Golden Boy Promotions reflects on a successful year of Boxing
By way of Doghouse Boxing (Jan 6, 2015)
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Oscar De La Hoya
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LOS ANGELES, (January 6, 2015) -Golden Boy Promotions weathered early storms to find its roar back and retain its title as
the premier promoter in boxing as proven by the acclaim company
President and Founder Oscar De La Hoya received this past year.
In June, De La Hoya was honored with an induction to the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF). He
won Olympic Gold at the 1992 Olympics, starred in the professional
game, winning 10 world titles in six different weight classes. It was no
surprise that in his first appearance on the ballot for the IBHOF, De
La Hoya was enshrined with the greats of the sport in Canastota, New
York.
Recently, Sports Illustrated named
De La Hoya 'Promoter of The Year' citing him as a "force on the
promotional landscape" and praising this past year's accomplishments,
repairing relationships with HBO and Top Rank and continuing to "build
junior middleweight Canelo Alvarez into one of the biggest stars in
boxing...his best days as a promoter lie ahead."
In
addition, Yahoo! Sports named De La Hoya 'Boxing's Man of The Year' for
"campaigning for the best fights to be made, fights his customers
demanded," something which, Golden Boy Promotions always keeps in mind
when making fights.
"2014
was an important year for Golden Boy Promotions, and I've got to say
that this may have been my most enjoyable year yet," said De La Hoya.
"We had great fights, great performances, and most importantly, we
opened the door to working with all promoters in boxing to put on the
best fights possible for the fans of this sport."
And as we look back to the year to look at the successes, Golden Boy Promotions also looks forward to what 2015 could bring.
"I'm
excited for 2015 and what Golden Boy Promotions has in store for the
fans," said Oscar De La Hoya, founder and president
of Golden Boy Promotions. "I will not stop until the fans get to see the
best versus the best fight in 2015. That will continue to be my mantra
in the new year."
JANUARY 17: Bermane Stiverne to Defend WBC Heavyweight World Title Against Unbeaten Mandatory Challenger Deontay Wilder
Hard-hitting WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), of Las Vegas, is set to defend his title against unbeaten knockout specialist and mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Saturday, January 17 in the
most significant heavyweight title fight in recent memory. The
potentially explosive bout between the two big-punching heavyweights
will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The event is co-promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions and will feature undefeated IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz (28-0-1, 16 KOs) defending his belt against Jesus Ruiz (33-5-5, 22 KOs)
JANUARY 20: GOLDEN BOY LIVE! CELEBRATES "THE ALIEN" WITH STELLAR FIGHT CARD FROM THE 2300 ARENA IN PHILADELPHIA
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, Golden Boy Promotions will celebrate Bernard Hopkins' 50th birthday with a night of boxing fit for a legend.
In the main event, Philly's own Eric "The Outlaw" Hunter (19-3, 10 KOs) faces highly regarded Nicaraguan junior lightweight contender Rene "Gemelo" Alvarado (21-3, 14 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout. In the super lightweight co-main event, rising junior welterweight star Michael "The Artist" Perez (21-1, 10 KOs) will go up against Miguel Acosta (29-7-2,
23 KOs) and looks to extend his current unbeaten streak to eight
fights. Plus, opening the televised action is undefeated fighter Lamont Roach Jr. (5-0, 2 KOs) in a six-round junior lightweight battle against an opponent yet to be named.
JANUARY 26: Rocky Juarez vs. Robinson Castellanos to Headline Golden Boy Live! Card at Cowboys Dancehall in San Antonio, Texas
Golden Boy Live! welcomes the new year with a return to Cowboys Dancehall in San Antonio, Texas on Monday, January 26, 2015 with a main event that true boxing fans won't want to miss.
Presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija Battah Promotions, the WBC Silver Featherweight Champion Rocky Juarez (30-10-1, 21 KOs) defends his title against Robinson "Robin Hood" Castellanos (20-10, 13 KOs), in a 12-round brawl. The bout will also serve as a final title eliminator for Jhonny Gonzalez's (57-8, 48 KOs) WBC featherweight title. For tickets please contact Leija-Battah Promotions at (210) 979-3302, m@leijabattahpromo.com or text "Tickets" to 210-556-7390.
FEBRUARY 27: 'THE HOMECOMING' RANDY CABALLERO DEFENDS IBF BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
After piling up 12 wins in 12 fights at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.,hometown hero Randy "El Matador"
Caballero (22-0,
13 KOs) went on the road in search of a world championship. On October
25, it was mission accomplished for "El Matador" after he defeated
England's Stuart Hall in Monte Carlo. On Friday, February 27, the
conquering hero returns to Indio's Fantasy Springs Resort Casino to
defend his IBF Bantamweight World Championship for the first time
against Alberto "Metro" Guevara (18-2, 6 KOs) in a 12-round homecoming bout, presented by Golden Boy Promotions and televised by FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes.
FIGHTERS TO WATCH IN 2015: DIEGO DE LA HOYA, JULIAN RAMIREZ, JOSEPH DIAZ JR., MANUEL AVILA
The future of boxing is bright and with fighters like the undefeated Diego De La Hoya (8-0,
6 KOs), who is one of the top ranked featherweights in Mexico and was a
Mexican National Olympics Silver Medalist, is impressive sporting eight
wins in a little over a year as a professional.
Julian "El Camarón" Ramirez (13-0,
8 KOs), a featherweight from East Los Angeles, also undefeated, has
boxing in his blood. His late uncle was the former WBA and WBC Super
Featherweight World Champion Genaro "El Chicanito" Hernandez.
Ramirez has been on the fast track ever since he turned professional in
2012. A dynamic fighter with all of the tools to succeed, Ramirez is
coming off of his fourth win of 2014 when he faced Pedro Melo.
A member of the 2012 United States Olympic team, South El Monte's Joseph "Jo Jo"
Diaz Jr. (14-0, 9 KOs) is rapidly displaying the skill and poise to not just match his amateur successes, but surpass them. Just 21-years-old, has had impressive victories over Ramiro Robles, Raul Hidalgo, Roberto Castaneda and Jose Angel Beranza.
Manuel "Tino" Avila (16-0, 7 KOs) another rising star, has also had a stand-out year,
defeating David De La Mora and Sergio "Finito" Frias. A 22-year-old
rising star with a huge California following that is growing nationwide
is showing clear improvement with each fight, Avila expects to be at his
best ever in 2015.
Also undefeated, Jermell Charlo (25-0, 11 KOs) currently ranked third in the world by the WBC, fourth
by IBF and first in the WBO, is set to make a bid for a world title.
His
strength was displayed on Dec 12th when he didn't lose a round in a unanimous decision victory over Mario Lozano (28-6, 22 KOs). His twin brother,
Jermall Charlo (20-0, 16 KOs) is not far behind after he spoiled the U.S. debut of
Lenny Bottai (22-3, 9 KOs), defeating the Italian
via technical knockout at :38 of the third round in an IBF Junior Middleweight Title Eliminator on Dec. 12th.
GOLDEN BOY LIVE! ALIVE AND WELL ON FOX SPORTS 1 AND FOX DEPORTES
Popular Series Turns 'One' and Continues To Build Steam
Golden Boy Promotions' Golden Boy Live! series grew exponentially during 2014 with over two dozen fight cards taking place across the country televised live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes.
From Southern California to New England, fight fans from all corners of
the country were treated to top-level high energy competition that
showcased up and coming talent that is undoubtedly the future of the
sport.
An eclectic lineup of fighters have found FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes home including fan favorites Julian Ramirez , Joseph "Jo Jo" Diaz Jr., and Diego De La Hoya; all of whom have shown great promise during their Golden Boy Live! performances.
"It's been a great privilege to be showcased on Golden Boy Live!,"
said Diaz Jr. "The exposure has been tremendous and I have been able to
reach out to a lot of new fans. I am honored to be part of
the Golden Boy family."
With
shows at least twice a month, Golden Boy Promotions took advantage of
different holidays, and happenings throughout the year including fights
on Memorial Day, St. Patrick's Day and even during the first ever New
York City Super Bowl week with a special edition fight hosted at
Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
"The Golden Boy Live! series
has allowed us to make even better on our promise to bring exciting
fights to fans and continue to provide the best platforms for our
fighters," said De La Hoya. "With three exciting fight cards already
announced for the beginning of 2015, we are looking forward to making
many more memorable match-ups and seeing prospects turn into contenders
and even champions."
CANELO'S STAR KEEPS GETTING BRIGHTER
The year 2014 saw Canelo Alvarez'
(44-1-1, 31 KOs) star continue to rise at an exponential rate. With two
pay-per-view fights in the books and the announcement of a major
multi-fight deal with HBO, Canelo is looking to take the momentum from
the past year and make 2015 an even greater success.
He kicked off his 2014 campaign on March 8, when he stopped fellow countryman Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo (22-5, 18 KOs) in a 12-round main event, which drew over 400,000 pay-per-view buys, an impressive feat.
Canelo faced Cuba's Erislandy "The American Dream" Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs) on July 12 in a pay-per-view 12-round bout that packed
the house at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The Mexican fan favorite emerged
victorious once again, this time via split decision following a tough
test against Lara.
The landmark multi-fight deal with HBO sets Canelo up for even greater things. The former world champion had been featured on the network seven times previously.
However, the agreement signed in September will undoubtedly set Canelo up for
memorable matches and even more exposure in the years to come.
"For
all of my career, I have wanted to fight on HBO for one main reason-I
believe it will allow more of my fans to see me in action," said
Canelo. "[This] marks a huge milestone for me, and I look forward to a
long and successful partnership with HBO."
GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS STANDS BY FUTURE HALL OF FAMER AND COMPANY PARTNER BERNARD "THE ALIEN" HOPKINS
It is no surprise that Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs) had another record-breaking year. First, he returned
to our nation's capital and made history on April 19, when he defeated
the unbeaten Beibut Shumenov (15-2, 10 KOs), over 12 rounds to
defend his IBF World Light Heavyweight title and add the WBA Super World
Light Heavyweight title making him, at 49, the oldest fighter in
history to unify major world titles.
In a move he didn't have to make, but took on gladly, Bernard Hopkins agreed to fight heavy-handed Russian Sergey Kovalev (26-0-1, 23 KOs) in a Nov. 8 WBA-WBO-IBF Light Heavyweight unification bout co-promoted with Main Events.
"The Alien" would lose the bout - and his WBA and IBF titles - but his
courageous stand earned Hopkins even more die-hard fans. In Hopkins'
words, "I may have lost the fight, but I won a lot of hearts."
As Hopkins quickly approaches his 50th birthday on January 15, Golden Boy Promotions will celebrate with an
exciting night of fights in "The Alien's" hometown of Philadelphia live
on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes.
"Bernard
Hopkins was a standout fighter for me this year, and I'm proud of what
he accomplished," said Oscar De La Hoya. "He trained hard, he fought
hard, and won over many fans with his inspiring story of determination,
fighting a formidable opponent like Kovalev at the age of 49. He's
earned the respect of many, deservedly so."
OTHER GREAT FIGHTS IN 2014...
LUCAS MATTHYSSE AND JOHN MOLINA WAGE WAR IN CARSON
Lucas "La Máquina" Matthysse (36-3, 34 KOs) fought John Molina Jr.(27-5, 22 KOs)
at StubHub Center, in Carson, Calif. "La Máquina" knocked out Molina in the 10th round to take the WBC Continental Americas title.
MAYWEATHER TESTED BY MAIDANA TWICE, BUT STILL PREVAILS
The remarkable unbeaten run of Floyd Mayweather continued in 2014, but it wasn't without some rocky moments as "Money" faced Argentina's Marcos "El Chino" Maidana (35-5, 31 KOs) on May 3 and saw one of the toughest battles of his
storied career winning a close 12-round majority decision that left
fight fans clamoring for more.
The fans got their wish when the two met in a memorable rematch on September 13 as Golden Boy Promotions teamed up with Mayweather Promotions for the eighth time. While Mayweather scored another close decision
victory, the fight generated almost one million pay-per-view buys
showing yet again that boxing is alive and well.
RANDY CABALLERO'S ROAD TRIP TO GLORY
Randy "El Matador" Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs) brought new meaning to "world" class fighter as he
traveled around the globe in search of championship gold. In April, he
scored a technical knockout victory over Kohei Oba (36-3-1, 14 KOs) in Japan in an IBF Bantamweight title eliminator. Seven months later, "El Matador" defeated Stuart "Stuey" Hall (16-4-2, 7 KOs) in Monte Carlo to win the vacant IBF Bantamweight World
title. Up next, Caballero is set to defend his belt against Alberto "Metro" Guevara (18-2,
6 KOs) in a homecoming match at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio,
Calif. on Feb. 27, 2015 ON Fox Sports 1 and Fox Deportes.
DANNY GARCIA REMAINS UNDEFEATED AND DEFENDS HIS TITLE FOR THE FIFTH TIME
Danny "Swift" Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs) undefeated WBA Super Light Welterweight and WBC Super
Lightweight Champion ended 2014 with a bang. He successfully defended
his titles against veteran Mauricio "El Maestro" Herrera (21-5, 7
KOs) in a tough 12-round bout in the land of his heritage at the
Coliseo Rubén Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Garcia won the fight
in a majority decision retaining his 140-pound division title for the
fifth time.
Adrien Broner makes a comeback in 2014
One of the most polarizing figures in boxing today, Adrien "The Problem" Broner (29-1, 22 KOs) always entertains, in and out of the ring. On May 3, Broner bounced back from the first loss of his career against Marcos "El Chino" Maidana (35-5, 31 KOs) by dominating Carlos Molina (17-2-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round decision win. He marked a triumphant homecoming in Cincinnati with a gutsy 12-round decision win over tough Emmanuel "Tranzformer" Taylor (18-3, 12 KOs) proving to the boxing community that he is definitely a fighter to watch out for in 2015.
DANNY JACOBS, CANCER SURVIVOR CLAIMS WBA MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
Brooklyn native, Danny "Miracle Man" Jacobs (28-1, 25 KOs), keeps proving to the world that he will not be
stopped. After his 2011 diagnosis and treatment of osteosarcoma, an
aggressive cancer that caused partial paralysis in his legs and revealed
itself as a quarter-sized tumor wrapped around his spine, Jacobs has
kept the gloves on and has remained undefeated since 2010. He returned
to professional boxing in 2012 defeating Josh "The Future" Lutheran (13-2, 9 KOs) in the first round and has continued the trend in 2014, stopping Milton "El Misil" Nunez (28-12-1, 25 KOs) in the first round in March and defeating Jarrod "Left Jab" Fletcher (18-3, 10 KOs) in August to win the vacant WBA middleweight title,
becoming the first cancer survivor to win a world championship.
LEO SANTA CRUZ STAYS UNDEFEATED
Crowd-pleasing WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo "Terremoto" Santa Cruz (28-0-1, 16 KOs) remains undefeated in 2014 after two title defenses against Cristian Mijares (51-8-2, 25 KOs) in March, and Manuel Roman (17-3-3, 6 KOs) in Sept. Now, Santa Cruz will put his title and unbeaten record on the line in a 12-round bout against Jesus "Estrella" Ruiz (33-5-5, 22 KOs) on Jan. 17, 2015, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on SHOWTIME® Before stepping up a notch in weight, Santa Cruz was the IBF
Bantamweight World Champion, winning that belt in June 2012 and making
three defenses. An excellent body puncher who is at his best when he
keeps up a relentless pace, pressures his opponents and wears them down,
Santa Cruz is 7-0 with three knockouts in world title fights.
DAVID LEMIEUX'S GRAND U.S. DEBUT
Montreal, Canada's David Lemieux (33-2, 31 KOs) made his grand debut in the U.S. on Dec. 6 at Barclays
Center in Brooklyn, NY, in a 12-round headlining match against fan
favorite Gabriel "King" Rosado (21-9, 13 KOs). The beloved Canadian not only retained his NABF
middleweight title, but also made a serious statement as a contender for
2015 bouts against the elite of the division.
TWO FIGHTS - ONE NIGHT: AMIR "KING" KHAN RULES & MAURICIO HERRERA IMPRESSES
Golden Boy Promotions closed out the year with a busy night in Sin City.
At
the MGM Grand Garden Arena, a night of great match-ups top to bottom
left fight fans excited for 2015. The headlining fight between Amir "King" Khan (30-3, 19 KOs) and Devon Alexander "The Great" (26-3,
14 KOs) was arguably one of Khan's best performances as the "King"
dominated from start to finish to take a 12-round unanimous decision
solidifying his place as a contender for a potential showdown against
Floyd Mayweather in 2015.
The same night a few minutes down the Las Vegas Strip at the Cosmopolitan as part of a Top Rank-promoted fight card,, Mauricio "El Maestro" Herrera (21-5, 7 KOs), proved to be one of gutsiest fighters in the sport as he faced Jose Benavidez Jr. (22-0,
15 KOs) in a 12-round matchup. Unfortunately, Herrera was on the short
end of another controversial decision for the interim WBA super
lightweight title, a verdict Golden Boy Promotions plans to appeal in
order to pursue a rematch.
ABNER MARES REBOUNDS
Showcased in the Khan v. Alexander undercard, Abner Mares (28-1-1, 15 KOs), took on former WBO International Featherweight World Champion Jose Ramirez, (25-5-2, 15 KOs) from Mazatlán, Mexico. Mares
and Ramirez traded blows and landed quality punches, but it was the
former champion who consistently got the better of the exchanges and
landed the more damaging shots. Mares, who landed 57 percent of his
power shots, scored knockdowns in the first, third and fifth round, with
the final knockout coming as a result of a vicious three punch combo.
Ramirez' corner had seen enough and wisely stopped the bout following
the fifth round. Mares has been consistently building on his victory
over Jonathan Oquendo (24-4, 16 KOs), showing that he will be ready to give all boxing fans the re-match they want to see against Jhonny Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KOs) in 2015.
JORGE LINARES MAKES HISTORY IN 2014
Eight months shy of his 30th birthday, Jorge "El Nino de Oro" Linares (38-3, 25 KOs) becoma the youngest Venezuelan to win world titles in three divisions when he beat Mexico's Javier "Implacable" Prieto (24-8-2,
18 KOs) for the vacant WBC Lightweight World Championship on Dec. 30 at
the Metropolitan Gym in Tokyo, Japan. Linares, a former world champion
at featherweight and super featherweight, a Barinas native and Tokyo
resident has been undefeated for more than two years, winning seven
consecutive bouts, five by knockout.
GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS FAMILY CELEBRATES HOLIDAYS AND RETREATS TO THE BIG APPLE
As a former professional athlete, Golden Boy Promotions president and founder Oscar De La Hoya certainly understands the importance of teamwork and having support in
one's corner. Therefore, he made a point to focus additional energy on
building a team and family within the walls of the Golden Boy office.
With special holiday celebrations and even a company-wide retreat to New
York City in the fall, Golden Boy Promotions is ready to take on 2015
with an even greater sense of purpose working together as a team to
ensure that each event with the Golden Boy name attached is the best
that it can be.
OSCAR DE LA HOYA FOUNDATION ENDS YEAR WITH ANNUAL SEASON OF GIVING
Golden Boy Promotions headed into the holidays by completing its 'Season of Giving' with the 18th Annual Oscar De La Hoya FoundationToy Give Away on Saturday, Dec. 20 at the Oscar De La Hoya Ánimo Charter High School.
The foundation served over 1,500 children in the East Los Angeles
community, and pre-selected the recipients from local elementary schools
and church groups. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs were in attendance
and Captain Steve Biagini of the East Los Angeles Sherriff Station came
by to meet with the high school students and volunteers.
Earlier in the year the foundation in association with the California Municipal Finance Authority donated
new, state-of-the-art boxing equipment to the youth that train at the
Santa Ana Boxing Club in Santa Ana, Calif. And in honor of the
Thanksgiving holiday, the foundation hosted its 18th Annual Turkey Giveaway joined by star fighters Randy "El Matador" Caballero, Hugo "The Boss" Centeno Jr., Gabriel "King" Rosado, Joseph "Jo Jo" Diaz Jr., Julian "El Camarón" Ramirez and Diego De La Hoya.
They helped distribute more than 500 turkeys, fixings and other food
products to the community with the help of sponsors: the Oscar De La
Hoya Foundation, Tampico, Coca Cola, Jersey Mikes, Bonerts Pies, Davalan
Fresh Sales, Mission Foods and Vallarta Markets.
"I
love being able to give back, and I believe that it is better to give
than to receive," De La Hoya said. "My success in boxing and business
has enabled me to give back to the community from which I came, and to
support efforts that truly improve the lives of others. I'm very
blessed, and I want to be able to be a blessing to others this holiday
season. It is truly an honor to be able to do that."
On Aug. 11th the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation hosted its 14th annual charity golf classic at the Lakeside Country Club, in Burbank, Calif. This year, the great Sugar Ray Leonard attended the event as well as Brian McKnight, Scott Wolfe, Alfonso Ribeiro and Piolin. All proceeds raised benefitted the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation.
Click HERE to download images of the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation 2014 Events
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