Fight News

A new chapter begins for Daniel Jacobs when he faces Luis Arias on Saturday, November 11 at NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Jacobs has been a rising star, and he’s been a comeback story. Today, at age 30 and following the highest-profile fight of his life, he is simply, and very comfortably, Daniel Jacobs.

“I just feel like in my career and in my life, I’m at the most blissful and productive part that I can reach,” said Jacobs. “At the moment I don’t know anything else I can ask for. All my hard work is starting to pay off now, all the years of sacrificing and putting my sport first.

“The fans are really realizing who Daniel Jacobs is and what I bring to the table and most importantly, me as a person. That’s always been the No. 1 thing I’ve always stressed.”

Jacobs began 2017 preparing for the biggest fight of his career, the March showdown against Gennady Golovkin. No fighter had gone the distance with the unbeaten unified world middleweight champion since 2008.

“The build-up was, for me, something that all boxers live for,” said Jacobs. “It was one of the greatest build-ups in any fight, especially for me to be a part of. I enjoyed the build-up. We had our own 24/7. Only superstars get their own 24/7, so that says a lot about the belief in me and where I stand in my career.”

In the ring, Jacobs justified the hype. He took Golovkin to the 12th round for the first time in his career before dropping a narrow unanimous decision. In the ring after the fight, and eight months later, Jacobs remains confident he was the better fighter that night.

Regardless of the decision, it was a fight that changed the way Jacobs sees himself.

“What it means for me was a stamp indicating that I am one of the best in the world, if not the best in the world in my division,” said Jacobs. “Moving forward, it gives me the confidence and mental strength to know I can go in there with the best. Sometimes when you’re in there, you don’t know it. Now I know that I am, it’s going to show in everything that I do.”

And that impression resonated throughout the boxing world. Jacobs’ performance that night only elevated his standing, with plenty of observers sharing his opinion about the decision. The fact he engaged in a lively battle with Golovkin also proved him the type of fighter that would deliver an entertaining fight worth watching.

All that led to the next big step. With promoter Eddie Hearn seeking to expand his Matchroom Boxing enterprise from the United Kingdom to the United States, he found Jacobs to be the perfect fighter to be the face of his new endeavor. Jacobs’ new deal includes a multi-fight package with HBO, which broadcast his battle against Golovkin on pay per view and featured the pair in the latest edition of their 24/7 pre-fight documentary series.

“We got the deal because HBO and Eddie Hearn and a lot of people in the boxing world realized I have the goods,” said Jacobs. “Showing interest in me at this point in time was awesome. Even if some people look at it as a loss, for me it’s a win because a lot of positive things are happening afterwards.”

It all starts next Saturday. Brooklyn native Jacobs has made five BROOKLYN BOXING appearances at Barclays Center. He made his courageous return to the ring there after recovering from a life-threatening cancer battle. He won his WBA middleweight title there. Now he’ll headline the second BROOKLYN BOXING On Long Island fight card at the newly renovated Coliseum.

Jacobs enters the fight with a 32-2 career record and 29 wins by knockout. The opponent is Luis Arias. The 27-year-old brings an 18-0 record with nine knockouts into the biggest fight of his career.

“He’s young, he’s brash, he’s a little arrogant,” said Jacobs. “He’s confident in himself. Some might call it cockiness, but in order to be in this game you have to be a little bit cocky and I like that in him.

“This is a key moment for him in his career, and if I let him sneak through the cracks it can spoil all my plans, so I have to stay sharp.”

Jacobs is having his moment, both in the ring and out, and he doesn’t want to let it go. Earlier this year, Borough President Eric Adams declared April 22, 2017 to be Daniel Jacobs Day in Brooklyn, presenting Jacobs with a proclamation in the ring at Barclays Center. He recently received the Community Champion Award at the first Barclays Center Cares gala, recognizing his community work with his Get in the Ring Foundation battling childhood cancer and obesity.

“My philanthropy work, what I’m doing with my cancer foundation, that being at the forefront of my life, giving back and helping others, I’m at an all-time high right now,” said Jacobs. “Everything is starting to come into one now. Everything is synced.”

A triple-header of world championship boxing came to Barclays Center on October 14, with three super welterweight world champions defending their titles in the same ring on a single night. Their challengers included two undefeated contenders and a former champion as six of the world’s best 154-pound fighters were featured on the same BROOKLYN BOXING fight card.

Among the world champions at 154 pounds, WBA champ Erislandy Lara has held his title the longest. He faced off against Terrell Gausha, a 2012 U.S. Olympian who entered his first world title fight with an undefeated record. 

But Lara was never challenged, putting Gausha on the mat in the fourth round and cruising to a one-sided unanimous decision.

Six months after he made his first defense of the WBC belt with a vicious sixth-round knockout of Charles Hatley at Barclays Center, Jermell Charlo was back in the Brooklyn ring to face undefeated challenger Erickson Lubin, a 22-year-old who had ridden a fast track to his first title shot. 

Charlo made even quicker work this time, dropping Lubin at 2:41 of the first round for the win by knockout. Punching down to the ducking Lubin, Charlo caught the challenger with a right that sent him to the mat. 

“They said they were going to come to take my title,” said Charlo. “I had to defend it.”

The triple-header was launched by a classic battle between Jarrett Hurd, making the first defense of his IBF title, and Austin Trout, the former WBA titlist. Since losing his belt to Saul Alvarez in 2013, Trout had dropped bids to reclaim a title against both Lara and Charlo’s twin brother, Jermall. 

He gave Hurd everything he had before the relentless fight was stopped after the 10th round.

“It’s most definitely tougher to defend the title than win it,” said Hurd. “I’m always the one that comes on stronger at the end of the fight. We knew we were going to wear Austin Trout down in the later rounds and eventually stop him.”

Trout was sharp and aggressive early, until Hurd’s superior power began to inflict damage over the middle rounds. Trout countered, but was losing ground.

Finally, with Trout offering little resistance over the final 30 seconds of the 10th round, the doctor stopped the fight from Trout’s corner. The victory left Hurd calling for a unification bout, and Charlo sounded ready.

“We’re going to unify,” said Charlo. “The other champions want to fight me and I’ll take any of them. Give me another title. I want Hurd. Hurd just won. Give me Hurd.”

Tony Harrison, who lost to Hurd in a fight for the vacant belt earlier this year, won a middleweight decision over Paul Valenzuela Jr., and Cindy Serrano, Chordale Booker, Richardson Hitchins, George Arias and Julian Sosa were victorious.

Plus! Five-Division World Champion, Top Pound-for-Pound Fighter Amanda Serrano Battles Marilyn Hernandez;  Long Island’s Seanie Monaghan Returns; Undefeated Prospects Chris Colbert and Titus Williams Clash In Featherweight Battle

BROOKLYN (October 12, 2017) – Top heavyweight title contender Dominic Breazeale will take on Eric Molina in a 12-round WBC title elimination match on the undercard of the showdown between WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and Bermane Stiverne live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, Nov. 4. The event is presented by Premier Boxing Champions from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™. 

The stacked card will also feature former welterweight champion Shawn Porter taking on Adrian Granados and Sergey Lipinets battling Akihiro Kondo for the vacant junior welterweight title in televised bouts. The live three-fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Plus, five-time world champion Amanda Serrano of Brooklyn takes on Marilyn Hernandez, Long Island’s Seanie Monaghan (28-1-0, 17 KOs) makes his ring return to face Evert Bravo (23-6-1, 17 KOs), from Arboletes, Colombia, and Brooklyn’s Chris Colbert (6-0, 2 KOs) battles Long Island’s Titus Williams (7-0, 2 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight bout.

New prices have been set for tickets to see the event live at Barclays Center, giving fans an unprecedented opportunity to see the heavyweight champion of the world in a rematch against the only contender who has taken him a full 12 rounds. 

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com or by calling 800-745-3000.  Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.  Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

“We’ve recognized that Deontay’s opponent has changed, and we’ve restructured ticket prices to encourage as many fans as possible to attend a great night of fights, and the Heavyweight Championship of the world,’’ said Lou DiBella of DiBella Entertainment, the promoter of the card. “Stiverne is thrilled for this second chance and he has nothing to lose. Bermane Stiverne is the only opponent that Deontay hasn’t knocked out among his professional opponents. Deontay wants to fix that and Stiverne is looking to throw a wrench into Wilder’s dream of heavyweight unification.’’

Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs) dethroned defending champion Stiverne in January 2015 via unanimous decision in what was the promising challenger’s toughest fight to date.  With the win, Wilder became the first American heavyweight champion in nearly a decade and he has gone on to defend the title five times.  Stiverne (25-2-1, 21 KOs) remains the only Wilder opponent to go the distance with the hard-hitting Tuscaloosa, Ala., native who has knocked out every other professional opponent on his long resume. 

Dominic Breazeale (18-1, 16 KOs), who lives in Eastvale, California, is coming off a KO victory over Izu Ugonoh on Feb. 25. The 32-year-old Breazeale suffered the only loss of career in a heavyweight championship match against Anthony Joshua in London on June 25, 2016.

Eric Molina (26-4, 19 KOs) has twice fought for the heavyweight world championship. In his first title shot the 35-year-old from Weslaco, Texas was knocked out by Deontay Wilder on June 13, 2015. Molina lost via TKO to Anthony Joshua in his next opportunity on Dec. 10, 2016. Molina bounced back with a majority decision victory against Jamal Woods in his last fight on Sept. 2.

Five-division world champion Amanda Serrano (33-1-1, 25 KOs) will be making her fourth appearance at Barclays Center when she defends her super bantamweight world title against Marilyn Hernandez (26-10, 17 KOs).  Serrano, who was born in Puerto Rico and lives in Brooklyn, successfully defended her title with a TKO victory over Edina Kiss in her last fight on July 21. Hernandez of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic scored a TKO victory over Maria Hernandez in her last fight on Jan. 10.

Wilder vs. Stiverne World Title Rematch Headlines SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® Tripleheader Beginning Live At 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

BROOKLYN (Oct. 5, 2017) – WBC Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder will defend his title against mandatory challenger Bermane Stiverne on Saturday, Nov. 4 live on SHOWTIME in a rematch of their 2015 world title fight.  The event is presented by Premier Boxing Champions from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.  

Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs) dethroned defending champion Stiverne in January 2015 via unanimous decision in what was the promising challenger’s toughest fight to date.  With the win, Wilder became the first American heavyweight champion in nearly a decade and he has gone on to defend the title five times.  Stiverne (25-2-1, 21 KOs) remains the only Wilder opponent to go the distance with the hard-hitting Tuscaloosa, Ala., native who has knocked out every other professional opponent on his long resume. 

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com or by calling 800-745-3000.  Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.  Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

The Nov. 4 main event will be the second heavyweight world championship bout to air live on SHOWTIME on back-to-back Saturdays.  On Oct. 28 unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua will meet Kubrat Pulev for Joshua’s IBF and WBA world titles in the main event of a fight card from Cardiff, Wales.

After Wilder vs. Stiverne I, Stiverne was hospitalized at University Medical Center in Las Vegas for severe dehydration and muscle damage, which he claimed affected his performance in his first title defense.  Stiverne bounced back with a win over Derric Rossy and has been advocating for a rematch since. 

"Stiverne asked for it, so he’s going to get it,” Wilder said. “Whatever happens happens. Ask and you shall receive.  I’m relieved to be getting my mandatory out of the way.  At least now I won’t have to deal with that down the road.  

“In the first fight, I broke my hand in the third round, and I still dominated.  That was a lot of the reason why it went the distance.  This time it’s a different day, different time and different fight.  This time it won’t end well for him. 

“Despite all of these obstacles that are thrown in my path, it still will not stop me from reaching my ultimate goal, which is to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.''

Stiverne replaces Luis Ortiz, who was pulled from the fight by the WBC on Wednesday after he failed a VADA anti-doping test. 

"Stiverne will pay for Luis Ortiz screwing up,” Wilder concluded. 

Stiverne was in camp preparing to fight Dominic Breazeale in a heavyweight attraction on the Nov. 4 undercard.  Now the Haitian-born Las Vegas resident gets a shot at winning back the heavyweight crown he first won with a knockout of Chris Arreola in 2014. 

"I am ready, willing and able to seize back my title from Wilder," Stiverne said.  "We all know that Wilder dodged a bullet in the first fight, but not this time.  It was my fault, but I learn from my mistakes.  On November 4, Wilder will feel my pain."

After defeating Stiverne, Wilder went on to knockout each of his next five challengers including twice as the headliner on SHOWTIME.  Wilder-Stiverne II will be the 10^th heavyweight world championship fight to air live on SHOWTIME in the last two years as the heavyweight division continues its resurgence.  

"The show must go on, as they say, and Deontay Wilder still plans to put on a show for New York City," said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment and promoter of the stacked Nov. 4 event.  "Considering Stiverne’s status as mandatory challenger, he was always going to be a roadblock in Deontay’s quest for heavyweight unification.  Now it’s time to see if Deontay can clear that roadblock and continue on his path to becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion and the most recognizable and dominant force in boxing.”

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, former welterweight world champion Shawn Porter will battle perennial contender Adrian Granados in a matchup of two all-action fighters.  In the opening bout of the three-fight telecast beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, unbeaten contender Sergey Lipinets will take on Akihiro Kondo for the vacant IBF Junior Welterweight World Championship. 

Undefeated Contender Sergey Lipinets Faces Akihiro Kondo for Vacant IBF Junior Welterweight World Title in Opening Bout of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® Tripleheader Live on SHOWTIME^® at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT Plus, Heavyweights Bermane Stiverne and Dominic Breazeale to Meet in 10-Round Attraction Streaming Live Online via SHOWTIME Sports^®

BROOKLYN– (September 28, 2017) – Former welterweight world champion “Showtime” Shawn Porter will battle Adrian Granados in the featured bout of a stacked undercard for Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™, in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Unbeaten contender Sergey Lipinets will take on Akihiro Kondo for the vacant IBF Junior Welterweight World Championship to open the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader beginning live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Plus, former heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne and former title challenger Dominic Breazeale will meet in a 10-round heavyweight attraction that will stream live on line via SHOWTIME Sports.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

“Deontay Wilder versus Luis Ortiz on November 4 is the best heavyweight championship fight that was makeable this year, and it will be supported by a tremendous action-packed undercard, televised on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Shawn Porter versus Adrian Granados is an all-action, fan-pleasing fight that will once again have fans at Barclays Center cheering. Sergey Lipinets is a knockout artist and up-and-coming star, attempting to secure his first world title. Additionally, SHOWTIME will stream other undercard bouts, including what should be a competitive heavyweight title eliminator between top contenders Bermane Stiverne and Dominic Breazeale.”

"Adrian Granados is as tough as they come and while he may lack the name recognition of Porter, he should not be overlooked,’’ said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “You look at his record and he has five losses, but those five losses are three split decisions and two majority decisions and the two draws that are split draws. This is another huge opportunity for him. Adrian feels he’s paid his dues and belongs in a fight of this magnitude.”

The 10-round welterweight match against Granados will be Porter’s fourth fight at Barclays Center.  Porter won the welterweight title in his debut at the arena with a unanimous decision over Devon Alexander on Dec. 7, 2013.  He lost a narrow decision to unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman in a 2016 Fight of the Year candidate in Brooklyn, and scored a TKO victory against former welterweight champion Andre Berto in his last fight on April 22 in front of the Barclays Center faithful.

The 29-year-old Porter (27-2-1, 17 KOs), who was born in Akron, Ohio and now lives in Las Vegas, remains one of the top welterweights in the division and aims to secure another title shot with a strong performance against Granados. 

"To be fighting on an undercard for a Deontay Wilder fight is nothing short of excellent,” said Porter. “I'm excited and looking forward to this opportunity. Against Granados I'm getting into the ring with someone who is very established as an amateur and a professional, has great skills and isn't going to go in there and lay down. That's always going to bring out the best in me, and that's always going to create a very exciting match-up. I know that when I do what I'm planning to do, it's going to be exciting, entertaining and fill the seats.”

Adrian Granados (18-5-2, 12 KOs), of Chicago, is accustomed to tough assignments and is known for delivering exciting toe-to-toe action. The 28-year-old has been in with Felix Diaz, losing a close majority decision in 2014, and then unbeaten Amir Imam, whom he defeated by TKO in 2015 when Imam was the top contender at 140-pounds. Granados went punch for punch with Adrien Broner in his last match, but came up just short, losing a split decision in Broner’s hometown of Cincinnati on Feb. 18.

"I'm very excited to be fighting one of the best welterweights in the world in Shawn Porter,” said Granados.  “With our styles it's going to be fireworks from the opening bell. I was getting ready for a fight in October but when this opportunity arose I jumped at it.

It's a tremendous card to be fighting on with the whole world watching and I'm looking to

put on a great performance."

The 28-year-old Sergey Lipinets (12-0, 10 KOs) is a former kickboxer from Russia who has been waiting nearly a year for his opportunity to fight for a world championship. Lipinets has only been the distance twice in his pro career and he earned his title shot with an eighth-round knockout of Lenny Zappavigna in a title eliminator last December. In his most recent start, Lipinets stopped Clarence Booth via third-round TKO in March at Barclays Center.

“I feel very privileged to be in the position to fight for this world title,” said Lipinets. “I will prepare to face the best possible fighter on that night and I promise that I will not disappoint. The lights will be bright but I have trained too hard not to leave the ring as a world champion.”

Akihiro Kondo (29-6-1, 16 KOs) will be making his U.S. debut and fighting for a world championship for the first time when he meets Lipinets for the 140-pound title. The 32-year-old Kondo, of Kazo, Saitama, Japan, has won eight straight matches, including five by stoppage. This will be his third fight this year after he stopped Komsan Polsan in March and defeated Yuya Okazaki by TKO in May.

Former world champion Bermane Stiverne (25-2-1, 21 KOs) is coming off a two-year absence from the ring. Stiverne, 38, became the first Haitian-born boxer to win the heavyweight title when he defeated Chris Arreola in May of 2014. He lost the title to Wilder by decision on January of 2015 in Las Vegas. In his last fight Stiverne, who moved from Canada and now resides in Las Vegas, Nev., defeated Derric Rossy via decision.

The 32-year-old Dominic Breazeale (18-1, 16 KOs) was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic boxing team and won his first 17 pro fights before suffering the only loss of his career when he fell short vying for a title against now-unified champion Anthony Joshua in June of 2016. In his last match, the fighter from of Alhambra, Calif. scored a fifth-round TKO victory over Polish heavyweight contender Izu Ugonoh on Feb. 25 in a memorable slugfest.