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Wednesday, June 5^th, 2013                                            

CES MEDIA ALERT

Soukhamthath hopes to silence confident Tugman Friday night in his toughest test to date

LINCOLN, R.I. (June 5th, 2013) -- Andre Soukhamthath is about to swim into uncharted waters Friday night at Twin River Casino in an attempt to prove, despite what his opponent says, he's not just some "big fish in a small pond."

Dubbed "The Asian Sensation," Soukhamthath (4-1, 3 KOs) will face his toughest test to date on June 7^th when he battles Branford, Conn., bantamweight Blair Tugman (5-4), who made it clear he isn't impressed with Soukhamthath's recent success.

"I have a lot of respect for him," Tugman said, "but in looking at who he's fought and where he's fought, he hasn't fought the guys I've fought in the venues I've fought in.

"He's a big fish in a small pond until he beats someone with a little more experience. Then he'll deserve a little more respect. He's been beating guys who don't have the experience of the guys I've fought."

Since losing his professional debut, Soukhamthath, a Woonsocket, R.I., native, has won his last four fights - all at Twin River - beating Gilvan Santos, Vinnie Tisconie, Rob Costa and Kurt Chase-Patrick, the latter coming via second-round knockout in April in Soukhamthath's most complete performance.

"I'm not sure if he's trying to hype himself up, or whatever. Good for him," Soukhamthath said of Tugman. "Saying I'm a big fish in a small pond is basically saying I'm overrated. At the end of the day, it doesn't really bother me.

"I always come to fight no matter what. If he can hang with me, then good for him."

Friday's Soukhamthath-Tugman showdown is part of the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield's Classic Entertainment & Sports' "New Blood" mixed martial arts event at Twin River. Tugman has experience on his side, but he's also been out of the cage for more than two years. In the interim, he earned a job as an assistant wrestling coach at Wesleyan University in Middletown and also opened his own private wrestling academy for youths and high-school students in Branford, so while he didn't have the time to actively pursue a fight, he spent most of the past two years maintaining his wrestling and his conditioning.

Will rust be a factor Friday?

"I doubt it," Tugman said. "I feel pretty good. I've been training pretty hard these past three months helping other fighters prepare for fights, and I've been doing a lot more sparring and adding some workouts you normally wouldn't do unless you were preparing for a fight. I still practiced my wrestling, Jiu Jitsu and kickboxing during my layoff. It's not like I sat on the couch for two years."

While Soukhamthath acknowledges this will probably be his toughest fight as a pro, he's also noticed many changes within himself both in and outside of the cage. He's now working with regional boxing David Keefe to sharpen his stand-up game - "he's been the missing piece to the puzzle," Soukhamthath said - and he's improved drastically with each fight, culminating in an all-around solid effort in his win over Chase-Patrick in April.

"When I was an amateur, and even all the way up until my first pro fight, I didn't know how to finish. Now that's all I want to do. I'm hungry for it," he said. "I've shown I'm an all-around fighter; I can submit guys, beat them on the ground, or knock them out.

"Some people still think otherwise, and that's fine with me," he continued. "That's why people still want to fight me. They think my ground game is weak, but once they get a hold of me they see how strong I am and how hard it is to hold me down and keep me down. That's why mentality today is different than the Andre from two years ago."

Though Tugman has the edge in wrestling experience, he's aware of Soukhamthath's recent improvement and is preparing for the unexpectedFriday.

"He's good on his feet and pretty good on the ground," Tugman said. "I have to be ready for everything."

Tickets for "New Blood" are $36.00, $56.00, $101.00 and $126.00 and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.shop.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.

The undercard includes several regional matchups and intra-state showdowns, including the return of Providence light heavyweight Greg "Ribz" Rebello (15-4, 8 KOs) and Bridgewater, Mass., welterweight and former The Ultimate Fighter reality television series standoutChuck "Cold Steel" O'Neil (10-5, 2 KOs). After knocking out hometown favorite Jesse Peterson in Maine in February, Rebello will face Williamsport, Pa., veteran Lewis Rumsey (8-8, 4 KOs) next Fridaywhile O'Neil will look to build off his win over Rhode Island's Keith Jeffrey in December when he faces Andrew Osborn (6-5, 1 KO) of Fayetteville, N.C.

One of the best intra-state showdowns will take place between East Providence, R.I., lightweight Nate "The Snake" Andrews (4-0, 2 KOs) and Lincoln veteran Jeff "Candyman" Anderson (11-7, 2 KOs). Andrews has risen considerably in the past year with wins in each of his first four fights, but has yet to face anyone as experienced and as tough as Anderson; known for fighting the best opposition in the northeast, Anderson has wins over Damien Trites, John Ortolani and Pete Jeffrey on his resume, but has lost three consecutive bouts, albeit against Mike Campbell, Matt Bessette and Saul Almeida, who have combined for 36 wins.

In the bantamweight division, highly-touted amateur Sophanarith Amwill make his professional debut Carlos Hernandez of Lynn, Mass., and Providence veteran Joe Reverdes (1-2) - fighting for the first time since August - will fight Williamsport's Joshua Aarons (1-6). In what could be one of the best fights on the undercard, veterans Pedro Gonzalez (7-5) of Rockport, Mass., and Sidemar Honario (8-3, 2 KOs) will square off in a three-round bantamweight bout.

Providence welterweight Ruben Ortiz will make his highly-anticipated debut against fellow newcomer Brian Sparrow of Sandwich, Mass., and Eric Spicely (1-0) of Providence will take on newcomer Tundee Oduyingho of Johnston, R.I., in a welterweight bout. Coventry, R.I., featherweight Shaun Marmas (5-4) will also be featured in a separate bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change. 

(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for "New Blood." Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance).

- CES -

Twin River Casino is an exciting gaming, dining and entertainment destination, located in Lincoln, R.I., just 45 minutes from Boston and 10 minutes from Providence. Twin River features more than 4,700 slotmachines, many virtual gaming options with black jack and roulette tables and more. This unique gaming facility also hosts simulcasting of the best thoroughbred and greyhound racing from around the country, a 29,000-plus square foot Twin River Event Center with headline entertainment, the legendary Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club, free concerts at the Lighthouse Bar, Fred & Steve's Steakhouse and Wicked Good Bar & Grill, as well as 13 other dining outlets.

NBC Sports Network Fight Night 

Friday, June 14 - Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem

BRYANT JENNINGS 6/5 MEDIA WORKOUT

VIDEO, PHOTOS AND Q&A 

 ABC GYM, 1400 N. 26th ST, PHILADELPHIA, PA

Bryant Jennings (16-0, 8 KO's) held a media workout today in preparation for his June 14th NBC Sports Network Fight Night clash against Andrey Fedosov (24-2, 19 KO's). The fight is part of a triple header on a 7-bout card  that will be held at Sands Casino Resort Bethlem.

Also part of the triple header is a 12-round IBF light heavyweight eliminator showcasing Segey Kovalev (20-0-1, 18 KO's) vs. Cornelius White (21-1, 16 KO's) and a 10-round welterweight battle featuring Ronald Cruz (17-1, 12 KO's) vs. Raymond Narh (25-2, 21 KO's). The NBC Sports Network telecast begins at 8PM EDT. 

Here's what Jennings shared during the workout today at  ABC Gym in Philadelphia:

Why take this fight with Fedosov? Boxing is a business. You have to build yourself, your marketability. This is our business we hit, we get hit, it's what we do. I'm not gonna just wait around. A lot of it is patience. Patience is very much needed in this sport. As I always say, 'welcome to the fight game.'

Photo credits to: phillyboxinghistory.com

What do you know about this guy you are going to fight (Fedosov)? I don't know nothing about him. I very seldom know anything about any of my opponents. That's my trainer's job.

Were you trying to add new moves during sparring? No that's just me. I was trying not to open up against him (sparring partner). Just trying to let him get comfortable punching, just get through the work and conditioning of it. I work on my techniques. We did train early this morning: we did 5 miles, my fastest mile this morning was 6:04; 20 minutes on the pads; then I went in the house and did push-ups, sit ups; drank a smoothie; and then tried to lay down so I could rest up to come back here.

Photo credits to: phillyboxinghistory.com

In sparring are you going for the knockout? No, it's the push. This way I'll be able to operate in the later rounds at a high pace, at a fast pace and still be conditioned. And then you go back to the corner, recover for those 30 seconds and come back out and do it all over again. I can do it for 20 rounds.

Photo credits to: phillyboxinghistory.com

When you train you seem to go twice as hard than other opponents - you train all day, put in 6 miles a day instead of 3. Was it that way for this camp and why? It's that way for every camp. Running is easy for me. You have to remember I started later and didn't have a big amateur career. I thought I have work twice as hard to get to this point, because I came in the game late. I had to fast track. It's just my way.

Photo credits to: phillyboxinghistory.com

When you are fighting one of these guys (non American) does it give you any extra incentive to win for America? Yes, in fact sometimes it gives me the extra push. I know how it is for America to have a heavyweight champion, because it hasn't been here in a long time. I'm a good role model, I have a son and I wouldn't mind if my son lived the same exact life that I lived, because I don't do nothing in front of my son or behind closed doors that I wouldn't have my son do himself when he gets to my age. I just try to be an example for the youth, for the future, just to be that person to look up to. So all in all, being that next heavyweight champion of the world as an American is bigger than anything right now. That's the goal.

Bryant Jennings and trainer Fred Jenkins Photo credits to: phillyboxinghistory.com

Obviously being on NBC Sports Network is not as much money as being on HBO, but it's important to you. Why? You get to be able to showcase on national television. To be able to fight on the national screen is a blessing. People look up to me and NBC Sports like an HBO or Showtime and I feel proud that I can make it appear to be so. Hopefully one day me, my fellow boxers and Main Events can push for that to be as big or even bigger then HBO or Showtime.