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Latest Boxing News
 Briggs lines up fight with Vitali
From BBC Sport Shannon Briggs will take on WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko on Saturday, 16 October, at a German venue, expected to be Hamburg.
"I got the contract [on Wednesday]," said former WBO champion Briggs, 38. "I look forward to retiring a great champion - I'm the best ever! Hopefully when I retire Vitali I can fight David Haye at Wembley Stadium, that would be a dream come true."
Klitschko's most recent win was over Poland's Albert Sosnowski in May 2010.
Briggs, known as 'The Cannon', has a record of 54-5-1, and his 27 first-round knockouts is the most by any heavyweight champion.
The New Yorker's most recent bout was a victory over Rob Calloway in May. In March 1998, Briggs took on then-WBC world champion Lennox Lewis in Atlantic City but was stopped in five rounds. Currently eighth in the WBC rankings, Briggs announced his bout against Klitschko at the launch of a WBC boxing festival in Cardiff on Thursday.
The three-day event begins on Friday with the premiere of the
The next night sees a high-quality amateur boxing night with Team GB taking on the rest of the world.
The event culminates with the Night of Champions at the Cardiff International Arena on 31 July with over 80 former and current champions expected to attend, including Klitschko, Roberto Duran, Ken Buchanan and Joe Calzaghe.
"I got in to Cardiff on Wednesday and I'm loving it - I may not leave," Briggs told BBC Sport Wales. It's an honour to see these living legends."
Wladimir Klitschko, younger brother of Vitali, is the reigning WBO and IBF world heavyweight champion, with the WBA belt held by Haye.
In April, Briggs claimed: "The Klitschkos hurt the division with their safety-first styles. Neither one of them puts it on the line."
He urged Haye to bypass the Ukrainian siblings in favour of fighting him instead, adding: "We don't have to deal with the Klitschkos, hand-picking opponents and fighting only in Germany with their boring styles."
 Harris ready for Aguilera in USBA heavyweight title fight
Aug. 6 in Hinkley, MN
NEW YORK (July 29, 2010) – Veteran Maurice “Sugar Moe” Harris, winner of the 2002 ‘Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament,” is fully prepared to take advantage of his USBA title shot against Nagy “Dominican Dynamite” Aguilera, August 6 in Hinkley, Minnesota.
Harris (23-14-2, 10 KOs) had only fought twice in previous six years, prior to signing a promotional contract a year ago with Boxing 360, after which he is 3-0 and ready to go for the gold.
A year ago I didn’t know where I was going in boxing,” Harris explained. “I kept training and praying and then I came across Mario (Boxing 360 founder and CEO Dr. Mario Yagobi). I was so hungry. I told Mario if he took care of business outside of the ring, I’d take care of it inside. That became our motto. He believed in me and I believe in him. Mario has put me in the position I’m I right now.”
Harris-Aguilera shapes-up as a class match between a veteran and prospect. Maurice, 34, has defeated former world champion Sergey Lyakhovich, who was 16-0 at the time, as well as notables David Izon, Jimmy Thunder and Jeremy Williams. The 24-year-old Aguilera (16-3, 11 KOs), rated No. 15 by the IBF, knocked out former world champion Oleg Maskaev last December for his signature victory to date.
Harris, however, doesn’t believe Aguilera is a legitimate heavyweight prospect. “Who has he beaten,” Harris asked rhetorically. “He got lucky. Maskaev? He was done and Aguilera was supposed to beat him. No disrespect to him or his opponents, but in his only other tough fight, (Samuel) Peter stopped him (second round of IBF eliminator last March). I’m better than both of those guys (Maskaev and Peter). He’s just 16-3, not a true prospect.
“I have so much experience over him. Hey, anybody over 200 pounds can punch but I’ve been in with just about everybody (including world champions Larry Holmes, Chris Byrd and Henry Akinwande). I’m battled tested; never beaten up badly or cut. He’s young and will make mistakes – he’s going to get hurt. I’m proud that I’ve taken care of business and grateful for being in this position to fight for the USBA title. He’s not going to go in there and take away everything I’ve worked so hard for the last year. I’m ready to fight him right now.”
 PROMISING BANTAMWEIGHT CHRIS AVALOS FACES FELLOW UNBEATEN CHRIS MARTIN
IN SHOBOX MAIN EVENT ON FRIDAY, AUG.
NEW YORK (July 29, 2010) – Four dedicated, determined fighters with a combined 64 wins with 41 knockouts will be featured when ShoBox: The New Generation returns Friday, Aug. 6, on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).
In yet another ShoBox battle of unbeatens, world-ranked bantamweight Chris Avalos (16-0, 13 KOs), of Lancaster, Calif., by way of San Diego, will face California state featherweight and junior featherweight champion Chris “The San Diego Kid” Martin (18-0-2, 5 KOs), of Chula Vista, Calif., in an excellent 10-round main event.
Undefeated, hard-hitting cruiserweight Lateef “Power’’ Kayode (12-0, 11 KOs), of Nigeria, will seek his 12th consecutive knockout when he makes his ShoBox debut against Puerto Rico’s Alfredo Escalera, Jr. (18-2-1, 12 KOs), the son and namesake of the former world champion, in the eight-round co-feature at Grand Casino Hinckley, in Hinckley, Minn. The doubleheader is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC.
Avalos, who’ll be making his fourth appearance on ShoBox and second in a main event, has been steadily ascending through the ranks and is currently rated No. 5 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and No. 11 by the World Boxing Association (WBA).
“With names like Fernando Montiel, Yonnhy Perez and Abner Mares, bantamweight is a very exciting and competitive division,” said Gordon Hall, Executive Producer of ShoBox, “It’s good to see these upcoming guys, like Avalos and Martin, putting their unbeaten records on the line to prove themselves as legitimate prospects and near future contenders.”
“As long as I keep doing my job and winning and getting the type of exposure I’m getting on SHOWTIME, I should keep moving up,’’ said the 5-foot-7, 20-year-old Avalos, who has won three straight by knockout and seven of his last eight. “But there’s still a lot of work to do. The more I step up, the tougher the opposition. I definitely expect a good fight against Martin.’’
Named by several publications in 2009 as a Prospect to Watch in 2010, the promising youngster has done his part so far with an extremely active schedule. He turned pro on Feb. 1, 2008, fought eight times that year and six times in ‘09. This will be this third outing in 2010.
An aggressive, crowd-pleasing fighter with solid two-fisted punching power, Avalos tends to get reckless on occasion and forgets to play defense, but it’s his all-out style that makes him that much more entertaining to watch. In his most recent start, he blew away John Molina in two rounds last April 24 in Ontario, Calif.
Avalos, who is managed by Mike Criscio and is a stablemate of unbeaten two-time light heavyweight world champion and ShoBox alumnus Chad Dawson and junior middleweight contender Alfredo Angulo, won his main event debut with an impressive fourth-round TKO over Jose Nieves last Jan. 29 in Albuquerque, N.M., on ShoBox.
“I’m beyond happy, but I didn’t think it would end that quickly,” said Avalos after the Nieves fight. “I thought it would go into the sixth round. He was a good fighter. I was just the better fighter tonight.”
Five outings ago, in the co-feature on ShoBox, Avalos scored a thrilling fourth-round knockout over Giovanni Caro in a slugfest on Sept. 18, 2009, at Santa Ynez, Calif. Avalos registered a second-round TKO over Andre Wilson in his ShoBox debut on July 31, 2009, at Temecula, Calif.
On the July 16 ShoBox telecast, expert analyst Steve Farhood previewed the Aug. 6 bout by stating, “You want to see some power punching, you watch Chris Avalos.” Fellow analyst Antonio Tarver seconded Farhood’s notion by adding, “I thought Chris Avalos had star potential from day one. He’s not afraid of taking chances and has a knack for bringing the unexpected to a fight.”
A winner of eight in a row, the slick-boxing, 5-foot-6, 24-year-old Martin captured the California State 126-pound title in his last outing with a convincing, lopsided yet entertaining eight-round decision over Adolfo Landeros on June 11, 2010, in San Diego.
“That was a good win for me,” said Martin, who has fought nearly half his fights in the San Diego area. “I feel I’m ready to fight some name opponents. I’m OK with whoever they place in front of me. In all my fights, I give it my all and never leave anything in the ring.’’
Martin won the California State 122-pound crown with a seventh-round knockout over Eduardo Arcos on Nov. 12, 2009. Martin retained the crown with a sixth-round knockout over Ruben Lopez on April 8, 2010.
Durable and disciplined, the confident, well-conditioned, non-stop punching Martin will try to utilize his excellent jab and movement against the aggressive-minded Avalos, who had difficulty with the skilled boxer Nieves, until Avalos turned around the fight with one punch.
Martin, who started boxing at 14, excelled as an amateur, winning the 2005 Ringside World Championship and a California State Golden Gloves Championship. After turning pro in July 2006, Martin went 4-0 before fighting the first of his two draws. He trains out of the Alliance Training Center in Chula Vista.
Kayode currently resides in Hollywood, Calif. He’s promoted by Shaw and trained by the famed Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym. An imposing figure with chiseled hands, Kayode has won his last 11 fights by knockout – all inside four rounds -- since winning by decision in his pro debut in August 2008. He is coming off a second-round knockout over Jose Herrera last May 14 at Santa Ynez, Calif.
The 6-foot-2, 27-year-old Nigerian, whose goal is to become a cruiserweight world champion, turned to boxing in 1988 after growing up on the tough streets of the Surulere district of Lagos.
“It seemed like every day one of the guys in the local gangs would demand that I buy them something at the store, or just demand I hand over my money to them,’’ he said. “If I said no, they’d beat me up. If you bought them things, it only made them want to keep coming back to you. That’s why I needed to learn how to fight.
“And once they learned I knew how to fight, they stopped bothering me. That’s how I got my nickname, because my power came from the streets.”
Kayode would become the top Nigerian amateur heavyweight, winning gold medals in Pan-African competitions in Ghana, Morocco and Algeria. After arriving in the United States to pursue his dream, he went to Chicago to try and qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games.
But his flight was delayed. “By the time I got there, the tournament had already started,” he said. So, the boxer turned pro. “The Nigerian Air Force wanted me to join, but it wasn’t for me,’’ Kayode said. “ I knew I wanted to be a professional boxer.’’
Kayode campaigned as a heavyweight for his first 10 fights. This will be his third start at cruiserweight.
Escalera, whose father was a former World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion, turned pro in April 2005 and won his initial 14 fights, 11 by knockout. He’s won his last two starts and three out of four. In his last fight, he registered a six-round decision victory over Hilario Guzman on July 3, 2009.
In 2008, Escalera joined the fourth season of The Contender. He won his first fight against Jon Schneider via unanimous decision before Akinyemi "A.K." Laleye knocked him out in the fifth round of their quarterfinal matchup.
The six-foot, 30-year-old split his time growing up in San Juan and Orlando, Fla., where his mother resides. Besides his father, he also had a brother, uncle and a couple of cousins who also boxed.
“I sort of got interested in boxing because of my dad, but because I didn’t live with him I took up football and wrestling,’’ he said. “I wrestled for five years. I played 13 years of football. But whenever I was on the island, I would train in the gyms with my dad. Right after I got out of high school, I decided I had been fighting in the streets so much that I just said ‘let me go ahead and make it legal’ and I got in the ring.’’
Escalera, who possesses good skills and movement, started boxing at the age of 19. He compiled a record of 21-3 in the amateurs. He fights out of Florida; 15 of his fights have emanated from the Sunshine State.
 Orangeville Rivals meet September 25 at Mississauga’s Hershey Centre
TORONTO – (July 27, 2010) After countless months of rumors and hype, Orangeville natives Logan Cotton-McGuinness (11-0-1, 5 KO’s) and Buzz Grant (9-3, 4 KO’s) are set to square-off in one of the most anticipated grudge matches in Ontario boxing history, Saturday, September 25 at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, for the NABA Lightweight title.
The card, UNDISPUTED: RIVALS, is being promoted by United Promotions, Southern Ontario’s leader in live boxing.
Earlier this month the undefeated Cotton-McGuinness demolished Montreal’s Jorge Banos via first-round TKO, setting the stage for the most important fight of his career.
“Logan is just getting better and better with every fight, and on September 25th he’ll take the buzz out of Buzz Grant,” said Cotton-McGuiness’ trainer, Chris Johnson.
“Logan is going to break him down, and finish him off. Buzz is a good fighter, but Logan is just in another class.”
Heading into the battle for Orangeville, Canadian, and North American bragging rights, the 31 year-old Grant is on a roll of his own, going undefeated in the past four years, and racking up six straight wins in the process, including two Canadian titles. Orangeville is one of Canada’s oddest boxing hubs. With a population hovering around 30,000, the city 90 kilometres northwest of Toronto produces a disproportionate amount of good fighters, with Cotton-McGuinness and Grant at the top of Orangeville’s boxing heap.
A win by either fighter will result in an automatic world rating by the WBA, and a chance to catapult themselves into not only national stardom, but also international prominence. “There isn’t anything more to ask for in a fight,” said Adam Harris, Cotton-McGuinness' Promoter
“Even though there are real career implications, there’s more to this fight than the prestigious NABA title. These guys are fighting for something that can’t be measured in dollars or rankings; local pride and bragging rights. And because of that, this is the fight of their lives.”
Also on the card, two of Ontario’s top prospects put their respective undefeated records on the line as Mississauga's Sam "The Product" Vargas (4-0, 1 KO) will take on Orangeville's Ryan Wagner (2-0, 1 KO). Wagner, the protégée of Orangeville's most famed boxer, now turned trainer, Bryon Mackie, is coming off a devastating 3rd round KO victory of Chris Aucoin. Vargas for his part is quickly cutting a swath through the Canadian welterweight landscape, notching four straight wins to start his career earlier this year, including resounding decision wins over the vastly more experienced Jose Leonardo Corona and Frankie Abbiw in his previous two fights. Leading the way for Vargas is his trainer, Chris Johnson, who is quickly becoming one of the best teachers of the sport, not only in Canada, but around the world.  BOOTH WANTS REVENGE FOR HIS BROTHER
JASON BOOTH has promised to go one better than brother Nicky and beat Steve Molitor in their world title clash.
Booth, 32, challenges for the Canadian’s IBF world super-bantamweight title at Houghton-le-Spring’s Rainton Meadows Arena on Saturday September 11.
Molitor (32-1) has won on all three previous visits to Britain with the victory over Nicky coming on points in a Commonwealth bantamweight title clash back in September 2002.
Jason (35-5) said: “Nicky was on the floor early in his fight against Molitor and never got back into the fight.
“Molitor has improved since then, but I have waited such a long time for this chance that I am going to succeed and not let this opportunity slip.”
Southpaw Molitor is in his second reign as a world champion, regaining the IBF crown when he outpointed Takalani Ndlovu in March. His only career loss came in November 2008, when he lost in the fourth round of an IBF-WBA unification match against Celestino Caballero.
In the chief supporting contest London Matthew Marsh (13-2) will meet undefeated Scot Kris Hughes (12-0) for the vacant Commonwealth super-bantamweight crown.
Marsh controversially lost on an 11th round cuts stoppage when he lost to Booth in February and will have one eye on the winner of the world title clash.
Tickets for the massive night of action being televised live by Sky Sports are available from 0871 226 1508 or www.frankmaloney.com. VIP Ringside are £90 with the rest a bargain *£35. Get yours in advance for a show that looks certain to sell out.
 WEBB TO MAKE FIRST DEFENCE AGAINST KO KING
SAM WEBB will defend his British light-middleweight title against Martin Concepcion in London on Saturday October 16.
Webb (16-0-1) won the title in March when he outpointed controversial Anthony Small, but faces a tough night against the Leicester banger.
Concepcion (17-7) is arguably the hardest domestic puncher at 11 stone, with ten of his wins coming inside the distance.
He is a former Commonwealth champion, a title he won in July 2007 with a shock first round stoppage of Matthew Hall.
Promoter Frank Maloney said: “There was criticism that Sam’s win over Small lacked excitement, but that wasn’t his fault.
“He will not have to go looking for Martin and we could have a small hall classic on the night.”
Chislehurst’s Webb, 29, turned professional in October 2005 and Maloney added: “It has taken time, but I feel Sam is finally showing his potential.”
The fight will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Venue confirmation, undercard and ticket prices will be released next month.
 DA BOMB READY TO EXPLODE ON FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS
This Friday at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, OK, highly touted, undefeated super middleweight contender, Donovan "Da Bomb" George (20-0-1, 17KO's), will look to continue on his path towards a super middleweight title shot, when he takes on the very dangerous, Francisco Sierra (21-3, 20KO's) in what promises to be an all-out war between heavy-handed contenders in the co-feature on ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" telecast. The bout, promoted by Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and Warriors Boxing, is the co-feature to the welterweight showdown between IBF #3 rated, Delvin Rodriguez (25-4-2, 14KO's) and Ashley Theophane (26-4-1, 7KO's).
"This match-up has excitement written all over it," stated Joe DeGuardia, CEO and President of Star Boxing.
"You have two hungry, hard-hitting, up and coming contenders, with a combined thirty seven knockouts in forty one victories (90%). This is going to be a must see fight, so make sure to tune-in early because fireworks are in store when these two kick off the show next Friday night."
George is coming off a unanimous decision win over once beaten Osumanu Adama on Showtime in his last fight in April of this year. The fight was highly an entertaining scrap as neither warrior looked to take a step back all night long. George, who is promoted by Warriors Boxing, scored a knockdown in the 7th, to cement his hard earned victory.
"All I have on my mind right now is Sierra," stated a focused and determined sounding George. "I had a great training camp, and I'm ready to go. I will give the fans at the Buffalo Run Casino, and everyone else watching at home on ESPN a great show as I'm going to take Sierra out!"
Manager, Mike Michael added, "Sierra is a dangerous opponent, but Donovan is ready to take care of business. I want to thank the Buffalo Run Casino, the promoters, Star Boxing and Warriors Boxing, ESPN for this great opportunity and my good friend, Jimmy "Zeek" Hartofilis, for his continued support. Lock your doors and run for cover, because "Da Bomb" is ready to explode and Francisco Sierra is his target."
The 22-year-old Sierra is coming off his best win to date, a 6th round TKO over former WBO welterweight champion Jose Luis Lopez in his last fight in May of this year. Sierra hopes to carry that momentum with him into the ring next Friday, as he looks to further climb the ranks of the super middleweight division.
George-Sierra is promoted by Star Boxing and Warriors Boxing. The bout is scheduled for ten rounds in the super middleweight division. ESPN will begin live coverage at 9PM (ET).
 JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ and RAFAEL MARQUEZ
TO HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE LUNCHEON
ANNOUNCING THEIR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
LOS ANGELES (July 25, 2010) – Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ and two-division world champion RAFAEL MARQUEZ, the pride of Puerto Rico and México, respectively, will host a News Conference Luncheon announcing their highly anticipated world featherweight title fight, This Tuesday! July 27, in the Gold Ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles (506 South Grand Street, Los Angeles, Calif. 90071.) Luncheon will be served at 11:30 a.m. PT with the news conference beginning at Noon PT. The fighters will be joined by their teams, including promoters Bob Arum, Ivan Rivera, Orlando Pinero, Gary Shaw and Fernando Beltran.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with PR Best Boxing, Zanfer Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions and SHOWTIME, the Lopez-Marquez world championship fight will take place Saturday, September 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and will be televised live on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing.
Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will be making his second defense of the featherweight title he captured in January. He previously held the WBO junior featherweight crown during a two-year reign which included five successful title defenses, four by knockout.
Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs), of México City, has held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight and World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight titles. He'll be looking to join his brother Juan Manuel as the only brothers to win world titles in three different divisions. Marquez returns to the ring after knocking out arch rival Israel Vasquez in the third round of their May 22 championship bout to even up their historic series at 2-2.
 The Standing Eight Count- Ringside at Pechanga
By Dave Wilcox
A sold out crowd of 2475 jammed the beautiful Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California for a good night of boxing action. This Golden Boy/Ringside Ticket promoted show was originally going to be a Sergio Mora headlined card. When it was announced that Mora secured a fight with “Sugar” Shane Mosley for the Staples Center in September, in came a middleweight bout with Craig McEwan taking on tough ring worm Danny Perez of Carlsbad, Ca. as the new main event. “Scottish” Craig McEwan hails from Scotland, and is trained by Freddie Roach and fights out of the Wildcard gym in Hollywood, CA. Coming into this bout, McEwan sported an undefeated 18-0 record, but never had he been in with such a seasoned veteran like Perez. Danny Perez is a 14 year vet of the sweet science and has been in the ring with some of the best, including two fights with Antonio “Plasterito” Margarito.
As the bell sounded for round one, Perez went right after the youngster and threw bombs to the body and to the head. Perez landed a viscous left hook to the head of McEwan and he appeared wobbled. Just when he seemed to compose himself, “BAM” another left hook to the head was delivered by Perez. McEwan looked ready for an early night. He showed heart and smarts and by the end of round one, McEwan gathered himself and made it to the bell.
In round two, it appeared that the great Freddie Roach did some talking to Craig NcEwan and “Scottish” Craig came out strong by moving and throwing combinations. He boxed the ears off of Perez for 2:30 seconds and then out of nowhere, Perez landed the same left hook that had McEwan in so much trouble in the first stanza. This one proved to be more trouble as a cut opened over the eye of Craig McEwan. Perez sensed that he had the upper hand and started taunting McEwan.
In round three, McEwan continued to box and throw combinations. Even though he seemed to winning the fight, McEwan certainly looked the worse for wear and it seemed that Perez was setting him up for the later rounds. In round four, Perez landed a huge right hand that hurt McEwan. He followed up the right with something out of a rugby match and shoved the young Scott to the canvas. The crowd wanted a knockdown called, but referee, Ray Corona called it a push, and rightfully so.
A trend was developing with McEwan throwing more punches and Perez stalking his man, looking for a knockout. It became obvious from ringside that Perez would need to start putting punches together, rather than look for the KO.
If you were to judge the fight by the look of the two fighter’s faces, by the time we got to the eighth and ninth rounds, you would have thought McEwan was getting killed. Perez was indeed putting a physical beating on McEwan, but the kid was throwing more punches and moving nicely. In the final round, Perez needed a big finish and he tried like hell to make it so. He had a nice final round and pounded McEwan to the body as the bell sounded to end this very exciting bout. The crowd went crazy and appreciated the efforts of these two men. It was time to go to our favorite place in Boxing, the scorecards.
Referee Lou Moret scored the bout, 95-95. Judges Zack Young and Fritz Warner both had 97-93 for the winner and still undefeated, Craig McEwan. Yours truly had the bout scored 96-94 for McEwan.
The crowd was angry and Danny Lopez and his people were in riot mode over their disgust with the decision. In was a very unpopular decision with the crowd as well, but in the end, it was the correct decision.
Craig McEwan improves his record to 19-0 (10 KO) and Danny Perez drops to 34-8 (17 KO)
In the co-main event, featherweights grabbed the stage as young prospect Charles Huerta of Paramount, California took on tough guy Jonathan “Diamante” Arias in a six round affair. In the first round, Huerta landed two hard right hands that put Arias on one knee and then Huerta landed one more right for good measure as Arias was on a knee. No action was taken by the referee and “Diamante” held on for dear life and made it to the bell. In rounds two through four it was obvious that Huerta was a much better fighter, but Arias was certainly tough and doing what he could.
In round five, Huerta really started to find the range and it appeared close to the end for Arias. As round six got going, Huerta came out quick and landed three monstrous lefts to the body that chopped Arias down like a tree and he hit the canvas. Arias made the count and the fight continued. Yet another big left to the body immediately put Arias in trouble again. Huerta followed that with two head shots and referee, Tony Krebs had seen enough and halted the bout at 1:40 of round six.
Charles Huerta jumps his record to 14-1 (7 KO) Jonathan Arias will go back to the drawing board with a 15-5 (8 KO) mark.
The Undercard:
Every once in a while, I watch an undercard fight and I feel like I’m watching a future champion in the early stages of his career. That feeling struck me again on Friday night as I watched undefeated Keith “Onetime” Thurman of Largo, Florida in a six round Jr. Middleweight bout against also undefeated Stalinn Lopez who hails from Miami, Florida.
“Onetime” has tremendous skill and looks like a seasoned pro already in his young career. In the first round, both guys went through the feeling out process, but it appeared that Thurman was measuring Lopez. Sure enough towards the end of the round, he landed a picture perfect left hook that sent Lopez crashing to the ground.
Surprisingly, Lopez made the count and the bell sounded just as the referee was about to send him back out to the dogs. The second round began and the confidence surged for Thurman. He stalked Lopez until he found the home yet again for his beautiful left hook and down went Lopez again. This time he wouldn’t get the chance to make the count because referee Tony Krebs would stop counting and wave it off at 1:17 of round two. Keep an eye out for this kid Thurman because he appears to be a very talented young man.
Keith Thurman jumps to 13-0 (12 KO) and Stalinn Lopez heads back to Florida with a 7-1 (3 KO) record
In a four round Welterweight match, Anthony Martinez of Las Vegas squared off against Nicholaus Brannies of Lakewood, California. I think it took me longer to write this paragraph than it did for Martinez to knockout Brannies. Martinez came out fast winging shots. A hard right to the head of Brannies, followed by a viscous left hook to the body put Brannies down and Referee Tony Krebs didn’t bother counting and the bout was stopped at 1:37 of round one.
Anthony Martinez moves to 4-0 (4 KO) and Nicholaus Brannies falls to a stellar 1-6 (0 KO)
Super Middleweights were next up in a scheduled four round middleweight scrap. The winner of the “Best name of the night” award, Cerresso Fort out of St. Paul, Minnesota was in there against Steven Macomber from Sacramento, California. This bout was basically a showcase bout for Fort, but he made it much tough than it needed to be by being lazy with his punches and showing a lack of defense.
By round three, Fort finally started putting some hard shots together and looked like a much crisper fighter. Fort went on to dominate round four and win a unanimous decision by the scores of 40-36. Cerresso Fort has obvious talent, but if he doesn’t learn the art of defense and effort, he will have a tough time as he steps up the competition.
Cerresso Fort’s record improves to 10-0 (8 KO) and Steven Macomber falls to 3-9-1 (0 KO)
The final bout of the evening brought us a Super Middleweight attraction with undefeated Dion Savage of Flint, Michigan going up against forty eight fight veteran, Demetrius Davis. As the fighters came to ring and I saw the 20-22-5 record of Davis, I wasn’t hopeful that this would be competitive. The old guy came out strong in round one and surprised the young Savage with some nice movement and combination punching. Savage showed all of his inexperience by head hunting and completely ignoring the body, while at the same time, Davis was doing everything he could to frustrate the youngster by holding and grabbing. In round three, the tide changed as Savage landed a sharp right hand that knocked down Davis. He would make the count no problem and this is about the time I faded out. This became an ugly fight with the holding of Davis and Savage’s inability to land clean punches. They both threw wild punches and most didn’t land. The bout ended up going the full six rounds and Dion Savage won by unanimous decision as all three judges scored it 59-54. I was just happy it was over and thought to myself, “that is twenty-five minutes of my life that I’ll never get back.”
Dion Savage stays undefeated at 9-0 (5 KO) but has a lot of work to do. Demetrius Davis might want to find a new career path as he drops to 20-23-5 (8 KO)
Overall, it was just another great night of Boxing at The Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. There is nothing like a good fight card to get a guy ready for the weekend. Keep punching
*Dave Wilcox serves as the West Coast Correspondent for the “Talkin Boxing with Billy C” Radio Show. Tune in on Mondays to hear Dave Talk Boxing with Billy C. Talkin Boxing with Billy C. runs LIVE five days a week and for two hours a day. The show has AM and FM radio affiliates throughout the USA and Canada. It can also be heard anytime on podcast. Go to www.talkinboxing.com for all info on the show.  Hall defends bantamweight title
From BBC Sport: Stuart Hall made a successful first defence of his British bantamweight title with a 10th round stoppage over Martin Power in Sunderland on Friday.
Hall was dominant throughout, rocking Power in the fourth and fifth rounds before finishing the job in the 10th.
It was unbeaten Hall's ninth victory from 10 fights while Power suffered the sixth defeat of a 27-fight career.
Meanwhile Tony Jeffries drew his eighth professional fight, the first contest he has failed to win as a professional.
The first round between Hall and Power was relatively cagey until the final 30 seconds with both boxers and in particular the champion boxing behind the jab. But Hall ended the round well catching Power with two accurate straight rights forcing his opponent to retreat to the corner for cover.
Power walked on to a jab midway through the second with Hall also offloading a neat two-punch combination towards the end of the round that rocked the challenger once more.
It was a positive start from the champion who worked the body of Power in the third and again found his target with a right hook. But Power to his credit came back into the fight, managing to get inside Hall's defence before launching a sustained body attack towards the end of the round.
Power seemed buoyed by his end to the third and upped his work rate in the fourth again working the body of Hall but the champion came back at him in spectacular fashion launching a barrage of punches, which began with a huge left hook, that rocked his opponent with only the bell saving him from defeat.
Hall rocked Power with an accurate right hook in the fifth and ended the round with two huge lefts over the top which again saw the challenger holding on for the bell.
The tempo dropped in the sixth with Power showing great heart to stay in the fight with Hall again landing a solid left while also taking several fierce body shots.
Hall walked on to a right in the seventh but shrugged the punch off as Power looked to come back into the fight.
The eighth began with a fierce uppercut from 30-year-old Hall, which rocked Power but the Londoner came back into the fight, boxing from range in a relatively quiet round.
Power started brightly in the 10th but Hall caught him neat left hook that rocked the challenger and after several more fierce accurate punches the fight was stopped by the referee.
Olympic bronze medallist Jeffries continued his education in the professional game drawing 77-77 against Michael Banbula in a scrappy fight.
Jeffries, 25, was cut above the left eye in the second round and seemed hindered by it throughout and the experienced Banbula proved to be an awkward opponent.
Banbula had the better of the final three rounds and Jeffries, who had mis-judged the length of the fight, just about held on for a draw in the eight-round contest.
"I was told it was a six round fight and I trained for that," said Jeffries.
Maurice Harris battles Nagy Aguilera in Aug. 6 heavyweight showdown
NEW YORK (July 22, 2010) – Boxing 360 has announced that heavyweights Maurice “Sugar Moe” Harris and Nagy “Dominican Dynamite” Aguilera will square-off August 6 in Minnesota.
“Both parties have signed contracts and it’s going to be a great fight between a talented veteran, Harris, and promising prospect, Aguilera,” Boxing 360 Director of Boxing Bob Duffy said today. “In many ways, it’s a crossroads fight for both heavyweights with a lot on the line, in terms of their respective boxing futures. We’re negotiating right now to make the August 6th fight for a regional title.”
Harris (23-14-2, 10), winner of the 2002 ‘Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament,” is 3-0 since joining the Boxing 360 stable, after he was inactive for more than two years. The New Jersey fighter had only fought twice in previous six years, but he has rededicated himself for one last hurrah. During the course of his up-and-down career, Maurice has defeated former world champion Sergey Lyakhovich, who was 16-0 at the time, as well as notables David Izon, Jimmy Thunder and Jeremy Williams.
The 24-year-old Aguilera (16-3, 11 KOs), rated No. 15 by the IBF, knocked out former world champion Oleg Maskaev last December for his signature victory to date.
Go to www.Boxing360.com for more information about Boxing 360 and any of its fighters.
LIL WARRIOR vs.
EL TERROR
Thursday July 22, 2010 (Los Angeles) - Former WBC Intercontinental Youth Champion, Michael “lil Warrior” Franco steps into the ring on August 20, at Del Sol Casino, Tucson, AZ, to face off against Adolfo “El Terror” Landeros, in a scheduled 8 round semi-main event televised live on the popular Spanish language network: Telefutura. The entire card is presented by Don Chargin Productions in association with Jorge Marron Productions. The 22 year old Franco holds an impressive UNDEFEATED record of 16-0, (11KO’s), and has long been touted as a promising prospect and raising star in the Bantam and super Bantamweight divisions. He currently sits at #4 and #8 with the NABF and NABO respectively. Franco last saw action back in November of 09, against former 2x WBO Champion Kermin Guardia. Franco dropped Guardia in the 4th round and finished him off in the 8th winning by TKO. The Riverside, CA, native is also stepping up in weight (126lbs) and stepping up his game for this fight “I am really looking forward to getting back in the ring after several months lay off, even though I have not been active I continued to train every day…I stay ready and focused to fight at a moments notice”-Franco During his almost 9 month lay off, Franco has been busy with several business ventures, recently opening Warriors Combat Academy. The gym located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, offers pro boxing, strength training for women, children and seniors, also Muay Thia, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Jeet Kune Do, and is currently working with top doctors around the nation to devise a special program to help rehabilitate injured veterans of the Afghan/Iraq war. For more information on Michael ‘lil Warrior” Franco visit www.lilwarrior.com and www.warriorscombatacademy.com  THE IBO CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO PAUL BRIGGS FIRST ROUND KNOCKOUT LOSS
Serious questions have been raised after a shocking ending in which Paul Briggs failed to beat the count after an apparent grazing punch from Danny Green sent him to the canvas in the first round of their IBO Championship bout. The President of the IBO, Ed Levine has demanded a complete and thorough investigation of this fight by all authorities in Australia to get those answers. “Boxing can not stand another black eye” said Levine. “We need and expect answers to some very serious allegations concerning the questionable ending of this fight”.
 Bronco McKart Fights For UBO World Championship
Former WBO and IBA world champion Bronco “Superman” McKart (52-9-1, 31 KOs) will be going for his third world title on September 18 in his hometown of Monroe, Michigan, where he will take on an opponent to be announced for the vacant UBO World Middleweight title. A true veteran of the game, McKart made his professional debut in 1992 and won the Michigan State and WBC International light middleweight titles on his way to his first shot at a world championship in 1996 where he stopped Santos Cardona from Puerto Rico to lift the WBO crown. McKart lost the WBO title to future Hall-Of-Famer Winky Wright, but it was a close call and Wright only narrowly escaped with a split decision. After four consecutive victories McKart found himself in position to win his second world title the following year, and once again he succeeded when he clearly outpointed Eric Holland to win the IBA title. He successfully defended the IBA belt against Ronald Weaver, and in 2000 he finally secured a long-awaited rematch with Wright, who this time won an uncontroversial unanimous decision. The pair would fight a third and final time two years later, this time for the IBF World title that Wright had won after surprisingly loosing the WBO version to Harry Simon in South Africa. Wright won again when McKart was disqualified for excessive low blows. In 2004 McKart challenged for the WBA world championship at “The Mecca of Boxing”, Madison Square Garden in New York, but came up short and lost a decision to undefeated champion Travis Simms. After that fight, McKart decided to move up to middleweight in search for his third world title. After twelve years and twelve title bouts at 154 Lbs., six of those for world championships, victories over top class names such as Aaron Davis, Santos Cardona, Glenwood Brown, Ronald Weaver, Jason Papillion, Michael Lerma and Alex Bunema, it was time to look for new challenges at a higher weight. Despite mixed results, McKart has established that he can compete at world class level at 160 Lbs. A victory over Enrique Ornelas, where he captured the NABF championship, a draw with fellow former world champion Raul Marquez and competitive defeats against Kelly Pavlik and Roman Karmazin are testaments to this fact. This past February, McKart won an Inter-Continental title by outclassing tough Columbian Jose Berrio, and he is now ready to fight for the UBO world title in his quest to become a three time, two-division world champion on September 18.  RODRIGUEZ RETURNS TO FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS
Next Friday Delvin Rodriguez (25-4-2, 14KO's) returns to ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" when he takes on Ashley Theophane (26-4-1, 7KO's) in the main event bout of the evening at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma. Rodriguez-Theophane is scheduled for ten rounds in the welterweight division. "We are happy and looking forward to bringing such a high profile card, featuring one of top welterweights in the world in Delvin Rodriguez to the beautiful Buffalo Run Casino," stated Joe DeGuardia, CEO and President of Star Boxing. "The Casino is one of the most dynamic in Oklahoma, and given Delvin's past history on ESPN, in which he has produced some of the most exciting and memorable fights and knockouts in the network's history, we are very much looking forward to showcasing him there come July 30th."
The former world title challenger Rodriguez; the current USBA welterweight champion, and number three ranked welterweight in the world in the IBF world ratings; is coming off a dominate twelve round unanimous decision this past April over fellow former world title challenger, Mike Arnaoutis. A title shot for Rodriguez is looming and an impressive showing against Theophane should get him one step closer.
Theopane is coming off a win over Harasch Hotaki for the vacant IBO International welterweight title in June, and before that a hard fought, debatable split decision loss to highly regarded undefeated jr. welterweight contender, Danny Garcia (17-0, 11KO's).
The show is promoted by Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing in association with Warriors Boxing. ESPN will begin live coverage at 9PM ET.
Wednesday Night Fights Series Kicks Off July 28!
Lake George, NY – Bill Calogero, Host of Boxing’s Un-disputed Heavyweight Champion Of Boxing Talk Radio, the “Talkin Boxing With Billy C” Radio Program has announced that his Wednesday Night Fights Webcast Series will make its debut on Wednesday July 28, 2010 at 8:00 pm EST on the BillyCBoxing.com Network.
The Wednesday Night Fights Webcast Series will feature boxing events throughout the U.S. and Canada and beginning in 2011, the series hopes to expand into Europe. Wednesday Night Fights will be available via the Internet on www.BillyCBoxing.com and many other Internet Websites, Networks and Portals. All viewers will be treated to these events for FREE.
“We have been talking about doing something like this for a while now”, stated Bill Calogero. He added, “This series will help promoters and young fighters expand their fan base by reaching boxing fans who might not have otherwise had the chance to see them. Our goal is to bring the Club Shows, which are the backbone of boxing, from around the globe to the fans every Wednesday Night! The fans want more boxing and we want to give it to them. This is what boxing needs, a regular series that fans can watch for free!”
The Wednesday Night Fights Webcast Series will begin running twice per month until February 2011, at which time it will become weekly, airing every Wednesday night. On Wednesday, July 28, a special presentation will kick off the series, followed by a card that will be broadcast on Wednesday August 11, 2010. Full details of the series and each card will be released soon.
There will be EXCITING news about the series, its partners, sponsors and promoters released soon!
For all information on the Wednesday Night Fights Webcast Series, contact BillyCBoxing@Yahoo.com or tune into the Talkin Boxing With Billy C Radio Program for daily updates.
The Talkin Boxing With Billy C Radio Program is broadcast live from 5:30 - 7:30 AM EST Monday thru Friday via the Internet. It’s then heard through syndication on AM & FM Radio Stations throughout the U.S. and Canada. The show has over 250,000 combined PodCast Subscribers. It’s the ONLY professional daily boxing talk radio program the sport has to offer.
Listen to the “Talkin Boxing With Billy C” Radio Program on the show’s website at www.TalkinBoxing.com or the www.BillyCBoxing.com network. You can also check your local radio listings. To listen at your convenience, become a PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER by visiting www.TalkinBoxing.com.
PASCAL AND DAWSON MAKE WEIGHT
FOR 30-DAY PRE-FIGHT
WBC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE WEIGH IN!
Montreal (July 16 2010) – With exactly one month remaining until two of the top fighters in the world enter the ring at the Bell Centre in Montreal, current WBC Light Heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (25-1-0, 16 KOs) and undefeated American Pound for Pound superstar and two-time world champion “Bad” Chad Dawson (29-0-0, 17 KOs) hit the scales for their mandatory 30-day pre-fight weigh in. The limit mandated by the WBC 30 days before a Light Heavyweight championship is 192.5 lbs.
The 12-round Pascal vs. Dawson WBC light heavyweight championship fight will be televised live, from the Bell Centre in Montraeal, on HBO World Championship Boxing, Saturday, August 14, beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT.
The World Champion weighed in at a solid 181 lbs at the Olympic Center of Colombia, under the watchful eye of Dr. Juan C. Quicenz. Pascal is currently training in the high altitudes of Bogota in order to maximize his preparations in the lead-up to what is surely the biggest fight of his career. This will be the third defense of his title, and his first time back in the ring after his dismantling of former world champion Adrian Diaconu (26-2, 15 KOs) on December 11th 2009, a fight which he won by Unanimous Decision even with a dislocated shoulder. “On August 14th I have a date with destiny! I have nothing but respect for Dawson, and even though I’m convinced that he will be at his best, I’ll also be coming in at the absolute peak of my abilities. To be the best, you have to beat the best! I can’t wait for that first bell to ring!” declared the champion.
Yvon Michel, president of GYM, is ecstatic over the magnitude of this event: “We have been with Jean Pascal on this journey ever since his very first fight. We’re so proud of all that he has accomplished, and we’re equally proud to be with him as we put on the most important boxing event of both our careers. August 14th 2010 will be a date that will go down in Canadian boxing history. Just like Jean, we will do everything in our power to be at our best!”
“Bad” Chad Dawson, the WBC interim light heavyweight champion, tipped the scales at 177 lbs, weighing in at his training camp in Las Vegas, NV. In his last bout he won a unanimous decision over former world champion Glen Johnson (50-13-2, 34 KOs) in his hometown of Hartford, CT. “I cannot wait until August 14 when I face Jean Pascal in Montreal for the title I vacated in order to beat Antonio Tarver ... twice. Now it's time to reclaim my original crown and bring it home to the U.S.”
Dawson’s promoter, Gary Shaw added: "Chad is ready to unify the WBC light heavyweight title and become The Ring's lineal 175-pound world champion, joining the elite company which includes Billy Conn, Archie Moore and Bob Foster. My concern isn't that Chad wins the fight, it's how much the airline will charge us for the additional luggage for carrying the world championship belt back.”
ARTHUR ABRAHAM vs. CARL FROCH SET FOR OCT. 2 IN MONACO!
Pivotal Group Stage 3 Bout Lands On Neutral Ground
In Coastal Principality Boarding France EDMONTON (July 15, 2010)–Following weeks of intense negotiations, SHOWTIME Sports® is proud to announce that Hennessy Sports and Sauerland Event—the promotional outlets for world-class super middleweight boxers Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham—have agreed to a location for their fighters’ crucial Super Six World Boxing Classic bout.
On Saturday, Oct. 2, in the capital city/state of Monaco, Abraham and Froch will meet at the Chapiteau de l’Espace Fontvieille for their pivotal Group Stage 3 match up in the boxing tournament that has ignited the industry. The bout will be televised LIVE in Canada only on Super Channel courtesy of SHOWTIME® at 9 p.m. ET.
Hennessy Sports and Sauerland Event are currently working with Principality officials in Monaco to finalize all the necessary authorizations for this event as they expect it to be one of the biggest fights in the history of the region. The Principality of Monaco is situated on the Mediterranean Sea in the south west area of Europe, some 1,400 km from Abraham’s home in Berlin and over 1,000 km from Froch’s native Nottingham, England.
“The intensity of the selection process for this venue speaks to the enormity of the moment created by the Super Six World Boxing Classic,” said Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “All the fighters in the tournament have set out to prove that they are the world’s best at 168-pounds by fighting their peers—the most dangerous men in the division—fight after fight. Any perceived advantage or disadvantage has been calculated.
“To the credit of all involved, each hurdle has been cleared and the Super Six World Boxing Classic now marches on toward a thrilling conclusion.”
This bout is the last of the Super Six Group Stage matches. Following Abraham vs. Froch, the four fighters with the highest point totals on the Super Six scoreboard will advance to the semi-finals, tentatively slated for the first quarter 2011.
Froch (26-1, 20 KOs) is coming off a hard-fought unanimous decision loss, the first of his career, to Mikkel Kessler on April 24. That night, during the post-fight press conference, Wilfried, and his son Kalle Sauerland and Mick Hennessy began publicly disputing the venue selection for the Abraham vs. Froch contest. At the time, Abraham (31-1, 25 KOs) held the tournament lead with three points by virtue of his KO win over Jermain Taylor in Group Stage 1, but was out boxed and ultimately disqualified in his Group Stage 2 bout versus Andre Dirrell for the first loss of his career. Froch remains tied at the moment with Kessler and Dirrell at two points.
“I cannot wait to get back in the ring,” said Abraham. “I am thrilled that the date and the venue have been set. I must admit that the disqualification against Dirrell still haunts me. Only a victory over Froch can put my mind at rest. I was ringside when he fought against Kessler and I must say I was impressed with both men. They really fought their hearts out. Froch is a hell of a fighter, but so am I. This will be the biggest, the most important fight of my career, and I will put on a special performance to please the boxing fans in Monaco, France, Germany, England, America and all over the world.”
"I'm training hard already for 'King' Arthur,” said Froch from his training center in Sheffield. “I respect what the man brings to the table, but I'm going out there to knock Abraham's crown right into Kalle's lap,” he added in response to Sauerland’s bold predictions on the outcome of this fight. "Make no mistake about it, I fully appreciate the threat that Abraham presents to me in this fight. Whenever two warriors go into battle there will be bloodshed. But there will be only one victor in Monaco and that will be The Cobra," Froch concluded.
The Sauerlands are filled with anticipation. “The Super Six tournament has been outstanding thus far,” said Kalle. “We’ve had so much drama and so many high-class fights. Kessler versus Froch was as good as it gets but believe me, Abraham-Froch will be even better. It’s win or go home! I honestly can’t see this going the distance. I have a lot of respect for Froch as a fighter but I think that his style is tailor-made for Abraham. The King will knock The Cobra out – no doubt about that. The only question is in which round.”
Hennessy also expects a toe-to-toe war and believes the Englishman will come out victorious inside the distance “This is a mouth-watering match up against two of the best and toughest fighters in the game,” Hennessy said. “If you thought Carl’s last fight against Kessler was epic just wait for Froch vs. Abraham. This has all of the ingredients to be the fight of the decade.
“I have a lot of respect for Arthur in and outside of the ring, but unfortunately on the 2nd October he will come up against a highly driven and fully motivated Carl Froch. When Carl’s is in that sort of mode he will prove he is the best of the best and will secure three points for a knockout win, showing the world once again that he is a very special fighter.”
The Super Six World Boxing Classic continues on Saturday, Sept. 25with a world championship doubleheader to kick off Group Stage 3—the final Group Stage of the round-robin portion of the tournament, live in Canada only on Super Channel courtesy of SHOWTIME®. First, Kessler will look to lock up a semi-final berth with a win over Allan Green. Kessler is making the first defense of his second world title, the WBC 168-pound strap he wrested from Carl Froch. Green is desperate for a win to have a shot at the semi finals. He may need a knockout and/or help from his fellow competitors to earn one of the four spots.
Immediately following, Andre Ward will face 2004 U.S. Olympic teammate and friend Andre Dirrell in what promises to be a dramatic affair. Ward has already locked up his semi-final berth as the only contestant to win both of his initial Group Stage matches. But, make no mistake, Ward promises a fierce defense of his WBA world championship belt and undefeated professional record. Dirrell, on the other hand, needs a win to guarantee his place in the semis. Conceivably, Dirrell could get in with two points but he would need help from Green and/or Abraham.
 Gunn Targets Nakash!
Hackensack, NJ (July 15) – It was just over a year ago that Bobby "The Celtic Warrior" Gunn put forth a gutsy effort against IBF/Ring Magazine Cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek. Gunn's performance was commended by fight fans and various media outlets, who penned about his tremendous heart. The Hackensack, NJ native expected his showing against Adamek to help him land another notable bout, but this hasn't been the case. Since giving his all against the hard hitting Pole, Gunn had a number of bouts fall out and is yet to return to the squared circle. With one year down the tubes, the 36 year old Gunn acknowledges he's in the final chapter of his career and is only interested in facing world rated fighters. "From world title fights to unsanctioned referees and early stoppages, I have seen it all," exclaimed Gunn, a former IBA Cruiserweight champion. "I am a seasoned pro and have earned my stripes, so at this point it only benefits me to face noteworthy opponents." Flash back to July 11 2009, when heavily hyped Ran Nakash dismantled William Bailey on the Adamek-Gunn undercard. Ringsiders were buzzing about Nakash's performance and were in agreement that he was ready for a step up. From that day forward, the unbeaten Nakash was linked to a match up against Gunn. Unfortunately, the bout is yet to happen despite Gunn's willingness to battle him anytime, anywhere and any place. Last night, following Nakash's victory over Victor Barragan in which he attended, Gunn spoke with the media about his eagerness to fight the world rated Israeli. Those at ringside were once again discussing the potential match up, but Gunn was far more concerned with landing a fight than making a splash. "This guy is a perfect opponent for me and I have wanted to face him for quite some time" said Gunn, a former Canadian National Amateur Champion. "He's a very strong fighter, but he comes straight forward and gets hit with a ton of jabs. I know I can outbox this guy without a doubt." Gunn also hopes that Nakash's post fight statements hold true. "He told a number of media members after his victory that I'm the kind of guy he is looking to fight, but actions speak louder than words. I am ready to fight, but is he? Documentation beats conversation seven days a week Ran, sign the contract and let's do this!"  JI-HOON KIM VS. MIGUEL VAZQUEZ
FOR VACANT IBF LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HEADLINES FIGHT CARD ON AUG. 14 AT LAREDO ENERGY ARENA
Art Pelullo/Banner Promotions, Rodney Berman/Golden Gloves, and Zanfer Promotions will present a sensational world championship fight card on Saturday, August 14, 2010, at the Laredo Energy Arena, located at 6700 Arena Boulevard in Laredo, Texas. This internationally-flavored event will feature boxers from South Korea, Mexico, South Africa and Brazil. Featured fights will be televised live on TV Azteca, Fox Sports, and live internationally worldwide.
In the main event, scheduled for 12 rounds for the vacant International Boxing Federation lightweight world championship, IBF No. 1-ranked Ji-Hoon “Volcano” Kim, 21-5 with 18 knockouts, of Goyang City, Korea, will battle IBF No. 3-ranked Miguel Angel “Titere” Vazquez, 25-3 with 12 knockouts, of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
Banner Promotions president Art Pelullo said, “My partners on this event - Rodney Berman, Zanfer Promotions, and Roy Medina at the Laredo Energy Arena - and I are very pleased to bring this exciting matchup to Laredo. This will be the first major world title fight in Laredo since the great International Boxing Hall of Famer Orlando Canizales defended the IBF bantamweight world title here in his hometown against Sergio Reyes 16 years ago in October, 1994, and we think it’s good one.
“This is Kim’s third fight in Laredo – he’s given very exciting performances and gained a lot of fans here - and Vazquez is coming off his career-best win against previously undefeated contender Breidis Prescott. Kim has won his last 11 fights by knockout, and Vazquez rose to the occasion and proved himself in the biggest fight of his life. It’s going to be a classic boxer-puncher matchup, and we think a great night of world championship boxing.”
After Kim’s knockout win against Tyrone Harris in February, Fightnews.com’s Francisco Salazar reported from ringside: “Kim has started to turn heads in the boxing world with his hard-hitting and explosive power....”
After Vazquez’ 10 round decision win against Prescott, Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com: “Vazquez outhustled him all night to win the split decision in an upset.... Prescott, best known for his shocking first-round knockout of Amir Khan in September 2008, started well...but after that, it was almost all Vazquez, who won his fourth in a row. He had Prescott bleeding from the mouth and had swollen his left eye. This is a big win for the unheralded Vazquez.”
Featured bouts will include Hekkie Budler, 16-0 with 5 knockouts, of Johannesburg, South Africa, in a 10 round light flyweight bout. Budler is an undefeated star in South Africa and looking to make a name for himself in the United States.
Jackson Junior, 7-0 with 6 knockouts, a light heavyweight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, is the most talented fighter to come from Brazil since Acelino “Popo” Freitas. Jackson is managed by Servilio De Oliveira, the former Brazilian Olympic bronze medalist and manager of former IBF featherweight world champion Valdemir Pereira.
Also appearing on the card will be local Laredo favorite Rodolfo Gomez Jr., 6-0 with 5 knockouts, the son of Manuel “Shotgun” Gomez, in a super welterweight bout.
More exciting bouts will be announced. All bouts subject to change without notice. |