NEW YORK CITY (DEC. 15, 2018): Canelo Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs) entered a select list of Mexican fighters to become a three-division world champion as he defeated Rocky Fielding (27-2, 15 KOs) of Liverpool, England via third-round technical knockout in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,112 boxing fans at Madison Square Garden and live on DAZN. The fight was stopped at 2:38 of the third round.

"That was the plan in the gym, to hit the body and then move up, and that's the result. You see the result here," said Canelo Alvarez. I feel very good and very strong at 168 pounds. I didn't have to dehydrate myself to make weight. We'll have to see with what I do next. I have to talk to my team, enjoy the holiday and then I'll talk to my team. But right now, without a doubt, what I want are the best fights. My goal is to make good fights for the people, for the public, and to make sure the name of Canelo Alvarez and of Mexico is held up high."

"It was the opportunity of a lifetime," said Rocky Fielding. "I'm thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this big fight. I think Canelo has the power to face anyone at 168 pounds."

In the co-main event, Tevin Farmer (28-4-1, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania successfully defended his IBF Super Featherweight World Title against Francisco Fonseca (22-2-1,16 KOs) of San Ramon, Costa Rica via 12-round unanimous decision. Farmer won with three scores of 117-111.

"It was a good performance," said Tevin Farmer. "He was really, really tough. And after a few rounds, we saw that and we started working on things. It's all a road to improve. I say it was a C+, B- performance. Nowadays, I really have a lot of anger built up, good anger though, and I just want to hurt everybody when I'm in the ring. I don't have no sympathy."

"I've been on the road this whole year...I wanted to just let everybody know that I'll be home in Philadelphia in March, I'm bringing everything back home baby. Who wants to fight me? That's the question."

"Is that the fight that I want [against Gervonta Davis]? We've moved past him. Does he want to fight me? Like I said, we active, we getting paid. It's time for him to fight and stay active and then he can come see me."

Sadam Ali (27-2, 14 KOs) of Brooklyn, New York defeated Mauricio Herrera (24-8, 7 KOs) of Riverside, Calif. via unanimous decision in a ten-round welterweight battle. Ali won with scores of 100-90, 99-91, 98-92.

"Honestly, I didn't look good in there," said Sadam Ali. "I felt like I won sloppy. Herrera made me look terrible in there. He's a rugged fighter. And I fell in there that last moment of the fight the same way I fell when I fought Miguel Cotto. I felt like the cards were a lot closer than what the judges said they were."

"It was an okay fight," said Mauricio Herrera. "I had to shake a lot of the rust off, but it was a good pace. Overall, I thought I won the fight. I had him missing a lot in there, and I wasn't that tired.

Ryan Garcia (17-0, 14 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. stopped Braulio Rodriguez (19-4, 17 KOs) of La Romana, Dominican Republic via knockout in the fifth round of a lightweight bout originally slated for ten rounds. Garcia won with a time of 1:14 of the aforementioned round.

"I wasn't looking for the knockout because a lot of people say, if this kid can fight, I just see skills on Instagram," said Ryan Garcia. "I wanted to show them that I can fight and I am for real."

"That was the main thing coming in. We knew from the weigh-ins when [Rodriguez] pushed me that he would try to intimidate me, I think that's what he was trying to do, but I came in here and I was like, that's not going to happen."

"Man, I can't thank them [Eddy and Chepo Reynoso] enough. They took me in like family. They took care of me good. I don't speak Spanish but they took care of me. I don't speak Spanish, but I got the Mexican blood in me. Viva Mexico!"

"When I was first coming up, I made the mistake thinking when I was knocking everyone out that I can conquer the world. I know it's a process and I'm going to trust everyone and trust my team. I'm not scared of nobody."

Katie Taylor (12-0, 5 KOs) of Bray, Ireland defeated Eva Wahldtrom (22-1-1, 3 KOs) of Helsinki, Finland via unanimous decision, defending her IBF & WBA Lightweight World titles in a 10-round fight. Taylor won with three scores of 100-90.

"The goal is to be the undisputed lightweight champion of the world," said Katie Taylor. "Obviously one of the biggest fighters out there is Amanda Serrano, and that's a huge, huge fight. Let's get it on."

"That's probably the biggest compliment I can get to get, being compared to Sugar Ray Leonard [regarding his hand speed]. He's one of my favorite fighters. I've watched a lot of his videos, and my goal is to be as good as him."

Lamont Roach Jr. (18-0-1, 7 KOs) of Washington, D.C successfully defended his WBO title against Alberto Mercado (15-2-1, 3 KOs) of Humacao, Puerto Rico via unanimous decision in a super featherweight battle. Roach Jr. won with scores of 99-91, 98-92, 97-93.

"I controlled most of the fight, and felt like I hurt him in almost every round," said Lamont Roach. "I am proud of the fight that I had tonight - most fighters don't take the type of fights I say yes to. I'll do what it takes to make it to the top and that means fighting skilled fighters."

"I feel good, but it's a bummer going 10 when I know can end it earlier and go less. Other than that, the fight was tough. I dominated in everyone and I hurt him in everyone. I know who the WBO and WBA champions are. [Masayuki] Ito and Alberto Machado.  I'll fight any of them. But I'm in line to fight for the WBO Title, so I really hope that happens next."

Yves Ulysse Jr. (17-1, 9 KOs) of Montreal, Canada won against Maximiliano Becerra (16-3-2, 8 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif. via unanimous decision in a eight-round super lightweight bout. Ulysse Jr. won with scores of 79-71, 78-72, 78-72.

"It was truly a dream coming true to fight at the Madison Square Garden," said Yves Ulysse Jr. "All the best fighters have fought here and the atmosphere is really unique. I felt like home in the ring. I'm happy about my performance: I've stick to the game plan, was patient to get the openings and hurt him."

Bilal Akkawy (19-0-1, 15 KOs) of Sydney, Australia defeated Victor Fonseca (17-9-1, 14 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico via TKO in the seventh round in a super middleweight fight originally scheduled for eight rounds. Akkawy won with a time of 2:53 of the aforementioned round.

"There is a lot of room for improvement," said Bilal Akkawy. "I wasn't myself in there, but I'll be working on that when I get back to the gym. It's an honor to have fought here [Madison Square Garden]. The plan now is to enjoy the holiday and then head to Mexico so I can get ready for my next fight."

LAS VEGAS (May 4, 2017) - Fighters on the undercard of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. hosted a press conference today at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino ahead of their bouts on Saturday, May 6. Co-main event fighters former IBF Middleweight Champion David Lemieux (37-3, 33 KOs) and Middleweight contender Marco "Dorado" Reyes (35-4, 26 KOs) were joined by former WBC Silver Super Lightweight Champion Lucas "La Maquina" Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs), Welterweight contender Emmanuel "Tranzformer" Taylor (20-4, 14 KOs), NABF Featherweight Champion Joseph "Jojo" Diaz, Jr. and IBA Featherweight Champion Manuel "Tino" Avila (22-0, 8 KOs) on the HBO Pay-Per-View portion beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Fighting on the preliminary undercard "free view" stream beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT, lightweight prospect Ryan "Kingry" Garcia (8-0, 7 KOs) will face Tyrone Luckey (8-6-3, 6 KOs) and flyweight prospect Marlen Esparza (1-0) will take on Samantha Salazar (2-3-1). Former Mexican Olympian Raul "El Cugar" Curiel will make his pro debut against Jesus Sanchez (1-1-2).

Super bantamweight contender Ronny Rios (27-1, 12 KOs) will fight Daniel Noriega (28-10-1, 15 KOs) and lightweight prospect Joseph "Diamante" Aguirre (16-0, 9 KOs) will take on Angel Aispuro (8-4-2) beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Below is what the fighters and their teams had to say at today's final press conference:

ERIC GOMEZ, President of Golden Boy Promotions:

"We at Golden Boy Promotions have stacked this card from top to bottom, and I believe it is our best undercard yet with fighters from three continents here making this a global event on Cinco de Mayo. Throughout the night of May 6, fans will see a range of great action fights from some of our top prospects; to battles of undefeated contenders; to the return of former world champions.

"I also just received confirmation that our May 5th show tomorrow is completely sold out, thank you to all of our fight fans who have sold out this show and our May 6th show.

BERNARD HOPKINS, Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions Business Partner:

"I want the young fighters to know this a great opportunity to be on this Cinco de Mayo undercard with Canelo and Chavez, Jr. This is a great moment to become a champion and be a part of this historical event. Take care of business, and be sure to put on a great show."

TONY WALKER, Vice President of HBO Pay-Per-View:

"Our distributors have always told us undercards matter, when you think about it-there is four hours of time to fill. People want to be entertained during that time, so it really helps when you have an exciting undercard to the main event."

"We feel David Lemieux, Lucas Matthysse, Joseph Diaz Jr., all enhance this card and from their strong fan bases in Canada, Argentina and Los Angeles, we expect the fans to be very happy with these great fights."

CAMILLE ESTEPHAN, President of Eye of the Tiger Management:

"This is very exciting, as a fan of boxing, this is an amazing card. Every fight is a must-see. I want to mention the industry of boxing-with the right fights, people come out. We are here to contribute to this great show. David is read, and you can expect fireworks from this co-main event."

DAVID LEMIEUX, Former IBF Middleweight World Champion:

"I'm back, I'm expecting this to be a great night of boxing and to put on a show. I started training immediately after my last fight in March and look forward to Saturday night."

MARCO "DORADO" REYES, Middleweight Contender:

"Without my team, I wouldn't be here. This is going to be an explosive fight between two big puncher fighters in the ring."

MARIO ARANO, President of Arano Boxing:

"We're very excited and very happy for this fight-moving up to weight to welterweight has been a blessing for us. We have a team that has worked with Lucas for 14 years, and it has been a blessing to move up in weight divisions. There is no possibility for Lucas to return to 140. I want to remind you all, Lucas never retired, he is back and ready to give more wars."

LUCAS "LA MAQUINA" MATTHYSSE, Former WBC Silver Super Lightweight Champion:

"Training camp has been great with Joel Diaz, it has worked so well with him. I'm going to put on a great fight-see everyone on Saturday."

JOE DEGUARDIA, President of Star Boxing:

"There are many special things about the Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. fight. I'm extremely impressed with the undercard, and it is amazing we can put together a quality card like this for the fight. It's a true testimony to the sport."

EMANUEL "TRANZFORMER" TAYLOR, Welterweight Contender:

"May 6-what can I say? Lucas Matthysse is strong and powerful but it's my time now. I'm here and I'm hungry, I've been working my whole life for this. I'm excited to fight in front of all the Mexican fans on Cinco de Mayo-expect fireworks on May 6."

JOSEPH "JOJO" DIAZ, JR., NABF Featherweight Champion:

"We had a ten week training camp, and trained very hard for this fight. We're both young, undefeated fighters and there is a lot at stake here for of us because we could both potentially be mandatory challengers. We're going to put on a great show for the millions watching and the thousands in attendance."

MANUEL "TINO" AVILA, IBA Featherweight Champion:

"I've been with Golden Boy my whole career, and without them-I wouldn't be at this stage right now. This is going to be an action-packed fight and someone's '0' has to go."

MARLEN ESPARZA, Super Flyweight Prospect:

"I'm really excited about this opportunity and experience, and I want to thank everyone for backing me and seeing the vision I see. I'm very proud to be on this card with so many other amazing fighters. On fight night, it's not about win or lose, its about how I win."

RYAN "KINGRY" GARCIA, Lightweight Prospect:

"I put a lot of dedication to this fight, I'm treating this like a world championship fight. I'm coming in explosive with my speed and power-and everyone will see me put on a tremendous show on Saturday night."

TYRONE LUCKEY, Lightweight Prospect:

"Come May 6th, I'm going to give Ryan Garcia the best fight of this life. A little physical education is always good and everyone will see us put on a great fight."

RAUL "EL CUGAR" CURIEL, Former Mexican Olympian:

"You will see me put on the best show in the ring, and I want to thank everybody involved who helped us put on a great night of boxing."

RONNY RIOS, Super Bantamweight Contender:

"This is my first fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend, so I want to thank my family, Golden Boy Promotions and my team-I wouldn't be here without them."

JOSEPH "DIAMANTE" AGUIRRE, Lightweight Prospect:

"I'm really excited, I come from Cancun, Mexico and I'm looking forward to this opportunity. This is my first time fighting in Vegas-I've always fought in Mexico, so this is a dream come true for me."

Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with TGB and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Adriana's Insurance and Interjet. Lemieux vs. Reyes is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management. Matthysse vs. Taylor is a 10-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Boxing and Star Boxing. Diaz, Jr. vs. Avila is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event will take place Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. and the first fight begins at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Lineal middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) surprisingly weighed in even below the junior middleweight limit. He only weighed 153.5 lbs., which is .5 lbs. under the junior middleweight limit during their official weigh-in at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, North Convention Center - Islander Ballroom on Friday afternoon.

Mexican star Saul Canelo Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) tipped the scales spot on the contracted catchweight limit at 155 lbs.

Canelo has a clear advantage in size for this match-up. The catchweight at 155, I think will play to his advantage in my opinion, because Canelo seemed to struggle to make 154 lately. He tends to tire in the late rounds of his previous fights at 154. An indication he might outgrow his division. One pound could really make the difference here. At 155, it made him not that much drained during the training but not too heavy to make him sluggish and slow. But he should not over re-hydrate.

[caption id="attachment_5399" align="alignnone" width="800"] Photo Credit: HoganPhotos/Golden Boy Promotions[/caption]

SAN ANTONIO (April 8) - Texas knockout artist James "Mandingo Warrior" Kirkland(32-1, 28 KOs) today hosted a media workout in San Antonio in advance of his face-off against Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) on May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston live on HBO World Championship Boxing ®.  In attendance were James Kirkland's trainers, Bay Bay McClinton and Rick Morones and Leija*Battah Promotions' Mike Battah in addition to Texas boxing legend Jesse James Leija.

Texas fighters featured in the non-televised undercard for May 9 were also at today's media workout including James Leija Jr., the son of Texas Boxing Legend Jesse James Leija; Austin's Curtis Meeks (9-1-2, 3 KOs), San Antonio's Cresencio Ramos (2-0, 1 KO), Cut and Shoot, Texas's light heavyweight Alfonso "El Tigre" Lopez (23-3, 18 KOs), Houston lightweight Antonio Capulin (14-0, 6 KOs), and San Antonio's Joseph Rodriguez (8-0, 2 KOs),  all participated in the media workoutS.

Below are what the fighters had to say about their upcoming bouts on May 9 at Minute Maid Park:

JAMES KIRKLAND, Super Welterweight Contender:

"Gerald Tucker, Bay Bay McClinton, Rick Morones are all on my camp. They are working me hard, doing what it takes to win.  Right now I am very happy that they are keeping me busy, motivated and are providing a tough camp for me to be ready on May 9.

"This is the opportunity I have been waiting for and overall I am happy. I feel blessed, and I am going to go out there and make history happen.

"I want to fight Canelo because I know his style.  You see something, you analyze it, and I feel like I can beat him.

"I know Canelo is going to put in the work on fight night.  I want to be a step ahead of him, so if he comes to box or comes for a slug fest, I will be ready."

RICK MORONES, Head Trainer to James Kirkland:

"We all know he can fight; he is not a boring fighter.  We have been improving his defense, his jabs to make him a more complete fighter.

"This fight will take him to the next level and he is very motivated. I see him in the gym everyday.  He has a desire and passion for the sport.

"I am going to promise a great fight on May 9, with fireworks in the ring, and history will be made at Minute Maid Park"

BAY BAY McCLINTON, Strength and Conditioning Trainer to James Kirkland:

"We are ready to rock and roll.  This fight will bring fireworks and will be more exciting than the fight the week before [May 2].

"I have been training him since he was 15-years-old, and he is very comfortable with his new training team.

"This fight will not go the distance, it's not.  I expect James to win via knockout.  Be ready for a good fight James will not let his fans down."

JESSE JAMES LEIJA, Founder of Leija*Battah Promotions and Texas Boxing Legend:

"May 9 is big for Texas and for boxing.  The fight can go either way and with Kirkland's power and Canelo's stamina, it will be a great fight for the boxing fans.

"We have so many great fighters on the card. We are trying to build world champions in Texas and a fight like this can definitely get them there.

"I see the fight ending early, the way these guys fight. I don't see a decision happening. It will definitely be an exciting night."

MIKE BATTAH, President of Leija*Battah:

"We have a great venue with Minute Maid Park, the roof can open and close in 45 seconds! Rain or shine, we will be there on May 9.

JAMES LEIJA JR., Featherweight Prospect:

"I am looking forward to seeing the crowd on fight night.  I have always dreamed of being in the ring in front of a large crowd and May 9 will be my chance to show everyone what I can do in the ring.

"I know my opponent, Eric Butler, has more experience than I do. But, I have seen him fight and I feel like I can out-box him.  I feel like I am a better boxer overall.

"I have been training for about for two months, and I always train as a professional even when I was an amateur.  We have picked it up and made it more challenging, having me spar with undefeated fighters in San Antonio.  I want to make my sparring sessions harder than what the fight will be."

CURTIS MEEKS, Super Lightweight Prospect:

"I'm looking to dominate the fight on May 9. That's what I've come to do. I'm in shape, I'm ready and I'm coming in to give the fans what they want to see.

"My opponent is a young fighter who will be prepared to fight. Kirkland and I grew up together. We've just got to give the fans what they asked for, which is an a**-whooping.

"I have been in camp with James Kirkland. So I've been focused on training every day.  Making sure that I am tested every day. That's what I do. I'm ready to work."

CRESENCIO RAMOS, Featherweight Prospect:

"I am looking to impress fans on May 9and get the win.

"I know my opponent has more experience, and I am going to try to wear him down.

"We started training two weeks ago and adding more power to my punches and using my quickness to me ready for an exciting night at Minute Maid Park."

ALFONSO LOPEZ, Welterweight Prospect:

"I'm looking forward to the excitement of the crowd on May 9. The whole atmosphere, the build-up and knowing that the level of fighters that are going to be there, it's going to be amazing.

"We're working hard. We know my opponent is a southpaw from Cuba. He's very slick. So, we're getting ready the best that we can.

"This year we've been steady at it [training camp] for 10 weeks. The focus has been more punches, more hand speed. I'm trying to sit down on my power a bit more."

ANTONIO CAPULIN, Super Featherweight Prospect:

"I'm looking forward to a big, hard fight. I want to perform; I want to be real good in front of all the fans at Minute Maid Park.

"They

 

have a couple of names in mind for my opponent. Angel Hernandez was one of them.

"I've been training for about a month and a half now, and my focus is to do as many rounds as possible and to be in top shape. I want to give fans a lot of action in the ring."

JOSEPH RODRIGUEZ, Featherweight Prospect:

"I'm very honored and humbled to be part of the fight. I can't wait to show my speed. I'm very elusive so I can't wait to show my talent over all. To be part of this fight is very exciting and I can't wait to show what I have.

"For training camp, we stepped it up for this fight. I feel very confident and prepared for this fight.

"My opponent is from Houston, so I have that against me. He is 3-0, with one draw. He's a lot taller than me. Everybody should be expecting a good fight."

# # #

Tickets priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, are available for purchase at Astros.com/boxing, the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions.  The fight will take place Saturday, May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston Texas and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico - Live it to Believe it!, Fred Loya Insurance and O'Reilly Auto Parts.  Doors open at 11:00 a.m. CT and first bout starts at 11:10 a.m. CT, the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

An all-new edition of 24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland debuts Tuesday, May 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

All opponents will be announced shortly.  For more information, visitwww.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com,www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page,https://www.facebook.com/ SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing orwww.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld.  Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.