Boxing Insider Notebook: Ward, Ali, Foreman, Matthysse and More…..

By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of January 1st to January 7th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Dannie Williams Looking to Position Himself Back in Title Picture

Lightweight contender Dannie Williams (22-2) will return to action on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights against John Molina (24-2) at the Indian School in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Molina was recently stopped by Antonio DeMarco in September and Williams is still on his comeback from his March 30th, 2012 loss to Hand Lundy.

“I need to show the world in this fight that my last televised fight was not me. That was a fluke,” said Williams.

Heavyweights Headline January 25th Card at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino

Friday Night Fights on Friday, January 25th, will headline Amir “Hardcore” Mansour (16-0) against Dominique “Diamond” Alexander (23-15-1) of Topeka, Kansas in a Heavyweight bout. The co-feature will be Franklin “Yah-Yah” Lawrence (18-2-2) against Mark “Oak Tree” Brown (15-4) of Salem, NJ. Tickets can be purchased at www.doverdowns.com.

Braehmer Preparing for Gutknecht

Juergen Braehmer (38-2) has been preparing to ensure that the new year gets off to a winning start as he is ready to challenge the current European Light Heavyweight Champion Eduard Gutknecht (24-1) when they meet inside the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany on February 2nd.

Braehmer’s coach, Karsten Roewer, said,” Juergen has a really good attitude. That is exactly what is needed in order to form a successful working relationship. We get along really well.”

Gutknecht believes his challenger is past his prime, and has stated, “This fight is not just about my European Title. The winner will also get a chance to fight it out for the WBO Championship. He is standing in the way of a potential title shot. Therefore I have to get rid of him.”

Frankie Gavis Back to His Best According to His Trainer

Frankie Gavin’s trainer Tom Chaney says that winning the British Welterweight title has put a sparkle in his fighter and that he’ll shine on Friday January 18th at the Walsall Town Hall when he defends against Jason Welborn.

Chaney took Gavin to two ABA titles and a Commonwelath Gold and a World Title in the amateurs and joined Gavin in the professional ranks as his trainer. Gavis was last seen beating Junior Witter.

“Frankie’s been looking great, he’s been in the gym every day over Christmas and New Year and all the hard work he’s put in will show on the night against Welborn,” said Chaney.

Andre Ward Set to Begin Rehab

Andre Ward has undergone successful surgery which will keep him out of action for an indefinite period, and has forced the postponement of his highly-anticipated title about against Kelly Pavlik for a second time.

Ward first felt pain after throwing a punch at sparring partner Tony Hirsch during training in Ward’s hometown of Oakland. Dr. Dillingham performed the surgery and stated, “Technically, things went very well and all involved are very hopeful about the eventual outcome.”

“My surgery went very well and I am definitely pleased with the outcome,” says Ward. “I had a fantastic team of surgeons overseeing everything on Friday morning and they did a great job of repairing the injury. I am confident that I will return to the ring even better than I was prior to the injury,”

Yuri Foreman Returns January 23rd

On Wednesday, January 23rd, former junior middleweight world champion Yuri Foreman (28-2) will return to the ring for the first time in nearly two years when he takes on Brandon Baue (12-8) in a special attraction six-round feature bout at BB King Blues Club in New York City. The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and will feature Lamar Russ (11-0), Luis Rose (11-0) and Delen Parsley (9-0). Tickets can be purchased by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212)-947-2577.

Lucas Matthysse to Defend his Title Against Mike Dallas Jr.

Lucas Matthysse was originally set to fight Hank Lundy, but Lundy has withdrawn from the bout and Mike Dallas Jr. has stepped in to face the hard hitting junior welterweight. The bout will take place on January 26th at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. It will also feature a bout between Selcuk Aydin and Jesus Soto Karass. Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com.

Celebrate Muhammad Ali’s 71st Birthday in Style

Muhammad Ali’s birthday is on January 17th and Vandor, a company specializing in pop culture products, has several inspiring products featuring Muhammad Ali and his famous quotes. Memorabilia can be found at http://www.vandorproducts.com/c-936-muhammad-ali.aspx.

Brandon Gonzales Eagerly Preparing to Defend Undefeated Record Against Don Mouton

Undefeated Super Middleweight Brandon Gonzales is coming off a dominant victory over Elie Augustama and is now set to face Don Mouton on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on January 11th. Gonzales is currently training with Virgil Hunter.

“[Don’s] a tough fighter and he comes to fight. He’s given a lot of guys trouble,” Gonzales said. “I definitely know he’s coming with the mindset this is his opportunity and he’ll be fully prepared. This is my first fight in seven months and I’m eager to get back into it and showcase my skills on a platform like ESPN.”

High Voltage Double Header Tops Off NBSN Fight Night Season Opener

January 19th, NBC Sports Network’s Fight Night boxing series kicks off its second season on January 19th with a double header. In the main event Gabriel Campillo (21-4-1) meets Sergey Kovalev (18-0-1) in a ten round bout. Campillo was robbed in his fight against Tavoris Cloud last year and Kovalev has been on the rise, knocking out almost everyone in his path.

The 10-round co-feature will be between Elvin Ayala (26-5-1) and Curtis Stevens (22-3) in a middleweight bout. Ayala is riding a six-fight win streak and Stevens has kayoed four of his last six opponents. Tickets can be bought at www.ticketmaster.com.

Star Boxing Presents Battle of the Undefeated Heavyweights

Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing will return to the Times Union Center in Albany, NY, with “Battle of the Undefeated Heavyweights” featuring a ten round Championship showdown between Newark’s Joe “The Future” Hanks (21-0) and Richard “Silverback” Carmack (12-0) for the vacant NABA Heavyweight title. Tickets are on sale through www.ticketmaster.com.

“The fans in the Albany area have been very supportive of our two previous events and were excited to return to the Times Union Center with this sensational clash between 2 undefeated heavyweights and a terrific undercard that will be fully announced shortly,” said DeGuardia.

Majewski and Davis Set to Collide

On February 23rd at Bally’s Atlantic City middleweights Patrick Majewski (20-1) and Jamaal Davis (14-8-1) meet in a ten-round main event.

The Majewski-Davis contest tops a seven-bout card which begins at 7:30 pm and will be streamed live by www.gofightlive.tv.

“This fight is a natural but it took some time to make,” said promoter J Russell Peltz. “It follows the three important steps: First, do the styles match up? Yes. Second, does it lead somewhere? Yes, the winner becomes a player at 160. Third, would I pay to see it? Absolutely!”