July 4, 2009

McCarter Retains Belts

by: Steven Robinson

Tonight's main event at the South Point was titled "Fireworks - The Rematch", where WBA/GBU Lightweight Champ "Amazing" Layla McCarter of Las Vegas defended her belts against Fujin Raika of Tokyo, Japan. McCater last fought Raika in 2002 in Tokyo where she escaped with a majority decision victory. Tonight it wasn't even close as McCarter put on a dominating boxing performance winning all ten rounds on all three judges cards.

McCarter was technically superior to the gutsy Raika, consistently beating her to the punch, landing blows and dancing away from the always moving forward Fujin. There were just no rounds when Layla didn't do everything right. There were no knockdowns but Raika was cut when heads came together in the seventh. Raika's nose was bleeding steadily from the eighth round on and she looked a little worse for wear but to her credit she never quit and continued her aggressive although ineffective attack. After ten two minute rounds, the outcome was never in doubt and Layla McCarter had defined her "Amazing" nickname. Another great boxing exhibition that was a pleasure to watch.

July 2, 2009

Choices Friday

by: Steven Robinson

Boxing Choices Friday Night

This Friday, July 3rd at 7:00 pm Las Vegas Boxing fans are going to have to make a choice. Two promoters are staging fights at the same time, for similar prices at different locations. American Boxing Promotions is putting on a five fight card at the South Point Hotel, Spa and Casino on S Las Vegas Blvd and Guilty Boxing/Rattlesnake Events is promoting five boxing matches plus six MMA fights at the Plaza Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas. Its really too bad these promoters decided to butt heads on the same night because both of these cards feature local fighters that Las Vegas boxing fans follow and like to see.

The South Point card features Layla McCarter defending her WBA and GBU Lightweight belts in a ten round main event against Fujin Raika of Tokyo, Japan. Champion McCarter at 30 years old is fighting in her 50th professional fight and has a record of 31-13-5 (7 KOs). Challenger Raika at 33 years old has a record of 18-5-1 (6 KOs). These two last met in 2002 when McCarter traveled to Tokyo and edged Raika with a Majority Decision in her hometown. Raika hasnt forgotten the defeat and vows to return the favor on McCarters home turf. The undercard features bouts with Carlos Nascimento of Sao Paulo, Brazil with a record of 23-1 (20 KOs) and Antonio Mesquita of Las Vegas (34-1, 20 KOs) against opponents they should easily defeat.

The Plaza card is headlined by Dewey The Black Kobra Cooper (17-3-3) of Las Vegas taking on Cobra Cory Phelps (13-5-1) in a light heavyweight bout. Cooper was best known as the King of the Walk-off Bouts when he fought the last fight on many of the Guilty cards of old against whatever tomato cans they could find. Im rooting for the one who can spell. However there is a very strong undercard featuring Abdon Lozano (5-0) versus Andres Gorges (8-0, 6 KOs) in a scheduled 8 round welterweight match. Also featured is Lightning Lonnie Smith (7-2, 5 KOs) in a lightweight bout against James Lester Jr. (8-2) of Detroit. There also throwing in 6 MMA bouts for those who prefer street fights over the sweet science.

Since theres two of these fights Friday Ill guarantee their will be plenty of good seats for everyone at both venues. Call The Plaza at (702) 386-2575 or the South Point at (702) 797-8055 for tickets.

June 30, 2009

FIREWORKS "THE REMATCH"

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Start your Fourth of July weekend with a BANG! American Boxing Promotions presents FIREWORKS "THE REMATCH" at South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa beginning at 7 PM on Friday July 3, 2009. The main event will feature one of the biggest rematches in the history of womwn's boxing. WBA and GBU lightweight champion of the world, and Las vegas resident, Layla McCarter will defend her belts against Tokyo, Japan's Fujin Raika, in a rematch that is seven years in the making.

In April of 2002, McCarter won a majority 8-round decision over the then undefeated Raika. McCarter would go on to win four world titles while Raika vowed to exact revenge. In 2002, Raika captured the WBA's version of the world title at Featherweight but has twice lost close decisions for the WBC titles at Jr. Lightweight and Lightweight. She is currently rated #5 in the world by the WBA.

Raika requested the rematch takes place in McCarter's hometown of Las Vegas since she originally was defeated by McCarter in her hometown of Tokyo. McCarter countered with a vow to keep the title in the United States on the weekend that the nation celebrates its independance.

There are five other bouts on the card with the doors opening at 6:00 pm and the first bell at 7:00. Tckets starting at $20 are available at the box office at the South Point. For more info call (702) 797-8055.

June 28, 2009

Weekend's Amateur Boxing Results

by: Steven Robinson

Two nights of amateur boxing took place at the new International MMA Fight Club on W Spring Mountain Road. Good crowds showed up to cheer for their relatives, team mates and friends accompanied by a carnival like atmosphere with food booths. free samples of energy drinks and custom T-shirts made to order. The results were as follows:

Friday Night

Cory Conner (Steele's) over Max Ornelas (Elite) - Points

Kenny Davis (Arce) over David Beltran (Elite) - Points

Deangelo Alexander (Hillcrest) over Richard Cauro (Fullmer's)- Points

Brian Gonzalwz (Unattached) over Torrence Walls (Steele's) - RSC

Yosigery Ramirez (Tocco's) over Jose Alcantar (Fullmer's) - Points

Eduardo Alvarez (Center Ring) over Blake Fazio (Barry's) - Points

Luis Vicente (Fellmer's) over Michael Christian (Steele's) - Ret,

Michael Santomoro (Genesis) over Rocco Espinoza (Center Ring) - Points

Kevin Pimental ( Barry's) over Joseph Macedo (Tocco's) - Points

Tim Evans (Barry's) over Russell Valasquez (Tocco's) - RSC

Dehaven Alexander (Elite) over Jay Estrella (Steele's) - Points

Marcos Magdaleno (Barry's) over Junior Ornelas (Elite) - Points

Yul Abragon (Center Ring) over Nelson Saldivar (Arce) - Points

Oscar Rico (Elite) over Manuel Ledesma (Center Ring) - Points

Francisco Cabrera (Elite) over Dupree (Arce) - RSC

Luis Cortes (Elite) over Milo Guerrero (Arce) - Points

Alan Garcia (Boe's) over Miguel Reyes (Fullmer's) - Retirement

Andres Cortes (Elite) over Victor Cuaro (Fullmers) - RSC

Saturday Night

Daniel Diaz (Steele's) over Richard Cuaro (Fullmer's) - RSC

Eduardo Alvarez (Center Ring) over Shaie Lindsey (Unattached) - Points

Yul Abragan (Center Ring) over Isidro Palacio (Badd Dogg) - Points

Deyon Christie (Barry's) over Parker Kim (Impact) - RSC

Joseph Finateri (Elite) over Cary Dupree (Arce) - Points

Sergio DeJesus (Fullmer's) over Rudy Vasquez (Impact) - Points

Ilyass Zerhouni (Barry's) over Luis Vicente (Fullmer's) - RSC

Sergio Lopez (Center Ring) over Miguel Reyes (Fullmer's) - Points

Oscar Torres (Tocco's) over Erick Portillo (Center Ring)- Points

Salvador Lopez (Steele's) over Kenneth Davis (Arce) - Points

Zalvidar Nelson (Arce) over Alejandro Castillo (Impact) - Points

Manuel Ledesma (Center Ring) over Luis Martinez (LA Sands) - Points

Malik Wallis (Steele's) over Victor Cuaro (Fullmer's) - Points

Oscar Rico (Elite) over Jose Ruiz (Impact) - Points

Humberto Rubalcava (Local 250) over David Beltran (Elite) - Points

June 26, 2009

Mayweather v. Marquez Rescheduled

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FLOYD MAYWEATHER VS. JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ RESCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 19 BOTH FIGHTERS AGREE TO COMPETE IN WELTERWEIGHT CONTEST ON BOXING'S BIGGEST WEEKEND- MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY LOS ANGELES (June 26, 2009) - Sports fans around the world can breathe again as it was announced today that the highly anticipated 12-round welterweight showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez has been officially rescheduled for September 19, after Mayweather, who suffered a rib injury while training for the originally scheduled July 18 date, received clearance from his doctor to participate on the new date. Mayweather vs. Marquez: "Number One/Numero Uno," which will still take place at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View, will now take place on what on what is historically considered boxing's biggest weekend, and falling on the time-honored tradition of Mexican Independence Day. "I am relieved to be cleared to fight as I was already looking forward to getting back in the ring," said Mayweather. "Trust me, September 19 is a great weekend for boxing, and all of my fans, of which there are many Mexicans too, can certainly hold on to their hats and sombreros when I get back in to the ring and show them what they have been missing these past 18 months. I will destroy Marquez and reclaim my rightful place as boxing's pound-for-pound king all in one night. Don't miss it." Marquez, who has also agreed to fight on the new date, is excited about appearing yet again on the time-honored tradition of El Grito de Independence. "I am happy that Mayweather has been cleared to fight and we can get down to business on September 19," said Marquez. "This weekend is not just an important weekend for boxing, but even more so for all of the Mexican and Mexican-American people I will be fighting for who will have a great reason to celebrate my win over Mayweather, which will be for all of the people and for the entire country of Mexico that night. I am sure of victory and si se puede- yes we can and yes we will!" Mayweather vs. Marquez: "Number One/Numero Uno," is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Promotions and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines. Tickets priced at $1,000, $750, $600, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m. Ticket sales at $1,000, $750, $600 and $300 are 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.

The Mayweather vs. Marquez pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View®, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Mayweather vs. Marquez fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com. CONTACTS:

June 24, 2009

Punch Out at The Plaza

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GUILTY BOXING IN ASSOCIATION WITH RATTLESNAKE EVENTS, LLC PRESENTS

PUNCHOUT AT THE PLAZA

LIVE FRIDAY, JULY 3rd, 2009

The Plaza Hotel & Casino

Downtown, Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, NV, June 24, 2009 - "Punch-out," returns to the Plaza Hotel & Casino in beautiful downtown Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, July 3rd, 2009. This show is sure to produce fireworks on the eve of Independence Day and will feature explosive boxing and MMA fights all in one night of hardcore action.

In the featured bout of the evening, Guilty Boxing, in association with Rattlesnake Events, LLC presents a bout that is sure to be full of venom as Dewey "The Black Kobra" Cooper (17-3-3, 10 KO's) goes fang to fang with "Cobra" Cory Phelps (13-5-1, 7 KO's), in a scheduled eight round bout. The Semi main event will feature a battle of unbeaten Welterweights as Abdon Lozano (5-0, 1 KO's) of Las Vegas goes toe to toe with Windsor, Canada's Andre "Gorgeous" Gorges (8-0, 6 KO) in what is sure to be a scorcher over six rounds of boxing, somebody's 0 must go!

"Punch-out," will also spotlight the up and coming stars of tomorrow, as we present six hardcore amateur MMA bouts! In keeping with the colorful and explosive traditions of The 4th of July we are adding to the mix a finale that is definitely going to bring the noise, and light up the night! Guilty Boxing & Rattlesnake Events have pitted the Elite MMA fight team of Las Vegas, NV against the very dangerous Idaho Fight League in a fantastic MMA exhibition as a gift to all ticket holding fans in attendance and we are positive that it will end the night with a bang.

Undercard boxing action will showcase the likes of three local Las Vegas talents, Hard charging, non-stop puncher "Lightning" Lonnie Smith (7-2, 5 KO's) fighting in a six round bout at lightweight against Detroit, Michigan's dangerous James Lester Jr (8-2, 4 KO's) . Also duking it out on the card will be the mauler from Morocco Sid "The Messenger" El Harrak (5-0, 2 KO's) versus the Pride of Cincinnati, Ohio James Helmes (6-3, 1KO), and rounding out the card we have MMA Prospect turned boxer, welterweight Sean" The Rebel" Dizay of the Las Vegas Elite Training Center, fighting in a 4 round special attraction.

Tickets are available and start at just $20.00. Tickets can be purchased now at the Plaza Hotel & Casino Box office or by phone at (702) 386-2575, tickets can also be purchased online at

www.plazahotelcasino.com/entertainment/boxing.php

June 22, 2009

IBA Heavyweight Fight

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August 21, 2009 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas , Nevada , The Boxing Capital of The World, will be the sight for the UNDISPUTED IBA Heavyweight Championship (Continental Belt). The newly Crowned Champion 44 year old, Oliver McCall, 52-9-0 (37 KO's) and four time Champion, will defend his IBA Heavyweight Title against former IBA Heavyweight Champion 33 year old, Franklin Lawrence, 12-1-2 (7 KO's) of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Lawrence who won the title May 9, 2008 via fifth round KO over previous IBA Heavyweight Champion Carlos Barnett. Lawrence did not lose the belt in the ring but was stripped of the belt for failure to defend. Hence setting up the fight for the vacant IBA Heavyweight Championship (Continental Belt) between Oliver McCall and the Australian Heavyweight Champion John Hopoate, which resulted in Oliver McCall KOing Hopoate in the second round. McCall who wears the Championship Belt around his waist has accepted the challenge from the Former Champion Franklin Yah-Yah Lawrence. The challenger has not lost a fight in three years. The winner will claim the UNDISPUTED IBA Heavyweight Championship on August 21, 2009 Originating from the Orleans Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, Nevada.

With Sensational Supporting Undercard

Bout Subject To Change

June 19, 2009

Night of Boxing IV @ Silver Nugget

by: Steven Robinson

There were sixteen amateur bouts contested Thursday evening at the Silver Nugget Casino in North Las Vegas. A good crowd of family, friends and fans turned out to see some of our boxing stars of the future hone their skills in the "sweet science", learning in defeat as well as in victory, what it takes to succeed in the sport of boxing. The reuslts were as follows:

Devin Haney (Steele's) over Max Ornelas (Elite) - Points

Armando Rancel (Henderson PAL) over Michael Laberinto (Barry's) - Points

Andres Cortes (Elite) over Noah Contreas (Mohave Valley) - Points

Francisco Esparza (Center Ring) over Steven Prieto (Mohave Valley) - Points

Marcus Marks (Henderson PAL) over Cory Conner (Unattached) - Points

Daniel Sanchez (Tocco's) over George Olivas (Steele's) - Points

Elisio Duran (Unattached) over Chaz Lucero (Henderson PAL) - Points

Malik Walls (Steele's) over Emilio Escorcia (Tocco's) - Points

Eduardo Alvarez (Center Ring) over Pedro Tarango (Henderson PAL) - Points

Jose Lopez (Unattached) over McKinnon Lloyd (Mesquite) - Points

Ilyass Zerhoni (Barry's) over Jake Hunter (Mesquite) - Points

Kevin Pimentel (Barry's) over David Beltran (Elite) - Points

Matthew Lipata (Steele's) over Kevin Ayala (Elite) - Points

Ryan Picou (Unattached) over Jerome Foster (UNLV) - RSC

Bryan Gonzalez (Unattached) over Kevin Newman (Steele's) - Points

Howie Faumauna (UNLV) over Elmer Rivera (Mesquite) - RSC

June 17, 2009

Pacquiao to Face Cotto

by: Steven Robinson

Top Rank's Bob Arum stated today that Manny Pacquiao will take on Miguel Cotto on November 14, 2009 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Philippine hero was present at ringside last weekend when Cotto defeated Joshua Clottey by split decision at Madison Square Garden. Cotto received a bad cut over his left eye in the third round of that fight from an accidental head butt but should be healed in time for the November contest. This announcement leaves a possible Pacquiao v. Mayweather matchup out of the question for this year.

June 15, 2009

Them Bones. Them Bones

by: Erik Arnold

The opening contest of the boxing show held at the Palms Hotel and Casino saw Louisiana jr. welterweight Renell Griffin earn his fourth career win in six bouts with a unanimous decision victory over Las Vegan Terrence Jett. The visitor out sped and out boxed the local with ease, upping his record to 4 - 1 - 1. The loser fell to 4 - 14 - 2.

Super Middleweight Andre Hemphill of Philadelphia scored a technical knockout win over Las Vegas pugilist Thomas Rittenbaugh after the referee halted the contest just prior to the start of the third round. The winner's statistics rose to 8 - 11 - 2, while his foe dropped to 3 - 3 - 2.

Las Vegas - based Ugandan Sherif Bogere won a six round unanimous decision over New Yorker Broderick Antoine in a jr welterweight matchup. The African bottled up his opponent for the duration of the bout with a series of inconsequential punches and flashy but meaningless flurries in a one- sided triumph and therefore raised his numbers to 10 - 0. Antoine slipped to 5 - 8 - 1.

Welterweight Francisco Ríos Gil of Huatabampo, Mexico, buried Las Vegan Ángel Flores in a mound of leather on the way to earning a third round technical knockout in a scheduled six - rounder. Ríos Gil simply overwhelmed his antagonist with hard punching and a solid chin in a spirited encounter that was easily the most entertaining clash of the night. Flores, who was down in the first, was unable to deal with his enemy' s bull - like rushes. The Mexican now stands at 17 - 9, while his victim descended to 9 - 4.

In another welterwieght bout, Dominican - born Harrison Cuello battled to a six - round draw with Rashad Holloway in an unispired match. Both fighters spent much of the fight posing rather than fighting, thus allowing many of the inebriated audience members a time to sleep between oggling the card - girls. Cuello now tallies at 18 - 10 - 3, while the Raleigh - based Holloway presents a 10 - 1 - 1 record.

The main event saw former WBA super bantamweight title claimant Clarence "Bones" Adams steamroll Ghana - born Alex Ali Baba in eight rounds. The match was little more than a good gym workout for Adams, who simply used his foe as a means to practice various head and body combinations and sundry defensive maneuvres. Baba tried hard, but couldn't pull the genie out of the bottle in this one. It will require a contest with an opponent who can actually fight back to see if Adams is still championship material. The Kentucky - born, Florida - based Adams improved to 44 - 6 - 4, while his opponent tripped to 26 - 16 - 1.

June 14, 2009

World's Collide in Primm

by: Steven Robinson

The Worlds Collide $175,000 Tournament Boxing and MMA Tournament continued Saturday evening at Primm Valley Resorts Star of the Desert Arena. The third edition of quarter final matches in a tournament style event where relatively new combatants to their sport get the chance to earn $10,000 by winning and advancing through a series of three bouts. The tourney is also unique in that it alternates both boxing and MMA bouts giving fans of both a chance to appreciate the other sport and improving the chances for a better turnout.

The card was shortened from nine to six bouts due to various reasons, but the participants gave their best and put on a pretty good show for about a thousand local fight fans. The promoters filled the extra time by introducing ringside celebrities including Zab Judah, who is scheduled to fight Matthew Hatton on the Mayweather v. Marquez undercard in July, and former champion and co-promoter Fernando Vargas put on a dancing exhibition before the final match accompanied by a mariachi band.

The opener was a boxing match between Shawn Waite (1-1) of Los Angeles, CA and Jose Sanchez (1-0) of Santa Ana, CA in the 142 lb weight class. Sanchez won a unanimous decision and advanced in the tournament with scores of 40-36 X 2, and 39-37.

Boxers Deth Marcus Hall (Debut) of Las Vegas and Eduardo Herrera (0-1) of Bakersfield, CA were up next in the 142 lb division. In an action packed contest Hall was able to knock Herrera down in the forth to punctuate a 40-35 X 2, 39-36 victory.

In the evenings first MMA match Titus Holmes (0-3) of Las Vegas took on John Merkle (2-1) of Los Angeles in the 135 lb division. Holmes came back to win the final round but it wasnt enough as Merkle won the first two giving him a 29-28 X 3 victory.

MMA fighters Nick Reale (5-1) of Lake Forest, CA and Leonardo Soares (3-4) of Los Angeles, CA were up next in the 155 lb class. Reale was able to eke out a split decision after three rounds winning 29-28 in two score cards and losing 29-28 on the other,

Boxers Martinez Two Pistols Porter (Debut) of Las Vegas and Victor Medina (0-1) of Los Angeles were up next in the 162 lb weight class. Porter evidently left his ammunition home and was knocked down when the final bell rang losing 39-36 X 2, 40-35 in his debut.

In the final, MMA fighters Robert Otani (1-2) of Las Vegas and Walter Roberto (3-4) of Huntington Beach fought in the 180 lb division. It was over quickly as Roberto knocked Otani out early in the first round taking Otani down and beating his face until the referee stopped the bout.

June 14, 2009

Mayweather v. Marquez Postponed

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SIX TIME WORLD CHAMPION MAYWEATHER SUFFERS RIB INJURY IN TRAINING LAS VEGAS (June 14, 2009) - The highly anticipated July 18 fight between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez has been postponed due to a rib injury sustained by Mayweather while training. The mega-fight was scheduled to take place at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View. "I am extremely disappointed that this fight has to be postponed," said Mayweather. "I was training very hard and looking forward to getting back in the ring on July 18th." "I was very disappointed to hear the news about the fight being postponed," said Marquez from his training camp in Mexico. "I will remain focused, in shape and ready to fight whenever the fight is rescheduled for." Information about rescheduling the fight will be made available as soon as possible.

June 14, 2009

Magdaleno Wins National Championship

by: Steven Robinson

Jesus Magdaleno of Las Vegas won the 119 pound title Saturday night at the USA Boxing National Championships in Denver, CO. Magdaleno, who is trained by Augie Sanchez and Pat Barry at Barry's Boxing Gym, dominated Luis Rosa of East Haven, CT to win the title 17-4. Magdaleno reached the championship bout in more dramatic fashion by eking out a victory in the semi-finals of much heralded Ran'shee Warren of Cincinnati, Ohio Thursday night 19-19 (40-39). That scoring reflects that the boxers were tied at the end of three rounds in scoring blows agreed upon by a majority of the judges. As a tie breaker the total number of scoring blows by all judges was counted giving Magdaleno the close victory.

Also winning was 201+ boxer Michael Hunter who decisioned Javier Torres 31-12. Hunter reached the finals after beating Lenroy Thompson 8-7 in the semis but then being disqualified for violating the rules by having excessive hand wrapping. Inexplicably arbitrators voided the DQ and allowed Hunter to participate in the finals.

June 8, 2009

Whither Salita

by: Erik Arnold

Dmitriy Salita is an enigma. The Odessa, Ukraine, born fighter has bested 30 of his 31 opponents but has yet to show whether he is a serious contender for title honors or simply an individual whose undefeated record is bolstered by victories over nonentities. A recent lackluster win over the unheralded Raúl Jorge Muñoz failed to provide answers relating to Salita's credibility as a championship contestant but raised many questions of a doubtful nature concerning same.

While the result was a fairly one - sided decision (90-100, 90-100, and 91-99), numbers alone fail to tell the true story. Salita's performance against a man who had not fought in two years was certainly uninspiring. The Topeka based Muñoz, while generally outworked and outclassed, was able to hit his undefeated adversary repeatedly with slow, crudely thrown jabs that should never have grazed a pugilist of Salita's stature and experience. The "Star of David" seemed unable to see the punches coming, a serious flaw that could be deadly against a more worthy opponent. At the bout's conclusion, Salita's raw, damaged face looked as if it had been crumbled in a meat grinder while his oft - defeated antagonist was virtually unmarked.

In a post fight interview, Salita claimed that he is not inspired by low - caliber fighters such as Muñoz and that, should he fight the winner of the WBA Junior Welterweight contest between Andriy Kotelnik and Amir Khan, his good qualities will indeed be on display for the world to see. A career based on conquests over individuals such as Rashaan Abdul Blackburn, Rocky Martínez, and Shawn Gallegos, with not one recognizable name on the roster, can still be considered virgin territory. Even the most talented fighter will begin to stagnate after such a long haul against mediocre opposition.

Like a fetus in it's mother's womb, Dmitriy Salita the boxer can only described in broad outlines as his true fighting "personality" is still awaiting its pugilistic birth. Hopefully, the "glad event" will take place sooner rather than later.

June 3, 2009

$175,000 Boxing and MMA Tourney

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PRIMM VALLEY CASINO RESORTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROY ENGLEBRECHT EVENTS PRESENT

WORLDS COLLIDE: A $175,000 BOXING AND MMA TOURNAMENT

Quarterfinals No. 3 Features Seven Las Vegas Athletes

Primm, Nev. - Primm Valley Casino Resorts and Roy Englebrecht Events welcome back Worlds Collide, an action-packed boxing and mixed martial arts tournament at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 13 in the Star of the Desert Arena at Buffalo Bill's Resort and Casino. Tickets are $100, $50 and $20 and can be purchased at www.primmvalleyresorts.com or by calling 1.800.FUN.STOP.

"We are thrilled to deliver another exciting night of boxing and mixed martial arts," said president of Worlds Collide Fights, LLC and boxing world champion Fernando Vargas. "The fights continue to escalate as we enter our third quarterfinal round at Stateline."

The nine bout show marks the final quarterfinal round of this unique fight promotion, integrating professional boxing and mixed martial arts on the same night in the same ring. The event will feature five different weight divisions with seven boxers and fighters from Las Vegas. The two semi final shows are set for Aug. 22 and Oct. 17, and the Worlds Collide Championship is Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 in the Star of the Desert Arena.

The event features MMA Warriors Robert Otani (1-2) fighting Huntington Beach native Walter Roberto (3-4). Titus Homes (0-3) from Las Vegas will go head to head with John Merkle (2-1) from Los Angeles. Also from Las Vegas, David Smith (1-0) will fight Yosuke Koreeda (1-1) from Irvine, Calif. Nick Reale (5-1) from Lake Forest, Calif., will take on Leonardo Soares (3-4) from Los Angeles. From Las Vegas, Danny Davis' (1-0) opponent has yet to be announced.

Boxing in four-round bouts from Las Vegas is Herman Scott (1-1) matched up against Angel Osuna from Coachella, Calif. (2-1-1); Martinez Porter from Las Vegas makes his debut against Victor Medina (0-1) from Los Angeles. Also from Las Vegas, Deth Marcus Hall steps into the ring for the first time fighting Eduardo Herrera (0-1) from Bakersfield. Adrian Tait from Quartz Hill, Calif., (2-1) will take on Jose Sanchez (1-0) from Santa Ana, Calif.

May 30, 2009

Amateur Boxing Results

by: Steven Robinson

The Silver Nugget Casino in North Las Vegas hosted "Night of Boxing III", an amateur extravaganza put on by North Las vegas Center Ring Boxing Club. Lots of friends, fans and family turned out to watch the areas future boxing stars hone their skills in the ring as 13 fights were contested tonight. The results were as follows:

Jojit Butan-Fillon Barry's) over Arriel Datu (Steele's) - Points

Manuel Ledesma (Center Ring) over Jose Ortega (Mohave Valley) - Points

Malik Walls (Steele's) over Emilio Escorcia (Tocco's) - Points

Eric Portillo (Center Ring) over Jose Macias (Mohave Valley) - Points

Danile Sanchez (Tocco's) over George Olivas (Steele's) - Points

Chris Guerra (Center Ring) over Randy Hughes (Henderson PAL) - Points

Edson Ramirez (Jackie Robinson CAL) over Austin Doral (Steele's) - Points

Eduardo Alvarez (Center Ring) over Ivan Garcia (Henderson PAL) - Points

Blake Fazio ( Barry's) over Yosigey Ramirez (Tocco's) - Points

Jesus Gutierrez (Tocco's) over Rocco Espinoza (Center Ring) - RSC

Jaymis Estrella (Steele's) over Fernando Barajas (Barry's) - Points

Raul Cepedes (Tocco's) over Sergio Lopez (Center Ring) - Points

Hugo Huerta (Jackie Robinson CAL) over Taylor Larson (Steele's) - Points

May 25, 2009

Star of David wins at the Star of the Desert

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Dimitry Salita slugged out an overwelming Unanimous Decision over Raul Munoz at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm Sunday night.

Full story to follow!

May 24, 2009

Amateur Bouts at Richard Steele Boxing

by: Steven Robinson

Saturday afternoon a pretty good crowd was in attendance at Richard Steele's Boxing Gym to see young amateur boxers hone their skills in competitive matches. A fair amount of potential fighters showed up at the weigh-ins but only six of them matched up well enough to fight this day. The results were as follows:

Devin Haney (Steele's) over Jojit Butat-Fillon (Barry's)- Points

George Olivas (Steele's) over Emilio Escorcia (Tocco's)- Points

Taylor Larson (Steele's) over Kyron Butler (Unattached) - Points

May 24, 2009

Orleans Openers

by: Erik Arnold

The opening salvo of Friday's card pitted the Las Vegans Carlos Fletes, a former participant in mixed martial arts contests, and Mike Goins, searching for the second win in his career, in a scheduled four round heavyweight match. Fletes, who was fighting for only the second time, dominated his foe through sheer physical superiority in a lackluster performance by both men. Fletes rocked his man in the second, third, and fourth, but each time was unable to follow through with a bout ending blow. The winner raised his record to 1 - 0 -1 while the loser saw his numbers fall to 1 - 3.

Junior welterweight Lawrence Hughes of Chicago, Illinois, made his pro debut a successful one by stopping Joel González of Phoenix, Arizona in round three of a scheduled four rounder. The Chicagoan was simply too fast and too elusive for his slower, Mexican born opponent, who consumed a steady diet of leather before being put out of his misery in the penultimate round. Hughes now stands at 1 - 0, while González dropped to 2 - 4.

In a four round supermiddlewight contest, Isiah McFadden of Phoenix handily trounced Caleb Caldwell of Las Vegas on his way to a unanimos decision victory. The Las Vegan, son of former heavyweight trialhorse Leroy Caldwell, fought the first two rounds as if hypnotized by his faster antagonist. In the third and fourth rounds he briefly attempted to take control of the match through wild attacks against his nemesis that produced fast action but no change in the overall tenor of the bout. McFadden elevated his record to 2 - 1 while Caldwell plummeted to 1 - 6 - 1.

May 23, 2009

The Atomic Bull Earns a 2nd Round KO at the Orleans

by: Gregory Robinson

IBA Continental Heavyweight Title Bout

The main event of the evening featured Oliver "The Atomic Bull" McCall (51-9), a heavyweight who beat the likes of Larry Holmes and Lennox Lewis in his long career. Tonight, dressed in Apollo Creed style American flag shorts, McCall took on Tongan-Australian ex-Rugby star John Hopoate, who earned much of his fame as the "most suspended Rugby player of the modern era." Compared to McCall's long history, Hopate's 11-2 record made the battle appear not just a little lopsided, but I don't question these things anymore. I just go with it. If two guys want to fight, I suppose we should let them. Hopate actually came out surprisingly strong in the first round, catching McCall with wild but apparently substantial shots to the head. He began to do the same thing in round two until McCall decided he had enough and unleashed an uppercut that sent Hopoate to the canvas. Hopoate got up just in time to eat an overhand right and go down again, this time for good. Referee Joe Cortez calls an end to the bout at 1:26 of round two.

In earlier action, Elijah McCall (son of main event fighter Oliver McCall) took on Chad "da Hitman" Davis. Davis earned some fame by upsetting ex-UFC champ Ricco Rodriguez at the Hilton. Tonight, Davis didn't have much time to show his hitman abilities as McCall immediately tore into his midsection, chopping him down like an old tree and dropping him late in the first round with a mean right to the body. Davis recovered, but remained on his feet just long enough for McCall to walk up again and throw another body shot that put Davis down and out. The fight ends at two minutes and 49 seconds of the first round.

In the fight that followed, Brian "Nails" Battease (with Steve Boe in his corner) took on Robert Guillen. Notably, if it was a four round tattoo fight, Battease wins hands down for some amazing ink on his back and shoulder. The boxing match was much harder to judge. Battease clearly had more skill and grace, moving cleanly and banging Guillen as he charged. Guillen, on the other hand, was surprisingly determined, aggressive, and willing to throw an ample amount of power punches in hopes of landing a few. It was a relatively successful strategy. When the bell rang, Guillen charged in and landed a combo that appeared to make Battease touch a glove to the mat. The referee didn't rule it a knockdown though, and the two continued a rather interesting boxer/puncher battle as Guillen charged in with wide but surprisingly accurate shots, while Battease slid out of the way and countered. After four rounds, a winner was difficult to determine. Judge C.J. Ross scored the bout 39-37 for Battease, while the other two scored it 38-38, ending the fight with a majority draw.

May 23, 2009

Orleans Undercard

by: Steven Robinson

Sometimes the undercard produces the best fights of the night. That was the case when Patrick "100%" Liles of Paducah, KY took on former UNLV boxer and Las Vegas resident Henry Namauu in a Cruiserweight match. Liles (189#) with a record of 7-1-1, 7 KOs appeared to over match Namauu (197#) who is 3-3, 2 KOs. Besides the better record, Liles also had a significant height and reach advantage.

These are both boxers who have some of the best character in the sport. They are both well-spoken, intelligent, polite and in good physical shape. Both have good trainers in their corners: Boza Edwards for Liles and Skipper Kelp for Namauu. Namauu enters the ring to the tune of the UNLV fight song and has a large contingent of UNLV fans present including Jerry Tarkanian and Larry Johnson. Liles comes in to Hank Williams Jr. singing a country song and has a pretty good following of his own that he has developed over his last three fights at The Orleans.

The first round was a little slow as Namauu pawed a jab and landed a few good rights as Liles was slow to get started. When the second opened Namauu landed a few more good rights but Liles finally awoke and rocked Henry several times with both hands. Namauu took a lot of punishment but kept his feet. Henry smartened up in the third and began boxing  getting off first, landing quick combinations and backing away, never allowing Liles to get anything started and keeping out of the way of his power. Early in the fourth Liles appeared puffy over the left eye which quickly turned into a nasty cut by mid-round. Namauu continued to work the cut while it clearly impaired Liles vision making him even more ineffective. Namauu reopened the cut early in the fifth and it quickly began to look ugly. Namauu rocked the sight impaired Liles several more times with good rights to the face and head and then out of the blue threw a perfect left hook to the body. Liles crumpled to the mat and was unable to rise as Referee Richard Mora reached the count of ten. Henry Namauu gets a KO at 1:58 of the 5th and notches an impressive victory.

In a Lightweight match prior to intermission, Johnny Frazier of Las Vegas took on Jorge Carasco of Phoenix. This was a pretty even four rounder where both didnt show much desire to dominate the action. After four rounds neith was hurt and neither had been down when it went to the scorecards. Judge Duane Ford had it 38-38, while Judges Ricardo Ocasio and Robert Hoyle saw it 39-37 for Carasco giving him the majority decision.

May 22, 2009

Boxing All Weekend in Las Vegas

by: Steven Robinson

If you love boxing like I do, you'll get your fill this weekend in Las Vegas.

It starts tonight at 7:00 pm at The Orleans where former three time Heavyweight Champion Oliver McCall gets back in the ring to take on Australian champion John Hopoate for the IBA Continental Heavyweight belt. Also featured on the card are two local Cruiserweights Patrick Liles and Henry Namauu. You won't want to miss the opportunity to see a former Heavyweight champ who beat Larry Holmes and Lennox Lewis fight for as little as $25 a seat. Call in advance for tickets to the Orleans box office as this is expected to be a sellout.

Then Saturday Boxing Hall of Fame Referee Richard Steele puts on an amateur show at his gym located at 2475 W Cheyenne Ste 110 N Las Vegas. The fights start at 4:00 pm and will feature many of Las Vegas future hopefuls learning the art of boxing. Tickets are ten dollars at the door.

Sunday night the Star of the Desert Arena at Buffalo Bills in Primm will host Roy Jones, Jr.'s Square Ring Boxing where he will present three boxing matches and seven MMA bouts. The featured boxer is Dimitry "Star of David" Salita of Brooklyn, NY. The doors open at 6:00 pm and tickets start at $20.

May 18, 2009

Mayweather V. Marquez Tickets

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TICKETS FOR MAYWEATHER VS. MARQUEZ SUPERFIGHT GO ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 22 MGM Grand To Host Event Saturday, July 18 LAS VEGAS - Floyd "Money" Mayweather has returned to the sport of boxing and will put his undefeated record on the line when he faces the dangerous and highly touted five-time world champion Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez in MAYWEATHER vs. MARQUEZ "Number One/Numero Uno" Saturday, July 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Tickets priced at $1,000, $750, $600, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m. PT. Ticket sales at $1,000, $750, $600 and $300 are 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.

A 1996 Olympic Bronze medalist for the United States, Floyd "Money" Mayweather (39-0, 25 KO's) 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 best fighters of his era. In just his 18th pro fight, Mayweather won his first world title at the age of 21 by stopping Genaro Hernandez for the WBC world super featherweight crown in 1998. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native defended that title eight times before moving up to lightweight and taking the 135-pound belt from Jose Luis Castillo in 2002, but "Money" Mayweather wasn't done yet, as he defeated Arturo Gatti and Zab Judah for the junior welterweight and welterweight world titles, respectively. Despite these impressive achievements, it wasn't until he defeated Oscar de la Hoya in May of 2007 for the world junior middleweight championship in a record-setting super-fight where the world truly got to see what Mayweather was all about. In his last fight, on December 8, 2007, Mayweather made another statement to the world when he knocked out Ricky "Hitman" Hatton in the tenth round, handing the British superstar his first professional defeat. After the bout, Mayweather - who has achieved crossover fame as a contestant on the hit show "Dancing with the Stars" and as a participant in WWE's "Wrestlemania XXIV" - announced his retirement from boxing. But he left the door open for a return if the right challenge presented itself, and on July 18th, the 32-year-old Las Vegas resident comes back to face Juan Manuel Marquez.

In an era of great Mexican fighters such as Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, Mexico City's Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KO's) has made it clear over the last few years that he is truly the greatest of the bunch. Long revered by boxing purists as one of the best, Marquez won 29 of his first 30 pro bouts, before finally getting a world title shot in 1999. Marquez would lose that opportunity controversially to Freddie Norwood and in response, he didn't lose for the next seven years, winning the IBF world featherweight title against Manuel Medina in 2003. In November 2003, Marquez unified the titles when he defeated Derrick "Smoke" Gainer and captured the WBA world featherweight title. His second title defense in 2004 against Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao may be his most memorable, as he rose from three first-round knockdowns to roar back and gain a draw in a fight that many observers believe he won. Marquez would lose his belt via decision to Chris John in 2006, but he returned to form almost immediately, scoring a 12-round win over Barrera in March of 2007 to win the WBC 130-pound world title. In 2008, Marquez and Pacquiao would meet again in another memorable bout however Marquez dropped a disputed 12-round split decision to the Filipino superstar. Undeterred, "Dinamita" moved up to the 135-pound weight class in September of 2008 and stunned the boxing world by handing Joel Casamayor his first knockout defeat to win the Ring Magazine world lightweight championship. It was hard to top such a victory, but in the 35-year-old Marquez' most recent fight on February 28, 2009, he did just that as he stopped former Three-Time World Champion Juan Diaz in the ninth round to add the WBO and WBA World Lightweight belts to his trophy case. On July 18th he looks to further cement his legacy with a win over Mayweather.

Mayweather vs. Marquez: "Number One/Numero Uno," is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines. The 12-round bout will take place July 18th at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada and televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9pm ET / 6pm PT.

The Mayweather vs. Marquez pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Mayweather vs. Marquez fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar de la Hoya vs. Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, Sting, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena is also home to the annual FOX Billboard Music Awards, the annual Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children Benefit and the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMA).

May 15, 2009

Olympian Martirosyan Featured

by: .

VANES MARTIROSYAN: "FREDDIE TOLD ME TO BE MORE EXPLOSIVE, LIKE MANNY PACQUIAO!'

USA Olympian Vanes Martirosyan, reunited with chief trainer Freddie Roach, says he's throwing "every punch faster and with a lot more force."

"Freddie and Michael Moorer have spent a lot of time with me at the Wild Card Gym," said Martirosyan. "I feel strong and confident. I'm going to throw a lot of punches and with a lot of power. Freddie is teaching me to be more explosive, like Manny Pacquiao."

Martirosyan, 23-0, of Glendale, Ca. will take on super welterweight Harrison Cuello, 16-9-2, of New York on Top Rank's fight card on Saturday, May 16, at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm, Nevada.

As an amateur Martirosyan had wins over Andre Berto, Timothy Bradley and Shawn Estrada. "I got my nickname 'Nightmare' during the Western Trials when I began beating all of the ranked fighters," said Vanes.

Vanes was born in Abozyan, Armenia. His father was an amateur boxer. The family moved to Glendale, Ca. when Vanes was four years old.

"Dad said I had a lot of energy, always running around the house," said Vanes. "I began boxing at the age of seven."

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On the same card Brandon Rios, 19-0-1, of Oxnard, Ca., will take on lightweight Oscar Meza, 18-2, of Culiacan, Mexico in the featured bout on Azteca America on the Saturday night fight card. Rios is managed by Cameron Dunkin and trained by Robert Garcia.

"I train at La Colonia Gym in Oxnard," Rios said. "My style is agressiveness, always coming forward to put on pressure. However, if I have to box, I will. I can adjust real quick."

Rios, ranked WBC #15, was a 2004 U.S. National Champion and a U.S. Olympic alternate at 125 pounds. He is called 'Bam Bam."

He was born in Lubbock, Texas, moved to Garden City, Kansas and now lives in Oxnard.

The weigh in is Friday, 4:30 pm. On Saturday the first bell is 6:30 pm at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm, Nevada. The Azteca America telecast begins at 7 pm. Tickets at $100, $50 and $20 are available at the Buffalo Bill's Resort & Casino box office.

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May 14, 2009

Amateur and Pro Action This Weekend

by: Steven Robinson

Even with the cancellation of the Planet Hollywood card there's still plenty of boxing action in Las Vegas this weekend. First up is the Taste 'n Tunes amateur fight card in North Las Vegas. Friday night at 5:00 pm and Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm, amateur boxers will square off in the outdoor ring located in the North Las Vegas Civic Center in this street carnival affair. Besides the boxing, there are craft booths, ethnic foods and lots of live entertainment.

Saturday night the pros duke it out in Primm, NV at the Star of the Desert Arena. Top Rank brings a card to Buffalo Bills featuring former Olympian Vanes "The Nightmare" Martirosyan in a 10 rounder. The undefeated Martirosyan is 23-0 with 14 KO's. Doors open at 6:00 pm and tickets start at $20. If you can't make it out, much of the card will be televised on TV Azteca.

May 13, 2009

Crown Boxing Heavyweights

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CROWN BOXING INC. Las Vegas, NV, heads into the final week before their IBA Heavyweight Championship match between three time World Champion Olive McCall against the current Australian Champion John Hopoate from Sydney, Australia. The fighters are in training camps respectfully, Olive McCall in Las Vegas, and John Hopoate in California. Both contestants will arrive in Las Vegas this Sunday at The Orleans Hotel and Casino and will resume training in Las Vegas. The press conference will be held Wednesday, May 20, at The Orleans Hotel and Casino when both men will finally meet each other face to face. This IBA Heavyweight Championship Bout will highlight the Las Vegas 2009 Memorial Day weekend. There is a feverish pitch with good advanced tickets sales. The remaining seven bout undercard is full of excitement featuring the local match up of 100% Patrick Liles won 7 (KO 7) against UNLV's Henry Namauu in a Cruiserweight clash. The card will highlight Father and Son as Elijah McCall, son of Oliver McCall, fights Chad Davis of Phoenix Arizona in a Heavyweight Bout. The IBA Championship Belt will be awarded to the winner on Friday, May 22, from The Orleans Hotel and Casino, in The Boxing Capital of the World Las Vegas, NV. The winner of this Championship Belt will certainly have boxing opportunities and matchmaker Frank Luca of Crown Boxing Inc. looks to unify The World Title with its IBA Champion. Press credentials have been requested from around the world and their is a contingency of over 100 fans coming from Sydney Australia, to support John Hoppa Hopoate in his quest as he puts his Australian Heavyweight Championship on the line against the experienced Oliver McCall as he goes for his Fourth World Belt. Fights will be held in the Mardi Gras Ballroom, Doors open 6pm / First bout 7pm. (Card subject to Change) Tickets on sale now at The Orleans Box office at 702-365-7075 Ticket can be purchased for $50 Ringside and $25 Reserved

May 10, 2009

Dawson Retains Light Heavyweight Titles

by: Steven Robinson

Chad Dawson retained the IBO & IBF Light Heavyweight titles tonight against Antonio Tarver at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas, but it wasnt as pretty as the first time. Judge Alan Davis scored it 116-112, and Judges Duane Ford and Patricia Morse-Jarman scored it 117-111 all for Dawson who remains undefeated bettering his record to 28-0. Former champ Tarver took a few rounds along the way but only because Dawson was inexplicably inactive during those rounds.

From the beginning it was evident that Dawson held the edge with more power behind his punches, superior hand speed and greater accuracy. Tarver had his moments briefly in a few rounds landing flurries but only when Dawson chose to cover and offer no offense. Neither was hurt nor did either go down during the fight so it was difficult for the crowd to get very excited most of the time. The fact is that Antonio Tarver was ineffective and didnt have anything behind his punches. That didnt impress Dawson, the crowd or the judges so Dawson goes on to a decisive victory even though many of us at ringside thought he could have done a better job. Somehow it seemed like he took it easy on Tarver.

So there werent many highlights to reveal nor were there any really exciting parts of the fight to describe. Chad Dawson goes on to try to retain his titles in the future while Tarver fades into the past. For their efforts Dawson earned $800,000 and Tarver got a cool million.

Undercard

Prior to the main event, there were seven fights on the undercard. Not many people showed up until just before the main event other than friends and relatives of the participants so most missed the action.

The leadoff bout was a Jr. Featherweight bout between Jose Pacheco (1-5-5) and Omar Valencia (0-3). These guys dont have very impressive records but they put on a pretty good fight. It was good because there was plenty of back and forth action. Pacheco opened strong with a body attack and opened a cut over Valencias left eye. Valencia barreled back in the second landing some solid lefts that rocked Pacheco. Pacheco roared back in the third with a relentless attack of his own and Valencia rebounded with a solid forth round. Robert Hoyle scored it 39-37 for Valencia. Lisa Giampa had it 39-37 for Pacheco while Jerry Roth scored it 38-38 for a draw. Amazingly, Pacheco now has six draws in his twelve fight history.

Next up were Jr. Middleweights Said El Harrack (4-0, 1 KO) of Henderson, NV and Hugo Correa (8-2, 4 KOs) of Mexico. El Harrack took the early lead by offering a steady aggressive attack while Correa backed away, covered and offered no offense. Said landed a left-right that put Correa down. He made it to his feet but was unsteady so Referee Joe Cortez stopped the fight at 1:55 of the first.

A Womens Featherweight featured Anna Donatella Hultin of Sweden in her pro debut against Jasica Rojo (0-1) of Phoenix, AZ. Hultin used a nice jab to set up a good right early in the fight. Rojo muscled her way to a pretty good round in the third but was caught with a nice right hook early in the forth that dropped her for and eight count. Rojo was able to continue but Hultin unleashed another barrage of punches that Rojo wasnt able to defend against. So Referee Robert Byrd stepped in and stopped the bout at 1:08 to give Hultin a TKO win in her pro debut.

Light Heavyweight Davis Whittom (10-8-1, 6 KOs) of Canada took on Ismayal Sillakh (7-0, 6 KOs) of Simi Valley, CA. Sillakh dominated the fight for the first five rounds with a sharp jab, good body work and flurries of five and six punches at a time. In the sixth Sillakh landed three straight rights that caused Whitten to take a knee. Referee Joe Cortex stepped in and never began the count waiving off the fight at 2:25 of the round.

Bowie Tupou (16-0, 12 KOs) of the island of Tonga took on Chis Koval (24-5, 18 Kos) of Youngstown, Ohio in a heavyweight match. Tupou demonstrated his dominance by dropping Koval with a body shot late in the first. Koval got up just as the bell rang ending the round. Tupou was well in control when in the third he landed a right and Koval slowly dropped to the mat. Referee Tony Weeks waived off the count at the 15 second mark.

In a Womens Featherweight match Melissa Hernandez (9-1-2, 3 KOs) of the Bronx, NY scrapped with Jeri Sitzes (14-8-1, 6 KOs) of Springfield, MO. The ladies both showed pretty good boxing skills, but Hernandez was quicker, more accurate and harder to hit. After six rounds Judge Adelaid Byrd scored it 60-54. while Judges Hoyle and Moretti had it 59-55, all for Melissa Hernandez.

The last fight before the main event was a lightweight match between Jose Guzman (6-0, 5 KOs) of Queens, NY and Jose Lugo (10-7-1, 5 KOs) of Los Mochis, Mexico. Guzman took the early rounds but let up and Lugo seemed in control at the end. Jusge Dick Houch scored it 57-57, while Adelaid Byrd had it 59-55 and Jerry Roth had it 58-56 for Guzman giving him the Majority Decision.

May 10, 2009

Saturday Fights at Planet Holleywood Canceled

by: Steven Robinson

The WBF Light Heavyweight Championship fight scheduled for May 16 at Planet Hollywood has been canceled due to low ticket pre-sales. The fight was to feature Roy Johnson, thought to be one of Chad Dawson's future opponents. Also scheduled to appear was Melinda Cooper. popular lacal female boxer.

May 9, 2009

Salita in Primm

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UNDEFEATED SALITA PUTS POSITION AT RISK IN MAIN EVENT AT BOXING AND MMA EVENT ON MAY 24

Primm, Nev. - World Boxing Association's mandatory challenger for the world super lightweight championship Dimitry "Star of David" Salita will gamble to face Raul "El Toro" Munoz over 10 rounds at the Star of the Desert Arena in Buffalo Bill's Resort & Casino 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 24, 2009.

Presented by Square Ring Promotions in association with Primm Valley Casino Resorts, the "Duel in the Desert" Boxing and MMA event will feature three boxing and seven mixed martial arts bouts, rounding out a combination of talents and styles.

"We're thrilled to come to Primm," said Square Ring Promotions Chief Executive Officer John S. Wirt. "You could say the 'Star of David' meets the Star of the Desert. We find the working relationship with MMA and different combative styles to be very entertaining to fans and are delighted to be working with Michael Starr and his staff."

The 27-year- old Salita, from Brooklyn, N.Y., was born in Odessa, Ukraine and will meet the winner of the Andreas Kotelnik vs. Amir Kahn WBA world championship in London on June 27, 2009 as the "official challenger." Salita is the current IBF international champion and has an impressive record of 29-0-1 (16 KOs).

The dangerous 33-year old Munoz from Topeka, Kan., has a record of 20-11-1 (16 KOs) and is the former USA mid-American light middleweight champion. He's fought top talent such as Hector Camacho, Jr., Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., Luis "Yory Boy" Campas and Mark Suarez.

The exciting undefeated Sharif "The Lion" Bogere from Las Vegas by way of Uganda, will contend in a six-round lightweight bout. His unblemished record stands at 7-0 (4 KOs) and his opponent will be announced at a later time.

Doors will open 6 p.m. with the first bout at 6:30 p.m. in Star of the Desert Arena. Tickets are $100, $50 and $20 and are available online at www.primmvalleyresorts.com or by calling 1.800.FUN.STOP.

May 9, 2009

Welcome Back Guilty Boxing!

by: Gregory Robinson

I remember Guilty's Friday Nite Fights at the Orleans as a kind of Golden Age for Vegas club fights. Although tonight's Guilty/Rattlesnake card didn't produce any epic battles, it is still nice to see Guilty's name back in town.

The first fight of the night featured "Lightning" Lonnie Smith (6-2), the son of another "Lightning" Lonnie Smith that had captured multiple titles in his distinguished career from 1980-1999. Tonight's Lonnie Smith is still working his way up, but he certainly has the intensity of a future champ and a mean tennis-grunt that he belts out with every punch. His opponent was Francisco Palacios, a fighter with an upside-down record (4-7-4) and an extraordinary tolerance for pain. Palacios, as you might imagine, wasn't supposed to win. He was supposed to put on a good fight, and in that respect, he certainly earned his paycheck. For six rounds, Palacios took everything Smith could dish out, including a brutal left hook to the body that Smith landed at will. For all the damage these blows must have caused, you wouldn't have known it looking at Palacios. He just kept coming forward like the Terminator while Smith just kept winning rounds. Although the fight was not at all close, it was a good start to the evening and a good display of heart from both fighters. After six rounds, the judges scored the fight 60/53, 60/54, and 60/54, all in favor of Smith.

The following bout between Henderson's Clarence Tillman and Arizona's Beau Tribolet was not nearly as compelling. At 257 pounds, Tillman is freaking huge, and when the bell rang he casually walked up to Tribolet and wailed on him with an unsightly but effective barrage of arm punches. Tribolet fell faster than the value of my home. Tillman lost a point for hitting Tribolet on the way down, but it really didn't matter much. When the fight started again, Tillman casually walked up again and flailed without any regard for boxing aesthetics, dropping Tribolet faster than the popularity of the Republican party. Tribolet still wanted to fight, but he had a crazy look in his eyes - the one that says "I have no idea where I am." Referee Kenny Bayles is no stranger to this look and rightly called an end to the fight at 1min 10 seconds of the first round.

May 9, 2009

Punchout At The Plaza

by: Steven Robinson

It's like old times at The Plaza Hotel and Casino for the Friday Night Fights as Guilty Boxing returns to Las Vegas to promote boxing matches for local up and comers. Tonights bouts were tagged "Punch-Out At The Plaza" and there was plenty of that but mostly it brought back memories of Guilty Boxing who was the fight promoter for years that put on monthly fights at The Orleans. We saw many local boxers, most of which never advanced beyond the local contests, but occasionally a few of them went on to bigger and better things. An example of which is Humberto Soto, who fought and retained his Super Featherweight title last week as the top bout on the Pacquiao / Hatton undercard. Another was Ishe "Sugar Shay" Smith whose claim to glory came in a starring role in ESPN's reality series "The Contender". Smith headlined tonight's card in a return to Las Vegas boxing for himself and Guilty Boxing. The only thing missing from tonights fights was a walk-off bout starring Dewey "The Black Cobra" Cooper - who closed many Guilty cards in the past.

Smith vs. Gray

Tonight Ishe Smith took on last minute replacement Chris Gray of Baton Rouge, LA in a Jr. Middleweight feature event. Smith was originally scheduled to fight Brian Mihtar, but Mihtar didn't make weight at last nights weigh-in. Sugar Shay controlled the action from the opening bell with a sharp jab, good body work and solid lefts. Smith boxed with confidence throughout the fight, always taking the role of aggressor while Gray mostly covered up, danced away and occasionally threw a punch. It was never a close fight and neither was down or even hurt but Smith clearly won all six rounds as evidenced by the judges score cards of 60-54 X 3. I t was nice to see Ishe back in action, but we can only hope to see him against better competition in the future.

Bogere vs. Herrera

In a co-feature, undefeated Lightweights Sharif Bogere (7-0, 4 KO's) of Las Vegas and Marcos Herrera (6-0, 1 KO) of Denver, CO met to see who would issue the first blemish to the other's record. Bogere has already in his early career established an identity as he enters the ring in a lions head and skin to the tune of jungle drums. Bogere established himself early in this fight with quick left jabs, good left hooks and occasional left-right combinations. Herrera was awkward and was clearly out-gunned by the quicker, more powerful Bogere. Bogere dropped Herrera for an eight-count about a minute into the second from a nice left-right combo. Herrera beat the count only to go down again in about thirty seconds from the same combination of punches. Herrera beats the count again and Referee Kenny Bayless allowed the fight to continue. Bogere quickly traps Herrera on the ropes and pummels him about the head until Bayless steps in and stops the bout. Bogere gets a TKO win at 2:43 of the second to remain undefeated. Bogere stated after the fight that he would be fighting again next week in Primm.

Del Real vs. Gorges

In a Welterweight walk-off bout, Gabriel Del Real (3-0, 2 KOs) of Fontana, CA took on Andre Gorges (7-0, 6 KO's) 0f Ontario, Canada. Gorges established himself early in the first with multiple left jabs followed by clean rights to the head and face. Del Real waited to get hit then unleash a brawling counter attack, mostly without effect. Gorges stayed in control for the remaining 3 rounds landing the cleaner blows more often while Del Real showed he had a good chin by absorbing the best that Gorges could land. After four rounds, Judge Hoyle scored 39-37, and Judges Lefkowitz and Ocasio scored 40-36 all for Andres Gorges who maintains his perfect record.

May 7, 2009

Tarver vs. Dawson

by: Steven Robinson

I've been having trouble getting excited about Saturday's fight at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, because the last time these two met Dawson completely dominated Tarver. However, Tarver was smart enough to have a rematch clause and Tarver has returned three times before in rematches and knocked out his opponent every time - once against Eric Harding and Glen Johnson and twice against Roy Jones Jr. That in itself is reason enough to watch this IBO/IBF Light Heavyweight title fight.

The other good reason to see this fight is that HBO is going to rebroadcast the Pacquiao / Hatton fight immediately after this one, both on TV and in the arena. It ended so quickly, it's worth watching again.

Tickets at the new "The Joint" venue are still available at the box office. A seven fight under card begins at 4:15 pm, The HBO broadcast begins at 6:30 pm, with the main event scheduled to go off at approximately 7:00 pm. It's free on HBO to subscribers but their are no bad seats in this new facility and there's nothing like being there live.

May 7, 2009

Corrales Foundation Formed

by: Steven Robinson

Michelle Corrales, widow of former WBC Lightweight Champion Diego "Chico" Corrales , launches the Diego Corrales Foundation in honor of her husband and to commemorate the two year anniversary of his tragic death. The foundation kicks off it's "Knock Out Hunger" campaign with the help of professional boxers such as Chad Dawson, Kevin Kelley, Zab Judah and others in the boxing community such as promoter Gary Shaw by feeding all the homeless women and children at the Shade Tree shelter today.

In addition the Diego Corrales Foundation will continue it's efforts to "Knock Out Hunger" by teaming up with international relief organization, Feed The Children to do a fundraiser Saturday at the Dawson / Tarver fight at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Attendees will have the opportunity to make a donation to the foundation and possibly win boxing memorabilia.

More information can be obtained at their website www.DiegoCorralesFoundation.org.

May 6, 2009

Benjamin Flores Dies from Injuries

by: Steven Robinson

Super Bantamweight Benjamin Flores (19-4, 6 KO's) passed away on May 5, 2009 as a result of injuries sustained in a boxing match April 30 in Dallas, TX. Flores of Mexico, resided in Houston and fought in Las Vegas only once - on July 28, 2008 on the under card of the Cotto / Margarito fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Our sympathies go out to his family and friends.

May 5, 2009

Friday Night Fights at The Plaza

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GUILTY BOXING IN ASSOCIATION WITH RATTLESNAKE EVENTS, LLC PRESENTS PUNCHOUT AT THE PLAZA LIVE FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2009 The Plaza Hotel & Casino Downtown, Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, NV, May 4, 2009  Punchout, returns to the Plaza Hotel & Casino in beautiful downtown Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, May 8, 2009. This show features boxing reality television star and real life Jr. Middleweight Contender Ishe Sugar Shay Smith. Smith will be headlining his long awaited return to the ring for his hometown fans and capping off a spectacular night of fights.

In the featured bout of the evening, Guilty Boxing, in association with Rattlesnake Events, LLC presents the classic Boxer vs. Puncher when Ishe Sugar Shay Smith (20-3, 9 KOs) goes toe to toe with Detroit, Michigans ferocious puncher, Brian The Lion Mihtar (10-1, 9 KOs) in a scheduled eight round bout. The Semi main event will feature a battle of the unbeaten lightweights as Sharif Bogere (7-0, 4 KOs) of Las Vegas goes to war with Denvers Marcos Herrera (6-0, 1 KO) in what is sure to be a barnburner over six rounds of hardcore banging.

Undercard action will show the likes of two local Las Vegas talents, Lightning Lonnie Smith (6-2, 5 KOs) faces off against the always dangerous veteran Francisco Palacios (4-7-4, 1 KOs) at Lightweight and Henderson, Nevada heavyweight Clarence Feature presentation Tillman (1-2-1, 1 KOs) is set to do battle against Bo Tribolet (0-0-1). Also rounding out the card will be Gabriel Del Real (3-0, 2 KOs) of Fairfield CA facing Andre Gorges (7-0, 6 KOs) and Jason Douglas (6-1, 3 KOs) of Ontario, Canada against Dion Savage (5-0, 3 KOs).

Tickets are available to purchase at the Plaza Hotel & Casino Box office or by phone at (702) 386-2575, tickets can also be purchased online at www.plazahotelcasino.com/entertainment/boxing.php

May 5, 2009

Tarver v. Dawson II @ Hard Rock This Weekend

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ANTONIO TARVER is in his last few days of training for his title challenge of the man who dethroned him, undefeated two-time world champion CHAD DAWSON. The world championship rematch takes place This Saturday! May 9 in The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.

The fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 9:30 p..m. EDT / 6:30 p.m. PDT. The broadcast will also include the replay of Pacquiao vs. Hatton, which will also be shown in The Joint.

Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC and AT Entertainment, remaining tickets to Dawson-Tarver II, priced at $250, $175, $150, $75, $50 and $35, can be purchased atwww.hardrockhotel.com, www.Ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets.

Tarver (27-5, 19 KOs), from Tampa, Fla., is one of his eras greatest champions. The only man to hang two losses on the legendary Roy Jones, Jr. and the first to ever knock him out, Tarver also boasts victories over world champions Glen Johnson, Montell Griffin and Reggie Johnson. A true renaissance man, Tarver heads up his own promotional company, AT Entertainment, his own charitable foundation, The Antonio Tarver Foundation, a not-for-profit organization established to fund, create and provide opportunities for young people to achieve their dreams, and he co-starred with Sylvester Stallone in the 2006 hit motion picture Rocky Balboa.

Dawsons a young lion and he had a high work rate during our first fight, said Tarver. I missed a few times with my power shot but thats what it is, its a game of inches. But I always learn from my losses, and as Roy Jones, Glen Johnson, and Eric Harding will tell you, I never lose twice to the same man. Dawson will learn that lesson too on May 9.

Dawson (27-0, 17 KOs), from New Haven, Conn., began his second reign as a light heavyweight world champion by dethroning the defending IBF/IBO champion Tarver in a hard-fought battle in Las Vegas on October 11, 2008. For Dawson, it was a victory that proved he was one of boxings elite and a Top-10 pound-for pound fighter. Dawsons resume proves hes the man to beat. In fact three of his last five victories have been against defending or former world champions who had a combined record of 105-15-2 (76 KOs), a winning percentage of 86% and a victory by knockout ratio of 72%. Dawson, 26, captured his first world title on February 3, 2007 by dethroning previously undefeated WBC light heavyweight champion Tomasz Adamek. It remains the only loss on the new IBF cruiserweight champions resume. Dawson successfully defended his title three times over the next 14 months, the third against former world champion and 2004 Fighter of the Year Glen Johnson before vacating the title to challenge Tarver.

Winning my first world title was a career highlight, but beating Tarver last year was a personal joy, one I look forward to repeating on May 9, said Dawson. Ive beaten the best in my division. I am the king of the light heavyweights.

May 4, 2009

Results from South Point

by: Erik Arnold

Big Fish Boxing promoted a card at the South Point Casino Friday night. Originally the card was going to feature Zab "Super" Judah but he pulled out due to a hand injury incurred in training. The results of the substitute matches were as follows:

In a Welterweight bout Christopher Rizo of Los Angeles defeated Michaelangelo Lynks also of LA by Unanimous Decision.

Lightweight Rudolfo Armenta of Nogales, Mexico beat Angel Flores of Las Vegas by KO in the 4th of a scheduled 6 rounder.

Undefeated Dean Byrne of Ireland, now training and fighting out of Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym, won a convincing Unanimous Decision over Jose Reynoso of Mexicali, MX. Reynoso was down twice in the third and once in the forth but managed to last all eight rounds.

In a battle for the vacant USNBC Super Bantamweight Title (gotta look that one up in the book of obscurity) Alejandro Perez of Salinas, CA won by TKO in the 9th over Adolfo Landeros of Hidalgo, MX.

May 4, 2009

Mayweather vs. Marquez

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MAYWEATHER vs. MARQUEZ: "NUMBER ONE/NUMERO UNO" SET FOR JULY 18 AT MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS AND LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW

LAS VEGAS (May 2, 2009) - The boxing world received two gifts this week, not only the announcement that six-time world champion in five weight divisions Floyd "Money" Mayweather has returned to the sport, but also that he was immediately putting his undefeated record on the line when he faces the dangerous and highly touted five-time world champion in three divisions Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez in MAYWEATHER vs. MARQUEZ "Number One/Numero Uno" on Saturday, July 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada which will be broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9pm ET / 6pm PT. Mayweather's return and the fight were announced today at a press conference at MGM Grand. "That's right. I'm back and you can all get ready for another chapter of the Mayweather experience!" said Mayweather. "I told my CEO Leonard Ellerbe from the start that I wanted to come back fighting the best fighters out there and Juan Manuel Marquez is one of the best in boxing today." "To be considered the best in the world, you have to fight the best, and I have made it clear even when Mayweather was away from the sport that he was the only man I really wanted to fight," said Marquez. "I'm happy that he's come out of retirement and accepted my challenge. Unfortunately for him he might be sorry he came back at all." The summer showdown between Mayweather (39-0, 25 KO's) and Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KO's) will be promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Promotions. "Mayweather Promotions is proud to announce the return of Floyd Mayweather after a much needed rest," said Ellerbe. "But he is coming back with a vengeance and clearly Marquez is a significant challenge for his return. It is going to be an extremely competitive and exciting fight." "Floyd Mayweather is back and Juan Manuel Marquez is ready to fight," said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. "Mayweather is clearly making a statement by accepting this challenge to fight the dangerous Marquez in his first fight back. Having seen Floyd perform live in his two previous fights, I know a big challenge brings out the best him. Boxing is in for a great night on July 18th." "Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez has the potential to be one of boxing's all-time great fights," said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "Not only are they two boxers destined for the Hall of Fame and two of the greatest technicians of this era, but they also both have a warrior's spirit that comes out when they get tested. I know that they'll push each other to the limit when they step into the ring July 18th." "MGM Grand is thrilled to host Floyd Mayweather's return to the ring and welcome back the great Juan Manuel Marquez," said Richard Sturm, President of Sports and Entertainment for MGM MIRAGE. "We anticipate this to be one of the hottest fights of the year and look forward to the exciting night of boxing these two champions will deliver to the MGM Grand Garden Arena." "Floyd Mayweather is a special athlete and it's heartening to see him return in such a big fight against an accomplished opponent in Juan Manuel Marquez," said Ross Greenburg, President of HBO Sports. "Boxing fans will be intrigued by this mid-summer match-up." For these two future Hall of Famers, all that really matters is what happens when the bell rings on Saturday, July 18 and with Mayweather's return to the ring in a quest to reclaim his pound-for-pound title by taking on Marquez, a man looking to add once again to his amazing legacy, this is a true mega-fight which will determine who is the premier boxer of this era. Information on ticket availability will be made available shortly.

May 4, 2009

Four Undefeated Fighters Headline Top Rank Card in Primm

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FORMER WORLD CHAMPION ORLANDO SALIDO,

USA OLYMPIAN VANES 'NIGHTMARE' MARTIROSYAN

HEADLINE TOP RANK BOXING CARD

AT STAR OF THE DESERT ARENA ON MAY 16

Primm, Nevada --? Former world featherweight champion Orlando Salido of Mexico and USA Olympian Vanes 'Nightmare' Martirosyan, a super welterweight from Glendale, Calif. are on a Top Rank boxing card at the Star of the Desert Arena at Buffalo Bill's Resort & Casino on Saturday,

May 16. Salido is a powerful contender, rated #3 in the world. Martirosyan is reunited and trained by Freddie Roach, the chief trainer of superstar Manny Pacquiao.

There will be 4 undefeated fighters on this card announced Bob Arum of Top Rank.

Doors will open 5:30 pm. First bell will be 6:00 pm and the event will be televised nationally by Azteca America beginning 7 pm.

Salido, 28, is a former IBF World Featherweight champion. He has been in three world title bouts and is presently rated IBF #3.? Salido, 28, lives and trains in Ciudad, Obregon, Mexico. He is scheduled to fight in the 10-round main event at the Star of the Desert Arena.

Martirosyan is one of the most popular fighters in Southern California and is trained by Freddie Roach at the famous Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.? Martirosyan has a record of 23-0, 14 KOs and strikes with extreme power. He will take on Juan Astorga, 13-3-1, 8 KOs, of Lee's Summitt, Mo. The super welterweight bout is scheduled for 10 rounds.

"Vanes Martirosyan is a very talented young boxer. He is training very hard with Freddie Roach and is getting closer to what he is looking forward to, fighting for a world title," said Arum.

Lightweight Brandon Rios, 19-0-1, 12 KOs, of Oxnard, Calif. will take on Jose Leonardo Cruz, 12-4-2, 8 KOs of Barranquilla, Colombia, in a 10-round bout.

Super featherweight Mikey Garcia, 16-0, 13 KOs, of Oxnard, Calif. will fight in an eight-round bout.? Garcia boxes in the super featherweight division.

Alejandro Lopez, 11-0, 3 KOs, of Tijuana is a very skilled super bantamweight. He will be in an eight-round bout.

Tickets are $75, $50, $35 and $20 and are available at the Star of the Desert Arena Box Office.

May 4, 2009

Guilty Boxing Returns

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GUILTY BOXING IN ASSOCIATION WITH RATTLESNAKE EVENTS, LLC PRESENTS

PUNCH-OUT AT THE PLAZA

Las Vegas's New Premier fight series!

@

The Plaza Hotel & Casino

Downtown, Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, NV April 3, 2009 - Guilty Boxing in association with Rattlesnake Events, LLC have formed a strategic alliance with the Plaza Hotel & Casino in beautiful downtown Las Vegas to promote a new monthly fight series dubbed "Punch-Out."

"We look forward to a long-lasting relationship with Guilty Boxing and Rattlesnake Events and are looking to build a recognizable and respectable boxing franchise here at the Plaza", Said vice president of the plaza marketing, Tony Bender.

The Punch-Out Series is scheduled to begin May 8th and continue on a Monthly basis. Our Plans include making the most competitive fights out there using local fighters and national prospects alike. We are prepared to provide to the fans what they deserve, intriguing match-ups that are unpredictable and enjoyable using highly skilled, exciting professional fighters, that are ready to make a splash on the fight scene.

"On behalf of Guilty Boxing, we are very pleased to return to promoting fights in Las Vegas. Likewise we are excited to make this return in association with Rattlesnake Events and the great new series at the Plaza Hotel & Casino. As always we will continue to strive to put forth the most exciting cards possible for our local fans and tourists," Said Guilty Boxing's, Jeff Grmoja.

Tickets to "Punch-Out," will begin at the very affordable rate of just $20.00 for this great night of entertainment and are available now by visiting the Plaza box office or by phone at (702)386-2575 or to purchase online check us out at. www.plazahotelcasino.com/entertainment/boxing.php

May 4, 2009

Pacquiao Wins by TKO in the Second

by: Steven Robinson

Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton have spent months in preparation leading up to tonight's mega fight. Trainers have strategized, films have been studied, hundreds of rounds have been sparred in practice, and it's all over in less than six minutes. Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Manny Pacquiao gave a superb demonstration of his speed and power by dropping Ricky Hatton twice in the first round and then out for good in the second to cement his title as best pound-for-pound champion of the world.

There has been so much to-do and so many activities leading up to this fight that it seems a shame that it was over so quickly. In addition to the participant's efforts, thousands of people have traveled from England and the Philippines to see their heroes fight for glory. The media have come in from across the country and around the globe to cover the event from every angle imaginable. The promoters have held press conferences and public work-outs and produced and aired television specials while the public clamored for tickets- some just to sit in front of a remote broadcast big screen to watch the contest. Just prior to the starting bell, twenty fighters battled in under card matches to warm up the crowd. Three national anthems, (US, Philippine and British) were sung to stir the crowds loyalty to their homelands and then ring announcer Michael Buffer stirs the crowd to a frenzy with his patented "Lets get ready to rumble".

The sold-out crowd is completely polarized as each contingent roars when their fighter throws a punch. The raucous Hatton fans are quickly muted when at the two minute mark of the first round Pacquiao lands a counter left that drops Hatton to the floor for the first time. Ricky easily beats the referee's count and pounces to his feet, ready for more action. After a few short encounters Pacquiao lands another powerful left that floors Hatton again putting Manny's fans into a euphoric frenzy as they sense a sure victory while stunning the Hatton followers. Ricky struggles to his feet before being counted out and grasps his opponent to stop the punishment until the bell rings ending the round.

Between rounds both corners work feverishly - Hatton's to revive their fighter and encourage him on how to overcome his dilemma and Pacquiao's to keep their guy calm and further him on the path to victory as the one minute break flies away in quick fashion. The second round starts out a little quieter with Manny not pushing for the knock out but waiting for an opportunity to arise while taking an aggressive stance. Hatton is content to duck the attacks and grab on at every opportunity so he can gather his wits about him and devise something that will get him back into the fight. After several unsuccessful skirmishes, Pacquiao throws a perfect roundhouse left that lands square on Hatton's chin. Hatton lands flat on his back in the center of the ring and isn't quick to move. Referee Kenny Bayless is over him in an instant and never begins to count as he calls a halt to the bout at 2:59 of the round. The Pacquiao contingent is ecstatic and almost in disbelief as their hero has won the fight in short fashion with a devastating performance of speed and power. Hatton fans never got the chance to sing any of their encouraging songs and are dumbfounded that their rough and tumble leader has fallen so quickly and with such pronouncement.

Manny Pacquiao cements his position as best pound for pound fighter with this demonstration of superior boxing skills and he also guarantees his right to more mega fights in the future to defend his title against the best that the sport of boxing can supply.

UNDERCARD

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is packed to the rafters with boxing fans from all over the world. Unfortunately I'm one of the dozens of media and photographers who are seated in the rafters to watch the biggest fight of 2009 to date. To emphasize how high we were, MGM has provided Tibetan Sherpas to guide us to our seats. But I feel fortunate to be here amongst the throngs of fans especially since the Brit two rows below me claims to have spent $500 at Ticketmaster to sit here. As the evening of boxing entertainment continues I learn the advantage of altitude as it appears to take less of the $8 a glass beer to get you into the spirit of the event. Seven or eight burley Hatton fans enter the adjacent section resplendent in ladies wigs, pom poms, white tights and cheerleader uniforms each with letters to spell out their boxers' name. They park themselves right in front of the photographers who are in the last row with their backs to the wall and you can see the signs of dread cross their face as they envision trying to shoot the biggest fight of the year with a lens full of female impersonators. At least there are two mega-screens across the arena to offer a closer view of the fights and to show replays of the highlight blows of the round.

Even with all the disadvantages, there's nothing better than watching a boxing match in an arena full of fans that live and die by their hero's performance. You cannot feel the thrill of the match watching TV when the crowd reacts in unison to every blow, stand and cheer when their guy lands a big one and jump up and down, slap their pals on the back and hug the girl they brought when victory is clear. The intensity and excitement is unparalleled in any other sport and it's what keeps the fans coming back to watch - good times or bad.

WBC SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Soto vs. Gaudet

Humberto Soto of Los Mochis, Mexico took on French Canadian challenger Benoit Gaudet for the WBC title in the match just prior to the main event. Soto (47-7-2, 36 KO's), who honed his early boxing skills in small Las Vegas fight venues, now had the biggest chance in his career to showcase these skills in front of a packed house and a TV audience of millions of PPV viewers. And he didn't disappoint, stalking Benoit (20-1, 7 KO's) early and dropping him to the mat barely one minute into the first round. Benoit was not hurt and quickly rose to take the mandatory eight count and continue the round. Soto was quicker and more accurate from the beginning and took the stance of the aggressor throughout the fight while Benoit chose to dance away, stop and punch and dance away again. Soto, to his credit, did not rush to finish his opponent but continued a steady attack gradually wearing the Canadian down. Benoit was effective at times with flurries of punches but he could not sustain any momentum and didnt carry any evident power in his blows. At the two minute mark of the ninth round, Soto landed two big rights to Gaudets head dropping him again. Gaudet beat the count and resumed the fight only to have Soto land two more rights and put him down again. Referee Jay Nady had seen enough and never began the count this time, waiving off the fight at 2:25 of the round. It was great to watch a boxer we had followed since his Las Vegas debut in 2002 progress to the top of his division and we expect many more great fights from Humberto.

Jacobs vs. Walker

The biggest guys of the night were Middleweights Daniel "Golden Child" Jacobs and Michael Walker. The undefeated Jacobs (15-0, 14 KO's) of Brooklyn, NY dominated this eight rounder over a feisty and aggressive Walker (19-1-2, 12 KO's) with faster hands and feet and showed a finesse in boxing not demonstrated by his record of KO's. After eight rounds that were closer than the final score, Judges Adelaid Byrd and Herb Santos scored 80-72 and Judge Dave Moretti had it 79-73 all for Jacobs who remains undefeated.

Korobov vs. Bartinelli

In another Middleweight bout, Russian prospect Matt Korobov (4-0, 3 KO's) was matched against Anthony Bartinelli (20-12-2, 13 KO's) of Phoenix, AZ. Korobov projects the image of the stern and scary Russian in the early Rocky films. And he didn't take long to take control of the bout, dominating the first with a jackhammer jab that rocked Bartinelli's head and landing some huge lefts. He hit Bartinelli so hard late in the round that his mouthpiece flew three rows into the media section. Korobov contined his assault into the second round where he caught Bartinelli again knocking him unceremoniously into his corner on his rear. He got up but should have stayed down because Korobov hit him three or four more times causing him to slump into his corner again for good as Referee Robert Byrd rushed in between to stop the bout. Korobov gets a TKO at 2:15 of the round and we look forward to seeing him against someone who can hit back.

Lara vs. Grey

For the first televised bout of the night, former Cuban Olympian Erislandy Lara (4-0, 3 KO's) took on Chris Grey (11-7, 1 KO) of Baton Rouge, LA in a Jr. Middleweight matchup. The usually hard hitting Lara chose to outbox his opponent tonight for four rounds of demonstration. Lara wins 40-36 on all three judges cards for an easy Unanimous Decision.

Hatton vs. Zepeda

Prior to the TV bouts, Matthew Hatton (35-4-1, 13 KO's) , Ricky's lesser known younger brother, took on Ernesto Zepeda (39-11-4, 34 KO's) of Tijuana, Mexico. Hatton followed a strategy of hitting then holding on reminiscent of many sluggish heavyweights and not many welterweights. But it was good enough to win most of the rounds as Hatton slogged to victory winning 78-74 twice and 79-73 on the judges' scorecards.

Alvarado vs. Gallardo

Jr. Welterweight prospect Mike Alvarado (25-0, 18 KO's) of Denver was originally scheduled to fight Steve Luevano in a championship bout this evening until Luevano was injured in training. So he had to settle on Juaquin Gallardo (18-7-1, 5 KO's) of Oakland, CA as his opponent of the night for a non-title eight rounder. Alvardo had a nice workout dropping Gallardo once in the second. The fight went the distance with Alvarado easily winning most rounds against the light hitting Gallardo. Al Lefkowitz scored 79-72, while judges Eric Cheek and Herb Santos had it 80-71 all for Alvarado who remains undefeated.

Mares vs. Perez

2004 Mexican Olympian and #1 WBO ranked Bantamweight Abner Mares (17-0, 10 KO's) took on Jonathon Perez (14-4, 11 KO's) of Columbia tonight. Mares controlled the scheduled eight rounder landing solid shots and except for warnings for low blows, hitting after the bell and hitting behind the head put on a nice boxing demonstration. After six rounds, Perez corner informed Referee Tony Weeks that he did no wish to continue giving Mares at TKO at 3:00 of the sixth.

Concepcion vs. Herrera

Lightweight Philippine contender Bernebe Concepcion (28-1-1, 17 KO's) fought Yogli Herrera (21-8, 15 KO's) of Columbia. The six rounder turned out as expected in an uneventful match but Concepcion gets three judges to award him all the rounds in a Unanimous Decision.

Murray vs. Nunez

Former British Olympian and recent acquisition of Hatton Promotions Joe Murray (1-0) of Manchester, England made his US pro debut in a Featherweight bout against Missael Nunez (4-7-2) of Los Angeles. Murray used a stiff left jab and good left-right combinations to easily win the first. He dropped Nunez in the third with a nice combination but immediately was penalized a point for holding and hitting. After four rounds he was awarded the victory with scores of 39-35 from all three judges to remain undefeated.

Chavez vs. Ziolowski

I did not see this fight as it started sooner than scheduled and I was still being lead to my seat by the Sherpa. But undefeated Jr. Lightweight Omar Chavez got a TKO over Tyler Ziolowski at 2:24 of the second round.

May 2, 2009

Top Rank Fights at The Joint

by: Steven Robinson

Top Rank hosted eight professional boxing matches at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - their new venue. It's the night before the biggest fight of the year when Manny Pacquiao takes on Rickey Hatton at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and the promoters are taking the opportunity to showcase their up and coming prospects while lots of fight fans and national and international press are in town. In brief, everybody in the red corner won. In this case that means that everyone that Top Rank and Golden Boy was trying to show off won their matches tonight. No surprises or upsets, but some fine demonstrations of boxing skills and some great KO's.

Main Event - Harris vs. Antillon

The feature match of the night saw undefeated Urbano Antillon (25-0, 18 KO's) of Maywood, CA take on a tough Tyrone Harris (23-4, 15 KO's) of Lansing, MI in a Lightweight contest. Antillon went to work on Harris's body right away in the opening round landing clean shots to his midsection. Harris landed a few blows of his own but they weren't as clean and didn't have the pop on Antillon's shots. Antillon continued the body assault into the second and third rounds causing Harris to spend more time covering up and less time mounting an offence. Antillon received a cut by his left eye from a Harris right hook. The forth saw Antillon really begin to batter Harris landing the far bigger blows. Harris started the fifth strong but quickly faded as Antillon landed a series of clean hard blows with both hands. Harris finally went down from a culmination of a series of blows to his head. He took the eight count and continued but looked beaten. Antillon continued his assault until Harris went down again and Referee Tony Weeks waived off the count. Urbano Antillon gets a TKO win at 2:23 of the 5th keeping his undefeated record in tact in a nice demonstration of a well thought out strategy.

Co-Feature - Juan Buendia vs. Alfonso Gomez

In another feature match, Alfonso Gomez (18-4-2, 8 KO's) of Guadalahara, Mexico took on Juan Buendia of Detroit. MI (14-2-1, 8 KO's). This was one of the most colorful and exciting matches of the night as a brawling Buendia took on the boxer Gomez. Buendia outmuscled Gomez in the first in a round long attack where he walked in swinging and didn't let up. He ignored Gomez blows and kept coming forward, landing some big shots. Gomez got busy in the second landing hard and often and was better able to dodge Buendia's wild blows. The same strategy continued into the third in a competitive round where both were effective as Buendia landed and Gomez countered. Buendia received a cut over his right eye midway through the fourth from a blow. Gomez was taking control this round and beating a tough Buendia up. Gomez reopened Buendias cut early in the fifth only to suffer a gash over his right eye when heads came together. After a doctor's look the fight was allowed to continue and both were bloodied as they took aim at the others injuries. In the sixth this bout turned into a real war with each trying for the KO with every blow. Heads were rocking and blood was flying as both landed big shots but Buendia had the better in a relentless attack. The battle continued into the seventh with back and forth action. Just when you thought Buendia was going to crumble he would come back with a barrage of his own and land a series of four of five blows. Early in the eighth Gomez lands a perfect left to Buendia's body that drops him to the mat. Buendia struggles to his feet prior to being counted out but staggers back to his corner unable to continue as Referee Robert Byrd calls off the bout. Gomez gets a TKO at 1:07of the 8th in an exciting fight of contrasting styles that made for a great show.

Santiago vs. Magdaleno

In between the featured matches local prospect Diego Magdaleno (8-0, 3 KO's) took on Juan Santiago (7-1-1, 5 KO's) of Denver, CO. Magdaleno went down early in the first when he missed a blow and Santiago countered. Magdaleno was not hurt and was quickly on his feet as Referee Robert Byrd administered an eight count. Diego came back strong clearly on control of the round beating Santiago to the punch and landing the cleaner shots. Magdaleno manhandled Santiago throughout the second leaving me to wonder what was keeping Santiago up. Magdaleno battered him but was unable to put him down. Magdaleno remained in control for the next two rounds, landing some shots and dancing away while a tough Santiago kept moving forward but without effect. After four rounds the decision went to the judges where Paul Smith scored 40-37, Lisa Giampa had it 39-37 and Duane Ford saw it 39-36 all for Diego Magdaleno who remains undefeated. From ringside, lvboxing.com also scored it 39-37. Magdaleno showed good composure by overcoming the early knockdown to dominate the remainder of the fight and still win a decisive victory.

Cordova vs. Laurente

The opener was surprising in that it matched two very experienced boxers in a match usually reserved for boxers just starting their careers. Dennis Laurente (30-3-4, 16 KO's) of the Philippines was matched up against Marvin Cordova (20-0-1, 11 KO's) of Pueblo, CO. Laurente appeared to be part of the Pacquiao camp as he had former Heavyweight champ Michael Moorer in his corner and was trained by Freddie Roach. Laurente landed a body shot to open the first, and then Cordova took over keeping his jab in Laurente's face and landing nice combinations. Laurente continued his body attack into the second, then attacked the head when Cordova dropped his hands. Laurente let up for a few rounds mid fight, but basically controlled the action with his body attack and then went upstairs when the openings were presented. Cordova was penalized one point at the end of the seventh when he hit Laurente after the closing bell. After eight rounds Judges Al Lefkowitz, Jerry Roth and Lisa Giampa all scored the match 77-74 for Laurente as did lvboxing.com. Laurente executed a well thought out and classic attack plan that worked and carried him to victory.

Montano vs. Melliguen

Next up were Super Lightweights Ramon Montano (17-6-2, 2 KO's) of Las Vegas and Mark Melliguen (13-1, 10 KO's) of the Philippines. The Pilipino southpaw dominated most of this eight rounder by simply throwing more punches and controlling the action. Montano was a light hitter and noticeably slower than his opponent. After eight rounds Duane Ford scored 79-73, Robert Hoyle had it 80-72 and Paul Smith saw it 78-74, all for Mark Melliguen who scores an easy Unanimous Decision.

Valdez vs. Marroquin

After the main event Juan Santiago (7-1-1, 5 KO's) of Denver, CO took on another Philippine southpaw Roberto Marroquin (5-0, 4 KO's) in a Super Featherweight bout. Marroquin controlled the first with a stiff jab and harder punches. He landed a right-left combo late in the round that staggered Valdez briefly before he dropped to a knee along the ropes. He beat the count but was clearly shaken as the bell rang ending the round. Valdez did a lot of holding on in the second to stifle Marroquins attack. Marroquin threw one punch at a time in the third - each a blockbuster and most are landing. Marroquin returns to combinations in the forth when out of the blue he throws a nice left uppercut that drops Valdez into his corner. Referee Kenny Bayless took one look and didn't even begin the count as he waived off the fight at 2:15 of the final round. Marroquin remains undefeated in a dominating presentation of his skills.

DeLeon vs. Tapia

Next up were the biggest guys of the night, as Super Welterweights Juan Carlos DeLeon (1-1, 1 KO) of Grand Prairie, TX and Glen Tapia (1-0, 1 KO) of Passaic, NJ got it on. Tapia came out swinging and landed haymakers all round - good body shots, rights to the face and a right-left combination late that rocked DeLeon's head. Early in the second Tapia continued to rock DeLeon's head nearly off until Referee Kenny Bayless had seen enough and stopped the match to protect him. Tapia gets a TKO at 34 seconds into the round without dropping his opponent but no one argued with the stoppage.

Estrada vs. Farenas

The final bout saw Featherweight Walter Estrada (35-9, 24 KO's) of Columbia take on another Philippine southpaw, Michael Farenas (22-2-2, 19 KO's). Its late in the evening and only a few dozen fans remain in the arena along with a half dozen writers. The TV crew is dismantling their equipment as the fighters enter the ring and the announcer can't even intro them as mike is cut off. Farenas controls the first until late in the round when he lands a sweet left-right-left combination that drops Estrada to the mat. Referee Tony Weeks takes a quick look and waives off the count at 2:59 of the round to end the night with an exclamation point!

May 1, 2009

Irish Lightning StrikesLas Vegas

by:

Irish Lightning strikes Las Vegas Dean Byrne fights Jose Reynoso Friday night at South Point Hotel & Casino

LOS ANGELES (April 29, 2009)  Unbeaten Irish light welterweight prospect Dean Irish Lightning Byrne explodes in Las Vegas against Mexican southpaw Jose Reynoso (10-2, 1 KO) in a scheduled 8-round bout Friday night at South Point Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The boxing world will be focused on Las Vegas this weekend for Saturday nights mega-fight Saturday evening between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton, but that shows appetizer is the Sin City debut of the 24-year-old Byrne, wholl also have Mannys trainer, Freddie Roach, in his corner.

Byrne has found a home at Roachs famed Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles, where Dean has benefited from sparring with Pacquiao, Amir Khan and Juan Marquez. A veteran of more than 200 amateur fights, Byrne was an Irish National champion who turned pro in Australia, capturing the New South Wales State belt in only his fourth pro fight, and one fighter later added the Australian crown in a 10-round bout. On his way from Australia to relocate in Boston, Dean stopped in Los Angeles and trained at Wild Card, where Roach took an instant shine to his now protégé.

"Every fight counts, each one a stepping stone for Dean to reach his ultimate goal of winning a world title, Byrnes manager Steven Feder (Standing Eight Management) remarked. To have Dean become champion of the world is what this is all about. He's sparred with so many champions in Wild Card Gym and his turn to wear the belt in the limelight of the ring is just a matter of time. "Deans a true throwback boxer; a working mans fighter. Among all of the glitz and glitter associated with making his Las Vegas debut, Dean has worked even harder and continued to make tremendous sacrifices because, especially in these trying economic times, he realizes how important it is to give paying fans their moneys worth. Dean Byrne wants to follow in the footsteps of the greats and money isnt the driving force for him. Manny is a great example of a fighter that hasnt let fame or money change him. Of course, Dean wants to earn a lot of money, but he will never forget where he came from or who hes fighting for, the public. He came from nothing in Dublin and hell never forget that as he fights his way to achieve his dreams.

May 1, 2009

Plenty of Boxing Action Before the Big Fight

by: Steven Robinson

Today at 2:30 pm the weigh-in will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It's open to the public and free. There will be a big crowd so get there early. Pacquiao and Hatton are scheduled to go on the scales around 3:00 pm.

Top Rank Promotions is scheduled to open "The Joint" at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino at 5:30 pm with it's first professional boxing event. The main event features Urbano Antillon vs. Tyrone Harris and local undefeated prospect Diego Magdaleno is on the card. Tickets start at $20 in this new venue and I'm told the're all good seats.

Later in the evening Sterling Promotions puts on a card at South Point Casino starting at 7:30 pm. Headlining their tourney is a fight between Philippine prospect Bulwag Bangoyan who is taking on Alejandro Perez. Tickets start at $25.

Tomorrow the doors for the Pacquiao v. Hatton fight open at 2:30 pm. That's because there are 10 Under Card fights scheduled before the big names enter the ring.

All together there are well over twenty boxing matches prior to Pacquiao v. Hatton. The participants in the under card and the smaller shows are the boxing stars of the future. Some of these boxers are just a year or two away from fighting for their own championship belts. It's my experience that they know that they have to put on a great show if they expect to make it to the big time and put a tremendous amount of effort into their appearance. Often these fights turn out to be better boxing matches than the main events so I recommend that those who love boxing take advantage of these extras and enjoy the entertainment opportunity. Some day you'll be able to look back and say "I saw him when he was just coming up."

April 30, 2009

Soto Featured on Undercard

by: Steven Robinson

At 28 years old, Humberto Soto is for the first time a featured fighter on a major Las Vegas fight card. Soto (47-7-2, 30 KOs) is headlining the PPV TV bout just prior to the Pacquiao v. Hatton main event. He will take on Canadian Benoit Gaudet (20-1, 7 KOs) for the WBC Super Featherweight title that he won last December from Francisco Lorenzo.

A native of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, we first saw Soto fight at The Orleans in May 2002. At that time he was 21 years old and he already had 26 professional bouts under his belt. He won that fight by TKO in the third round. Two fights later his handlers moved him up a little too quickly against cagy veteran Kevin Kelley and Kelley took a majority decision victory. We saw Soto six more times over the next two years at The Orleans while he honed his skills defeating lesser opponents, mostly by KO. Humberto Soto grew up physically and mentally on small fight cards in Las Vegas and became a local favorite.

His big break came in August 2005 when former Olympic Silver medalist Rocky Juarez needed a replacement opponent for an HBO televised event. Soto, who is always ready to fight, took the bout with two weeks notice. This was a very big step up for Humberto, especially on such short notice. But Soto made the most of the opportunity and surprised the boxing community by outsmarting Juarez for 12 rounds. Even with the loss of two points due to penalties late in the fight, Soto won 114-112 and 114-113 X 2. It was a thrilling victory for his fans and a masterful demonstration of his serious boxing skills.

After the Juarez fight, the big names in his division started ducking him. Although he fought regularly, he wasnt able to get another big fight until November 2007 when he took on Joan Guzman for the WBC title. Guzman had his number though and handily beat Soto 117-111 X 3.

Soto made another try at the title in June 2008 when he took on Francisco Lorenzo at Mandalay Bay. Soto was giving a dominating performance and put Lorenzo down in the fourth round. Referee Joe Cortez disqualified Soto and gave the victory to Lorenzo when he believed Soto struck him after he was down and was unable to continue due to the foul blow. Replays showed Cortez was in error and the WBC did not award the belt to Lorenzo. They met again last December in Cozemel, Mexico, where Soto thumped Lorenzo for 12 rounds easily winning by scores of 118-108 and 117-109 twice. That title is what brings Soto to his position as a featured fighter on this weekends fight card.

Also on the televised undercard is Cuban Jr. Middleweight sensation Erislandy Lara, Russian Middleweight Matt Korobov, and Middleweight Daniel Golden Child Jacobs.

Prior to the televised matches Omar Chavez of Culiacan Mexico fights in a Jr. Welterweight match, former British Olympian Joe Murray makes his American debut in a Featherweight match, Philippine Lightweight Bernabe Concepcion takes on Columbias Yogli Herrera, Bantamweight Abner Mares takes on Columbias Jonathan Perez and Denver Jr. Welterweight Mike Alvarado takes on Juaquin Gallardo. Matthew Hatton, brother of Ricky, will be seen in a Welterweight match against Ernesto Zepeda and if he wins is expected to fight for the IBO title next.

Remote viewing is available for the tourists at Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, TI, Monte Carlo, Circus Circus, Luxor and New York New York for $50 a seat. HBO PPV is priced at $49.95 or $59.95 Hi Def. Ticket resellers have a few seats available for people with too much money.

April 29, 2009

Quotes from Today's Press Conference at MGM Grand

by: Steven Robinson

The final press conference for the Pacquiao / Hatton fight was held this noon at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

The odds listed by the MGM Sports Book as of today were Pacquiao -270 Hatton +230

Here's some quotes from the press conference:

Bob Arum (Top Rank) - "This is more than just a prize fight." Then he went on to quote a Rudyard Kipling work that was supposed to relate the battle between east and west. Most of the writers there didn't know who Rudyard Kipling was and thought the comparison was stretching it.

Arum did go on to say that the fight will be shown on Sky TV Box Office in the UK as well as HBO PPV.

Mark Taffet (HBO) - Taffet noted that this is the first PPV event since last December - a gap they haven't experienced in a long time. He also said one reason we would want to watch this fight was the terrific trainers "Whose ability to walk the walk is only exceeded by their ability to talk the talk." Hbo will broadcast Hatton's and Pacquiao's last fights Thursday evening 4/30/09 and Friday night all for episodes of the pre-fight hoopla will be broadcast at 8:00 pm.

Oscar DeLaHoya (Golden Boy) - "The Pay per View buys will exceed expectations because boxing fans respect both these fighters."

A spokesman for Tecate Servesa noted that they have a $20 mail in rebate on the PPV in stores today.

Mayweather Sr - (Hatton's Trainer) - Started out by insulting Freddie Roach, then went into a lengthy and sometimes understandable poem about the fight. It started with "I'm bein' real and sayin what I feel" from there parts noted that Pacquiao beat DeLaHoya when he was over the hill and guaranteed a KO by Hatton.

Roach (Pacquiao's Trainer) - He briefly and politely thanked everyone for their support and indicated his fighter would do the talking in the ring Saturday night.

Hatton - "I've been the underdog before but this is MY weight division."

Pacquiao - "I know my opponent has trained hard and he's a nice guy. There's nothing personal but I just have a job to do. All I'm trying to do is entertain the boxing public."

April 28, 2009

PACMAN VS. HITMAN

by: Steven Robinson

Las Vegas  April 28, 2009

By Steve Robinson

This weekend the biggest fight of the year so far is coming to Las Vegas when Manny Pacquiao takes on Ricky Hatton for the IBO and Ring Magazine World Jr. Welterweight titles. Two great boxers, arguably at the peaks of their careers, both 32 years old, 99 professional fights between them and adored by their fans. Everything a fight fan hopes for from two guys they want to see get it on.

Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) is ranked #1 Pound For Pound by Ring Magazine while Hatton (45-1, 36 KOs) is the #1 ranked Jr. Welterweight. Pacquiao is being trained by Freddie Roach while Hatton is tutored by Floyd Mayweather, Sr.  two of the best trainers in the fight business. They've both fought top opponents to get here: Pacquiao has taken on Marquez, Barrara, Morales, Larios and DeLaHoya, while Hatton has faced Tackie, Tszyu, Malignaggi and Mayweather Jr. And no other boxers have such loyal followings: Pacquiao is nearly royalty in his native Philippines- the country almost shuts down when he is fighting. Hattons Manchester, England bunch of bombastic Brits is loyal to the core: two-fisted beer drinkers who can carry a tune (Theres Only One Ricky Hatton) for twelve rounds.

The casino odds makers favor Manny Pacquiao who opened at -220 and has been bet up to -250 as of last Friday. Hatton opened at +180 and is now at +200. All this really means is that most of the money is coming in on Pacquiao. I see this as a much closer fight that either could win. Sure both have probably watched screenings of their opponents recent bouts and hired sparring partners they believe can mimic their styles. Their trainers have developed strategies they believe can lead to a victory and each has trained hard to put these plans into action. But after a few rounds of trying to outthink each other, I predict all this goes out the window and these to superb gladiators revert to a toe-to-toe, mano-a-mano slugfest. Maybe it will come from frustration at not seeing their plan working or maybe one of them will get caught with a good punch that will cause him wake up and return the favor, but surely it will happen. Nearly three quarters of their combined wins have come by knockout and I dont think either wants to leave this decision in the hands of the judges. This is probably the biggest fight of either of their careers and may lead to one or two more big money fights for the victor. With so much on the line, I dont believe either of these warriors is going to hold anything back Saturday night.  It could be one of those memorable matches ever and go down in boxing history as one well never forget.

PACMAN VS. HITMAN is sold out at the MGM Grand Garden Arena but there are always a few tickets available from the resellers for those who can afford them. There should be plenty of seats at the remote broadcast sites at other strip hotels at $50 a pop but you need to get there early because its open seating. The best deal now is HBO Pay per View for $59.99. Invite your buddies over to see it on the wide screen and tell them to bring the beer and some snacks because they probably wont chip in for the TV. Have fun and be prepared to see what promises to be a great night of boxing by two of the sports best.

April 25, 2009

Regional Junior Olympic Championships

by: Steven Robinson

The first session of the Region 14 Junior Olympic Boxing Championships were held Saturday at the Henderson PAL Gym. Teams in Region 14 come from Southern California, Border California and Nevada. Winners in their Age and Weight Divisions will advance to the National Tournament. The final round will be held Sunday at Noon at the same location. The results were as follows:

101 Sr JO - Emilio Sanchez (So CAL) over Salvador Lopez (Nevada)  Points

106 Sr JO  Richard Aparido (So Cal) over Elias Diaz (Cal Border)  Points

110 Sr JO  Hector Luna (SoCal) over Jonathan Quiros (Cal Border)  Points

114 Sr JO  Carlos Chavez (SoCalO over Mario Cuin (Cal Border)  RSC

125 Sr JO  Isaac Castaneda (Nevada) over Saul Rodriguez (So Cal)  Points

132 Sr JO  Donald Brown (So Cal) over Timothy Vu (Cal Border)  Points

Off Tournament Bouts

77/80 - Jojit Fillon (Barrys Boxing) Christopher Harris (Toccos)  Points

93/100  Danny Sanchez (Toccos) over Austin Doral (Steeles)  Points

84/91  Emilio Escorida (Toccos) over Angel Barajas (LA Boxing)  Points

77/72 - Markus Marks (Henderson PAL) over Cory Conner (Barrys)  Points

153/150  Marco Magdaleno ( Barrys) over Daniel Hulcochea (LA Boxing)  Points

81/86 - Eliseo Duran (LV Boxing) over Chaz Lucero (Henderson PAL)  Points

138/136  Rey Marquez (Henderson PAL) over Ledesma (Center Ring)  RSC

103/98  Mauricio Aguirre (Henderson PAL) over George Olivas (Steeles)  Points

132/137  Bricen Vasquez (LA Boxing) over Christian Gonzalez (Steeles)  Points

144/152  Yul Aabragon (Center Ring) over Thomas Buswell (Unattached)  Points

April 25, 2009

WBC USNBC Championship Fight

by:

(Las Vegas, NV) Thell Torrence of Platinum Entertainment and Adam Fish of Big Fish Boxing Promotions present boxing at its finest when Hispanic sensation Alejandro Perez (13-1-1 KO: 8) goes toe to toe with the pride of Mexico, former IBA Featherweight and WBC Fecarbox Super Bantamweight Champion Adolfo Landeros (19-11-1 KO: 9) for the vacant WBC USNBC Super Bantamweight Title at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This bout is personal for Perez in that he suffered his only defeat to Landeros on June 20, 2008. It is a matter of pride and redemption.

A previous bout featuring the former undisputed welterweight champion Zab "Super" Judah has been pulled from the card due to a hand injury he suffered while training. WBC International Super Bantamweight Champion Balweg Bangoyan, the pride of the Philippines, will not be making his Las Vegas debut as previously anticipated due to visa difficulties.

Featured as the special attraction of the evening will be former British Commonwealth and European Union Heavyweight Champion Michael Sprott (30-13-0 KO: 16) who recently defeated Olympic Gold Medalist Audley Harrison.

The action-packed undercard includes the undefeated pride of Ireland, former Australian Light Welterweight Champion Dean "Irish Lightning" Byrne (10-0-0 KO: 4) as well as Salvador Sanchez (13-3-2 KO: 6), the nephew of the legendary Mexican fighter of the same name. It will also include a host of local and international talent for the entertainment of Las Vegans, tourists and worldwide media on the evening before the highly anticipated Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton extravaganza. Freddie Roach, hall of fame trainer of pound-for-pound king, Manny Pacquiao, will be joining us ringside for our event along with many other world-renowned boxing celebrities.

"This is a major boxing event during Cinco de Mayo week and is designed to attract thousands of fight fans," said Adam Fish of Big Fish Boxing Promotions. "This is a top-shelf fight card offering extremely affordable pricing and easy access making this a must-attend event at the South Point."

Tickets are priced at $25, $50 or $100 and can be purchased at the South Point Box Office located at 9777 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89183, online at www.SouthPointCasino.com or by phone at (702) 797-8055.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Autism Speaks which is the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism, increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. See www.autismspeaks.org.

April 22, 2009

Pacquiao Vs.Hatton Sold Out

by: .

Closed Circuit Tickets Still Available For Pacquiao vs. Hatton May 2nd Mega-Fight

LOS ANGELES, April 21 - After capturing the world's attention, "The Battle of East and West", the mega-fight between Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao and Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton on May 2nd at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, has officially sold out. For those not as fortunate as the thousands of fans who will be in the arena that night, there is still a chance to experience the action in Las Vegas as closed circuit tickets are still available at Mandalay Bay, Mirage, TI, Monte Carlo, Circus Circus, Luxor and New York-New York.

"Given that the live gate for this event is sold out, coupled with the sellout of tonight's San Francisco Giants baseball game where Manny is the guest of honor, indicates to me that 'The Battle of East and West' is on track to break all existing pay-per-view records," said Bob Arum, Chairman of Top Rank.

"We're extremely pleased with the way fans have reacted to this event and I'm really not surprised that this fight is sold out," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "You've got two of the best fighters in the world in Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao, as well as two of the most exciting fighters, facing each other in their primes. This is going to be a fight to remember."

Tickets for the closed circuit telecast are priced at $50, not including handling fees. All seats are general admission and are now on sale at each individual property's box office outlets or by phone with a major credit card at (866) 799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton - "The Battle of East and West," a 12-round bout for Hatton's IBO and Ring Magazine World Junior Welterweight titles, is promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines. The championship bout, scheduled for Saturday, May 2, will be produced and distributed by HBO-Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

HBO Sports' all-access reality series "PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7" will premiere episode #3 in HD on Saturday, April 25 at 9:35 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. Episodes #1 & 2 are available on HBO ON DEMAND.

April 19, 2009

Boxing and MMA in Primm

by: Steven Robinson

Roy Englebrecht Events in asociation with Fernando Vargas brought a combination of boxing and mixed martial arts back to Primm Saturday night for the second installment of a $175,000 Tournament. Saturdays winners advance to semifinals later this year and ultimately can win $10,000 if they win their weight class. An enthusiastic crowd of fans showed up at the Star of the Desert Arena to view and cheer on their favorites, saw some great knockouts, carefully crafted decisions and disappointments for those who couldn't prevail tonight. An entertaining night was had by all, proving again that two fighting sports can share the same stage and put on a good show that everyone can appreciate.

Delgado vs. Garcia

A boxing match started the night when Manuel Delgado (1-2) of Riverside, CA took on Arquimendez Garcia (2-0-1) of Santa Ana, CA. We didn't get to see much of either as Garcia dropped Delgado early in the first. Delgado barely beat the count but Garcia attacked again pummeling his opponent until Referee Jay Nady stepped between and called off the bout. Garcia gets a TKO at 1:12 of the first and advances in the tournament.

Ocampo vs. Vargas

Next up were MMA fighters Nelson Ocampo and Tommy Vargas. After some early sparring, Vargas took Ocampo down and kept him there for the remainder of the round. Vargas worked Ocampo over until Referee Kim Winslow stopped the bout giving Vargas a TKO at 2:31 of the first. Vargas advances and our biggest disappointment is that we've seen two fights and we haven't seen the pretty ring girls yet.

Frazier vs. Griffin

Back to boxing in the third match where we saw two Las Vegans, Johnny Frazier (2-0) and Rynell Griffin (3-1) meet in the 132# division. There were several close rounds in an action packed four rounder. Griffin was the agressor taking the action to his opponent, while Frazier was content to block his attacks and counter with jarring blows. We didn't see a lot of defense in this bout with both giving and taking a lot of shots from the other so each of their fans was pleased with their fighters efforts. After four rounds it went to the judges score cards for a decision where Dick Houck scored it 39-37 for Frazier, and Judges Lisa Giampa and CJ Ross score it 38-38 for a Majority Draw.

Garcia vs. Tapia

Next up was more boxing, where Ignacio Garcia (1-1-1) of Riverside, CA took on Isauro Tapia (1-0-1) of Huntington Park, CA. In a pretty one-sided match Garcia controlled the action as the agressor. He landed first keeping Tapia off balance most rounds and he landed more often After four rounds Dick Houck scored it 40-36, while Judges Dave Moretti and CJ Ross had it 39-37 for Garcia to advance him in the 142 pound division.

Soares vs Dietmeyer

MMA fighters Chad Dietmeyer (5-0) and Leonardo Soares (3-3) were up next in the 155 pound division. This was a close match of contrasting styles full of good punches, fast take downs, solid kicks and brutal mat action. After three rounds of nonstop action All three judges Patricia Morse Jarman, Glenn Trowbridge, and Junichiro Kamijo all scored the match 29-28 for Chad Dietmeyer who remains undefeated.

Mendes vs. Medina

In the final boxing match of the night Paul Mendes (1-0) of Bakersfield, CA took on Victor Medina of Los Angeles who was making his professional debut. For boxers with so little professional experience it was a pretty good match but Mendes showed a little more skill and kept Medina on the defense most of the fight. Late in the fourth, Mendes landed a quick left-right combination that dropped Medina in his corner. He stayed on his hands and knees until Referee Jay Nady reached the ten count at 2:59 of the round giving Mendes the KO victory.

Fletcher vs. Roberto

The last match of the night pitted Jamie Fletcher (7-4) of Fullerton, CA against Walter Roberto (6-4) of Huntington Beach, CA. in a 180 pound MMA bout. Three rounds of competitive fighting ended the night in good fashion when all three judges scored the match 29-28 for Fletcher who advances to the semi finals of the tournament.

April 18, 2009

Showtime Championship Boxing In Primm

by: Steven Robinson

Friday night the Star of the Desert Arena was the scene of a WBA Featherweight title bout between Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa and Venezuelan Jose Rojas. Typically boxers draw fans of their same ethnicity and so it was in Primm where most of Southern Nevada's Cuban American fight fans showed up to see the former Olympic Gold Medalist Gamboa fight for his first professional title. But the turn out was disappointing, maybe because there aren't many Venezuelan fight fans in the area who would turn out to cheer on his opponent from Caracas.

Main Event - Gamboa vs. Rojas

With the WBA Featherweight Title on the line, we expected a war from two young fighters vieing for glory. Unfortunately, we got a one sided, uneventful fight that seemed to drag on for eternity. Gamboa (14-0, 12 KO's) dominated the action from the opening bell, using his speed and superior boxing skills to control the action, often stepping back to admire his work after landing a blow. Rojas, on the other hand, was never able to generate much offense spending most of his time covering up. By the end of the third round, Rojas" right eye was nearly closed and in the 5th Rojas was down briefly for an eight count but continued. Finally in the tenth round of this one-sided but uninspiring match, Gamboa mounted a flurry of punches and Referee Russell Mora evidently felt that Rojas was unable to defend himself and stepped in and stopped the bout. From ringside it was not apparent the Rojas was hurt, but neither he nor his corner protested the stoppage and Gamboa gets a TKO at 1:31 of the round and gains the WBA Featherweight title. When the bout was stopped, Gamboa was way ahead on all three scorecards 90-80, 90-81 and 89-81.

Co-Feature - Aydin vs. Ouali

The other featured bout was also ethnically diverse, pitting Selcuk Aydin of Germany via Turkey and Said Ouali of Las Vegas via Morocco both entering the ring carrying the flags of their homelands. Once again, not many local Turkish or Moroccan fight fans in the area turned out to see their countrymen, but Ouali trains locally and had some Las Vegas support. The Welterweights were fighting a WBC Eliminator to move up in the standings in order to vie for a future title. Aydin (17-0, 14 KO's) took the posture of the agressor from the opening bell while Ouali (25-2, 17 KO's) chose to hang on the ropes and counter punch. This was a very competitive fight with both landing clean blows throughout the fight; Aydin constantly trying to break through Oali's defense and Oali breaking free and countering. For twelve rounds there was plenty of back and forth action with each landing solid shots but neither was able to take control of the fight. Just when it looked like one was going to take over, the other would come back and gain the edge. Aydin was penalized one point for a low blow in the sixth round. At the conclusion it went to the judges score cards where it became evident that there were several close rounds in a fight that was difficult to score. Judge Robert Hoyle scored it 115-112 for Aydin, Judge Adelaid Byrd had it 114-113 for Ouali and Judge Jerry Roth scored it 116-111 for Aydin giving the Turk the Split Decision victory. Oali's local fans expressed their disappointment in the decision.

Undercard

In another close fight Christian Pawlak (10-3, 5 KO's) of Germany won a Split Decision over Ivan Stoval (10-3, 7 KO's) of Pomona, CA. Scores were 59-55 for Stoval and 59-55, 58-56 for Pawlak.

In a battle of Las Vegas Jr Welterweights, Jesse Vargas (4-0, 2 KO's) won a Unaimous Decision over Anthony Lenk (5-0, 3 KO's).

In the opening bout two boxers without a victory battled for their first win. Jose Pacheco (0-5-5)of Los Angeles edges out Mario Gonzales (0-2-1) of Las Vegas for his first win.

April 17, 2009

Hatton . Pacquiao Undercard Announced

by:

HUMBERTO SOTO, JAMES KIRKLAND, MATT KOROBOV and ERISLANDY LARA HEADLINE PACQUIAO-HATTON PAY-PER-VIEW UNDERCARD

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (April 17, 2009) -

A world championship battle between north and south will highlight the May 2 pay-per-view undercard for Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton: "The Battle of East and West." World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Featherweight Champion HUMBERTO SOTO of Mexico will defend his title against Canadian contender BENOIT GAUDET. The pay-per-view broadcast will also feature undefeated top-rated junior middleweight contender JAMES KIRKLAND, risking his rating and record when he takes on MIKE WALKER, former two-time world amateur champion and Russian Olympian MATT KOROBOV facing RODRIGO AGUIAR and former world amateur champion, Cuban southpaw ERISLANDY LARA against CHRIS GRAY. Combined, these eight gladiators have a combined record of 135-20-4 (84 KOs), an 85% winning percentage.

Humberto Soto (47-7-2, 30 KOs), from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, is making his second title defense since capturing the vacant title last December, winning a dominating 12-round unanimous decision over Francisco Lorenzo. Soto successfully defended the title on March 28, stopping Antonio Davis in the fourth round. Benoit Gaudet (20-1, 7 KOs), from Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, is riding a two-year, 11-bout winning streak. He has held the North America Boxing Association (NABA) super featherweight title since July 2008 when he defeated Jhohnny Antequera via a 12-round unanimous decision. He's currently world-rated No. 9 by the WBC

One of the most electrifying contenders in boxing, James Kirkland (25-0, 22 KOs) of Austin, TX has only gone the distance once in his last 17 fights. Even more impressive is the fact that he has only gone past the fourth round twice during his entire professional career. He returns to the ring fresh from his sixth-round knockout of former world title challenger Joel Julio on March 7. Kirkland's impressive performances have catapulted him up the world rankings where he is rated No. 1 by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) at junior middleweight. He'll be taking on Mike Walker (19-1-2, 12 KOs), from Chicago, who returns to the ring after defeating two-time world title challenger Antwun Echols on October 3, 2008. They'll be fighting in a 10-round middleweight bout.

Matt Korobov (4-0, 4 KOs), a native of Orotukan, Russia, trains in Florida under the watchful eye of two-time Trainer of the Year Dan Birmingham. The tall, very skilled middleweight is known for his excellent combinations and power. In his last fight, he stopped Cory Jones in the fourth round of their February 21 fight at Madison Square Garden. Facing Korobov will be Rodrigo Aguilar (5-4, 3 KOs), who hails from Las Vegas and is known for his rugged style. They'll be fighting in a four-round middleweight bout.

Considered to be one of the finest prospects to come out of Cuba's famed amateur boxing system, Erislandy Lara (4-0, 3 KOs) captured a World Amateur Championship in 2005 and was expected to capture a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics before he defected from Cuba in a quest to fight professionally. Now living in Germany, Lara has won his last three bouts by knockout, the most recent coming against previously undefeated Keith Gross in February. On May 2, he'll be fighting the far more experienced Chris Gray (11-7, 1 KO), who has won five of his last six bouts, in a four-round junior middleweight bout.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton "The Battle of East and West," presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions, is a 12-round bout for Hatton's IBO and Ring Magazine World Junior Welterweight titles. The fight is also sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines. Remaining tickets, priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300 and $150, can be purchased through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available online at www.mgmgrand.com.

The Pacquiao vs. Hatton pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Pacquiao vs. Hatton fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.

HBO Sports' all-access reality series "PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7," will premiere episode No. 2 in HD, Saturday, April 18 at 10.00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. Episode No. 1 is available on HBO ON DEMAND.

April 16, 2009

Something for Everyone in Primm This Weekend

by: Steven Robinson

Showtime Championship Boxing Friday evening, a combined Boxing and MMA Tournament Saturday night and Lucha Libre Wrestling Sunday afternoon at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm, NV this weekend. Primm Valley Casino Resorts is offering inexpensive entertainment all weekend in an unusual combination of boxing, MMA and wrestling to give every sports fan a reason to take the 45 minute drive out to Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino.

Cuban born lightweight sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa (14-0, 12 KO's) will take on Venezuelan Jose Rojas (25-6-1, 17 KO's) for the WBA Featherweight title. Gamboa, 2004 Olympic Flyweight Gold Medalist with 250 amateur bouts under his belt, is fighting for his first professional title. Oddsmakers today had Gamboa a -1525 favorite over Rojas who came in at +675. In the co-feature a WBC Welterweight Eliminator bout will be fought between Selcuk Aydin (17-0, 14 KO's) of Germany and Said Ouali (25-2, 17 KO's) of Las Vegas. Both bouts will be televised on Showtime but for my money, it's worth the trip to see it live in Primm. There are four other fights on the undercard and the first bell rings at 6:30 pm.

Saturday is the continuation of the World's Collide $175,000 Boxing and MMA Tournament. Roy Englebrecht Events in association with former Champion Fernando Vargas is presenting the second quarterfinal matches in the series that is scheduled to conclude in December with the winner in each division pocketing $10,000. There are three MMA and three boxing matches scheduled for the evening and these up and comers are motivated to make a name for themselves and pocket some real money for the first time in their careers. The first match Saturday starts at 7:00 pm.

Sunday at 2:00 pm sees the return of Lucha Libre Wrestling to Primm. Fun for the kids and those special people who are really into masks.

April 15, 2009

Golden Boy Retires

by: Steven Robinson

Oscar DeLaHoya announced his retirement from professional boxing Tuesday at a press conference in Los Angeles and like everything else in his career, he did it with class.

His dream career began as a teenager when he won all the prizes that amateur boxing could offer; beginning with the National Golden Gloves Featherweight Championship in 1989 and culminating with the Gold Medal at the 1992 Olympics. At the ripe old age of 19 he achieved all that amateur boxing could offer and turned professional.

In a carefully managed pro career he won his first belt in 1994, winning the WBO Super Featherweight Championship from Jimmi Bredah (who?) in his home town of Los Angeles. This was the first of ten championship belts in six weight divisions he would hold during his sixteen years of professional bouts.

His list of opponents is stellar including Jorge Paez, Jesse James Leija, Julio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whittaker, Hector Comacho, Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley, Arturo Gatti, Fernando Vargas, Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Manny Pacquiao. He fought all the best and apparently didn't duck anyone, but most importantly, he fought smart. He, along with his promoters, management and trainers picked his opponents at the right times and at the right price, to get the fights that furthered his career and made money. DeLaHoya earned millions and everyone that surrounded him prospered. In 2001 he formed his own boxing promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions, that quickly rocketed to the top of the industry.

During his career he always surrounded himself with the best people, realizing as most successful people do, that smart people can help you make smart decisions and everyone prospers. From Promoter Bob Arum, trainers Emanuel Steward, Gil Clancy, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and Freddie Roach to Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, all have helped guide his career to the top and keep it going.

Of all his 45 pro fights, the most memorable to me were his defeats. His first loss was a close Majority Decision to Felix Trinidad in 1999, two losses to Shane Mosley (who became a partner in Golden Boy Promotions), and a Split Decision loss to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Also the perfect body blow from Bernard Hopkins (another Golden Boy partner) in 2004 and the terrible beating at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in 2008. To my memory he took these losses like a man, didn't make excuses and congratulated his opponents, continuing to be an example of the best of the best in the sport.

He keeps his personal life private but appears to be well grounded with his wife and family. No tabloid headlines of bad behavior, in or out of the ring, sharing much of his fortune with worthy causes and living the life of a man who inspires so many to work hard, to achieve and excel at whatever you do.

We will miss Oscar DeLaHoya in the ring, but he's still a major player in the sport through his Golden Boy Promotions company and we expect he'll be guiding many young fighters along the career path in which he excelled. Like the rest of his career, the decision to stop boxing was the right thing to do at this time for Oscar and the sport of boxing. We wish him well and thank him for what he has done for the sport.

April 11, 2009

Williams Punishes Wright

by: Steven Robinson

As predicted, Paul "The Punisher" Williams dominated Ronald "Winky" Wright in a 12 round Middleweight bout tonight at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Williams landed twice as many punches and threw five times as many as the often hapless and helpless Wright. Judges Robert Hoyle and Jerry Roth scored it 119-109, while Adelaid Byrd had it 120-108 (as did lvboxing.com) all for Paul Williams.

Two surprises: Wright didn't go down, and Wright actually showed a little offense from time to time, but never enough to win a round. Paul Williams threw nearly a hundred punches every round and kept the veteran off balance throughout the fight. Paul Williams deserves better competition,while Wright should stick to fighting the other old guys.

In the co-main event, Christobal Arreola KO'd Jameel McCline at 2:01 of the fourth. The winning combination was a left uppercut followed by a right, then another left and a big overhand right. McCline tried to get up but was still staggering when Referee Tony Weeks reached the ten count.

Since I stayed home and watched it on TV, no undercard report is available.

April 10, 2009

Willaims vs. Wright Should Be a Snoozer

by: Steven Robinson

The only positive thing I can say about this weekend's fights at Mandalay Bay is that we will have the privilege of seeing contender Paul Williams in action. Williams (36-1, 27 KO's) is an up and comer in the division and will take on Ronald "Winky" Wright(51-4-1, 25 KO's) who's coming off a loss to elder statesman Bernard Hopkins and hasn't fought in 21 months. Williams, who clearly has a chance at a bright future, has wins against Antonio Margarito, Carlos Quintana and Sharmba Mitchell. At 27 years old we expect to see many more big fights in William's career, hopefully against more worthy opponents. Wright, on the other hand, has a reputation for being an unexciting boxer, and that was when he was in his prime.

The co-main event is headlined by undefeated and untested Heavyweight Chris Arreola (26-0, 23 KO's) against Jameel "Past His Time" McCline (23-9-3, 23 KO's)- another bout whose result is predetermined with and up and comer against a down and outer. There are eight other fights on the undercard but they are not televised and nobody shows up at the arena to watch them anyway unless they are family.

Besides the lack of good competition, the event is being held at Mandalay Bay, a second tier arena that may hold 8,000 and HBO is broadcasting it free to subscribers because they know nobody going to buy this one on Pay-Per-View. If you don't have HBO at home, go to your local sports bar with some Pals and watch the TV bouts where the beer is reasonably priced. If you must go, rumor has it that Mandalay Bay is comping tickets to anybody who bets there regularly and giving free tickets to employees. If you have a friend who works there ask them to get you in for free.

April 7, 2009

Undercard for Wright vs. Williams

by:

LOS ANGELES, April 6  Before world champion Paul The Punisher Williams and Winky Wright enter the ring on Saturday, April 11th to battle it out at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, three of boxings up and comers will look to impress ringside observers as they continue their move up the boxing ranks.

In a super middleweight bout scheduled for four rounds, 2008 United States Olympian Shawn Estrada (3-0, 3 KOs) will look to keep his knockout streak intact when he battles Las Vegas hometown favorite Thomas Rittenbaugh (3-2-2). A six round junior welterweight bout will see Mike Dallas Jr. (6-0-1, 1 KO) take on another local Las Vegas fighter, Terrance Jett (4-12-2, 2 KOs), and unbeaten super bantamweight Rico Ramos (8-0, 5 KOs) puts his perfect record on the line against Gino Escamilla (5-4-1, 2 KOs) of Laredo, Texas.

These bouts are part of a nine-bout undercard headlined by the 12 round middleweight fight between the Most Avoided Fighter in Boxing, Winky Wright against the Most Feared Fighter in Boxing, Paul Williams. HBO will open the broadcast with the most significant step in the career of the undefeated heavyweight Cristobal Arreola when he faces the very dangerous former four-time world title challenger Jameel Big Time McCline.

The event is being presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Goossen Tutor Promotions and Winky Promotions with the Arreola vs. McCline bout being presented by Goossen Tutor in association with Don King Productions. HBO World Championship Boxing will air live beginning at 10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT.

One of the most inspirational stories to emerge from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, U.S. team member Shawn Estrada is continuing to inspire people as a professional with the talent and down-to-earth attitude. A 24-year old with concussive power and an unyielding determination in the ring, Estrada has knocked out each of his pro opponents in the first round, with the longest going just 1:41 into the round. Rittenbaugh believes he can stop Estrada in his tracks on April 11th.

Just 22 years old, Mike Dallas Jr. of Bakersfield, California, is 6-0-1 as a professional a career he followed his father into, Mike Dallas, Sr. The Jackie Kallen-Prentiss Byrd managed fighter is a former amateur standout with an exciting fan friendly style, and he plans on making more fans when he makes his Las Vegas debut.

A native of Pico Rivera, California, 21-year old Rico Ramos burst onto the professional scene after a stellar amateur career and has continued the success with an undefeated record of eight wins and 5 knockouts. Another aggressive offensive minded fighter, Ramos prides himself with a style built on combination punching. After having all eight pro fights in 2008, Ramos is set to begin his 2009 campaign on one of the biggest boxing shows of the year this Saturday.

Tickets priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50 are on sale now at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smiths 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 will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

April 5, 2009

Nevada State JO Tournament

by: Steven Robinson

The Nevada State Junior Olympic and Under 16 All Comers Boxing Tournament was held Saturday Night at the Mesquite Boxing Club in Mesquite, NV.

Tournament winners advance to Regional Championships to be held April 25-26, 2009 at Henderson PAL Gym on Henderson, NV. The results were as follows:

65 Bantam Daniel Diaz (Steele Boxing) over Hector Garcia (Reno Jets) - RSC

75 Bantam Jacob Strickland (Reno Jets) - Unopposed

70 Junior Cory Connor Jr (Barry's Boxing) - Unopposed

80 Junior Chaz Lucero (Henderson PAL) over Roberto Almazan (Arce) - Points

145 Junior Josue Vasquez (Reno Jets) - Unopposed

90 Intermediate - Cesar Quinonez (LV Elite) - Unopposed

101 Intermediate - Kevin Pimentel (Barry's) - Unopposed

106 Intermediate - Kevin Davis (Arce) over Francisco Esparza (Center Ring) - Points

101 Senior Salvador Lopez (Steele Boxing) - Unopposed

110 Senior Jovani Diaz (LV Elite) - Unopposed

114 Senior Ismoel Navarrette (Steele Boxing) - Unopposed

125 Senior Isaac Castanweda (Center Ring) over Jesus Martinez (Barry's) - Points

132 Senior Alexis Valencia (Reno Jets) - Unopposed

138 Senior Joschua Loftis (Henderson PAL) over Phillip Fray (Barry's) - Points

165 Senior Evan Richardson (Reno Jets) - Unopposed

Off Tournament Bouts

Jacob Strickland (Reno Jets) over Cory Conner (Barry's) - Points

Jovanni Diaz (Elite) over Ismael Navarette (Steele's) - Points

Humberto Rubalcava (Westminster CA) over Salvador Lopez (Steele's) - Points

Jatic Gonzalez (Mesquite Boxing) over Chris Guerra (Center Ring) - Retirement

Isaac Aquino (Barry's) over Christian Michael (Steele's) - RSC

Sergio Lopez (Center Ring) over Yosigey Rimires (Tocco's) - Points

Tofi Travis (The Rock) over Isiah Allen (Evan's Studio) - RSC

April 1, 2009

New Boxing Santioning Body

by: Steven Robinson

At a press conference today in his home town of Atlanta, GA, 46 year old former Heavyweight Champion Evander Hollyfield announced the formation of the World Senior Boxing Association. The WSBA, boxing's answer to the Champions Golf Tour, will be open to any boxer over 40 years old who is still able to get through the ropes unassisted while climbing into the ring. Hollyfield's spokesman, Floyd Mayweather Sr. stated that this sanctioning body will not require physicals or drug testing and all matches will be held in Tennessee where state regulators will get a piece of the action. Scoring of Championship matches will be done on the five point must system (because it's easier to count that high on one hand), and Championship fights will last for a maximum of six rounds. Spokesman Mayweather went on to state that "My guy will kick your guy's ass!!" When asked who he was training, Mayweather replied, "I don't know yet, but he'll kick f**kin ass."

Next to be introduced was the newly named WSBA Commissioner and Promoter Don King. King, waiving little American flags, stated,'America is a wonderful place to live - land of the free and home of the brave. I've been looking for a way to make money from both ends of this deal for years and now I've found it in the WSBA." King rambled on about nothing for another hour while the press took a nap.

Next up was Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who stated that he was glad help fighters as old as he and King find opponents. Arum stated. "These guys need the money! There's ex-wives, child support, mansions, cars and jewelry to be paid for. Not to mention the cost of medical expense. Viagra isn't cheap you know and after you've taken a few lefts to the nards, you're gonna need it."

HBO announcer Larry Merchant, brought back to announce his peer's fights, said "HBO is excited about the opportunity to broadcast WSBA fights. The boxing public has demonstrated in the past that they are willing to pay a fortune to watch fights where competition is not a factor." Merchant stated that HBO has already had interest from Viagra, Geritol and the AARP as potential sponsors.

Finally former champ Hollyfield was nudged awake from a nap at his seat and assisted to the microphone. Hollyfield stated, "This new boxing league is an opportunity for us guys who believe we still got it." Then he began to drool uncontrollably and was lead back to his seat.

The WSBA is seen as a vehicle for Hollyfield and peers such as Bernard Hopkins (44), Mike Tyson (45) and Oliver McCall (44) to continue their careers and provide more boxing entertainment to the fans who can't forget the good old days.

Happy April Fools Day!

March 30, 2009

Former Champ Oliver McCall to Fight at The Orleans

by: Steven Robinson

Crown Boxing announced today the former Heavyweight Champ Oliver McCall will fight in a Heavyweight match on May 22nd at the Friday Night Fights at The Orleans. The 44 year old former champ with a record of a record of 51-9 with 36 KO's won the WBC Heavyweight title on Sept 1994 when he KO'd Lennox Lewis in the second round in London, England. He followed that fight with a UD victory over Larry Holmes at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. He'll fight on the same card as his son, Elijah who is in his third professional fight. To view McCall's complete record click on his name in our "Schedules" section.

Crown Boxing Inc.

FROM THE BOXING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

ALONG WITH

The Orleans Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Nevada

PRESENTS

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, May 22, 2009

Mardi Gras Ballroom, Doors open 6pm / First bout 7pm.

Featuring IBA Heavyweight Championship (Continental Belt)

The Former WBC Heavyweight Champion Oliver McCall (Ft. Lauderdale, FLA.)

vs.

John Hopoate (Sydney, Australia), the Australian Heavyweight Champion, 11 wins (11 KOs)

Heavyweight Bout

Elijah McCall (Chicago, ILL.) 2-0 (2KOs), making Boxing History as Farther and Son on the same card

vs.

Michael Schultz (Phoenix, AZ.), 4-1 (2 KOs)

Cruiserweight Bout

100% Patrick Liles (Paducah KY.) vs. UNLVs Henry Namauu (Las Vegas, NV.)

In a Cruiserweight Clash

Junior Welterweight Bout

Lawrence Hughes Pro Debut (Chicago, ILL.) vs. Joel Gonzalez (Phoenix, AZ.)

Super Middleweight Bout

Caleb Caldwell (Las Vegas, NV.) Son of Leroy Caldwell former Heavyweight contender

vs

Isiah McFadden (Phoenix, AZ.)

Heavyweight Bout

Carlos Fletes MMA Combatant (Las Vegas, NV.)

vs.

Mike The Plumber Man Goins (Las Vegas, NV.)

Welterweight Bout

Abdon Lozano (Las Vegas, NV.) Undefeated vs. Jorge Alfanso Marquez (Phoenix, AZ.)

Lightweight Bout

Johnny Frazier (Las Vegas, NV.) vs. Pedro Augusta (Tucson, AZ.)

With sensational supporting under card.

(Card subject to Change)

Tickets on sale now at The Orleans Box office at 702-365-7075

Ticket can be purchased for $50 Ringside and $25 Reserved

March 29, 2009

Golden Gloves Regional Championships

by: Steven Robinson

The Golden Gloves Regional Tournament was held Sunday March 29 at the Solver Nugget Casino in N Las Vegas. Teams were present from Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The results were as follows:

106 lbs Marco Rangel (Arizona) over Blake Fazio (Nevada) - Points

112 lbs Jesus Guerrero (Arizona) over Everado Lopez (Washington)-RSC

119 lbs Jesus Magdaleno (Nevada) over Corey Hill (Oregon) - Points

125 lbs Alexis Santiago (Arizona) over Jerrell Barbour (Washington-Points

132 lbs Gabriel Pineda (Oregon) over Bradley Tsosie (Arizona) - Points

141 lbs Jose Benevides (Arizona) over Juan Heraldez (Nevada) - Points

152 lbs Isaac Tadeo (Washington) over Miroslas Lokes (Oregon)- Points

165 lbs Bradley Blankenship (Nevada) over Michael Gavronski (Washington) Pts

178 lbs Shad Cremer (Washington) over Jeremy Cham (Oregon) - Points

201 lbs David Imoesiri (Washington) over Hasim Rahman Jr (Nevada) - Points

201+ lbs Simon Garret (Washington) over Rydell Gipson (Nevada) - RSC

Off Tournament Bout

Joshua Lofton (Henderson PAL) over Phillip Frey (Barry's) - Points

March 29, 2009

Golden Gloves Bout Sheet and Semi-Final Results

by: Steve Robinson

GOLDEN GLOVES REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP BOUTS WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE SUNDAY, MARCH 29TH 2009 AT THE SILVER NUGGET CASINO

Finals Bout Sheet

Blake Fazio vs. Marco Rangel

Nevada 106lbs Arizona

Everado Lopez vs. Jesus Guerrero

Washington 112lbs Arizona

Jesus Magdaleno vs. Corey Hill

Nevada 119lbs Oregon

Alexis Santiago vs. Jerell Barboru

Arizona 125lbs Washington

Gabriel Pineda vs. Bradley Tsosie

Oregon 132lbs Arizona

Juan Heraldez vs. Jose Benavides

Nevada 141lbs Arizona

Miroslav Lokes vs. Isaac Tadeo

Oregon 152lbs Washington

Bradley Blankenship vs. Michael Gavronski

Nevada 165lbs Washington

Shad Cremer vs. Jeremy Cham

Washington 178lbs Oregon

David Imoesiri vs. Hasim Rahman Jr.

Washington 201 Nevada

Rydell Gipson vs. Simon Garret

Nevada 201+ Washington

Golden Gloves Regional Championships Semi-Final Results (the winners from this evenings matches will box in the finals Sunday- listed above)

119lbs Jesus Magdaleno of Nevada won by dec. over Paul Romero, Arizona

125lbs Jerrell Barbour of Washington won by dec. over Antonio Villanueva, Oregon

125lbs Alexis Santiago of Arizona won by dec. over Lesley Walker of Nevada

132lbs Gabriel Pineda of Oregon won by retirement over Taylor Shirley of Washington

141lbs Juan Heraldez of Nevada won by retirement over Abelardo Carranza of Oregon

141lbs Jose Benavidas of Arizona won by retirement over Manuel Dunham of Washington

152lbs Miroslav Lokes of Oregon won by dec. over Luis Borrego of Arizona

152lbs Isaac Tadeo of Washington won by split dec. over Jonathan Candido of Nevada 165lbs Bradley Blankenship of Nevada won by dec. over Mario Tapis of Arizona

201lbs David Imoesiri of Washington won by dec. over Benjamin Folayan of Arizona

210lbs Hasim Rahman Jr. of Nevada won by split dec. over Gerardo Zapata of Oregon

March 26, 2009

Antillon Featured May 1st at Hard Rock

by:

LOS ANGELES, March 25  Unbeaten in 25 fights with 18 knockouts, and ranked in the top five by three of the four major world sanctioning bodies, Maywood, Californias Urbano Antillon has more than earned his right to a major fight on premium cable television or for a world championship, yet the top names at 135 pounds continue to avoid him at every opportunity.

And the soft-spoken Antillon has had enough.

I paid my dues, said the 26-year old. Now I want my shot. I keep seeing fighter after fighter without my credentials getting these big opportunities, and Im tired of it. Im putting out the word to the public right now  Ill fight any of these guys any place at any time, and I will knock any of them out.

A 2000 National Golden Gloves champion who beat former world titleholder Paulie Malignaggi on the way to the crown, Antillon (25-0, 18 KOs) is now in his ninth year as a pro and has torn through his competition, winning the NABO and NABF titles at 130 pounds while scoring big knockout victories over Bobby Pacquiao and Daniel Attah. Currently on an eight fight KO streak, he has his sights firmly set on a world title in 2009.

Id love to fight the winner of the Edwin Valero vs Antonio Pitalua fight, and I hope hell step up, said Antillon of the April 4th bout for the vacant WBC lightweight title. Im not holding my breath though. We offered Vicente Escobedo a fight but he turned it down, and hes just one of many that wont fight me. Thats okay though; Im not going anywhere, and Im just gonna keep doing what I do and eventually I wont be able to be ignored any longer.

Antillon returns to the ring on May 1st at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. He will headline the venues first-ever boxing event against Michigan southpaw Tyrone Fist of Fury Harris.

March 24, 2009

Boxing, MMA and Masked Wrestlers

by:

March 24, 2009

PRIMM VALLEY CASINO RESORTS PRESENTS BATTLE AT THE BORDER I: A TRIPLE THREAT FACE-OFF WEEKEND OF BOXING, MMA AND LUCHA LIBRE WRESTLING

Primm, Nev.  Primm Valley Casino Resorts welcomes an action-packed weekend of boxing, mixed martial arts and lucha libre wrestling Friday, April 17  Sunday, April 19, 2009 at the Star of the Desert Arena in Buffalo Bills Resort and Casino. Tickets can be purchased at www.primmvalleyresorts.com or by calling 1.800.FUN.STOP.

6:30 p.m. Friday, April 17:

SHOWTIME Sports will deliver dangerous and undefeated featherweight Cuban contender Yuriorkis Gamboa (13-0, 11 KOs) in his first world title fight when he meets veteran Jose Rojas (25-6-1, 17 KOs) for the WBA Featherweight World Title in the main event. Plus, Selcuk Aydin from Turkey will fight Las Vegas-based Said Ouali in a 12-round battle for the WBC Welterweight Eliminator. Both fights will be televised nationally on ShoBox: The New Generation. Tickets are available and are $20, $50 and $100. Doors open at 6 p.m.

7 p.m. Saturday, April 18:

Four different weight divisions will be on display during the second installment of Worlds Collide. The eight bout show marks the second of three quarterfinal rounds of this unique fight promotion, integrating professional boxing and mixed martial arts on the same night in the same ring.

The event will feature five Nevada fighters including three from Elko, including Willis Ferguson, Daniel Stenovich and Francesco De Martino, all MMA warriors. From Las Vegas, undefeated boxer Johnny Frazier (2-0) will contend Ronnie Cabili (2-2).

MMA warrior Stenovich from Elko, Nev. (4-1) will meet Tucson's Chad DiMeyers (5-0) and Elko's Ferguson (3-1) will face Huntington Beach's Walter Roberto (3-2). Tickets are available and are $20, $50 and $100. Doors open at 6 p.m.

2 p.m. Sunday, April 19:

The return of Lucha Libre wrestling features 24 wrestlers, including 10 minis; women; three-man, tag-team matches; and legendary wrestlers Super Crazy and Super Parka competing against one another in the tag-team main event. Tickets are available and are $20, $40 and $60. Doors open at 1 p.m.

March 18, 2009

Busy April and May for Las Vegas Boxing

by: Steven Robinson

Smaller venues and amateur boxing along with a mixture of imaginative promoters are taking the place of big-time boxing in Las Vegas. So far in 2009 there has been an obvious lack of championship fights with big name boxers in the Boxing Capitol of the World. The first significant fight in Las Vegas this year will take place on May 2nd when Manny Pacquiao takes on Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with the winner bringing Floyd Mayweather Jr. out of retirement. By this time if year we would expect to have hosted two or three major fight cards but they have gone elsewhere - LA, NY or in Europe. That's OK by me, because the big fights are plenty expensive and good seats get sold out fast so you're better off watching them on PPV. In this economy we're all looking for a bargain, and there are lots of fights at reasonable prices coming up.

The schedule for April and May is jam packed with 6 amateur events and 11 professional fight cards at various venues around town or close by. The Silver Nugget Casino on N Las Vegas Blvd has stepped up to the plate by hosting several amateur competitions in their Events Center. For amateur boxing this is a luxurious venue compared to the small local gyms that normally host events. Roomy and comfortable with good food and beverage along with the amenities provided by the casino, good crowds have been turning out to watch the future stars of boxing hone their skills. The Silver Nugget will host amateur boxing for as little as $10 a seat on March 28-29, and April 18th.

The first fight of any consequence this year will be the Winky Wright vs. Paul Williams fight at Mandalay Bay on April 11th. Wright is making a comeback attempt after last years' loss to Bernard Hopkins while Williams is trying to add another notch to an already impressive string of victories.

The small promoters have always been here nearly every month to put on shows for Las Vegas boxing fans. Crown Boxing schedules 6 or 7 bouts every other month at The Orleans and normally sells out the showroom. Local boxers starting their professional careers are featured along with lesser known boxers from around the country who are trying to step up the ladder to bigger and more profitable stages in their careers. Guilty Boxing, who ran the Orleans shows for several years, is returning to Las Vegas in May for a series of fights at The Plaza Hotel and Casino. Guilty put on quality shows for many years and we are glad to see them return. Roy Englebrecht Events have used the most imagination to put fight cards together. The long time Southern California promoter has combined boxing and MMA and scheduled boxing along with music concerts and lingerie shows to get crowds out to watch the show. So far he appears successful in these ventures and we give him an A for effort.

We publish the events on our "Schedules" page as well as link the major fighters names to their records. Times and ticket info are added as that data becomes available so check out www.lvboxing.com for any event info you need or write us and we'll get back to you.

March 17, 2009

Repeat or Revenge

by: Steven Robinson

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

March 17, 2009

IBF/IBO Light Heavyweight Champ Chad Dawson and former champ Antonio "Magic Man" Tarver held a press conference today to announce their upcoming rematch. The bout will take place May 9th at the new 4000 seat Joint venue at the Las Vegas Hard Rock.

Last October Dawson dominated Tarver at The Palms scoring an easy Unanimous Decision (117-110 X 2 and 118-109) including a last round knock down. In fact the victory was so dominant that the biggest question at today's press conference was "Why are we doing this again?" Promoter Gary Shaw stated that "when everyone else was ducking Dawson, Tarver gave him the chance. Dawson needed the bout to advance in his division to the next level. Since there was a rematch clause in the original contract, Dawson owes Tarver the chance to get his title back." 

Tickets went on sale today from $35 to $250 at www.hardrock.com or www.Ticketmaster.com.

March 15, 2009

Saurday's Fights at PH Postponed

by: Steven Robinson

According to an article in the Las Vegas Review Journal, Saturday's fight card at Planet Hollywood has been postponed until May 16th. According to the article, the promoter was unable to "secure the musical entertainment" for the event. Featured boxers are still expected to appear on the May event date.

My question is, "Who goes to boxing to listen to music anyway?"

March 13, 2009

Cosed Circuit Viewing for Pacquiao v. Hatton

by:

MANDALAY BAY TO HOST CLOSED CIRCUIT VIEWING FOR PACQUIAO VS. HATTON - "THE BATTLE OF EAST AND WEST" Additional MGM MIRAGE Properties To Host Limited Closed Circuit Seats Tickets On Sale Now LAS VEGAS (March 13) - Mandalay Bay will host closed circuit viewing in conjunction with the upcoming "The Battle of East and West" between MANNY "Pac Man" PACQUIAOand RICKY "The Hitman" HATTON. The championship bout, scheduled for Saturday, May 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena, will be produced and distributed by HBO-Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. The Mirage, TI, Monte Carlo, Circus Circus, Luxor and New York-New York also will host a limited number of closed circuit seats. Tickets for the closed circuit telecast are priced at $50, not including handling fees. All seats are general admission and are now on sale at each individual property's box office outlets or by phone with a major credit card at (866) 799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Two of boxing's biggest stars will meet in the ring for what could be the year's biggest boxing event. Five-division world champion MANNY "Pac Man" PACQUIAO and IBO and Ring Magazine World Junior Welterweight champion RICKY "The Hitman" HATTON will fight for Hatton's World Junior Welterweight titles Saturday, May 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Pacquiao vs. Hatton - "The Battle of East and West," a 12-round bout for Hatton's IBO and Ring Magazine World Junior Welterweight titles, is promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines. HBO Sports' acclaimed reality franchise "24/7" will return with the premiere of the four-part series PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7 on Saturday, April 11 at 9.30 p.m. ET/PT.

March 9, 2009

Melinda Cooper Returns 3/21 at Planet Hollywood

by:

An exciting and innovative mix of world championship boxing and world renown musical entertainment align Saturday, March 21, at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., when Roy Englebrecht Events presents in association with American Dream Promotions Rock This Box.

The 12-round main event features Ron Johnson of Las Vegas facing John Johnson of Batesville, Miss., for the World Boxing Foundation vacant light heavyweight championship.

The 10-round semi-main event matches undefeated Melinda Cooper of Las Vegas against Monica Lovato of Albuquerque, N.M., for the International Female Boxing Association vacant bantamweight championship.

Three other Las Vegans also are on the card: undefeated lightweight Sharif Bogere in a six-round bout, super lightweight Josiah Judah in another six-round fight and unbeaten lightweight Johnny Frazier in a four-round match.

The award-winning musical artist will be announced shortly.

Weve taken the best of both world in terms of championship-level boxing and an award-winning musical artist and combined them for a complete night of entertainment, said Roy Englebrecht.

This truly is the case of something for everyone, said Englebrecht. This is an event that is more than boxing and more than music. Its the best of both, and we envision this as just the start of a dynamic, on-going series.

The 23-year-old Ron Johnson has a record of 10-1 with three knockouts while the 28-year-old John Johnson, a southpaw, has a mark of 12-2 with 10 knockouts.

Cooper has a record of 19-0 with 11 knockouts while Lovato, the current International Boxing Association female bantamweight champion, has a mark of 12-1 with four knockouts.

Both Cooper and Lovato are going for a second world championship.

Cooper won the Womens International Boxing Association flyweight champion Jan. 14, 2005, by stopping Anissa Zamarron in the ninth round while Lovato took the IBA bantamweight title July 28, 2007, by decisioning Mariana Juarez.

Judah meets Loren Myers of Fresno, Calif. and Frazier faces Luis Tapia of Compton, Calif. An opponent for Bogere will be determined. Bogere has a record of 6-0 with three knockouts. The 20-year-old, managed by Las Vegan Jimmy Alex, is one of the most highly regarded lightweight prospects in the world.

Judah has a record of 9-1-1 with two knockouts while Myers has a mark of 7-4 with two knockouts.

Frazier has a record of 2-0 with two knockouts while Tapia has a mark of 1-2 with no knockouts.

March 7, 2009

Crown Boxing Friday Night Fights

by: Steven Robinson

Another packed house for Friday Night Fights at The Orleans as local boxing fans turned out in force to witness a night of fights featuring mostly Heavyweight boxers. And they were not disappointed as we saw a good mix of well matched fighters with diverse styles who gave it all they had to put on a great show for the crowd.

The opener was the first Heavyweight match of the night featuring two former MMA standouts in their boxing debut. Carlos Fletes of Las Vegas and Beau Tribolet of Tucson, AZ chose to show boxing fans that MMA fighters can embrace the "sweet science" of boxing in a four round contest. The combatants weighed in at 232 and 243 pounds respectively. Fletes brought a good crowd of local friends and fans to cheer him on as he got off to a quick start in the first rocking Tribolet when he got him in the corner with some solid head shots. Tribolet weathered the attack and came back to get in some solid licks of his own late in the round. The second was a closer round that saw both score solid blows but Tribolet was a little more aggressive and scored more often. Tribolet had an aggressive start in the third but faded allowing Fletes to gain control of the round rocking Tribolet's head late in the round. In the final round these guys were nearly spent and they both appeared to barely be able to lift their arms, but they never gave up and the crowd cheered with every blow that each landed expecting someone to crumble from exhaustion. But they both made it to the final bell and it went to the judges scorecards where Glenn Trowbridge scored it 39-37 for Fletes, while Adelaide Byrd and CJ Ross saw it 38-38 for a Majority Draw. There was no argument from the boxers or the crowd as these guys put on a great show of determination in a contest they both deserved to win.

Next up were Featherweights Brian Battease (3-0-1, 1 KO) of Las Vegas via Hawaii and Isaac Hidalgo (2-3) of Tucson, AZ. Both weighed in at 124 pounds. The first round got off to a fast start as they got right down to business. Hidalgo started a relentless attack ignoring Battease's blows and charging forward in an attack on the body. Battease countered effectively, sidestepped the attacks and landed the cleaner blows. There were more punches in the first round than we saw in four rounds of the first fight. The action didn't let up in the second as Hidalgo pursued his attack showing a great chin but little defense. Battease lands often and hard while backing up. Both continued to awe the crowd in the final two rounds with their unending battle where neither let up for three minutes of every period. Hidalgo never quit punching despite catching the full force of Battease's blows. Battease rocked Hidalgo in the forth with three big rights in a row that snapped his head but he kept his feet and finished with both hands still punching. After four rounds of unending action all three judges scored the match 40-36 for Brian Battease who remains undefeated. Kudos to Hidalgo for a valiant effort in a match that was closer that the final score indicates.

Light Heavyweights DeMark Scott and Caleb Caldwell, both of Las Vegas, met in a rematch of a January 30th fight that Scott won by Unanimous Decision. They weighed in at 174 and 175 pounds. They got off to a cautious start in the first until the 10 seconds to go mark when Caldwell staggered Scott with a huge right. Scott managed to hang on until the bell and wobble back to his corner. That must have awakened Scott because he was sharp in the second and rocked Caldwell with a counter left over a lazy jab early in the round and beat Caldwell to the punch for the remainder. Caldwell started the third with three quick rights causing Scott's knee to touch. Referee Russell administered an eight count and Scott came back to rock Caldwell with a couple of good shots of his own. The final round began with Caldwell rocking Scott with several head shots with both hands. A clearly hurt Scott lost his mouthpiece in the exchange and Referee Mora paused the fight to allow it to be reinserted. After the break Caldwell didn't pursue his advantage and Scott recovered and landed three big blows to Caldwell's head, the last dropping him to the canvas. Mora began the count as Caldwell struggled to his feet but the Referee looked the dazed Caldwell in the eyes and waived off the bout. Scott gets a TKO at 2:34 of the final round in a back and forth battle that thrilled the crowd.

Next up were Heavyweights Elijah McCall (2-0, 2 KO's), son of former Heavyweight champ Oliver, and Alvaro Morales (3-3-4) of Las Vegas. McCall weighed in at a fit 224 pounds while Morales carried 300 pounds into the ring. McCall used a jackhammer jab to rock Morales head early in the first. Morales moved inside and held on for the remainder of the round staying away from McCall's power. Morales had a surprisingly good second landing a series of three rights that rocked McCall's head. The highlight of the round was a McCall missed punch that saw him soar past Morales, bounce off the ropes then duck under a Morales counter similar to a scene from the WWF. Morales continued to frustrate McCall in the third by staying in tight. McCall kept looking to his corner for answers while Morales used his weight and guile to push the younger man around. McCall managed to put some offense together in the forth but was unable to hurt a slippery Morales. Morales showed good defense but little offensive production. After for rounds Judge Lefkowitz scored it 40-36 for McCall and Judge CJ Ross scored it 39-37 for Morales. Judge Paul Smith saw it 38-38 so Alvaro Morales adds another draw to his record and leaving McCall scratching his head for answers.

Welterweights Abdon Lozano (4-0, 1 KO) of Las Vegas and Henry Mitchell (8-8-1, 1 KO) of Glendale, CA were up next. The first started quickly with both determined to set a fast pace. In non-stop action Lozano landed to more effective blows but Mitchell never quit swinging nor slowed. Lozano was even more effective in the second landing everything he threw and landing hard. I don't know what kept Mitchell on his feet as he absorbed some wicked shots. Mitchell moved in tight in the third and worked Lozano's body while Lozano seemed to take a breather. The forth was close as both appeared to tire but they fought hard until the closing bell. Judge Ricardo Ocasio scored it 40-36; while Judges Byrd and Trowbridge saw it 39-37 all for Abdon Lozano who wins a Unanimous Decision in a hard fought battle.

In the co-feature, popular local Heavyweight Henry Namauu (3-2), who entered the ring to the UNLV fight song lead by cheerleaders, took on Victor Barrgan (9-4-2) of Oxnard, CA who won an exciting Majority Decision last month over Patrick Liles. Namauu began by controlling the action with a quick jab and left-right combinations. With a minute remaining Barragan backed him into a corner and worked him over with lefts and rights to the head. Henry tries to assert his strategy again in the second but Barragan is able to corner him again and work him over with more powerful blows. Barragan dominated the third rocking Namauu several times while Henry seemed to abandon his speed and boxing skills in an fruitless attempt to slug it out. Henry starts the forth boxing again but quickly lands in the corner where Barragan peppers him again. The pattern continued into the fifth with Namauu starting out good but fading, allowing Barragan to hit him hard and often. Namauu finally took control of a round against a tiring Barragan in the last landing his best blows of the night but he didn't have enough left to put Barragan down and out which is what he would need to win. After six rounds Judges Ross, Ocasio and Smith all scored the bout 58-56 for Victor Barragan in a one sided but none-the-less exciting contest.

The main event was the final Heavyweight bout of the night in an IBF eliminator featuring Nicolai Firtha (15-4-1, 7 KO) of Akron, OH and Vili Bloomfield (9-3-1, 4 KO) of Seattle, WA. Although both weighed in nearly equal at 243 and 246 respectively, Firtha stood a head taller and appeared to have a significant reach advantage. In a disappointing end to an exciting night of boxing, Firtha dominated Bloomfield for six rounds in a one-sided predictable match. Bloomfield demonstrated a great chin in absorbing Firtha's best shots but was unable to generate any meaningful offense of his own. After six rounds all three judges scored the match 60-54 for Nicolai Firtha who notches a Unanimous Decision victory.

March 5, 2009

Heavyweights Friday at The Orleans

by: Steven Robinson

Four of seven bouts Friday night by Crown Boxing at The Orleans will be Heavyweight matches. When we remember the great fighters of the past, most of them have been the heavyweights - they are the names that dominate boxing history. From Sullivan and Corbett to Ali and Foreman, including Dempsy, Louis, Patterson, Holmes, Spinks, Tyson and Lewis: all names etched in history that we all recognize, know and honor. In recent years weve been lucky to get one Heavyweight bout on a card as most matches have been dominated by the lower weights. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with the lighter guys, but there's something special about the power that's behind the punch of a heavyweight. When the big guys land a clean punch there's a jarring reverberation that's felt throughout an arena that makes many wince and draws a collective groan from the crowd. It's as if we can all feel the power of the brain jarring contact that causes knees to wobble, heads to snap around and sweat and spit to fly across the ring. These are the moments that get the boxing fans out to the arena and the memories they cherish.

Friday night we hope to see some more memories created as Nicolai Firtha of Akon, Ohio takes on takes on Vili The Tongan Warrior Bloomfield of Everett, WA in the feature bout that is an IBA elimination bout. Firtha (14-4-1, 7 KO's) said at a press conference Wednesday, "I'm a fighter. When you get in the ring with me, your gonna do hard time." Bloomfiield (9-3-1, 4 KO's) has over 100 amateur fights under his belt.

In a co-feature former UNLV collegiate champ Henry Namauu coming off a January victory over Eric Bozan takes on Victor Barrigan who defeated Patrick Liles on the same card in a memorable majority decision victory. Elijah McCall, who won by a first round KO in January, takes on local heavy Alvaro Morales and two former MMA fighters Carlos Fletes and Beau Tribolet make their boxing debuts. The night is rounded out by two almost heavies Caleb Calwell and DeMark Scott in a rematch, Welterweights Abdon Lozano and Henry Mitchell and Featherweights Brian Battease and Isaac Hidalgo.

The Orleans Sports book promises to offer betting on the main event but odds were not available as of Wednesday. A few tickets are available at $25 reserved seats and $50 ringside but if you want to sit call the Orleans Box office at (702) 365-7075 to get your ticket or your likely to get SRO only.

March 2, 2009

Amateur Boxing Fills The Weekend

by: Steven Robinson

It was an outstanding weekend for amateur boxing in Las Vegas where we saw over 30 fights at two venues and throngs of friends, family and fans turned out to see the boxers give their best efforts to demonstrate the skills they are learning in local boxing gyms. Spectators saw everything from good boxing to outstanding KO's to kids just having fun in an excellent display of amateur pugilism. Saturday evening Steele Boxing hosted matches in their gym and Sunday North Las Vegas Center Ring Boxing put on bouts at the Silver Nugget Casino. The results were as follows:

Steele Boxing 2/28/09

Anthony Reyes (Cochella) over David Diaz (Steele's) - Points

Bradley Gutierrez (Steele's) over Anthony Brown (Mesquite) - Points

Ryan Caballero (Cochella) over Francisco Esparza (Center Ring) - Points

Sal Lopez (Steele's) over Arturo Vargas (Cochella) - Points

Kyron Butler (Unattached) over Jaymiris Estrella (Steele's) - RSC

Leslie Walker (Steele's) over Randy Caballero (Cochella) - Points

Brian Gonzales (Unattached) over Kevin Nelsman (Steele's) - RSC

Gerald Smith (Unattached) over Elmer Rivera (Mesquite) - Points

Taylor Larson (Steele's) over Sefedin Zenuni (Elite) - Points

Eric Jordan (Steeles) over Alex DeHaven (Elite) - Points

Yul Abragon (Center Ring) over Steven Linser (SoCal) - RSC

Oleg Gladchenko (Outlaws) over Lanell Bellows (Steele's) - Points

Silver Nugget 3/01/09

Marlon Velasco (Tune Up USA) over Justin Aleman (LA Boxing)- Points

Ramiro Rosas (Cochella) over Chaz Lucero (Henderson PAL) - Points

Marcus Marks (Henderson PAL) over Abraham Casillo (Cochella) - Points

Yul Abragon (Center Ring) over Guadelupe Salcedo (Cochella) - Walkover

Alexander Gomez (Center Ring) over Mauricio Aguire (Henderson PAL) - Pts

Steven Munox (Mohave Valley) over Kevin Pimentel (Barry-s) - RSC

Francisco Esparza (Center Ring) over Salvador Lopez (Steele's) - Points

Deyon Christie (Barry's) over Carlos Bautista (Steeles) - RSC

Chris Guerra (Center Ring) over Val Breau (Barry's)- RSC

Hector Falcon (LA Boxing) over Pedro Tarango (Henderson PAL) - RSC

Alonzo Gomez (Center Ring) over Carlos Casillo (Barry's) - Retirement

Jose Ortega (Mohave Valley) over Miguel Romero (LA Boxing) - RSC

Phillip Fray (Barry's) over Gabriel Ortiz (Steele's) - RSC

Taylor Larson (Steele's) over Jose Macias (Mohave Valley) - Points

Jose Boroquez (Mohave Valley) over David Braden (Barrys) - Retirement

Bricen Vasques (LA Boxing) over Erik Ramos (Tocco's) - Points

Brandon Everett (Mesquite) over Jorge Prieto (Mohave Valley) - RSC

Timothy Evans (Barry's) over Daniel Truglio (Tocco's) - RSC

Rydell Gipson (Barry's) over Estaban Palma (LA Boxing) - Retirement

Jesus Gutierrez (Tocco's) over Kyron Butler (Unattached)- Points

Leslie Walker (Steele's) over Mike Santomaoro (Genesis) - Points

February 19, 2009

Tarver v.Dawson Calceled

by: Steven Robinson

Per an article in today's Las Vegas Review Journal,the March 14th rematch between Antonio Tarver and IBF Light Heavyweight title holder Chad Dawson has been canceled. Evidently, Dawson suffered a hand injury in training and will be unable to fight on that date.

Those purchasing tickets by internet or telephone will be refunded, and those who bought tickets through Ticketmaster or at The Palms box office must return there for a refund.

Promoter Gary Shaw stated that he hoped to reschedule the fight at The Palms at a later date.

February 17, 2009

Orleans March 6th Card Announced

by:

Crown Boxing Inc.

FROM THE BOXING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

ALONG WITH

BUDWEISER THE GREAT AMERICAN LAGER

metroPCS Unlimit Yourself

AND

The Orleans Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Nevada

PRESENTS FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS March 6, 2009

Mardi Gras Ballroom, Doors open 6pm / First bout 7pm.

FEATURING IBA Heavyweight Elimination Bout

Nicolai "The Stoneman" Firtha 6'5" 245 lbs.

From Akron, Ohio travels west to Las Vegas, NV

This Heavyweight packs a punch with great potential.

He will be meeting

Vili "The Tongan Warior" Bloomfield From Seattle, Washington

This Warrior made several trips to the U.S. Nationals

Winning a bronze medal in 1998

Victor Barragan 9-4-0 will meet UNLV's Henry Namauu in a Co-Featured Heavy weight battle.

This match is as even as it gets- FIREWORKS!!!

Brian Batease undefeated from Las Vegas 3-0-1 will meet

Isaac Hidalgo from Tucson, Arizona

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT REMATCH

Demark Scott (Las Vegas) will meet

Caleb Caldwell (Las Vegas) son of Leroy Caldwell former Heavyweight contender.

Carlos Fletes from Las Vegas, NV vs. Beau J. Tribolet from Phoenix, AZ

Featuring Elijah McCall 2-0 (2KO's) son of Former Heavyweight Champ Oliver McCall

Will match up against Alvaro Morales of Las Vegas, NV

With sensational supporting under card.

February 16, 2009

Wright vs. Williams

by:

WINKY WRIGHT AND PAUL WILLIAMS SET TO BATTLE

AT MANDALAY BAY ON APRIL 11

HBO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING TO TELEVISE

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

Tickets on Sale Friday, February 13!

LOS ANGELES, February 12  What happens when two of boxings most feared superstars cant find anyone willing to step up and face them? They fight each other. On Saturday, April 11th, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, former Junior Middleweight World Champion Winky Wright will look to stop the meteoric rise of two-division World Champion Paul The Punisher Williams in a 12 round middleweight bout that is destined to land the winner on the list of boxings best, pound-for-pound.

Tickets priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50 go on sale Friday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smiths 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 will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Im excited to see these two great fighters squaring off at Mandalay Bay on April 11th, said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. I know that when two great champions like Winky and Paul fight each other, they are always determined to deliver the types of performances that will thrill fight fans.

Its an exciting time for our sport, said Dan Goossen, President of Goossen Tutor Promotions. Paul Williams, the "Most Feared Fighter in the World" against Winky Wright, the "Most Avoided Fighter in the World" showing the world there are no challenges that won't be accepted by real champions. This is the type of fight that will showcase Paul's size, skills and champion's heart which he'll need against the man that has virtually beaten every world champion he has faced."

I have to give credit to Paul for stepping up to the plate, it's about time someone did..., said Chris Lighty, CEO of Winky Promotions. Were excited to get Winky back in the ring and pleased that the time is now here. I'm glad we could make this happen. Paul may be younger, but Wink definitely wants it more.

Wright vs. Williams, a 12 round middleweight bout which is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Goossen Tutor Promotions and Winky Promotions, will air live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT.

These are clearly two of the most avoided fighters in boxing over the last decade and for good reason because they are two of the best, said Kery Davis, senior vice president HBO Sports. This should be a tremendous match up of will and skill.

The name of St. Petersburg, Floridas Winky Wright (51-4-1, 25 KOs) has signified excellence between the ropes for nearly two decades. A former Undisputed Junior Middleweight World Champion who made nine successful defenses of his crown, Wright truly broke through on the world scene in 2004 with back-to-back wins over Sugar Shane Mosley. Not one to rest on his laurels, he moved up to middleweight in 2005 and defeated Puerto Rican superstar Felix Tito Trinidad. Although he would suffer a decision loss to Bernard Hopkins in 2007, the 37-year-old southpaw is rested, determined and hungrier than ever for his April 11th showdown with Williams.

Its been a long time since Ive been this motivated and I cant wait until the bell rings, said Wright. Paul is one of the top young fighters in the game, but he hasnt seen what Ive seen or done what Ive done. This is my time to shine and I wont let this young fighter steal my spotlight.

Despite the fact that hes only 27 years old, Augusta, Georgias Paul Williams (36-1, 27 KOs) has done more in eight years in the pro ring than most have done in an entire career. Owner of world titles at welterweight and junior middleweight, Williams is now chasing after glory at middleweight. If his past wins over Antonio Margarito, Carlos Quintana, Sharmba Mitchell and Vernon Phillips are any indication, the 160-pound weight class had better watch out for The Punisher.

I am glad that the fight is on, said Williams. This fight has got a big name. Wright has taken the titles from Champions and Id love to take his reputation. That would add to my legacy. All I know is that everyone says he has got a good defense and nice jab but that doesnt matter to me  Im going to get mine in. Im gonna whoop him and get in there.

February 15, 2009

Boxing and MMA in Primm

by: Steven Robinson

WORLDS COLLIDE $175,000 BOXING AND MMA TOURNAMENT

I have to admit I'm skeptical as I arrive at Primm Valley Resort's Star of the Desert Arena for a combined boxing and mixed martial arts show. As a boxing writer I've always shunned MMA as "legalized street fighting" for the "sweet science" of boxing. Also today is St. Valentine's Day, and the fights are not exactly what my wife calls a romantic night out. However, nobody can argue with the results MMA has shown at bringing out great crowds and exciting a new generation of fans. Also these are tough times in our economy and an opportunity to see twice the entertainment for a reasonable price is a great deal.

Tonight promoter Roy Englebrecht, two time world boxing champ turned promoter Fernando Vargas and the DeCubas brothers of Arena Box USA have teamed up to not only put on a show where boxers and MMA fighters appear alternately in the same ring, but have committed to a series of six shows where the participants will advance in a tournament where they can win up to $10,000. These are athletes in the beginning of their professional career who ordinarily might never get the chance to fight for this kind of money, people most of us have never heard of but who are being given a chance to make it to the "big time". Also these promoters are mixing two disciplines that have never shared the arena together, at least to my knowledge, here in Nevada or in any other professional promotion.

So tonight we're watching history in the making for both these sports: Boxing and MMA in the same ring and an advancing tournament that will last the remainder of this year. Perhaps fans of each can develop an appreciation for the other sport. If not, perhaps fans of both sports can just enjoy the show and have a good time while the fighters give their best to put on a good show and advance in this tournament. I'll keep an open mind and look forward to the show and anxiously await the fans reaction.

Except for a few scattered seats, most of the Star of the Desert Arena was full of boxing and MMA fans. Most of the fighters were from Las Vegas or California so their friends and families were able to make the drive to Primm, NV to see them "get it on" in the early portion of their quest for the $10,000 in prize money waiting the tournament winners later this year. I was fortunate to be seated next to Mike and Mark from www.Highdesertmma.com so they could explain the highlights of the MMA matches and scoring to me. Honestly, I would have been really upset if they weren't there to explain what a "rear naked choke" was. I, in turn, tried to explain some of the idiosyncrasies of boxing to them.

Quarterfinal Tournament Results

Boxing 132 lbs Richard Ellis defeated Davis Yanez -TKO in the 4th

MMA 135 lbs Sidemar Honario defeated Martin Bautista - Tap out - 2nd Round - Rear Naked Choke

Boxing 142 lbs Yakub Shideav defeated Horacio De Santiago - TKO - 1st

MMA 155 lbs Dominic Verdugo defeated Fernando Bernstein - Un. Dec

Boxing 142 lbs Ignacio Tapia and Isauro Garcia fought to a Draw

MMA 155 lbs Dustin Phillips defeated Jorge Molina - Un. Dec.

Boxing 162 lbs David Tabatabze defeated Herman Scott - TKO - 2nd Rnd

MMA 180 lbs Jorge Lopez defeated Brent Cooper - Un. Dec.

The winners advance in the tournament to fight again. I have no idea what happens to the guys that tied.

In a Special Feature match that was not part of the tournament, Sharif Bogere (5-0) of Las Vegas by way of Uganda took on Carlos Small (2-0) of St. Louis, MO in a Lightweight bout. Bogere was carried to the ring in a metal cage toted by 4 huge semi-naked tribesmen, wearing his signature lion head and skin, to the sounds of jungle drums, lions roars and a really hot singer. Small wore a T-shirt and had his dreadlocks tied in pig tails ala Pippi Longstocking. Tell me you can't see where this match is going. Once the hype was over the fight began by Bogere knocking Small down twice in the first for eight counts. Small took a knee twice more in that round, but Referee Joe Cortez didn't make him take a count. Small survived to be dominated for the remainder of the 4 rounder and even won the last round on two of the judges' cards. The scores were 40-34, and 39-35 twice, all for Bogere who remains undefeated.

Overall the night was a great success. The house was full of fans of both sports, many of the matches were action packed and exciting (except for the draw), and we saw some great young athletes demonstrate their skills. I'm thinking that this night might just be the beginning of something we see a lot of in the future. Boxing and MMA go well with each other even though they are completely separate sports disciplines and I am looking forward to the future matches in this series.

February 4, 2009

Boxing and MMA inthe Same Ring in Primm

by:

TERRIBLE'S PRIMM VALLEY CASINO RESORTS and Roy Englebrecht Events PRESENT Worlds Collide: A $175,000 Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts tournament

No Fame = No Fortune - No Fear - All Fight

(Primm, Nev.) - Terrible's Primm Valley Casino Resorts in association with Roy Englebrecht Events present Worlds Collide, a boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament with bouts sharing the same ring on the same night. The six-show series set for Saturday nights in 2009 will debut at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 in the Star of the Desert Arena at Buffalo Bill's Resort.

"We are excited to combine my great first love, boxing, with MMA at Terrible's Primm Valley Casino Resorts," said president of Worlds Collide Fights, LLC and boxing world champion Fernando Vargas. "Together with my partners, we look forward to putting on many more exciting nights merging the two sports."

The dual sport concept will showcase three weight categories at 130, 150 and 170 pounds, featuring eight professional boxers and eight professional mixed martial arts fighters in each of three weight divisions in a winner take all tournament format. The six Worlds Collide Champions will win a total of $10,000 in prize money, with winners in the quarterfinals winning $2,000, in the semi finals winners receive $3,000, and the six Worlds Collide champions each win $5,000. Quarterfinals are set for Feb. 14, April 18, June 20 and will feature four boxing and four MMA quarterfinal bouts on each of the dates. Winners then advance to the semi finals on Aug. 22 and Oct. 17 with the finalist competing in the Worlds Collide Championship on Dec. 5, 2009. Only fighters with 10 or fewer pro fights and a winning record are eligible to fight in the Worlds Collide Tournament, and fighters who qualify and are interested in being selected need to contact Roy Englebrecht at boxing77@aol.com or 949.760.3131. All competitors in Worlds Collide will be announced in mid January.

"It is a concept geared toward young and exciting boxers and MMA fighters trying to establish themselves," said Englebrecht. "Each of the Worlds Collide shows will feature some of the most talented young fighters in boxing and mixed martial arts from Nevada and California, who will give fight fans nonstop action each and every bout, as these young warriors look to make a name for themselves, giving everything they have in pursuit of the coveted Worlds Collide bracelet. That's why No Fame - No Fortune - No Fear -All Fight, is what Worlds Collide is all about!"

Worlds Collide is at the Star of the Desert arena inside Buffalo Bill's Resort & Casino. Tickets are $20, $35 or $45 and are available online at www.primmvalleyresorts.com or by calling 1.800.FUN.STOP. As part of the complimentary ticket offer from Terrible's Primm Valley Casino Resorts, 500 free tickets will be available for the event at www.primmconcerts.com. Doors open at 6 p.m. on Feb. 14 and the first match is at 7 p.m.

About Terrible's Primm Valley Casino Resorts:

Primm Valley Casino Resorts, located 25 minutes south of Las Vegas on Interstate 15 at the Southern Nevada/California state line, includes Buffalo Bills Resort & Casino, Primm Valley Resort & Casino, Whiskey Petes 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.

January 31, 2009

Friday Night Fights at The Orleans

by: Steven Robinson

Las Vegas boxing fans showed what they were made of tonight at The Orleans when Crown Boxing put on a six card exhibition for their enjoyment. A nearly packed house was disappointed to learn that the main event that was to showcase heavyweight Nicolai Furtha from Ohio was canceled due to an injury to his opponent. The crowd was given the choice to get a refund and leave but nobody did and they were not disappointed in the rest of the nights fights.

Liles vs. Barrigan

The substitute main event was a Cruiserweight affair between undefeated Patrick 100% Liles (7-0-1, 7 KOs) and Victor Barrigan (8-4-0, 2 KOs). All of Liles wins have come by KO, he is trained by Boza Edwards, hes a southpaw, stands a head taller than his opponent and has a reach advantage  all things you would think would help him dominate this fight. Somebody forgot to tell Barrigan. Barrigan was busier in the first, working his way inside past Liles right jab and staying in close away from Liles power. The second was action packed with Liles starting the round strong with double right jabs followed by straight lefts that found their mark. Barrigan came back with some wild but effective rights that rocked Liles. Liles returned the favor with another strong left but Barrigan finished the round strong. The crowd was going wild with all the back and forth action and I was scratching my head trying to figure out who won the round. Liles started the third with a vengeance controlling the shorter Barrigan with his jab but gets caught about mid round with a few more rights and has to hold on to gather himself. Liles got his feet under him and finished strong. The forth was a great round with lots of toe to toe battles in a war where both gave all they had. The jabs disappeared and the blockbuster punches were all they threw. By the end of this round, both were very tired barely able to keep their hands up, but neither went down and nobody quit punching. The war continued for the final two rounds with each giving as much as they took. By the end of six we were sure that neither could go another round because they didnt have anything left. So it went to the judges cards where Judge Jerry Roth saw it as a 57-57 tie. Judges Moretti and Ross however scored it 58-56 for Barrigan who gets a well deserved win in a fight that no one deserved to lose.

Scott vs. Caldwell

The opener featured two young local Cruiserweights DeMark Scott (1-2-1, 1 KO) and Caleb Caldwell (1-3-1, 1 KO). They weighed in at 176and 176 ½ respectively. Caldwell was cruising through the first with a stiff left jab when he got caught with a right that staggered him. He kept his feet and recovered to finish the round strong. For the remainder of the fight Scott used superior hand and foot speed to attack and dance away while Calwell tried to walk him down, most of the time unsuccessfully. After four rounds Judge Paul Smith had it 40-36, while Judges Moretti and Houck saw it 39-37 for DeMark Scott in a Unanimous Decision victory.

Battease vs. Ramos

The only small guys of the night fought next as Featherweight Brian Battease (3-0, 1 KO) of Hawaii took on Hugo Ramos (1-0) of California. Battease weighed in at 123# while Ramos weighed 122. These guys didnt take long to get down to business as Ramos started the fight with a series of left jabs that backed Battease up. Battease answered with a big right and some good body work in a round with lots of back and forth action. Battease settled into attacking and dancing away in the second while Ramos walked forward hopng to brawl. Battease, the boxer, got the best of the round. Battease continued in the third landing 2 and 3 punch combinations , then dancing away while Ramos charged in and threw power shots. Ramos taunted Battease to stand and fight but Battease stuck to his plan. At the end of four rounds, they both had their moments when it went to the judges scorecards and Judge Dave Moretti scored it 39-37 for Battease, while Judges Ross and Roth saw it 38-38 for a Majority Draw.

McCall vs. Banks

Next up were Heavyweights Elijah The Real McCall (1-0) and Yohan Banks (2-1-1). McCall is trained by his father, former Heavyweight Champ Oliver McCall. McCall weighed in at a fit 228 lbs while Banks came in to the fight at 268 lbs. Early in the first McCall put Banks on his backside with a combination of a left and a push but it was called a knockdown and Banks was forced to take an eight count. Shortly thereafter McCall caught Banks with a series of vicious rights as he walked him along the ropes that rocked Banks head and finally put him down and nearly out of the ring. Referee Robert Byrd never began the count waiving off the fight at 2:23 of the first. McCall gets an impressive TKO victory early in his professional career.

Bozan vs. Namauu

Just before the intermission, local Heavyweights Eric Bozan (1-1) and Henry Namauu (2-2) met in a battle of the ages. Bozan, who came in at 251 lbs is 40 years old, while Namauu, at 209 lbs, is 24 years old. Both came with large contingents of friends, fans and families. Bozans contingent from Boes Boxing waived red bandanas when he entered the ring and heartily cheered encouragement throughout the fight. Namauu is a former UNLV amateur Champion and entered the ring to the UNLV fight song. Henry used hand speed to pepper Bozan and foot speed to get out of the way of his lumbering attacks throughout the night. In the first Bozan was staggered by a right and held on until he recovered. In the second Namauus hand speed was too much for Bozan who tried to use his weight advantage to get Namauu on the ropes but when he got him there he was unable to connect. Namauu threw several good left-right combinations in the third that Bozan couldnt see coming and couldnt stop. A frustrated Bozan was having a pretty good fourth round landing a big right that Namauu acknowledged by shaking his head, but Namauu answered with a series of big rights that staggered Bozan and rocked his head several times. Referee Robert Byrd had seen enough and stepped between the fighters stopping the punishment and the fight at 2:09 of the fourth. Henry Namauu gets a TKO victory and shows Bozan why boxing is a young mans sport.

January 29, 2009

Get Paquiao / Hatton Tickets Friday

by:

TICKETS FOR PACQUIAO vs. HATTON MEGA FIGHT

ON SALE TOMORROW!

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE MATCH SET FOR MAY 2 AT MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS, (January 29, 2009) - Early indications are that fans around the world are eager to get their hands on tickets for THE boxing event of 2009, which pits five-division world champion MANNY "Pac Man" PACQUIAO against Ring Magazine and IBO World Junior Welterweight champion RICKY "The Hitman" HATTON in a world title battle that will go down in boxing history. The outpouring of global interest is tremendous, so get your tickets before they are sold out!

Tickets priced at $1000, $750, $500, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Friday, Jan. 30 at 10 a.m. PT. Ticket sales are limited to 10 per person at the $1,000, $750, $500 or $300 price levels and a total of two (2) tickets at $150. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. There will be no sales at MGM Grand or any Ticketmaster outlets.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton, a 12-round bout for Hatton's Ring Magazine and IBO World Junior Welterweight titles, is promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions. The world title bout will take place Saturday, May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Please visit www.toprank.com or www.goldenboypromotions.com for upcoming announcements.

January 28, 2009

Heavyweights Highlight Orleans Fight Card

by: Steven Robinson

Crown Boxing returns to The Orleans Friday Night with a boxing card loaded with Heavyweights. And just to make it interesting, two of the participants are the sons of former Heavyweight contenders.

The main event will feature Heavyweight Nicolai "The Stoneman" Firtha of Akron, Ohio. At 6'5" and 245 lbs Firtha sports a recors of 15-4-1 with 7 KO's.He'll go up against journeyman Charles Davis (17-17-1) of Tucson, AZ. Firtha (who resembles Arizona QB Kurt Warner) has had 87 amateur fights and was an alternate to the US Olympic Boxing team. Firtha said "I was ripped off the last time I was in Vegas, so it's payback time."

Local heavyweights Eric Bozan (1-1, 1 KO) trained at Boes Boxing takes on Former UNLV standout Henry Namauu (2-2, 2 KO's). Bozan says he ready for Namauu who has an extensive amateur record. Bozan said he has trained hard to be in better shape so he can keep busier during the fight.

20 Year old Elijah McCall (1-0, 1 KO), son of former Heavyweight Champ, Oliver McCall, will tke on Johan Banks in a scheduled 4 rounder.

Cruserweight DeMark Scott (also traiined by Steve Boe) takes on Caleb Calwell (1-3-1) who is the son of former Heavyweight contender Leroy Calwell.

Cruiserweight Patrick Liles (7-0-1) will take on Victor Barragan and Featherweight Brian Battease (3-0) will take on Hugo Ramos to round out the card.

A sell out is expected but a few tickets remain at $25 for General Admission and $50 for ringside. The Orleans Box Office can be reached at 702-365-7075.

January 28, 2009

Pacquiao / Hatton Tickets Available Friday

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TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, JANUARY 30 - Get them now because they'll be gone

LAS VEGAS, (January 28, 2009) - Two of boxing's biggest stars will meet in the ring in what could be the year's biggest pay-per-view event. Five-division world champion MANNY "Pac Man" PACQUIAO and Ring Magazine and IBO World Junior Welterweight champion RICKY "The Hitman" HATTON will rumble for Hatton's World Junior Welterweight Championships Saturday, May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. These two boxing artists will have a 20 x 20 foot canvas to paint a black and blue masterpiece that the world has been waiting to see. Pacquiao and Hatton boast a combined record of 93-4-2 (68 KOs), a winning percentage of 94% and a victory by knockout ratio of 73%.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton, a 12-round bout for Hatton's Ring Magazine and IBO World Junior Welterweight titles, is promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions.

Tickets priced at $1000, $750, $500, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Friday, Jan. 30 at 10 a.m. at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

"When Manny Pacquiao goes into the ring he fights for his country, the Philippines, and tens of thousands of Filipinos worldwide. He is a tremendous athlete and unlike any other champion we have ever promoted. When Manny walks to the ring he carries the weight of his country on his shoulders and he fights with all of his heart, every second of every round."

"We are very excited that this fight has been made, as it is the fight fans wanted and the one I look forward to seeing myself," said Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. "This fight has all the makings of a "Fight of the Year" candidate and I think Hatton will de-throne Pacquiao and become boxing's pound-for-pound king."

"MGM Grand is thrilled to be hosting what we anticipate will be one of the biggest fights of 2009," said Richard Sturm, president of Sports and Entertainment for MGM MIRAGE. "As we continue our tradition of hosting the top names in sports and entertainment, this spectacular boxing match will not only be a battle between two great champions but will offeran electric and international atmosphere for the fans."

Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) secured his claim as the 2008 Fighter of the Year, a year reminiscent of what Hall of Fame fighter Henry Armstrong did in 1937-1938, winning three fights in three different weight divisions, two of which were world titles. Armstrong is the only man to hold three world championships simultaneously, capturing world titles at featherweight, welterweight and lightweight (in that order) during a nine-month span between November 1937 and August 1938. Pacquiao, officially proclaimed a National Treasure by the Philippines, captured the WBC World Super Featherweight title last March by defeating Juan Manuel Marquez and the WBC World Lightweight title in June by knocking out defending champion David Diaz. He completed his personal trifecta by stopping Oscar de la Hoya in a welterweight battle on December 6. Pacquiao's last two victories were in his debut fight in each weight division with the latter fight being two full divisions above his previous fight. Pacquiao, 30, has won 24 of his last 25 bouts, blitzing through boxing's best fighters since 2003 including Erik Morales (TKO 10, KO 3,), Marco Antonio Barrera (TKO 11, W 12), Marquez (D 12, W 12,), Diaz (TKO 9) and De La Hoya (KO 8). Pacquiao was previously named the 2006 Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America andRing Magazine.

"I always like new challenges which is the reason I am anxious to fight Ricky Hatton. My trainer Freddie Roach will put together a new game plan which will be much different than the one we used against Oscar (de la Hoya). There are concerns because Hatton is a very strong puncher so I must deal with that in the ring. I promise I will be completely prepared and will do my best for all of my fans in The Philippines."

The storied career of Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs), an international superstar hailing from Manchester, England, began in 1997 and for the last 12 years he has been thrilling fight fans around the world with his aggressive style in the ring and down to earth attitude outside of the ring. Owner of victories over world champions Kostya Tszyu, Vince Phillips, Paulie Malignaggi, Luis Collazo, Jose Luis Castillo, Juan Urango and Carlos Maussa, Hatton is a two division world champion. He fell short of the pound-for-pound best fighter title and world welterweight championships in his 2007 super-fight against Floyd Mayweather. However, the 30-year-old bounced back impressively at his natural weight of 140 pounds last May when he scored a near shutout 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Lazcano. His most recent fight was a scintillating shutout performance against world champion Malignaggi last November, ending with an 11th round TKO for "The Hitman". Hatton was honored as the 2005 Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

"I'm really excited to get back in the ring in Vegas after beating Malignaggi in November," said Hatton. "I am confident that I am the fighter to take down the pound-for-pound champion and I believe I will be victorious on May 2."

January 25, 2009

Golden Gloves State Chanpionships

by: Steven Robinson

The Nevada State Golden Gloves Amatuer Championships were held at The Silver Nugget in North Las Vegas Saturday night. A pretty good crowd of friends, relatives and fans turned out to cheer the boys on as they fought for the state titles. The results were as follows:

106 lbs Blake Fazio (Barry's Boxing) Unopposed

112 lbs Oscar Vasquez (Mighty Mites) Unopposed

119 lbs Jeus Magdaleno (Barry's Boxing) Unopposed

125 lbs Leslie Walker (Unattached) over Bronson Stutz (Unattached) - Points

132 lbs Davon Lawson (Barry's Boxing) over Oscar Castillo (Arce Boxing) - Points - Semi-Final Bout - Final will be held at 2:00 pm Sunday @ Barry's

141 lbs Juan Heraldez (Unattached) over Yul Abragon (NLV Center Ring) - RSC

155 lbs Jonathan Candido (Barry's) over Sakhi DurMohammed (Henderson PAL) - Points

165 lbs Bradley Blankenship (Elite Boxing) over Martines Porter (Tocco's) - Points

178 lbs Hasim Rahman Jr. (Barry's) over Thierry Bennett (Steele's Boxing) - Points

201 lbs Cory Santos (Barry's) Unopposed

201+ lbs Muchael Hunter (Steele's) Unopposed

Off-Tournament Bouts

Francisco Esparza (NLV Center Ring) over Kevin Pimental (Barry's) - RSC

Arthur Fewell (Tocco's) over Royall Jones (Unattached) - Points

Rydell Gipson (Barry's) over Chadrick Carter (Barry's) - RSC

Jesus Magdaleno (Barry's) over Oscar Vasquez (Mighty Mites) - Points

January 24, 2009

FIGHT NIGHT AT THE PLAZA

by: Steven Robinson

TKO Boxing, Lets Get It On Promotions and Rattlesnake Events put on their inaugural show at The Plaza Hotel and casino in downtown Las Vegas Friday evening. The crowd was a little spotty but didnt lack enthusiasm for the seven bout card. And it was an easy night to be a professional judge as five of the matches ended up by TKO and the other two were overwhelming decisions. That said, there were some excellent matches and we had the chance to see some outstanding fighters that have a bright future in professional boxing.

Smith vs. Hurley

First up were Jr. Lightweights Lonnie Smith (5-2-2, 4 KOs) and Ronald Hurley (4-3-2) who both fight out of Las Vegas. The opening round of the opener was action packed as neither waited to get down to business. A plucky Hurley outworked smith who appeared to be stronger and land the more powerful blows. Early in the second Smith dropped Hurley with a right hook but unfortunately hit him again after Hurley was down so Referee Kenny Bayless deducted a point. Hurley recovered nicely from the knockdown and finished the round strong. The third started with a nose to nose and toe to toe battle. After giving his best, Hurley went down from a right after being staggered by a body shot. He beat the count but Smith staggered him again and Referee Kenny Bayless had seen enough and stopped the fight. Lonnie Smith gets a hard won TKO at 2:48 of the third.

Hinkley vs. Lee

Up next were Heavyweights Tyler Hinkey (4-0-1, 3 KOs) od Reno, NV and Benjamin Lee (1-0) of Las Vegas. Hinkey weighed in at 255 and looked pretty soft while Lee came in at a svelte 206. Regarless of appearances, Hinkey used his weight advantage and a good jab to back Lee into a neutral corner and knock him down with a right. Lee beat the count and danced around for a little while until the action repeated itself. This time Lee didnt get up and Hinkey gets a TKO won at 2:17 of the first.

DelReal vs. Balladeras

Welterweights Gabe DelReal (1-0, 1 KO) and Alejandro Balladeras (0-1) were up next. DelReal brought a contingent of boisterous friends, family and fans to cheer him on: and he didnt disappoint them. DelReal started strong landing nearly evry punch in his arsenal against a seemingly hapless Balladeres until late in the round when Alejandro landed a couple of solid lefts. For the remainder of the fight DelReal was always on the attack and landed many solid blows. To his credit, Balladeres took everything DelReal could throw and fought back enough to keep it interesting. At the end of four the outcome was never in doubt as all three judges scored it 40-36 for DelReal who gets a well deserved Unanimous Decision.

Valenzuela Vs DaLuz

Rafael Valenzuela (10-1, 5 KOs) took on Robert DaLuz (11-15-2, 9 KOs) in a Super Bantamweight bout. After a pretty even start, Valenzuela dropped DaLuz with a left hook. DaLuz made it to his feet before being counted out but was so unsteady and staggering that Referee Tony Weeks was forced to call off the match and give Valenzuela a TKO win at 1:23 of the first.

Flores vs. Hicks

The fighter everyone was waiting to see was Cruiserweight BJ Flores (21-0-1, 13 KOs) of Chandler, AZ. He took on Matt Hurricane Hicks (13-3, 12 KOs) of Russelville, AK. The announcer didnt give the weights prior to the fight, but Flores was in top shape and Hicks looked like a sloppy heavyweight. Flores, as expected, contolled the fight from the beginning by beating Hicks to the punch and landing clean shots time after time. Hicks best defense was a pawing jab. Flores went to work on Hicks soft midsection and followed with nice clean one-two combos to the face and head, Late in the second Hicks took a knee for an eight count from a left to the body just as the round ended. Flores continued his domination into the third and battered Hicks about the ring. He landed a right uppercut that sent Hicks mouthpiece flying and Referee Kenny Bayless had seen enough. He called the fight at 2:50 of the third giving Flores a TKO win.

Jargal vs. Gaxiola

Welterweight Bayan The Mongolian Mongoose Jargal (9-0-1, 6 KOs) fighting out of Arlington, VA took on Walberto Gaxiola (7-5-0, 3 KOs) of Sonora, MX. Jargal, with a piercing stare, stalked Gaxiola about the ring until he landed a big right that staggered the Mexican. He followed it up with another solid right that put Gaxiola on his back in the corner. Referee Tony Weeks took one look at him and waived off the count at 1:53 of the first round.

Ayala vs. Bartinelli

The final match was a Super Middleweight bout between Elvin Ayala (18-3-1, 8 KOs) of New Haven, CT and Anthony Bartinelli (23-10-2, 13 KOs) of Phoenix, AZ. Ayala started strong dominating the first with a strong left jab, straight leftsd and occasional solid rights. For eight rounds, Ayala landed everything in his arsenal but to his credit a tough Bartinelli took all he could throw at him and came right back with a few of his own. The outcome was never in doubt as Judges Houck and Trowbridge scored it 80-72 while Judge Morse-Jarman took pity on Bartinelli scoring it 79-73, all for Elvin Ayala who wins a dominating demonstration for a UD victory.

January 23, 2009

Pacquiao v. Hatton Back On?

by: Steven Robinson

In today's Las Vegas Review Journal, Steve Carp reported that Top Rank's Bob Arum sweetened the deal for Manny Pacquiao for the proposed May 2nd fight with Ricky Hatton and that Pacquiao had accepted the offer. Hatten's promoter Golden Boy said they'll believe it when they see the signed contract as there have been promises of an agreement previously. Reportedly Arum was able to negotiate a bigger piece of the PPV in the Philippines and change the split to 52/48 vs 50/50 to increase Manny's potential take to nearly $20 million.

We'll add this fight back into the schedule when it's official.

January 22, 2009

Pacquaio - Hatton Canceled

by: Steven Robinson

According to an article by Steve Carp in the Las Vegas Review Journal today, an apparent dispute over the money split has caused the cancelation of the proposed May fight between Manny Pacquaio and Ricky Hatton. Evidently the fighters had reached an oral agreement in December for a 50-50 split of the money available and now Pacquiao's people insisted on a 60-40 share. To the dismay of Pacquiao's promoter Top Rank, Pacquiao has an entourage of advisors in the Philippines to whom a man's word and honor are meaningless and through his attorney demanded the higher split. Pacquiao has in the past shown his lack of ability outside of the ring in the business side of boxing by signing contracts with promoters while already under contract with other promoters. Advice from his advisors has landed him in court before. Reportedly Hatton's camp is tired of playing these games and has decided to move on to another unnamed opponent. This is a disappointing loss for Las Vegas as we now have no major fights scheduled for 2009.

January 20, 2009

Friday Night Fights at The Plaza

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BJ FLORES AND ELVIN AYALA IN HEADLINE BOUTS BAYAN JARGAL AND HINKEY BROTHERS FEATURED ON UNDERCARD

LAS VEGAS, NV For the first time in over four years, world class professional boxing will return to the Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV on Friday, January 23rd, it was jointly announced today by TKO BOXING Promotions and Renos Lets Get It On Promotions. Were looking to make FIGHT NIGHT AT THE PLAZA a bi-monthly event starting in January. The Plaza Hotel and Casino has a great tradition of supporting boxing with numerous future world champions having fought there including Antonio Tarver, Sergio Mora, Sergei Liakhovich, Steven Luevano, Julio Diaz and Guty Espadas Jr.

The Fremont Street Experience is known for its classic Las Vegas experience and we look forward to playing a major part in 2009. Presented in association with Rattlesnake Events, tickets for FIGHT NIGHT AT THE PLAZA are priced at $99.50, $59.50 and $24.50 and go on sale this Monday morning, December 29th at 10am at the Plaza Hotel and Casino Box Office (800-634-6575) and through their website, www.plazahotelcasino.com

The evening of boxing will take place in the Plaza Hotel and Casino Convention Hall, with doors opening at 6pm, first bell scheduled at 7pm. Headlining the inaugural FIGHT NIGHT AT THE PLAZA will be world ranked cruiserweight BJ Flores. Currently training in Las Vegas, the Phoenix resident is undefeated at 21-0-1 (13KOs) and world ranked #2 by the IBF, #5 by the WBO, #8 by the WBA and #15 by the WBC. The co-feature bout will mark the return of world title challenger Elvin Ayala, 18-3-1 (8KOs). The New Haven, CT. resident challenged IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham on March 29th, losing a very hard fought battle.

In a special feature attraction, undefeated welterweight prospect Bayan Jargal, 9-0-1 (6KOs), will make his Las Vegas debut in a six round bout. The undercard features Reno, NV brothers Derek and Tyler Hinkey in four round bouts. Super middleweight Derek sports a record of 6-1-0 (6KOs) while Tyler brings a record of 4-0-1 (3KOs) into battle. Rounding out FIGHT NIGHT AT THE PLAZA are prospects, junior lightweight Lonnie Smith, 5-2-2 (4KOs) of Las Vegas and Fairfield, CA welterweight prospect, Gabriel Del Real, 1-0 (1KO), who will be appearing in separate bouts.

Much more information on this event will be announced shortly. Formed in early 2008, Chet Koerners Las Vegas based TKO Boxing Promotions stable includes; super middleweight Joey Gilbert, middleweights Bastie "THE BEAST" Samir and James Countryman, junior middleweights Rashad Holloway and Anthony Thompson, lightweights Rolando Reyes, Raul Tovar and Terrance Crawford, the sister team of Katy and Emily Klinefelter, featherweight Carney Bowman and super bantamweight Rafael Valenzuela. Further information on TKO Boxing Promotions can be viewed at www.tkoboxingpromotions.com

Reno, Nevada based Lets Get It On Promotions was founded in 2000 by legendary boxing referee Mills Lane. In early 2005 he was joined by sons Terry and Tommy in the operations of the company. Along with Jesse Brinkley, Lets Get It On Promotions also welterweight Bayan Jargal and highly regarded brothers Tyler and Derek Hinkey. They have consistently promoted world class boxing events in northern Nevada.

January 12, 2009

Crown Boxing Returns to The Orleans

by: Steven Robinson

Friday Night Fights returns to The Orleans Hotel and Casino on January 30, 2009. Crown Boxing kicks off their first fights of 2009 with lots of Heavyweight action and plenty of pugelists with local connections.

The feature bout pits Nicolai "The Stoneman" Firtha from Akron, Ohio against Charles Davis from Tucson, Arizona. Firtha (15-4-1, 7 KO's) makes his Las Vegas debut having won his last 5 appearances against Davis (17-17-1, 4 KO's) who hasn't had a victory since 2005. At least you know where to put your money.

Las Vegas Heavyweight Eric Bozan (1-1), who didn't turn pro until the age of 40, will have his hands full with 24 year old former UNLV amateur Champion Henry Namauu (2-2).

Other than the big guys, we will see Patrick Liles (7-0-1) against Victor Barragan (8-4) in a Cruiserweight match, Brian Batease (3-0) against Issac Hidalgo in a Featherweight match and Demark Scott going up against Caleb Caldwell in another Cruiserweight match. More matches are soon to be announced.

Tickets at $25 reserved and $50 ringside can be purchased at The Orleans Box Office at (702)365-7075.

January 10, 2009

ESPN Friday Night Fights in Primm

by: Steven Robinson

The first boxing promotion of 2009 was a hit with local boxing fans and the boxers put on a great show for them and a national audience on ESPN. A great crowd turned out at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm as Roy Englebrecht Events and Primm Valley Resorts did a great job making tickets and rooms affordable (even free) to fill the house. There was a large Cuban American contingent present to cheer on their countrymen, waive their countrys flag and have a good time.

Lara vs. Aguiar

The first bout televised by ESPN was a Jr. Middleweight match between Erislandy Lara (2-0, 1 KO) fighting out of Miami, Fl via Cuba and Rodrigo Aguiar (5-3. 3 KOs) of Las Vegas. The southpaw Lara rocked Aguiar early with hard lefts to the face. Aguiar got in some licks when they fought in close but Lara controlled the action from the outside. Right at the end of the round Lara landed a straight left that dropped Aguiar on his back. Aguiar struggled to his feet before the ten-count but was so unsteady that Referee Joe Cortez called a stop to the action. Lara gets a TKO at 2:59 of the first in his US debut and remains undefeated.

Solis vs. Burnett

WBC International Heavyweight Title

Next up were Heavyweights Odlanier Solis (12-0, 8 KOs) of Miami and Cuba and Kevin Big Man Burnett (13-1, 8 KOs) of Augusta, GA. Burnett came in at 268 while Solis weighed 259 ½. In the first round we saw more punches thrown than we see in many complete heavyweight fights. Solis worked Burnetts body early then landed a series of 8 to 10 unanswered blockbuster blows that would have withered most. Burnett, to his credit, took every shot and came back to land a few of his own. The second was still action packed with the shorter, quicker Solis working his way past Barnetts long reach and stiff jab to land solid body shots and body-head combinations. The third saw Burnett weather another onslaught of unanswered blows but this time he had no answer. Burnett controlled a slower forth with his jab as Solis rested. From the fifth through the seventh it was all Solis as solid shots to Burnetts head and body while Burnett continues to jab and take Solis best shots. The eighth started out like the rest until Solis knocked Burnetts mouthpiece out with a punch. When there was a break in the action, Referee Jay Nady stopped the fight so Burnetts corner could clean and reinsert the mouthpiece. After the break Solis quickly landed 4 or 5 big shots with both hands that made Burnetts legs wobble and saw him stagger across the ring. Referee Nady waived off the count at 2:00 of the eighth for a Solis TKO.

Gamboa vs. Gonzalez

In the Co-Main Event Yuriorkis Gamboa took on Roger Gonzalez in a Featherweight feature. Gamboa (12-0, 10 KOs) is a former Cuban amateur boxing Champion who medaled in the 2004 Olympics. Gonzalez (27-2, 18 KOs) of Chino, CA is a 12 year veteran who worked his way up through the school of hard knocks. Tonight Gonzalez turned out to be the perfect opponent for the up and coming Cuban to showcase his skills. Gamboa showed his speed, footwork, discipline and boxing skills in a ten round shellacking of Gonzalez. Gonzalez, to his credit, stood tough and fought hard throughout the fight taking everything Gamboa could throw at him until the last and gave enough back to keep the fight interesting. After a slow first Gonzalez caught Gamboa off balance early in the second and landed a right that caused Gamboa to stumble and touch his glove to the mat to keep his balance. Technically it was a knockdown and Gamboa had to take an eight count but was unhurt. Gamboa came back to dominate the remainder of the round. For the remainder of the fight Gamboa dominated the action, moving in landing some good shots, then stepping back to admire his work. In the tenth Gamboa unleashed several unanswered barrages until Referee Robert Byrd had seen enough and stopped the fight at the 2:12 mark giving Gamboa the TKO victory. Gamboa was ahead on all three judges cards 89-82 twice and 89-81 when the match was stopped. Yuri Gamboa is a top notch fighter who already looks ready to take on the best that his division has to offer. My guess is that the best will be ducking this guy if they want to keep their belts.

January 10, 2009

Primm Undercard

by: Steven Robinson

Undercard

Frazier vs. Gonzalez

The opener was a Welterweight match between Johnny Frazier (1-0, 1 KO) and Joel Gonzalez (2-1, 1 KO) both of Las Vegas. From the opening bell Frazier had control of the fight where he landed some nice body shots early in the first and some solid rights to Gonzalez head. Gonzalez mostly lay on the ropes bobbing and weaving but evidencing no offense. The second started as the first with Frazier landing hard to the body then battering a hapless Gonzalez about the ring until his corner threw in the towel at 2:26. There were no knockdowns but the result was inevitable as Frazier gets a TKO victory.

Willis vs. Morales

Next up was a heavyweight bout between Jonte Thomas Willis (4-0, 2 KOs) of Seattle, WA and Alvaro Morales (3-2) of Las Vegas. Willis came in at 213# while Morales weighed 299. Williams, who had an obvious reach advantage, used it to control the first. Morales moved pretty well for such a big guy (he had better boobs than my first love) but didnt have the skills to match Willis. A minute into the second Willis appeared to hurt his right hand and Morales moved in to pummel him while Willis tried to keep him off with his left jab. The second went to Morales on all three judges cards. Willis recovered in the third and dominated the remainder of the four rounder for a Unanimous Decision victory with all three judges, Lefkowitz, Ross and Roth scoring it 39-37.

Bogere vs. Cotrich

After the main event two Las Vegans, lightweights Sharif Bogere (4-0, 2 KOs) and Manuel Cotrich (1-2, 1 KO) took to the ring. Bogere stalked Cotrich early in the first taking an aggressive attack to him. Sharif was able to drop Manny for an eight count late but Cotrich managed to hang on and last out the round. The overmatched Cotrich was down again early in the second and easily made it to his feet but Referee Joe Cortez was ready to go home so he stopped the match. Cotrich did not appear seriously hurt and protested vigorously with agreement from much of the crowd. However these protests never go anywhere and Sharif Bogere gets a TKO at 42 seconds of the second round to remain undefeated.

Gonzalez vs. Mavros

In the walk off match Brandon Gonzalez (4-0, 2 KOs) of Sacramento, CA took on Andy Mavros (6-2, 2 KOs) of Vancouver, BC. In a battle of two Super Middleweight southpaws Gonzalez was able to do enough to win all six rounds as all three Judges Ford, Roth and Lefkowitz scored it 60-54. Gonzalez keeps his perfect record in tact with a UD.

January 8, 2009

Pacquiao Vs. Hatton in Vegas

by: Steven Robinson

Phillipine hero Manny Pacquiao will fight Manchester England's Ricky Hatton May 2, 2009 in Las Vegas. Fight and broadcast venues have yet to be determined but should be announced in the near future. lvboxing.com will publish more details when they are released.

January 7, 2009

Top Fighters and Cheap Seats In Primm Friday Night

by: Steven Robinson

Roy Englebrecht Events, Arena Box Promotions and Primm Valley Resorts have put together a night of top rated fighters in a great venue that won't cost you an arm and a leg for the ESPN Friday Night Fights at Buffalo Bill's Star of the Desert Arena.

First and most important: the fighters. This card will feature three former Cuban amateur stars, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Odlanier Solis and Erislandy Lara. Gamboa (12-0, 10 KO's), who fought twice last year in Primm,is taking on Roger Gonzalez (27-2, 18 KO's) in a 10 round Featherweight feature. The 27 year old Gamboa, who had a lengthy amateur career in Cuba, turned pro in 2007 and has not lead the sheltered pro boxing career of most of his American counterparts. Most up and coming pros today are matched with cream puffs to pad their records early in their careers but not Gamboa. The combined record of all his opponents so far is 221-34 and he fought 7 times in 2007 and 5 times in 2008. He's had 10 KO's and 2 decisions and the decisions were his first fight and a ten rounder last year in Primm where he was knocked down in the fourth and still won the fight by scores of 97-92 twice and 99-91.

The co-feature event is the US debut of Heavyweight Odlanier Solis (12-0, 8 KO's) who fought all of his pro fights in Europe. The 28 year old Solis also had an extensive amateur career in Cuba and takes on Kevin Burnett (13-1, 8 KO's) of Atlanta, GA. Burnett was a late substitute for Owen Beck. Solis opponents so far have all had winning records before he beat them for a total of 215-73. Erislandy Lara (2-0, 1 KO)is the third featured Cuban who will also make his US debut.

Local boxers rounding out the card include heavyweight Alvaro Morales, Rodrigo Aguiar, Sharif Bogere, Manuel Cotrich, Gabe Del Real, and Joel Gonzalez. There are a total of seven matches scheduled.

The Star of the Desert Arena is one of the best boxing venues in Southern Nevada. There are no bad seats and it's small enough so you're close to the action and get a good look at the fights. The down side is the nearly one hour drive to Primm at the CA border but this week it's worth it.

The price is right with tickets on sale for as little as $10 and $35 at ringside. Terrible's car washes are giving two for one tickets with a car wash and Buffalo Bill's is handing out free seats with an overnight stay.

If you absolutely have to stay home (and I think your nuts if you do) ESPN2 will televise the three Cubans' bouts beginning at 6:00 pm. The doors open at 5:00 pm with the first bout scheduled to go off at 5:15.

December 23, 2008

Marquez vs. Diaz In February

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JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ VS. JUAN DIAZ SET FOR FEBRUARY 28TH EDITION OF HBO'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING

LOS ANGELES, December 22 - In 2008, Mexican icon Juan Manuel Marquez solidified his place among boxing's elite and became Mexico's number one fighter by knocking out Joel Casamayor and winning a championship in a third weight class. As 2009 opens, Marquez will not be resting on his laurels, as he accepted the challenge to face former three-time lightweight champion Juan "The Baby Bull" Diaz on Saturday, February 28th in what promises to be an early Fight of The Year candidate.

"This fight between Marquez and Diaz will shake the lightweight division to its core and truly determine the best 135-pounder in the world," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "As a fan, I can't wait to see this fight."

Marquez vs. Diaz, a 12 round bout for the Ring Magazine World Lightweight Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and will be televised live on HBO's World Championship Boxing beginning at 10 pm ET / 7 pm PT.

Mexico's premier fighter and a future Hall of Famer, Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez (49-4-1, 36 KO's) has signified excellence for over 15 years and in three weight classes. A world champion at featherweight and junior lightweight, the 35-year-old Mexico City native made an immediate impact at 135 pounds when he won the Ring Magazine World Lightweight Championship by becoming the first man to stop Cuban great Joel Casamayor on September 13, 2008.

"Juan Diaz is a talented young fighter with a bright future," said Marquez. "But this is still my time and I am not about to let Diaz take my belt away from me."

Just nine years old when Marquez made his pro debut, 25-year old Juan Diaz (34-1, 17 KO's) has roared through the pro ranks during his eight-year career and built a stellar reputation as one of the fight game's most exciting young stars. The Former Three-Time World Lightweight Champion defended his crown seven times, beating the likes of fellow World Champions Acelino Freitas and Julio Diaz along the way. In his last bout in September of 2008, "The Baby Bull" thrilled his hometown fans at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas with a dominant 12 round decision win over Australian warrior Michael Katsidis.

"Juan Manuel is one of the greats in the game and it's an honor to fight him, but I will be victorious on February 28th," said Diaz.

A site for Marquez vs. Diaz will be announced shortly. For more information please visit www.goldenboypromotions.com.

December 19, 2008

ESPN Friday Night Fights in Primm, NV

by:

(Primm, Nev.) - Terrible's Primm Valley Casino Resorts presents ESPN Friday Night Fights featuring the 10-round main event with featherweights Yuryorkis Gamboa and Roger Gonzalez at 5:15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9 in the Star of the Desert Arena at Buffalo Bill's Resort.

Gamboa is an undefeated Cuban Olympian and the North American Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council International Featherweight Champion. With an impressive record of 12-0 and 10 knockouts, the 26 year-old holds ESPN's 2008 Knockout of the Year title against Al Seeger. In 2009 he will be fighting for a world title, and facing Gonzales will be the toughest test in Gamboa's career.

From Chino, Calif., Gonzalez is a former bantamweight contender who won his first 23 fights before losing to future world champion Jhonny Gonzalez in 2004. With a record of 27-2 and 18 knockouts, 30 year-old Roger Gonzalez has shown he has what it takes to compete against the best in the junior lightweight division.

Other boxers stepping into the ring include heavyweight sensation Odlanier Solis, from Miami, taking on world title challenger Owen Beck from Nashville; Seattle's own heavyweight Jonte Willis will challenge Las Vegas' Alvaro Morales; middleweights Erislandy Lara from Miami and Rodrigo Aguiar from Las Vegas will face off and Sharif Bogere from Las Vegas will take on lightweight Ronald Hurley from Los Angeles. A complete list of contenders will be announced at a later time.

December 11, 2008

Amateur Boxing at Silver Nugget Friday

by: Steven Robinson

Amateur Boxing comes to the Siver Nugget on North Las Vegas Blvd Friday night. North Las Vegas Center Ring Boxing and Johnny Toccos Boxing Gym are hosting the tournament which is sanctioned by the Nevada LBC of USA Boxing. Doors to the Events Center at the Silver Nugget open at 6:00 pm and the first bout is scheduled for 7:00 pm. Tickets are priced at $10 for General Admission and $20 for Ringside and can be purchased at the Casino Cashier's Cage. Children 5 years old and under are free.

December 8, 2008

Aftermath DeLaHoya - Pacquiao

by: Steven Robinson

Nobody was more wrong than I about the projected outcome of Saturday night's Megafight between Oscar DeLaHoya and Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao dominated every round without question until DeLaHoya quit, with only one of the three judges even giving Oscar a round (Probably out of pity). Once the fight started I realized that I had overlooked Oscars past performance against southpaws but it had much more to do with DeLaHoya's inability to deal with Manny's speed and footwork. Pacquiao got off first and often in nearly every exchange. He landed clean and with power and Oscar was never able to get anything started.

My hat is off to Manny Pacquiao who stepped way up in weight and showed the guys who thought they were pretty smart how wrong we were. I am not surprised that he won, only that he won with such complete domination. Had DeLaHoya not resigned after the eighth round he surely would have been knocked out. To come up two or three weight didvisions and exhibit that much speed and power is an amazing feat.

DeLaHoya's defeat brings an era to an end. He was good for boxing and boxing has been good for him. He's smart and well spoken, an example of what we want all our heros to be and he sold a lot of tickets. Fortunately he will continue to be active in the sport as one of it's premier fight promoters but we will miss him in the ring even though we hope that this was his last professional fight.

Pacquiao is the new "King of the Ring" and will undoubtedly have many more big fights. He is now the biggest and best that the sport of boxing has to offer and we look forward to seeing his future contests.

December 6, 2008

Pacquiao plays David to De La Hoya's Goliath

by: Gregory Robinson

As triumphant as this upset sounds and as happy as I am for the hero of the Philippines, I have to admit that it was a sort of depressing night for boxing. Larry Merchant's dream fight had all the makings for an incredible story: Boxing's poster child against boxing's pound for pound best. Even better, both fighters wanted it. De La Hoya dropped to 145 pounds (even lighter than he came in for his 2001 fight against Gatti) and became an inspiration for fad dieters everywhere. Pacquiao put on seven pounds of pure muscle (bringing him to 142) and proved that even little guys (like me) can get big and beefy and win the hearts of Philippine women.

When the fight started all these dreams flew away and the gore began. Pacquiao set in on De La Hoya like an alligator attacking a water buffalo. He found immediate and repeated success with a lightning fast lead left that surprised De La Hoya again and again as it snuck through the middle of De La Hoya's defenses. By the time De La Hoya could respond, Pacquiao had already circled and set up for another attack. The one-sided beating continued for eight rounds - Pacquiao peppered De La Hoya's face then slid out of the way like Willie Pep reincarnated. De La Hoya simply couldn't pin him down, and could not keep him to still long enough to land a solid shot. In round seven, Pacquiao backed De La Hoya into the corner and started throwing bombs. De La Hoya didn't go down, but it was clear that he didn't have much left. He made it one more round before his corner called it quits.

In the aftermath, Pacquiao looked like he had broken a bit of sweat at the spa. De La Hoya looked, well, worse. Perhaps the one redeeming feature of the entire fight was the sportsmanship both fighters showed after it was over. De La Hoya had time for excuses, but did nothing but praise Pacquiao's abilities, and Pacquiao told De La Hoya: "You're still my idol."

December 6, 2008

MGM Televised Undercard

by: Steven Robinson

When you pay up to $1,500 for a ringside ticket or $56.95 for Pay-Per-View you expect to get some value for your money. Golden Boy Promotions put three fights on TV tonight prior to the main event to showcase some of their up and coming talent and all three fights lasted a total of 11 minutes and 41 seconds or less than 4 rounds. It's no wonder that nobody shows up to these big fights before the main event when the contests are this bad. I like a knockout as much as any fight fan, but these guys were so overmatched tonight that it wasn't entertaining. There was certainly no value in the money paid for a ticket or TV showing before the main event. The results were as follows:

Daniel Jacobs knocked out Victor Lores at 2:44 of the second in a scheduled 8 rounder, Juan Manuel Lopez KO'd Sergio Medina at 1:38 of the first after the third knockdown in a WBO Jr Featherweight Title match and Victor Ortiz KO'd Jeffrey Resto at 1:19 of the second for the WBO Jr. Welterweight title. Resto was down three times in the 1 1/3 rounds.

December 5, 2008

DeLaHoya vs. Pacquiao - The Dream Match

by: Steven Robinson

Saturday night Las Vegas has it's biggest fight of the year between Oscar DeLaHoya and Manny Pacquaio. As in baseball, the one thing the sport of boxing does is to keep good records of statistics.These guys have no opponents in common so lets take a look at the fight by the numbers and discuss some of the other factors.

DeLaHoya -- Pacquiao

Age 35 -- 29

Height 5'10 1/2" -- 5'6 1/2 "

Reach 73" -- 67"

Record 39-5-0 -- 47-3-2

30 KO wins 1 KO loss -- 35 KO wins 2 KO losses

KO % 68.18% -- 67.31%

Rounds Boxed 300 -- 283

Age is an obvious advantage to Pacquiao. Six years is a long time in boxing and the older you get, the slower you are and it's harder to get in shape.

Height and Reach go to DeLaHoya. The reach advantage should allow DeLaHoya to use his powerful jab to keep Manny away and score points all night long.

Experience is pretty even. They've fought about the same number of rounds however Pacquiao has been much more active in recent years against top competition in his division. Oscar has fought once a year for the past three years and doesn't devote all his time and efforts to his boxing career.

Speed goes to Pacquiao. He's younger and faster and he has to be faster and a better boxer Saturday night to get out of the way of Oscar's jab and powerful left.

Trainers is a wash. They both have top notch trainers who will have them ready for the fight. Getting the fighters to listen to instructions and follow a game plan after the opening bell is always a question.

Weight, in my mind, is the biggest factor in this fight. This contest will be fought at the Welterweight limit of 147 pounds. DeLaHoya hasn't fought at this weight since 2001 when he took on Arturo Gatti. Getting down to this level may have taken too much out of him. However we remember when he stepped up in weight to take on Bernard Hopkins in 2004 and was KO'd. Pacquiao has never fought above 135 pounds and has fought at 130 since 2005. I see the weight advantage going to DeLaHoya. Time and time again we've seen great boxers with excellent power step up to a higher weight division to get a fight and lose. Pacquiao's power and KO ability is diminished at this weight.

Heart! The one thing you can't teach a fighter is the one thing that has carried many a boxer to victory. Pacquiao demonstrated it best when he was knocked down three times in the first round of his 2004 fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, got up and worked his way to a draw. DeLaHoya shwed a little in his close split decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007.

Who has more to lose? This may be DeLaHoya's last professional fight and I'm sure he's like to go out a winner. Oscar has created a boxing empire in Golden Boy Promotions and is already a wealthy man. Pacquiao still has a lot of fights in front of him and carries the pride of the Phillipine nation on his shoulders. He'll do well in this fight finacially earning over 10 million plus a piece of the pay-per-view action, but he has a reputation for mismanagement, free spending and generosity. Also DeLaHoya has demonstrated that he takes you on as a partner in Golden Boy Promotions if you beat him as he did with Hopkins and Mosley. Pacquiao has the most to lose.

Overall I give the edge to DeLaHoya. He's a smart fighter that knows what he has to do to win. With his reach advantage he should be able to score more points and it's unlikely that Pacquiao will have enoughh power at this weight to do any damage. Pacquiao has to use his speed and age advantage to win. He has to get inside DeLaHoya's jab, score quickly and get out. Perhaps the older DeLaHoya will tire in later rounds and he can do some damage but I think it's unlikely.

November 23, 2008

Silver Gloves State Championships

by: Steven Robinson

The Silver Gloves State Boxing Championships were held at Barry's Boxing Saturday night. The results of the contested matches were as follows:

Tournament Bouts

10-11 year old division

75 lbs Anthony Leggiere over Chaz Lucero - Points 80 lbs Andres Cortes over Damien Munez-Malone - Points

14-15 year old Division

112 lbs O'Shanique Foster over Carlos Pena - Points

Off Tournament Bouts

Cory Conner (Barry's) over Johnathon McTarsney (Ducky Boys) - Points

Ely Aguilar (Colton PAL) over Ahmmad Blackwater (Ducky Boys) - Points

Kevin Pimentel (Barry's) over Johnny Rizo (Cloton PAL) - Points

Caleb Davis (Unattached) over Elijah Munoz (Barry's) - RSC

Ethan Pierce (Henderson PAL) over Alvaro Basulto (Barry's) - Points

Roberto Almanzan (ARCE Boxing) over Michael Laberinto (Barry's) - Points

Kenneth Bulin (Barry's) over Kenneth Davis (ARCE) - Points

Esmael Guerrero (Reno Jets) over Jesus Martinez (Barry's) - Points

Christian Corum (Unattached) - Ramiro Ramos (Mity Mites) - RSC

Maxim Jestin (Barry's) over Magdaleno Lopez (Carson City Boxing) - Points

Yul Abragon (NLV Center Ring) over Tomothy Evans (Barry's) - Points

Davis Barragan (Barry's) over Braulio Valdovinos -(Barry's) - Points

November 22, 2008

Hatton Wins by TKO in the 11th

by: Steven Robinson

The "Hit Man" is back. Manchester, Englands' Ricky Hatton manhandled a quick but powerless Paulie Malignacci for most of the ten rounds they fought at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas tonight. Hatton outmuscled, outboxed, outworked and contolled the action until Malignacci's cornerman, Buddy McGirt stopped the fight by throwing in the towel at 28 seconds of the 11th round.

There were no knockdowns, but Malignacci was staggered several times and only managed to keep his feet by keeping a strong grip on Hatton. Paulie was unable to stay on the outside and box as he had done effectively in the first as the stronger Hatton muscled through the defense and manhandled his opponent for the remainder of the fight. There was no doubt about the eventual outcome when Malignacci's corner threw in the towell. Malignacci looked like he had been through a meat grinder bruised under both eyes and cut across the nose. Hatton looked fresh and strong and ready to go another ten rounds. Hatton left no doubt that he was the better man tonight and ready to take on bigger and better opposition.

November 19, 2008

Saturday's Undercard

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HATTON-TACKIE AND BAUTISTA-RUIZ FEATURED ON

HATTON VS. MALLIGNAGGI UNDERCARD SET FOR NOVEMBER 22 AT MGM GRAND

LOS ANGELES, November 19 - British welterweight star Matthew Hatton and junior featherweight contender Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista will be pushed to the limit in pivotal bouts on the off-television undercard of Saturday night's showdown between Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton and Paul "Magic Man" Malignaggi at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Matthew Hatton (34-4-1, 13 KO's) will warm up British fans in attendance for his brother Ricky when he takes on perennial contender Ben Tackie (29-10-1, 17 KO's) in a 10 round welterweight bout while 22-year-old Bautista (26-1, 19 KO's) will square off against former world title challenger Heriberto Ruiz (39-7-2, 23 KO's) in a 10 round junior welterweight bout.

Also stepping between the ropes on November 22nd will be up and coming prospects Danny Garcia, Hylon Williams, Adrien Broner and Adrian Gonzalez. An eight round welterweight battle between undefeated Sirimongkol Singwancha and veteran Rogelio Castaneda will also be part of the show.

The night's main event, Ricky Hatton vs. Paulie Malignaggi, is a scheduled 12-round battle for Hatton's Ring Magazine and IBO Junior Welterweight titles, presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Punch Promotions and DiBella Entertainment and sponsored by Affliction Clothing and Cerveza Tecate. In the co-feature James Kirkland vs. Brian Vera, a 10 round middleweight bout, is presented in association with Tournament of Contenders. Both bouts will air live on HBO's World Championship Boxing broadcast beginning at 7:00pm PT/10:00pm ET. Doors open at 3:00 pm PT with the first bell ringing at approximately 3:15pm PT.

Tickets priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300 and $150 are still available at any MGM Grand box office outlet and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase atwww.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.(**Editor's Note - Stay home and watch it for free on HBO at 7:00 pm)

Although he is the little brother of one of boxing biggest stars, Matthew Hatton is well on his way to carving out his own niche in the crowded welterweight division. A proud native of Manchester, the 27-year-old has won six of his last seven bouts including his last bout, a solid win, over Scott Woolford in September of this year. Hatton faces Accra, Ghana's Ben "Wonder" Tackie who is no stranger to the Hatton family, having fought Ricky in 2003. Although this unyielding warrior has had his share of bad luck in the ring over the last two years, he is confident that the string will end and a winning streak will begin against the younger Hatton on November 22nd.

Tagbilaran's Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista is already a star in the Philippines, but the highly-motivated youngster wants to achieve the same status around the world as his countryman Manny Pacquiao and knows the only way to do that is to win a championship. After falling short in his first world title shot against Daniel Ponce De Leon, Bautista has roared back with three straight wins. In Heriberto "Cuate" Ruiz Bautista will be facing a rugged warrior who has been in with the best in the world over the last 14 years. Winner of four of his last five bouts, the 31-year-old from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico is ready for a battle with "Boom Boom."

Former World Super Featherweight Champion Sirimongkol Singwancha (59-2, 34 KO's) of Thailand will return to fight in the United States for the first time in over three years when he puts his 16 fight winning streak on the line in a welterweight eight rounder against the always dangerous Rogelio Castañeda Jr. (24-14-3, 8 KO's) of Tijuana, Mexico.

Already 6-0 in 2008 and 8-0 with 7 KO's overall, Philadelphia's Danny Garcia will look to keep the momentum going in his busy year when he faces El Paso, Texas' Adan Hernandez (14-5, 5 KOs) in a junior welterweight six rounder.

Also competing in six rounders will be lightweight Hylon Williams (5-0 1 KO) of Houston, Texas, against Carson, California's Ramon Flores (2-3-1, 2 KO's) and hard-hitting Cincinnati lightweight prospect Adrien Broner (3-0, 3 KO's) making his debut under the Golden Boy Promotions banner against tough veteran Terrance Jett of Las Vegas.

In the opening bout, junior featherweight Adrian Gonzalez will get a chance to perform in front of his hometown fans in his pro debut when he battles an opponent to be determined in a four round contest

November 17, 2008

PACMAN Shows No Anger

by: .

Manny Pacquiao says he will not fire a punch in anger, even when his opponent is superstar Oscar De La Hoya.

"I look at boxing as a competition, like other sports - basketball, for example," said Pacquiao. "I respect all of my opponents. I think Oscar is a great fighter who has defeated many champions."

Pacquiao said he doesn't get totally worked up mentally until fight night when he leaves the locker room, takes the long walk to the ring and thinks about all of the fight fans in The Phillipines.

"Defeating Oscar De La Hoya - the Golden Boy - will mean so much for my country," he said.

ROACH SAYS HE FEELS SORRY FOR OSCAR

Chief trainer Freddie Roach says it wasn't his fault Oscar De La Hoya lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. Roach said he put together a solid strategy for that fight.

"Oscar did everything we planned for about six rounds. Then he stopped doing it. Is that my fault? I don't think so, but I sure took the heat for it," said Roach. "In a way, I feel sorry for Oscar - sorry for the way he treated me and other trainers who have worked for him. Oscar never loses a fight. It's always the trainers who lose it. There's a message there somewhere and it's not good."

De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao 'The Dream Match' is scheduled for Dec 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao will be available on HBO Pay Per View.

HBOs Emmy-Award-winning all-access franchise 24/7 returns with Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao in starring roles. The four-episode series De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7premieres Sunday, Nov. 16th at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

November 9, 2008

Amatuer Boxing Results from Elite Boxing

by: Steven Robinson

Elite Boxing hosted nineteen amateur bouts Saturday evening at the Warrior Traning Center on S Teneya Way. The results were as follows:

75 Lbs Jose Guevara (Salvation Army) over Robert Almanzan (Arce Boxing) - Points

115 Lbs Carlos Pena (Elite Boxing) over Shaie Lindsey (Unattached) - Points

125 Lbs Nicholas Chiodini (Genesis) over Ramiro Ramos (Mity Mites) - Points

100 Lbs Francisco Butler (NLV Center Ring) over Davis Beltran (Unattached) - Points

120 Lbs Sergio Lopez (Las Vegas Boxing) over Richard Castillo - Walkover

80 Lbs Andres Cortes (Elite) over Antonuio Rangel (East Valley) - Points

130 Lbs Michael Santomauro (Genesis) over Branson Stutz (Unattached) - Points

140 Lbs Jesus Gutierrez (Tacco's) over Kuron Butler (Unattached) - Points

135 Lbs Juan Sandoval (So-Cal) over Oscar Torres (Tocco's) - Points

150 Lbs Raphael Rodriguez (UNLV) over Jesus Sanchez (Arce) - RSC - 1

140 Lbs Zenuni Sefedin (Elite) over Yul Abragan (NLV Center Ring) - Points

130 Lbs Jerome Foster (UNLV) over Angel Santana (Elite) - Points

115 Lbs Jovanni Diaz (Elite) over Adrian Cruz (Gene Lewis) - Points

175 Lbs Eriberto Rico (Elite) over Kevin Newman (Steele's) - Points

135 Lbs Oscar Rico (Elite) over Daniel Ramirez (Mesquite) - Points

160 Lbs Bradley Blankenship (Elite) over Mattinez Porter (Uppercut) - Points

115 Lbs Luis Cortes (Elite) over O'Shanique Foster (Unattached) - Points

150 Lbs Juan Heralsez (Elite) over Hugo Huerta (Jackie Robinson) - Points

150 Lbs Olger Laska (Elite) over Thomas Ordonez (Unattached) - Points

November 2, 2008

Chavez Foils Vanda at Mandalay Bay

by: Gregory Robinson

Matt Vanda vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

The last time these two met in Mexico, bottles flew from an angry crowd when one Mexican judge failed to give a single round of the close fight to Vanda. This time, Vanda was out to prove that revenge is a dish best served bloody.

The fight started at good pace; Vanda came out aggressively while Chavez held back, circling and effectively countering as Vanda charged ahead. Vanda found some success with this approach, but for every punch he landed, Chavez landed three for four. The result was written on their faces: Chavez looked cool and collected, while Vanda looked frustrated and tense even when he smiled.

The first half of the fight was a battle: Chavez took the first two rounds, then Vanda came back in three and four. Chavez took five by throwing volumes of punches, while Vanda took six by landing some of the strongest blows of the fight. However, from that point on, Chavez dominated the action. Vanda slowed and started throwing one punch at a time while Chavez continued to lash out combinations that were finding their mark with increasing accuracy. By round ten, Vanda knew he needed a knockout, and Chavez knew that Vanda did not have the strength left to do it. They slugged it out for the first half of the last round, then Chavez dropped his hands and taunted Vanda with a target that he could no longer hit.

Tonight, revenge was not on the menu. I should also note that I too want revenge since Mandalay Bay is richer by $50 of my hard earned money. At the end of 10 rounds, the judges score the bout 98-92, 99-91, and 97-93, all for Chavez. Vanda, troubled by the loss, goes home to get a pick-me-up tattoo.

Mario Evangelista vs Matt Korobov

In a lopsided battle not unlike of the Russian victory over Sweden at the 1709 Battle of Poltava, 2008 Russian Olympic Representative Matt Korobov pummeled Mario Evangelista for two rounds before throwing a big right that put him down for good at 2:01 of the third. Since we are sure to see much more of Korobov in future Top Rank bouts, someone should give him a nickname. Given his Russian military background, perhaps it could be Matt "The Tank" Korobov?

Isidro "El Chino" Garcia vs Jorge "El Travieso" Arce

Jose Arce, a star in boxing and Mexican reality television, stepped into the ring with the talented and tough Isidro "El Chino" Garcia tonight to battle it out for the WBA Interim Super Flyweight Title. Garcia started the fight aggressively, chasing Arce and egging him on when Arce refused to slug it out. In rounds two and three, Arce decided to make Garcia pay for his bravado by tagging him with flurries every time he rushed forward. In round three Arce switched roles by egging Garcia on - tapping his chin and blocking Garcia's multiple attempts to knock it clean off. In round four, Arce got Garcia up against the ropes and landed a clean body shot that left Garcia notably hurt. A follow up shot to the body made Garcia whither like a tulip in the winter, and at 48 seconds into the round, Tony Weeks stepped in to end the fight.

November 2, 2008

Top Rank Undercard

by: Steven Robinson

Other Undercard Bouts

Peterson vs. Tyner

Lamont Peterson (25-0, 12 KO) took on Linardo Tyner (19-1, 11 KO) for the NABF Super Lightweight Title. When I looked at their records and after I saw the first round, where Tyner came out like a buzz saw, I thought we would have a great fight tonight, but it was not to be. After the first it was all Peterson, who fought in close, out of a crouch and an impenetrable defense for the remaining nine rounds. Peterson landed everything he threw and did it effectively in a dominating performance. Peterson's only blemish was a point deduction for low blows in the fourth. Judge Al Lefkowitz saw it 99-90, CJ Ross had it 99-87 and Herb Santos scored 98-91 all for Peterson.

Donaire vs. Mthalane

Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire defended his IBF Flyweight title tonight against Moruti Mthalane of South Africa. Donaire got off to a slow start showing the ring rust of not fighting since last December. In an uneventful fight he picked away at Mthalane's defense with steady progress until the sixth when Mthalane suffered some kind of eye injury. The ring doctor examined him and advised Referee Joe Cortez to stop the bout. A dull ending to a dull fight but Donaire gets a TKO victory never the less at 1:31 of the sixth and successfully defends his title. He was well ahaead on all three judges cards when the bout was stopped.

The Way Deep Down Undercard

There were three fights prior to the broadcast on HBO PPV to keep a few dozen people who showed up early entertained for a while.

The first was a fight presented was a Middleweight bout between Terrance Wilson (5-3. 3 KO) and Mark Tucker (5-0, 5 KO). Their weights were listed at 170 and 177, neither of which made the Middleweight limit. The southpaw Tucker sporting a Mohawk hairdo dominated much of the action and easily outpointed Wilson 60-54 by all three judges.

Next up was a Super Featherweight match between Johnny Edwards (14-2-1, 9 KO) and Ty Barnett (14-0-1, 11 KO). Barnett stood a head taller than the 5'4" Edwards who put up a valiant effort but Barnett was too much for him winning 59-54, 59-55 and 57-57 for a majority decision.

Vanes Martirosyan (21-0, 13 KO's), the pride of Glendale and Armenia, made short work of Charlie Howe (16-5-2) with a TKO at 1:20 of the first. Vanes deserves more of a challenge.