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TONY DANZA’S TAKE ON BOXING
AND THE CONTENDER
By
Michael Amakor/
Watch Trailer
 Washington DC, (November 24, 2008)
Ever since his debut acting a boxer on the popular late seventies
hit sitcom series “TAXI” Tony Danza’s star has been on the
ascendancy becoming familiar to TV audiences around the
globe adding appearances on the triple Oscar winning movie “Crash”, and
several sitcoms including the popular Tony Danza show to his record.
Right now, Tony Danza is making a come
back to boxing center stage, as the host of the popular TV reality
series The Contender, now in its fourth season, and previously
hosted by Rocky star Sylvester Stallone and former 5 division world
champion Sugar Ray Leonard. The Contender this time features 16
highly skilled, but unknown cruiserweight (175-200 lbs) contenders
in an elimination-style competition who are given the chance of a
lifetime to, showcase their skills before an international audience,
win the contender trophy, and earn the sizable prize at the end;
season’s one champion captured the grand prize of one million
dollars and rode the momentum from appearing on the Contender into
securing and winning the WBC light middleweight (154lbs) title in
under three years after appearing on the show.
What most fans do not know is that
unlike other actors who act the tough guy, Tony Danza was the real
deal tough guy from the same mean streets of Brooklyn New York that
produced ring legends like Riddick Bowe, Mike Tyson. He competed in
the middleweight (160lbs) division ...continue
Lamon Brewster’s
HomeComing -
Watch Best Fight
Indianapolis, IN.
(November 25, 2008) - Tickets for “Relentless” Lamon Brewster’s
homecoming fight in Indianapolis are now on sale and priced to move.
The former WBO heavyweight champion, (34-4, 30 KO) will be competing
in front of his home crowd for the first time since his amateur
days. “The Homecoming”, promoted by Relentless Events and C’Believe,
will take place November 29 at the Conseco Fieldhouse.
“I wanted to make the tickets affordable because we’re living in
tough economic times,” Brewster says. “There’s so much stress on the
country and people don’t want to spend a lot of money for a night
out. What I wanted to do in my first fight at home is make this a
celebration where everybody can enjoy themselves stress-free. I
brought a very good card together and I hope Indiana comes out to
support it.”
Brewster will not be facing a pushover, however. His opponent
Bruce Seldon is also a former heavyweight champion. Seldon, who won
the WBA heavyweight crown with a knockout of Tony Tucker, brings an
imposing record of 38-7 with 34 knockouts to the table and has ..continue
VERSUS TO DEBUT NEW
SEASON OF THE CONTENDER, HOSTED BY TONY DANZA, DECEMBER 3, AT 10 P.M. ET
New York, N.Y. (November 25,
2008)—VERSUS, the network that celebrates real competition, will
debut the fourth season of THE CONTENDER on Wednesday, December 3,
at 10 p.m. ET. Television icon Tony Danza will host the series,
which includes 11 one-hour episodes and a live two-hour finale. The
weekly episodes will air Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET, and the
live two-hour finale on February 25 will start at 9 p.m. ET. All
episodes are available on VERSUS HD.
Shot on location in Singapore, this
installment of THE CONTENDER features 16 Cruiserweights from around
the world who will face each other in the 12-episode competition.
With former boxer and television star Tony Danza serving as host and
mentor alongside veteran Tommy Brooks & John Bray as trainers, these
fighters will go through the most intense training of their lives
and battle in the most challenging fights of their careers. In the
end, the two left standing will get into the ring on February 25 to
fight for the coveted title of Contender Champion. The location of
the ..continue
CABALLERO DESTROYS MOLITOR, ASKS “WHO’S NEXT?”
HOLLYWOOD, FL, November 25 – Last Friday night before a sellout
crowd, it only took WBA super bantamweight champion Celestino
Caballero four rounds to destroy previously unbeaten hometown
favorite Steve Molitor, and to add the Canadian’s IBF 122-pound
championship belt to his collection. Now “Pelenchin” wants to see
which of the remaining top guns in the division are willing to step
into the ring with him.
“Israel Vazquez, Juan Manuel Lopez, and Rafael Marquez are the
ones I want to fight,” said Caballero. “I don’t care what order they
come in, but I won’t stop calling for them until they step up and
prove themselves to be the warriors they say they are.”
Winner of 8 consecutive WBA sanctioned world title fights, Panama
City ’s Caballero did his country and its greatest fighter, Roberto
Duran, proud at Casino Rama in Ontario as he took control from the
opening bell and walked through the highly-regarded Molitor. It was
Caballero’s sixth defense of the title he won from Somsak
Sithchatchawal in Thailand in 2006, and while he gives Molitor
credit for being the only champion willing to unify with him, he’s
not satisfied ....continue
ANGULO PROMISES MAYORGA A DOG FIGHT!
- Junior Middleweight Rumble
TOTOWA, NJ ( November 25, 2008) – Undefeated junior welterweight
sensation ALFREDO “Perro” ANGULO of Mexico , has picked up the scent
of his next victim – former world champion Ricardo Mayorga. The
Angulo-Mayorga junior middleweight rumble will take place on
February 14, 2009 – Valentine’s Day – and will be televised live on
HBO.
“I’m going to leave forget-me-knots all over his nicotine-stained
face,” growled Angulo, whose nickname “Perro” translates to “dog” in
English. “Mayorga isn’t going to have to wait until the last second
to get knocked out like he did with Shane Mosley. I’m going after
him like a dog on a bone the second the first bell rings. He is so
done.”
Added Gary Shaw, Angulo’s promoter, “I don’t know what possessed
Mayorga to accept this fight. Maybe they should be checking the
contents on of his cigarettes!”
Angulo (14-0, 11 KOs ), of Mexico is riding a 10-bout
victory-by-knockout streak dating back to 2006. The former Mexican
Olympian is currently world-rated No. 3 by the WBC, No. 5 by the WBO
and No. 8 by the IBF. Mayorga (28-7-1, 22 KOs), from Nicaragua, has
a resume that boasts victories over Vernon Forrest, Fernando Vargas
and Andrew Lewis and world titles in the welterweight and super
welterweight divisions.
Shaw also announced that Ali Funeka (30-1-2, 25 KOs), of South
Africa, the IBF’s No. 1-rated lightweight contender and mandatory
challenger, would be making his U.S. debut, when he takes on world
lightweight champion Nate Campbell (32-5-1, 25 KOs), from Tampa, in
the co-main event.
CONTENDER
LATEEF KAYODE -- UPDATE --- WINS HIS 4th fight by KO
 November
22, 2008 - Last night at the Quiet Cannon Country Club in
Montebello California Nigerian Heavyweight Lateef "POWER" Kayode
scored a second round KO by unloaded a machine gun of punches on
Jamiah Williamson forcing the referee to step in and stop the bout
at 2:17.
To his credit Williamson was a very game opponent bringing power and
heart to the match. Outing weighing Lateef by more then twenty
pounds he landed some clean shots to the body, including a left hook
to Lateef's head. But what opponents will all come to learn as did
Williamson is that "Power" gets his energy off the other fighter.
Hit him hard and he will come back ten times harder. As tough as
Williamson was when Lateef left the corner at the start of the
second I knew the fight would never see round three. I would have
liked to see these two get it on a little longer, because I truly
liked Williamson's gameness, but I also respect a referee who spares
unnecessary harm to a fighter. Once "Power" had him pinned against
the ropes and let loose an abundance of punches it was clear this
was only a matter of time. No need to let a fighter hit the canvass.
Williamson's corner was upset with the stoppage, but I would hope
they agreed that the safety of their fighter is what's most
important.
Lateef has fought four fights in four months. His last three all
ended with KO's in the second round. He's been sparring eight to ten
rounds three days a week at Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood under
famed trainer Freddie Roach. He has become so relaxed in the ring
that I think he feels more at home inside then he does in his own
apartment. He loves the crowd and the crowd seems to love him as
they are always supportive at every venue. No doubt this will be an
interesting year for Lateef Kayode. The "Power" of God is in the
ring with this great young man and I pray for all those who get in
his way. Stay Tuned
Ballroom Boxing - Thursday
November 20, 2008 - The opponents have been
confirmed for Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall and Joey Gilbert for
this Thursday's Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in
Glen Burnie, MD.
Paschall (17-1-1, four KO's) will battle Dallas, TX-based veteran
"Gentleman" James Johnson in a six-round co-feature. Johnson
(23-28-3, 13 KO's) is no stranger to the Ballroom and is well
remembered by long-time Beltway Boxing fans for an epic four-round
draw he waged against Jimmy Lange in Glen Burnie on May 13, 1999.
The rematch went solidly to Lange via fifth-round TKO almost exactly
two years later (May 10, 2001) in the same location. Johnson has
fought one other time in the Ballroom, losing by fourth-round TKO to
Said Ouali in November of 2003.
SNBC in Godfrey’s blood
 PROVIDENCE (November 19, 2008) –
NABF cruiserweight champion Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey (17-1, 10
KOs), rated No. 3 by the WBC, fights Saturday night for the first
Sovereign Nations Boxing Council (SNBC) title against Eddie “The
Iron Man” Gutierrez at 4 Bears Casino in New Town, North Dakota.
SNBC is a fledging professional boxing organization linking
federally recognized tribes throughout the United States and Canada.
“Fighting for the SNBC title is special
for me because I’m almost 100-percent Native American,” the
27-year-old Godfrey said. “I am Native American and we don’t get
much press. I’m proud to be boxing for the Sovereign Nations Boxing
Council’s first title. It is recognizing Native Americans in sports
and I’m glad to be part of it.”
Godfrey’s fight against Gutierrez
(15-5-1, 6 KOs) is risky because the WBC recently ordered a title
elimination fight between Matt and No. 2 rated Herbie Hide, former
2-time WBO heavyweight champion, with the victor facing the winner
of the WBC championship bout between new defending champion Giacobbe
Fragameni and the No. 1 mandatory challenger, Krzystof Wlodarczyk.
“All I’m thinking about is passing the
doctor’s test and making weight on Friday and putting on a good
performance Saturday night,” Matt explained. “Fighters like this
(Gutierrez) are the most dangerous. People probably expect me to
blow away a guy like him. Even if it’s a close fight, it won’t look
good, so we’ve been training as if this was a world title fight.
They will be different fans out there and I want to put on a real
show for them. I want to really impress them. I’m really looking
forward to it.”
U.S. Olympians J.
Estrada & D. Andrade to feature on “Holiday Havoc” Nov. 29 at Twin
River Event Center, RI - Press Conference Quotes
PROVIDENCE (November 19, 2008) - Jason Estrada: “This is
my fifth fight at Twin River. I was on the first show there and I’ve
fought there more than anybody. It’s becoming a nice trend. On the
29th, I was supposed to fight Derek Bryant, a slick southpaw, but he
got cold feet and pulled out for the second time. I don’t understand
it…..no pride. I’ve never turned down an opponent because I don’t
think anybody can beat me. I’m flashy and confident. I retire them
(opponents). After they fight me there’s nothing more. I’m going to
show everybody what I can do on the 29th. Afterwards we’re going to
announce a nice surprise that will shock everybody.”
Demetrius Andrade: “I really didn’t want to go to
California; I want to whip some ass here. I’m glad my promoters
worked it out with Jimmy (Burchfield). I’m glad about fighting at
home. It’s a good card.”
Jason Pires: “I’m very excited to be coming back November
29th and doing it again. I took time off to get on the police force
and I love protecting people. There’s a lot of talent on this card
and I’m thankful to be on it. Training has been good. Twin River is
a great place to fight.”
Joey McCreedy: “This fight speaks for itself. I fought
Bobo – it was the Fight of the Night – and I have a lot of respect
for him. I’m going to leave everything in the ring November 29th.”
Keith Kozlin: “I’m real excited to fight at Twin River on
this card. It’s going to be a great night of fighting. I feel real
strong. I want to get into the ring and start fighting.”
Omar Pena: “There are a lot of good fighters on this card.
I had a rough start in my first fight, some little changes from
coming up from the amateurs. I definitely going to make my Rhode
Island fans happy and I want my fellow Dominicans waving flags.”
"DARCHINYAN IS READY TO KICK
SOME ARCE!"
TOTOWA, NJ ( November 18, 2008)
-- World super flyweight champion VIC "Raging Bull" DARCHINYAN is
ready to give WBA interim super flyweight champion and Mexican
loudmouth Jorge Arce (51-4-1, 38 KOs), the big Olé-off! Darchinyan
(31-1-1, 25 KOs), from Sydney, Australia by way of his native
Vanadzok, Armenia, responded to the challenge Arce made to him
today.
"If Arce thinks he has a snowball's
chance in Hell of beating me than he's a bigger sucker than those
lollipops he chews on," said Darchinyan. "Arce shouldn't be worrying
about me running for the hills. He should be worrying about me
running him out of boxing! The last real ring test he had was
against Cristian Mijares in 2007 and we all know how that ended. It
was a murderous unanimous decision victory for Mijares, scored
119-109, 118-110 and 117-111. And everyone saw what I did to Mijares
on November 1. Arce is going to be my human piñata. It will be like
a Chihuahua going against a bull...a raging bull!"
Added Gary Shaw, Darchinyan's promoter,
"I think Arce has been chewing on Agave-spiked lollipops for him to
be making this career-ending challenge. We may request Arce take a
breathalyzer test before signing the contracts. I'm taking no
chances with this Spanish Fly."
Darchinyan, the former IBF/IBO
flyweight champion, unified his IBF junior bantamweight title with
Mijares' WBC/WBA super flyweight belts on November 1, knocking him
out at the end of the ninth-round of their November 1 rumble at The
Home Depot Center. Televised live by SHOWTIME, Darchinyan became the
first man in the history of the 115-pound division to unify the
three major belts. Darchinyan's victory ended Mijares' (35-4-2, 13
KOs), two-year title run and nine-bout winning streak
CONTENDER
LATEEF KAYODE -- UPDATE --- WINS HIS 4th fight by KO
November
22, 2008 - Last night at the Quiet Cannon Country Club in
Montebello California Nigerian Heavyweight Lateef "POWER" Kayode
scored a second round KO by unloaded a machine gun of punches on
Jamiah Williamson forcing the referee to step in and stop the bout
at 2:17.
To his credit Williamson was a very game opponent bringing power and
heart to the match. Outing weighing Lateef by more then twenty
pounds he landed some clean shots to the body, including a left hook
to Lateef's head. But what opponents will all come to learn as did
Williamson is that "Power" gets his energy off the other fighter.
Hit him hard and he will come back ten times harder. As tough as
Williamson was when Lateef left the corner at the start of the
second I knew the fight would never see round three. I would have
liked to see these two get it on a little longer, because I truly
liked Williamson's gameness, but I also respect a referee who spares
unnecessary harm to a fighter. Once "Power" had him pinned against
the ropes and let loose an abundance of punches it was clear this
was only a matter of time. No need to let a fighter hit the canvass.
Williamson's corner was upset with the stoppage, but I would hope
they agreed that the safety of their fighter is what's most
important.
Lateef has fought four fights in four months. His last three all
ended with KO's in the second round. He's been sparring eight to ten
rounds three days a week at Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood under
famed trainer Freddie Roach. He has become so relaxed in the ring
that I think he feels more at home inside then he does in his own
apartment. He loves the crowd and the crowd seems to love him as
they are always supportive at every venue. No doubt this will be an
interesting year for Lateef Kayode. The "Power" of God is in the
ring with this great young man and I pray for all those who get in
his way. Stay Tuned
Ballroom Boxing - Thursday
November 20, 2008 - The opponents have been
confirmed for Mike "The Persecutor" Paschall and Joey Gilbert for
this Thursday's Ballroom Boxing card at Michael's Eighth Avenue in
Glen Burnie, MD.
Paschall (17-1-1, four KO's) will battle Dallas, TX-based veteran
"Gentleman" James Johnson in a six-round co-feature. Johnson
(23-28-3, 13 KO's) is no stranger to the Ballroom and is well
remembered by long-time Beltway Boxing fans for an epic four-round
draw he waged against Jimmy Lange in Glen Burnie on May 13, 1999.
The rematch went solidly to Lange via fifth-round TKO almost exactly
two years later (May 10, 2001) in the same location. Johnson has
fought one other time in the Ballroom, losing by fourth-round TKO to
Said Ouali in November of 2003.
SNBC in Godfrey’s blood
PROVIDENCE (November 19, 2008) –
NABF cruiserweight champion Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey (17-1, 10
KOs), rated No. 3 by the WBC, fights Saturday night for the first
Sovereign Nations Boxing Council (SNBC) title against Eddie “The
Iron Man” Gutierrez at 4 Bears Casino in New Town, North Dakota.
SNBC is a fledging professional boxing organization linking
federally recognized tribes throughout the United States and Canada.
“Fighting for the SNBC title is special
for me because I’m almost 100-percent Native American,” the
27-year-old Godfrey said. “I am Native American and we don’t get
much press. I’m proud to be boxing for the Sovereign Nations Boxing
Council’s first title. It is recognizing Native Americans in sports
and I’m glad to be part of it.”
Godfrey’s fight against Gutierrez
(15-5-1, 6 KOs) is risky because the WBC recently ordered a title
elimination fight between Matt and No. 2 rated Herbie Hide, former
2-time WBO heavyweight champion, with the victor facing the winner
of the WBC championship bout between new defending champion Giacobbe
Fragameni and the No. 1 mandatory challenger, Krzystof Wlodarczyk.
“All I’m thinking about is passing the
doctor’s test and making weight on Friday and putting on a good
performance Saturday night,” Matt explained. “Fighters like this
(Gutierrez) are the most dangerous. People probably expect me to
blow away a guy like him. Even if it’s a close fight, it won’t look
good, so we’ve been training as if this was a world title fight.
They will be different fans out there and I want to put on a real
show for them. I want to really impress them. I’m really looking
forward to it.”
U.S. Olympians J.
Estrada & D. Andrade to feature on “Holiday Havoc” Nov. 29 at Twin
River Event Center, RI - Press Conference Quotes
PROVIDENCE (November 19, 2008) - Jason Estrada: “This is
my fifth fight at Twin River. I was on the first show there and I’ve
fought there more than anybody. It’s becoming a nice trend. On the
29th, I was supposed to fight Derek Bryant, a slick southpaw, but he
got cold feet and pulled out for the second time. I don’t understand
it…..no pride. I’ve never turned down an opponent because I don’t
think anybody can beat me. I’m flashy and confident. I retire them
(opponents). After they fight me there’s nothing more. I’m going to
show everybody what I can do on the 29th. Afterwards we’re going to
announce a nice surprise that will shock everybody.”
Demetrius Andrade: “I really didn’t want to go to
California; I want to whip some ass here. I’m glad my promoters
worked it out with Jimmy (Burchfield). I’m glad about fighting at
home. It’s a good card.”
Jason Pires: “I’m very excited to be coming back November
29th and doing it again. I took time off to get on the police force
and I love protecting people. There’s a lot of talent on this card
and I’m thankful to be on it. Training has been good. Twin River is
a great place to fight.”
Joey McCreedy: “This fight speaks for itself. I fought
Bobo – it was the Fight of the Night – and I have a lot of respect
for him. I’m going to leave everything in the ring November 29th.”
Keith Kozlin: “I’m real excited to fight at Twin River on
this card. It’s going to be a great night of fighting. I feel real
strong. I want to get into the ring and start fighting.”
Omar Pena: “There are a lot of good fighters on this card.
I had a rough start in my first fight, some little changes from
coming up from the amateurs. I definitely going to make my Rhode
Island fans happy and I want my fellow Dominicans waving flags.”
"DARCHINYAN IS READY TO KICK
SOME ARCE!"
TOTOWA, NJ ( November 18, 2008)
-- World super flyweight champion VIC "Raging Bull" DARCHINYAN is
ready to give WBA interim super flyweight champion and Mexican
loudmouth Jorge Arce (51-4-1, 38 KOs), the big Olé-off! Darchinyan
(31-1-1, 25 KOs), from Sydney, Australia by way of his native
Vanadzok, Armenia, responded to the challenge Arce made to him
today.
"If Arce thinks he has a snowball's
chance in Hell of beating me than he's a bigger sucker than those
lollipops he chews on," said Darchinyan. "Arce shouldn't be worrying
about me running for the hills. He should be worrying about me
running him out of boxing! The last real ring test he had was
against Cristian Mijares in 2007 and we all know how that ended. It
was a murderous unanimous decision victory for Mijares, scored
119-109, 118-110 and 117-111. And everyone saw what I did to Mijares
on November 1. Arce is going to be my human piñata. It will be like
a Chihuahua going against a bull...a raging bull!"
Added Gary Shaw, Darchinyan's promoter,
"I think Arce has been chewing on Agave-spiked lollipops for him to
be making this career-ending challenge. We may request Arce take a
breathalyzer test before signing the contracts. I'm taking no
chances with this Spanish Fly."
Darchinyan, the former IBF/IBO
flyweight champion, unified his IBF junior bantamweight title with
Mijares' WBC/WBA super flyweight belts on November 1, knocking him
out at the end of the ninth-round of their November 1 rumble at The
Home Depot Center. Televised live by SHOWTIME, Darchinyan became the
first man in the history of the 115-pound division to unify the
three major belts. Darchinyan's victory ended Mijares' (35-4-2, 13
KOs), two-year title run and nine-bout winning streak
Arce
Targets Darchinyan, Fight with Vazquez Looks Remote
(Nov. 18, 2008) – Jorge Arce,
one of boxing’s most brash talkers, is no longer clamoring for a
fight against WBC super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez. Arce
has now set his sights on WBC/WBA/IBF super flyweight champion Vic
“The Raging Bull” Darchinyan.
“Vazquez had his shot, but he waited
too long to make a decision and quite frankly, I think he was scared
of the match up,” Arce said. “I can only hope that Darchinyan won’t
run for the hills like Vazquez did.”
Arce, who fights two divisions lower
than Vazquez, has been chasing the fellow Mexican-native for quite
some time. Most recently, Arce called out Vazquez after his fourth
round TKO win over Isidro Garcia just two weeks ago (Saturday, Nov.
1).
“I really wanted the fight against
Vazquez,” Arce said. “But this is a business and right now a fight
with Darchinyan makes more sense. Let’s see how much guts the
so-called ‘Raging Bull’ actually has.” Arce has a record of 51-4-1,
with 39 knockouts.
 CURTIS COKES
By Jim Amato
November
18, 2008 - He may have been one of the best pound for pound
boxers of the 1960's but he was over shadowed by the antics of one
Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali. He may have been the best fighter in
the welterweight division during the decade but he never had a
chance to prove it against Emile Griffith. Instead he labored in the
back round, fighting and beating all comers. Only after Griffith
moved up to middleweight and allowed him to capture the vacated
title did Curtis Cokes gain some long over due recognition.
Curtis who never had an amateur fight began his professional career
in Midland, Texas on March 24, 1958 outscoring Manuel Gonzalez over
six rounds. Curtis and Manuel would get to know each other a lot
better in years to come.Curtis was born on June 15, 1937 in Dallas,
Texas. He would go on to win his next ten fights including an eight
rounder over Gonzalez. Finally in April of 1959, one year after
turning pro Curtis suffered his first career loss to none other then
Manuel Gonzalez. A no contest in a match with the talented Rip
Randall set up a rematch. Curtis took out Randall ..more
PRE-FIGHT
ANALYSIS
TAYLOR - LACY BOUT COULD BE
OVERSHADOWED TOMORROW.
By
Jim Amato /
Watch fight trailer
November 14, 2008 - Although
most of the buzz is surrounding HBO's feature bout between Jermain
Taylor and Jeff Lacy, there is an under card bout that has captured
my interest. Former welterweight champion Kermit Cintron faces a
very stern test in rugged Lovemore N'dou. Unless I'm way off base I
look for Taylor - Lacy to be pretty much one way traffic in favor of
Taylor. Unless Jermain falls apart or Lacy launches a left hook from
days gone by, this one is an after thought. On the other hand poor
Kermit just can't get by Antonio Margarito. That doesn't make him
all bad. I still feel Cintron has a lot of talent but the tough as
nails L'dou should test him...continue.
FEATURE
STORY
Scribe Notes: Monte Barrett (34- 6-3, 20 ko’s) faces
former unified cruiserweight champ David Haye (21-1, 20 ko's )in a crossroads
fight. After his loss to Hasim Rahman for the WBA titlle in 2005, Barrett went on to lose to Nikolai Valuez
for the WBC title in 2006, he has managed to put together three victories
since then.
Rahman vs Barrett
Pre-fight Analysis
By
Michael Amakor
August 8, 2005:
In another curious
abnormality now common place in boxing today, the WBA has sanctioned a
heavyweight bout to install an Interim Champion. Reigning champion Vitali
Klitchko has been out of commission since December 2004 as he recovers from
back surgery, before then he had fought only once in April. This saga got
more interesting as a seemingly revitalized Vitali is now being rumored to
prefer returning to the ring against the likes of
Oleg Maskaev and Calvin Brock
instead of his mandatory opponent Hasim Rahman in a bout that has often
times been postponed by Klitchko in curious circumstances that leaves you
questioning his motives. The WBA perhaps sensing that it may have to strip
him down the road ...more
Duffy
brings “Holiday Hits” back to Big Apple
Dec. 4 at Roseland
Ballroom
 NEW YORK (November 13, 2008) – Veteran
promoter Bob Duffy announced today that his Ring Promotions company
will present the “Holiday Hits” pro boxing show in Manhattan for the
third consecutive year.
Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Nagy
“Dominican Dynamite” Aguilera (10-0, 6 KOs), fighting out of
Newburgh (NY), will headline for the first time in the 10-round main
event on Thursday night, December 4 at the famed Roseland Ballroom.
“I’m delighted to promote my third
‘Holiday Hits’ show and this year’s card is better than ever
before,” Duffy said. “We have a nice blend of proven veterans,
promising prospects and multiple ethnic fighters on the card. Many
of these fighters are well known from their winning days in the New
York City Golden Gloves Tournament. Nothing is comparable to the
holiday season in New York City. Our show us going to cap-off a
great year of boxing in the Big Apple and..continue
FEATURE
STORY
Featherweight Classic in
Tucson: Mtagawa vs. Villa
By Ted
Sares
In a fight that gave new
meaning to the words “fury” and “courage,” Rogers “The Tiger” Mtagwa
(25-12-2) and Mexican warrior Tomas “El Norteno” Villa (20-6-4)
engaged in almost ten rounds of wild ebb and flow savagery.The
battle was held on November 7 at the Casino Del Sol in Tucson,
Arizona.
Things started fast. The first round
was one of pure fury in which both engaged in legal, back-and-forth
assault and battery and the crowd was up and roaring in disbelief
when the bell rang. Villa’s punches were shorter and sharper;
Mtagwa’s were wider but seemed to be more menacing. Both landed
numerous times. This continued in rounds two and three..
In the fourth, Villa decked the
Tanzanian with a sneaky right uppercut, but referee Rocky Burke
missed it and called it a slip. Rogers then came back at the end of
the round with a series of neck snappers. The fifth featured great
body work by Villa including a rare triple hook ala Micky Ward. He
also landed a number of jolting uppercuts that had the crowd ooohing
and aaahing and chanting “Villa, Villa.” In the sixth, Villa
continued his assault, but then Mtagwa suddenly ....continue
OSCAR DE LA
HOYA
INTERVIEW
REMARKS ON
FIGHTING - "Obviously and depending on the outcome
of December 6, the way I feel right now I could fight forever. This
is what I love to do and I feel great doing it. The sparring, trying
hard to be as fit and ready as I can, is just what I my mind and
body are always willing to do when I am getting ready for a fight. I
don't know when I will be done fighting because as you asked me
today, I feel like I can continue on. If your body and mind is
right, and you take care of yourself, you can last a long time in
this sport.
"I have always wanted to fight the best
out there, the most dangerous and the best match-ups. That is how I
ended up wanting to fight Pacquiao. He is the best out there. I
don't think weight will be a factor and this is the type of
challenge that motivates me."
ON MANNY PACQUIAO AS A THREAT - "The problems I see that will be
heralds for me that night are that Manny Pacquiao is a southpaw with
amazing speed. He is also young and powerful. But we are working on
all that in camp and we will know how to neutralize him. We will be
well prepared. "I am bringing my weight down to 147
and actually am the lightest I have been in a long time in my career
(De La Hoya weighed 145 yesterday morning). He obviously is coming
up in weight. How does anyone really know what is going to happen?
No one knows for sure what is going to happen when I fight a guy
with his power and speed and he has to deal with me.
"I am fortunate to have a worldwide
stage that has paid attention to my career and Manny Pacquiao has a
huge following too. Now we are all over the place and the whole
world is paying attention to this fight and wondering what the
outcome is going to be. That in and of itself, is a thrill for me to
be a part of another great event.
"Throughout my career, I have been
extremely fortunate to have so many people who have been drawn to
the sport of boxing because they were interested in my career. I
realize I am a catalyst for the sport and I don't take that
responsibility lightly. That is another reason I try to always
compete at the highest level and give fans great fights by having
match-ups with competition that gives me the most challenge and
threat."
POST FIGHT COMMENTS
BIKA BEATS MANFREDO FOR IBO SUPER MIDDLEWEIGTH TITLE -
POST FIGHT QUOTES
 Sakio Bika: “I feel very happy. Thank
God I got this opportunity to fight for the IBO world super
middleweight title. This was for my wife and two children back home.
This belt will be an early Christmas present for them. Next year is
going to be good for me. Next, I want Bernard Hopkins.”
Peter Manfredo, Jr.: “He’s so strong.
He throws wide but everything he throws is strong. I tried to roll
and catch him in between but I couldn’t. I’m okay. I’m going to
enjoy Christmas with my family. I have a lot of talent and I’m only
27. I’m have to think about what I’m going to do.”
Grady Brewer: “He’s a tough guy. I
wasn’t able to hit him with shots that I should have. I respect his
power. I fought his fight, kind of wild, but I got the win.”
Matt Remillard: “I felt great. I showed
off more of my boxing skills. That kid’s dangerous. He’s strong,
experienced and tried to suck me in with the right. I kept my
composure.”
FEATURE
STORY
FIGHT OF THE YEAR FOR 2007
By
Michael Amakor
December 2007 - You may not have
been a fan of the contrived and carefully edited boxing series “The
Contender”, you may also not have been enthusiastic about the mix of
168 pound super middleweights fighters assembled in the third
installment which in the end pitted the very experienced 28 year old
Sakio Bika (24- 3-2, 14 ko’s); a former Olympian and two time title
challenger, against the 23 year old Jaidon Codrington (18- 1,
14ko’s) in the finals for the Contender title. However, there was
nothing contrived about the televised slugfest that finally took
place at the TD Banknorth Garden, in Boston MA, USA on November 6th
2007.
Maybe it was the three quarters of a
million dollar prize for the winner, or the realization that this
was their last shot at boxing immortality, but in the end it may
have boiled down to two hungry pit bulls being trapped in a cage in
the full glare of camera lights and prodded on by bloodthirsty
foaming fans beating frenzied war drums, because after only a few
seconds, the fight descended into a wildly entertaining slugfest of
monumental proportions with the impact of bone crunching .more
NEWS FLASH
BALLROOM BOXING
NEXT EVENT --- NOVEMBER 20th
Michael's Eighth Avenue Featuring Mike Paschall (17-1-1) vs. Marcus
Hall (11-3) Md. State Title Bout - The Re-Match Ronald Boyd vs.
Tyrell Samuel Female sensation Katy Klinefelter and "Contender Star"
Joet Gilbert (16-1-1) Tickets on sale at 410-766-7474. Premium
Ringside $100, Ringside $50, General Admission $35
410-766-7474...Check Back Soon...
Watch Trailer
ANNOUNCEMENT
Duffy brings “Holiday Hits”
back to Big Apple Dec. 4 at Roseland Ballroom
NEW YORK (November 13, 2008) – Veteran
promoter Bob Duffy announced today that his Ring Promotions company
will present the “Holiday Hits” pro boxing show in Manhattan for the
third consecutive year.
Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Nagy
“Dominican Dynamite” Aguilera (10-0, 6 KOs), fighting out of
Newburgh (NY), will headline for the first time in the 10-round main
event on Thursday night, December 4 at the famed Roseland Ballroom.
“I’m delighted to promote my third
‘Holiday Hits’ show and this year’s card is better than ever
before,” Duffy said. “We have a nice blend of proven veterans,
promising prospects and multiple ethnic fighters on the card. Many
of these fighters are well known from their winning days in the New
York City Golden Gloves Tournament. Nothing is comparable to the
holiday season in New York City. Our show us going to cap-off a
great year of boxing in the Big Apple and ..more
Interview with Jaffa
Ballagou
By Ike Enwereuzor
 Former WBA International Super middleweight champion Jaffa "African
Assassin" Ballogou has a professional record of (45-6) 39KO's.
Originally from Togo he now fights out of New York City
and will face Manu Ntoh from Cameroon now fighting out of Atlanta, Ga on
tuesday Sept 23
at the Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City.
Jaffa defeated previously unbeaten Dean Francis in United Kingdom to
capture the WBA International super middleweight title.
This is what the former world title challenger had to say:
Ike: What do you know about your opponent Manu Ntoh?
Jaffa: I don't know anyone about him, I'm just coming to fight, he
better be ready that's all (more)
Cunningham vs Adamek -
Watch Fight Trailer
STEVE CUNNINGHAM On training camp:
The Philadelphia Phillies fan is a constant fixture at the
James Shuler Memorial Gym in West Philly and the Rock Ministries Gym
in Kensington. But despite his intensity he and his team keep the
atmosphere relaxed with practical jokes: “We like to have fun in
camp. Last week when my trainer [Anthony Chase] landed in Philly we
told him we rented a nice apartment for him. We took him to the
ghetto to a house where the grass was over-grown and the windows
were boarded. I walked over to the car with a straight face and gave
him the keys and his jaw dropped. I couldn’t stop laughing.”
Chase has trained Cunningham since the amateurs; although the two
did separate for a few years before reuniting. Chase has also
trained Cedric Boswell, Sam Reese, Dorin Spivey, Owen Beck, and Dave
Hadden
Chazz Witherspoon and Eddie Chambers are two of the fighters
Cunningham is using for sparring because he wants “bigger, stronger
guys”. . .
STEVE CUNNINGHAM On Adamek:
· “From what it seems I think I’ve fought tougher guys [than
Adamek], like Guillermo Jones, Kelvin Davis, and Sebastian Rothmann.
But I see a decent fighter in Adamek—solid, pretty strong. I’m
expecting a tough fight “
“I think he’s been in there with good opposition. He fought Chad
Dawson. But I’m different than Chad . I’m bigger. That’s what makes
this fight so good. Both of us have been there, done that“
“Adamek was bigger than I thought. We were about the same
size. But size doesn’t mean much. Some of my toughest fights were
against smaller guys.”
STEVE CUNNINGHAM On His Naval Career
Cunningham served four years in the U.S. Navy and finished as an
E-3.
For the first 2 ½ years of his service he was an aircraft re-fueler
for the U.S.S. Enterprise and the U.S.S. America. “I re-fueled
everything from F-18s, F-14s, helicopters, you name it.” He visited
many places such as the Strait of Gibraltar , the Suez Canal, Greece
, Italy , and Malta
The last 1 ½ years of his tour were spent boxing for the Navy.
Cunningham is proud of his service and would like to serve as a
spokesman for the Navy
TOMASZ ADAMEK On Training
Adamek’s co-trainer Mike Skowronski is stunned at how good Adamek
looks at this stage of training camp: “He looks awesome and he keeps
getting better each day. It’s our inside joke that after every
workout he tells me, ‘Wait till next week” . . . Fighting at
cruiserweight has made all the difference according to Adamek: “I
feel better than I did at light heavyweight. I’m not tired. I feel
stronger” . . . Among his training rituals is 45 minutes of road
work, four times per week . . .
Skowronski is particularly impressed by Adamek’s speed and with
“the way he’s putting together his combinations and working off his
jab. His balance is great. I wish the fight was in two weeks to be
honest with you. He is as steady as a rock.”
Adamek is using top-10 contender Shaun George, former champion Al
Cole, and three-time Golden Gloves champion Patrick Farell for
sparring. So far he has already logged over 40 rounds of sparring,
predominantly with George. Skowronski expects Adamek to spar a total
of 60 rounds before they break their Passaic PAL training camp in
Passaic , NJ.
TOMASZ ADAMEK On Cunningham
“Cunningham is a good boxer. He’s a champion. But I think I will
win this fight because I feel so much stronger at cruiserweight.”
Skowronski adds: “Tomasz knows it’s going to be a tough fight,” says
Skowronski. “He expects to catch up with Cunningham and wear him
down. He’s looking at this as a 12 round war.”
Miscellaneous
Adamek has been living in Jersey City , NJ for about two years.
In August his wife and children joined him in America.
Adamek says he might consider moving to heavyweight in the
future, but “not to fight the real big guys.” For now all he is
concentrating on is Cunningham: “This belt is very important to me.
I would like to win this and then unify the titles.”
FEATURE STORY
November 9, 2008 - Chief Scribe Notes:
One time WBO title challenger Luan
Karsniqi (30-0, 18 KOs) challenges the undefeated Alexander
Dimitrenko (28-0, 18 KOs) for the WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight
title on November 15, 2008. Below is a flash back to a past Krasniqi
fight.
Watch Fight Trailer
KARSNIQI SHOCKS WHOOPI
By
Michael Amakor
May 28, 2005 - Germany's Luan
"The Lion" Karsniqi knocked out NABA Heavyweight and WBO NABO
Heavyweight Champion Lance"Whoopi" Whitaker in the sixth round to
become the mandatory challenger for the WBO Heavyweight Belt
currently held by Lamon Brewster at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle,
Stuttgart in far away Germany.
Whoopi who was the number one ranked
WBO contender before this bout usually talks a good game, and for
this fight he went the extra step by hiring the services of
Steve"Crocodile" Fitch - Mike Tyson's former sunglassed military
style, loud mouthed, trash talking speaker to add to the
intimidation quotient of his entourage. Whoopi appeared to be in
shape as he worked out for the press in the pre-fight hype as the
Crocodile repeatedly predicted the destruction of the Lion to all.
Whoopi backed up by the threats of his entourage and a crocodile
even refused to shake hands with a vilianized Karsniqi who pushed
him igniting a scuffle that nearly degenerated into a laughable riot
with Whoopi threatening "I’m gonna knock him out today, I’m not
gonna wait "til...continue
CHAD DAWSON OFFERS UP A
WORLD TITLE UNIFICATION IN WALES AS JOE CALZAGHE'S SWAN SONG
 NEW
YORK, NY (November 8, 2008) -- Undefeated IBF/IBO light
heavyweight champion CHAD DAWSON wants to be the first to
congratulate Joe Calzaghe on his dominate victory over Roy Jones,
Jr. at Madison Square Garden tonight.
"Joe has lot to be proud of and I for
one am very impressed," stated Dawson. "If Joe wants to have his
grand farewell in Wales, I am ready to accommodate. My passport and
world title belts are ready to travel across the pond. I'm ready to
give Joe the opportunity to draw the curtain on his great career in
front of his family and friends and 70,000 fans. It's the best fight
in the light heavyweight division between two undefeated champions."
Added Gary Shaw, Dawson's promoter,
"Even HBO's Max Kellerman was pounding the table like Nikita
Khrushchev demanding this great matchup!"
VICTORIOUS JOE
CALZAGHE POST-FIGHT QUOTES
What Next For Calzaghe - Hopkins II, Jones II, Dawson Or Retirement?
 NEW
YORK, NY (November 8, 2008) - "Roy stunned me. He hit me with a
good punch. That is what being a champion is all about. But I didn't
panic. I composed myself, got back up and started to fight again. I
just boxed.
"My power is in my recovery. Anyone can
fall on the floor. How you recover is what matters. I think it
showed my heart, and I came back twice as strong.
"I've been knocked down before, and
when I get knocked down I come back stronger.
"I am overwhelmed at the moment. It
took me eight years to get a unification fight and I was more
frustrated than anyone. Before the Lacy fight, I hadn't been given
the chance to fight a true champion. I wanted to show the world that
I was a true champion, that it was no fault of my own that I hadn't
fought a unification bout.
"I am just so happy. This year I beat
two legends in Hopkins and Jones, and I came to the United States to
do it. I took the risk. They didn't come to me. I came to them. I
came to New York City make it happen. I made it happen tonight.
(Watching a replay of the punch) -"I really didn't see the punch coming. I feel like I am having de ja
vu. "I feel really relaxed with my hands on
my sides. That's just my style. In the first round I was a little
bit weary, but I knew I would be okay because I know for a fact it
is hard for anyone to fight my style. I was in my rhythm. "I love the way Roy fights. I knew with
his style it would be a good fight...I have a lot of respect for Roy
Jones. He is a great fighter.
Future
Prospect
Robert "NIGHTHAWK" Luna
Jr.: Makes Impressive Cestus Debut!
 On
November 8, 2008 , Cestus Management’s 140-pound destroyer, Robert
"NIGHTHAWK" Luna Jr. made his professional debut on the under card
of the Class Act promotional event held in Round Rock, Texas . Luna
Jr. who is from San Antonio Texas, gave the local fans present a
true display of power and technical boxing as the ex-United States
Armed Forces solider that honorably represented his Country in Iraq
and Afghanistan , had his first win by completely outclassing and
schooling fellow Texas Jessie Villareal. Winning a clear decision
over four rounds. The "NIGHTHAWK" hammered the game Villarel four
four rounds, with Villareal surviving some very hectic moments from
Luna's non-stop onsloughts and absorbing major punishment throughout
the fight.
Luna Jr started hard and fast shooting
stiff jabs that where knocking Villarreal's head back. Robert used
smooth, crisp combinations and big booming right hand shots that
caught Villarreal flush. To his credit Villarreal, a veteran of ten
fights, hung in there but absorbed major punishment and was just
simply outclassed by the " NIGHTHAWK’s” speed, power and superb
combination punching. Luna Jr. showed some great moves during the
fight and looks like he has the potential to be a prospect that
everyone will be hearing about in the not to distant future.
Editorial
Comment and Prediction
Slappin'
Joe Will Smack Jones Into Submission.
By
Jim Amato
 PLEASE
don't pay for this fight ! As they say, "fool's gold". Who's the
fool ? Anyone who pays for this over hyped match. Jones is
done...Pure and simple. He will lay on the ropes and attempt to
counter. The over rated Calzaghe will eat him up. This is match
making at its very best, an art form. The fool will lay out the PPV
$$$. Let him cry Sunday. Who cares ? Joe, Roy and the promoters will
cash in and the fans are left to swear they'll never be duped again.
BUT...They will. Oh yes, they surely will.
What makes people think that the Roy
Jones who was starched by Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson has a
prayer ? OK Roy beat Tito Trinidad. All that proved was that Roy was
less faded then "Fear Not" Felix. This fight is a farce and a fraud.
The only thing worse is the De La Hoya - Pacman "super fight".
Geez...What is the public thinking ? Calzaghe should be calling out
Chad Dawson. Oscar should have solidified his "legacy" and
challenged Margarito. Think that's going to happen ? Think again.
What ever happened to a challenge ? The
best fighting the best...Leonard-Hearns, Hagler-Hearns, Monzon-Valdez,
Duran-DeJesus, Sanchez-Gomez, Pryor-Arguello...A "Golden" era. Today
it is pick and choose. The most money for the least amount of risk.
The shame of it is that these guys have the nerve to call themselves
"champions".
STAR BOXING RESULTS FROM
BALLY'S IN ATLANTIC CITY NEW
JERSEY
Nov 08, 2008
On Friday Night before a
sold out crowd, Joe
DeGuardia's Star Boxing
presented yet another
exciting night of boxing at
the beautiful Bally's Hotel
and Casino in
Atlantic City, NJ.
The seven bout card which
featured some of boxing's
hottest up and coming
prospects was headlined by
the WBA #5 rated heavyweight
in the world Kevin "Kingpin"
Johnson taking on Matt Greer
in a ten round heavyweight
contest.
Johnson came out looking
very determined as he
immediately began firing
blistering shots at Greer.
Greer who has never been
stopped as a professional
showed his toughness as he
refused to go down
throughout the fight.
Johnson's accuracy was on
display as he seemingly
landed every single punch he
threw. With Greer's face
covered in blood, and the
amount of punishment he was
taking, his corner had no
choice but to throw in the
towel mid way through the
third round.
It was a very impressive
victory for Johnson who
showed once again he has
tremendous power along with
lightening quick hands and
surely is the #1 heavyweight
prospect in the world. With
the victory Johnson improves
to (21-0-1, 8KO) while his
opponent Greer drops to
(12-4, 11KO) .
|
|
|
DON KING PRODUCTIONS AND
CHENGDU SPORTS INDUSTRY PRESENT: WBC USNBC INTERNATIONAL HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPIONSHIP 12 ROUNDS -
Watch Trailer
WORLD BOXING COUNCIL HEAYWEIGHT ELIMINATION BOUT: JAMEEL McCLINE
(WINNER) vs. MIKE MOLLO
WBC Supervisor: Bismark Morales, U.S.A.
Referee: Roberto Ramirez, Puerto Rico
Judges: Nicolas Hidalgo, Venezuela 116-111 M
Takeaki Kanaya, Japan 116-112 M
Brian McMahon, Australia 114-113 M
WBC USNBC INTERNATIONAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: GOLOTA vs.
RAY AUSTIN (WINNER)
WBC Supervisor: Lee Peters, U.S.A.
Referee: Mike Griffin, Canada
Judges: Guillermo Ayon, Mexico
No Parat, Thailand
Raul Nieves, Puerto Rico
Chief Scribe Notes: Tireless war
horse got stopped in the first round against the unheralded Ray
Austin for the vacant WBC USNBC International Heavyweight Title in
Chengchung China. Not many fighters have had the many chances
afforded the unlucky foul pole, But maake no doubt about it, the
always entertaining Golota will be back!. Here is a flash back from
the archives.
Golota "Earns"
Another Eliminator...
By Jim Amato
March 5, 2005
- UNBELIEVEABLE...That is all I can say. Rumor is
that Don King has not given up on Andrew Golota even in the wake of his
dismal showing against Lamon Brewster. Somehow after being blasted out in
less then a round by Brewster in an attempt to win the lightly regarded
W.B.O. belt, Andrew has put himself in line for a shot at the W.B.A.
version of the heavyweight title. Say what ???
Andrew may be matched with 7' Nikolai Valuev and
the winner will probably secure a shot against newly re-instated W.B.A.
titleholder John Ruiz. Go figure...
Today's heavyweight division is becoming a JOKE,
plain and simple. Since Lennox Lewis retired the division has been in a
total state of chaos and an end does not appear to be in sight.
Most people regard W.B.C. champion Vitali
Klitschko to be the best of the lot. The I.B.F recognizes Chris Byrd who
holds a win over Vitali but has lost to Vitali's little brother Wladimir.
Byrd drew with Golota and Wladimir got clocked by W.B.O. claimant Lamon
Brewster. Well then Golota lost a debateable decision to W.B.A.
titleholder John Ruiz. This is the same Ruiz who lost his title once to
Roy Jones Jr. Then he got his butt whipped by James Toney but Toney tested
positive for steroids and John was handed back his belt even though Toney
clearly beat Ruiz. I understand that rules are rules and James left
himself open to being stripped. Nevertheless after losing to Jones Jr. and
Toney plus a bogus decision win over Golota, how can anyone take the Ruiz
claim to the title seriously ?
Now Vitali will meet the winner of Hassim Rahman-Monte
Barrett. Rahman has a loss on his record to John Ruiz. Chris Byrd is
scheduled to meet Sergei Liakhovich. Ruiz may have to meet the winner of
Golota-Valuev. Wait...It gets worse. Brewster who is fresh off
his stunning one round slaughter of Golota may now have to meet Luan
Krasniqi who recently took out Lance Whitaker.
I feel that I may be speaking for a lot of fans
when I ask...Who's Da Champ ?
Joe Calzaghe vs. Roy
Jones Jr. Fight Predictions
Watch fight promo
Bernard Hopkins-Former two-division world champion
Fought Joe Calzaghe on April 19, 2008 and lost by split decision
Fought Roy Jones Jr. May 22, 1993 and lost by unanimous decision
"Jones by unanimous decision based on his speed and power."
Ricky Hatton- IBO & Ring Magazine junior welterweight world
champion
"Roy has seen better days and I think that Joe will be too fast
for Roy. Joe will outbox Roy and win by points. I'm going with Joe."
Lennox Lewis- Former heavyweight champion
"Jones has unbelievable speed and Calzaghe's never fought anyone
like him. Jones likes it when his opponent comes to him and
unfortunately for Calzaghe, that's exactly what he does; comes to
his opponent and is right in their face. I pick Jones on points, but
I think it'll be a very close fight."
Jeff Lacy-Former IBF super middleweight champion
Fought Joe Calzaghe March 4, 2006 and lost by unanimous decision
"It's going to be a hard fight to pick. If Jones doesn't stay on the
ropes and give Calzaghe angles and lots of movement I'm going to go
with Jones by decision. Roy can't stay on the ropes and give Joe the
chance to throw his slapping punches. This is a great fight for
Jones to win ..continue
Haskins A Major Threat
To Bell
In just two days time, British super
flyweight champion Andy Bell has vowed to turn up the heat on
challenger Lee Haskins and turn the canvas at Robin Park Centre into
a hot coal carpet when the two meet this Friday in Wigan, England.
Bell put in a scorching performance to
rip the Lonsdale belt away from Chris Edwards at the end of March
and the towering 23 year old from Doncaster is preparing a hellish
reception for Haskins.
But whether or not Bell, 11-3 (3), is
capable of imposing his own will on his Bristol based opponent
remains to be seen as 24 year old former Commonwealth champion
Haskins, 17-2 (9), is reportedly on the form of his career, coming
off a tough win over Jamie McDonnell, who stopped Bell in 2006.
Haskins has only lost in bantamweight
title fights and the shifty West Country southpaw in banking on the
idea that his greater experience, which saw him sweep through the
flyweight division to capture the English and Commonwealth crowns,
will bring home the British super flyweight title belt.
A strong lineup supports the main event
at Robin Park with such emerging talent as welterweight Mark
Thompson, featherweight Akaash Bhatia, light middle Thomas McDonagh,
super bantam Mark Moran and others appearing on the bill.
Frank Maloney Promotions presents "The
Explosive Thin Men", featuring Andy Bell vs. Lee Haskins for the
Super Flyweight Championship of Britain, supported by full
undercard, at Robin Park Centre in Wigan, England on Friday,
November 7, 2008.
Canadian Heavyweight
Title Fight Tops Molitor-Caballeros Undercard Raymond Olubowale
Defends Crown Against Greg Kielsa
TORONTO, ON – November 6, 2008 - While
IBF Junior Featherweight champion Steve Molitor makes his last
second preparations for WBA champion Celestino Caballeros on
November 21, in the most important Canadian fight in over a quarter
century, two of Canada's best heavyweights will be fighting for
their own piece of national boxing history.
In the most significant Canadian
heavyweight title fight in years, Raymond "Mount Kilimanjaro"
Olubowale (7-2-1, 4 KO's) defends his crown against undefeated 2000
Polish Olympian Greg Kielsa (7-0, 3 KO's) in the co-feature to
Molitor-Caballero at Rumble at Rama VI, at Casino Rama, in Rama,
Ontario.
"This is easily the most important
Canadian Heavyweight title fight since the days of George Chuvalo,"
Kielsa's manager, James Jardine, said.
"These guys aren't club fighters who
have no business being called champions. These are true, legit
contenders, whose careers will be greatly affected by the outcome."
Kielsa, who was born in Bialystok,
Poland, but now resides in Brampton, ON, is coming off an eight
round unanimous decision win over iron-fisted Jerry Butler at Rumble
at Rama V this past August.
"This is my biggest fight as a pro,
without question. It's all I've been thinking about," Kielsa said of
his showdown with Olubowale.
"Once the fight hits rounds 7, 8, or 9,
I know Ray will get tired, no question about that."
The six foot seven, 270 lb. Olubowale
who once trained along side Kielsa, pays only passing respect to his
former stablemate,
"Greg is only a decent fighter, nothing
more or less. There's nothing impressive about him what so ever."
"When we sparred together years ago, I
was holding my own against him, and that was without a coach,
without the same amateur background, and without a fight to train
for."
"And after seeing him fight a couple of
times, he's no better now than he was back then."
"He says a lot," Kielsa said of
Olubowale, "but he's blind."
"I'm a much better fighter now than I
was when we sparred, but he's just trying to build up his own
confidence."
"He knows what he's in for."
Tickets for Rumble at Rama VI are
$50/$75/$125/$175, and are available at the Casino Rama Box Office,
at all TicketMaster locations, by calling (416) 870-8000, or log on
to and online at www.casinorama.com. Ticket prices do not include
applicable taxes or service charges.
“WE’RE GOING TO KNOCK HIM
OUT IN NINE ROUNDS!”
By Freddie
Roach - Wastch it
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (November 6, 2008) –
In an exclusive video interview with FoxSports.com’s Mark Kriegel,
two-time BWAA “Trainer of the Year” World Famous Freddie Roach,
boldly predicted that his star pupil, WBC lightweight champion and
boxing’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Manny Pacquiao, would knock
out Oscar De La Hoya when they meet on December 6, in a 12-round
welterweight super fight.
“I’m so confident in Pacquiao in this
fight...we’re going to knock him out in nine rounds.," said Roach
"He [Oscar] gets quite tired at normal paces. Pacquiao doesn’t fight
at normal paces. We’re going to push the old man…I love this fight!”
Other highlights of the interview
include:
Kriegel: “Will the Mexican fight fan
ever truly love Oscar De La Hoya?”
Roach: “No…They [Mexican fight fans]
like fighters, not boxers. When the bell rings, the Mexican fans in
the audience are going to be on Pacquiao’s side...The true Mexican
fans love his [Pacquiao’s] style.”
Kriegel: “If styles make fights, then
how are you going to win this one with Oscar De La Hoya?”
Roach: “Oscar can’t really stand the
pace of a Manny Pacquiao, fighting three minutes of every round,
attacking him, putting the pressure on this guy, taking away his
height and reach advantage by getting close and fighting on the
inside and work that body where Oscar has been weak his whole
career. And at this stage of Oscar’s career, he’s busted up. He’s
starting to break up. His face in the Forbes fight, he was all
banged up after that fight. He had a broken cheekbone…and this guy
[Forbes] can’t even punch.”
Kriegel: “How did you find out you were
let go [by Oscar De La Hoya]?”
Roach: “I found out through the media
that I was no longer the trainer and that he brought Floyd Sr. back
and it was a little disappointing because Oscar had told me, one
time, he said, ‘I’ll never fight without you in my corner again.’ It
bothered me that he couldn’t tell me face to face.”
WIBA
2008 Annual Awards
The WIBA is proud to announce the following WIBA
2008 Annual Awards
winners:
WIBA 2008 Boxer of the Year
JISSELE SALANDY
(honorable mention: Carlette Ewell, Gwendolyn O'Neil, Natascha
Ragosina,
Wang Ya Nan, Melissa Hernandez, Cheng Jing, Eileen Olszewski, Juhee
Kim,
Carina Moreno)
WIBA 2008 Promoter of the Year
MILTON "BOBBY" OTTLEY
(honorable mention: Cedric Kushner, Steven Bash, Gary Shaw, Sal
Musimichi, Harry Ragonnanan, Liu Gang, Ulf Steinforth, Christian
Printup, Brother Promotion, Christian Amaya, Steve Mestas)
WIBA 2008 Manager of the Year
DAVID SELWYN
WIBA 2008 Trainer of the Year
RICK NOBLE
WIBA 2008 Rookie of the Year
YESICA YOLANDA BOPP
The WIBA's 2008 Fight of the Year is still to be
determined, and will be announced sometime in December.
CELESTINO CABALLERO,
STEVE MOLITOR BATTLE FOR WBA/IBF SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT TITLES IN FIRST
UNIFICATION FIGHT ON SHOBOX
NEW YORK (Nov. 3, 2008) – World Boxing Association (WBA) super
bantamweight champion Celestino Caballero and undefeated
International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Steve “The Canadian
Kid” Molitor will battle to unify the title on Friday, Nov. 21, from
Casino Rama, in Ontario, Canada, live on ShoBox: The New Generation
(SHOWTIME 11 p.m. ET/PT).
The 12-round world title unification fight is the first ever in
the eight-year history of ShoBox and the first to take place in
Canada . Seminole Warriors Boxing will promote the historical scrap
between two of the most talented 122-pounders in the world from the
Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario .
“This is a historic unification fight,” said Gordon Hall,
Executive Producer of ShoBox. ”We showcased Vazquez-Marquez on
SHOWTIME, now both Caballero and Molitor want to make their
statement and establish themselves as the best at 122-pounds. It
will be a classic chess match between two very skilled boxers. This
is boxing at its best.”
“Fights like these are what boxing needs right now,” said
Caballero, winner of 11 straight. “The best fighting the best; I
wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Caballero (30-2, 21 KOs), of Colon , Panama , and Molitor (28-0,
11 KOs), ...continue
Bobby Gunn to Battle
Robbie Tovar for WBC USNBC Cruiserweight Title; Anthony Bartinelli
Headlines Undercard November 20th In Phoenix !
Indiana based veteran Robbie "The Paz
Mexican Devil" Tovar 15-4-1 (5 KO's) will step up to battle IBC
Cruiserweight champion Bobby "The Celtic Warrior" Gunn 19-3-1
(16 KO's) for the vacant WBC USNBC Cruiserweight crown. The bout
will be taking place at the beautiful Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix ,
Arizona . Gunn is now happy to have an opponent in place and one he
knows he can't take lightly.
"I am looking forward to this great
opportunity and will not overlook Tovar he is a very tough Mexican
fighter and they are always dangerous", said the former IBA
cruiserweight champion. "My good friend (former WBA and IBA Junior
Welterweight champion) Vivian Harris's recent fight is a great
example of how no opponent can be taken lightly. I was happy to see
Vivian pull it out but that shows that anything can happen on any
given night. I respect Robbie Tovar and will train as hard as ever
for him. My goal is to win this bout and go after the ...continue
It’s Time for Asians to
be Inducted into the Boxing Hall Of Fame
By Ted Sares - Fall seven times, stand up eight —Japanese
proverb.
I have written about this subject on
numerous occasions and now, since the International Boxing Hall of
Fame inductees for 2009 soon will be announced, it is timely to
stress that there is a notable paucity of boxers from Asian
countries represented in Hall. And note, the word "International" is
in the name..
Maybe it’s because the writers who vote
for the Inductees are too young to recall some of these greats;
maybe it’s because the fighters received little, if any, global
attention; or maybe it’s because they fought at the lower weights.
The answer likely is a combination of all three factors.
Sure, Pancho Villa, Flash Elorde,
Khaosai Galaxy, and Masahiko "Fighting" Harrada are in, but to have
no South Korean inductees is mind boggling (at least to me it is).
Perhaps the following list can jog some memories, but if even one
voter has to ask "who are these guys," the problem goes much, much
deeper. Incidentally, that I have listed these fighters doesn't
necessarily mean ...continue
DARCHINYAN KOS
MIJARES TO UNIFY THREE WORLD TITLE BELTS -
Watch Recap
CARSON, CALIF. (Nov. 1, 2008) – For the first time in 115-pound
division history, three title belts were unified as International
Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan
knocked out World Boxing Association (WBA)/World Boxing Council
(WBC) champ Cristian Mijares Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008, on SHOWTIME
CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.
Darchinyan (31-1-1, 25 KOs), who had been previously known for
his wild boxing style, used combinations, smart defense and polished
boxing skills to control the fight and knockout the heavily favored
Mijares (35-4-2, 13 KOs) in front of a largely pro-Mijares crowd at
the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
The fights were co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment, Gary Shaw
Productions and KO Entertainment.
Entering the ninth round, Darchinyan was leading on all three
judges scorecards (79-72 on all) and dictating the pace of the
fight. He scored a shocking first-round knockdown that sent Mijares
to the canvas for only the second time in his accomplished career.
In the closing seconds of the ninth, Darchiyan used a solid right
jab to set up a ..continue
Jimmy Lange Wins Comeback
Victory Impressively over Grover Wiley at Patriot Center ;
FAIRFAX, VA (November 2, 2008) - In the fight of the night,
popular Virginia middleweight contender Jimmy Lange (29-3-2, 20 KOs)
scored an impressive, unanimous victory over Grover Wiley (30-12-1,
14 KOs) at the Patriot Center Saturday night in his first action
since May 2007. A confident Lange displayed a strong jab and landed
effective body shots throughout the ten-round battle, including a
fourth-round knock down, to defeat the Midwest veteran who displayed
toughness and a no-quit attitude.
Looking fully-recovered from a rotator cuff injury suffered
during the first round of his WBC Continental America’s championship
title bout held 17 months ago, Lange showed little ring ‘rust’ and
provided his loyal and spirited hometown fans their money’s worth
with the strong performance.
Even though he was penalized two points for holding, George
Rivera (9-3, 3 KOs) avenged an earlier loss to the previously
undefeated Jessie Nicklow (19-1-1, 7 KOs ) by scoring a unanimous
decision in the event’s co-feature. Rivera deftly boxed throughout
the eight-round ..continue
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