Latimore looking to take over junior middleweight division; teams up with trainer Fareed Samad!

Las Vegas, NV (September 5, 2013) – Hard hitting junior middleweight contender Deandre “The Bull” Latimore has never been a fighter to avoid challenges.

 

In December 2007, Latimore, then 23, stepped up and dominated previously unbeaten Durrell Richardson over ten rounds. Six months later, the dynamite fisted southpaw scored a shocking upset when he stopped world rated Sechew Powell in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Fights. The very next fight, he challenged fellow St. Louisan Cory Spinks for the vacant IBF championship. With a packed house on hand, Latimore scored a flash knockdown in the opening round and cut Spinks in the fourth but ultimately dropped a debatable split decision.

 

Following the defeat to Spinks, Latimore reeled off four victories in his next five bouts, one of which came on ShoBox in his promotional debut for Mayweather Promotions. Under Mayweather’s wing, Latimore, who currently lives and fights out of Las Vegas, NV, landed the biggest opportunity of his career against former welterweight champion Carlos Quintana. The bout was seen by more than 1.5 million people as part of the Floyd Mayweather-Miguel Cotto undercard. Unfortunately, he was on the wrong end of a sixth round TKO.

 

“Quintana was the better man that night but I wasn’t focused,” stated Latimore. “There were a lot of out of the ring issues involving my family at that time and I wasn’t myself mentally.”

 

The aforementioned out of the ring issues kept him idle since his May 2012 bout with Quintana and led to an amicable split from Mayweather Promotions after just two bouts.

 

Latimore, currently a promotional and managerial free agent, is ready to return and recently teamed up with respected trainer Fareed Samad of Denver, CO. A former prizefighter, Samad, who owns Train 2 Perfection, retired 10-0 with 9 knockouts. As a trainer, he’s guided notable fighters in both boxing and mixed martial arts such as “King” Mo Lawal, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson and Davarryl “Touch of Sleep” Williamson amongst others.

 

“I’m ready excited about working with Fareed,” stated Latimore. “He’s got me back to working on the basics and fundamentals. I believe he’ll unleash my talents and have me doing things that I never did before. Physically, I feel like a million bucks and I’m ready to get the ball rolling. After a few tune ups to shake off the ring rust, I’ll be right there ready, willing and able to face the world’s best at 154 and even 160 pounds.”

 

Samad agrees.

 

“Deandre was an outstanding puncher and a world class fighter before I started working with him. There are a lot of things we’re fine tuning to make him a more complete fighter than he was in the past. I believe the boxing world will soon mention a much improved Deandre Latimore as a foe for the top fighters in the immediate future.”

 

For more information on Samad, please visit Train2perfection.com, Facebook.com/Brother.Fareed or on Twitter @T2P_Boxing.

Melson Looking Forward to Vintage Performance!

 

New York, NY (September 17, 2012) – Although popular junior middleweight Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson won 9 of his 10 professional fights including four by knockout, he believes the best is yet to come.

 

As an amateur, the West Point graduate won a number of tournaments and traveled with some of the world’s most heralded boxers to international competitions. Along the way, he impressed by beating future pro standouts Charles Hatley, Lanard Lane, DeAndre Latimore and Keith Thurman. Melson also battled future world champion Austin Trout and rising stars Erislandy Lara, Danny Jacobs, Adam Trupish and Demetrius Andrade amongst others.

 

“I was right there with all of the top guys,” said Melson, who was a member of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). “As a pro, I’ve done a decent job but to get to the next level, adjustments are necessary."

 

On Saturday evening, Melson has the chance to make the aforementioned adjustments when he meets Brooklyn based Cuban Yolexcy Leiva in a six round special feature bout at the World Casino in Queens, NY. Leiva, 5-4 (4 KO’s), faced four undefeated foes, most recently dropping a split decision to Thomas LaManna in Atlantic City, NJ. Like many fighters from his native land, Leiva’s a tough fighter that has no issue turning a boxing match into a dogfight.

 

To ensure he’s ready for a high-paced fight, Melson’s added additional cardio and endurance drills so he can be in the best condition of his pro career.

 

“This was something I had to do. In the amateurs, people knew me as a well-conditioned fighter that threw a lot of punches. As a pro, my energy level hasn’t been where I want it to be but that will all change. My camp for this fight helped me make the necessary changes so I can return to top form and entertain the fans on Saturday evening.”

 

Melson’s entire fight purse is being donated to Justadollarplease.org to support a trial in American to help cure chronic Spinal Cord Injuries.

 

Tickets are available on Teamfighttowalk.com and all tickets purchased will be left at the will call window under the cardholder’s name.

 

In association with the 501 (C) 3 nonprofit Justadollarplease.org, Melson and his best friend Christan Zaccagnino created Team Fight to Walk, whose mission is to raise awareness within the boxing community as well as the entire nation about the importance of bringing Clinical Trials to the United States to help cure Spinal Cord Injuries. Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., 2008 US Olympians Demetrius “Boo” Andrade and Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

 

For more information or to make a donation, go to teamfighttowalk.com or Justadollarplease.org. All specific questions about the nature of the Clinical Trial to cure Spinal Cord Injury can be sent to boydmelson@yahoo.com.

"Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto" Weigh-In To Be Streamed Live Online

Las Vegas (May 4)...Fans around the world can witness Seven-Time and Five-Division World Champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather and WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Miguel Cotto step on the scale before they step into the ring by watching the "Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto" official weigh-in live online today, May 4 beginning at 5:45 p.m. ET/2:45 p.m. PT.  Also weighing in on the live stream will be WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez, Six-Time and Three-Division World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley, welterweight rising star Jessie Vargas, former World Champion Steve Forbes, super welterweight contender DeAndre Latimoreand former World Champion Carlos Quintana.  Below please find the websites that will be streaming the exciting weigh-in online:

• Yahoo! Sports
• ESPN.com
• ESPNDeportes.com
• Foxsports.com
• SportsIllustrated.com
• CNN.com
• HBO.com (InsideHBOBoxing.com)
• CraveOnline.com
• RingTV.com
• Ustream.com

# # #

"Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto," a 12-round fight for Cotto's WBA Super Welterweight World Championship and the vacant WBC Super Welterweight Diamond belt, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions.  Also featured will be Canelo Alvarez vs. Sugar Shane Mosley, a 12-round fight for Canelo's WBC Super Welterweight World Championship which is presented in association with Canelo Promotions and Sugar Shane Mosley Promotions and a 10-round welterweight fight featuring undefeated rising star Jessie Vargas and former World Champion Steve Forbes.  Opening the pay-per-view broadcast will be a 10-round bout between super welterweight contender DeAndre Latimore and former World Champion Carlos Quintana which is presented in association with DiBella Entertainment.  The mega event is sponsored by Corona, Hatfields & McCoys on HISTORY™, DeWalt Tools, AT&T, O'Reilly Auto Parts and Puebla - Cinco De Mayo and will take place Saturday, May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

FLOYD "MONEY" MAYWEATHER AND MIGUEL COTTO TO ALSO COMPETE FOR WBC SUPER WELTERWEIGHT DIAMOND BELT IN "RING KINGS: MAYWEATHER VS. COTTO" MAIN EVENT ON MAY 5

LOS ANGELES, April 16 - When kings of the ring Floyd "Money" Mayweather and Miguel Cotto meet on May 5 in the biggest boxing event of 2012, there will be even more on the line than Cotto's WBA Super Welterweight World Championship belt and pound-for-pound supremacy. The two boxing superstars will also be fighting for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight Diamond belt when they step into the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in less than three weeks.




"The WBC belt has always been respected by boxers as one of the most prestigious title they can win, and to have the Diamond belt up for grabs in the 'Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto' main event adds even more to this great night," said Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya. "When this fight is over, there will absolutely be no doubt as to who is the best 154-pounder in the world."




"Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto," a 12-round fight for Cotto's WBA Super Welterweight World Championship is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. Also featured will be Canelo Alvarez vs. Sugar Shane Mosley, a 12-round fight for Canelo's WBC Super Welterweight World Championship which is presented in association with Canelo Promotions and Sugar Shane Mosley Promotions and a 10-round welterweight fight between undefeated rising star Jessie Vargas and perennial contender Alfonso Gomez.

Opening the pay-per-view broadcast will be a 10-round bout between super welterweight contender DeAndre Latimore and former World Champion Carlos Quintana which is presented in association with DiBella Entertainment. The mega event is sponsored by Corona, Hatfields & McCoys on HISTORY™, DeWalt Tools, AT&T, O'Reilly Auto Parts and Puebla - Cinco De Mayo and will take place Saturday, May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.




Limited tickets for "Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto" are still available, with a total ticket limit of ten (10) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at http://www.mgmgrand.com/  or http://www.ticketmaster.com/ .




Three Las Vegas MGM Resorts, Mandalay Bay, Monte Carlo and The Mirage, will host live closed circuit telecasts of "Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto." Advanced purchased tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $75, not including handling fees. All seats are general admission and are on sale now at each individual property's box office outlets or by phone with a major credit card at (866) 799-7711.




Episodes two and three of HBO's all-access reality series 24/7

MAYWEATHER/COTTO debut on Saturday, April 21 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT) and Saturday, April 28 (9:45 p.m. ET/PT) respectively, with the finale debuting Friday, May 4 (8:00 p.m. ET/PT), the night before the high-stakes super welterweight title bout. All four episodes will have multiple replay dates on HBO, and the series will also be available on HBO On Demand® and HBO GO®.

NCM Fathom will broadcast "Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto" in high definition LIVE to more than 440 movie theaters nationwide. Tickets to see the fight on the big screen are available at participating theater box offices and online at http://www.fathomevents.com/ .

"RING KINGS: MAYWEATHER VS. COTTO" TELEVISED PAY-PER-VIEW CARD SET

JESSIE VARGAS VS. ALFONSO GOMEZ AND DEANDRE LATIMORE VS. CARLOS QUINTANA TO BE FEATURED ON MAY 5 MEGA-EVENT

LOS ANGELES, April 9 -The "Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto" pay-per-view card is set and some of the toughest competitors in boxing today will be featured when undefeated rising star Jessie Vargas faces-off against perennial contender Alfonso Gomez and, in the opening pay-per-view bout, exciting 154 lb. contender DeAndre "The Bull" Latimore takes on former World Champion Carlos "El Indio" Quintana. The two 10-round bouts will take place prior to the WBA Super Welterweight Championship between Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto and the Canelo Alvarez vs. Sugar Shane Mosley WBC Super Welterweight title bout Saturday, May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Twenty-two-year-old Las Vegas resident Jessie Vargas (18-0, 9 KO's) is one of boxing's fastest rising stars with notable wins over Arturo Morua, Walter Estrada and former World Champion Vivian Harris. Last September on the Mayweather vs. Ortiz card, Vargas proved that he is one of boxing's top contenders with an exciting 10-round decision victory over fellow contender Josesito Lopez. Eager to keep his momentum going, Vargas scored a near-shutout win over Lanardo Tyner in February and is now hoping to add Alfonso Gomez to his collection of high-profile wins.

As a member of the cast in the hit boxing reality series "The Contender," Alfonso Gomez (23-5-2, 12 KO's) became the fighter to beat as he defeated the show's top contenders, as well as other top-tier opponents such as Ben Tackie, Jesus Soto Karass and World Champions Arturo Gatti and Jose Luis Castillo. A two-time world title challenger who faced Miguel Cotto in 2008 and Canelo Alvarez in 2011, the 31-year-old from Guadalajara begins another quest for the title on May 5.

Twenty-six-year-old St. Louis-native DeAndre Latimore (23-3, 17 KO's) now resides in Las Vegas and the change of scenery has done wonders for the aptly nicknamed "Bull." As a former super welterweight title challenger who lost a highly controversial split decision to Cory Spinks in 2009, Latimore is looking to regain momentum and battle his way back into title contention. With three consecutive wins, including a memorable 10-round victory over Milton Nunez in February, he is closing in on another shot at 154-pound gold.

Moca, Puerto Rico's Carlos Quintana (28-3, 22 KO's) is a southpaw like the St. Louis native Latimore; however, "El Indio" is more matador than bull, with his excellent boxing skills, which led him to a world welterweight title win in 2008 over a then-unbeaten Paul Williams. With wins over top contenders including Joel Julio, Francisco Campos and Nurhan Suleymanoglu, the 35-year-old Quintana has won three of his last four bouts, most recently stopping Yoryi Estrella in nine rounds in February of 2011.

Latimore vs. Quintana is presented in association with DiBella Entertainment.

"Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto," a 12-round fight for Cotto's WBA Super Welterweight World Championship is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. Also featured will be Canelo Alvarez vs. Sugar Shane Mosley, a 12-round fight for Canelo's WBC Super Welterweight World Championship which is presented in association with Canelo Promotions and Sugar Shane Mosley Promotions. The mega event is sponsored by Corona, Hatfields & McCoys on HISTORY™, DeWalt Tools, AT&T, O'Reilly Auto Parts and Puebla-Cinco De Mayo and will take place Saturday, May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Limited tickets for "Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto" are still available, with a total ticket limit of ten (10) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at http://www.mgmgrand.com/  or http://www.ticketmaster.com/ .

Three MGM Resorts International properties, Mandalay Bay, Monte Carlo and The Mirage, will host live closed circuit telecasts of "Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto." Advanced purchased tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $75, not including handling fees. All seats are general admission and are on sale now at each individual property's box office outlets or by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711.

HBO's Emmy® Award-winning all-access series "24/7" premieres an all-new edition when "24/7 Mayweather/Cotto" debuts Saturday, April 14 at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The four-part series will air for three consecutive Saturday nights before the finale airs the night before the super welterweight championship showdown in Las Vegas.

Melson: “This is my Toughest Match Yet - Time To Earn It”

For Immediate Release

New York, NY (March 6, 2012) – Although he didn’t start boxing until he was a Plebe in his Freshman Year at West Point, Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson’s had a number of big fights.

A 2008 Olympic alternate selection, Melson battled future pro standouts Erislandy Lara, Danny Jacobs, DeAndre Latimore, Charles Hatley and Keith Thurman during his amateur career. The New York, NY based junior middleweight also competed in many of the United States’ and World's biggest tournaments however, he considers his next fight the most important to date.

On Wednesday evening at BB King Blues Club in Times Square, Melson, 8-0 (4 KO’s), will challenge fellow unbeaten New Yorker Delen “Sniper” Parsley in an eight round contest. At 6’3 with a huge wingspan, Parsley, a talented 24-year-old who’s been around the sport his entire life, has many physical advantages coming into the bout.

“Delen is one of the tallest and longest junior middleweights I’ve ever seen,” said Melson, an active Army Reserve officer and West Point grad. “His style will definitely present a challenge. My international experience as an amateur has allowed me the fortune of facing equally tall opponents in the past.”

To prepare for his first eight rounder, Melson made a few adjustments to his training regimen. The two most noticeable changes were in his decision to start camp a few weeks earlier and find a way to allow an already extremely overburdened daily schedule to create more space for more road work and additional strength training. Melson feels positive about how this preparation will pay off when the opening bell sounds.

“This is the kind of fight that can help either of us get to the next level. It's an excellent challenge for both of us and I am confident that my preparation and my soul's passion will both reveal themselves in the ring!”

For more information on Boyd, go to teamfighttowalk.com.

RISING STARS JESSIE VARGAS & DEANDRE LATIMORE TO CO-HEADLINE SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION IN SEPARATE BOUTS ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 AT THE JOINT AT HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO LAS VEGAS

Local Fighters Take Center Stage in Front of Hometown Fans;

Televised Live on SHOWTIME^® at 11 p.m. ET/PT

LOS ANGELES, February 9 - Two rising Las Vegas stars with their sights set on world title fights in 2012 will step into the ring at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas on Friday, February 24, when unbeaten welterweight Jessie Vargas and hard-hitting junior middleweight Deandre Latimore co-headline a ShoBox: The New Generationdoubleheader.

Both bouts, which are presented by Mayweather Promotions, are scheduled for 10 rounds and will be televised live on SHOWTIME^® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Doors open on fight night at 6 p.m. with the first fight beginning at 6:30 p.m.  Opponents for both fighters will be announced shortly. 

Tickets, priced at $100, $60, $30, $25, along with a limited number of VIP suite seats priced at $125, are on sale now and may be purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Once considered the fight capital of the world's best kept secret, 22-year-old Jessie Vargas (17-0, 9 KO's) burst onto the global boxing scene in 2011 with a spectacular year that included early knockouts of former World Champion "Vicious" Vivian Harris and top contender Walter Estrada, but on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz in September, Vargas really showed off his skills and his heart when he scored a hard-fought decision win over then undefeated fellow rising star Josesito Lopez.  Now hoping to keep the momentum going in 2012, Vargas will headline his first ShoBox telecast on February 24.

Twenty six-year old southpaw Deandre "The Bull" Latimore (22-3, 17 KO's) is a six-year professional whose exciting style and knockout power always get the fans on their feet. Latimore is a former world title challenger whose 2009 split decision loss to Cory Spinks in their IBF World Championship fight was one of the most controversial of that year.  Bouncing back with wins in three of his next four fights, including two in a row, the St. Louis born Latimore is amped up for his first fight in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas and his first appearance on the acclaimed ShoBox series.

For more information, visit www.floydmayweather.com, follow us on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/FloydMayweather,www.twitter.com/mayweatherpromowww.twitter.com/Jessie_Vargas or www.twitter.com/deandrelatimore or visit us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/FloydMayeweather,www.facebook.com/Mayweatherpromotions orwww.facebook.com/Jessie_Vargas.

           For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit http://sports.SHO.com, follow www.twitter.com/shosports, and visit www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.