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®.

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

# # #
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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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______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.
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Requiem for a Dream

1/16/10

by Gregory Robinson

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.

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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.

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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.

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December 3, 2009

Ageless Hopkins Victorious

by: Steven Robinson

Normally we only report on prize fights that are staged in Las Vegas, but last nights Bernard Hopkins fight in Philadelphia broadcast on the VERSUS network deserves comment. I am not a fan of boxers fighting well beyond their prime and Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins will turn 45 years old on January 15th. However, Hopkins dominated 29 year old Enrique Ornelas for twelve rounds in an admirable demonstration of superior boxing skills, durability and grit. He moved around the ring with the style and agility of a boxer 10 years younger, controlling the action, occasionally taking punches but countering each in turn and always doing enough to win most of the rounds as demonstrated by the final scores of 118-110, 119-109, and 120-109. Hopkins rocked his opponent several times with nice clean rights but neither was ever in danger of going down. Hopkins last KO came in 2004 when he KO'd his Golden Boy Promotions partner Oscar DeLaHoya. Hopkins left no doubt while boxing twelve strong rounds that he is certainly not past his prime and is a viable contender in this division.

Although Ornelas (29-4)can't be considered a meaningful tier one opponent as he's never fought the top contenders in his weight class, he was certainly a viable opponent for a tune up fight leading up to a face off with Roy Jones Jr.. Unfortunately Jones was KO'd by Australian Danny Greene earlier that day in the first round probably screwing up that potential match up and bigger pay day for both.

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December 1, 2009

World's Greatest Ever Event Canceled

From their website

Due to issues with the host venue regarding the execution of key performance milestones, Greatest Ever Enterprises has regretfully decided not to stage the event and fight night scheduled in Las Vegas on December 11, 12 & 13 2009.

We would like to thank all boxing fans and stakeholders who have participated in the World's Greatest Ever Boxer and apologize for any inconvenience caused. The winners of the global vote of the World's Greatest Ever Boxer will still be announced on Sunday December 13, 2009. Voting will close Friday December 11, 2009 and the winners will be announced around the world via interactive and broadcast media. Details will be released in coming days.

The global vote has now been going since June and more than 500,000 votes have cast from all corners of the globe. Boxing fans have been voting for their favorite boxers of all time in the eight traditional weight categories and for the World's Greatest Ever Boxer.