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by William Holmes
The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of February 10th to February 17th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.
Live Boxing Returns to CBS
CBS Sports and Showtime Sports have announced a multi-year year joint venture to present live boxing on the CBS television network for the first of up to eight live events in 2015. It will premiere on Saturday, April 4th at 3:00 p.m. ET on CBS and will feature boxers from the Premier Boxing Champions series created by Haymon Sports.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Adonis Stevenson are expected to be featured in the upcoming joint venture between Showtime and CBS.
This will be the first consistent series presentation of live boxing on CBS in 15 years.
Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson and Andy Lee vs. Peter Quillin Tickets on Sale
The showdown between undefeated Danny “Swift” Garcia (29-0) and Lamont Peterson (33-2-1) will be shown on NBC as part of the Premier Boxing Champions series. This bout will be televised live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on April 11th at 8:30 p.m. ET. The co-main event of the evening will be between “Irish” Andy Lee (34-2) and undefeated Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (31-0) in a 12-round world title fight.
Marv Albert, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Al Michaels are expected to be a part of the broadcast team.
More information can be found at www.premierboxingchampions.com.
Shiming vs. Ruenroeng Set for March 7th
Zou Shiming will challenge for his first world title on March 7th when he takes on undefeated IBF Flyweight world champion Amnat Ruenroeng at the Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena. This bout will be televised along with a ten round junior middleweight bout between Glen Tapia and Daniel Dawson. The undercare will feature Jose Felix Jr., Ik Yang, and Patomsuk Pathompothong.
This bout will be televised on HBO2 starting at 5:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Tyson Fury Gunning for Knockout on February 28th
Tyson Fury, the mandatory challenger for Wladmir Klitschko’s WBO title, spoke recently about his upcoming bout with Christian Hammer next weekend.
“I’ve had a great camp, training has gone very well and because of that I don’t see this fight going beyond five rounds. I want the knockout and that’s what I’m out to get on February 28th,” said Fury.
“There’s a reason this bill is being labelled ‘Risky Business’ because of everything that is on the line. I’m mandatory to face Wladimir Klitschko next but if I don’t win this fight I’ll lose that mandatory position and my chance to fight for the world title
“We’ve seen fighters in the past who have been in a similar position and lost but that’s not going to happen with me. The reason is because I’m not overlooking Christian Hammer.
“I’ve seen him in the amateurs and I’ve seen the progress he has made in the paid ranks, he’s a very good fighter and not someone you can overlook.
“But a Tyson Fury fight is never boring and I can guarantee excitement and drama when I step in the ring. Put it this way, someone is getting knocked out and it isn’t going to be me,” Fury said.
Pablo Cesear Cano vs. Juan Carlos Abreu Announced for February 27th
Pablo Cesar Cano (28-4-1) will take on Juan Carlos Abreu (18-1) in a welterweight bout on February 27th on the Golden Boy Live fight card at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino live on Fox Sports 1. The co-main event will feature Diego De La Hoya (8-0) facing off against Manuel Roman (17-3) in a super bantamweight bout. Heavyweight Chinese sensation Taishan (2-0) will face Roy McCary (3-2) in a four round bout to open up the televised portion of the card.
The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation Present the “Fight 4 Fitness” 5K Run/2KWalk
The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation will present the Fight 4 Fitness 5K Run/2K walk fun run and community day to take place on Saturday, April 18th at Sunset Park in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The event will start at 8 a.m. and will be followed by an awards ceremony honoring all of the participants.
“My foundation genuinely cares about the Las Vegas community, and we are continuing our pledge to serve with great events like this,” said Mayweather. “Staying fit and active is so important. We hope this event encourages people of all ages to work towards getting in shape and living a healthy lifestyle.”
More information can be found at www.runsignup.com/Fight4Fitness
Main Events Wins Mchunu vs. Makabu Purse Bid
Main Events won the purse bid for the WBC Cruiserweight Eliminator Fight for the mandatory challenger for the WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Grigory Drozd (39-1). This bout will take place in South Africa this spring between Thabiso Mchunu (17-1) and Ilunga Makabu (18-1). Mchunu has won his last seven fights and was last seen defeating Garrett Wilson in September of 2014.
The date for this bout should be announced shortly.
Egberime vs. Cuevas Jr. Added to Roy Jones Jr. Battle of the Belts
Solomon Sgberine will be fighting Gerardo Cuevas Jr. in the undercard of the “Battle of the Belts” scheduled for March 13th, 2015 at the We Ko Pa Resort in Fort McDowell, Scottsdale, Arizona. This bout is scheduled for eight rounds in the welterweight division and is promoted by Roy Jones Jr. Boxing.
The main event will feature Billy “Bronco” Wright (46-4) and Gilberto Matheus Domingos (22-2) while the co-main event will feature Milorad Zizic (11-0) taking on Louis Rose (11-2).
Patrick Nielsen to Face “Comanche Boy” George Tahdooahnippah on March 14th
On March 14th in Denmark, Patrick Nielsen (23-1) will face “Comanche Boy” George Tahdooahnippah (34-1) at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark. The participants of this bout offered the following quotes:
“Nielsen will be shocked when he feels my power,” said the current WBC Continental Americas and NABA USA Champion. “He is going down in his own backyard! Going to Denmark to fight, is me living a dream for the Comanche Indian. I am going show that the Comanche warrior is very much alive in 2015!”
“Tahdooahnippah is no joke,” said Nielsen, who is preparing for his first super middleweight contest.
“I’ve seen his fights and I know it’s going to be a tough night. I always cheered for the Native Americans when I watched the old cowboy movies. Everybody loves an underdog. But if the ‘Comanche Boy’ thinks he can come to my hometown and beat me, he is mistaken. This is my chance to send a message to the entire super middleweight division. I’ve arrived and I’m ready to face the best!”
Heavyweight Contenders in Boxcino 2015 Offer Training Camp Quotes
The heavyweight portion of the 2015 Boxcino tournament begins this Friday, February 20th, 2015 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino. The participants offered their thoughts on the upcoming tournament before they fight on Friday.
Steve Vukosa –“Training is going great. I have been getting extra work shoveling all the snow here in Massachusetts. I haven’t really checked much on Donovan Dennis. I am excited to get in the ring and am excited for this opportunity.”
Donovan Dennis — “Training camp is good. I had great sparring and am in good shape. I am ready and have been anxious for the last couple weeks. I am ready for whatever I have to do to win the fight.”
Razvan Cojanu –“Everything has been great. I am ready to go. I had top sparring and it went great. To be honest, I don’t know much about Ed Fountain other then he is a southpaw. That doesn’t matter to me as I just go in there and do my job.”
Ed Fountain –“Training camp is pretty good. I am the underdog, and I am going to have some fun. I hope he brings his best so I can prove myself. I know he is a veteran. I look forward to knocking him out and putting myself at the top of the tournament.”
Lenroy Thomas –“Training went well. I am disappointed by the change of opponents. I just believe in myself and my faith. I watched some videos of Estrada, and he comes to fight. He brings the fight. It will be a good fight, and I will be victorious.”
Jason Estrada –“I am a late entry, but I have been in camp. I am in pretty good shape. This is such a good opportunity that I could not pass it up, and I am throwing my hat in the ring. I do not know much about my opponent. My dad did the research. I am just going in to fight my fight. From my amateur background, I have seen many styles. It is not hard because I have seen so many styles. I can adapt and may the best man win.”
Nate Heaven –“Training is going great. I have had lots of sparring. I have been running, and I am in great condition mentally and physically. I just keep charging along. From what I have seen, he will try to put a lot of pressure. He is aggressive and likes to go to the body. We are just preparing for whatever he comes up with. Training has been so well that we just want to take this from training to the ring.”
Andrey Fedosov –“I am ready to my best in this tournament! I had a great camp.”
Groves Believes Murray will Test Golovkin
George Groves spent a week in camp with Gennady Golovkin in camp last summer, but he believes Martin Murray will be able to test Golovkin.
“Sometimes you get a quick puncher who hits hard, like Mike Tyson, but you assume they’re not going to last that long,” said Groves. “After three or four rounds, it’s likely they’ll tire. But Golovkin has a style that allows him to set his own rhythm and get into his own groove and it’s hard to knock him out of it.
“To beat him, you can’t only be good at one thing. If you’re just fast, you won’t beat him. If you just have power, you won’t beat him. He has so much time in the pocket to work you out. He’ll find the openings.
“The most impressive thing I discovered was that he’s exceptional at setting traps. He’ll have guys thinking they’ll avoid his punch power and move around the ring, yet he cuts the ring off, feints, sets traps and quickly gets them to fight his fight.
“It doesn’t take him long. Once the ring closes on them, he goes to work and he has a great variety of shots, he works the body well, and, when he sees an opening, he has so much time. He’s a wily old cat who can really bite.
“Ultimately, you’re always on a knife edge with someone like Golovkin. You’ve got to be prepared to punch with him. You’ve got to be prepared to take a shot to land a shot at times. If you’re too concerned about getting hit, you’ll panic, make a mistake and end up getting hit and hurt. You have to try and land some shots of your own and command his respect. If he’s got nothing to worry about, he’ll be in that groove and rhythm of his all day.
“And you’re not dealing with a technically poor fighter who has incredible punch power. He has incredible punch power and elite-level technical ability. This means he’s always in the right place at the right time, with perfect balance, to land some of the most hurtful shots in boxing. That’s a scary thing for most opponents.”
“I think Martin Murray is certainly a world-class operator and he has looked exceptional at times, usually when asked to step up,” said Groves. “He’s proven himself to be one of the best in the division.
“Golovkin has gone through every one of his opponents like a hot knife through butter, so you wouldn’t back against him or begrudge him being the favourite, but I get the impression Murray is a very tough man to beat. He’s strong, he has a good boxing brain, he has a good variety of punches and he’s very experienced.
“I also like the fact Murray has a bit of a maverick approach to boxing. He isn’t signed to a standard UK promoter, he’s got his own ideas and I understand and appreciate that. He’s his own man. In these circumstances, that’s the best way to be. And, with the hype around Golovkin, ignorance and single-mindedness could be a real blessing.
“Also, Golovkin is so busy and has been boxing so well, it could be very easy for him to take his eye off the ball or go a little easy in training because he knows he’s scheduled for another three or four fights this year.
“Murray is not the sort of opponent you can take lightly. He can change and adapt to a certain degree; we’ve seen him fight up close with a tight guard and not give much away, and we’ve seen him box at mid-range and long-range behind a good jab and straight punches. He also looks like he’s got good physical strength, so he’ll be able to stand toe-to-toe when he needs to.
“All in all, I think it will definitely be one of Golovkin’s hardest fights. I don’t think Murray will crumble or get taken out early. We’ve seen good, durable fighters like Matthew Macklin and Daniel Geale crumble early against him, but I don’t see Murray going that way.”
Several Notable Former Champions and Contenders to Participate in Find a Dream Golf Event
Many notable athletes will take part in the 2015 Find a Dream All-Star Golf Event on Saturday, March 14th at the TPC Tampa Bay Golf Resort. Find a Dream is a nonprofit organization created to support America’s youth and veterans through education and sports.
The guests include Basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving, along with current and former National Football League stars Lawrence Taylor, Brian Kelly, Clinton Portis, Duce Staley, LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles, Antonio Pierce, Plaxico Burress, Tim Tebow, Laveranues Coles, Fred Taylor, Jevon Kearse, Rudi Johnson, Vernon Carey, Channing Crowder, Samari Rolle and Lito Sheppard. UFC light heavyweight Rashad Evans is also slated to appear, along with a healthy list of former world champion boxers and contenders in Ray Mercer, Michael Moorer, Bobby Czyz, Gerry Cooney, James Smith, Don Steele and Sal Cenicola.
More information can be found at www.FindADream.org.
