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Press Release  For Immediate Release

SANTA BARBARA, CA (April 7, 2015) – Gary Shaw Productions rising star, welterweight Francisco “Chia” Santana (22-3-1, 10 KOs), is riding a 10-fight winning streak going into his highly anticipated clash with undefeated 2008 U.S. Olympian,Sadam “World Kid” Ali (21-0, 13 KOs).  Santana gives his thoughts on this match-up, his training camp and fighting at Madison Square Garden on the undercard of Klitschko vs. Jennings. The doubleheader will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. 

Training camp update…”Training camp is going as planned.  I’ve added a few new things that will be on display April 25th.  Right now it’s about sharpening up the tools that got me here.  There is nothing that needs to be changed.  I’ve been active so I know I’ll be ready to showcase my talents on HBO come fight night.” 

Reflects on his journey to Madison Square Garden…”It’s been a hard fought journey to get where I’m at today.  After suffering a few losses I decided I was going to dedicate my life to this sport and give it my all.  With a lot of hard work and support from my promoter Gary Shaw, I’m now fighting on the biggest stage at the most prestigious venue in boxing.  Madison Square Garden is where every fighter dreams they can fight.  It’s my time to show the world I’m on the championship level.” 

Relationship with Trainer Joseph “Hoss” Janik…”When you have the right trainer in your corner, it’s truly a blessing.  Hoss is the man and he always tells me like it is.  If I’m not doing something right he’ll let me know right away, he doesn’t beat around the bush.  I’m on a ten fight winning streak and he has a lot to do with it.  You couldn’t ask for a better man in the corner.” 

Sparring at Wild Card Boxing Gym…”When you walk into the Wild Card gym you know going in its going to be a rugged day of sparring.  The gym is filled with world champions and top prospects.  You can’t replicate the work you get there.” 

On his matchup with Sadam Ali…”Sadam Ali is a world class fighter with elite boxing skills, but I feel my style will give him problems.  He puts his punches together well and he made a strong statement in his last fight against Abregu.  A win against Ali will propel me into a world title fight.  Believe me when I say I’m going to bring it on April 25th, it’s going to be a brutal war!”  

Sadam Ali vs. Francisco Santana is a 10-round welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. 

Wladimir Klitschko vs. Bryant Jennings is presented by K2 Promotions and Gary Shaw Promotions in association with Madison Square Garden. 

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.garyshawproductions.com, and www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @GaryShawBoxing and @HBOBoxing, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, Gary Shaw Productions Facebook Page, orwww.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @HBOboxing.

Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) is the new WBC featherweight champion after stopping Jhonny Gonzalez (57- 9, 48 KOs) in the fourth round and preventing him from making a third successful title defense.

It was no secret that Russell Jr.’s speed was going to be a big factor in the fight but in the opening round it became evident that it was going to be an almost unfair advantage. Russell Jr. controlled the entire first round with a blistering right jab while landing a few shots to the body. Gonzalez looked very slow and was mostly inactive as he tried his best to land a plodding left hook.

In the second round, Russell Jr. continued to land his jab while looking to land a straight left. Gonzalez actually began to move forward more and began cutting off the ring while having limited success landing the overhand right.

There was more of the same for Russell Jr. in the third as he continued to land the right jab and straight left. With about six seconds left in the round, Russell Jr. landed a perfectly timed left hook followed by a blazing right hook depositing Gonzalez on the canvas. Gonzalez was on his feet at the count of six as referee Tony Weeks’ continued his count to eight and allowed Gonzalez to continue as the bell sounded to end the round.

To start the fourth and sensing that his opponent was not fully recovered, Russell came out at the bell and attacked Gonzalez landing two rights on the top of Gonzalez head followed by a left hook off of Gonzalez’s temple dropping him again. Gonzalez made it to his feet at the count of six as Weeks told Gonzalez, “I’m going to give you a chance”.

Russell Jr. then attacked Gonzalez with a flurry of blistering punches. Russell Jr. landed a left hook and as Gonzalez was stumbling around, finished him with a right uppercut knocking him to his knees and causing Weeks to jump in and stop the fight at thirty-seven seconds of the fourth.

Showtime’s Jim Gray asked Russell Jr. how he would describe making the most of his opportunity in a second try for a world title.

“I’d like to thank my mother but more importantly, my father who has been riding this wave with me all the way through, everything you see as a fighter, he’s the painter, I’m only the canvas” said Russell Jr.

On the disappointment of the Olympics, the Lomachenko loss, but finally being able to have a belt around his waist,

“We’re definitely trying to get at Lomachenko once again. Being a world champion was never one of my goals, not until after me not being able to compete in the Olympics, I had a lot of people supporting me, I felt the only way to make it up to my fans and the people that work with me, that was there for so long is to come home with this work title, we did it today”

Yes, “Mister” Gary Russell Jr. is a world champion and now has a dominating win over a quality opponent. He silenced his critics for the moment while showing that he is a force to be reckoned with.

This article contributed to BTG.

Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (26-0, 11 KOs) defeated Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan (35-2-1, 21 KOs) by unanimous decision with scores of 97-93, and 96-94 X2. This was a very close fight with the swing rounds going Charlo’s way. The matching cards by two of the judges were a better indicator of what occurred in the ring than their colleagues’ absurd four point difference.

Both fighters came out looking to establish their jab. Martirosyan controlled the pace early as Charlo looked to counter. Martirosyan was working the body well and seemed to surprise Charlo with his speed. Charlo looked to counter but was hesitant early and was not moving as much as he usually does which opened up opportunities for Martirosyan to work to the body. Charlo had an almost three inch reach advantage but it was mostly a non factor throughout the fight.

In the third round, Charlo began to move more and began landing one-two combinations and straight rights down the middle. This formula was effective for Charlo as he continued this approach over the next few rounds and controlled most of those rounds by using movement, an active jab, and timely straight rights.

Martirosyan also had plenty of moments as he stalked Charlo and landed counter rights but he didn’t sustain his attack to the body through the middle rounds. Charlo’s movement contributed to Martirosyan’s inability to continue his work to the body.  Martirosyan was the more accurate puncher in some of the closer rounds but his activity level may have impacted the judge’s scores in those rounds.

In the post fight interview, Showtime’s Jim Gray asked Martirosyan why he didn’t stay consistent with the plan of attacking the body,

“It’s a ten round fight, the whole week I’ve been pushing for a twelve round fight, they told me it’s a title fight then it’s not a title fight, we were ready for twelve rounds, we were hoping it was twelve rounds, I found out yesterday it was ten rounds, we wanted twelve rounds, we thought that it would be better for us, we went to the body early so later on we could bring his legs down so we could attack up top and that’s what we did; I honestly thought I won the fight”

In the eighth round, an accidental headbutt caused a small cut over Martirosyan’s left eye. The fight was stopped as the ringside physician examined the injury. The doctor asked Martirosyan to open his eye but Martirosyan was having difficulty doing so. The doctor asked Martirosyan if he could see, Martirosyan replied that his vision was blurry and he was having a hard time opening his eye. The doctor implied that he would stop the fight if Martirosyan could not continue. Martirosyan stated that he was ok to continue.

When the fight resumed, Martirosyan attacked Charlo in a sense of urgency. Both fighters landed aggressively to the bell.

In the post fight interview, Gray asked Martirosyan how the head butt affected him through the rest of the fight and if his vision was blurry,

“It was blurry but the doctor told me they are either going to stop the fight or the fight would continue, I could barely see but I was ok to fight, we’re warriors, we fight, I can’t just quit like that, I have to go all the way”

The last two rounds were close but neither combatant fully controlled either round. After the fight both fighters spoke about the decision,

Said Charlo of his victory, “I knew I had a game plan, Vanes wanted to attack with the right hand and he also can move a little bit. I was smart in the ring, I did what I had to do, I got the victory and we’re on to the next”

“I got a son at home, Eli, I knew what time it was, I heard him in the sixth round, get on it, get on it, I ended the sixth round well, I came back in the seventh round, Ronnie (Shields) told me to step it up a little more, I did that, every round I elevated my game”

Countered Martirosyan on if he thought he won the fight,

“A hundred percent, I mean he ran the whole fight, I mean he did land a couple of punches, but I was pushing the action, I pushed the action, I won the last round, I thought it was close, you know whoever won the last round won the fight, I thought I clearly did that, I mean one judge had it ninety-seven, the other judges had it by one point. I honestly think I won the fight, I mean he ran the whole fight, it’s not the Olympics, its professional boxing”

The bout was billed as a super welterweight eliminator. After the win, Charlo commented on if he is ready to fight for a title,

“Absolutely, I feel like I’m ready, my brother’s ready, we’re steady climbing, if they don’t give us a title, they’ll give us something”

This article contributed to BTG.