READING, PA. (July 1, 2016) – Four fighters set for pivotal showdowns this Saturday, July 2 held an open media workout Thursday as they prepare for their Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes battles live from Santander Arena in Reading, PA.

Unbeaten lightweight contender Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring will take on former title challenger Denis Shafikov in the main event of the evening. Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features unbeaten Polish prospect Patryk Szymanski taking on former title challenger “Silky” Wilky Campfort.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $20, $35, $55 and $75, and are on sale now via Ticketmaster.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:

JAMEL HERRING

“Camp was great. I started in Cincinnati and finished in D.C. with Barry Hunter, Patrice Harris and of course Mike Stafford. During my time in D.C., I sparred with Lamont Peterson, who turned southpaw for me.

“I have a great deal of respect for Shafikov. Tough guy, experienced but he had his chance and it’s my time now. This is my toughest fight on paper but I feel good. It’s my time to earn my respect.

“It’s a huge honor and blessing to headline on ESPN on 4th of July weekend. I want to put on a good show,

“Its extra special to honor on this weekend, being that I was a marine and to headline and I want to put on a patriotic and great performance.

“I believe a win will open the doors for a world title. In my mind, I am taking this fight as a world title fight. That is how important this fight is and before the end of the year, I hope to get a crack at a world title.”

DENIS SHAFIKOV

“Everything went well in camp. We had a four-month camp. We were supposed to fight a couple of months ago but when that fight was cancelled, Denis relaxed for a minute and then this opportunity came up.

“Herring has a great record and he represented the U.S. in the Olympics. He is still young and I feel that my experience will be the determining factor.

“I accepted this fight because a win gets us in line for big opportunities, including another shot at a world championship.”

PATRYK SZYMANSKI

“I’m excited about the opportunity to take on an experienced opponent. I think it will be a good test for me and a chance to show off my skills.

“I’ve worked very hard so that I can leave an impression with my performance. These are the kind of fights that I have to win and win in style if I want to reach my goals in this sport.”

WILKY CAMPFORT

“Training camp went very well. I don’t know too much about my opponent but I did see him fight once in Tampa. Come Saturday night, I will see what he has.

“It means a lot to fight on ESPN. The first fight that I saw that involved a fellow Haitian was Daniel Edouard on ESPN and it gave me a lot of motivation to pursue my career.

“I am not only fighting for myself, but all of the people in Haiti and Florida that have been supporting me.

“A win will put me right back into where I was when I had my long winning streak. A win will put me back in the mix at 154-pounds.”

Saturday, July 2

6:00 p.m. SANTANDER ARENA DOORS OPEN
Location: 700 Penn Street;Reading, PA 19601

6:30 p.m. FIRST BOUT

9:00 p.m. ESPN & ESPN DEPORTES BROADCAST BEGINS

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For information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @JamelHerring, @KingsBoxing, @ESPNBoxing and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/premierboxingchampions. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on ESPN is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

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The July Fourth Weekend Event Features Unbeaten Lightweight Contender & Marine Veteran Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring Taking on Former Title Challenger Denis Shafikov.

The Summer Series of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN (PBC on ESPN) presented by Corona Extra continues this Fourth of July weekend featuring Marine Veteran, unbeaten lightweight contender & 2012 U.S. Olympian Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring (15-0, 8 KOs) taking on former title challenger Denis Shafikov (36-2-1, 19 Kos.), live from Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania.

The event airs live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN this Saturday, July 2 beginning at 9 p.m. with the co-main event featuring unbeaten prospect Patrick Szymanski (15-0, 9 KOs) against former title challenger “Silky” Wilky Campfort (21-2, 12 KOs.)

Host Marysol Castro, blow-by-blow commentators Teddy Atlas and Joe Tessitore, and reporters Bernardo Osuna and Todd Grisham comprise ESPN’s commentary team. In addition, Hall of Fame boxing writer and ESPN boxing contributor Nigel Collins will provide social media content, insight and analysis on facebook.com/ESPN/ and @espn.

On ESPN Deportes, Pablo Viruega and Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights, while Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will host.

Additional Highlights:
ESPN3: will live stream the event on espn.go.com/boxing

Special feature on Herring highlighting his boxing career, nine-year service in the U.S. Marine Corps and his experience in the Olympic Games. Feature to air on SportsCenter Friday and Saturday.

ESPN.com: Dan Rafael will provide a preview feature and Nigel Collins a post-fight feature.
ESPN.com’s boxing program “Making the Rounds” will also preview the fight.

READING, PA. (June 14, 2016) – Unbeaten lightweight contender and 2012 U.S. Olympian Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring (15-0, 8 KOs) will take on former title challenger Denis Shafikov (36-2-1, 19 KOs) in the 10-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN & ESPN Deportes Saturday, July 2 from Santander Arena in Reading, Pa.

The Fourth of July weekend action begins at 9 p.m. ET with undefeated Polish prospect Patryk Syzmanski (15-0, 9 KOs) taking on former title challenger “Silky” Wilky Campfort (21-2, 12 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout.

“I am just excited about the fight. I have been looking for a big step up to get me in title contention,” said Herring. “I started training before I got the call before the fight. I have been training in D.C. with Mike Stafford, Barry Hunter, Patrice Harris and Levi Smith and I feel after this fight, it will get me up to a championship fight. He is a tough guy. If you train hard and stay ready, you can make the fight a lot easier on yourself.”

“I am looking forward to facing Jamel Herring,” said Shafikov. “He is undefeated and a former Olympian. I have the experience of fighting for a title and I know with a win, it will get me another opportunity.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $20, $35, $55 and $75, and are on sale now via Ticketmaster.

“This should be an outstanding and intriguing bout,” said Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions. “It’s a real test for Herring as Shafikov is a former world title challenger and Herring is looking to get there. We look forward to putting on a great show on ESPN.”

The 30-year-old Herring represented the United States at the 2012 Olympic games after winning the U.S. National Amateur title the same year. Fighting out of Cincinnati but originally from Coram, New York, Herring picked up four victories in 2015 including a dominant triumph over Yakubu Amidu in October. A former member of the U.S. Marine Corps, Herring started 2016 with a dominant victory over Luis Eduardo Flores in February.

Having fought in eight countries throughout his pro career, the 31-year-old Shafikov brings a full career of experiences with him into this matchup on July 2. Born in Miass, Russia, he won three fights in a row over Rustam Nugaev, Miguel Mendoza and Roy Mukhlis before dropping a world title fight against Rances Barthelemy.

Undefeated at just 23-years-old, Szymanski will look to build on his perfect resume on July 2. The Konin, Poland-born fighter picked up three victories in 2015 with a second round TKO over Yoryi Estrella, a first-round stoppage over Maurice Louishomme and a decision victory over Richard Gutierrez.

Born in Haiti but fighting out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Campfort has only lost once since his second pro fight in 2009 when he was defeated by Jermall Charlo in November 2015. The 31-year-old has fought professionally in the U.S., Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic and his native Haiti. He’s won six fights since the beginning of 2014 including stoppages of Milton Nunez, Devon Moncrieffe and Ronald Montes.

For information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @JamelHerring, @KingsBoxing, @ESPNBoxing and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/premierboxingchampions. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on ESPN is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

BETHLEHEM, PA. (February 10, 2016) – Undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian
Jamel Herring (15-0, 8 KOs) scored a unanimous decision (100-88, 100-88, 99-89) over Colombia’s Luis Eduardo Flores (21-3, 17 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout in the main event of Tuesday’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC)
TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on
FOX Deportes fight card at Sands Event Center in Bethlehem, PA.

Herring, who represented the United States at the 2012 Olympic games after winning the U.S. National Amateur title the same year, commanded the action throughout.

“I knew if I boxed smart it would show, but I didn’t think it would be that wide a margin,” said Herring. “He’s a very experienced fighter.”

Herring added, “I was trying to get rid of him early because he’s a dangerous guy. If you let a guy like that sit around too long there’s always the risk that you might get clipped with something and regret it.”

Herring, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, hopes the win Tuesday night will launch him into world title contention in 2016.

Making his U.S. debut, the Magangue, Colombia native Flores put on a valiant effort, recovering from a flurry in the second round that would have sent most fighters packing.

In the fifth round, the 28-year-old Flores was ruled to have been knocked down twice, but disputes those calls by the ref. “Both times that the officials called it a knockdown and started counting were just slips. I didn’t actually get knocked down either time,” said Flores.

Flores added, “I know that (Herring) had the advantage tonight, and he outperformed me. But I’ll keep trying wherever my next opportunity comes.”

“I think getting a win like this over a fighter with Flores’ experience will help me gain a lot more respect. People seeing me win on my first PBC card on national TV on FS1 and FOX Deportes just helps raise my profile and I look forward to being back,” said Herring.

The opening televised bout featured unbeaten prospect Alex Martin (12-0, 5 KOs) defeatingmRossemberth Gomez (17-5-1, 13 KOs) by unanimous decision (80-72, 79-73, 79-73) in an eight-round welterweight contest.

Martin, a 2012 National Golden Gloves Champion, controlled much of the fight from the outside using his superior footwork to evade Gomez.

The Harvey, IL native Martin said, “I could see his punches coming from a mile away, but I should have followed up a little more than I did tonight and let my hands go a bit more too.”

An owner of 340 amateur wins, Martin turned pro in 2013 and is yet to lose. That experience helped Martin keep his composure when Gomez taunted him repeatedly in the second round.

“We wanted to make Martin mad and get him to punch himself out if we could,” said the 29-year-old Gomez.

Martin responded to the talk of baiting saying, “I just stuck to my fundamentals, kept pumping my jab and setting him up for the next shot.

“I knew I hurt him with the uppercut. He walked right into it. And then when I threw the hook he couldn’t do anything,” said Martin.

Following the bout Gomez said, “I plan to retire after tonight. I care too much and fight too hard to be just another opponent.”

The second televised fight saw Raynell Williams (11-0, 5 KOs) win a unanimous decision (79-73, 79-73, 78-74) over mGabriel Tolmajyan (14-3-2, 3 KOs) in eight rounds of lightweight action.

A member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, Cleveland’s Williams was able to establish himself early and get in a rhythm.

“The only time he was able to catch me with anything was when I got a little lazy,” said Williams.

Williams caught Tolmajyan with a big right hand in the fourth round, seemingly stunning Tolmajyan momentarily, but he kept his composure and didn’t allow himself to become overzealous.

“I was focused on boxing him and not so much worried about the knockout,” added Williams. “I knew I was winning the rounds.”

In the final frame, Tolmajyan, fighting out of Glendale, CA, caught Williams with a shot that nearly ended things.

Williams recalled, “It was an overhand left that he hit me with. And then he came after me again, but the ref and I made contact, so then the ref pushed me away because he didn’t want me to try holding on to him. But once I got my feet under me I was fine.”

However, Tolmajyan wasn’t impressed with Williams saying, “He wasn’t as good as we were expecting and I had him hurt with my left.

“I thought that I was winning the fight to be honest. I didn’t think I was going to lose the decision,” added Tolmajyan.

Williams concluded, “I hope to learn from my mistakes tonight. I got caught with a good punch in the last few seconds tonight, so I just need to work on consistency and fighting until the final bell.”

In off-television bouts, In a 4-round war, Carlos Roasrio was able to take a 4-round split decision over Victor Vasquez in a Lightweight bout.

The two traded heavy blows for the entire 12-minute fight but it was Rosario of Pennsauken, NJ that got the nod 39-37 twice while Vasquez of Yonkers, NY taking a card 39-37.

King’s Promotions David Gonzales scored a 4th round stoppage of his scheduled six-round Super Lightweight bout with Justin Johnson.

After a furious exchange in round four, Gonzales unloaded with a serious left to the body that put Johnson down for the ten count at 49 seconds of round four.

Gonzales, 142.7 lbs of Philadelphia is now 7-0-2 with 2 knockouts. Johnson of Pittsburgh, PA is 6-11-4.

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The card was promoted by King’s Promotions.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.comwww.sandseventcenter.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage, www.foxdeportes.com.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com www.sandseventcenter.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage, www.foxdeportes.com.
Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @JamelHerring, @FS1, @TheSBEC, @FoxDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxdeportes and www.Facebook.com/the SBEC. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions.