best Super Featherweight in the world. I want to thank Al Haymon and my entire team for all their support. I’m ready to show the world I’m the best Super Featherweight in the world.”

Omar Figueroa Jr. weighs options for future

admin — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 00:30:39 +0000

Omar Figueroa Jr. weighs options for future

Omar Figueroa Jr. is unsure what the future holds for him, but the WBC lightweight champion is eager to deliver action-packed fights on a regular basis.

Figueroa is in his final days of his contract with Golden Boy Promotions, but is hopeful to get the matter resolved as soon as possible. Figueroa wouldn’t specify details about the negotiations on Friday but said he is looking “to get what he deserves.”

His father, Omar Figueroa Sr., is also unsure what the future has in store for “Panterita.”

“I just got off the phone with Golden Boy (Promotions) and we’re waiting to see what they have to offer,” Figueroa Sr. said. “We’re unsure what’s going to happen. It seems as if Golden Boy Promotions and Al Haymon aren’t doing very much talking right now, so we’ll see.”

Figueroa Jr. (24-0-1, 18 KOs) is coming off a knockout victory over Daniel Estrada Aug. 16. After the bout, Figueroa said he would look to moving up to junior welterweight. Figueroa cited difficulties making the 135 pound limit as the factor of his decision.

If he makes the jump, Figueroa feels he will carry his power and will see better results in his conditioning.

“I could still make weight at 135 (pounds) but it just takes a lot out of me,” Figueroa said. “I would like to test the waters at 140 (pounds), possibly even for my next fight just to see how it goes. But it just depends on what my team feels is best for me. If that doesn’t happen I would love to defend my title at lightweight.”

Figueroa is seeing a boost in his popularity for his entertaining and crowd pleasing fights. Figueroa said he loves to fight, he loves to hit and doesn’t mind taking hits from his opponents.

He’ll fight anyone at 135 or 140 pounds, he said. Just don’t ask him to narrow it down to one fighter he would love to meet in the ring.

“I feel I match up good against anybody at either weight,” Figueroa said. “I think a fight at 140 against Danny Garcia is the goal. But I would like to fight guys like Ruslan Provodnikov or Lucas Matthysse because of their styles. I think my power would follow me and give the fans a possible fight-of-the-year type of fight.”

If Figueroa opts to stay at lightweight, he says fights against Terrence Crawford or a Texas-showdown with Juan Diaz would make for entertaining bouts.

“I think a fight with Diaz would be a great fight for Texas,” Diaz said. “I’m a fighter that loves fighting for my fans. I hope to fight in Texas soon, possibly the Canelo under card in San Antonio so my hometown fans don’t have to travel to California to see me in action.”

– Jose Quintero – @JoseSwift8755
US Managing Editor for Behind the Gloves

Despite questions surrounding Mayweather’s staff, Haymon “ain’t going nowhere”

admin — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 23:06:46 +0000

Floyd Mayweather Jr. sent shock waves around the world Wednesday after making vague statements to FightHype.com regarding the future of his staff, most notably a potential separation from Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe.

Mayweather is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Marcos Maidana Sept. 13 and questions surrounding his training and promotional company’s staff have surfaced.

“It’s just I’m growing in a different direction from everybody else,” Mayweather told FightHype. “I’m at a new place in my life and I’m trying to get better. Even though I’m 37, I’m trying to get better and I want to become better and I want my team to become better, and if you’re not on the same page as me, then there’s nothing I can really say or do but say it’s time for you to do your own thing since people may not want to do things the way I want to do things or communicate or compromise.”

Mayweather said he feels he and Ellerbe are “getting to a point” where they are “outgrowing each other,” citing he did not approve defending his welterweight and junior middleweight WBC and WBA championships against Maidana. During the pre-fight interviews, Mayweather failed to answer questions about defending four titles against Maidana, but Ellerbe answered questions regarding the issue.

“Once people start making power moves without communicating with me, then I think it’s time for us to move our separate ways,” Mayweather stated. “I mean, I’m glad the fight is over with, but I think when May comes around and you guys see All Access in May, I’ll have a totally new team and probably a totally new staff. We may make a lot of changes in my team, but Al Haymon ain’t going nowhere.”

The key word in the potential Mayweather/Ellerbe separation is Haymon is not going anywhere. If Mayweather decides to fire Ellerbe, or Ellerbe resigns from the helm at Mayweather Promotions, will former Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer step in? Have Mayweather, Haymon and Schaefer been in cahoots?

What impact will this potential break-up have on the boxing world? Has Haymon been signing fighters in anticipation of building Mayweather Promotions into a premier promotional company?

Many questions surround this fiasco, but nothing has been made official.

“I like to keep my fans and everybody updated on what’s really going on in the Mayweather camp and in the Mayweather world, but as of right now, I can’t really say who’s in or who’s out,” Mayweather stated. “I can’t really say at this particular time.

“There’s just a lot of other things within our team that’s just not right. Leonard wasn’t in my corner, so, you know, it’s not any hard feelings. It’s just people outgrow one another. I’m not mad at him. There’s no hard feeling like I hate the guy; not at all. No hard feelings whatsoever. People just outgrow one another, just like when people get a divorce. They’re no longer on the same page mentally.”

– Jose Quintero – @JoseSwift8755
US Managing Editor for BehindTheGloves.com.

Sergio Mora inks deal with Haymon

admin — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 04:10:23 +0000

In his latest quest to rejuvenate his career, Sergio Mora announced he’s inked a deal with manager and adviser Al Haymon.

Mora, a former WBC junior middleweight champion, announced his signing on Twitter Thursday night. Mora (26-3, 9 KOs) is currently promoted by DiBella Entertainment and has been lobbying for big-name fights in the middleweight division.

“I’ve come a long way as a self managed fighter,” Mora said. “I have a loyal team behind me that has never doubted my abilities.”

Mora, 33, has scored three consecutive wins since losing a majority decision to Brian Vera in 2012. Mora is not known for his knockout power, but has consecutive knockout victories over Milton Nunez and most recently, a TKO victory over Samuel Rogers in May.

Mora’s highlight of his career was a majority decision over the late Vernon Forrest in 2008, winning the WBC strap. Forrest avenged the loss in a rematch three months later.

-Jose Quintero/ @JoseSwift8755

US Managing Editor for www.BehindTheGloves.com

Al Haymon – Blue or red pill?

Paul Ready — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 21:29:19 +0000

Fifteen years after the release of The Matrix, the boxing world appears to have it’s own version of the hit-movie.

The mysterious and somewhat allusive Al Haymon has created a fictitious world in which his fighters operate in. A man who seems to suffer from a social-anxiety disorder is the most talked about person in the sport.

You rarely see a video interview with an American-based fighter that does not mention Haymon. Why does he have such an iron grip on the sport?

I could fill the rest of this story with who he represents, but what is most concerning for me is what Haymon’s exact goal in boxing is? Is there a dollar amount?

Of course that must have a significant importance on his agenda. We all get up in the morning and commute somewhere for the exchange of crisp currency for service. But Haymon was already a wealthy man before boxing, culminating a treasure chest of booty from representing some of the largest American artists in history.

Another concern is the fear that his fighters seem to have in calling another fighter out.

Why the reluctance? Do you get penalized? Whatever happened to YOLO?
Boxing can be a short, tough career. Surely a fighter would want to create their own legacy. Right?

Recently we have seen super lightweight champion Danny Garcia slaughtered for his fight against Rod Salka, a man should have served as a sparring partner at best.

Adrien Broner beat Emanuel Taylor as expected last week. During his post-fight interview, Broner’s response to who he would like to fight next seemed scripted.

“My next opponent should be Lucas Matthysse,” Broner said.

Broner didn’t say “I would like” or “I want.” His response was “should.”

What ever happened to fighters calling fighters out? The best wanting to fight the best. Bernard Hopkins has spoken out about this trend recently, which prompted him to agree to fight Sergey Kovalev.

This trend has become a cancer for the sport and it needs to be fixed.
This Saturday, Haymon’s stable-stud Floyd Mayweather Jr. will take on Marcos Maidana in a rematch from their May encounter. The undercard is one of the weakest cards I’ve seen recently. I’m a huge Mayweather fan, but if I lived in America, I would struggle to justify paying $75 for the event, based on the Mayhem undercard.

Haymon represents WBC super bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz, who has often stated he would like to fight Carl Frampton or Scott Quigg. But what happens when their representatives reach out to each other? Excuses about why these fights can not happen.

In Santa Cruz’ case, a “0” on a fighter’s record doesn’t mean anything if they have not fought the best competition in their division. That’s just my opinion.

Boxing needs a fighter represented by Haymon to break free from “The Matrix” and I’m betting on Keith Thurman. Thurman has called out the almighty hierarchy. He is one of the few fighters that call out other fighters. Thurman wants to fight Top Rank fighters and guys like Broner and Amir Khan.
I admire Thurman’s bravado. It appears it’s only a matter of time before he is banished in exile for desecrating his “cherry-picking path” or we walks on his own accord.

So Keith, do you take the blue or red pill?

– Paul Ready / @PaulReady

– Contributor to www.BehindtheGloves.com

Mad Marcos Hernandez Returns this Saturday

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 00:37:19 +0000

FRESNO, CA (September 3, 2014) – Fresno’s unbeaten welterweight prospect, “Mad” Mark Anthony “Marcos” Hernandez (2-0) makes his way back to the ring this Saturday, September 6th, when he faces Will Walters (2-3-1, 1 KO) at the SOS Club in Modesto, California. Hernandez, 6’2, will battle Walters in a four-round bout.

Signed by world renowned manager Al Haymon, Hernandez is a towering welterweight with a great chin and an aggressive style. He’ll look to keep his unbeaten streak alive with a dominating performance against Walters, who’s won his last two fights.

With the bout taking place in Modesto, near his hometown of Fresno, Hernandez is expecting a lot of family and friends to come show support and will be gunning for the knockout.

“I’m ready to make a statement in this fight,” said Hernandez. “I’ve been in some good camps and got some great sparring to get ready for this fight. I know Walters has won his last couple of fights, so I’m looking forward to a tough fight. There will be a lot of family and friends coming out to watch this fight so I’m very excited to put on a great show. I’m always looking for the knockout and if I hurt my opponent early, I’ll be looking to take him out.”

“We really like the way Hernandez is coming along,” said Luis DeCubas Jr. “He’s hungry to show everyone in the boxing community that he’s for real. He has a fighter in Walters who’s coming off a few wins, so his confidence is high and I think this will be a good competitive fight for Hernandez, who I’m expecting to come out on top.”

Information and photo courtesy of Team Hernandez

Kell Brook’s waiting game nearly over

Tom Maudsley — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 21:12:10 +0000

Kell Brook’s waiting game nearly over

Kell Brook (32-0) is finally close to the world title shot he has craved for years when he takes on Akron slickster Shawn Porter (24-0-1) in mid-August.

This will feel a long time coming for the undefeated Sheffield star that has held mandatory status with the IBF since his July 2012 battle with Carson Jones. But even longer since his 2010 WBO final eliminator win over the since retired Michael Jennings.

At the time, Kell was one of the hottest prospects in British boxing, yet deemed far too inexperienced for then champion Manny Pacquiao despite his 22-0 record. Brook raced through his first 22 overmatched opponents in just 79 rounds leaving his then promoter Frank Warren with no other option than to keep him away from the Filipino superstar.

Still void of real tests and opportunities Kell switched to the then expanding Matchroom Boxing stable headed up by promoter Eddie Hearn, with the promise of sterner tests and a path to a world title shot.

Knowing he would more than likely have to fight abroad to become champion, Kell Brook took his opportunity to fight on the Ward v Froch undercard at the Boardwalk Hall against tough Puerto Rican, Luis Galarza. Coming through this with a straightforward 5th round stoppage, he returned home to beat Matthew Hatton in a hard fought war of the roses, claiming WBA and IBF international honors at 147 pounds. With his IBF ranking improved a win over Carson Jones at home would make him Devon Alexander’s mandatory for the IBF Welterweight World Title. Kell took a close majority decision & the mandatory slot, in what turned out to be a war, over a tougher than expected Jones. With Alexander already tied to fight Randall Bailey in the brilliant Barclays Center, Brook took dangerous KO specialist Hector Saldivia on and gave him a dose of what the Argentine had dished out 32 times previously with a simple KO win.

Whispers of a superfight between Devon Alexander & P4P King Floyd Mayweather hampered the mandatory situation, and then further more with injuries to both Alexander and Brook saw the fight postponed 3 times. With Alexander fit and Kell nursing an injury, the champion eased to a stoppage win over the overmatched and overweight Lee Purdy. Kell later came back from a 9 month layoff to put his Carson Jones nightmare’s to bed with a much more convincing stoppage win in Hull.

Brook later had what was seen as his toughest test to date in a Vyacheslav Senchenko fresh from beating a returning, yet diminished, Ricky Hatton in Manchester. Kell showed supreme freshness with sharp accurate work early and later finished the Ukrainian inside the distance, validating his mandatory status for the IBF strap. Prior to this Alexander was granted a voluntary defense against undefeated, and underrated, Shawn Porter, with Brook promised the expected winner Alexander in the New Year. Things didn’t go Devon’s way and he dropped the title to Porter in a fair point’s decision, convoluting Kell’s mandatory situation further.

With Porter being the new champion, he defended his new title in a voluntary defense against Paulie Malignaggi before a set deadline with the guarantee Kell would be next. Porter breezed through Paulie in what proved to be a miss-match despite “The Magic Man’s” reputation. Negotiations for the mandatory defense instantly began with Kell securing his shot in California.

It still remains to be seen if Brook can live with the elite of the division, only beating 17 fighters with winning records as he reaches 10 years as a pro. Kell has always looked exceptional at the fringe level when being allowed to box; his jab is supreme with accuracy envied by most in his division. Taking 4 straight Ko’s into the fight will boost his confidence, at a level where respectable punch power is a must to stay on the front foot. He does have his flaws though. In their first fight, Carson Jones brought him into unknown territory and tested both Kell’s chin and heart. Kell got caught far too often and brought into waters he’d never previously swam. That was a test that he needed and one that he will never forget which could put him in good stead for his latest test.

A win across the pond for Kell will put him in a priceless position, opening doors he wouldn’t even touch the handle of at the moment. Porter has no options and no rematch clause with the winner even putting themselves in the window for the May 2015 Mayweather sweepstakes. Closer to home, a Kell Brook v Amir Khan fight could do exceptional figures both on the gate and PPV. Seeing what the domestic dust up achieved with Froch v Groves II, Brook v Khan with a title on the line in winter could do similar if not bigger numbers. Brook and Eddie Hearn have been desperate to make the fight for the last couple of years, with “King” Khan reluctant to face Kell while trying to manufacture his way into a fight with Mayweather. The money on the table and maybe the shot at Floyd in May being up for grabs should be too much for Khan to turn his nose at.

Brook and his Ingle team certainly believe he is up to the task. But this is still a test in the unknown. Will Kell Brook cope at the “elite” level? The long wait to see is nearly over.

– Tom Maudsley / @maudsley23

– Contributor to www.BehindtheGloves.com

Sergey Kovalev responds to Bernard Hopkins

admin — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 00:16:17 +0000

Photo courtesy of Rich Graessle / Main Events

Sergey Kovalev responds to Bernard Hopkins

Ft. Lauderdale, FL: As Sergey Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) prepares to defend his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title against Blake Caparello on August 2nd on HBO Boxing After Dark from Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ, the media is buzzing about the possibility of a unification fight between Krusher and IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Bernard Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs).

In a recent interview with BoxingScene.com, Hopkins called out Kovalev saying, “I got two titles and a legacy. What’s Kovalev got? A punch and a WBO title – let’s do it.” He added, “The perception is, is that Kovalev is a killer and [Adonis] Stevenson doesn’t want to fight him, he wants to fight an old man. If that’s the case, I’ll knock off Kovalev first, because I believe that I can beat him. I believe that he’s a tough fight, but I believe that I can beat him. It’s a fight where if I make a mistake I can get knocked out. And yeah Bernard Hopkins can get knocked out too, and so can Kovalev and so can Stevenson, who’s been knocked out once in his career.”

Hopkins, of course, is referring to the planned title unification fight on HBO between WBO Champion Kovalev and WBC Champion Adonis Stevenson, which was scuttled when Stevenson and his Promoter chose to take a path avoiding Kovalev. That decision is now the subject of ongoing litigation.

Kovalev was predictably peeved when Stevenson called off their planned fight. He would especially relish the opportunity to face the legendary Hopkins before Stevenson gets the chance, though he remains circumspect. Kovalev said, “All I want to do is fight the best. I wanted to fight Stevenson but he ran away. I would get in the ring with Bernard Hopkins right now! Any time, any place! But who knows? Maybe he’s just trying to get more money from Showtime? So, I am focused on preparing for my fight on HBO on August 2nd and after we’ll see if Hopkins will really get in the ring with me.”

Main Events CEO Kathy Duva added, “After reading Bernard’s comments to BoxingScene.com, I immediately reached out to all of the parties potentially involved on the Hopkins side to try to make the fight happen. But what I heard from all of them is ‘I don’t know,’ including when I asked who would represent Bernard in negotiations. If Bernard Hopkins truly wants to fight Sergey Kovalev, I know we can make a deal. Like Sergey, we will focus on our preparations for his title fight against Blake Caparello on August 2nd, while Hopkins sorts out his promotional situation.”

About Kovalev vs. Caparello:

The WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, (24-0-1, 22 KOs) and Blake “Il Capo” Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) is on Saturday, August 2nd at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic, City, NJ. The fight will be telecast as part of a split-site triple-header on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT. The event is presented by Main Events in association with DiBella Entertainment. Tickets prices are $55, $80, $160 and $250. They are available at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the HBO Boxing After Dark special triple header split site telecast begins at 9:45 PM.

-PRESS RELEASE