Category Archives: News
Robert Brant: The Only American in the World Boxing Super Series!
Robert Brant Returns on FLOBOXING.TV
Don’t miss Rob Brant fight LIVE on FloBoxing.tv here: http://bit.ly/2ifGjo4
CBS SPORTS ON FLOBOXING.TV
Part of the FloSports Network, FloBoxing is the authority for amateur and professional boxing. Friday, November 11th, FloBoxing brings you live coverage of the CBS Sports Undercard action from Greg Cohen Promotions. The event includes power-punching 154-pound prospect Skender Halili (11-1 11 KOs), who looks to continue his explosive 2016 as he fights the upset-minded Damian Hill. Catch all of the action and become a FloPRO member today!
When: Friday, November 11th
On TV: Now Available on Roku & Apple TV 4
Streaming: Available only on FloBoxing – $20 monthly or $150 yearly. Yearly FloPro access is to ALL FloSports sites, including FloCombat, FloGrappling, FloWrestling, and more. SIGN UP HERE
WITH HIGHLIGHT-REEL KNOCKOUT, MASON MENARD NOW SERIOUS CONTENDER IN LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION
‘He’s Ready for Anybody’ says Promoter Greg Cohen
It’s been three days since “the shot heard round the world,” the one-punch knockout Louisiana lightweight Mason “Rock Hard Mighty” Menard scored over opponent Eudy Bernardo. VIDEO: http://s.sho.com/1NtEYjW
In what should have been a fight against his toughest opponent to date, Menard (31-1, 23 KOs) destroyed the Dominican Bernardo, dropping him in the second and finishing their nationally televised ShoBox: The New Generation co-main event with a single right hand at 2:11 of the third.
In what will certainly be a “Knockout of the Year” candidate, Menard’s devastating right hand left the formerly undefeated Bernardo unconscious and announced the 27-year-old as an unexpected fighter to watch in the lightweight division.
” I train hard, diet right. I get good sparring. I do everything to the tee. I go to church on Sundays and the blessing come true for me,” said a happy Menard, post-fight. “It felt great to be on the world stage and perform like that. With all my people back home watching and developing new fans out of the people watching everywhere, it’s just a great feeling. I want to continue this.”
At the time of the KO, Bernardo appeared to be seriously hurt and was taken from the ring on a stretcher. He has since recovered. “I knew in my mind it’d last about three rounds, but I didn’t expect that shot to take him out,” continued Menard. “It’s a great feeling to get a victory, but I’d rather my opponent walk out of the ring. I saw he was seriously hurt and I got down on one knee and said a prayer for him.”
For Menard’s promoter, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions, the victory was not unexpected, despite Bernardo being favored going in, but is still a very pleasant development.
“With one punch, Mason is now a serious contender in the lightweight division,” said Cohen. “He’s ready for any of the champions including Jorge Linares, Rances Barthelemy or Terry Flanagan.”
With a humble nature and movie-star good looks, Cohen saw the potential in Menard immediately. “Now everyone knows what we already did. He’s a sensational fighter with true star potential. I’m very excited to be working with him.”
“I’m ready for anybody,” said Menard. “As long as business is right, I’m not scared of anybody, bring them on!”
Eric Hunter Takes On Lee Selby for the IBF World Featherweight Championship
Upcoming world title challenger Eric “The Outlaw’ Hunter is in London and feeling more motivated now than ever to take the title away from Welsh champion Lee Selby.
A proud Philadelphia fighter, Hunter (21-3, 11 KOs) will face Selby (22-1, 8 KOs) in a 12-round battle this Saturday, April 9, for Selby’s IBF World Featherweight Championship at The O2 in London. The bout will serve as the featured fight before undefeated IBF Heavyweight World Champion Charles Martin defends his belt against fellow unbeaten Anthony Joshua. Extensive highlights of Hunter vs. Selby will be shown on SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL®, prior to live coverage of Martin-Joshua (LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT).
“I wasn’t invited to the open workout yesterday,” said Hunter. “They had an open workout for Selby and didn’t have one for me. I’m kind of irritated about that. It’s not even fair to the fans, you know? I’m sure that a lot of fans wanted to see who their man is fighting. I have no choice but to use it as fuel for even more motivation.”
The 29-year-old Hunter, in Europe for the first time, says he doesn’t mind travelling to win this championship. In fact, despite being an underdog via the odds makers, Hunter says his victory won’t be an upset. “I won’t call it an upset when I win. I’m the better fighter. And it doesn’t bother me to come here. All the great ones had to do it. I want to be great, so I have to do this. As long as they don’t cheat me with the judges, I’m ok.”
Hunter says his victory will be the culmination of his lifelong dream. “It would mean everything. It would right my wrongs. All those who doubted me. All my failures and letdowns on the way here. It will turn all my negatives into positives.”
ICYMI: ROB BRANT SCORES EARLY ‘KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR’ CANDIDATE
Undefeated middleweight prospect Rob Brant scored the most impressive victory of his career with a fourth-round knockout of Decarlo Perez in the main event ofShoBox: The New Generation, live on SHOWTIME on Friday from Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Ariz.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHT: http://s.sho.com/1QqySWm
Known more for his boxing prowess, Brant (19-0, 12 KOs) displayed impressive power. After a big first round, in which he threw 97 punches and more of the same in the second, Brant floored Perez with a straight-right shot midway through the third.
The Minnesota native kept on the gas in the fourth and landed another straight right that sent Perez falling straight back partially through the ropes. Perez (15-4-1, 5 KOs) awkwardly landed back into the ring and referee Rocky Burke instantly ended the fight at :39.
“The game plan was to be aggressive,” Brant said. “We knew we wanted to show him our power early and make him respect us right away. When I caught him with the right on the temple in the third I knew we had him. And then when I connected in the fourth it was lights out, game over. I just want to get back in the ring as soon as possible and continue making progress.”
Perez, who entered the fight coming off an impressive win over previously undefeated Juan Ubaldo Cabrera last August on ShoBox, said he just got caught with a good shot.
“I just got caught,” Perez said. That’s all that happened. I didn’t see the shot coming and he was speedier than I thought. He’s fast and he got me with something I wasn’t ready for.”
SHOWTIME analyst Steve Farhood was surprised by Brant’s performance.
“Brant showed a dimension we hadn’t seen before,” Farhood said. “He’s thinking man’s fighter who fought an angry fight. And, as result of that, you have to put him near the very top of the list of middleweight prospects.”
Photo Credit Esther Lin/SHOWTIME
Barroso Predictions Come True: New WBA Lightweight Champ is Now THE Puncher to Watch in Boxing
As he predicted in the week leading up to the fight, lightweight powerhouse Ismael Barroso cemented himself as THE puncher to watch in the lightweight division by scoring an impressive knockout over England’s Kevin Mitchell on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London. A new star in boxing, Barroso is now the Interim WBA World Champion.
Barroso dropped Mitchell three times en-route to a TKO 5. At the time of the stoppage he was up 40-35 on one card and 39-36 on the other two.
Barroso’s promoter, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions, couldn’t be happier.
“Kevin Mitchell was very close to winning a world title in his last fight and was universally recognized as a world-class lightweight and Ismael was a nearly 4 to 1 underdog. But from the opening bell, my guy dominated. Not only did Ismael show off his world-class power, he showed excellent boxing ability, speed and defense as well.”
Such an impressive display was Barroro’s, he dropped the normally durable Mitchell hard with a jab, that Cohen says his fighter is on the fast track to becoming the world’s best.
“Ismael’s power is uncanny for a lightweight and he is one of those rare fighters, like a vintage Mike Tyson, or Edwin Valero, where his opponents are already beaten before they get in the ring due to fear,” continued Cohen. “Now that he has a WBA World Title, he will have the platform to showcase his crushing power and enormous talent on a large stage.”
Next for Barroso will be another Englishman, Antony Crolla, by way of WBA resolution which called for the winner of Perez V. Crolla to face the winner of Barroso V. Mitchell within 120 days.
“We can only hope that Anthony Crolla, who was sitting ringside Saturday night, doesn’t get gun-shy and embraces the challenge,” said Cohen. “We look forward to returning to England and Ismael having another opportunity to display his talents.”
Ismael Barroso fights under the Greg Cohen Promotions banner, in association with David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions.
About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.
Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.
Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen first made promotional headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.
In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney.
Cohen currently promotes multiple world champion and boxing superstar Zab Judah and former world champion Kendall Holt, as well as current world-rated contenders including top undefeated cruiserweight Lateef Kayode, long-time elite middleweight “Mean” Joe Greene, lightweight KO artist Ismael Barroso, top super featherweight Arash Usmanee, Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis; WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Australian lightweight prospect Josh King.
Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including CBS Sports Network, HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.
For more information, visit gcpboxing.com. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing. Twitter: @GCPBoxing.
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