DARREN BARKER DEFEATS DANIEL GEALE TO CAPTURE THE IBF MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE

PHOTOS CREDIT ROBERT EPSTEIN - GARY SHAW PRODUCTIONS

ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY (August 17, 2013) - Tonight on HBO Boxing After Dark, Gary Shaw Productions in association with Grange Old School Boxing,Matchroom Sport, Thompson Boxing and Sampson Boxing, presented an exhilarating night of boxing live from the Revel Hotel-Casino in Atlantic City.    

In the 10-round main event, the UK's Darren Barker (26-1, 16 KOs) defeated Australia's Daniel Geale (29-1, 15 KOs) by means of a twelve round split decision to capture the IBF middleweight championship. Both fighters had their moments throughout the fight.  Barker seemed to be more accurate with his punches.  Geale was in every round and dropped Barker in round six with a left to the body that almost had the British fighter down for good.  Barker showed tremendous resilience and fought hard to end the round.  Going into the later rounds it was anyone's fight. Barker was throwing more punches, but Geale was landing the harder blows.  After the final bell rang the scorecards read 114-113 for Geale, as the other two judge had it 116-111 and 114-113 for Barker.  Barker wins by spit decision.

"I started loading up and got carless and I started getting hit too much," said Barker. "The occasion kind of got to me.  If I would had stuck to my game plan and boxed more, I would have won easier. During the knockdown it all went through my head...my wife my family and my daughter.  I knew I was up against it going in.  He was a tough man."

"I felt I won the fight, said Geale. "I was never hurt.  It wasn't my best performance and I'm very disappointed I lost the belt. I definitely want a rematch."

In the 12-round co-main event, Kiko Martinez (28-4, 20 KOs) captured the IBF Jr. Featherweight with a six round TKO victory over, Jhonatan Romero (23-0, 12 KOs).  Martinez took the fight to Romero applying a tremendous amount of presser from the opening round.  Romero made somewhat of an adjustment in round two and landed some nice counter punches, but Martinez was the one landed the harder blows.  Martinez's pressure was too much for Romero as he was getting hit with a massive amount of punches and the referee stopped the bout at the 2:40 mark of round six.

"I felt very strong tonight," said Martinez. "I'm very happy.  Today is a marvelous day and I all I want to do is go home and give my daughter a kiss.  I had to keep the attack going because I knew the referee was eventually was going to stop the fight because I had him hurt."

Undercard Results

(10-round Featherweight bout) -WBO No. 4 ranked contender, Joel Brunker (26-0, 15 KOs) outworked a game Mike Oliver (25-4, 8 KOs) over ten hard rounds.  It was evident the Brunker's game plan was to go to the body as he was throwing hard shots downstairs the entire fight.  Oliver had his moments counter punching, but his punches didn't seem to slow Brunker down.  A cut from a head butt emerged from the left eye of Brunker in round six, but it had no effect on his punch output.  When it was all said and done, Brunker as victorious by way of unanimous decision.  Scorecards read 78-74 across the board in favor of Brunker.

(10-round Welterweight bout) - Cuban born Yordenys Ugas (14-1, 7 KOs) dominated John Williams (11-2-1, 5 KOs) over ten rounds.  Ugas applied pressure from the opening round and was relentless throughout the fight, landing hard shots to the body and head.  Williams was backing up the entire fight while is survive mode.  Ugas landed a hard left hook that wobbled Williams in the later rounds.  A point was deducted from Ugas in the final round.  Scorecards read 98-91 twice, and 99-90 all in favor of Ugas.  With the win, Ugas becomes the WBC Latin Junior Interim Champion.

(10-round Welterweight bout) - Puerto Rican standout, Thomas Dulorme (19-1, 14 KOs) marched forward in his career with an eighth round TKO over Frankie Figueroa (20-5-1, 15 KOs).  Dulorme came out strong throwing hard body shots and hooks.  A right hand to the head dropped Figueroa in round three.  Figueroa rebounded quickly, but wasn't thrown many punches as he was in retreat mode.  Figueroa's punches didn't seem to have any effect on Dulorme as he continued to stalk Figueroa throughout the bout.  Figueroa hit the canvas again in round five, but Dulorme was deducted a point for hitting below the waist.  Dulorme continued to apply pressure and eventually stopped Figueroa with a barrage of punches in round eight.  The referee halted the bout at the 47 mark of round 8. 

(10-round Lightweight bout) - Peruvian born Jonathan Maicelo (20-1, 12 KOs) started off slow, but came on strong to score a tenth round knockout over an elusiveJose Alejandro Rodriguez (19-12, 11 KOs).  Both fighters were doing their best to land hard shots, but had limited success.  Maicelo was landing the cleaner blows throughout the fight.  It was twenty two seconds into round ten when Maicelo landed a powerful right hook to the head of Rodriguez in which he didn't get up.  

WEIGHTS FROM REVEL CASINO IN ATLANTIC CITY NEW JERSEY: Geale vs. Barker

Daniel Geale 159.5 vs. Darren Barker 159.5

Daniel Geale 159.5 vs. Darren Barker 159.5

Jhonatan Romero 121.5 vs. Kiko Martinez 121.5

Thomas Dulorme 141 vs. Frankie Figueroa 142

Joel Brunker 125.5 vs. Mike Oliver 125.5

Yordenys Ugas 140.5 vs. John Williams 138.5

Jonathan Maicelo 136 vs. Jose Alejandro Rodriguez 134.5

Geale vs. Barker will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT this Saturday August 17, live from the Revel Casino-Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ. 

Tickets prices start at $30 and are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and by calling 800-745-3000. 

 

Jhonatan Romero 121.5 vs. Kiko Martinez 121.5

 

Thomas Dulorme 141 vs. Frankie Figueroa 142

Joel Brunker 125.5 vs. Mike Oliver 125.5 

 Yordenys Ugas 140.5 vs. John Williams 138.5    

Jonathan Maicelo 136 vs. Jose Alejandro Rodriguez 134.5

Videos: Daniel Geale and Darren Barker speak at final press conference

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (August 15, 2013) - IBF middleweight champion, Daniel Geale (29-1, 15KOs) and top contender Darren Barker (25-1, 16KOs), speak at final press conference. Geale will defend his middleweight title live on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT this Saturday August 17, live from the Revel Casino-Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ. 

Tickets prices start at $30 and are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, online atTicketmaster.com and by calling 800-745-3000.  

Daniel Geale talks about his upcoming fight with Darren Barker at final press conference

Darren Barker talks about his upcoming fight with Daniel Geale at final press conference

Photos: Daniel Geale,Darren Barker, Jhonatan Romero and Kiko Martinez from today's press conference

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (August 15, 2013) - IBF middleweight champion, Daniel Geale (29-1, 15KOs) who battles top contender Darren Barker (25-1, 16KOs), along with IBF Jr. featherweight champion, Jhonatan Romero (23-0, 12 KOs) and his opponent Kiko Martinez (28-4, 20 KOs) posed for the media at today's press conference.  Their bouts will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT this Saturday August 17, live from the Revel Casino-Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ. 

Tickets prices start at $30 and are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, online atTicketmaster.com and by calling 800-745-3000.  

Photo Credit: Mario Serrano - Gary Shaw Productions

  

JOEL BRUNKER EAGER TO SHINE AGAINST MIKE OLIVER ON GEALE vs. BARKER UNDERCARD

ATLANTIC CITY, NY (August 13, 2013) - WBO No. 4 ranked featherweight contender Joel Brunker (26-0, 15 KOs) will aim to keep his undefeated record intact when he competes this Saturday on the undercard of the Gary Shaw Productions promoted HBO Boxing After Dark event that features an IBF middleweight title clash between Daniel Geale and Darren Barker.  The card is being held at the Revel Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the arena's first boxing event, making it a momentous occasion supported by a stellar card.

Brunker will square off against battle-tested Mike Oliver (25-4, 8 KOs) in a 10-round affair.  Oliver's last 2 fights were losing efforts against Juan Manuel Lopez and Billy Dib, but the fact that he has been in the ring with quality opponents suggests that he will give Brunker a true barometer opportunity.

"It's all about getting better and preparing myself accordingly for each fight," said Brunker.  "I feel like if I can make habits out of working hard and staying focused on the opponent in front of me then it will give me the best chance to make winning a constant occurrence."

"Mike isn't just my next opponent, I feel like he is a rite of passage and he'll have to pay for that.  It's hard to keep a balance between what is business and what is personal, but I'm in the business of running through people standing in my way and if you take it personal then so be it," Brunker continued.

It's apparent that Brunker is in a solid mental state, prepared for battle and ready to put on a show, but his future is too bright to be merely disregarded.

"Of course I think of what's next or on the horizon, but I don't get caught up on it. I trust my promoters Gary Shaw and Ace Boxing's Angelo DiCarlo who are the people in charge of my career.   I know that they know the sport and more importantly they know fighters.  My physical and mental preparation is beginning to coincide with my readiness for a title shot.  The willingness is there, trust me.  But I don't want to be over eager, we'll just say I've got my eyes on the belt holders and if they were smart they'd keep their eye on me as well," Brunker said.

Brunker seems to believe that success is just a matter of time.  For now he appears adequate in his current endeavors, but Gary Shaw seems to believe Brunker's time to prove his upper echelon status is upon him.

"Joel has been on people's radars for quite some time now and he's been on a number of must watch lists as well as several future prospect lists over the past several years, and rightfully so," Gary Shaw stated.  "He is a tremendous talent, capable of reshaping the current state of the division in a single performance, but that performance will have to come against a fighter with an established reputation, that's how Joel will prove he is an elite competitor.  Let's see what he does Saturday, then we'll move forward and that move's level of seriousness may directly reflect Saturday's outcome.  Be there or risk missing the birth of a star."

Tickets prices start at $30 and are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and by calling 1-800-745-3000.  The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast will begin at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Daniel Geale & Darren Barker media workout quotes and photos

NEW YORK (August 12, 2013) - Australia's IBF middleweight champion, Daniel Geale (29-1, 15KOs) and No. 3 rated contender from the UK Darren Barker (25-1, 16KOs) held a media workout today at the Mendez Boxing Gym in New York City.  Geale will be defending his title on August 17that the Revel Casino-Hotel, Atlantic City's newest and largest casino resort. The bout will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets prices start at $30 and are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, online atTicketmaster.com and by calling 800-745-3000.  

Photo Credit: Mario Serrano - Gary Shaw Productions

DANIEL GEALE - "I'm feeling good as I'm starting to get fresher every day.  I'm excited because I know it's going to be a great fight.  Barker is going to come out hard and I know he's very hungry.  I want to be pushed and I know Barker is going to that which is going to make for an exciting fight.  Fighting on HBO is great.  It's been a long time coming and I'm excited to fighting on such a great card.  Gary Shaw and my team back home have done a great job getting me here and I just want to put on a great show.  To all my fans please tune in because I'm going to bring that title home."

 

DARREN BARKER - "I feel extremely confident going into this fight.  This is what I worked all my life.  After nineteen years as a boxer from a kid to a man, it's all led to this moment.  It's a dream come true.  It's all about believing in myself and I believe its destiny.  It's my time.  Training has been fantastic.  Mentally I've been in superb condition and now it's about executing my game plan.  This time I'm going to win.   To all my fans back home, I appreciate the support.  It's great having a whole nation behind me.  I look forward to seeing you all and I'll buy everyone a drink when I get back.  It's going to be great to show you guys my new belt." 

GARY SHAW - "People must not forget that Daniel went overseas and fought two different fighters and came out on top, both of them from Germany.  That in itself is a major statement.  Daniel Geale doesn't fight scared.  He's an offensive fighter and a great counter puncher.  His skills are highly underrated and you will all see him live on Saturday night."

  

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DANIEL GEALE THRILLED TO BE FIGHTING ON U.S. SOIL

GARY SHAW PRODUCTIONS

Press Release For Immediate Release

NEW JERSEY (July 31, 2013) - Ever since Daniel Geale(29-1, 15 KOs) pulled off the unthinkable by defeating Felix Sturm on Sturm's home turf of Germany in September of last year, Geale has essentially cemented himself as one of the elite 160 pounders in boxing.  With the prestige and pageantry associated with such esteem comes the responsibility of self-improvement, a trait that often associates itself with the kind of high caliber athlete with an obsession for competition.   It wasn't enough for Geale to take a bite out of the world stage nor was it completely satisfying when he became the No. 1 fighter in his home country of Australia. That is why Geale is thrilled to have his next fight scheduled on U.S. soil.  Immediately following his victory over Strum, Geale made it apparent that he had all intentions to make a name for himself in America, but had unfinished business in Australia with Anthony Mundine, in which he scored a unanimous decision victory.  He is still adamant about growing his brand in America. This American campaign begins August 17th when Geale defends his middleweight crown for the 5th time against England's Darren Barker (25-1, 16 KOs) at the Revel Casino-Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ.  The middleweight clash will air live on HBO's Boxing After Dark and will act as the main event for a scheduled split-site tripleheader, which features Jhonatan Romero vs. Kiko Martinez for the IBF Junior Featherweight title and Nathan Cleverly vs. Sergey Kovalev for the WBO light heavyweight title. "I'm extremely excited to be making my U.S. debut.   I think it's the next logical step for me right now.  I know how talented I am and I know how great I can be but sometimes winning fights isn't enough.  You have to be prepared to go the extra mile.  Fighting in the U.S. has been on my radar for the past year or two, and now I get to fight in front of the great U.S. fans on the greatest boxing network in the United States against a truly worthy opponent," Geale said. This seems like the perfect moment to come over to the States with so many great middleweights fighting Stateside, but in order to continue up the ranks Geale is going to have to get past a tough competitor in Barker. The style matchup suggests that U.S. fans are in for an incredible night of boxing and Geale prefers the kind of fight that will get the attention of the market he's venturing into. "This is a great opportunity for me because I can show a new group of fight fans my talents and the fight will almost definitely produce the kind of fireworks that will have every fan clambering to have me back," Geale continued. "I can gain a lot of credibility with this one fight.  Barker is that kind of fighter." It would appear as though Gary Shaw waited for the perfect opportunity to get Geale a fight in the US and this is it. Geale realizes that he had to be careful deciding what fight would work best and he knows how fortunate he is to have Shaw on his side. "I'm so grateful that Grange old school boxing decided to start working with Gary Shaw as my international promoter.  Gary  is doing such a tremendous job for me.  I don't think there are many people that could've done a better job at finding the right opportunity for me and Gary did it with so much confidence.  He always seemed sure and I can see that he knew what he was doing from the very beginning.  He did his job about to perfection, but come August 17th it's my turn," Geale said. Shaw seems to share Geale's sentiments and believes that he can be the very best in the world. "I have to first thank Garrie Francisco and Bill Treacy of Grange Old School Boxing for allowing me the opportunity to work with Daniel Geale," said Shaw. "Together we are working as a team to get Geale the best opportunities in boxing.  They have done a great job of getting Geale ready for the world stage and I'm very thrilled to be working with such great people. Its refreshing working with other promoters like Grange Old School boxing and guys like Daniel because he is a no-nonsense kind of fighter and he isn't afraid to take on anybody.  This is a tough sport and it is always a true test of character when you step into the ring, but even if you aren't genuine you can still talk the talk and fool people for years.  Daniel is a different breed of fighter. Tickets prices start at $30 and are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and by calling 1-800-745-3000.  The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast will begin at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

THOMAS DULORME HAS OFFICIALLY SIGNED TO FIGHT FRANCISCO FIGUEROA ON GEALE VS. BARKER UNDERCARD

NEW JERSEY (July 22, 2013) - Its official, highly touted Puerto Rican boxer,

Thomas Dulorme (18-1, 13 KO's) has an opponent for his upcoming fight on August, 17 as part of an HBO Latino special broadcast starting at 12:30 a.m ET(Sunday) at the Revel Casino-Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  Dulorme has signed to fight fellow boricua, Francisco "El Gato" Figueroa (20-5-1, 13 KO's) from the Bronx, New York, who has only been KO'd by former world champion, Randall Bailey in 2009.

This boxing event will be headlined by two 12-round championship fights.  IBF middleweight champion, Daniel Geale will be facing Darren Barker in the main event and co-featured by IBF super bantamweight champion, Jhonatan Romeroagainst Kiko Martínez.  Both fights will be televised live on HBO BOXING AFTER DARK® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.   

Since losing his unbeaten record against Luis Abregu in October 2012, Dulorme and his team decided to go down to junior welterweight  where he has shown great strength.

"I'm very grateful to my promoters, Gary Shaw, Javier Bustillo and Lou DiBella for giving me this opportunity.  Figueroa is a fighter that always trains hard and comes to fight, and I must be well prepared to deal with him" said the 23 years old Dulorme, "I feel very strong and faster at the junior welterweight division and I will prove it on August 17 on HBO Latino."

"The addition of Dulorme vs. Figueroa brings me great pleasure because the card is already stacked with two fantastic main event attractions and this fight is going to be explosive," said Gary Shaw.  "The Revel is kicking off their boxing debut with a bang and the fans will be in for a great night of boxing."

"The fans will be surprised with Dulorme's speed and power.  He will be a world champion soon" Javier Bustillo said.

"Dulorme is on a mission to get back into title contention and I'm very excited about his future." Lou DibBella stated. "I know Thomas will be more explosive at Jr. Welterweight.  Figueroa will be a stiff test, one I believe Dulorme will shine in."

On February 21, Dulorme defeated an overweight Eddie Brooks by first-round knockout and in his last outing he defeated veteran Ben Ankrah in April via unanimous decision.

Dulorme is a member of "Team Puerto Rico Boxing", a prominent boxing promotional group featuring Gary Shaw Productions, DiBella Entertainmentand Universal Promotions.

 

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About Revel Casino-Hotel

Revel Casino-Hotel: Gamblers Wanted.   Revel offers casino players the newest and most expansive casino resort in the history of Atlantic City.   Located along the city's world-famous boardwalk, and designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic Ocean, the casino offers 130,000 square feet of gaming space, the largest contiguous smoking casino in Atlantic City, 2,400 slots - none more than a year old, 130 table games, the high-limit Pearl Slot Lounge and high-limit table game Ultra Lounge.   Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 14 restaurants serving world-class cuisine and down-home favorites, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub and live entertainment on its stages at The Social and Ovation Hall.

For additional information and updates, please visit www.revelcasino.com.

JHONATAN ROMERO vs. KIKO MARTINEZ IBF JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE BOUT SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 FROM REVEL CASINO-HOTEL IN ATLANTIC CITY, NJ LIVE ON HBO®

    

NEW JERSEY (July 11, 2013) - Gary Shaw Productions in association with Thompson Boxing Promotions are proud to announce Jhonathan Romero (23-0, 12 KOs) vs. Kiko Martinez (28-4, 20 KOs) for the IBF junior featherweight title as the co-feature attraction to Daniel Geale (29-1, 15KOs) vs. Darren Barker (25-1, 16KOs) live on HBO Boxing After Dark®.

 

The 12-round championship bout will take place at the Revel Casino-Hotel, Atlantic City's newest and largest casino resort. Tickets prices start at $30 and are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com, and by calling 800-745-3000.  The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast will begin at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

 

Romero, who hails from Colombia, recently captured the vacant IBF super bantamweight title when he traveled to Mexico and defeated Alejandro Lopezon his home turf. 

 

"I'm very thankful to my promoters Gary Shaw and Thompson Boxing for getting me this fight on HBO," said Romero. "In my last fight I accomplished my dream of becoming a world champion and now it's time to defend it. I know Martinez is a big puncher but I believe my boxing skills will prevail in this fight.  I'm coming to win and win impressively."

 

Martinez who represents his country of Spain, is rated #15 by the IBF and won the vacant WBC Latino super bantamweight title in his last fight by way of knockout against Damian David Marchiano of Argentina.  Martinez, known for his heavy hands, dropped Marchiano in rounds one and two before the referee stopped the bout.  He's looking to do the same against Romero.

 

"Romero is a very good fighter but he has never faced a powerful puncher like me," Martinez said. "Once he feels my power he'll know he's in for a short night.  My goal is get the knockout one way or another.  The fans watching will witness an explosive fight from my end."

 

"Jhonatan is a very talented fighter that brings a lot of excitement to the ring with his active style," said Shaw. "I believe he's the best super bantamweight in the world today and I'm pleased that HBO will be televising his fight.  He's in a tough fight but I believe he'll come out on top."

 

"We are excited that Jhonatan 'Momo' Romero will be able to showcase his talent on HBO and make his first IBF title defense in front of a large U.S. audience," said Alex Camponovo, executive Vice President of Thompson Boxing Promotions. "Since winning the world title Romero has become a star in Colombia and we want him to make the crossover. We know Kiko Martinez will be a rigorous test for Romero but we can't cut any corners at this level. It will be a great match because both men are ready to shine and more than willing  to show their ability." 

 

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About Revel Casino-Hotel

Revel Casino-Hotel: Gamblers Wanted.   Revel offers casino players the newest and most expansive casino resort in the history of Atlantic City.   Located along the city's world-famous boardwalk, and designed to offer endless views of the Atlantic Ocean, the casino offers 130,000 square feet of gaming space, the largest contiguous smoking casino in Atlantic City, 2,400 slots - none more than a year old, 130 table games, the high-limit Pearl Slot Lounge and high-limit table game Ultra Lounge.   Revel features 1,399 ocean view rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, lounges, a 32,000-square-foot spa, 14 restaurants serving world-class cuisine and down-home favorites, a collection of boutiques, nightclubs, a dayclub and live entertainment on its stages at The Social and Ovation Hall.

For additional information and updates, please visit www.revelcasino.com.