NEWS
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GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS MAKES SHOBOX DEBUT
FRIDAY, APRIL 2, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
UNBEATEN ERISLANDY LARA FACES DANNY PEREZ
IN MAIN EVENT; CARLOS VELASQUEZ IN CO-FEATURE AT
THE HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO IN LAS VEGAS
Live on SHOWTME at 11 p.m. ET/PT, Tickets on Sale NOW!
LOS ANGELES - (March 8, 2010) - For years, SHOWTIMEhas featured boxing's
top prospects and future World Champions on its hit series ShoBox: The New
Generation giving boxing fans a glimpse of the World Champions of tomorrow
today. On Friday, April 2, live on SHOWTIME, Golden Boy Promotions is proud
to present its first event on the series.
Undefeated Cuban junior middleweight rising star Erislandy Lara puts his
perfect record on the line against the always-dangerous Danny Perez in a
10-round main event and Puerto Rican featherweight standout Carlos Velasquez
returns to dazzle fans in the co-feature on what promises to be a night
to remember at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
"We're proud to present our first ShoBox event and we promise that
fans will see the quality of fights they're accustomed to on the series,"
said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "Danny Perez
will be Erislandy Lara's toughest test to date and a fight I'm really looking
forward to. I'm also excited to see Carlos Velasquez back in the ring and
if he can be impressive on April 2 on ShoBox, the sky's the limit for him."
The doubleheader will headline an exciting night of professional boxing
presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate which
will air live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m., ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Tickets, priced at $100, $60 and $30, plus a limited number of $125 VIP
and $25 standing room tickets, are on sale now and may be purchased at the
Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.Ticketmaster.com
or by phone at 800-745-3000.
Also competing on April 2 will be a host of Golden Boy Promotions' undefeated
rising stars, including Puerto Rico's Hector Sanchez (18-0, 8 KO's), 2008
U.S. Olympic Heavyweight Bronze medalist Deontay Wilder (8-0, 8 KO's) and
New Jersey's Mike Perez (6-0-1, 3 KO's).
Southpaw sensation Lara (10-0, 6 KO's) has followed up a stellar amateur
career in Cuba with the makings of a world championship run in the professional
ranks. Unbeaten in 10 bouts, the 26-year-old native of Guantanamo went 7-0
with 4 knockouts in 2009, and in 2010 he's picked up where he left off,
halting veteran contender Grady Brewer in 10 rounds on Jan. 29 at The Joint.
On April 2, he returns to the site of his greatest pro victory to date and
hopes to make it two in a row against Perez.
Carlsbad, California's Perez (34-6, 17 KO's) knows all the tricks of the
trade when it comes to the sweet science. The owner of five regional titles
over the course of his career, Perez has faced the likes of Antonio Margarito,
Jose Luis Zertuche, Grady Brewer, David Lopez and Eric Mitchell, and is
looking forward to taking Lara into deep waters this April.
A member of the 2004 Puerto Rican Olympic team, Velasquez (11-0, 9 KO's)
has been tearing through the pro ranks with a mix of speed and power that
has boxing insiders taking notice. The highly regarded 25-year-old Velasquez,
who trains out of Las Vegas, owns wins over a series of seasoned veterans
and will be put to the test once again as he looks to further cement his
status of future star against an opponent to be determined.
Opponents for Sanchez, Wilder and Perez and additional undercard bouts will
be announced shortly.
For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or follow Golden
Boy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing.
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USA Boxing Senior State Championships
03/07/10
By Steve Robinson
Among a plethora of amateur boxing tournaments recently held in the Las
Vegas area were the USA Boxing Nevada State Championships. Saturday contestant’s
weighed in at 7:00 am and the fights began shortly after 4:00 pm at the
Henderson PAL Gym on Major Ave in Henderson, NV. The results were as follows:
Unopposed Champions
132 lbs. – Bronson Stultz
141 lbs. – Dehaven Alexander
152 lbs. – Boston Salmon
165 lbs. – Linell Bellows
201 lbs. – Andrew Tabiti
201+ lbs – Rydell Gipson
Tournament Matches
108 Pounds – Diego Hurtado over Santos Vasquez - RSC
114 pounds – Oscar Vasquez over Sergio Lopez- Points
114 pounds – Alan Garcia over Tyler James - Points
Vasquez meets Garcia today at noon for the 114 pound championship match.
Off Tournament Bouts
Jamar Beasley (Henderson PAL) over Jujit Butay (Barry’s) –
Points
Akran Zerhouni (Barry’s) over Danny Vella (Henderson PAL) –
Points
Jason Sandoval (LA Boxing) over Nicholas Cantu – Points
Ilyass Zerhouni (Barry’s) over Luis Zarate - RSC
Cameron Krael (Boe’s Boxing) over Carlos Garcia (Unattached) - RSC
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BOXING SUPERSTARS FLOYD "MONEY" MAYWEATHER AND
SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY SET TO MEET IN
MAYWEATHER VS. MOSLEY: WHO R U PICKING?,
AN ELECTRIFYING WELTERWEIGHT MEGA-FIGHT
SET FOR SATURDAY, MAY 1 AT MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS
LIVE ON HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®
NEW YORK (March 2) - "Who R U Picking?" "Who are you picking?"
The buzz surrounding the biggest night of boxing this year has already started
as superstar and six-time World Champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather
and welterweight mega-star, five-time World Champion and current WBA Welterweight
World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley, are set to meet in Mayweather vs. Mosley:
Who R U Picking?, on Saturday, May 1 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a spectacular
bout which will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View®
beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
The bout, promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, and
sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, AT&T, Dewalt Tools and StubHub,promises
to be a spectacular display of talent and skill with Mayweather and Mosley
will meet in a 12-round welterweight battle that is already being compared
to other great and historic welterweight match-ups like Sugar Ray Leonard
against Tommy Hearns and Oscar de la Hoya against Felix Trinidad.
"Ever since I came back to the sport I said I only wanted to fight
the best and Shane Mosley is one of the best," said Mayweather (40-0,
25 KO's). "Not only does he have the skills, but he is also fast, strong
and a very tough competitor. His speed and power won't mean much that night
against my will and determination to dominate him inside the square circle.
When I compete against the best, I am always at my best; so on May 1 the
fans will see one great performance."
"I have always wanted to fight Floyd Mayweather and now that dream
is finally coming true," said Mosley, (46-5, 39 KO's). "Floyd
is excellent at what he does, but my past record of beating the best competition
and other great champions shows that he is just another one of my opponents
I intend to beat. He has never faced anyone like me before and I think that
will be a big factor on May 1 when I plan to show him just what it means
to meet a true champion in the ring."
"This fight has been in the making for a long time and now Floyd has
the opportunity to showcase his skills against a great champion like Shane,"
said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. "It is these kinds
of opportunities that elevate and excite Floyd. The people and the polls
might be wondering who is going to win this fight, but on May 1, I have
no doubt that Floyd is going to give them a dominant performance and continue
to prove why he is the best fighter in the world today. "
"The theme of this fight is "who are you picking?" because
when two champions of this caliber meet in the ring, you can expect nothing
but an extremely competitive fight and an unknown outcome that will only
reveal itself on May 1," said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions.
"Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and so is
Floyd Mayweather, so it is a true gift that the fans will have the opportunity
to see a fiercely competitive and fantastic night of boxing."
"MGM Grand is thrilled to host two of the sport's superstars,"
said Richard Sturm, President of Sports and Entertainment for MGM MIRAGE.
"Mayweather and Mosley bring tremendous speed and skill to the ring
and will no doubt electrify the fans on May 1."
"Mayweather vs. Mosley is a showdown of superstars that fans have been
talking about for years," said Mark Taffet of HBO Pay-Per-View. "It
has all the elements of a pay-per-view mega-fight."
A 1996 Olympic Bronze medalist for the United States, the undefeated Floyd
Mayweather has since gone on to strike gold in the professional ranks, winning
six world titles in five weight classes to firmly establish himself as one
of the most elite fighters of his era. With dominating wins over the likes
of World Champions Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab
Judah, Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton, Mayweather was on a meteoric rise
to hall of fame greatness when he announced his retirement from the ring
in 2008. But he left the door open for a return if the right challenge presented
itself and after 18 months of a much needed physical and emotional break
from the ring, he returned to boxing on September 19, 2009 with a dominating
and spectacular victory over future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez. He
now faces Mosley on May 1 in what will be one of his most challenging contests
to date.
In addition to his boxing accomplishments, Mayweather has managed to become
a crossover star, appearing in HBO®'s Emmy® award winning reality
series "24/7" three separate times as he provided cameras with
an all access look at his training and personal life. Additionally, as a
competitor on ABC's Dancing With The Stars, Mayweather was introduced to
a completely new audience with over 35 million viewers tuning in each week.
It would be easy for Sugar Shane Mosley to be a satisfied man, but Mosley
will not be content until he feels that he has climbed every mountain the
sport has to offer, including beating Floyd Mayweather on May 1. His goal
is to continue to win as this future Hall of Famer always has, compiling
six world titles and having ruled the lightweight, welterweight and junior
middleweight divisions over his storied 16-year career. Mosley has defeated
them all, including the likes of Oscar de la Hoya, Fernando Vargas (twice),
Luis Collazo and Ricardo Mayorga, but his most recent victory could be his
most spectacular - a ninth round stoppage of Antonio Margarito in January
2009 to win the welterweight world title for the third time.
Mosley has a worldwide fan base and feels that he can continue to win, including
one more world championship, his sixth, which is an amazing feat for any
fighter, but seems easy when you're a given the hallowed "Sugar"
nickname, shared by Mosley with the legendary "Sugars," Robinson
and Leonard. He also hopes to ascend back to the number one spot on the
mythical pound for pound list, which will only happen by taking on the best
in the world, fight in and fight out.
Tickets priced are $1,250, $1,000, $600, $300 and $150, not including applicable
service charges, are on sale now and limited to 10 per person and ticket
sales at $150 are limited to two (2) per person with a total ticket limit
of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster
at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at
www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
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MARCOS MAIDANA VS. VICTOR CAYO AND
ALI FUNEKA VS. JOAN GUZMAN II SET TO HEADLINE
MARCH 27, 2010 HBO BOXING AFTER DARK®
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER TO TAKE PLACE AT
THE JOINT AT HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO IN LAS VEGAS
LOS ANGELES, March 1 - There will be fireworks at The Joint at Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, March 27 when Golden
Boy Promotions presents a world championship doubleheader featuring one
of boxing's most exciting fighters in a pivotal matchup against the number
one challenger to his crown, and a rematch of one of 2009's most closely-contested
battles.
In the 12 round main event, interim WBA Super Lightweight World Champion
Marcos Maidana defends his title against unbeaten Dominican Republic star
Victor Cayo, and in the co-featured attraction of this compelling doubleheader,
South African standout Ali Funeka and unbeaten former two division World
Champion Joan Guzman and look to settle the score after their 2009 draw
when they meet again in a 12 round fight for the vacant IBF lightweight
championship.
"The fight fans of Las Vegas are some of the most knowledgeable in
the world and when we put a show on there, it's got to be top-notch,"
said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "We feel
that delivering two exciting and competitive world title fights in one night
with Maidana vs. Cayo and Funeka vs. Guzman is just the type of event that
the Las Vegas boxing fans will rally around."
Tickets, priced at $200, $100 and $50 with a limited number of $250 VIP
and $40 standing room tickets also available, go on sale on Friday, March
5, 2010 at 10 AM PT, and may be purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office,
all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling
800-745-3000.
Maidana vs. Cayo and Guzman vs. Funeka are presented by Golden Boy Promotions
with Maidana vs. Cayo being presented in association with Maidana´s
German PromoterUniversum Box Promotions, Warriors Boxing Promotions and
Sampson Boxing and Funeka vs. Guzman being presented in association with
Gary Shaw Productions and Cedric Kushner's Gotham Boxing. The world championship
doubleheader will air live on HBO's Boxing After Dark® beginning at
10:30pm ET (taped delayed on the West Coast at 10:30 PM PT). Doors open
at 3:00 PM with the first bell ringing at 3:30 PM.
A thrill a second fighter with dynamite in his fists, Buenos Aires' Marcos
"Chino" Maidana (27-1, 26 KO's) emerged on the international scene
in 2009 with a devastating display of power and intensity. In June of last
year, the 26-year old stunned boxing observers with his sixth round stoppage
of highly-regarded "Vicious" Victor Ortiz in a Fight of the Year
candidate, winning the interim WBA junior welterweight title in the process.
Five months later, he defended the crown for the first time with a third
round knockout of William Gonzalez, and on March 27, he looks to add to
his impressive KO percentage (96.2%) when he takes on Victor Manuel Cayo.
Santo Domingo's Victor Manuel Cayo (24-0, 16 KOs) has steadily progressed
through the 140-pound ranks, building a reputation as an impressive boxer-puncher
who has 'star' written all over him. Winner of three regional titles in
less than four years as a pro, and owner of victories over Julio "The
Kid" Diaz, Noe "Platanito" Bolanos, and Arturo "Silencioso"
Morua. The 25-year-old Cayo is coming off of a third round TKO of previously
unbeaten Julio Reyes last December, and he is more than ready for his chance
to shine in the world championship spotlight.
A huge lightweight at 6 foot 1, Ali Funeka (30-2-3, 25 KOs) is a tough matchup
for anyone he faces...just ask Nate Campbell and Joan Guzman, who Funeka
took to the brink in their bouts with him. Owner of a fourth round knockout
of Zahir Raheem in July of 2008, South Africa's Funeka has impressed United
States observers with his busy style and poise under pressure. Now, following
a November 28 draw against Guzman, all the 31-year old wants to do is win
a world title to bring back home to his fans in East London. He gets that
chance once again on March 27 in his highly-anticipated rematch against
Guzman.
Perhaps the greatest fighter to ever come out of the Dominican Republic,
Santo Domingo's Joan "Little Tyson" Guzman (29-0-1, 17 KOs) is
also one of the premier boxers of this era. A former junior featherweight
and junior lightweight world champion, the 33-year old Guzman is unbeaten
in his third weight class and looking to become a three division world champion
by defeating Funeka.
A full slate of exciting undercard bouts will be announced shortly.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or follow Golden
Boy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing.
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PRESS RELEASE
Crown Boxing Inc.
FROM THE BOXING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
PRESENTS FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS March 12, 2010
ALONG WITH
The Orleans Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Nevada
Mardi Gras Ballroom, Doors open 6pm / First bout 7pm.
"Al Bernstein (The Official Host of Crown Boxing) will be Ringside"
(Al will be interacting with fans, signing autographs, pictures; you may
be interviewed by Al!)
Noche De Boxeo Caliente
Jr.Welterweight Bout
Jesus Gutierrez (Las Vegas, NV.) vs. Antonio Montoya (Utah)
Welterweight Bout
Juan Alcolea (Las Vegas, NV.) vs. Michael Gallegos (New Mexico)
Featherweight Bout
Rocco Santomauro (Las Vegas, NV.) vs. Thomas Herrera (Tucson, AZ.)
Welterweight Bout
Ricardo Calzada (North Las Vegas, NV.) vs. Marcos Mendias (Phoenix, AZ.)
INTERMISSION
Jr. Featherweight Bout
Alexis Santaigao (Phoenix, AZ.) vs. Jamie Gutierrez (Las Angeles, CA.)
Main Event Bout
Brian Battease (Las Vegas, NV.) vs. Alen Martinez (Las Angeles, CA.)
(Card subject to Change)
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Nevada State Championships
Additional Final Bouts - 2/28/10
(W indicates winner)
1) Daniel Diaz (W) (Steele Gym_ 70lbs. Finals- Kenny Towar( Mity Mites)
2) Malik Walls (Steele Gym) 95lbs. Finals (W) Humberto Guillan,Jr. (Mity
Mites)
Off- Tournament
3) Whitney Withington (W)( Fortune Gym, Ca.)- female novice 130lbs.- Candy
De La Torre( Boe Boxing)
4) Dylan Van Cleef( Unattached)- novice 135lbs.- (W) Keith Hunter (Steele
Gym)
5) Anthony Acouisto (W) (Fortune Gym, Ca).- novice 152lbs.- Jorge De La
Torre( Boe Boxing)
6) Reece Bennett( Fortune Gym, Ca.)- novice 172lbs.- (W) Kevin Newman (Steele
Gym)
7) Kristinsson Gunnor( Iceland Gym)- novice 201+lbs. (W)- Leyon Azubuike
(The Rock, Ca.)
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Nevada State Junior Olympic Championships
First Day Tournament Results
2/27/10
Several boxers obtained State JO Championship credentials simply by entering
the tournament where no one else was in their weight class and will advance
to Regional Championships.
Bantam 65 lbs - Smathy Silva – Reno Jets
Bantam 85 lbs- Jojt Butay Fillon Jr – Barry’s Boxing
Juniors 75 lbs - Devin Haney – Tocco’s Gym
Juniors 80 lbs – Jacob Strickland – Reno Jets
Juniors 106 lbs – Mario Martinez – Reno Jets
Intermediate 70 lbs – Cory Conner – Steele’s Boxing
Intermediate 80 lbs – Marcus Marks – Henderson PAL
Intermediate 90 lbs – Female- Marquela Blakey – Henderson PAL
Intermediate 119 lbs – David Beltran – Elite Boxing
Intermediate 138 lbs – Marcos Magdaleno – Barry’s Boxing
Intermediate 145 lbs – Josua Vasquez – Reno Jets
Senior JO 110 lbs – Salvador Sanchez – Steele’s Boxing
Senior JO 119 lbs – Francisco Esparza – Center Ring Boxing
Senior JO 138 lbs – Ismael Guerrero – Arce Boxing
Senor JO 176+ lbs - Deyon Christie – Barry’s Boxing
Senior JO Female 110 lbs – Bernice Hernandez – Unattached
Senior JO Female 132 lbs – Maritsa Guillen – Mitey Mites
Tournament Boxing Results – Xtreme Couture Gym – 2/27/10
Bantam 70 Semi-Finals – Daniel Diaz (Steele’s) over Damian
Rainbow (Unattached – Pts
Jr 95 Semi-Finals – Humberto Guillan Jr. (Mitey Mites) over Aaron
Corona (Barry’s) – Pts-
Bantam 60 – Finals – Akram Zerhouni (Barry’s) over Kamren
Strickland (Reno Jets) – Pts
Int. 85 Finals – Elisio Duran (Steele’s) over Chaz Lucero (Henderson
PAL) – Pts
Int 90 Finals – Andres Cortes (Elite) over Alex Rodriguez (Mitey
Mites) – Pts
Int 114 Finals – Kenneth Davis (Arce Boxing) over Joseph Macedo-
(Tocco’s) – Pts
Sr JO 101 Finals – Cesar Quinonez (Elite) over Alec Mcgee (Cheyenne)
– Pts
Sr JO 125 Finals – Ilyass Zerhouni (Barry’s) over Brent John
(War Party) – Pts
Sr JO 132 Finals – Isaac Castaneda (Center Ring) over Ramion Montes
(Mity Mites) – Pts
Off Tournament Bouts
Jamal Beasley (Henderson PAL) over Jacob Strickland (Reno Jets) –
RSC
Bhrayan Pena (Center Ring) over Nicholas Cantu (Tocco’s) –
Points
Marco Magdaleno (Barry’s) over Josue Vasquez (Reno Jets) –
Ret.
Francisco Esparza (Center Ring) over David Beltran (Elite) – Points
Aurelio Moreno (Center Ring) over Robert Valdez (Tocco’s) –
Points
Ernesto Luzanilla (Steele’s) over Oswald Sanches (Center Ring) -
DQ
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FOUR DAYS TO GO...
THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS FOR THE HOTTEST TICKET IN BOXING
AS TICKETS FOR MAYWEATHER VS. MOSLEY MEGA-BOUT GO
ON SALE TUESDAY, MARCH 2 AT 10 A.M. PT
EXTRAORDINARY EXPECTED DEMAND FOR MAY 1
WELTERWEIGHT SHOWDOWN AT MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS FORCES TICKET LIMITS
LAS VEGAS, (February 26, 2010) - The countdown is on and the hottest night
in boxing is about to get hotter as tickets for the much-anticipated mega-fight
between Boxing Superstar FLOYD "MONEY" MAYWEATHER and current
WBA Welterweight World Champion SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY are set to go on sale
Tuesday, March 2 at 10 a.m. PT.
Tickets are priced at $1,250, $1,000, $600, $300 and $150 (not including
applicable service charges) and will be limited to 10 per person and ticket
sales at $150 are limited to two (2) per person with a total ticket limit
of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster
at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com
or www.ticketmaster.com. ;
Mayweather vs. Mosley is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy
Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, AT&T, Dewalt Tools and StubHub.
The 12-round welterweight mega-bout will take place Saturday, May 1 at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed
live on HBO Pay-Per-View®.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Golden Gloves States – Final Results
By Steve Robinson
2/21/10
The finals of the Golden Glove Nevada State Championships were held today
at Chaparral High School in Las Vegas. The Golden Gloves series probably
is the highest regarded in our countries amateur boxing history having started
in Chicago in 1923. Former National Golden Glove Champions include Joe Lewis
(1934), Muhammed Ali (1973), Thomas Hearns (1977), Mike Tyson (1984), Evander
Holyfield (1984), and Oscar DeLaHoya (1984), among others. Today in Las
Vegas, ten boxers in their respective weight classes advanced to the Regional
Tournament, many with hopes of joining the illustrious names of boxing’s
past. Today’s results were as follows:
108 lbs Santos Vasquez over Diego Hurtado – Points
114 lbs Oscar Vasquez over Sergio Lopez – Points
123 lbs Diego Magdaleno advanced when his opponent failed to make weight
132 lbs Rocco Espinoza over Raul Cespedes – Points
141 lbs Javier Montes over Dehaven Alaexander – Points
152 lbs Liven Martinez over Boston Salmon – Points
165 lbs Lanell Bellows over Nicholas Kay – RSC
178 lbs Kevin Newman by Walkover
201 lbs Andrew Tabiti over Carey Dupree – RSC
201+ lbs Rydell Gipson by Walkover
The Regional Golden Gloves Championships will be held March 20-21st at
South Point Hotel and Casino where the boxers from Nevada will meet opponents
from Arizona, Washington and Oregon. Winners advance to the National Finals
May 3-8 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Off Tournament Bouts
Akram Zerhouni (Barry’s) over Danny Vella (Henderson PAL) –
Points
Devin Haney (Tocco’s) over Adrian Servin (Azteca) – Points
Osvaldo Hernandez (Azteca) over Chaz Lucero (Henderson PAL) – Points
Walter Melchor (Azrteca) over Lance Rogers (Tocco’s) – RSC
Ilyass Zerhouni (Barry’s) over Luis Zarate (LA Boxing) – Points
Luciano Stoica (Central) over Sharif Rahman (Barry’s) – DQ
Jesse Mendoza (Central) over Marco Magdaleno (Barry’s) – Points
William Banda (Barry’s) over Dave Garcia (Boe’s) - RSC
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Golden Gloves State Championships
February 20, 2010
By Steve Robinson
Preliminary bouts were held today at Chaparral High School leading up to
tomorrow’s State Finals at the same location. The results were as
follows:
108 lbs Santos Vasquez over Eduardo Alvarez – Points
108 lbs Diego Hurtado over Blake Fazio – RSC
114 lbs Sergio Lopez over Ivan Garcia – Points
114 lbs Oscar Vasquez over Alan Garcia – Points
123 lbs Lance Rogers over Tyler James – DQ
132 lbs Raul Cespedes over Jesus Martinez – Points
132 lbs Rocco Espinoza over Bronson Stultz – Points
141 lbs Dehaven Alexander over Kyron Butler – RSC
141 lbs Javier Montes over Ryan Picou – Points
165 lbs Nicholas Kay over Francisco Martinez – RSC
Non Tournament Bouts
Devin Haney (Tocco’s) over Alberto Valenzuela (Prescott) –
Points
Marcus Marks (Henderson PAL) over Sergio Sanchez (Tocco’s) –
Points
Jamar Beesley (Henderson PAL) over Jojit Butay (Barry’s) –
Points
Zuley Shakespeare (Barry’s) over Edaly Hernandez (Steele’s)
– Points
Francisco Esparza (Center Ring) over Ilyass Zerhouni (Barry’s) –
Points
Moises Lopez (Jakes PAL) over David Barragan (Barry’s) – RSC
Cameron Krael (Boe’s) over Dylan Van Cleef (Unattached) – RSC
Rydell Gipson (Barry’s) over Andrew Gamboa (Tocco’s) - RSC
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Latin Fury vs. Pinoy Power
The room where tonight’s fights were staged was the historic Pavilion
at the Las Vegas Hilton where many championship fights of yore were fought
in Las Vegas. From Mohammed Ali to Mike Tyson, all the big names in boxing
plied their art in this arena, entertained fans throughout the world and
helped make Las Vegas the “Boxing Capitol of the World”. The
large room with bleachers at the sides, pales in comparison to today’s
arenas in dimension but the echos of past boxing history remain and add
excitement to the contests that follow. So it was at the Las Vegas Hilton
Saturday night where Top Rank Boxing pitted top Filipino boxers against
top Latino talent.
Famed Ring Announcer Michael Buffer introduced the big crowd of Philippine
and Hispanic boxing fans to the first of four Championship bouts that went
out across the country and the world on a PPV broadcast.
In a scheduled 10 round Featherweight contest, Bernebe Concepcion
(29-2-1, 17KO’s) of the Philippines took on Mario Santiago
(21-1-1, 14 KO’s) of Puerto Rico. The winner of this contest is scheduled
to take on Champion Juan Manuel Lopez for the title in the near future.
A confident Concepcion took control of this fight early and rarely let up.
In a fight that was thought would be a close contest, Concepcion dominated
the action with a well planned strategy of aggression that never let Santiago
get started. Concepcion never missed an opportunity to tag Santiago while
avoiding any punishment himself. After dominating the first five rounds,
Concepcion caught Santiago with a sweet right while he was back pedaling
and dropped him for an eight count midway through the sixth. Santiago beat
the count and managed to weather the ensuing attack to last out the round.
That was the only knockdown in the fight and Santiago came back to go after
the knockout he needed in the late rounds but was unsuccessful as when it
went to the scorecards Richard Ocasio scored the match 98-91, Glen Trowbridge
had it 97-92 and Jerry Roth saw it 96-93, all for Bernebe Concepcion who
will go on to face the Champion for the title.
In a scheduled 12 round WBO Bantamweight Title Elimination bout,
Filipino Gerry Penelosa (54-7.2, 34 KO’s) fought
Eric Morel (41-2, 21 KO’s) of San Juan, Puerto Rico. This
fight ended up being the closest of the night with lots of back and forth
action for all twelve rounds. Morel had a three inch height advantage and
longer arms but was seldom able to keep Penalosa from working his way inside
to unload a barrage of punches. With all the inside action heads clashed
several times causing a pesky gash over Penalosa’s left eye in the
sixth that remained open for the remainder of the fight. The head butt was
determined to be accidental by the referee. There was no quit in the bloodied
Penalosa but all of the rounds were close and after twelve rounds where
no boxer had been down and neither dominated, the decision went to the judges.
Judge Dick Houck scored the match 115-113 for Penalosa, while Judge Paul
Smith had it 115-113 and Judge Duane Ford had it 116-112, both for Eric
Morel who becomes the WBO Champion by Split Decision. There is no doubt
that this was a close fight and the decision could have gone either way,
so a possible rematch could be in the future for these warriors.
Next up was a WBO Championship title fight between Fernando
Montiel (39-2-2, 29 KO’s) of Los Mochis, Mexico and Ciso
Morales (14-0, 8 KO’s) of the Philippines. After a minute
or so of testing his opponent, Montiel landed a left hook to Morales midsection
causing the Filipino to crumple to the mat, curled up in pain. Referee Robert
Byrd reached the count of ten at 2:06 of the first giving Montiel at KO
victory without breaking a sweat.
In the last televised match Super Flyweight Champion Nonito Donaire
(22-1, 14 KO’s) fought last minute replacement Manuel Vargas
(26-4-1, 11 KO’s) of Mexico. Vargas has fought most of his recent
fights at the Minimum weight class of 105 pounds but took this fight on
a few days notice when scheduled opponent Gerson Guerrero failed to pass
a prefight physical. Donaire, who at 5’6” rarely towers over
any opponent, dwarfed his smaller opponent who weighed in at 114 pounds
for this contest. He must have had rocks in his pockets at the weigh in.
After toying with Vargas for the first two rounds, Donaire landed a beautiful
left uppercut that caused Vargas hands to drop and he stood motionless for
a second before collapsing to the canvas in a delayed reaction. Referee
Joe Cortez counted Vargas out at 1:33 of the third round, ending up a night
where both Filipinos and Latinos had their heroes in a fine night of boxing.
Undercard Action
The opener was a Super Featherweight fight between Edgar Portillo
(6-3, 4 KO’s) of Midland, TX and Hector Marengo
(5-0, 3 KO’s) of Puerto Rico. This turned out to be a fight of contrasting
styles – Portillo was a puncher who landed with authority and Marengo
was a boxer who was quicker and more accurate but didn’t have much
power behind his blows. There was plenty of toe to toe action and heads
clashed several times causing a cut over Marengo’s left eye in the
5th. The rounds were all close and nobody went down so at the end of six
rounds Judge Lisa Giampa had it 58-56 for Portillo, while Judge Ricardo
Ocasio saw it 58-56 for Marengo. Judge CJ Ross saw it 57-57 so the fight
was called a draw.
Next up were Welterweights Raymond Gatica (11-0, 6 KO’s)
of Austin, TX and Mark Melligan (16-2, 12 KO’s) of
The Philippines. Gatica had plenty of movement early and was content to
stick and move while Melligan relentlessly walked him down. Gatica’s
movement made Melligan miss often early but Gatica’s attacks were
without effect. By the fifth round a confident Gatica was showboating his
defensive moves when he ducked into a Melligan left hook that put the Texan
on his ass. Gatica beat the count and appeared unhurt, lasting out the round.
Melligan continued his attack into the sixth where he finally caught Gatica
with a series of punches that put him down again. Gatica was able to gain
his feet but Melligan’s subsequent attack caused Referee Kenny Bayless
to step in and stop the fight giving Mark Melligan a TKO victory at 2: 36
of the round. At the time of the KO, Melligan was ahead on all three judges
cards 5-0, 5-0 and 4-1.
Next up was promising High School Senior and former Golden Gloves Champ
Jose Benevidez (1-0, 1 KO) of Phoenix, AZ who tackled John
Vega (0-1) of Texas. Benevidez used lightning fast hand speed and
devastating power to drop Vega early in the first. Vega got up but after
Benevidez pummeled him a few him a few more times a befuddled Vega turned
to his corner and begged them to stop. Referee Richard Mora waived off the
fight at 1:07 of the first round keeping Benevidez record in tact at 2-0
with 2 KO’s.
Middleweights Matt Korobov (9-0, 7 KO’s) of Russia
and Lamar Harris (6-4-3) of St, Louis were up next. Evidently
not wanting to be outdone by Benevidez, Matt Korobov battered a hapless
Harris about the ring until Referee Robert Byrd stepped in to protect the
defenseless Harris at 1:05 of the first. Harris never went down, but was
absorbing big shots to his head, not returning any in kind and unable to
defend himself. Korobov gets his TKO early in the first and stays undefeated.
Before the televised events started, Las Vegan Diego Magdaleno
(13-0. 3 KO’s) took on Italian Floriano Pagliara (10-3,
6 KO’s). Magdaleno got right down to business in the first, keeping
a flicking right jab in the Italian’s face followed by straight lefts
that rocked Pagliari’s head. Magdaleno’s consistent withering
attack never allowed his opponent to get started and he dominated the action
for the remainder of the fight. After eight rounds, neither had been down
and nether appeared to have been hurt so it went to the scorecards where
Judge Lisa Giampa had it 80-72, Paul Smith saw it 79-73 and Glen Trowbridge
scored 78-74, all for Diego Magdaleno who remains undefeated in a dominating
workmanlike performance.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TOP RANK Boxing at Historic Las Vegas Hilton Saturday Night
By Steve Robinson
In February 1978, an unheralded boxer named Leon Spinks took on Mohammed
Ali at the Las Vegas Hilton Pavilion, and won a 15 round Split Decision
in the 1978 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year. The same location will host
Top Rank’s ten fight card Saturday night as some of the best Filipino
boxers take on some of Latin America’s stars.
Headlining the four fight PPV card is the WBO World Bantamweight fight
between favored Champion Fernando Montiel (39-2-2, 39 KO’s) of Los
Mochis, Mexico and Ciso Morales (14-0, 8 KO’s) of The Philippines.
In a twelve round WBO Eliminator Gerry Penalosa (54-7-2, 34 KO’s)
will meet Eric Morel (41-2, 21 KO’s) of Puerto Rico. In what may be
the most competitive fight of the featured events, Bernebe Concepcion (29-2-1,
17 KO’s) will take on Mario Santiago (21-1-1, 14 KO’s) of Puerto
Rico.
WBA Interim Super Flyweight Champion Nonito Donaire (22-1, 14 KO’s)
of the Philippines will now take on last minute substitute Manuel Vargas
(26-4-1, 11 KO’s) of Mexico after Gerson Guerrero of Mexico failed
to pass his Nevada State Athletic Commission physical where an eye injury
was detected.
In a talent and action packed undercard local sensation Diego Magdaleno
(13-0) will tackle Floriano Paglaria (10-3) of Italy. Also back is former
Golden Gloves Champ Jose Benevidez of Phoenix, AZ in his second professional
fight. Undefeated Russian Middleweight Matt Korobov (9-0) will fight Lamar
Harris (6-4-3) of St. Louis and Mark Melligan (16-2) of the Philippines
will fight Raymond Gatica (11-0) of Austin, TX.
Tickets starting at $50 are available at the Hilton Box Office (702-732-5755)
and the PPV broadcast is priced at $39.95.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Press Release
BERNARD HOPKINS AND ROY JONES
TO SETTLE FIERCE RIVALRY AS LEGENDS COLLIDE
IN LONG-AWAITED REMATCH SET FOR SATURDAY, APRIL 3
AT THE MANDALAY BAY EVENTS CENTER IN LAS VEGAS
LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW
THE RIVALS: HOPKINS VS JONES II
LAS VEGAS, NV (February 9) . . . After 17 years the wait is over as sure-fire
future Hall of Famers Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins and Roy
"The Terminator" Jones Jr. collide in a long awaited rematch that
will finally add the final chapter to their 17-year rivalry. The Rivals:
Hopkins vs. Jones II is set for Saturday, April 3 at the Mandalay Bay Events
Center in Las Vegas. The bout will be broadcast live on pay-per-view beginning
at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KOs) and Jones (54-6, 40 KOs), two of boxing's most
decorated and recognizable fighters, will put it all on the line and leave
no doubts as to who gets the bragging rights. Both men have given fans more
than two decades worth of brilliant ring memories.
"A rematch with Roy has been in the back of my mind for a long time
and it's finally going to happen," said Hopkins. "I have accomplished
a lot in my career since that night in Washington, DC in 1993, and I am
going to end this thing between me and Roy once and for all."
"We're giving the fans what they want to see. They deserve this fight
and why not supply the fans with their demands?" said Jones. "Now
I can finally terminate the Executioner once and for all. My new nickname
for this fight will be - The Terminator."
"As a fan, I am excited that the fight is finally happening and that
we don't have to wait any longer to see this great rivalry continue,"
said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "This fight
is so exciting and intriguing because of how much is at stake for both Hopkins
and Jones. They would not let anything get in the way of this fight finally
getting made. They both deserve this after everything they have achieved
in their respective careers."
"We're ecstatic that the fight was made and we're looking forward to
a great event," said John Wirt, CEO of Square Ring. "There's been
a long-standing rivalry between two of the preeminent boxers of our generation.
This fight will establish once and for all who the better fighter is. This
is the fight Roy always wanted."
"The Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones fight at Mandalay Bay in April will
be a tremendous event," said Richard Sturm, president of Sports and
Entertainment for MGM MIRAGE. "These two great legends of the sport
remain fan favorites and are sure to bring another exciting battle to the
ring."
On May 22, 1993, Hopkins and Jones fought for the vacant IBF middleweight
belt, the first shot at a world title for both fighters, in the HBO-televised
co-feature to the Riddick Bowe vs. Jesse Ferguson heavyweight title fight
at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. At the time of the bout, Jones was undefeated
(21-0, 20 KOs) and a highly-touted Olympian (teammate of Bowe on the 1988
U.S. team), who received the Val Barker Trophy (for most stylistic boxer)
at the Seoul games despite being robbed of a deserved Gold Medal.
On the other side of the ring stood the menacing Hopkins (22-1, 16 KOs),
a Philadelphia fighter known more for his criminal history and a stay at
a maximum security prison than his steadily rising ring reputation. Unveiling
his "Executioner" ring name and full face mask to the fans in
attendance and national television audience did nothing to help Hopkins'
popularity against the effervescent Jones.
The fight, which Jones won by unanimous decision, was a hard fought contest
that set the stage for both fighters' respective paths to boxing stardom.
Jones went on to win titles in four weight classes, including middleweight,
super middleweight, light heavyweight and his historic heavyweight championship.
Hopkins, who claimed Jones' vacated IBF middleweight title in 1995, didn't
lose another fight for 12 years following his battle with Jones. While Jones
ruled as pound-for-pound best for the better part of a decade, Hopkins took
advantage of his middleweight crown by setting a record of 20 defenses and
solidifying his place as one of the greatest middleweight fighters in the
history of the sport.
At 45 years young, Bernard Hopkins is still rated among the top pound for
pound best in boxing. After his victory over Segundo Mercado in 1995 for
the IBF middleweight title, Hopkins' momentum began to build as he scored
victories over quality contenders such as John David Jackson, Glencoffe
Johnson, Simon Brown, Robert Allen and Antwun Echols to name a few. The
2000s defined Hopkins' career starting with his win over Keith Holmes in
April of 2001 in the opening round of the Middleweight Unification Tournament
followed by a stunning 12th round stoppage of Felix "Tito" Trinidad
on September 29, 2001 at Madison Square Garden. Following four more defenses
of his middleweight crown, Hopkins was brought into the mainstream spotlight
when faced Oscar de la Hoya in 2004. His ninth round knockout of "The
Golden Boy" allowed Hopkins to attain his 19th title defense - setting
a record and making him the first fighter to hold the belt of all four major
sanctioning organizations at the same time (not to mention also owning the
Ring Magazine title).
In 2006, Hopkins moved up to light heavyweight for the first time in his
career to defeat Antonio Tarver for The Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight
World Championship. He next dominated Winky Wright at 170 pounds in continuing
to prove his ring supremacy. His signature destruction of the younger and
then undefeated Kelly Pavlik in October of 2008 defined the true meaning
of Hopkins' career, as he took Pavlik to task as a cagey veteran who knows
how to dismantle many a young fighters' championship dreams. With his most
recent win, a dominant performance over Enrique Ornelas in front of a hometown
Philly crowd of nearly 7,000 people, Hopkins showed the world that age is
nothing but a number. Now his career will come full circle with the Jones
fight with Hopkins hoping for a sweet victory and long awaited revenge.
Roy Jones Jr.'s storied career has had countless defining moments which
have catapulted him to being a household name. Jones was unstoppable in
the 90's as he stunned his opponents with incredible speed and relentless
power. He made history on March 1, 2003 when he thwarted then-heavyweight
champion John Ruiz to become the first former middleweight champion to win
the heavyweight title in more than 100 years.
Jones has always taken pride in defying the critics, which is in large part
why he set his sights on John Ruiz' heavyweight crown. Following the Ruiz
conquest, Jones dropped down to light heavyweight in order to take on Florida
rival Antonio Tarver on November 8, 2003. It was Jones' hardest fight until
that point in his career. He captured a split decision victory, but it foreshadowed
things to come for the proud, but suddenly vulnerable Jones, who suffered
consecutive defeats to Tarver and a surprising loss to Glen Johnson.
Down, but not out, Jones came back to score wins in his next two fights,
setting up a highly-anticipated dual with Felix "Tito" Trinidad
at Madison Square Garden on January 19, 2008. A renewed Jones looked sharp
and focused, flooring an overmatched Trinidad twice, in breezing to a unanimous
decision win. Jones returned to Madison Square Garden in November of that
same year and after 12 hard fought rounds came up short against future Hall
of Famer Joe Calzaghe. Jones defeated his next two opponents in Omar Sheika
and Jeff Lacy respectively. Most recently, Jones suffered a devastating
first-round knock out loss on December 2 against Australia's Danny Green.
As Jones is disputing the loss, he remains confident he can overcome this
recent defeat, and take on Hopkins with that same unbelievable boxing prowess
that he has been known for throughout his record-setting career.
Tickets priced at $750, $500, $300, $200 and $100 are on sale now at all
Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and
Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge
by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
The Hopkins vs. Jones II pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m.
PT and has a suggested retail price of $49.95. The telecast will be available
in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. The main event will begin
live immediately following the college basketball semi-finals. For Hopkins
vs. Jones II fight week updates, log on to www.goldenboypromotions.com.
An exciting undercard will be announced shortly. For more information regarding
the April 3 event, please visit www.goldenboypromotions.com.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Press Release
Boxing's New Promotional Powerhouse:
The Dawn of a Boxing "Empire"
Although he has previously kept a lower public profile, Greg Cohen, Founder
and CEO of The Empire Sports and Entertainment Inc., has long been a major
player in boxing.
The former majority owner of Cedric Kushner Promotions (CKP) and partner
in Duva Boxing has been promotionally involved with a number of heavyweight
champions and top contenders, including former WBO Champion Shannon "The
Cannon" Briggs from the very first day of his pro career.
He's also had promotional ties to such boxing luminaries as Chris Byrd,
Jameel McCline, David Tua, Hasim Rahman, Samuel Peter, Ike Ibeabuchi, Kirk
Johnson, Larry Donald, Jesse "Boogieman" Ferguson and Oleg Maskaev,
as well as future hall of famer "Sugar" Shane Mosley and former
cruiserweight champion Alfred Cole.
So why did Cohen, along with his partner, well-known South Florida-based
Venture Capitalist Barry Honig, decide to come out from behind the curtain
and form The Empire?
"I view the boxing game right now as similar to the real estate market,"
he explains, "It's a great time for someone to step in and make something
happen. The only major players are Golden Boy and Top Rank."
Cohen and Honig have already begun amassing an impressive roster of fighters
including two of the most compelling and memorable heavyweight champions
in recent history. "Shannon Briggs and Hasim Rahman are not only fighting
for us, they're also business partners of mine. And they're both very noticeable
and charismatic guys. In addition to being our first two marquee names as
fighters, they'll also be recruiting new talent for our stable. I'm very
excited about having them both aboard."
Briggs is fighting in the main event on March 16 at the Hard Rock in Hollywood,
Florida.
The Empire also has its share of young and promising talent including an
undefeated (21-0, 14 KOs) 23 year old from Queens, New York, who has already
proven himself a bankable television commodity. "We've signed future
world champion 'Mean' Joe Greene to a promotional agreement. He'll be fighting
in late march early April."
"And we're very proud to announce we've signed several fighters from
the Dominican National and Olympic Team including Juan Carlos Payano, the
highest decorated amateur of all time from the Dominican. He lost by one
point to (current WBA Featherweight Champion) Yuriorkis Gamboa in the Pan
Am Games -- his life's mission is to avenge that loss.
Plus we've signed Jennefel Vicente (16-0, 10 KOs) and several other members
of the Dominican Olympic and National Team. We're doing a series of shows
with Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing at the Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New
York, and we're going to have Payano and all the Dominican kids featured
on the show."
A world-class roster needs world class trainers to put it over the top and
Cohen says he's ecstatic at the two men who have agreed to join his team.
Emanuel Steward of Detroit's Kronk Gym fame has signed on as The Empire's
Director of Boxing and former light heavyweight champion, and now highly
coveted trainer, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad will serve as Vice-President of
Boxing Operations. "I can't think of two better trainers to have on
staff," admitted Cohen. "In addition to their front-office jobs,
they will evaluate talent and lend their formidable training skills to our
fighters."
The Empire will look to do 20 to 30 shows per year and form strategic alliances
with other promotional firms. Cohen says he's excited to be taking center
stage and expects his company to take a top spot in the boxing promotional
world. "What we're building at The Empire is very similar to what Golden
Boy Promotions are doing.... only we're going to do it better!"
For more information, visit The Empire's online headquarters at:
www.theempiresportse.com.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Press Release
PUBLIC INVITED!
NONITO DONAIRE
LAS VEGAS MEDIA WORKOUT
Tomorrow! Wednesday, February 3 at Noon PT
Top Rank Gym -- Las Vegas, Nev.
LAS VEGAS, NEV. (February 2, 2010) – World Boxing Association (WBA)
interim super flyweight champion and Top-10 Pound For Pound fighter NONITO
“The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE, will host a Las Vegas Media Workout
at the Top Rank Gym (3041 Business Lane, Las Vegas, Nev., 89103), Tomorrow!
Wednesday, February 3, beginning at Noon PT. The workout will be open to
the public
Managed by Cameron Dunkin, Donaire (22-1, 14 KOs), of General Santos City,
Philippines, fighting out of San Leandro, Calif., defends his title against
top-rated contender Gerson Guerrero (34-8, 26 KOs), of Mexico City, in the
main event of “Latin Fury 13 / Pinoy Power 3.” Produced and
distributed Live on Pay-Per-View by Top Rank, in association with PR Best
Boxing, ABS-CBN and the Las Vegas Hilton, "Latin Fury 13 / Pinoy Power
13" will take place Saturday, February 13, at the Las Vegas Hilton.
The four-bout pay-per-view broadcast, which will begin at 9 P.M. ET / 6
P.M. PT, will also feature World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight
champion Fernando Montiel (39-2-2, 29 KOs), of Los Mochis, Mexico, defending
his title against Top-10 contender Ciso Morales (14-0, 8 KOs), of Bohol,
Philippines; former WBA flyweight champion and current No. 1 bantamweight
contender Eric Morel (41-2, 21 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, taking on
two-time world champion Gerry Peñalosa (54-7-2, 34 KOs), of Cebu,
Philippines, in a 12-round WBO bantamweight title elimination bout; and
a 10-round featherweight rumble between world title challengers, Mario Santiago
(21-1-1, 14 KOs), of Ponce, Puerto Rico, and Bernabe Concepcion (29-2-1,
17 KOs), of Rizal, Philippines.
TOP RANK GYM
3041 Business Lane
Las Vegas, Nev. 89103
# # #
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
February 2, 2010
BATTLE FOR THE AGES or BATTLE OF THE AGED??
By Steve Robinson
Nearly seventeen years ago Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. met at RFK
Stadium in Washington, DC to fight for the vacant IBF Middleweight title.
On that night Roy Jones Jr. came out on top winning 116-112 on all three
judges’ cards and now Bernard Hopkins wants another shot at him. Golden
boy Promotions and Square Ring Promotions announced the rematch of these
veterans in Light Heavyweight feature to take place on April 3, 2010 at
The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV.
Hopkins at 45 years old has a record of 50-5-1, 32 KO’s and is fighting
as strong as ever. Last December he dominated 29 year old Enrique Ornelas
in a 118-110, 119-109, 120-109 Unanimous Decision and last October he handed
undefeated 26 year old Kelly Pavlik his first loss with a 117-109, 119-106,
118-108 Unanimous Decision. He lost a close split decision to Joe Calzaghe
in 2008 after beating Winky Wright in 2007 and Antonio Tarver in 2006. At
a time when most boxers his age have retired, Wright is fighting top name
younger opponents and shows little sign of slowing down.
41 year old Jones (54-6-0. 40 KO’s) is coming of a TKO loss to Australian
Danny Green on the same night Hopkins notched his last victory. Although
still active, Jones hasn’t fought the same caliber of opponent as
Hopkins and isn’t likely to defend his previous victory over “The
Executioner”. Although they have similar records, these guys are on
different paths, with the elder likely to continue on his winning ways and
the younger on his way out the door.
Tickets are available at the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office and
Ticketmaster and the event will be broadcast on HBO PPV.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1/31/10
“Night Of Boxing” at the Silver Nugget Casino
By Steve Robinson
Saturday night a nice crowd saw local amateur boxers take on opponents
from California in contests of boxing skills in various stages of development.
Kids from as young as eight years old to young adults, plied the art of
boxing in fifteen contests of will to entertain friends, family and fans.
The results were as follows:
Louie Miranda (High Desert, CA) over Jamar Beasley (Henderson PAL) –
Points
Nathan Gonzalez (Jackie Robinson’s, CA) over Jorge Soto (Tocco’s
Gym) – Points
Andres Cortes (Elite Boxing) over Chaz Lucero (Henderson PAL) – Points
Cesar Diaz (Jackie Robinson, CA) over Malik Walls (Steele’s) –
Points
Alan Garcia (Boe’s Boxing) over Ivan Garcia (Henderson PAL) –
RSC – 3
Osmaui Blanco (Boe’s) over Eduardo Villa (High Desert, CA) –
Points
Rocco Espinosa (Center Ring Boxing) over Bronson Sturtz (UNLV) –
Points
Juwan Wesley (Steele’s) over Abel Mejia (High Desert, CA) –
Points
Oscar Omar Diaz (Oxnard KO,CA) over Isaac Casteneda (Center Ring) –
Points
Enrique Lobates (Westminster BC, CA) over Rydell Gipson (Barry’s
Boxing) – RSC – 2
Oswald Sanchez (Center Ring) over Christian Angelo (Steele’s) –
Points
Eduardo Alvarez (Center Ring) over Tommy Revelez (Oxnard PAL, CA) –
Points
Jose Garcia (Oxnard PAL, CA) over Isrrael Flores (Tocco’s) –
Points
Sergio Lopez (Center Ring) over Rigoberto Hermasillo (High Desert, CA)
– Points
Israel Zavala (Unattached) over Omar Rhoden (Boe’s) - Points
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shumenov Takes the WBA Belt in an Impressive Twelve Rounder!
By: Gregory Robinson
What an amazing, strange, thrilling fight.
Shumenov, a former Kazakhstan
Olympian, came into his 10th professional fight looking at the WBA
and IBA light heavyweight belts. In the nine that preceded this, his only loss
was to Campillo, who beat him the last time by a
close majority decision.
This was a fight of opposing styles. Campillo,
a more traditional light-heavyweight, paced himself
like a professional, keeping cool and circling the ring. Shumenov,
with one of the most extraordinary approaches to boxing I have seen in a while, throws punches
like a karate champ, straight in and straight out, using the full weight of his
body and saying ooooossss with every blow. His
conviction is intense, like someone fighting for
his life.
From the sound of the first bell, Shumenov
started throwing bomb after bomb, like every punch was aiming for a knockout. I
did not expect him to keep that kind of pace for more than a few rounds. Neither
did Campillo. He waited, patiently, blocking what he
could and tagging Shumenov when he managed to slip
inside. But Shumenov, maintained his all-out attack
for five full rounds, giving Campilo one huge
straight punch after another. By the end of the 5th, Campillo was cut and growing impatient. Yet by round 6, it
started to look like Campillo’s strategy paid off. Shumenov began throwing less, and Campillo
moved in, connecting with short, sharp hooks and blocking ShumenovÕs
assaults. By round 9, Campillo was clearly
dominating, and Shumenov’s face was starting to show
evidence of it. He was landing one flurry after another and Shumenov
was not responding effectively Amazingly, Shumenov
came back in round 10, throwing even more big punches, each marked by his
martial-arts style ooosss.
After twelve rounds, both fighters were still standing. As I
saw it, Shumenov easily took the early rounds, but
lost enough of the later ones to give the fight to Campillo.
Not one judge agreed. Martinez gave the fight overwhelmingly to Campillo, with a score of 117-111. Judge Jarmin also scored the fight 117-111 – for Shumenov. The final score, from Judge Roth, scored the bout
115-113 for Shumenov, giving him the majority
decision. Campillo’s corner cried foul, but the most
anyone can prove is that the results were truly odd: Two judges gave the
fight the same score but for different sides and one judge saw the fight as
nearly even. And as crazy as it sounds, the whole strange drama reaffirmed my
love of boxing.
Erislandy Lara (9-0) vs Grady Bad Boy Brewer (26-11)
In the co-main event, Cuban amateur phenomenon Erislandy Lara played it cool against Grady Brewer, the
2006 winner of the Contender television series. Lara controlled the ring,
picked his shots, and regularly found his way in with quick straight lefts.
Brewer responded with some hard blows of his own, but they mostly landed on
Lara’s gloves, until the fourth round when he managed to break through and finish
the round with a solid flurry of uppercuts. At the end of round 6, an
accidental headbut opened a bloody gash over BrewerÕs
left eye, but Lara was unable to capitalize on it. The final three rounds were
uneventful until Lara caught Brewer with a sharp uppercut in the final seconds
of the 10th while Brewer was bent over. The blow sent Brewer
tumbling to the canvas. He recovered, but Lara went in for the kill and Referee
Tony Weeks mercifully stepped in to end the fight. The final time: 2:44 of the
tenth round. Had it gone to the end, Lara would have taken it decisively, with
the judges scoring the bout 90-81, 90-81, 88-83 all in his favor.
In Undercard Action:
Some skanky girls in leather and stockings danced between
each fight to some generic dance music that made me sad for the world. When
they stopped:
Rickey Kinney (3-1)
vs Jessie Vargas (7-0)
Jessie Vargas and Rickey Kinney fought an energetic
four-rounder. Vargas dominated, but Kinney didnÕt make it easy for him. In the
end, all the judges scored the fight 40-36 for Vargas.
Gayrot Ahmedov(12-1) vs. Harley Kilfian (8-3)
Much to the delight of about ten Uzbekistanis, Ahmedov first real punch was a left to Kilfian’s
belly that sent him sprawling to the canvas faster than Governor Gibbons vetoes
a tax increase. The fight ends at 1:05 of the first round without either
fighter breaking a sweat.
Ravshan Hudaynazarov (9-0) vs Shadrack Kipruto (10-12)
Uzbekistan -2, rest of the world -0 as Hudaynazarov,
a gold medalist in the 2007 World Military Games, peppered KiprutoÕs
body for 3 rounds and put him down in the 4th with a left uppercut.
Press Release
BEIBUT SHUMENOV SEEKS REDEMPTION ON JANUARY 29
AGAINST GABRIEL CAMPILLO
COMPUBOX ANALYSIS
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT TO BE AIRED ON
FOX SPORTS NET FROM HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO
IN LAS VEGAS
LOS ANGELES, January 21 – A comprehensive analysis by highly-regarded
punch stat compiler and analyst CompuBox supports Team Shumenov’s
original contention, as well as the contention of the vast majority of fans
in attendance, that Beibut Shumenov deserved to win a unanimous 12-round
decision against Gabriel Campillo in their August 15, 2009 World Boxing
Association (WBA) Light Heavyweight World Championship fight.
Campillo, however, was able to hold on to his WBA World Title by way of
a controversial decision that was announced as unanimous but changed the
following day to a majority decision (114-113 John Coyle, 113-113 Glenn
Feldman, 115-111 Pasquale Procopio) when a scoring error was discovered.
The controversy surrounding the scoring has led to their January 29 World
Title rematch at The Joint at Hark Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas,
Nevada.
According to CompuBox’s statistical breakdown of Campillo-Shumenov
I, Shumenov landed more total punches and at a higher connect percentage
(213 of 651 compared to Campillo’s 199 of 672), including a dominating
193-144 edge in power punches. CompuBox’s scoring gave Shumenov the
first five rounds in addition to the eighth and ninth (10-8) for a 115-112
advantage. (See full chart below)
“We always believed that Beibut won a close decision and we're happy
that the analysis by an independent organization like CompuBox fully supports
us,” Chingis Shumenov, Co-Owner of KZ Event Productions said. “Beibut
is seeking redemption. We look forward to the rematch and are grateful that
the WBA has sanctioned it.”
“Campillo vs. Shumenov II” features the 12-round WBA Light Heavyweight
Championship rematch between the defending champion, Spain’s Campillo
(19-2, 6 KOs), and IBA World title-holder Shumenov (8-1, 6 KOs). The evening
of boxing will be presented by KZ Event Productions and Golden Boy Promotions
with Campillo vs. Shumenov presented in association with Sampson Boxing
LLC. The bout will be televised live on Fox Sports Net (FSN) and its regional
sports network affiliates beginning at 11 pm ET / 8 pm PT (check local listings).
Doors will open at 6 pm and the first bell rings at 7 pm.
In the event’s opening televised fight, former Cuban amateur star
Erislandy Lara (9-0, 5 KO’s) takes on veteran junior middleweight
Grady Brewer (26-11, 15 KO’s), winner of hit reality television show
The Contender II, in a 10-round bout.
Joining Shumenov on the January 29 show are two other KZ Event Productions
fighters, unbeaten Uzbekistan prospects light heavyweight Gayrat Ahmedov
(12-0-1, 8 KO’s) and Ravshan Hudaynazarov (9-0, 6 KO’s), making
their United States debuts in separate bouts.
Tickets for this action-packed night of boxing, are priced at $150, $125,
$100, $50 and $40 (general admission standing room tickets). Tickets may
be purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations,
online at www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.
Friday Night Fights at The Orleans
January 22, 2010
By Steve Robinson
It’s the first of the Crown Boxing series of Friday Night Fights
of the year at The Orleans where events such as this have been hosted for
years. I grew up watching the Friday Night Fights on TV with my Dad and
my brothers all lined up on the couch. In those days you could watch the
best boxers of the day for free and enjoy the down and dirty thrill of the
contests plied by fighters who would fight anybody anytime and didn’t
argue about the purse. The spirit of those days lives on in this local series
that sometimes features nationally ranked boxers but mostly showcases the
skills of local up and coming talent.
The Main Event tonight was a rematch between former collegiate champion
Henry Namauu of Las Vegas and Erick Vega of Phoenix. AZ. Vega spoiled Namauu’s
pro debut two years ago in Laughlin when he knocked him out in the first
round. Tonight, revenge was sweet for Henry who after a tentative first
round, took control of the fight and never looked back. During the first
three rounds there were plenty of exchanges in which both were successful
in their attacks. However things really turned around in the fourth when
Henry was rocked with a counter right, then came back with a combination
that rattled Vega knocking out his mouthpiece. From that point on, Vega
appeared to run out of gas and hang on the ropes, while Namauu mustered
attack after attack. Vega was rocked several more times before the final
bell but kept his feet. The judges all agreed on a 59-55 X 3 score in favor
of Henry Namauu who avenges the earlier loss.
Undercard
Alcolea vs, Duhart
Local Welterweights Raul Duhart (2-1) and Juan Alcolea (0-1) began the
evening with a spirited, and at times sloppy, exhibition of boxing. Heads
clashed early in the first setting the tone for this brawl. More punches
missed than landed but Alcolea appeared to be in better shape and outmuscled
Duhart for most of the fight. Neither went down but Duhart was clearly hurt
several times and demonstrated a skill for holding on while Alcolea never
relented in his attack. After four rounds Judge Patricia Morse Jarmin saw
it 39-37 while Judges Tim Cheatham and Paul Smith had it 40-36, all for
Juan Alcolea who notches his first professional win.
Battease vs. Delgado
Brian Battease (5-1-2, 1 KO) of Hawaii now residing in Las Vegas was up
next in a Featherweight bout against Jairo Delgado (3-3, 3 KO’s) of
Denver, CO. Plenty of Brian’s friends and fans turned out to see him
administer a boxing lesson to the outclassed Delgado. Battease stuck to
basics early using his jab to keep Delgado off balance while consistently
getting off first and landing clean. Delgado made several wild attempts
but mostly swung at air as Battease evaded his attempts. Battease landed
some nice body shots on the second and continued to frustrate the overmatched
Delgado. Battease retained the winning pattern for the remaining rounds
as all three judges scored it 40-36 in his favor.
Santiago vs. Romero
Next up were Alexis Santiago (1-0) of Phoenix, AZ and Rodrigo Romero (1-3)
of Las Vegas. After a sloppy first round, Santiago landed a sweet left clean
to Romero’s chin dropping him hard to his back. Referee Joe Cortez
knelt over the groggy Romero and waived off the count, giving Santiago a
KO at 29 seconds of the second round.
Santomauro vs. Yanez
Rocco Santomauro (1-0) and David Yanez (0-1-1), both of Las Vegas were
up next in a Jr. Lightweight bout. Both boxers had plenty of local fans
behind them and they didn’t disappoint with many spirited exchanges,
giving them plenty to cheer about. After four rounds of action packed exchanges,
Santamauro claimed the edge with faster hands and a more aggressive approach
as demonstrated in the judges scores of 40-36 X 2 and 39-37 to remain undefeated.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Las Vegas Boxers Headline Friday Night Fights
By: Steve Robinson
January 20, 2010
Crown Boxing presents The Friday Night Fights at The Orleans Hotel and
Casino this weekend and every fight features at least one and sometimes
two of Las Vegas up and coming boxing prospects.
The main event has UNLV graduate and former collegiate champion Henry Namauu
in a Cruiser Weight match against Erik Vega of Phoenix, AZ. Namauu fought
Vega in his pro debut, lost to him in February 2008 and looks to avenge
the loss this weekend. The winner of this bout will get the opportunity
to take on Victor Barrigan for a title in the near future.
Other locals include Raul Duahart and Juan Alcolea who will fight in a
Welterweight bout. Brian Battease of Las Vegas via Hawaii will also be on
the card against Jairo Delgado of Denver, CO. Other Las Vegans on the card
include Rocco Santomauro, David Yanez and Rodrigo Romero on the five fight
card.
The doors open at 6:00 pm with the first bell scheduled for 7:00 pm. Tickets
starting at $25 are still available at The Orleans Box Office.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______Welterweight Championship Unification
Fight Scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30 at Mandalay Bay
Between Shane Mosley and Andre Berto Cancelled
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (January 18, 2010) - WBC Welterweight World Champion
Andre Berto stated in a personal press release earlier today that due to
the catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti and deeply affected his family
who resides there, he is physically and emotionally unable to prepare for
his Saturday, Jan. 30 bout with WBA Welterweight World Champion Sugar Shane
Mosley and, as a result, will withdraw from the bout. Given the close proximity
to the date of the event and the difficulty in finding a suitable replacement
for Berto, the event will be cancelled entirely.
Mosley commented from his training camp in Big Bear, Calif. and said, "I'm
disappointed that the fight has been called off, but I understand that Andre
is going through a very difficult time. My heart goes out to him, his family
and the people of Haiti during the aftermath of this terrible tragedy. I'm
sorry for the losses that Andre and all of the Haitian people are suffering.
I have everyone in my prayers."
All tickets previously purchased for the Mosley-Berto fight can be refunded
at the original point of sale.
The thoughts and prayers of Shane Mosley, Golden Boy Promotions, DiBella
Entertainment, the MGM MIRAGE family, HBO and the boxing world are all with
Berto, his family and the people of Haiti as well.
Please note that all scheduled media events in connection with Mosley vs.
Berto will be cancelled.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Requiem for a Dream
1/16/10
by Gregory Robinson
Tonight at the Hard Rock, Kassim "The Drea" Ouma (26-6-1) took
on Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan (26-0). This was Martirosyan's
first defense of his newly won NABF NABO Welterweight title.
Martirosyan, no stranger to Vegas crowds, has been patiently plowing his
way through relatively unknown opponents for quite some time. But
now, according to his trainer Freddie Roach, he's ready for a name fighter
and a major belt. Somehow, it is hard to imagine Martirosyan in
the list of title holders, perhaps because of the competition he has faced
so far. Freddie Roach might know Martirosyan is ready, but it isn't all
that evident to the rest of the world. So, tonight's fight against
Ouma was as much about defending a title as it was about arguing that
Martirosyan is ready to take on top names.
Ouma is a tough and somewhat unorthodox fighter who has an entire documentary
devoted to him. His personal story is extraordinary, and he can
clearly take a punch and continue coming forward. In his heyday
(2004-2006), he took out Vegas favorite Verno Phillips at Caesars for
the IBO Light Middleweight title and managed to defend it once.
But by the end of 2006, his career began to turn, and in the last four
fights since then (against relatively unknown fighters), he has won only
once.
Did Martirosyan find what he needed in Ouma to prove he is ready for the
next level? The jury is still out. Yes, Martirosyan won, and
he did it with solid movement, good hand speed, and an impressive mix
of body work and quick combinations to the head. It seems that his
plan was to stay on the outside, clobber Ouma with quick combos, and constantly
circle around Ouma's more linear assaults. It worked. Over
and over again, Ouma put his head down and charged straight in, but Martirosyan
was able to circle, let him have it with a quick one-two, and then get
set up for the next attack. Ouma, who apparently feels no
pain, would then try again, only to get the same results.
Perhaps one reason why I question Martirosyan's "readines" is
the speed in which he deteriorated. By round five, he was still
following the same strategy, but had (at least partially) noticeably slowed
his pace. He began to miss with more frequency and Ouma started
to have more success working his way inside. In round nine, Ouma
even caught Martirosyan with a surprise left that put him down, albeit
briefly. But even a flash knockdown wasn't enough to really turn
the fight to Ouma's favor. The judges scored the bout 97-92, 97-93, 97-93,
all for Martirosyan, who took almost every round, and proved quite clearly
that he was ready for the likes of a fighter like Ouma. But again,
the larger question remains: Is he ready for a serious title fight?
Could he take Cory Spinks or Yuri Foreman? Ouma to Spinks seems
like a large step indeed. Nevertheless, Martirosyan has now spent
over five weeks on The Ring's list of top Junior Middleweights, so they
certainly have faith in him. Furthermore, Freddie Roach can do no
wrong these days. So, with the question of "is his ready"
- I suppose I'll try to trust the authorities.
Undercard Action
By Steve Robinson
Tonight’s undercard featured local up and comer Diego Magdaleno
in his first televised match and first pro eight rounder. Also featured
was former Golden Gloves Champ Jose Benevidez of Phoenix, AZ in his pro
debut.
Sillakh vs. Jackson
The opener pitted Ismayl Sillakh (9-0, 8 KO’s) of Simi Valley,
CA via the Ukraine against Julius Jackson (3-5-0-1) of Cincinnati, Ohio
in a Cruiserweight matchup. This one was over before it started. Don’t
get me wrong, we all knew before the opening bell who was going to win
this one, but we at least expected Jackson to make a respectable effort.
Jackson started wincing when he ate a few of Ismayl’s jabs and took
on the look of a deer in headlights. Sillakh cornered Jackson in his own
corner and I suppose Jackson decided this was a good place to go down
because he wouldn’t have to crawl very far. Sillakh landed some
glancing blows in combination, but that was enough for Julius who went
down and stayed down making a timid effort to arise before Referee Russell
Mora counted him out. Sillakh gets at KO at 1:27 of the first.
Magdaleno vs. Robles
Las Vegas Super Featherweight Diego Magdaleno (12-0, 3 KO’s) took
on Gerardo Robles (9-8, 4 KO’s) of Kansas City, MO in the opening
TV bout. There was a good turnout of fans, friends and family to support
Magdaleno tonight and he worked hard not to let them down. Diego got busy
early hammering his right jab into Robles face with precision followed
by the occasional straight left. Robles tactics were much like the bull
in that he charged in and countered with wild shots, while his most effective
weapon was his head that clashed with Magdaleno several times throughout
the bout. Fortunately none of these butts caused any injury. Magdaleno
maintained a fast paced offense throughout his first eight round contest
and kept the pressure on Robles throughout. A frustrated Robles was never
able to maintain a sustained attack and fought mostly out of desperation
trying for one big shot to end it. Occasionally Diego would eat one, but
to no effect and would answer with three or four of his own. After eight
rounds of sustained action, Judges Al Lefkowitz and Jerry Roth saw it
78-74, while Judge Adelaide Byrd had it 80-72, all for Diego Magdaleno
who goes to 13-0 and maintains his perfect record.
Benevidez vs. Cox
Next up was the pro debut of Jose Benavidez of Phoenix, AZ in a Super
Lightweight match with Steven Cox (1-0, 1 KO) of Independence, MO. Benavidez
comes off an extensive amateur career to turn pro having notched 144 amateur
fights including several Golden Gloves championships and international
experience with the US national team. If that wasn’t enough to make
Cox a little nervous, Benavidez had trainer Freddie Roach in his corner.
Benavidez made quick work of his opponent dropping him with a nice right-left
combo before a minute of the fight had expired. Cox beat the count and
Benavidez resumed his attack until Referee Russell Mora had seen enough
and stopped the fight giving Benavidez his first pro win by TKO. The time
was 1:21 of the first.
Lenk vs. Guillemin
After the main event, local Super Lightweight Anthony Lenk (5-1, 3 KO’s)
took on Dusten Guillemin (3-4, 1 KO) of North Platte, NE. Usually after
the main event the arena empties out but a pretty good crowd of Anthony
Lenk fans stayed around to watch his match. Lenk didn’t disappoint
his fans taking control from the beginning against an awkward opponent.
Anthony pretty easily won all the rounds except for the last when he was
caught off balance and stumbled backwards, his glove touching the mat.
Lenk claimed it was the result of a shove but Referee Jay Nady called
it a knockdown and administered an eight count. Lenk came right back to
batter his opponent for the remainder of the round. After six rounds,
Judges Lisa Giampa and Dave Moretti saw it 59-55, while CJ Ross had it
58-56, all for Anthony Lenk who improves to 6-1.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
THE NIGHTMARE TAKES ON THE DREAM SATURDAY NIGHT AT HARD ROCK
1/14/10
By Steve Robinson
NABO, NABF Welterweight Champ Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan
will tackle Kassim “The Dream” Ouma Saturday night at The Hard
Rock Hotel and Casino. Former US Olympian Martirosyan won the titles in December
on the undercard of the Pavlik card in Youngstown, Ohio, KOing William Lee
in the third round.
Freddie Roach trained Martirosyan is undefeated at 26-0 with 17 wins by KO
while Ouma is 26-6-1 with 16 KO’s. Four of Ouma’s losses have
come in his last five fights so this fight is a must win for him if he hopes
to continue to be a contender. Ouma is now trained by former boxing great
Livingstone Bramble. At today’s press conference at The Hard Rock, Ouma
stated “I’m no stepping stone. I’m gonna beat this boy up!”
Martirosyan stated “This is my year. This is my dream. He talks big
but I talk in the ring!”
The other bout that will be televised is scheduled for ten rounds between
Featherweights Miguel Angel Garcia (19-0, 16 KO’s) and Joksan Hernandez
(17-1, 10 KO’s). These bouts can be seen on Fox Sports Net (FSN) beginning
at 8:00 pm local time.
An interesting non-televised undercard will feature locals Diego Magdaleno
(12-0, 3 KO’s) and Anthony Lenk (5-1. 3 KO’s) and the pro debut
of Jose Benavidez of Phoenix, AZ. Benavidez was a member of the USA National
Amateur team and a National Golden Gloves Champion.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Press Release - 1/11/10
BOXING'S STARS ARE COMING OUT ON
EXPLOSIVE JANUARY 30 MOSLEY VS. BERTO UNDERCARD
LUCAS MATTHYSSE VS.VIVIAN HARRIS,
GLEN JOHNSON VS. YUSAF MACK
SERGIO MORA VS. JASON NAUGLER
HIGHLIGHT UNDERCARD BOUTS LIVE FROM MANDALAY BAY
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK, January 11 - Boxing fans are well aware that the first
big fight of 2010 will be the welterweight championship showdown between Sugar
Shane Mosley and Andre Berto at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas,
Nev. on Saturday, January 30, which will be televised live on HBO's World
Championship Boxing. Now, they're also going to get the first big boxing event
of 2010, as Golden Boy Promotions and DiBella Entertainment are pleased to
announce a series of intriguing undercard matchups to get the year started
in an explosive fashion.
Two of the junior welterweight division's most devastating punchers - Argentina's
undefeated Lucas Matthysse and Brooklyn's former World Champion Vivian Harris
- collide in a bout not likely to last the scheduled 10 rounds.
An IBF Light Heavyweight World title shot will be on the line when New York's
Yusaf Mack clashes with former World Champion Glen "The Road Warrior"
Johnson in a 12-round elimination bout.
Adding to the number of former title holders on the card will be former 154-pound
World Champion Sergio "The Latin Snake" Mora, who makes his Golden
Boy Promotions debut in a 10-round bout against the always tough Canadian
Jason Naugler.
Mosley vs. Berto, a 12-round welterweight title unification bout, is presented
by Golden Boy Promotions and DiBella Entertainment and sponsored by Cerveza
Tecate. The bout will air live on HBO's World Championship Boxing from the
Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev., beginning at 10 p.m. EST /
7 p.m. PST.
Tickets priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50 are now on sale and available
for purchase at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food
and Drug Centers and
Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge
by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 745-3000. Tickets
also are available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
The younger brother of former welterweight title challenger Walter Matthysse,
27-year-old Lucas Martin Matthysse (25-0, 23 KOs) has pounded out his own
niche in the fight game thanks to crushing punching power that has led to
knockouts 23 of his 25 wins. Born in Trelew, Argentina but now living in Buenos
Aires, Matthysse tore through Florencio Castellano (KO4) and Luis Jose (KO2)
in his last two bouts, setting the stage for a big showdown with Vivian Harris.
When the list of the most exciting junior welterweights is compiled, you can
expect to see the name "Vicious" Vivian Harris (29-3-1, 19 KOs)
to be prominently featured. The former World Champion claimed the WBA crown
in 2002 with a second-round stoppage of Diosbelys Hurtado and went on to defend
it three times in 2005. Since then, Harris is unbeaten in five of six fights,
including wins over Stevie Johnston and Juan Lazcano. He begins his run for
another shot at the championship on January 30.
29-year-old light heavyweight contender Yusaf Mack (28-2-2, 17 KOs) has received
no gifts on the way up the ranks; but after making a decision to compete full-time
as a light heavyweight, the former USBA Super Middleweight champ kicked things
into another gear. Unbeaten in his five fights at 175 pounds since 2008, Mack
has parlayed wins over Daniel Judah, Omar Pittman, Chris Henry and DeAndrey
Abron into a title eliminator against his toughest foe to date, Glen Johnson.
One of boxing's most respected competitors, Glen "Road Warrior"
Johnson (49-13-2, 33 KOs) earned his reputation the hard way, with 17 years
of battles against the best the game has to offer. A former Light Heavyweight
World Champion and the consensus Fighter of the Year in 2004, a year in which
he beat Clinton Woods, Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver, the 41-year-old Johnson
is eager to get his title back in 2010. This quest begins with his title eliminator
bout against Mack.
Former Junior Middleweight World Champion and the winner of the first season
of NBC's "The Contender," Sergio "The Latin Snake" Mora
(21-1-1, 5 KOs) has gone on to prove that he's more than just a reality show
winner. A slick boxing native of East Los Angeles with a warrior's heart,
the 29-year-old Mora struck gold in June of 2008 when he defeated the late
Vernon Forrest for the WBC Junior Middleweight World title. Though Mora would
lose the belt in the rematch with Forrest three months later, a move to middleweight
is expected to produce big things for "The Latin Snake."
Jason Naugler (18-11-1, 11 KOs), a Halifax, Nova Scotia native, is a tough
out for anyone in the fight game and he's proven his mettle over the last
10 years in bouts against Joachim Alcine, Anthony Thompson, Chad Dawson, James
McGirt Jr. and Jesse Brinkley. On January 30, the upset-minded Canadian will
look to spoil Mora's first bout of the New Year.
In other undercard action, five of the game's hottest prospects will put their
reputations on the line in what surely will be exciting bouts.
Eloy Perez (15-0-2, 4 KOs), from Salinas, Calif., will start 2010 with a 10-round
junior featherweight clash against the pride of Oxnard, Calif., "Dangerous"
David Rodela (14-1-2, 6 KOs). These California standouts combined for a record
of 6-0 in 2009; but on January 30, somebody's winning streak will end.
In a middleweight bout scheduled for eight rounds, New England up-and-comer
Edwin Rodriguez of Worcester, Mass. risks his perfect 13-0 (9 KOs) record
against Los Angeles' Byron Tyson (9-1-2, 4 KOs).
Opening the event is a four-round junior welterweight bout featuring popular
Norwalk, Calif. product Carlos Molina (9-0, 5 KOs) against an opponent to
be announced in the near future.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Press Release - 1/08/10
GABRIEL CAMPILLO & BEIBUT SHUMENOV CLASH IN REMATCH
FOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE ON JANUARY 29
AT HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO IN LAS VEGAS AND TELEVISED LIVE ON FOX SPORTS
NET
TICKETS ON SALE TOMORROW, SATURDAY, JANUARY 9 AT 12 PM PT!
LOS ANGELES, January 8 - On Friday, January 29, KZ Event Productions and Golden
Boy Promotions are pleased to present an evening of world championship boxing
when they present "Fight Night With De La Hoya and Hopkins: Campillo
vs. Shumenov II" at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
In the 12-round main event, Spain's Gabriel Campillo will defend his WBA Light
Heavyweight World Title against Las Vegas resident Beibut Shumenov, who will
defend his IBA Light Heavyweight World Title, in a rematch of their heated
2009 title fight. In that August bout, Campillo upset the odds in an exciting
12 rounder that saw both men hit the deck before the Spaniard took the razor-thin
and highly controversial majority decision.
"Fight Night With De La Hoya and Hopkins: Campillo vs. Shumenov II"
is presented by KZ Event Productions and Golden Boy Promotions, with Campillo
vs. Shumenov presented in association with Sampson Boxing LLC. The bout will
be televised live on Fox Sports Net (FSN) and its regional sports network
affiliates beginning at 11 pm ET / 8 pm PT (check local listings). Doors will
open at 6 pm and the first bell rings at 7 pm.
Tickets for this action-packed night of boxing, which will be hosted by and
attended by future Hall of Famers Oscar de la Hoya and Bernard Hopkins, are
priced at $150, $125, $100, $50 and $40 (general admission standing room tickets),
and go on sale this Saturday morning, January 9, at 12pm PT. Tickets may be
purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online
at www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.
Also in action will be undefeated Cuban star Erislandy Lara, Uzbekistani standouts
Gayrat Ahmedov and Ravshan Hudaynazarov, and hot California prospect Ronny
Rios.
A professional since 2002, 31-year-old Gabriel Campillo (19-2, 6 KO's) really
hit his stride 2009. Formerly the holder of the Spanish light heavyweight
title, Campillo kicked off last year by decisioning Lolenga Mock for the European
Union belt. Just three months later on June 20, he defeated Hugo Garay in
his home country of Argentina for the WBA Light Heavyweight World Title before
finishing off 2009 with his win over the previously unbeaten Shumenov. On
January 29, he looks for a repeat against Shumenov in his United States debut.
One of boxing's most amazing stories, Beibut Shumenov (8-1, 6 KO's) represented
his country of Kazakhstan in the 2004 Olympics, but didn't make his professional
debut until 2007. Shumenov quickly made up for lost time, defeating veterans
Donnell Wiggins and Epifanio Mendoza, as well as former World Champions Montell
Griffin and Byron Mitchell, all within his first eight professional fights,
an impressive feat by any standards. Although he lost to Campillo in his first
world title bout last year, the 26-year-old Shumenov plans to use the defeat
as a learning experience and aims to reverse that result on January 29.
Former amateur star Erislandy Lara (9-0, 5 KO's) has made a seamless transition
to the professional ranks since leaving Cuba, and in nine fights has dazzled
boxing insiders and fans with his speed, power and poise. Fresh off of a near-shutout
win over veteran Luciano Perez in his first 10-round fight last December,
Lara will face an opponent to be named in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.
Making their United States debuts on January 29 will be light heavyweight
Gayrat Ahmedov (12-0-1, 8 KO's) and his fellow countryman from Uzbekistan,
junior middleweight Ravshan Hudaynazarov (9-0, 7 KO's). Both fighters are
known for their ring savvy and exciting styles, and with Ahmedov riding a
five-fight knockout streak and Hudaynazarov winning his last three bouts by
knockout, fans can expect fireworks from both of them when they compete in
eight round bouts against opponents to be announced.
19-year-old featherweight phenom Ronny Rios (8-0, 4 KO's) kicks off his 2010
campaign on January 29 and if his 2009 season was any indication, fight fans
should be in for something special from the Santa Ana, California native,
who went 6-0 with 3 knockouts last year. Rios will see action in a six round
featherweight bout.
For more information, visit www.kzeventproductions.com or www.goldenboypromotions.com
or follow Golden Boy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing.
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January 7, 2010
Pacquiao vs/ Mayweather Canceled?
By Steve Robinson
Although nothing official has been announced, it looks like the "Fight
of the Year" is off. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, mediation
between the parties was not able to overcome the differences the parties had
for a regimen of pre-fight drug testing. I thought it was a good ploy initially
by the Mayweather camp to get into Pacquio's head, however the tests that
they were asking for were well beyond what is normally required by the Nevada
Athletic Commission. If Mayweather had backed off now he would have won the
battle and left Pacquiao steaming over the implied accusations and maybe would
have thrown off his concentration on prefight training. However, now it looks
like Pacquiao has won, because when Mayweather failed to compromise it makes
him appear to be afraid to fight Manny.
Now Mayweather loses and has to give up his "Money" nickname. and
Pacquiao loses because he doesn't get the opportunity to fight the only worthy
opponent in his weight range. Most of all the fans lose because we may never
get to see this fight.
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Press Release
SHANE MOSLEY AND ANDRE BERTO SCHEDULED TO FIGHT
AT MANDALAY BAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 30
HBO World Championship Boxing to Televise Welterweight Bout; Tickets Now On
Sale
LAS VEGAS – It began as a war of words fought on internet websites and
now
welterweight superstars “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Andre Berto will
take their dispute from
cyberspace to the ring Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
The 12-round bout
will air live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing and will determine
once and for all the king
of the 147-pound weight class.
Tickets priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50 are now on sale and available
for
purchase at any Mandalay Bay box office outlet and all Las Vegas Ticketmaster
locations (select
Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited
to eight (8) per
person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at
(702) 745-3000.
Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
“Andre Berto’s a good, young fighter but he’s bitten off
more than he can chew with all
the talking he’s been doing,” said WBA Super Welterweight World
Champion Mosley. “I’ve
forgotten more about the fight game than he knows and the world will see that
in January.”
Berto, the WBC Welterweight World Champion commented, “This is the fight
I’ve
waited my whole career for and now it’s finally a reality. Shane Mosley
made me chase him for
a while but he won’t be able to run when we get into the ring on January
30, and I can’t wait.”
Mosley vs. Berto, a 12-round welterweight bout, is presented by Golden Boy
Promotions
and DiBella Entertainment. The bout will air live on HBO’s World Championship
Boxing from
the Mandalay Bay Events Center beginning at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST.
President of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar de la Hoya, said, “Mosley-Berto
is the first
big fight of 2010 and it’s the perfect way to kick off the boxing year.
Mosley fights his best
when the challenge in front of him is greatest. Berto is one of the most talented
fighters in the
world so I expect Mosley to be at his very best in a great fight on January
30.”
Lou DiBella, president of DiBella Entertainment, said, “This is one
of those can’t miss
fights in terms of action and Berto and Mosley won’t have to look too
hard to find each other in
the ring. I think this fight represents the passing of the torch from the
old lion in Mosley to the
young lion in Berto and I’m expecting an early Fight of the Year candidate.
With respect to a
first ballot Hall of Famer, the Shane Mosley era ends on January 30.”
A future Hall of Famer with five world titles to his name, Sugar Shane Mosley
(46-5, 39
KOs) seems to be getting better and better as the years pass. At 38 years
of age, the Pomona,
Calif. native has ruled the lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight
divisions over his
storied 16-year career. Winner of seven of his last eight fights dating back
to 2005, Mosley has
defeated the likes of Fernando Vargas (twice), Luis Collazo and Ricardo Mayorga,
but his most
recent victory also was one of his most spectacular – a ninth round
stoppage of Antonio
Margarito in January 2009 to win the Welterweight World Title for the third
time.
One of boxing’s top young stars, 26-year-old Andre Berto (25-0, 19 KOs)
first made his
mark on the worldwide sports scene as a member of the 2004 Haitian Olympic
team. However,
he already has surpassed those accomplishments as an unbeaten professional
and world
champion. The owner of wins over Cosme Rivera, Michel Trabant, Steve Forbes,
Collazo and
Juan Urango, the Winter Haven, Fla. native won the WBC Welterweight World
Title in June
2008 with a seventh round stoppage of Miguel Angel Rodriguez and has since
defended his
crown three times.
Richard Sturm, president of sports & entertainment for MGM MIRAGE, said,
“We
welcome the return of both Shane Mosley and Andre Berto to Mandalay Bay and
are thrilled to
partner with Golden Boy Promotions, DiBella Entertainment and HBO Sports for
another
championship event. This will be an exciting fight for our guests inside the
Events Center as
well as boxing fans watching around the country.”
Kery Davis, senior vice president of programming of HBO Sports, said, “Beginning
the
new season of HBO’s World Championship Boxing with Shane Mosley vs.
Andre Berto is a
spectacular way to start the year. Boxing fans need to mark down January 30
right now on their
calendars.”
A full undercard will be announced in the near future. For more information
visit
www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.dbe1.com or www.mandalaybay.com.
Press Release
PRIMM VALLEY CASINO RESORTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH
ROY ENGLEBRECHT EVENTS AND FERNANDO VARGAS
PRESENT WORLDS COLLIDE CHAMPIONSHIP:
A $175,000 BOXING AND MIXED MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT ON JAN. 9
NO FAME – NO FORTUNE – NO FEAR – ALL FIGHT
Primm, Nev. – Primm Valley Casino Resorts, Roy Englebrecht Events and
tournament host Fernando Vargas present Worlds Collide, a high octane boxing
and mixed martial arts championship tournament 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9 in
the Star of the Desert Arena at Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino. Tickets
are $50 and $20 and can be purchased online at www.primmvalleyresorts.com
or by calling 1.800.FUN.STOP.
The championship includes five bouts with five contenders coming from Las
Vegas and five hailing from California. The winner from each bout will take
home $5,000 and the loser will bring in $2,500.
MMA – three, five-minute rounds – 180 pounds:
Jorge Lopez, Las Vegas (8-3) taking on Danny Davis, Las Vegas (1-1-1)
Boxing – six, three-minute rounds – 162 pounds:
David Tabatadze, Reseda, Calif. (4-0, 1 KO) challenging Angel Osuna, Coachella,
Calif. (3-2-1, 1 KO)
Boxing – six, three-minute rounds – 142 pounds:
Deth Marcus Hall, Las Vegas (2-0) vs. Yakub Shdaev, Northridge, Calif. (3-1,
1 KO)
MMA – three, five-minute rounds – 135 pounds:
Sidemar Honorio, Huntington Beach, Calif. (5-0) taking on John Merkle, Los
Angeles (3-3)
Boxing – six, three-minute rounds – 132 pounds:
Renell Griffin, Las Vegas (6-2-1) vs. Johnny Frazier, Las Vegas (2-2-3)
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. in the Star of the Desert Arena inside Buffalo Bill’s
Resort and Casino.
For the latest Primm Valley Casino Resort news, follow them on Facebook and
Twitter.
About Primm Valley Casino Resorts:
Primm Valley Casino Resorts, 25 minutes south of Las Vegas on Interstate 15
at the Southern Nevada/California state line, includes Buffalo Bill’s
Resort & Casino, Primm Valley Resort & Casino, Whiskey Pete’s
Hotel & Casino, Primm Center and the Primm Valley Lotto Store. Combined,
the three properties feature 2,644 guest rooms, 136,000 square feet of casino
space, 2,900 slot machines and 98 gaming tables.
December 10, 2009
Mayweather - Athlete of the Decade Candidate
Press Release
FLOYD MAYWEATHER NOMINATED FOR ATHLETE OF THE DECADE BY YAHOO! SPORTS
Winner to be announced tomorrow, Friday, December 11
LAS VEGAS, NV (December 10, 2009)...December 31 marks the end of the first decade in the new millennium. While much can be said about the last 10 years in and out of the sports world, Yahoo! Sports has chosen their candidates for "Athlete of the Decade", and representing the sport of boxing is Floyd Mayweather, heralded as one of the greatest fighters ever to compete in the sweet science. Mayweather joins fellow nominees Roger Federer, Lance Armstrong and Michael Phelps (amongst others) as those who have defined sports in the last 10 years. The winner will be revealed tomorrow, Friday, December 11 on the Yahoo! Sports homepage>
Mayweather, who is known for his boxing prowess and unbelievable athleticism, has long been recognized as an extraordinary athlete. With each fight, it becomes more and more apparent that Mayweather belongs among the ranks of top athletes in all of sports. While Mayweather's professional fights in the beginning of the decade solidified his place as the brightest rising boxing star, Mayweather had his true coming out party in 2007-shattering every boxing (and in some cases sports) record in the book-that included his must-see May 5 mega-fight against Oscar de la Hoya and his tenth round knockout against Ricky Hatton in December of that same year.
In June, 2008, the Wall Street Journal recognized Mayweather as one of the world's greatest athletes saying, "Boxers may be contained to 576 square feet, but our judges graded the sport as the most demanding. Boxers move constantly and punching is the upper-body equivalent of a sprint. Mr. Mayweather, undefeated since turning pro, combines speed, strength and the ability to endure pain."
Mayweather stepped away from the sport in the Spring of 2008, but he returned to the ring in September 2009 as if he had never left with a dominant performance over the number one Mexican fighter in the world Juan Manuel Marquez.
Win or lose, the fact that the experts at Yahoo! Sports have recognized Mayweather's status as a great athlete of this decade and have placed him alongside these other major names of recent sports history is indicative of what he has been able to achieve and what is yet to come.