Tag Archives: cintron

Posted on 09/06/2018

By: Ken Hissner

Former IBF World Welterweight Champion Kermit “El Asesino” Cintron has announced his retirement per Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions out of Reading, PA.

At the age of 38 Cintron’s last fight didn’t end as well as he would have liked. On February 13th of 2018 he was matched against upcoming Houston prospect Marquis Taylor, 8-1, at the Bethlehem Sands Event Center in Bethlehem, PA, on a King’s Promotions show. Cintron due to an accidental head butt had a bad cut above right eye. The ring physician refused to allow the contest to continue.

It was not the first cut Cintron has received during his 39-6-3 and 1nc record with 30 knockouts. It was at least the sixth time he has had cuts over both eyes. He has been known as a hard puncher which his 30 knockouts in 39 wins shows.

Considering Cintron didn’t get into boxing until he was 19 after being a high school wrestler after moving to PA from Carolina, PR. He was 24-4 with 17 knockouts as an amateur.

Kauffman was his fist trainer. Then Kronk’s Manny Steward, Ronnie Shields and ending with Joe Pastore. Cintron won the vacant IBF World title on October 28th in 2006 stopping Mark “Poison” Suarez, 25-2, at the Convention Center in Palm Beach, FL, in the 6th round. Cintron stopped David Estrada, 18-2, in a title eliminator in the 10th round for the No. 2 spot. Suarez had won a title eliminator in his previous fight stopping James Webb, 18-0, in the first round for the No. 1 spot.

Cintron defended his title twice successfully. First against Argentina’s Walter “El Terrible” Matthysse, 26-1, scoring a second round knockout in Atlantic City, NJ, in July of 2007. In November he stopped Jesse “El Rayo” Feliciano, 15-5-3, in the 10th round being well ahead in the scoring at time of the stoppage. Afterwards Cintron went to the hospital with a possible fractured right hand or wrist.

In Cintron’s third defense he lost his title by a knockout to the same boxer he lost his first fight. Cintron had won his first 24 fights before losing to Antonio “El Tornado de Tijuana” Margarito in Las Vegas in the fifth round for the latter’s WBO World Welterweight title then lost his IBF title to Margarito.

Before the year was out Cintron bounced back winning a solid 12 round decision over the former IBF World Super Lightweight champion South Africa’s Lovemore Ndou, 46-10-1, fighting out of Australia. He would follow this bout up with future world champion Sergio Martinez, 44-1-1, for the interim WBC World Super Welterweight Title. The fight would end up in a majority draw. Martinez would later win both the WBO and WBC Middleweight titles. His only loss going into the Cintron fight was to no other than Margarito.

When there was no rematch with Martinez Cintron’s next fight was a WBC Light Middleweight Title eliminator where he defeated tough Mexican Alfredo “Perro” Angulo, 15-0, over 12 rounds. Cintron was snubbed even though he won this eliminator to fight for the title.

Two fights later Cintron took on Paul “Punisher” Williams, 38-1, in May of 2010, losing by TD in the fourth round due to a severe back pain. He would split in his next two fights and got a title fight against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 38-0-1, for his WBC World Super Welterweight Title getting stopped in the fifth round. You can’t say Cintron was afraid to take on anyone.

Cintron was inactive for 16 months before returning to action with a split decision draw with Adrian Granados, 11-2-1, in March of 2013. After defeating Jonathan Batista, 14-1, Cintron was able to return to nearby Ready for the first time in almost eleven years at the Sands in Bethlehem, PA. In a solid 10 round bout and probably the most in attendance this writer has seen at that site he defeated Bethlehem’s Ronald Cruz, 20-2.

After six straight wins Cintron in March of 2017 he ended up in a TD draw in the fifth round due to an accidental head butt against David “Day-Day” Grayton, 15-1, at the Reading Santander Arena. Cintron suffered a cut right eye.

In June in one of the most explosive fights at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia for the vacant USA PA State Super Welterweight Title Cintron had Philly’s Tyrone “Young Gun” Brunson, 24-6-2, with 22 ko’s, down twice in the fourth round. In the next round Cintron went into end it when the hard hitting Brunson caught him coming in dropping Cintron three times ending the “Philly War!”

That was Cintron’s next to last fight before meeting Taylor in his final career bout. Cintron was very popular in the Reading area being a former champion with a solid knockout punch. Forty of his forty-nine opponents had winning records.

Former well known box man from the Reading, PA, area Rich Ormsbee worked Cintron’s corner as his cut man in early and later fights. He had this to say:

The biggest mistake his training people made is letting him be a nice guy in the fight. He was one of the hardest punching welterweights in his era, but he was too kind to his opponents. Jeff Jowett (writer) was responsible for his nickname “killer” but that didn’t fit. There is a big difference between boxing and fighting, but someone has to show the boxer also how to fight, and Kermit was never taught that. Kermit could have been one of the greatest welterweights of all-time if he only had been meaner. Even in his sparring matches, it always seemed like he was worried that he would hurt someone. There is nothing wrong with being a nice guy, but not in the “fight”. Also, I have never heard Kermit utter a bad word about anyone. He was and still is a truly nice guy.

Posted on 02/14/2018

By: Ken Hissner

Tuesday night at the Sands Event Center Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotion put on an 8 bout card featuring former champion Kermit Cintron and up and coming Mykal Fox in co-feature bouts.

In the co-feature former IBF Welterweight champion now Super Welterweight Kermit “El Asesino” Cintron, 39-6-3 (30) , of Reading, PA, and “Marvelous” Marcus Taylor, 8-1 (0) , of Houston, TX, was ruled no-contest at 0:35 of the third round due to clash of heads with an eye injury to Cintron.

In the first round already too many clinches. Referee Eric Dali warned Taylor for punching in the back and then behind the head of Cintron. In the second round Taylor landed a low blow causing referee Dali to give Cintron several minutes to re-coup. Cintron would lead with a jab but Taylor was not co-operating. In the third round due to an accidental clash of the heads Cintron’s right eye was near closed causing referee Dali to bring in the ring physician. The fight was called off by the ring physician. It was ruled no-contest in a scheduled 8. It could have been a DQ in favor of Cintron.

“I was looking for my 40th win. The referee did his job in warning his dirty tactics,” said Cintron. The first head butt cut Cintron’s forehead and the second a gash over the right eye. Joe Pastore is his trainer.

In the co-feature Super Lightweight southpaw Mykal “The Professor” Fox, 16-0 (4) , of Forestville, MD, won a hard fought decision over Ricardo Garcia, 14-2 (9) , of Dominican Republic, over 8 rounds.

In the first round the taller Fox used his reach jabbing while Garcia came forward going to the body well. In the second round Garcia seemed to come back taking the round with body work. Garcia’s left eye was closing by the end of the round. In the third round Garcia with left eye closing had problems with the southpaw Fox right jab. In the fourth round Garcia came back to even the score with overhand rights and inside body work.

In the fifth and sixth rounds Garcia walked into straight lefts from Fox. Though Garcia’s left eye was near closing he never stopped forcing the action. Garcia took the fifth and Fox seemed to do enough to take the sixth round though close.

In the seventh round a Fox right hook to the chin dropped Garcia who was up immediately taking the 8 count from referee Gary Rosato. In the eighth and final round Fox kept the jab working while Garcia did quite a bit of missing with hay makers.

Judge Poturaj had it 77-74 while judges Morgan and Weisfeld had it 78-73. This writer had it 77-74.

“I used my jab well. I got head butted (cut on forehead) but felt I controlled the fight,” said Fox.

Heavyweight Colby Madison, 6-0-1 (4) , of Owings Mills, MD, defeated southpaw Dante “Mr. Snuggly Time” Selby, 2-4-1 (0) , of Philadelphia, over 6 rounds.

In the first round Selby landed a lead left which was countered by a right of his own by Madison both to the head. Selby went down with referee Gary Rosato waving it off due to Madison stepping on the foot of Selby. In the second round Selby landed several lead lefts to the chin of Madison.

In the third round it took to the halfway point before a solid punch was landed by Madison to the chin of Selby. In the fourth round it was another slow round with Madison landing what little punches there were.

With Larry “The Easton Assasin” Holmes and “Gentleman” Gerry Cooney at ringside it looks like they could take both in the ring in a tag team match.

In the fifth round Selby landed a lead left at the halfway mark to the chin of Madison who came back with a stiff jab. It was another slow round on both parts. In the sixth and final round neither fighter seemed to go for the win. The scoring seemed out of line.

Judge Bernard Bruni had it 60-54 while Kevin Morgan and John Poturaj had it 59-55 with this writer having it 57-57.

Middleweight Blake “Kayo King” Mansfield 6-1-1 (4) , of Burlington, NC, stopped Darryl “Dreamking” Bunting, 3-3-2 (1) , of Asbury Park, NJ, at 0:36 of the fifth round in a scheduled 6.

In the first round Mansfield took it to Bunting driving him into a corner with a flurry of punches. Mansfield landed a left to the head drawing blood over the right eye of Bunting. In the second round Bunting landed a good straight right to the chin of Mansfield who came back with a right of his own rocking Bunting.

In the third round both fighters mixed it up well. Bunting got the best of it up until the final 30 seconds when Mansfield came back. In the fourth round Mansfield drove Bunting into the ropes with a straight right hand. Bunting knocked out the mouthpiece of Mansfield which was the third time costing Mansfield a point by referee Dali. Dali just prior to the bell landed a right to the head having Bunting wobble back to his corner.

In the fifth round Mansfield unleashed a vicious attack driving across the ring into the ropes forcing referee Dali to call a halt.

“I hurt him in the first round. When the referee took a point away in the previous round made me man. So I came out firing,” said Mansfield.

Heavyweight Michael Polite Coffie, 2-0 (1) , of Brooklyn, NY, defeated game Jamaican southpaw Nicoy Clarke, 0-1 (0) , of Jersey City, NJ, over 4 rounds.

In the first round Clarke landed a lead overhand left to the chin of the much larger Coffie. Coffie came back with hard left hook body shots on Clarke. Coffie landed half a dozen punches without return from Clarke. In the second round Clarke charges in trying to swarm Coffie with little success. A grazing left hook from Coffie bounced off the top of Clarke’s head. Inside a Coffie right uppercut on the chin drew blood from the nose of Clarke. Coffie has over a 60 pound weight advantage.

In the third round it was Clarke landing a dozen punches backing Coffie against the ropes. Coffie came back to rock Clarke with a right uppercut to the chin putting Clarke on the defense. Clarke started talking to Coffie and paid the price with half a dozen punches from Coffie. In the fourth and final round Coffie landed a solid uppercut to the chin of Clarke and then warned for a low blow by referee Rosato. A combination from Coffie hurt Clarke. Rosato was the referee.

All 3 judges Poturaj, Bruni and Morgan and this writer had it 40-36.

Featherweight southpaw Martino “Titan” Jules, 3-0 (0) , of Allentown, PA, won a close decision with a knockdown over Malik “Lil Leak” Loften, 1-1 (1) , of Suitland, MD, over 4 rounds.

In the first round both mixed it up good with Jules landing the better of the punches through the first half of the round. Loften came back in the last ten seconds driving Jules into a corner at the bell. In the second round Jules drove Loften into a corner but Loften came back with a left hook to the body. Loften rushed into Jules who landed a straight left to the chin dropping Loften. Referee Dali gave him the eight count and Loften was up and fighting back. It was Jules who came out of the round with a bloody nose smeared his face with blood at the bell.

In the third round Loften came charging out trying to turn the fight around as Jules met him with a combination. Loften drove Jules into a neutral corner with a combination to the head of Jules. Jules slipped a right from Loften and countered with a left to the chin of Loften. Loften landed a solid right to the head of Jules putting him into the ropes causing him to clinch. Again a right hand from Loften rocked Jules. In the fourth and final round both let it all hang out knowing the fight could be in the balance of the round. Loften had Jules holding after landing a solid right to the head of Jules.

Judge Bruni had it 39-38 while Morgan and Weisfeld had it 38-37 with this writer having it 38-37.

Featherweight Juan “Ciclon” Sanchez, 5-0 (2) , of Allentown, PA, stopped Mexican Sergio Aguilar, 2-7 (2) , of Homestead, FL, at 2:55 of the fourth and final round.

In the first round Sanchez came out firing driving Aguilar landing a left hook knocking him to the bottom strand of the ropes ruling a knockdown by referee Rosato. Sanchez landed eight left uppercuts to the body of Aguilar up until the bell. In the second round Sanchez hit Aguilar with a right to the head spinning him around making his glove touch the canvas causing referee Rosato to call it a knockdown. A combination from Sanchez dropped Aguilar a second time. Sanchez pulled a “Roy Jones, Jr.” putting his hands behind his back then throwing a punch. Aguilar got the final punch in as the bell sounded.

In the third round Sanchez rocked Aguilar who gamely came back with several punches of his own. Aguilar drove Sanchez into the ropes with a lead overhand right to the head. Aguilar did well to come back and edge Sanchez in the round. In the fourth and final round Aguilar missed with a wild right hand almost going through the ropes as Sanchez ducked out of the way. In the final minute both fighters let it all hang out with Sanchez hurting Aguilar with a right body shot. Then Sanchez followed up by swarming all over Aguilar driving him to the canvas on his back under the lower rope. Referee Rosato immediately waved it off. The local fans went crazy for Sanchez.

“He was a lot tougher than I thought he was. I did my thing (showboat) with a triple left hook to finish him off,” said Sanchez. His trainer well known in the area Louie Martinez said “he is in college and hasn’t been able to get in the gym as I would like but he did well.”

In the opening bout Cruiserweight Kendall “Smoke” Cannida, 1-0 (0) ,, of Philadelphia, defeated Leroy Jones, 2-2 (2), of St. Louis, MO, over 4 rounds.

In the first round the taller Jones used his jab until Cannida got inside and drove him into the ropes with a flurry of punches. Jones continued to carry his left low not learning Cannida can punch. In the second round Cannida switched to southpaw and back to orthodox. A right hand from Cannida rocked Jones with five more punches putting him against the ropes before Jones returned a punch. Jones landed a left uppercut to the chin of Cannida. Cannida came back with a solid jab just prior to the bell that knocked the head of Jones back.

In the third round Cannida landed a right to the body of Jones. Up until then he was head hunting. Jones came forward and got hit with a right to the chin stopping him in his tracks. Jones was warned for using his forearm for the second time by referee Dali. In the fourth round Cannida rocked Jones with a left hook to the chin. Another left hook from Cannida rocked Jones who hasn’t learned to pick up his left hand. Cannida landed an overhand right to the chin of Jones at the ten second warning.

All three Judges Bruni, Morgan and Weisfeld and this writer hat it 40-36. “I liked it a lot. This is what I trained for,” said Cannida. In his corner were Chucky Mills and former top world contender Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts, all from Philly. Cannida is a prospect.

The Ring Announcer was Alex Barbosa. On Go-Fight-Live were Marc Abrams and Mike Mittman. Timekeeper was Fred Blumstein. Kings Promotion will return to the Sands Event Center on April 17th. Per promoter Marshall Kauffman it may be his son heavyweight Travis Kauffman returning to the ring. Their next show is March 2nd at the SugarHouse Casino in Philly featuring unbeaten Christian Carto.

Posted on 02/12/2018

By: Ken Hissner

Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotions returns to the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on Tuesday night with former world champion Kermit Cintron on top. He was to be the co-feature until headliner Frankie DeAlba got cut in training.

“It’s unfortunate that Frank got hurt but we have two excellent fights that will top the bill. This is a terrific card from top to bottom, and we look forward to seeing everyone Tuesday night,” said CEO Marshall Kauffman.

Cintron, 39-6-3 (30), of Reading, PA, takes on Marcus Taylor, 8-1 (0), of Houston, TX, who will be fighting in his first 10 round bout. The 24 year-old will be looking to upset the 38 year-old Cintron.

In June Cintron lost for the first time in his last 8 fights (6-0-2) losing in Philadelphia to Philly’s knockout artist Tyrone “Young Gun” Brunson, 26-6-2 (24). Cintron had Brunson down twice in the fourth round. He went out to finish Brunson off and ended up on the canvas three times before the fight was stopped.

Super Lightweight Mykal “The Prophet” Fox, 15-0 (4), of Forestville, MD, risks he unbeaten record against Ricardo Garcia, 14-1 (9), of the Dominican Republic over 8 rounds. Garcia lost for the first time in November at the Sands by majority decision and is looking to get back into the win column.

Heavyweight Colby Madison, 5-0-1 (4), of Owings Mills, MD, takes on Philadelphia southpaw Dante Selby, 2-3-1 (0), over 6 rounds. Middleweight Blake “Kayo King” Mansfield 5-1-1 (3), of Burlington, NC, takes on Darryl Bunting, 3-2-2 (1), of Asbury Park, NJ, over 6 rounds.

Giant Heavyweight Michael Polite Coffe, 1-0 (1), made his debut on the November show at the Sands and is returning to take on debuting Jamaican Nicoy Clarke, of Jersey City, NJ, over 4 rounds.

Featherweight Martino Jules, 2-0 (0), of Allentown, PA, takes on Malik Loften, 1-0 (1), of Suitland, MD, over 4 rounds. Featherweight Juan Sanchez, 4-0 (1), takes on Mexican Sergio Aguilar, 2-6 (2), of Homestead, FL, over 4 rounds.

Posted on 06/25/2017

Kermit Cintron KO’d by Tyrone Brunson at 2300 Arena in Philly Saturday!
By: Ken Hissner

King’s Promotions returned to the 2300 Arena, in South Philly Saturday night with a 9 bout card. In the Main Event former IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron, of Reading and Tyrone Brunson of Philly went head to head with Bronson pulling out a come from behind win.

In the Main Event the former IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron, 39-6-3 (30), of Reading, PA, was upset by Tyrone “Young Gun” Brunson, 25-6-2 (23), Philly, PA, dropping him 3 times in the fifth to claim the PA state super welterweight title at 1:21.

In the first round Cintron is doing all the fighting jabbing and going to the body with both hands. Brunson barely landed a punch. In the second round Brunson continues showing too much respect for Cintron. Suddenly a left hook to the chin from Brunson buckled the knees of Cintron. In the third round Cintron continued to control what little action there was ending the round with a left hook to the chin of Brunson.

In the fourth round Brunson countered a missed right from Cintron with a right of his own on Cintron’s chin. A Brunson left hook to the chin of Cintron stopped him in his tracks. Cintron bleeding from the nose dropped Brunson with a left hook to the chin. Cintron jumped on Brunson dropping him with another left hook to the chin.

In the fifth round a double right from Brunson to the chin of Cintron dropped him. After taking the count from referee Clark Brunson again dropped Cintron twice more causing referee Shawn Clark to call a halt.

“I’m a slow starter but hurt him and knew I couldn’t play with him. When I fell on top of him I knew he was ready to go,” said Brunson.

In the co-feature lightweight Anthony “Bad Boy” Burgin, 10-4 (2), Philly, came off the floor in a hard fought loss to Victor “El Flaco” Vasquez, 8-3 (3), of Yonkers, NY, over 6 rounds.

In the first round Vasquez outworked Burgin. In the second round a pair of left uppercuts to the chin by Vasquez dropped Burgin to his knees face down. He beat the count of referee Benjy Esteves, Jr., just before the round ended. In the third round Vasquez landed five unanswered punches to the head of Burgin. It was all Vasquez in the round.

In the fourth round Vasquez walked into a pair of rights to the head from Burgin. A 3-punch combination from Vasquez having Burgin on the ropes seemed to wake him up but too little too late. In the fifth round Vasquez missed a combination and Burgin countered with a right to the chin. A Burgin right and left on the chin of Vasquez got his attention. They exchanged left hooks to the head. In the sixth and final round they exchanged double uppercuts to the chin. Vasquez was bleeding from the nose and Burgin from the mouth. It was the best round of the fight!

Judge Braswell had it 57-56 while judges Carter and Weisfeld 58-55 with this writer having it 59-54 for the winner.

Bantamweight Marcus “Dream Crusher” Bates, 7-0-1 (6), D.C., won a hard fought 6 rounder from Roberto “Escorpion” Pucheta, 10-11-1 (6), Jalisco, MEX.

In the first round Pucheta rocked Bates with a right to the chin and had Bates on the run. In the second round Bates landed a pair of solid rights to the ribs of Pucheta who positioned his body leaving it wide open but came back with a solid left hook to the head of Bates. In the second round it was more of the same but in the third Bates had Pucheta’s nose bleeding being more aggressive.

In the fourth round things really heated up with both teeing off on one another and talking to each other by the end of the round. In the fifth round a counter left by Bates to the head of Pucheta with just ten seconds before the bell dropped Pucheta who took the 8 count from referee Clark. In the sixth round a Pucheta right to the chin of Bates had him holding on.

Judge Steve Weisfeld had it 59-54, Lynne Carter and Dave Braswell 58-55 and this writer 57-56 for the winner.

Lightweight southpaw Jerome “The Conqueror” Conquest, 8-2 (1), Philly, came off the floor to defeat South Korean Jae Ho Kim, 6-4-1 (2), of Philly, over 6 rounds.

In the opening round Kim came right out landing a hard right to the midsection of Conquest. Conquest came back with a flurry of punches having Kim back on his heels. In the second round Kim kept coming forward but the defense of Conquest had him missing while getting countered to the head. In the third round a straight right by Kim to the chin of Conquest put him on his butt smiling taking an 8 count from referee Esteves. Conquest got on his bike trying to stay out of trouble until his head cleared.

In the fourth round Conquest stopped on occasions fighting it out with the ever aggressive Kim. In the fifth round it was almost to close to call. In the sixth and final round neither went all out in a close fight to close out with the win.

Judge Weisfeld had it 57-56, Carter 58-55 and Page 59-54 with this writer 57-56 all for the winner.

Lightweight Steven Ortiz, 7-0 (2), Philly, remained unbeaten in an exciting win over southpaw Tyrome Jones, 4-1 (1), South Bend, IN, over 6 rounds.

In the first round Ortiz held a slight edge using his jab against the southpaw Jones. In the second round Ortiz is throwing nothing but power punches but leaving himself wide open when throwing a lead uppercut which usually missed the mark. A lead left from Jones found its mark on the chin of Ortiz who landed a combination of his own. Seconds later Ortiz dropped Jones with a right to the chin. Referee Clark administered the 8-count to Jones who got up fighting back.

In the fourth round Ortiz gets warned for the third time about low punches. Jones landed a solid left hook to the head of Ortiz who countered with a straight right to the chin dropping Jones again. He took the 8-count from referee Clark but came fighting back. In the fifth round of a real slugfest Jones landed a straight left to the head of Ortiz who came firing back. This fight woke the crowd up. In the sixth and final round a counter left by Jones landed solidly on the chin of Ortiz who continued throwing bombs. His fans were supporting him big time.

Judge Braswell had it 57-56, Weisfeld and Page 59-53 with this writer 58-55 for the winner.

Middleweight Gregory Clark, 3-1-1 (1), D.C., won a lack luster fight over Darryl “Dream King” Bunting, 3-2-2 (1), Asbury Park, NJ, over 6 rounds.

In the first round it was close with Bunting the aggressor while Clark was the taller and getting away with right uppercuts to the chin. In the second and third rounds Bunting kept chasing with both landing their punches in a close fight.

In the fourth round Bunting’s pressure finally paid off. Clark looked somewhat tired. In the fifth Clark ran with his hands down never throwing an effective punch while Bunting continued the “hunt”! In the sixth and final round Clark continued the track meet with Bunting once again getting more punches in.

Judge Braswell had it 58-56 while Page and Weisfeld 59-55 for the winner but this writer had it 58-56 for the loser.

Heavyweight Colby “Braveheart” Madison, 4-0-1 (3), Baltimore, MD, and Joel Caudle, 7-0-1 (5), Raleigh, NC, ended in a majority draw.

In the first round Madison landed a solid left hook to the chin of Caudle. This didn’t stop Caudle who was much shorter from taking it to Caudle having him trapped in a neutral corner at the bell. In the second and third rounds Caudle had Madison pinned against the ropes swarming all over him. In the fourth and final round Caudle was finally using his height and reach using his jab and solid counter rights to the head of Madison who may have punched himself out after three rounds. Then Caudle allowed himself to back into the ropes being caught by a good left hook to the head by Peters.

In the fifth round Caudle once again had Madison against the ropes landing uppercuts and overhand rights to the chin and head of Madison. On several occasions Madison landed a left hook to the side of the head of Caudle. Just prior to the bell Caudle landed a solid left hook to the head of Madison who countered with a chopping right to the head of Caudle. In the sixth and final round Madison used his jab and counter right to the head of Caudle who was looking exhausted but never stopped trying.

Judge Page had it 58-56 Caudle while Weisfeld, Carter and this writer had it 57-57.

Super middleweight Brandon “B-Rob”Robinson, 4-1 (3), Upper Darby, PA, stopped Rafael “El Toro” Valencia, 3-8-1 (2), Medford, ORE, at 2:48 of the second round.

In the first round Robinson controlled though Valencia stayed in there. In the second round Robinson did an assault on the body of Valencia who complained of low blows and got a rest by referee Clark. A right hand and left hook to the chin by Robinson dropped Valencia. Upon rising referee Clark saw enough and called a halt.

In the opening bout super bantamweight Chaise “Pretty Boy” Nelson, 6-1 (3), Dayton, OH, survived the final round to edge out Jordan Peters, 2-1-1 (2), of D.C., over 4 rounds.

In the first round after a slow start Peters nailed Nelson with a right to the head in Nelson’s corner. Nelson came back with a combination to the chin of Peters. In the second and third rounds Peters chased Chaise who countered well. In the fourth round seemingly behind Peters put the pressure on having his best round. He had Nelson holding on. Peters rocked Nelson on several occasions. Nelson landed a solid left hook to the head of Peters at the bell.

All 3 judges Carter, Weisfeld and Page along with this writer had it 39-37 for the winner.

Posted on 06/21/2017

Big Time Main Event with Cintron vs Brunson in Philly Saturday!
By: Ken Hissner

There was a Tuesday night press conference at the 2300 Arena where former world IBF champion Kermit Cintron meets Philly’s Tyrone Brunson Saturday night at the 2300 Arena with a bang-up undercard.

Kings Promotions CEO Marshall Kauffman was at the mic “this main event should be on television. We have two hard hitting fighters in former IBF champion Kermit Cintron, 39-5-3 (30) of Reading, PA, and Tyrone Brunson, 24-6-2 (22), of Philly fighting for the PA Super welterweight title Saturday,” said Kauffman.

He went on to talk about how competitive the undercard is with Anthony Burgin 10-3 vs Victor Vasquez 7-3; Marcus Bates 6-0-1 vs Roberto Pucheta 10-11-1; Jerome Conquest, 7-2 vs Jae Ho Kim, 6-3-1, Steven Ortiz 6-0 vs Tyrone Jones 4-0; Gregory Clark 2-1-1 vs Darryl Bunting 3-1-2; Colby Madison 4-0 vs Joel Caudle 7-0; Brandon Robinson 3-1 vs Rafael Valencia 3-7-1; Chaise Nelson 5-1 vs Jordan Peters 2-0-1; Nick Valliere 5-2 vs Randy Hedderick 2-7-1.

“The winner of the main event will move into the IBF’s top 15 at super welterweight,” said Kauffman.Trainer of Cintron Joe Pastore said “Kermit did this before working back to top. Everyone in boxing takes a risk when they enter the ring.” Brunson said “Thank God. I’ve been in training camp for 7 weeks. We sparred once and the winner Saturday will be from Philly.” Cintron chimed in “he’s a big puncher. I’ll do the job I’m supposed to do and come out the winner.”

Doors open 6:30pm and first bout 7:00pm.

Posted on 06/14/2017

Boxing Insider Notebook: Broner, Garcia, Shields, Cintron, Benavidez, and more…
Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of June 6th to June 13th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Barclays Center to Host Matchup Between Adrien Broner and Mikey Garcia

Four-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner and three-division world champion Mikey Garcia square off in a blockbuster matchup in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®, Saturday, July 29, live on SHOWTIME, presented by Premier Boxing Champions at Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

Tickets to the event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $950, $750, $350, $300, $250, $150, $75, and $50 (not including applicable fees), and will go on sale on Thursday, June 15 at 10 a.m. ET, and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center starting Friday, June 16 at noon (if tickets are still available). Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

“Broner vs. Garcia is one of the year’s biggest matchups in boxing and we anticipate an electric atmosphere at Barclays Center,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “This will be our fourth major card in 2017 as BROOKLYN BOXING continues to deliver dramatic moments, competitive fights, and many of the sport’s biggest names to fight fans.”

Broner and Garcia, two world-class fighters in their prime, meet at a critical time in their respective careers in one of the most intriguing matches in boxing. Both Broner and Garcia have had spectacular victories at Barclays Center in Brooklyn during their careers. Broner successfully defended his welterweight title against Paulie Malignaggi at Barclays Center on June 22, 2013, and Garcia, coming off a lengthy layoff, defeated Elio Rojas via fifth-round TKO at the arena on July 30, 2016.

Broner, a three-division world champion by the age of 23, and one of the youngest four-division world champions in boxing history, remains one of the most accomplished and popular athletes in the sport today. Among the top 140-pounders in the world, Broner is undefeated at or below 140 pounds with his only two losses coming against welterweight world champions Marcos Maidana and Shawn Porter. At just 27 years old, Broner (33-2, 24 KOs) still believes he is the future of the sport and looks to prove it against Garcia on Saturday, July 29.

Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Broner has achieved more in his young career than most fighters can hope for in a lifetime. After earning world titles at 130, 135 and 147 pounds, Broner won a belt in a fourth weight division – 140 pounds – in October 2015 when he defeated Khabib
Allakhverdiev via 12th round stoppage to become the second youngest four-division champion in boxing history at 26 (behind Oscar De La Hoya, 24). Broner will turn 28 years old on July 28, the day before his bout with Garcia.

Garcia, 29 years old and undefeated (36-0, 30 KOs), is a recently crowned lightweight champion and one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the sport. He will move up in weight for the second time in just three fights to challenge Broner. Garcia is a member of a renowned boxing family, and is noted for his sportsmanship and his commanding presence in the ring, honed by his brother and acclaimed trainer Robert Garcia. He has held world titles at 126, 130 and 135 pounds, but has never fought above 138.

Garcia, of Moreno Valley by way of Oxnard, Calif., returned to the ring after a two-and-half-year layoff in July 2016 without missing a beat. After defeating Rojas, Garcia became a three-division champion by beating previously undefeated lightweight world champion Dejan Zlaticanin with a vicious third-round knockout this January. Garcia has stopped 19 of his last 21 opponents including Roman “Rocky” Martinez, Juan Manuel Lopez, Orlando Salido and Bernabe Concepcion.

Top Golden Boy Promotions Talent Set to Showcase their Skills Saturday Night

Top Texas contenders and prospects from across the state will come together this Saturday night, June 17 for an action-packed evening of fights from the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco.

As part of the Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN telecast, Championship hardware will be on the line in the all-Texas, eight-round co-main event as standout Golden Boy Prospect Joshua “The Professor” Franco (10-0, 6 KOs) of San Antonio faces off against Oscar Mojica (10-2, 1 KO) of Dallas for the WBC Youth Silver Flyweight title.

In the six-round TV opener, highly decorated amateur and super lightweight prospect Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (5-0, 5 KOs) from Dallas will search for his sixth consecutive knockout victory against Ricardo Fernandez (3-5-4) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Hoping to make TV, red-hot super featherweight prospect and Dallas native Javier Martinez (1-0, 1 KO) will appear in a four-round fight against Daniel Gutierrez (2-5, 2 KOs) of San Diego, CA.

Those three fights are in support of the main event in which heavy-handed super lightweights Pablo “El Demoledor” Cesar Cano (30-5-1, 21 KOs) and Fidel “The Atrisco Kid” Maldonado Jr. (23-3-1, 19 KOs) will battle over 10 rounds for the vacant WBC Fecarbox super lightweight title.

Off TV, a quarter of Texas prospects will fight to take their next step to stardom. San Antonio native Hector “El Finito” Tanajara, Jr. (9-0, 4 KOs), a super featherweight, will fight Eduardo Reyes (7-9, 5 KOs) of Reynosa, Mexico for six rounds. Austin’s own Travell “Black Magic” Mazion (11-0, 11 KOs) will look to make a dozen straight knockout victories to begin his middleweight career in a six-round fight against Fort Worth’s Even Torres (6-3, 5 KOs).

Dallas’ own Alex Rincon (1-0, 1 KO), a super welterweight, will step into a four-round fight against Austin-based Zachary Briones (1-3). Opening up the card will be two Texas fighters making their professional debuts, as Fort Worth’s David Fabela takes on San Antonio’s Zachary Lee in a four-round lightweight affair.

Cano vs. Maldonado, Jr., a 10-round super lightweight fight for the vacant WBC Fecarbox super lightweight title, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD and Hennessy, never stop, never settle. The bout will take place outside on Saturday, June 17 at Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star in Frisco, Texas on ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes starting at 11:00 p.m. EST/10:00 p.m. CST/9:00 p.m. PST.

The ESPN3 and WatchESPN App coverage will begin at 9:00 p.m. EST/8:00 p.m. CST/7:00 p.m. PST.

Tickets for Fight Night at The Star are on sale and priced at $90, $50, and $20, not including applicable service charges. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will be available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com. Additionally, walk up purchases are available at the AT&T Stadium Box Office (Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. CT to 5:00 p.m. CT) or on day of the event at the Ford Center Box Office beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Super Middleweight Contender David Benavidez Does Admirable Job Behind Fox Sports 1 Mic for Brandon Rios’ Comeback Victory Last Sunday

Phoenix, Arizona-based super middleweight phenom David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez spent some time behind the microphone last Sunday, while waiting eagerly for his potentially record-breaking world championship challenge.

Undefeated Benavidez (18-0, 17 KOs) did an admirable job serving as a Fox Sports 1 guest commentator for former champion Brand Rios’ exciting comeback victory over Aaron Herrera at the Pioneer Event Center in Lancaster, California.

Benavidez is coming off a star-making eight-punch combination KO 8 of fellow contender “Porky” Medina at the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas.

The 20-year-old now waits for word on who he will face for the WBC Championship in his try to become the youngest super middleweight world champion in boxing history. Darrin Van Horn, who was 22 years, 8 months and 11 days old when he beat Lindell Holmes for the IBF super middleweight championship on May 18, 1991.

Meanwhile, highlights of Benavidez’s sensational victory over Medina continue to rack up views on YouTube. (Click HERE). At last count, the victory had garnered nearly 350,000 views. On the Premier Boxing Champions Facebook page, a similar video has 1.1 million viewers and on other pages, over 3.8 million.

“David is a talent at everything he does,” said his promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz. “Thank you to the PBC and Fox Sports for allowing him to reach a dream and work as a commentator while he awaits his ultimate dream: to become the youngest champion in history at 168 lbs.”

Sydney LeBlanc Steps in to Face Two-Time Gold Medalist Claressa Shields

Sydney “Ginger the Ninja” LeBlanc is stepping in on three days’ notice to face Women’s NABF Middleweight Champion, Claressa “T-Rex” Shields of Flint, Michigan, in the eight-round main event of Salita Promotions’ “Detroit Brawl” this Friday, June 16, 2017, at the Masonic Temple in Detroit.

33-year-old LeBlanc (4-1-1) from Gretna, Louisiana, represents a step up in competition from original opponent Mery Rancier, who was unable to participate due to visa issues. A six-year pro who was already in training for a fight on June 10, LeBlanc says she’s eager for the chance to upset the two-time Olympian and budding women’s superstar Shields.

“I’ve been pro boxing for nine years, since before the Olympics had a women’s division and I’ve taken a lot of time off because of a lack of available opponents,” explained LeBlanc. “These Olympians are reopening the gates for all female fighters. Everybody was on the shelf for years.

This is the first time female boxing has been popular since the Ann Wolfe days, so I’m very appreciative of the opportunities they are bringing.

I’ve never watched any of my opponents before a fight, but I know about Claressa Shields and I want to fight her. I’m looking at this fight as a good chance to see where I’m at, skill-wise and I’ll be ready.”

Shields vs. LeBlanc will be contested for the WBC Silver Super Middleweight Championship.

Once again sponsored by the Greektown Casino Hotel, tickets for “Detroit Brawl” are priced at VIP $200, Box Seats are $100 and $55, Seating is $40, and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.com.

Kermit Cintron to Face Tyrone Brunson for Pennsylvania State Junior Middleweight Title

The stakes have been raised for the much anticipated showdown between former two-time world champion Kermit Cintron & Tyrone Brunson, that will take place on Saturday, June 24 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

The Pennsylvania State Junior Middleweight title will be on the line when those two combatants meet in a bout scheduled for 10-rounds.
The show is promoted by King’s Promotions.

“This was already a tremendous event, and now even more is on the line with the addition of the state title bout. This fight has the makings of an explosive fight, with the winner being in line for a major opportunity, said Marshall Kauffman, CEO of King’s Promotions.

That bout will headline an eleven bout card with some of the best fighters in the area being on display.

In the six-round co-feature, Anthony Burgin (10-3, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on Victor Vazquez (7-3, 3 KO’s) of Yonkers, NY in a super lightweight bout.

Also in six-round bouts:

Undefeated Steven Ortiz (6-0, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on an opponent to be named in a lightweight contest.

Jerome Conquest (7-2, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will fight Jae Ho Kim (6-3-1, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia in a lightweight battle.

Daryl Bunting (3-1-1, 1 KO) of Asbury Park, NJ will square off with Gregory Clark (2-1-1, 1 KO) of Washington, DC in a super middleweight fight.

Marcus Bates (6-0-1, 6 KO’s) of Washington, DC will take on Roberto Pucheta (10-11-1, 6 KO’s) of Jalisco, Mexico in a bantamweight fight.

Nate Rivas (5-2, 2 KO’s) of Berlin, NJ will fight James Robinson (4-7-4, 1 KO) of York, PA in a junior middleweight affair.

In four-round bouts:

Chaise Nelson (5-1, 3 KO’s) of Dayton, OH will take on Jordan Peters (2-0-1, 2 KO’s) of Washington, DC in a super bantamweight tussle.

Nick Valliere (5-2, 2 KO’s) of Forked River, NJ will battle Randy Hedderick (2-7-1, 1 KO) of Gulfport, MS in a junior middleweight bout.

Colby Madison (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Baltimore, MD will take on an opponent to be named in heavyweight fight.

Brandon Robinson (3-1, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia boxes Rafael Valencia (3-7-1, 2 KO’s) of Medford, OR in a super middleweight bout.

Posted on 03/18/2017

Mansour Wins Over Kauffman and Cintron Draws with Grayton!
By: Ken Hissner

At the Santander Arena, in Reading, PA, Friday night Premier Boxing Champions, Kings Promotions and Corona Extra over Bounce TV put on a major heavyweight fight Friday night.

Heavyweight southpaw Amir “Hardcore” Mansour, 23-2-1 (16), of Wilmington, DE, won a majority decision over Travis “My Time” Kauffman, 31-2 (23), of Reading, PA, over 12 rounds for the USNBC and PA State Titles.

After four rounds it looked even and by the sixth both fighters seemed to have slowed down. Mansour complained on at least three occasions of low blows and referee Shawn Clark would have none of it. Kauffman fought most of the fight southpaw trying to offset the southpaw advantage of Mansour. Down the stretch Mansour seemed to have more left in the tank taking the last two rounds and the fight.

Judge Steve Weisfeld had it 114-114, Anthony Mundy 117-11 and Mike Somma and this writer 115-113 for the winner. Whether this showing on both parts is enough to get back into the ratings is questionable.

Former IBF welterweight champion Kermit “El Asesino” Cintron, 39-5-3 (30), of Reading, PA, and David “Day Day” Grayton, 15-1-1 (11), Wash, DC, fought to a majority draw after 5 rounds. An accidental butt opened a cut over Cintron’s right eye and he couldn’t continue so they went to the scorecards.
Judges had it 49-46 for Cintron and 47-47 twice. This writer had it 48-46 for Grayton based on a knockdown. Grayton turned it into a brawl and Cintron tried to counter him but couldn’t keep him from rushing in and bullying him to the ropes.

It was an ugly fight and referee Gary Rosato had his hands full trying to keep the two apart throughout. Cintron seemed fortunate to get a draw considering he was down once.

Former 2-time IBF cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, 29-8-1 (13), of Philadelphia, won an easy decision over Felipe “El Indio” Romero, 19-12-1 (13), from Baja, MEX, over 6 rounds of a scheduled 8 round bout. This was to get the rust off of Cunningham who returned to the ring after 11 months. His manager Al Haymon promises Cunningham a title fight while all four cruiserweight champions are from out of the US.

Judges had it 60-54 as did this writer. Referee was Rosato.

Super welterweight Chordale Booker, 6-0 (3), of Brooklyn, NY, won a 6 round decision over Moshea Aleem, 4-1-1 (2), of VA.

It was Booker coming forward and Aleem loading up and being outworked. All 3 judges had it 59-55 while this writer had it 57-57. Referee was Clark.

Super featherweight Chris Colbert, 6-0 (2), of Brooklyn, NY, won a decision over tough Wilfredo Garriga, 3-5-1 (2), of Juana Diaz, PR, over 6 rounds.

Colbert did more moving and jabbing than anything while Garriga tried to make a fight of it but the judges didn’t see it that way. All 3 had it 60-54 while this writer had it 57-57. The fans were not happy with the performance of Colbert. Referee was Clark.

Super welterweight southpaw Erik Spring, 9-1-2 (1), of Reading, PA, decisioned Jeremiah Wiggins, 10-5-1 (5), of Newport News, VA, over 6 rounds.

Spring used his reach advantage well and was willing to mix it up when necessary. Judges had it 60-53 as did this writer and 59-54 twice. Referee was Dali.

Middleweight Nicholas Hernandez, 6-2 (1), of Lebanon, PA, won a hard fought decision over Nick Valliere, 5-2 (2), of Forked River, NJ, over 6 rounds.

This was a swing bout and no decision was announced but referee Rosato raised the hand of Hernandez whom seemed fortunate to get the decision.

Super lightweight Kashon Hutchinson, 2-2 (1), of Reading, PA, did more posing than fighting allowing Darius“I Am King” Ervin, 4-1 (0), of L.A., walk away with the decision over 4 rounds.

Judges had it 39-37 twice and 38-38 as did this writer.

Super lightweight Matt Quirindongo, 1-0 (0), of Reading, PA, won a decision over Weusi Johnson, 2-3 (0), of Wilmington, DE, over 4 rounds.

Quirindongo scored a knockdown and was too strong for Johnson who showed little power in both hands. Referee was Dali.
Two judges had it 40-35 as did this writer and one judge 40-36.

Super lightweight Jesus Perez, 2-0 (1), of Reading, PA, decisioned Titos Matthew Gosalves, 0-1 (0), of Lancaster, PA, over 4 rounds.

A knockdown seemed to be the difference with all 3 judges scoring it 39-36. This writer gave Gosalves a 10-8 round offsetting the knockdown calling it 37-37.

Posted on 03/16/2017

Kauffman & Mansour in Showdown at Reading Friday!
By: Ken Hissner

There was a time when they were sparring one another. Then came the Facebook trash talking back and forth. Now the rubber has hit the road on March 17th at the Santander Arena in Reading, PA. Travis “My Time” Kauffman, 31-1 (23), of Reading, PA, takes on southpaw Amir “Hardcore” Mansour, 22-2-1 (16), of Wilmington, DE, over 12 rounds for the WBC US (USNBC) and PA State heavyweight titles.

This writer is not a fan of two boxers I like fighting one another but I have to say it will be an interesting match-up on Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce TV starting at 9pm. Doors open at 6pm and first bout 6:30pm. It is a ten bout card! It’s quite unusual to have 20 boxers on a card with only one with a losing record. Kings Promotions and Corona are promoters.

Wednesday in Reading a press conference was held at the Doubletree Hotel with David Feldman at the microphone. He started with the co-feature with former IBF welterweight champion Kermit “El Asesino” Cintron and David “Day Day” Grayton. Cintron’s trainer Joe Pastore said “Kermit has re-discovered the style he once had. His right hand after surgery is now fine”. “I am well prepared and come Friday it will be my night,” said Cintron. Grayton had little to say.

Mansour is the former USBA and PA State champion. Kauffman is the No. 1 rated USBA contender. “Everything is great. I was in Houston since December 20th and came home March 5th. I have been motivated knowing that I have a killer in front of me. Amir wants what I want and that’s a shot at the heavyweight title.I knew if I beat Arreola it would open eyes, but if I beat Mansour it will open doors,” said Kauffman.

Trainer of Kauffman Naziim Richardson said “I think it will be worth for both. One word for Mansour and that is “dangerous” guy. He can blow your brains out with a good shot. You can’t lose your focus for a second.”
In pertaining to his age Mansour said “I’m selling youth juice at 1k a bottle if anyone is interested. I like to see sparks fly and this is a great opportunity for both of us.”

In the co-feature former IBF welterweight champion Kermit “El Asesino” Cintron, 39-5-2 (30) will be seeking win number 40. He is 6-0-1 in his last seven fights. He is taking on David “Day Day” Grayton, 15-1 (11), of Wash., D.C., in a scheduled 10 round super welterweight bout. Grayton was the 2010 National Golden Gloves champion defeating Errol Spence who is now the No. 1 IBF contender and former 2016 Olympian. This will be Cintron’s biggest test since coming back in 2013.

The undercard features the former 2-time IBF cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, 28-8-1 (13), of Philadelphia, back after an almost a year lay-off taking on Felipe “El Indio” Romero, 19-11-1 (13), in a scheduled 8. He is from Baja, MEX. He twice defeated Julio Cesar Gonzalez who stopped Poland’s DariuszMichalczewski win streak when he was 48-0 and in Germany winning the WBO light heavyweight title. Romero was the Mexican cruiserweight champion at the time. In his next fight he won the Mexican heavyweight title. Then he defeated Gonzalez in a rematch.
A pair of unbeaten Brooklyn boxers will be on the undercard in Chordale Booker, 5-0 (3), and Chris Colbert, 5-0 (2), in separate bouts. Local Reading product southpaw super welterweight Erik Spring, 8-1-2 (1), will be meeting Jeremiah Wiggins, 10-5-1 (5), out of Newport News, VA. Another local middleweight Nicholas Hernandez, 5-2 (1), meets Nick Valliere, 5-1 (2), of Forked River, NJ. And another Reading boxer super lightweight Kashon Hutchinson, 2-1 (1), takes on Darius “I Am King” Ervin, 3-1 (0), of L.A. While another in Jesus Perez makes his debut.

Posted on 03/14/2017

Boxing Insider Notebook: Mayweather, McGregor, Golovkin, Jacobs, Masnour, Cintron, Beterbiev, and more…
Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of March 7th to March 14th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Photo Credit: Hogan Photos/K2 Promotions

Dana White Tells TMZ Conor-Floyd Fight Not Close

TMZ Sports caught up with UFC President Dana White, who informed them that the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor superfight is “nowhere near being done.

Dana White also indicated that the two sides are just as far apart as they’ve been for months, despite the fact Floyd recently announced that he would come out of retirement to fight Conor and that the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas has put June 10 on reserve in case the fight is made.

Read more at http://www.tmz.com/2017/03/14/dana-white-says-conor-floyd-fight-nowhere-near-being-done-no-target-date/

Golovkin vs. Jacobs to be Available Online

On St. Patrick’s Day Weekend, boxing will take a giant step into the digital age as fans will be able to watch the March 18 HBO Pay-Per-View middleweight championship battle between Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (36-0, 33 KOs) and Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs (32-1, 29 KOs) via an online stream at RingTV.com. RingTV.com is the world leader in boxing and sports of combat editorial, content and live event entertainment.

Live from Madison Square Garden in New York City, the premium Pay-Per-View event of Golovkin vs. Jacobs will be offered via live stream, giving fans the opportunity to watch this mega-fight on the device of their choice.
“For years, we have been heavily investing in technology and platforms that will allow a new generation of fans – those who want to view fights or any other content where they want to, when they and how they want to – access to our sport,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman of Ring Magazine and Ring TV. “The livestream of Golovkin vs. Jacobs Pay-Per-View is an enormous step towards revolutionizing the delivery of boxing content in order to diversify boxing’s fan base and keep the sport growing for decades to come.”

The Pay-Per-View live stream event on www.ringtv.com can be pre-ordered and will be available for all U.S.-based users for $64.99. It will include all four Pay-Per-View fights on the Golovkin vs. Jacobs card.
In addition to GGG and Jacobs, fans will be able to witness a full night of action:

Consensus #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World and WBC Super Flyweight Champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (46-0, 38 KOs), fighting out of Managua, Nicaragua, will defend his title against mandatory challenger Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (41-4-1, 38 KOs) of Si Sa Ket, Thailand

Former WBC Super Flyweight Champion Carlos “Principe” Cuadras (35-1-1, 27 KO’s) of Mexico City, Mexico returns to battle against cross-town rival and former world title challenger Dacid “Severo” Carmona (20-3-5, 8 KOs), also of Mexico City, Mexico.

Top lightweight prospects including WBC Lightweight Continental Americas Champion Ryan “Blue Chip” Martin (17-0, 10 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio via Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Port Chester, New York’s Bryant “Pee Wee” Cruz (17-1, 8 KOs) will battle in a scheduled ten rounder.

“RingTV.com is the go-to online platform for viewing world class boxing and sports of combat – providing our loyal fans with access to the best fights and matchups from the top fighters and promoters on the planet,” said David Tetreault, COO of Ring Magazine and RingTV. “RingTV.com is dedicated to partnering with any and all promoters in an effort to bring their premium events to demanding sports fans across the globe.”

Golovkin vs. Jacobs is presented by K2 Promotions. Tickets priced at $1000, $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100, are now on sale and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com

Rahman Jr. Ready to Begin His Own Heavyweight Legacy

Having grown up the son of a former undisputed and two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Hasim Rahman Jr., doesn’t mind that the world will be watching from the beginning of his professional boxing career.

“This isn’t new,” explained Rahman. “I’m so used to being who I am and having eyes on me that it would be awkward to not have them. It hasn’t mattered who I was my whole life, or what I did. The world was watching because of who my father is.”

Rahman Jr., whose father, Hasim “The Rock” Rahman famously knocked out Lennox Lewis in April 2001 to win the WBC and IBF Heavyweight Championships, will make his professional debut against Kansas City’s Brian Imes (1-4, 1 KO) on Thursday, March 23, 2017, at Greg Cohen Promotions’ SUPER BRAWL® III, boxing event at the Skylands Event & Conference Center (ECC) in Randolph, New Jersey.
Presented in association with Rising Promotions and GH3 Promotions (sponsored by David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions), SUPER BRAWL® III will also feature the Bronx, New York’s Halili brothers: power-punching super-welterweight action hero Skender Halili (13-1, 13 KOs) taking on Ecuadorian veteran Eduardo “El Cheíto” Flores (25-25-3, 15 KOs) in the eight-round main event, and undefeated Enver Halili (8-0, 2 KOs) facing Nicaragua’s Ariel Vasquez (13-16-2, 9 KOs) in the six-round welterweight co-main.

Tickets for SUPER BRAWL® III are priced at Golden Ringside $150, Ringside $100 and General Admission $50 and can be purchased by calling the GCP office: 212.851.6425 or online at gcpboxing.com.

“My dad is like an advisor,” he continued. “My dad is the only person I know that truly has my best interests at heart. Anybody else I ever dealt with, it always came down to money at the end of the day. My dad never asks me for anything. I know he knows the game and I know that with him on my team, the sky is the limit.”

25-year-old Rahman is getting a later-than-expected start at his highly-anticipated boxing career. Coming off his successful 100-fight run as an amateur, the buzz was all around the 6′ 3″ 250-lb. fighter, but a fatal car accident in 2012 saw him serving a 2- to 5-year sentence with the Department of Corrections.

Recently released and now ready to go on with life, Rahman says the entire experience changed him for the good. “It was an eye-opener for me. Going through that really changed my career and how I felt as a person, and a son, a father, and a husband. It changed me. I am grateful god blessed me to be in this position today.”

Rahman says he doesn’t know much about first opponent Imes, but he and trainer Kenny Ellis are hard at work at Upton Boxing Center in Baltimore.

“I feel great. I’m really anxious, but the nervousness hasn’t kicked in. It will around fight time. My team says it’s a good fight for me. Being off for two and a half years, I’m looking to get in some rounds.”
Despite the delayed start, Team Rahman has no plan on rushing things.

“I just want to stay busy as I can and learn as much as I can and fight for a world title when I’m ready. I’m not going to rush. There’s no rush. It’s not like I’m going to wait forever. I will fight for the title when I’m ready and I know if it put in the work, I’ll be ready in a about two years. That’s the goal for me. If it takes three or four years, it does. Whatever the case may be. I’ll keep racking up the knockouts until it happens.”

For Rahman, the decision to follow in his famous father’s footsteps was a rational one.

“I’ve always been taught to plan ahead. When I was in middle school, I was really into football. I played tight end, running back and wide receiver. I had dreams. But it dawned on me how many people have the same dream that I do. For instance, there are a million young African American men wanting to go to the NBA every year. 400,000 of them will play high school basketball. 4000 of those will play college. 35 will be drafted. Out of the that 35, only 7 will start. That means there are a million people trying to get 7 jobs. And the average career in the NBA is four years. That’s a problem. People have to look at their odds. I did. So, I said ‘know what? Instead of being in this giant pool of people trying to be the next Ray Lewis. I rarely run across someone who wants to be heavyweight champion of the world,’ so that’s what I decided to do. No father and son duo have ever become heavyweight champions. It’s never been done. For me to be in the position to cement our family name in heavyweight championship history is very motivating and I’m ready to take full advantage of it.”
Signing with Greg Cohen Promotions was an easy decision, according to Rahman, who has known the Jersey-based promoter for most of his life.

“I really want to thank Greg Cohen for the chance he’s given me,” he said. “I’ve known Greg since I was a kid and he has always believed in me. He has always supported me and kept in contact and followed me. He has a real genuine interest in me. Greg already knows he has the best new heavyweight in the world. I’m really dedicated to making him and my father and the City of Baltimore proud.”

Kermit Cintron to Fight on Kauffman vs. Mansour PBC on Bounce Card

Former champion Kermit Cintron (39-5-2, 30 KOs) will battle once-beaten David Grayton (15-1, 11 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight bout on Friday, March 17 as part of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Santander Arena in Reading, PA. and is headlined by a showdown between exciting heavyweight contenders Travis “My Time” Kauffman and Amir “Hardcore” Mansour.
Undercard fights on Bounce begin with two unbeaten prospects as Brooklyn-native Chordale Booker (5-0, 3 KOs) faces Virginia’s Moshea Aleem (4-0-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round super welterweight contest.

Further action in the arena will feature two-time cruiserweight world champion Steve Cunningham (28-8-1, 13 KOs) battling Mexico’s Felipe Romero (19-11-1, 13 KOs) in an eight-round cruiserweight showdown.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, start at $20 and are on sale now. Tickets are available at the VF Outlet Box Office at the Santander Arena, by phone at 800-745-3000, or online at Ticketmaster.com. The bout between Edner Cherry and Omar Douglas was originally scheduled to appear on this telecast, but will be rescheduled for a card early next month.

Additional action will see unbeaten super featherweight prospect Chris Colbert (5-0, 2 KOs) in a six-round fight against Puerto Rico’s Wilfredo Garrigo (3-4-1, 2 KOs), Reading’s Erik Spring (8-1-2, 1 KO) taking on Jeremiah Wiggins (10-5-1, 5 KOs) in a six-round junior middleweight bout and middleweight Nick Valliere (5-1, 2 KOs) going up against Nicholas Hernandez (5-2, 1 KO) in a six-round middleweight contest.

Rounding out the night of fights are a trio of local Reading-natives as Kashon Hutchinson (2-1, 1 KO) battles Los Angeles” Darius Ervin (3-1) in four-rounds of super lightweight action, Jesus Perez (1-0) in a four-round super lightweight bout against Titos Matthew Gosalves and the pro debut of Matt Quirindongo as he faces Delaware’s Weusi Johnson (2-2) in a four-round super featherweight showdown.

Cintron is a former welterweight world champion who owns victories over Alfredo Angulo, Lovemore Ndou and Ronald Cruz. The Puerto Rican fighter who lives in Reading fought Argentine great Sergio Martinez to a draw and has battled top fighters from Canelo Alvarez to Antonio Margarito. He enters this bout on a six-fight win streak including four victories last year.

Fighting out of Washington, D.C., Grayton turned pro in 2012 after finishing as a runner-up in the National Golden Gloves tournament that year. He went unbeaten in his first 14 career starts before suffering a defeat to Bryant Perrella. The 29-year-old bounced back in his last outing defeating previously unbeaten prospect Kareem Martin by eighth-round stoppage in an entertaining fight.

An accomplished amateur fighting out of Brooklyn, Booker is a former PAL and New York Golden Gloves champion, while also picking up a bronze medal at the 2015 U.S. Olympic Trials. The 25-year-old turned pro last year and has already picked up five victories, including a first-round stoppage of Andre Baker in his last appearance in February. He takes on the 24-year-old Aleem, who’s brother Immanuwel is an unbeaten middleweight contender.

Fighting out of Virginia, Aleem first fought professionally in 2013 and 2014 before entering the ring again last April.

Promoter Yvon Michel Responds to Allegations About Cancelled Beterbiev vs. Barrera Eliminator

Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) president Yvon Michel has responded accordingly to unfounded allegations recently made in the media by Sullivan Barrera about GYM and its undefeated world light heavyweight contender, Artur Beterbiev, to set the record straight regarding the recently announced cancelled Beterbiev-Barrera International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight title eliminator.
“Despite Barrera’s claims,” Michel insisted, “he didn’t sign a contract because he never intended for fight Artur. In Team Barrera’s letter, he lied and showed his ignorance trying to distract from the facts.

“For the conclusion of this unfortunate saga, the IBF has informed me that it has ruled to ban Barrera from its world rankings, or from participating in one of its sanctioned fights, for the next six months. I’ve also been informed that, if nobody in the IBF top 10 is available and agrees to fight Artur, the IBF will declare him as its No. 1 mandatory challenger for the winner of the Ward-Kovalev rematch. Artur will be back in the ring in late April, early May. The mandatory defense for the Ward-Kovalev II winner, or Ward if that fight doesn’t happen, is due in September.”

IBF Light Heavyweight Ratings: Champion – Andre Ward, 1. Unrated, 2. Artur Beterbiev, 3. Sergey Kovalev, 4. Erik Skoglund, 5. Enrico Kolling, 6. SUSPENDED, 7. Oleksandr Gvozdyk, 8. Dominic Bosel , 9. Robert Stieglitz, 10. Trent Broadhurst.

Below, Michel sets the record straight, point-by-point, in terms of the open letter Team Barrera sent to the media.

Michel didn’t negotiate with Barrera’s promoter, Kathy Duva, and asked for it to go to an immediate purse bid.

“Kathy Duva (CEO/Main Events) came to my office the day before the deadline set for Barrera’s acceptance to participate in the IBF title eliminator to speak about the situation. Our hope was to fight Barrera but because he is prohibited from traveling to Canada, I confirmed our intention with Ms. Duva to accommodate Barrera and leave Canada and make the fight in the United States. We were in the same position a year ago, when Barrera pulled out of the same title eliminator because he couldn’t get a visa to fight in Canada. Artur was then supposed to fight Karo Murat, but he suffered an injury and was unable to fight. Barrera later defeated Murat to move into the IBF mandatory position in which he then lost to Andre Ward.

“Kathy told me the number she had in mind to make the fight. I said that I would see if there were enough resources for that amount and promised to call her the following day. I did and explained that there weren’t enough resources to meet that purse structure. Nevertheless, not long after I received confirmation Barrera was officially taking the challenge, I then decided to move forward and immediately requested a purse bid date, which is the prerogative of any promoter, knowing what was Main Events’ expectation in terms of their fighter’s purse. In this business, everybody knows the best way to determine the true market value of a fight is a purse bid, where promoters are evaluating their resources and making their bid accordingly. We still had still seven days to make an offer, one and other, and make a deal up to five minutes before the bid was due. Main Events never made us an offer and neither did we.”

GYM’s winning purse bid was $251,000, substantially more than Main Events’ bid of $182,000, of which Beterbiev would receive 75-percent of the winning bid. Barrera would have received $62,750, compared to $45,500 he would have earned if his own promoter had won the bid.

Beterbiev reported on social media that his fight versus Barrera would be held March 4th in Brooklyn, New York and Michel reported that the fight would be held in late March, early April, in New York. Barrera had trained for those dates but didn’t receive a contract.

“GYM won the purse and pursuant to IBF rules and regulations, the fight had to be held within 30 to 90 days,” Michel continued. “We deposited $50,000, per IBF rules, and received a confirmation letter from the IBF all was conform. As per IBF regulations, within 15 days after the purse bid, we filed contracts for the two fighters. Artur signed his five minutes after he received the contract and it was then sent to the IBF. We executed Barrera’s contract, sending it to Main Events for Barrera with a copy sent to the IBF. Soon after I received notice from the IBF that everything was in order and that we had complied with the IBF requirements.”
Michel sent an improper agreement to Main Event listing various dates.

“We knew we had a PBC date, either April 14, 21 or 29. It’s very common for fight dates written in the initial fighter contract to vary one week before or after the date listed. I contacted IBF president Daryl Peoples and said April 21st was the most likely date but that it could end up being a week earlier or after. He recommended to be transparent and to write all three potential dates into the contract. We did and then sent it to Main Events for Barrera to sign. Main Events noted that IBF rules said only one date and site could be written in the contract. Daryl complied with the objection so we then officially confirmed April 21st would be the date of the fight and Florida the site. We then sent a GYM executed corrected IBF bout agreement back to Main Events to be signed by Barrera and filed with the IBF on February 16th.

“Meanwhile, GYM received a request, from Main Event to produce a Provision of Service agreement for Barrera’s participation. GYM was not obliged to positively fulfill that request but, as a display of good faith, we did so in belief the contract that Barrera would sign and Main Events would file it at the IBF office, on that date, as per its rules. Soon after, GYM received a letter from IBF championship chairman, Mr. Lindsey Tucker, that all requirements had been fulfilled to officially sanction the bout.”

The Florida location for the fight had been selected by GYM for three reasons. 1. Beating Barrera in his own backyard would send strong message for Beterbiev within the division; 2. GYM had received an offer from Miami-based SMY Sports and Entertainment’s president M. Eric Senecal, who wanted the buy the rights to produce the event; 3. GYM’S longtime and very close relationship with Florida-based Warriors Promotions, Mr. Leon Margules.
On behalf of GYM, Margules had reserved the April 21st date with the Florida Athletic Commission. SMY Sports & Entertainments made a deal with GYM that had a deadline to deposit the agreed upon money guarantee. They had reserved the Seminole Hard Rock arena in Fort Lauderdale. If SMY was not able to deliver money and site, GYM had a backup plan, proposed by Margules, who had a deal and a site on hold, Hialeah Racetrack in nearby Hollywood (FL). No matter what would transpire, the fight was guaranteed at a site in Florida, April 21st for a PBC event to be televised on FS1.
Barrera’s manager was contacted by one of the promoters to help pay Yvon Michel and finance the bout.

“This is a tortuous claim and a terrible lie,” Michel said. “Nobody representing GYM ever made that kind of request. The truth is a local promoter, M. Michael Luzbet, whom I’d never met and never made any deals of any sorts with in the past, wanted to be a partner with SMY Sports and Entertainments. He tried to raise his share of money to participate but SMY rapidly disassociated themselves from Michael Luzbet.

“How the group (SMY) was raising money wasn’t really my concern, but they had found sponsors and were counting on the important Quebec community residing in Florida at that time of the year, as well as the important Cuban population and their contacts with the Russian community, to sell VIP tables and tickets. It wanted the rights to put the show on in Florida but they were concerned because they had heard a rumor that Barrera hadn’t signed a contract and he was going to pull out of the fight.

They then requested a guarantee that Barrera (who lives in Miami) was going to fight before confirming their money deposit. I was in Quebec City at that time for the Alvarez-Bute fight. Mr. Lindsey Tucker was there representing the IBF and I spoke to him. He said he believed the IBF had received a signed contract from Barrera. I contacted SYM to say everything was fine and that I had requested a copy (of the Barrera-signed contract) from Lindsey. Daryl People then informed me that there was a misunderstanding and they did not have a signed contract from Barrera. It is only then I realized Main Events had pressured Barrera to sign the agreement without success. We asked the IBF president to pressure Main Events to have Barrera sign the contract because, without it, we were jammed in the promotion of the event. This is exactly what happened.”
Team Barrera implied that Yvon Michel couldn’t promote a show of this magnitude in the U.S.

“I’ve promoted more than 200 shows, never defaulting or cancelling a single show, including involvement in more than 50 world championship fights and many multi-million dollars events, much bigger than this title eliminator. This statement just shows his ignorance about what we’re all about and who we are and was just smoke screen to his behavior. I’ve promoted shows with the majority of the major promoters in the world; DiBella Entertainment, Warriors Promotions, Don King Promotions, Golden Boy, Main Events… just about everybody. It was unbelievable for them to write such an impertinent line.”
Team Barrera unjustly belittled the quality of Beterbiev’s last two opponents, calling them cow farmers from Argentina.

“This is terrible to be so insolent to fellow world contenders. Both fighters were world ranked in the top 15 at that time. (Ezequiel Osvaldo) Maderna (23-2, 16 KOs) had never been knocked out and (Isidro) Prieto (26-1-3, 22 KOs) had suffered only one loss, a decision to the WBC #1 contender Eleider Alvarez. Beterbiev knocked them both out (Maderna in the fourth round, Prieto in the first), so downgrading the quality of Artur’s 2016 opponents was totally unwarranted. If Barrera ever actually got into the ring with Beterbiev, he would have fallen into the same category as Maderna and Prieto, who were both fierce competitors but not in the same league of Beterbiev.”

Michel firmly believes Barrera never intended to fight Beterbiev for his share of the purse bid and, to cover up, he tried to place the blame on others. His promoter spent time and money for the bid at the request of its fighter, Barrera, believing he had a legitimate chance of winning the fight. It is obvious that sentiment was not shared by Barrera, even if the fight was to be held in his own backyard in Florida.

“The truth of this matter is that Barrera lied to distract media attention from the fact he didn’t sign a contract and clearly wanted no part of Beterbiev,” Michel concluded. “We don’t disrespect any contender who prefers not to challenge Artur Beterbiev for the mandatory position. We also believed that Main Events did everything in its power to convince their fighter to keep his words and to go forward with the fight. Main Events is not at blame. We also have respect for Barrera’s fighting abilities but we have no respect for the person Barrera is with his despicable, unprofessional, shameful and disgraceful attitude in handling the present situation”

“On a personal note, I have never met Sullivan Barrera. I never had to directly communicate with him, I never had to do business with him, everything went through his promoter, Main Events, and I really don’t envy them! Soon, GYM will have two light heavyweight world champions and I can guarantee Barrera will never be in their plans.

“We’ve moved on from Sullivan Barrera to find an opponent who has the desire to step into the ring to fight Artur Beterbiev. While Barrera will still be suspended by the IBF, Beterbiev will be World Champion!”
Beterbiev, a two-time Russian Olympian, holds two amateur victories over his fellow countryman, Kovalev, the former world light heavyweight champion. Whether it’s Kovalev or Ward, Artur Beterbiev will be more than ready for the challenge to fight for the world light heavyweight championship this September.

Posted on 12/13/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Ali, Cintron, Peralta, Bute, Clarkson, and more…
Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of December 6th to December 13th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

HBO Announces Multi-Part Muhammad Ali Documentary

An untitled HBO Entertainment multi-part documentary about the life and career of Muhammad Ali from LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment and Antoine Fuqua’s Fuqua Films has started production and will debut on the network, it was announced today by Kary Antholis, president, HBO Miniseries and CINEMAX Programming. Directed by acclaimed feature-film director Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day,” “Southpaw,” “The Magnificent Seven”) the documentary will explore Ali’s greatest triumphs and comebacks, painting an intimate portrait of a man who, against all odds, dreamed and achieved the impossible, over and over again.

“Muhammad Ali is indisputably one of the most iconic and distinctive figures in the history of world sports,” said Antholis. “His impact resonates far beyond the boxing ring and is woven deep into the cultural and social tapestry of the second half of the 20th century. From the moment LeBron James told us of his deep visceral connection to Ali’s life and legacy, we were committed to helping him realize this film, and our enthusiasm has only grown as Antoine Fuqua has developed his compelling cinematic vision for telling one man’s incredible journey.”

“It’s tough to put into words how much it means to me to be a part of this project honoring the legacy and telling the extremely important story of the great Muhammad Ali,” says LeBron James. “He transcended sports and used his platform to empower people, which paved the way for all athletes and people of every race and gender that came after him, myself included. It’s important that his story continues for generations to come, and it’s an honor for SpringHill Entertainment and me to be a part of this.”

“Muhammad Ali meant many things to many people, and he is someone who had a deep impact on me from an early age,” says Antoine Fuqua. “Being given the opportunity to tell his story, both inside and outside of the ring, is a privilege, and a dream come true, and I couldn’t have found better partners than LeBron and HBO to help memorialize ‘The Greatest of All Time.’ ”

The story of Muhammad Ali is a study in greatness. A 1960 Olympic gold medalist from racially divided Louisville, Ky., and longtime heavyweight champion, he forged a long and tumultuous career inside the ring, and confronted a chaotic life outside the ring. Through it all, he continued to rise above his own imperfections, and challenge the imperfections of the world around him.

Ali never chose the easy path, and that fierce unwillingness to back down helped galvanize his greatness. It also contributed to his ultimate decline, both inside and outside the ring, as tragic and painful as it was to witness. His personality, his voice, his message and his legacy all endure.

Said Lonnie Ali: “We are at a perfect time in history, and in our lives as Americans, to welcome this special documentary on Muhammad with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment and HBO. This documentary will have national and global appeal. I’m hopeful this documentary will engage the audience in a similar way Muhammad engaged his audience and fans. Without a doubt, Muhammad’s life journey provides simple yet extraordinary lessons for all of us, with perhaps the most important one being, to see and embrace the humanity in all people.”

The production team is highlighted by one of today’s most socially responsible and community-minded athletes, NBA superstar and three-time world champion LeBron James.

The film is being produced with full participation of the Muhammad Ali family estate coordinated through Jamie Salter, chairman and CEO of the Authentic Brands Group, the majority stakeholder of the Muhammad Ali Brand.

The documentary will combine archival footage and gorgeous, cinematic recreations that will transport viewers into the ring and at home with “The Greatest of All Time.” The production will also feature never-before-seen photos and footage from private collections of the Ali family and others.

The film is an HBO Entertainment presentation in association with SpringHill Entertainment and Fuqua Films; executive producers, LeBron James, Antoine Fuqua, Maverick Carter, Paul Wachter, Bill Gerber, Jamie Salter and Glen Zipper; directed by Antoine Fuqua; producer, Sean Stuart; written by Steven Leckhart.

Bute Set to Fight Alvarez on February 24th

Group Yvon Michel (GYM) and Gestev are very happy to confirm the Clash of Titans mega-event as former International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute (32-3-1, 25 KOs) will face World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver light heavyweight champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (20-0, 10 KOs), Friday, February 24, in a 12-round light heavyweight bout at Vidéotron Centre of Québec City.

This event is a presentation of Vidéotron, in association with Mise-O-Jeu.

Alvarez will put his WBC mandatory challenger position to champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (28-1, 23 KOs) in danger with an end of April date for this world title fight having already been reserved.
Bute has also set his goal to challenge Stevenson. The veteran southpaw plans to clearly demonstrate that he deserves another wotld title shot, taking on the No. 1 conternder in undefeated Alvarez.

Whatever the final outcome, the winner will be the most popular and legitimate challenger for Stevenson, dramatically increasing interest and notoriety of a totally Québécois world championship showdown.

All the ingredients are gathered to heighten popular interest in this fight, which will prove to be one of the most significant in the history of Quebec.

It is a local confrontation between two athletes who chose Quebec as their adopted home, fully integrating in the loal culture and learning French, as well as where they’ve fought the vast majority of their bouts. The result of this major clash will also have enormous repercussions at the international level in the light heavyweight division.

In one corner is former world champion Bute, who has delivered many inspirational performances during his 13 world championship fights (10-2-1, 8 KOs) to become a great star and admired celebrity in Quebec.
The other corner finds unbeaten Alvarez, a world-class fighter for the past three years who has delivered his most brilliant performances abroad, albeit mostly in the shadows of other great stars of Quebec. The former Colombian Olympian wants to establish his true value after having prepared for Stevenson by fighting opponents for more than the past year. He will earn his highest purse, which is similar to what he would have received to fight Stevenson first.

“The last six months have been tough for me,” Bute explained. “After the Washington situation was settled, I was happy to finally sit down and discuss my next fight. I accepted as soon as I was offered the fight. We’re talking about an undefeated guy ranked number 1 by the WBC. It’s quite a challenge. I tip my hat to Alvarez for putting his position in peril.

“I was expecting the winner of the unification title fight between James Dégale and Badou Jack, but I had no guarantees and I could not afford to wait. My goal is to fight again for a world championship, whether it’s at 168 or 175 pounds, and I did not want to just take a meaningless preparatory fight.

Strongest Overall Card for “Knockout Night at the D” Set for Saturday

The strongest overall card of the highly acclaimed “Knockout Night at the D” series is set for this
Saturday night (Dec. 17), airing live (7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET) on CBS Sports Network from inside the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center indoor facility. FloBoxing.tv will live stream the undercard worldwide, starting at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET), in addition to three main card TV bouts – excluding North America – beginning at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET).

The “Knockout Night at the D” series, presented by the D Las Vegasand Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, is promoted by Roy Jones Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions.

Jim “J.R.” Ross and Joey Varner will call all the action live from ringside, while Jeff Huston will be the ring announcer and fight-week master of ceremonies.

The 10-round main event is a classic match-up of contrasting styles between undefeated Oscar Cantu (14-0, 1 KO) and Aston Palcite (21-2, 18 KOs) for Cantu’s North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super flyweight belt, as well as the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) Inter-Continental super flyweight championship. Cantu is rated No. 4 (as a flyweight) by the World Boxing Council (WBC), while International Boxing Federation (IBF) Pan American super flyweight champion Palicte is ranked No. 11 by the IBF and No. 15 by the WBO.

Unbeaten Chilean junior middleweight champion Angelo Baez (15-0-1, 11 KOs) will make his U.S. debut against Jamaica-native Nathaniel Gallimore (15-1-1, 12 KOs), fighting out of Evanston, Illinois, in the eight-round co-feature.

Promising Los Angeles welterweight prospect Flavio Rodriguez (5-0, 4 KOs) faces Mexican foe invader Dilan “El Terrible” Loza (5-0, 3 KOs) in a six-round bout that will open the televised segment of the evening.

Las Vegas’ new Big 3 – welterweight Jeremy “J-Flash” Nichols (7-0, 2 KOs) and RJJ-promoted junior lightweight Randy “El Matador” Moreno (7-0, 6 KOs), and bantamweight Max “The Baby-Faced Assassin” Ornelas (6-0, 3 KOs) – will all be showcased this Saturday night.

In a pair of scheduled six-round fights, flashy 26-year-old Nichols meets another undefeated opponent, San Diego’s Kevin “KO” Ottley (3-0, 2 KOs), in an interesting match of unbeaten prospects that should propel the winner to the next level of the welterweight division, and constantly improving 21-year-old Moreno takes on Milwaukee’s Mike Fowler (5-3, 2 KOs) in the former’s eighth fight since turning pro March 20th. Fan favorite Ornelas, 18, will square off in his seventh the eighth fight of his six-month pro career against California bantamweight Jorge Perez (6-4-1, 3 KOs) in a four-rounder.

Ft. Worth, Texas junior featherweight Jessie Hernandez (7-1, 6 KOs) is also fighting on the undercard against Sharone Carter (6-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round match.

Additional fights will soon be announced. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Abreu Upsets Peralta, Cintron Wins
Berlin Abreu won a 10-round split decision over David Peralta to capture the WBC Latino Welterweight bout this past Saturday at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center.

The bout headlined a nine-bout card, which was promoted by GH3 Promotions, King’s Promotions and Sampson Boxing.

It was a terrific back and forth battle that produced action throughout the fight. Abreu used his quickness to fire off rapid fire combinations. Every time it seemed that Abreu was seizing control of the bout, Peralta would would storm back with a hard flurry of his own.

Both guys had a lot of swelling on their faces. In the final-third of the contest, Abreu landed more, and even had Peralta backing up and holding on.

The bout could be a breakthrough performance for Abreu, who sprang the upset over Peralta. Peralta came into the bout ranked number-15 by the WBC, and was coming off a possible career making victory over former world champion Robert Guerrero.

Abreu of Santo Domingo, Domincan Republic won by scores of 97-93 and 86-94, while Peralta took a card 97-93.

Abreu is now 14-1. Peralta of Cordoba, Argentina is now 26-3-1.

In the co-feature, former two-time welterweight champion Kermit Cintron was sharp in taking out Rosemberg Gomez after the 3rd round of their scheduled 8-round welterweight bout.

Cintron was dominant throughout as he showed signs of the fighter, who won the world welterweight title on two occasions. He had Gomez hurt in round three as he divided up his attack to the head and body and finally floored the native of Managua, Nicaragua with a combination. Gomez best offense was a tackle of Cintron as he fell to the canvas on the knockdown. Cintron was alright and after the round, Gomez and his corner pulled the plug on the contest.

Cintron of Reading, PA is now 39-5-2 with 30 knockouts. Gomez is now 19-6-1.

Samuel Clarkson Finishes Year with One Round Destruction of Larry Pryor

Uprising Promotions light heavyweight Samuel “Main Event” Clarkson (19-3, 12 KOs) finished off 2016 with a bang on Friday night at the aptly titled Bomb Factory in Dallas, relentlessly pounding on veteran Larry Pryor until earning a TKO stoppage at the 2:59 mark of the opening round. The victory is the second for Clarkson over the past six weeks and extends his current winning streak to nine consecutive contests.

From the onset of this bout, Clarkson was methodically headhunting, blasting vicious hooks to the body and following them with hammering shots up top. It did not take long before Pryor got a taste of his power, and it quickly became evident that the 11-year pro was in trouble. Defensively, Clarkson looked very sharp as well, stalking Pryor with his hands high while doing a very nice job of slipping punches as he worked his way inside.

Midway through the first frame, Clarkson bullied Pryor onto the ropes and started switching levels so he could not avoid his attack. After unloading a flurry with both hands, Clarkson then crumbled Pryor with a right hook to the body for his first knockdown of the evening.

A second knockdown appeared to come shortly after the first one when Clarkson was again hammering Pryor on the ropes. The Maryland native looked to lose his legs and go down for a second time, but the referee in charge ruled it a push. However, the writing was already on the wall.

As soon as action resumed, Clarkson led with a brutal right uppercut that snapped Pryor’s head back before following that up with a powerful overhand left that put Pryor in a world of trouble. Not letting him off the hook, Clarkson pounded out a violent flurry before finishing off Pryor with another right hook to the body. Pryor again went to the canvas, and that would be the end of the fight.

The official time of the stoppage came at 2:59 of the very first round.