MAURICIO HERRERA GIVES TRAINING CAMP UPDATE BEFORE HIS SATURDAY, DEC. 13 SHOWDOWN WITH JOSE BENAVIDEZ JR. AT THE CHELSEA INSIDE THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS LIVE ON HBO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®

Photo Credit: Jennifer Arredondo  RIVERSIDE, CALIF (Dec. 8, 2014) - As fight week begins, Golden Boy Promotions' Mauricio "El Maestro" Herrera is winding down his training camp before he faces Jose Benavidez Jr. on the undercard of the Timothy Bradley vs. Diego Chaves fight on Saturday, Dec. 13 at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Take a look below at how Herrera's training camp has gone and what to expect on Dec. 13 in Las Vegas: Q: Tell us a little bit about your training camp? Where are you training and with whom? How long have you been training together for this fight? I've been training in Riverside, Calif. at the same gym I trained at for my last fight, Capital Punishment Boxing Club. I've been training for about eight weeks and it's been going great. I sparred today for 12 rounds. Alan Sanchez has been helping out a lot, as well as my brother, Albert. We've been switching it up though. My head trainer is Jose Torres and we've been putting in a lot of work. Q: What are your thoughts on your opponent Jose Benavidez Jr.? He's an up-and-coming young star.  A lot of people are waiting to see if he passes my test. He has some great tools. He uses his height very well and he's patient too. There's going to be a lot of new things for him to experience on December 13 though. Q: How are you preparing in training camp for the style of Benavidez Jr.? All of my sparring partners have been a similar height as him and some have been heavier too. I'm looking to get inside with a guy that tall and use a lot of head movement and defense. I'll be pulling out a little bit of everything. There's only one week left and we're ready. Q: You've been part of a number of big fights this year, how does that experience help you in this fight? I'll be a little more relaxed and more confident, but I'll still be on my toes. I'm always looking to prove myself. The tougher the guy is, the better fight I have. When the going gets tough is when I come out and do my thing the best. Q: What motivates you to continue fighting at a high level? Family, friends and people who love to see good fights and enjoy my style. I just want to give the people the best fight possible every time I step into the ring. Q: What are your goals for your career if you are able to win this fight? Getting past Benavidez Jr. will be a tough test, but I'm looking for a bigger name if I walk away with this win. I want someone I can fight for a world title and winning this should put me in line. Q: What are you holiday plans for 2014? After I win this fight I'll be throwing a big New Years Eve bash for my family and friends. Q: December 13 is a busy night of fights, what about your fight will stand out above the rest? I'm looking to steal the show. I want to give my all and make sure that people remember my fight. Both of our styles are hungry and aggressive. You're going to get an action packed fight. Q: What is your prediction for your fight on Dec. 13? What can fans expect? If I see an opening I'm going to take it. I'm not looking to go the distance. I'll be willing to take risks. # # # Timothy Bradley vs. Diego Chaves will headline an exciting boxing event on Saturday, Dec. 13 at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.  Bradley (31-1, 12 KOs), of Palm Springs, California, will be making his ring comeback against one-time interim world champion Chaves (23-2, 19 KOs), of Buenos Aires, in a 12-round welterweight rumble.  Herrera (21-4, 7 KOs), of Riverside, California, will be making his first title defense, against Benavidez (21-0, 15 KOs), of Phoenix, Arizona.  Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Tecate, both fights will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10 p.m. EST/PDT. For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing,on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, www.facebook.com/goldenboyboxing or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, www.twitter.com/goldenboyboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.  For more information on The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, visit www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cosmopolitan_lv or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thecosmopolitan

Q & A with Jr. Welterweight contender Emanuel Taylor

Fresh off his spirited effort against three-division world champion Adrien Broner on September 6, Jr. Welterweight contender Emanuel Taylor (18-3, 12 KO's) opens up about the fight and his future aspirations which he candid about wanting the best fights and becoming a world champion early in 2015 1. After your performance with Broner, Your stock was raised. How do you feel after that performance? I feel real good. I am ready to get back into the ring. Iam ready to show the world what I got. I have a huge fan base after that fight. They want to see me back in the ring ASAP. I am ready to get back in there in December or January. 2. You proved that you belong to be able to fight the elite fighters. You feel that you are fully entrenched to be mentioned for big fights? I sure Hope so. I feel that I only should be fighting the fights on HBO or Showtime. I am ready right now to fight all the big dogs. 3. You have been mentioned for some big fights like Khan. He just signed to fight Alexander. Who are the guys that you are looking at to fight. I would have liked that fight with Khan. I see Mauricio Herrera has a fight coming up (against Jose Benavidez). Jesse Vargas is another one. Zab Judah--I will fight him right now. Then we will from there. I see up and coming prospects Frankie Gomez. He is a good fighter. I would like to fight him as well. 4. Give me a perfect scenario for you. Do you see another fight before the end of the year? Where do you expect to be by this time next year? Hopefully I get another fight before the end of the year or January. By this time next year, I will be a world champion. I will have a belt in the 140-pound division then go up to 147 pounds for the rest of my career. (Co-Manager) Doc Nowicki--His management team and coaching team. We were struggling to get an opponent but we got hooked up with Star Boxing. Maybe we can get a rematch with Chris Algieri. Next year at this time, I would like to see Emanuel defending his world title 5. If you got a call tomorrow for a good fight at 147 pounds. Is that an issue. Not at all. I fought the beginning of my career at 147. It wasn't that type of competition. But I can handle it. (Co-Manager) Dave Price-- We spar with the likes of Julian Williams, Kermit Cintron so we know he can handle 147 pounder's. We would like to fight the bigger guys at 140. No disrespect to Danny Garcia but we would love to get a shot at him. 6. How about a fight with your fellow Beltway resident Lamont Peterson? Me and Lamont have similar styles. I have been in with him in the gym a couple times. I give him a lot of respect. I would like to get in the ring with him too. 7. How do you like this new fan base, new found fortune? I like it a lot. I am starting to see it especially on my social media. It gives me more motivation to get another fight. It also makes me train harder. 8. Any final thoughts? I want to thank D & D Management Team, my co-manager Felix Dialosio & my promoter Star Boxing for taking my career to the next level I want to shout my trainer, my father. I will have a world championship around my waist. I will have that pretty soon. I can't wait to get back in the ring on HBO or Showtime for my next fight and take it from there.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING RETURNS TO THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS

TIMOTHY BRADLEY vs. DIEGO CHAVES and MAURICIO HERRERA vs. JOSE BENAVIDEZ Saturday, December 13, Live on HBO® The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Tickets On Sale Friday, October 24 at 10 A.M. PDT             LAS VEGAS, NV (October 20, 2014) -- Former two-division world champion TIMOTHY "Desert Storm" BRADLEY JR. returns to the ring where he will battle one-time interim welterweight world champion DIEGO "La Joya" CHAVES in a 12-round welterweight rumble, Saturday, December 13, inside The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (3708 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109).  The fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:00 p.m. EST/PST.  The telecast will open with World Boxing Association (WBA) Interim Super Lightweight World Champion MAURICIO "El Maestro" HERRERA defending his title against undefeated contender JOSE BENAVIDEZ, JR.             These four gladiators boast a combined record of 96-7 (53 KOs) -- a winning ratio of 93% with over half of those victories coming by way knockout.             Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Tecate, tickets to the Bradley-Chaves/Herrera-Benavidez world championship event go on sale  Friday,  October 24 at 10:00 a.m. PDT.  Priced at $40, $60, $100, $125 and $150, tickets will be available for purchase at www.cosmopolitan.com or through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 and www.tickermaster.com.  Room/ticket packages will also be available.             "I'm excited to get back into the ring and showcase myself," Bradley told ESPN.com.  "Chaves is not that well known but the boxing fans know him. The boxing fans know that this guy can fight and that it won't be a walk in the park for me. I think it's going to be a great fight. I can't wait."             "I give Timothy Bradley all the credit in the world for coming back after his first loss to face me, especially after seeing how I hurt Brandon Rios in my last fight," said Chaves.  "We both have a lot to prove on December 13.  If Bradley thought he had it rough against Ruslan Provodnikov, wait until he collides with me."             "I'm so happy that this fight was made and I get to showcase my skills once again on a huge stage," said Herrera. "I'm coming off of one of the most important wins of my career and I plan on using that momentum to defend my title and convincingly defeat Benavidez on December 13."             I'm obviously excited and grateful for the opportunity to fight for the title.  It's something I've worked for since I was a kid," said Benavidez.  "I know I'll be bringing the title back to Phoenix with me. I have heard Herrera is looking past me and talking about moving up in weight when he wins, and I'm sorry that I'll be disrupting those plans on December 13th."              "Tim Bradley's return to the ring may be taking place at the end of the year but it's the beginning of a new and exciting phase of the boxing career of one of the sport's elite fighters, a man who has held a world title every year dating back to 2008," said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank.  "Diego Chaves came so close when he faced Brandon Rios in his last fight and I anticipate seeing that same intensity and aggressiveness when he faces Tim.  This will be a war.  The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will once again be hosting boxing at the highest level on December 13 and the world will be able to watch it on HBO."               "So much hangs in the balance for both of these fighters - Herrera's WBA Super Lightweight World Title, Benavidez' undefeated record and much more," said Golden Boy Founder and President Oscar De La Hoya. "With Herrera's straight-ahead style against Benavidez' Olympic pedigree, we have all the makings of a fantastic fight for fans."               "There is no better way to present boxing fans with a pre-holiday gift than to feature the return of Timothy Bradley Jr. headlining an attractive card on World Championship Boxing, Live on HBO," said Peter Nelson, Vice President of Programming, HBO Sports. "Bradley squares off against Diego Chaves, whose in-your-face style of fighting will keep Tim on his toes the entire night. And we anticipate fireworks from the rest of the telecast action."             Bradley (31-1, 12 KOs), from Palm Springs, Calif., a former two-division world champion who unified the junior welterweight titles twice during his previous four-year reign, returns to the ring after suffering his first professional loss, in his welterweight championship rematch against Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao last April. Before the Pacquiao rematch, Bradley posted three consecutive career-best victories.  After moving up in weight and beating Pacquiao in 2012 to capture the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown, Bradley co-starred in the Fight of the Year on  March16, 2013, winning a brutal 12-round decision over future world champion Ruslan Provodnikov though Bradley was suffering from a concussion throughout most of the fight.  In his most recent fight, on October 12, 2013, Bradley gave a virtuoso performance in defeating three-division world champion and Mexican icon Juan Manuel Márquez proving that Bradley is indeed one of boxing's elite pound for pound fighters.             Chaves (23-2, 19 KOs), from Buenos Aires, is a power puncher who stalks his opponent with only one goal -- THE KNOCKOUT! His victory by knockout ratio of 83% proves it is usually "mission accomplished" for him. Chaves made his Las Vegas debut on August 2 when he fought former world champion Brandon Rios at The Cosmopolitan.  The fight was all blood and guts as both warriors tore into each other in a foul-filled bout that ended in the ninth round with Chaves being disqualified by referee Vic Drakulich.  At the time of the stoppage, Chaves was ahead by one point on one scorecard and down one point on the other two cards.  Chaves captured the WBA interim welterweight title in 2012, knocking out defending champion Ismael El Massoudi in the second round. Chaves' one-year title reign included a successful title defense against José Miranda, where he scored another second-round stoppage. He lost the title to Keith Thurman July 23, 2013. Chaves began 2014 with a third-round TKO of Juan Godoy on February 15. He is currently world-rated No. 7 by the WBA and No. 10 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF).              Herrera (21-4, 7 KOs), from Riverside, Calif. and promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, will be making the first defense of his interim world title.  He won the championship in his last fight, on July 12, dethroning Johan Perez via a majority decision in a fight that was as close as it was competitive.  It was a victory made sweeter by the fact Herrera had lost his previous title shot, against undefeated unified super lightweight world champion Danny Garcia on March 15, via a controversial majority decision that many thought Herrera had won.  Herrera's professional resume includes impressive victories over former WBO Junior Welterweight World Champion Ruslan Provodnikov and former amateur standout Mike Dallas, who had a combined record of 34-1-1 when he faced them.             Benavidez (21-0, 15 KOs), from Phoenix, AZ,  was a sensational amateur prospect, winning a Gold Medal at the 2009 National Golden Gloves Championships at the age of 16, the youngest fighter to ever win the National Golden Gloves Championships.  He turned professional one year later, at age 17, where he became the youngest professional boxer to be licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.  He was granted an exception (the minimum age requirement was 18) because of his exceptional talent.  After spending most of 2013 sidelined with a broken hand he has come back to win all three of his 2014 fights decisively, including a first-round TKO of Henry Auraad on July 26.               For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing,facebook.com/trboxeo, www.facebook.com/goldenboyboxing, orfacebook.com/hboboxing and onTwitter at twitter.com/trboxing,twitter.com/trboxeo, www.twitter.com/goldenboyboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.  Use the Hashtag #BradleyChaves to join the conversation on Twitter.             For more information on The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, visit www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com.  Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cosmopolitan_lv or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thecosmopolitan.

CANELO vs. LARA & LOPEZ vs. VARGAS PREMIERE THIS SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME®

“….Just don’t expect the spicy discussions about Saturday night’s split decision to subside anytime soon.”  - Mark Whicker, Boxing Scene

PLUS, THE PREMIERE OF “ALL ACCESS: CANELO VS. LARA EPILOGUE”

Relive All The Drama Of The Boxing Event Of The Summer Beginning At 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (July 18, 2014) – Last Saturday’s SHOWTIME PPV^® event headlined by Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara will premiere on SHOWTIME this Saturday at 9 p.m. ET/PT, immediately followed by the premiere of ALL ACCESS: Canelo vs. LaraEpilogue. 

The SHOWTIME premiere of Canelo vs. Lara will also include last Saturday’s thrilling showdown between Juan Manuel Lopez and Francisco Vargas, which featured a Round of the Year candidate. 

Canelo won a split decision at the sold-out MGM Grand, but the debate of who deserved the nod in the Mexico vs. Cuba showdown didn’t end after ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. read the judges’ scorecards. 

“The fight felt as close as the numbers indicated.”  - Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated

Most experts agree that many of the rounds were “toss ups,” but will their opinion change the second time around?  Re-watch and re-score the fight yourself this Saturday to formulate your own opinion on the boxer vs. puncher matchup. 

ALL ACCESS: Canelo vs. Lara Epilogue, the third and final installment of this edition of the SHOWTIME Sports EMMY^® Award winning series, offers viewers a glimpse into the drama of fight night from a unique perspective and lifts the curtain on the rarely seen aftermath of world championship prizefighting. 

Epilogue takes viewers inside the ropes and chronicles the intense events surrounding a marquee boxing event like no other show on television.  From jubilation to heartbreak,ALL ACCESS grants you locker room access to capture the emotions following the razor close – and somewhat controversial – decision. 

  # # #

“Honor & Glory: Canelo vs. Lara,” a 12-round junior middleweight fight that took place Saturday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, was promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event, Abner Mares returned to the ring to face Puerto Rico's Jonathan Oquendo in a 10-round featherweight bout. In the SHOWTIME PPV opening bout, Johan Perez defended his interim WBA Junior Welterweight World Title against Mauricio Herrera in a 12-round matchup. Also, Juan Manuel Lopez meet Francisco Vargas in a 10-round bout for the WBO International Super Featherweight Title. The event was produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event could also be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). For information, visit www.SHO.com/Sports. Canelo vs. Lara was shown on the big screen in movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events.

SHOWTIME televised undefeated WBO Bantamweight World Champion Tomoki "El Mexicanito" Kameda defending his title in a 12-round bout against No. 1-ranked contender Pungluang Sor Singyu during "Canelo vs. Lara: COUNTDOWN LIVE.”

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CaneloOficial, @LaraBoxing, @abnermares00, @jonathanoquen, @juanma_lopez, @elbandido130, @elmaestro1,@mgmgrand, @SHOSports and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #CaneloLara and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

ERISLANDY LARA "THERE IS NO WAY I LOST TO CANELO"

LAS VEGAS (July 14, 2014) - After landing more punches and connecting with a higher percentage,Erislandy "The American Dream" Lara (19-2-2, 12 KOs) feels he was robbed in his fight with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) that took place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas this past weekend.

Fact, Lara landed 107 total punches to Alvarez's 97 and had a higher connect percentage (28% Lara - 23% Alvarez).  The body shots that Alvarez landed were grazing shots that Lara blocked with his elbows, and most of them came in the round he got cut. 

Erislandy sounds off on why he feels he won the fight and deserves an immediate rematch.

"Before the decision was announced, I felt 100% confident I won the fight," said Lara. "The facts don't lie, I landed more total punches.   Looking at it from the punch stats, you're supposed score based on clean and effective blows landed.  Most of the shots that Canelo landed were body blows that didn't even land cleanly, and most of them came in the round where I got cut.  All my punches were clean shots.  I out jabbed him and boxed his ears off.  The punch stats don't lie...there is no way I lost to Canelo."

"I'm very disappointed in Judge Levi Martinez for his horrendous score. How in the world did he score it 117-111? Before the decision was announced, I stood across the ring and saw Team Canelo and their body language said it all.  You could see the depression in their eyes.  Everyone on their whole team had a look of despair because they were defeated.  When the final score was read, their look went from despair to relief.  They knew they lost the fight, period."

"Levi definitely needs to be investigated and he should never be appointed to judge a big fight again. I'm not sure if he's dishonest or inept to be judging at this level, either way he needs to be reprimanded for this horrible decision. This is the second time this has happened to me and I wouldn't want to see this happen to someone else. Like what happen to the judges in New York in the Williams fight, Levi should be suspended.  I left communist Cuba to escape corruption and now I see it happening here in the boxing world."

"Oscar De La Hoya said that I have to wait in line to fight Alvarez again because there are 10 others ahead of me.  That speaks volumes because he knows Canelo got a gift." Lara concluded. "Who are these 10 guys he's talking about...I want to know.  I won this fight and a rematch needs to happen right away."

CANELO ALVAREZ WINS CLOSE SPLIT-DECISION OVER ERISLANDY LARA FROM SOLD-OUT MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA ON SHOWTIME PPV®

Canelo vs. Lara and Lopez vs. Vargas Will Premiere on SHOWTIME® Saturday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, Immediately Followed by ALL ACCESS: Canelo vs. Lara Epilogue Click Here To Download Photos Photo Credit: Esther Lin / SHOWTIME Tom Hogan/Golden Boy Promotions LAS VEGAS (July 12, 2014) - Canelo Alvarez won a close split-decision victory over Erislandy Lara in theSHOWTIME PPV main event in front a sold-out pro-Canelo crowd at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Judge Jerry Roth scored it 115-113 for Lara, Dave Moretti 115-113 for Canelo and Levi Martinez 117-111 for Canelo. The Mexico vs. Cuba showdown was a classic boxer-puncher matchup with Mexican superstar Canelo as the powerful aggressor and Cuban sensation Lara the slick boxing southpaw. Canelo started the bout patiently and picked his spots, but Lara's footwork and movement seemed to frustrate him. Canelo became increasingly more aggressive as he tried to cut off Lara. Canelo landed only 23 percent of his total punches including 73 power shots to the body. A decorated Cuban amateur, Lara displayed superb footwork limiting Canelo's chances and scoring when necessary. The game plan was effective as he frustrated the 23-year-old superstar. "I came to fight, I didn't come to run here," Canelo said. "You don't win by running. You win by hitting. He does have a great jab and he moves around, but you don't win a fight that way. You don't run. "I want to leave people with a good taste in their mouth. This wasn't the fight I expected; I wanted to go toe to toe. He didn't come to fight. He came to run. He's a great boxer - I respect him - but he has to learn how to throw more punches." It was an early birthday present for Canelo, who turns 24 in six days and is now 8-1 in 12 round fights. "When he learns how to fight then I'll give him the rematch," Canelo said. "For now, my birthday is coming and we're going to have fun." The 32-year-old Lara, who pressured Canelo into the dangerous bout via social media, was upset with the split decision. "One hundred percent I won this fight," Lara said. "I was controlling the rounds and, worse, I made him look bad in front of his fans. People know I won this fight. "The body shots connected but they didn't have any force. I still have no respect for him. I'm asking for a rematch. One hundred percent I'll do the same and we'll win again." Abner Mares bounced back from the first loss of his career and overcame the adversity of a cut on his left eyelid with a unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Oquendo, scored 96-94, 98-92 twice. Mares suffered the cut from a punch in the fourth round, but his cut man, Jacob "Stitch" Duran did a tremendous job of closing the gash and preventing it from affecting his fighter. Fighting for the first time with renowned trainer and defensive specialist Virgil Hunter, Mares fought intelligently throughout the bout. The three-division world champion prevented Oquendo from inflicting damage inside, utilized solid footwork and was extremely efficient. Mares landed 49 percent of his power punches, doubling up Oquendo (24 percent), who failed to make adjustments and didn't throw enough jabs to put himself in a position to land power shots.   Francisco Vargas defeated Juan Manuel Lopez via TKO when Lopez's corner stopped the bout after a vicious third round. In a round of the year candidate, Vargas (20-0-1, 14 KOs) and Lopez exchanged shots in brutal back and forth action in the third stanza.   Seemingly never in a dull fight, Lopez was knocked down with 20 seconds to go in the third after eating a huge right hand. Lopez got up and continued to press, but ate another big shot in the closing seconds and was dazed as he walked back to his corner. Lopez (34-4, 31 KOs), who won by KO or was stopped in 11 of his 12 world title fights, wanted to continue but his corner decided to stop the contest. "I knew he was hurt but I know he's a warrior," Vargas said. "My corner was making preparations to be able to knock him out. I won by throwing combo punches to Lopez's upper and lower body. Once I did that, I knew he had lost control. "I'm very happy for this moment. I want to tell everyone that I'm ready for anybody at 130 pounds." While it was the biggest victory of Vargas' young career, this could be the end for the road for what has been a brilliant campaign for the former world champ. "I wanted to keep fighting - I'm a warrior," Lopez said. "But my corner decided it was enough. I really don't know right now if I'm going to retire. I have to sit down with my family and my promoter and decide what the next step will be." In the opening bout of the PPV, Mauricio Herrera defeated defending WBA Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Johan Perez by majority decision (114-114, 116-112 twice). The early rounds were close, but the crafty Herrera (21-4, 7 KOs) pulled away after the sixth, pocketing rounds and landing power shots with ease. Herrera's strong right hand and defensive sharpness was the difference against Perez (19-2-1, 13 KOs), who continually ate punches and couldn't block Herrera's slick combos.   No stranger to close decisions, Herrera was also the more effective fighter, having thrown and landed more power, jabs and total shots. "It was difficult at first because he had a very awkward style," Herrera said. "It took me a minute to figure it out and he was making me miss a lot of shots at first. But once I relaxed and adjusted to the awkward style I was able to get into rhythm, take control of the fight and put more pressure on him. I felt like I was a hungrier fighter here tonight and that's why I pulled away with the victory. "I graduated tonight - graduated to the next level." Perez, who raised his hands after the bell rang in the 12th, took issue with the judges' decision. "I felt that Mauricio had a difficult style and that it was a close fight," Perez said. "Ultimately, I felt that I won the fight. I am really surprised by the decision and I want an immediate rematch." Tomoki Kameda (30-0, 19 KOs) defended the WBO Bantamweight World Championship with a brutal 7thround knockout victory over Pungluang Singyu in a live bout presented on Canelo vs. Lara: COUNTDOWN LIVE on SHOWTIME®. The vicious right hook immediately floored Singyu (46-3, 31 KOs), sending the former WBO Bantamweight Champion to the canvas reeling in pain. Referee Russell Mora counted out the Thai boxer at 1:35 of the seventh. "Brilliantly executed knockout," said expert analyst Farhood of the Japanese Kameda, who was making his U.S. debut. "I'd love to see him fight again, who wouldn't?" IBF Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter was interviewed during the SHOWTIME PPV and asked about his Aug. 16 showdown with undefeated British star Kell Brook. On fighting Brook: "I'm ready and real excited. Kell Brook is young, 28 years old. He's 32-0 with 22 knockouts. He's undefeated so it'll be fun." On Mayweather announcing Maidana rematch: "I am not surprised at all. He wants to right some wrongs from that first fight. Everybody knows Floyd Mayweather is smart. He will adjust and I expect him to do a lot better in this next fight." On his hopes of fighting Floyd: "I want some of that, for sure. I want that '0'. You know, Kell Brook has an '0' but that doesn't mean nearly as much to me as getting a shot at Mayweather's." # # # "Honor & Glory: Canelo vs. Lara," a 12-round junior middleweight fight that took place Saturday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, was promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event, Abner Mares returned to the ring to face Puerto Rico's Jonathan Oquendo in a 10-round featherweight bout. In the SHOWTIME PPV opening bout, Johan Perez defended his interim WBA Junior Welterweight World Title against Mauricio Herrera in a 12-round matchup. Also, Juan Manuel Lopez meet Francisco Vargas in a 10-round bout for the WBO International Super Featherweight Title. The event was produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event could also be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). For information, visit www.SHO.com/Sports. Canelo vs. Lara was shown on the big screen in movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. SHOWTIME televised undefeated WBO Bantamweight World Champion Tomoki "El Mexicanito" Kameda defending his title in a 12-round bout against No. 1-ranked contender Pungluang Sor Singyu during "Canelo vs. Lara: COUNTDOWN LIVE." For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CaneloOficial, @LaraBoxing, @abnermares00, @jonathanoquen, @juanma_lopez, @elbandido130, @elmaestro1, @mgmgrand, @SHOSports and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #CaneloLara and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing andwww.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.