Toms River NJ's, Chris "Sandman" Thomas 15-1-1, 10KO won by 1st rd knock out Saturday night at the Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton.

This win over Engleberto Valenzuela comes just two weeks after knocking out former regional WBC & WBA champion, Samir Barbosa in Atlantic City.  

These back-to-back knockout victories should put Sandman right back into the super middleweight rankings.

Thomas, 21 years-old and his manager Shawn Darling are finalizing the details on an April 4 regional championship fight in Atlantic City.

You can follow his career at Chris "Sandman" Thomas- NJ State Middleweight Champ on Facebook.

He trains at Lacey Township's Gladiator Gym and is also trained by Darling.

Thomas is a Teamsters truck driver, and 2016 Toms River South graduate.

He's a promotional free agent.

This Friday will mark the return of newly signed Dragon Fire Boxing prospect, King Raynel Mederos 2-0

The Cuban amateur boxing standout Mederos will have his 3rd fight in the pro ranks in what is expect a busy for the King.

The featured fight will be of the headline fights at the Club Mexico Stadium in Santiago Chile, MEDEROS takes on Bolivian Rocha over 6 rounds in what many picked to be fight of the night.

The event will be the first of the newly launched Dragon Fire Latino promotional company by Chiles Nico "Maverick" Martinez.

Martinez opened about Dragon Fire Boxing Latino, "This will be a busy year for Dragon Fire Boxing Latino and Chilean boxing. Firstly its an honor to partner with Australias Tony Tolj. We are determined to give our boxers the best opportunities in Chile and build the next generation of boxers, our marquee stars are WBA Fedebol Champion Andres Campos, Ramon Mascareña and Raynel Mederos are boxers who will be the future and its an honor to see these Super human warriors go to the next level"

Raynel Mederos discusses his upcoming fight.

"Firstly I would like to thank my promoter "Maverick" Martinez for giving me the platform, my manager Tony Tolj for the belief in me and the opportunities and my Wolf Pack Latino team mates (Andres) Campos and (Ramon) Mascareña.

We have put in the hard work at the gym and have left no stone unturned in preparation in my first in a huge year. January 31 Im looking to make a huge statement"

The undefeated local starlet (9-0) takes on Ellis Corrie on the #MTKFightNight at Eagles Arena – live on iFL TV – and is relishing the chance to snap up his first belt as a professional.

Ellis said: “This Northern Area title is what I’ve reached for over the past couple of months so everything I have is going into this fight.

“Corrie is a local lad and I’m a local lad so we are both putting it all on the line. I want to be coming out of this fight 10-0 and keeping my record clean. Getting to 10-0 has always been my first goal as a pro.

“These MTK Global shows are my favourite ones to box on. The atmosphere in there is second to none. With these and the Matchroom shows up here, all the boxers in the north east have a massive opportunity for the future.

“My supporters always brighten up the room. My fans come to scream and shout and this time, they’re going to be even greater in number and even louder than usual because my first title is on the line.”

Joining Ellis on the bill is the grudge match between two more locals in Joseph Laws and Kris Pilkington, plus April Hunter, Adam Gair, Lawrence Osueke, Tom Hill, Basi Razaq, Lee Reeves, Steve Robinson, Anth Ornsby, Alex Farrell and more.

Promoter Mick Hennessy brings big-time boxing back to Coventry at the Sky Dome for the first time in a decade with an exciting clash between bitter rivals Shakan Pitters and Craig Richards for the Vacant British Light-Heavyweight Championship on Saturday 28th March, exclusively live on free-to-air Channel 5.

Presented by Hennessy Sports in association with Ladbrokes, Channel 5, Infinitum, Everlast and Jon Pegg, tickets will be priced at Standard £40, Ringside £70, Inner Ringside £100. An on-sale date and full ticket details will be announced shortly.

The Sky Dome was a boxing hotbed in the early to mid 2000s with a host of popular local boxers, including Neil Simpson, Dean Pithie, Richard Evatt, Steven Bendall and Andy Halder all featuring in glorious fight nights at the venue. 

With the last championship boxing event staged there almost 10 years’ ago - Leicester’s Rendall Munroe in a WBC World Super-Bantamweight title eliminator in April 2010 - and with Coventry leading up to its year as 2021 City of Culture, Hennessy felt it was the ideal time and location to bring boxing back and stage one of the most eagerly anticipated fights in British boxing.

Since the British title was vacated by Joshua Buatsi and the British Boxing Board of Control announced purse bids for Pitters v Richards - which were won by Hennessy - the the showdown has got the British fight trade divided.  It’s a real 50-50 encounter with both fighters evenly matched and with plenty of pride at stake, neither man will want to come second in this crucial 175lb clash.

The towering 6ft 6in Pitters, 30, hasn’t put a foot wrong since making his pro-debut in March 2017 and has amassed a perfect unbeaten 13-fight career with four knockouts.  The Birmingham talent first came to attention when he cruised through the Ultimate Boxxer 2 tournament in November 2018, defeating Dec Spelman, Georgii Bacon and Sam Smith all in one night to win the Golden Robe.  In ‘Shaks’ last fight in September he again faced Spelman, who by then had become the English champion, and relieved him of the title in a thrilling 10-round war where he had to overcome some tricky moments to emerge the winner on the scorecards.

Pitters said, “I’m not like any of the guys he’s faced before.  He keeps going on about Andre Sterling, Jake Ball and Frank Buglioni, he just living off those names.  I can’t wait until I get in the ring with him and find out how adaptable he is, then he’ll realise how good I am.  It doesn’t matter where the fight is taking place, I don’t care where the fight is, the result will always be the same, I will win.  I’m the better boxer and he’s going to find that out.  He goes on about me being hurt against Dec Spelman, but I proved I had a great chin.  His last fight against Chad Sugden was awful, if that was me in with Sugden he would have been out of there.  For me the fight doesn’t go the distance and I want to know what his excuse is going to be when he loses.”

Richards, 29, from Crystal Palace, has built a solid record in his five years as a professional.  He’s captured the Southern Area Super-Middleweight title and the WBA Continental Light-Heavyweight title in his 17-fight career.  This will be Richards second shot at the British Light-Heavyweight title after his points loss to then Champion Frank Buglioni in October 2017 at the Principality Stadium on an Anthony Joshua card.  Richards took the fight at just five days’ notice after original opponent Callum Johnson withdrew, but he took the fight to Buglioni and at one point in the third round he looked like he was going to cause a huge upset.  Since then ‘Spider’ has remained unbeaten in six fights, although his last fight was scored a surprised draw to Chad Sugden.

Richards said, “Pitters is not ready to challenge for the British title, he should have defended the English and then fought an eliminator to prove he’s ready.  People are getting carried away with him.  Just take a look at his record, his four knockouts have been against a guy who lost 72 fights; someone who only had three fights; another one with 29 losses and someone making his debut.  He was badly hurt in his last fight against Spelman.  Is the fight taking place in Coventry to give him some kind of advantage? It will work against him and the pressure will all be on him.  I’ve fought on an Anthony Joshua show in front of 86,000 people against Frank Buglioni for the British title at just five days notice.  Fighting in Coventry means nothing to me.  It won’t go the distance unless he gets on his bike for twelve rounds.  When I hit him on the chin and he lands on Big Ben he’ll wish the fight would have taken place in London.”

A top quality undercard features some great Midlands match ups that includes a feisty Coventry derby between welterweights Jordan Cooke and Michael Green over six-rounds; Birmingham’s Ishmael Ellis takes on Walsall’s Shaun Cooper over six rounds at lightweight; Coventry’s Dilly Singh against Birmingham’s Matt Sen at cruiserweight over six rounds; Coventry light-middleweight River Wilson Bent in a four-round contest; Birmingham lightweight Tom Collins in a four-round contest; Birmingham super-featherweight Lewis Coley in a four-round contest; Leamington Spa lightweight Danny Quartermine makes his pro-debut in a four-round contest.

Also on the card will be exciting middleweight prospect Michael Hennessy Jr. from Sevenoaks, Kent, in his fifth professional bout in a six round contest.

Hennessy is thrilled to deliver the fight to the fans and for viewers live on Channel 5 and is expecting a memorable encounter between Pitters and Richards.  He said, “It was a fight that really appealed to me when the purse bids were announced by the Board and I’m delighted to have won the rights to stage it.  The once popular fight city of Coventry has been bereft of professional championship boxing for nearly 10 years and I felt that it was the ideal venue to host this cracking British title fight and bring boxing back once again and it will also be live on free-to-air TV on Channel 5.  It’s a real 50-50 fight and has split the trade on who will win this one.  Shakan is undefeated, skilful and with the physical advantages, but is facing his first big test and if he comes through he will really launch himself on the big stage. While Richards has the edge in experience having challenged for the British title before he is also highly regarded and skilled boxer, he’ll be hungry to get the victory over his rival.  This has the makings of a great fight between the fierce rivals with plenty of pride on the line.”

Mike Hilton remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Bladimir Hernandez in the main event of the inaugural ChampBox fight card promoted by Silver Bow at the Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, New Jersey.

Hilton of Trenton, NJ won by scores of 60-54 on all cards to raise his record to 10-0. Hernandez of Chihuahua, Mexico is 20-15.

Shinard Bunch annihilated Fabian Lyimo in 35 seconds of their scheduled six-round welterweight bout.

Bunch dropped Lyimo in the opening seconds with a vicious left hook. Lyimo, who was in trouble, and was stopped on a follow up flurry.

Bunch of Trenton is 7-1 with six knockouts. Lyimo of Tanzania is 23-12-2.

Frederic Julan remained undefeated with a 2nd round stoppage over Fidel Munoz in a scheduled six-round light heavyweight bout.

In round two, Julan dropped Munoz with a right hook that had him down for referee Alan Huggins 10-count at 38 seconds.

Julan of Brooklyn, NY is 12-0 with 10 knockouts. Munoz of Barranquilla, COL is 39-22-1.

Chris Thomas blew out Engelberto Valenzuela in round one of a scheduled six-round light heavyweight bout.

Thomas came out and was all over Valenzuela and dropped him in the corner. Thomas dropped him for a 2nd time with a perfect right to the head and the fight was stopped at 1:13

Thomas of Toms River, NJ is 15-1-1 with 10 knockouts. Valenzuela Sonora. MEX is 12-17.

LaQuan Evans won a four round unanimous decision over Alberto Delgado in a middleweight bout.

Evans of Philadelphia won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 3-1. Delagado of Roanoke, VA is 1-10-4.

Jakub Sowirko remained undefeated by stopping Mike Moore in the final round of their crusierweight bout.

The time of the stoppage was 32 seconds for Sowirko of Trenton who is now 2-0 with one knockout. Moore of Bristol, PA is 1-2.

Dennis Hobson Promotions’ first show of 2020, on February 21st at the Barnsley Metrodome, will be headlined by popular local fighter, Josh ‘The Outlaw’ Wale, taking on Tanzania’s Iddi Kayumba.

Wale, the former British Bantamweight Champion, is now operating up at featherweight and picked up the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) International Title in his last fight, in November. 

Josh, 31, has lost just 11 times in 43 outings, in a career that has seen him in the ring with some of the UK’s best fighters, including 2019 world title challenger Kid Galahad, and former world champion Stuart Hall. 

Kayumba has lost twice in 16 bouts, with seven of his wins coming by KO. The southpaw has only fought outside his home country once previously, losing in five rounds to Britain’s Prince Patel for the African Boxing Union Bantamweight Title in Cairo, last August.

With another Barnsley show lined up for Josh in June, Promoter Dennis Hobson has revealed that he hopes to see Wale emerging onto the world title scene eventually, but reminds that the Barnsley man needs to keep his eye on the ball and dispatch of Kayumba accordingly.

“This is another international fight for Josh where we can continue to manouvere him into a position for a major title, or into a final eliminator for a world title,” explained Hobson.  “In an ideal world, that’s what we’re looking to do because he’s having an Indian summer.  He’s still got plenty left, he’s exciting to watch, and is Barnsley’s most successful fighter.  I believe there’s more titles to come that will cement his legacy, and hopefully I can deliver them for him.

“I’ve heard Kayumba was weight-drained in his loss to Patel, so I don’t think you can tell much from that fight.  He’s got a good record and is a credible opponent.  It’s a homecoming for Josh, the atmosphere will be tremendous and it will be a smashing night.  Josh has wanted to fight in his hometown for a while now, and hopefully we get the result that we think we will.  We’ve then got another Barnsley show booked in June for Josh, and hopefully we’ll move onto somewhere near the world scene then.  This fight will give us a platform to help us achieve that, if he comes through it.  It’s not a given though because the kid’s got a good record.

“The Metrodome, especially when Josh fights there, will be electric.  He’s a very popular kid, and Barnsley really gets behind him.  Josh and his dad are both great to work with, and if anyone can pull something out of the bag for him on the world scene, then I believe I can.  But he’s got to keep winning and progressing.”

Dennis Hobson Promotions presents an evening of boxing on February 21st at the Barnsley Metrodome.  Headlining will be Barnsley’s Josh Wale against Tanzania’s Iddi Kayumba.

Appearing on the undercard will be Rotherham’s Kash Ali; Sheffield’s Sufyaan Ahmed, Keanen Wainwright and Perry Howe, and Germany’s Cheyenne Hanson.