Tag Archives: gausha

Posted on 05/26/2019

By: Robert Contreras

FOX Sports 1 had the action Saturday night as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) was live from Biloxi, Mississippi.

After Ahmed Elbiali opened the broadcast with a second-round knockout of a rather unorthodox Brazilian, who cited a broken jaw after the bout’s first knockdown, fans were treated to a demonstration of the sweet science between a pair of operators, former world champion Austin Trout and U.S. Olympic representative Terrell Gausha.

Photo Credit: Jamie Morton/Beau Rivage Resort Casino

Austin Trout (31-5, 17 KO) and Terrell Gausha (21-1, 10 KO) fight to a split draw (96-94, 95-95, 91-99)

The two junior middleweight contenders had themselves as close a contest as there can be Saturday night. While the PBC broadcast team saw a clear-cut win for Gausha, Trout’s complex attack and late surge left the ringside judges in a bind, resulting in a split-decision draw.

“We need to do that again,” Trout told PBC correspondent Jordan Hardy. “That’s after a year layoff. I need an immediate rematch.”

The time off did affect Trout’s approach. It took him a couple rounds to find his groove against Gausha, who employed a smooth, stylized long-range attack indicative of his amateur pedigree.

The center of the ring was Gausha’s in the opening round. Trout’s flickering jab did nothing to keep a right hand from stunning him along the ropes.

In Round 2, the 31-year-old Gausha began piling up a small lead in punches landed. Early on, his sharper punching was keeping Trout at bay but the action was for the most part at a standstill.

Trout, 33, refused to go away, alternating between southpaw and orthodox, and pressing forward and backwards. The former champion relied on his feet to disrupt his man: moving in and out, stray right hands found their home in Gausha’s belly.

But by the sixth period, Gausha began jabbing Trout’s face off. Familiar with southpaws, the former Olympian didn’t allow Trout to crowd him or land his left hand. Clean one-two-one combinations also secured Round 7 for Gausha before the two technicians continued their fencing match in the eighth round.

Trout had Gausha walking backgrounds in Round 8. Gausha found some success sitting back, and timing a slashing right uppercut but his inactivity provided an avenue to victory for his opponent.

In the penultimate round, Trout’s feinting froze up Gausha. And the final three finally provided a bang. The two met in the center of the ring and Gausha pitched big right hands at Trout but the southpaw evaded most of them. Trout closed the show with searing right and left hooks.

In all, the the nip-and-tuck affair was difficult to differentiate the two and, as expected, the PBC Fight Night stats was virtually identical. Trout landed 85 of 471 total punches (18 percent) while Gausha connected on 91 of 517 total punches (18 percent).

“I feel like I won’t the fight,” Gausha said inside the ring, before sharing the dark times he faced in preparation for the weekend. “I’ve been through a lot his camp. My father passed away during training camp but we got through it. Much respect to Austin Trout. He came out and fought but I came out with a victory, I thought.”

Chordale Booker (14-0, 7 KO) def. Wale Omotoso (27-3, 21 KO) by unanimous decision

Fighting for the first time over the 10-round distance, Booker passed the stiffest test of his career in the form of Omotoso. The American had a real puncher in front of him but was awarded a shutout decision for his tactical, flashy performance.

“I’m so happy—I used to dream about this,” Booker, nearly brought to tears, told Jordan Hardy after the fight. “To be here is amazing. It took me 10 years. I train everyday like I have a world title. Every fight means something to me.”

Booker, 28, chiseled away at his opponent’s head, delivering bolting left and right hands. He fought comfortably behind a southpaw jab, eventually sitting on winging left hands in the second half of the bout.

The 34-year-old Omotoso never really found his rhythm, following and hacking away at Booker, who remained in safe distance from long range. In the third period, he could only play spectator when his man began showing off with some high knees.

In Round 4, Booker continued the show, crushing Omotoso with a winging left hand and then began shimmying his shoulders. Omotoso was visibly tired by the fifth round and was on the receiving end of more fierce one-twos through the latter stages.

For a short time in the ninth stanza, both men traded haymakers. But going backwards, Booker caught Omotoso with a stiff left hand that clearly shook up the veteran. He followed Omotoso down and pounded away at him as the commentary booth debated over his chances of stopping Omotoso for the first time. The Nigerian-born puncher found some life by hurling right hands, falling over with all his weight into Booker, but it wasn’t enough to win even a single round.

According to the PBC Fight Night stats, Booker landed 179 of 647 total punches (28 percent) and Omotoso connected on just 90 of 574 total punches (16 percent).

Posted on 05/23/2019

By: Robert Contreras

On Saturday, May 25, Al Haymon’s brainchild PBC is back on FOX sports 1 from the Beau Rivage Resort Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi where four of the country’s super welterweight standouts fight to prove themselves better than the rest of the field.

Headlining the show is former world champion Austin Trout, of New Mexico, as he meets U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha, from Ohio. In chief support, Chordale “The Gift” Booker looks to extend his undefeated record against divisional gatekeeper Wale “Lucky Boy” Omotoso.

Light heavyweight hopeful Ahmed Elbiali will be playing the role of curtain jerker, kicking off the FS1 broadcast at 8 p.m. ET.

Here’s a closer look at the two 154-pound matchups bolstering the card.

Austin Trout (31-5, 17 KO) vs. Terrell Gausha (21-1, 10 KO)

The 10-round main event will be Trout’s first fight since he settled for a majority-decision loss in June 2018 to Jermell Charlo. Over the championship distance, he kept up with the defending champion, going tit for tat, but two knockdowns assured Charlo the upperhands on the scorecards. It was his second loss to the fighting family.

In all, the 33-year-old southpaw from New Mexico may only be 1-3 over his previous four fights but he has remained near the top of the weight for years. His crowning achievement came in 2012 when he became the No. 1 boxer in the class (with no major promoter, to boot) by decisioning Miguel Cotto. But the following year back-to-back losses threatened to put an end to his days as a title contender. After taking apart Cotto, he was outboxed by Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara.

Still, Trout carried on (even when sanctioning body malfeasance forced him into legal battles) acquiring three world title opportunities in as many fights going back to 2016. Rated Top 10 in the world by the WBC—whose title picture will become clear when the dust settles between Tony Harrison and aforementioned Charlo at the end of June—the pride and joy of New Mexico could secure yet another crack at the belt with a win over Gausha.

Gausha, a 31-year-old former title challenger himself, did not have to wait long to acquire some real sponsorship. After all, Haymon signed him straight out of the 2012 Olympic Games. Then without beating anybody worth their weight in salt, Gausha was pushed into a championship fight in 2017 against Lara. The American’s performance would not earn him any new fans. He was clearly a step behind the Cuban over the entire 12 rounds and hardly initiated much offense.

It would be another 14 months before Gausha was back in the ring. He finally returned last December to blast veteran Joey Hernandez inside of one round. The knockout was enough to regain a Top 15 rating by the WBA. And it is the kind of firepower necessary to carve out a place in the Top 10 and, more importantly, to win back favor with fight fans.

Gausha’s reputation may have preceded him in the eyes of the PBC. But a better picture of who he is as a fighter materialized in the minds of fans after being repeatedly floored by nondescript opponents—hitting the deck against the unheralded Luis Hernandez and William Waters—and walking away with a lucky decision over Steven Martinez, who swarmed the Olympian for the entirety of the scheduled 10 rounds.

If Trout is a shining example of determination, Gausha, with all the sterling promotional backing a boxer could hope for, is as underwhelming as former prospects can be. He is welcomed to prove everybody wrong on Saturday.

Chordale Booker (14-0, 7 KO) vs. Wale Omotoso (27-3, 21 KO)

Booker, 28, fights out of Connecticut, running up an undefeated pro record since turning professional in 2016. He is a fundamentally sound southpaw, operating behind a good jab. But his ring generalship can similarly be just as stiff: not one for upper-body movement and seemingly only capable of fighting in straight lines, moving forwards and backwards.

Four months ago, his modus operandi was enough to do the trick against the middling Juan De Angel, winning a wide decision and nearly securing the stoppage. Booker never let up over the full eight rounds, following De Angel around, stuffing straight punches into his man and adjusting in the latter rounds to send the Columbian puncher to the canvas with body blows.

Now graduating to the ten-round distance, he has a longtime spoiler to deal with.

Omotoso, 34, has seen it all nearly in his 13 years as a professional and brings the kind of power in his fists to test his younger counterpart. Once the welterweight division’s boogeyman the Nigerian-born California transplant is dangerous, holding more knockouts to his name than Booker has fights. It was an unlucky split-decision loss to Jamal James, after overpowering James, that convinced Omotoso to test his luck at 154 pounds.

Last competing in 2017, when he outfought Freddy Hernandez, it also marked his divisional debut. True to form, Omotoso turned up the ante at the end of the rounds to steal the cards. But he also once again showed a susceptibility to a cultured jab.

That’s what Booker’s game revolves around, boxing’s most important punch. Now to see if he can stand up to his man’s fast-twitch clubbing ability.

Posted on 10/12/2017

By: Sean Crose

Junior middleweight slickster Erislandy Lara will be defending his WBA super world title this weekend when he faces undefeated Terrell Gausha at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Photo Credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

The bout will headline a stacked card that will be aired live Saturday starting at 10 PM eastern standard time on the Showtime pay cable network. Lara, a 24-2-2 student of the Cuban school of boxing, is a challenge for any fighter. Indeed, some feel he bested Canelo Alvarez in a fight Alvarez squeezed a decision win out of back in 2014. Cleveland’s Gausha, on the other hand, holds a 20-0 record, but has never faced anyone of Lara’ s pedigree. With that in mind, Lara is getting on at 34 years of age and hasn’t fought since January, when he bested Yuri Foreman in a bout some thought shouldn’t even have been made.

Also that evening, the undefeated, 29-0 Jermell Charlo will be defending his WBC world title in the super welterweight division by facing hard hitting 18-0 Erickson Lubin. Charlo will be coming off a streak where none of his last three bouts have gone the distance. Indeed, the man has been looking impressive as of late. For his own part, however, Orlando’s Lubin has stopped three of his own last four opponents within the distance. Some see this as the top fight of the evening, even though it will be taking a back seat to the Lara-Gausha bout in the card’s lineup. Charlo, after all, is on a hot streak…and Lubin has made it clear he’s a man with something to prove.

Still yet another junior middleweight championship bout will be going down in front of Showtime cameras on Saturday, featuring veteran fighter Austin Trout and Jarrett Hurd for Hurd’s IBF world super welterweight title. Trout a 30-3 former division titlist, hasn’t fought in over a year but is looking at a chance to reclaim past glory. Hurd’s name may not be as illustrious as former Trout foes Canelo Alvarez ‘ and Miguel Cotto’s are, but the 20-0 Maryland native has a ten year age advantage and can boast of having knocked out his last six opponents. In fact, the last time a Hurd fight went the distance was back in 2014 when the fighter bested Emmanuel Sanchez on the cards. This isn’t a going to be a battle where bad behavior is to be found in the leadup, however, as both Trout and Hurd are known to be respectful and professional.

Posted on 10/10/2017

Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of October 3rd to October 10th; covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

HBO Sports Extends Agreement with Veteran Broadcaster Jim Lampley

HBO Sports has entered into a new multi-year agreement with acclaimed broadcaster Jim Lampley, who serves as the primary voice for its HBO Boxing franchise. Lampley will continue to serve on multiple HBO Boxing platforms, including the host and blow-by-blow voice for “World Championship Boxing®,” “HBO Boxing After Dark®” and HBO Pay-Per-View.® He also will continue to host the boxing studio program “The Fight Game With Jim Lampley.” The agreement was announced today by Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports.

“For nearly three decades, Jim has been the most prominent television voice in boxing,” said Nelson. “His work is universally recognized as the standard in the sport and we are thrilled to know he will continue in this high visibility role for years to come. Jim’s high journalistic standards, historical knowledge of the sport and enthusiasm for sharing the backstories of the fighters who enter the ring enriches the broadcast experience for the HBO audience.”

A four-time Sports Emmy® Award winner, Lampley was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY on June 14, 2015.

Starting with his first HBO presentation, the “World Championship Boxing” fight between Mike Tyson and Tony Tubbs from Tokyo on March 20, 1988, Lampley has been at the helm for many of the most dramatic moments in HBO Boxing history.

“I’m very lucky to have spent nearly three decades working in HBO’s unique culture, and grateful for the chance to keep doing it,” said Lampley. “It’s always been my natural home.”

Lampley returns to HBO on Saturday, Oct. 21 when he calls the “HBO Boxing After Dark” tripleheader from Verona, NY at 10:05 p.m. (ET/PT). The next edition of “The Fight Game With Jim Lampley” premieres Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

Pacquiao’s Possible Retirement has Arum’s Support

Top Rank’s Bob Arum recently spoke to Steve Kim of the Undisputed Boxing Network and stated that he will one hundred percent support Pacquiao’s plan to retire.

Pacquiao was last seen in the ring when he lost a shocking defeat to Australia’s Jeff Horn in July. Pacquiao hasn’t made an official decision to retire yet, but Horn already has a title fight lined up and Pacquiao’s political duties make it difficult to schedule a fight inside the ring.

Arum also stated he would be happy if Pacquiao decided to retire. He mentioned Andre Ward’s recent retirement when he stated, “So I think Andre did a really smart thing in retiring and, if Manny decides to retire- which I don’t kow- but if he does, I’ll be applauding it.

Tevin Farmer to Receive Two Briscoe Awards Sunday

Streaking junior lightweight Tevin Farmer, 25-4-1, 5 KOs, will go home with two awards at Sunday’s 10th Annual Briscoe Awards on Sunday, October 15, 2017. The annual event will be held at Xfinity Live! in Philadelphia.

Farmer, currently riding an 18-bout winning streak, is looking toward a December crack at the vacant IBF 130-pound world title. However, before that milestone comes, he will stop by the Briscoe Awards on Sunday, to receive recognition for the “2016 Performance of the Year” and as the “2016 Prospect of the Year”.

Farmer was brilliant in his fight with Ivan Redkach last year, and his virtuoso performance will be honored as the best among all other Philly fighters for 2016. This is the second straight year that Farmer has won the award.

Overall, Farmer posted four victories in 2016, pushing himself up the rankings and in position for his upcoming title opportunity. That four-fight run earned him the nod as Philly’s best prospect. If he can wrest the title in December, he’ll surely be in the running for the “2017 Philly Fighter of the Year Award”.

ABOUT THE BRISCOE AWARDS ON OCTOBER 15 FROM 1-4 PM

The Briscoe Awards are named in honor of legendary Philly middleweight Bennie Briscoe and the trophies given away – the Briscoe Statue and the Briscoe Medal – all bear the deceased icon’s likeness. The event brings together the local boxing community, including the award winners, their families, past and present boxers, fight fans, other boxing people, and general sports fans.

This is the tenth year for the Briscoe Awards, which are presented by Philly Boxing History Inc., a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization, dedicated to preserving and celebrating Philadelphia’s great boxing legacy. Past winners at the Briscoe Awards include Bernard Hopkins, Danny Garcia, Steve Cunningham, and many others.

The event returns to Xfinity Live! Philadelphia, the central hub of Philly’s sports stadiums, located at 1100 Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia. Admission is $5, and tickets can be purchased at BriscoeAwards.com or by calling 609-377-6413. Everyone is welcome.

Jeff Horn to Face Gary Corcoran in December

Australian Jeff “The Hornet” Horn (17-0-1) is expected to take on Londoner Gary “Hellraiser” Corcoran (17-1) in the maiden defence of his WBO world welterweight title.

Promoter Bob Arum, who co-promotes Horn, has suggested that the WBO world title fight will take place at the SunCorp Stadium in Brisbane on Friday 15th December, televised live on ESPN.

Brisbane’s Horn, 29, won the WBO belt last July with a highly controversial decision against eight-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao.

“Pac Man” was expected to agree to a November rematch but pulled out due to his Senatorial duties in the Philippines taking priority.

Top Rank founder, Arum, is already looking ahead to that potentially lucrative return, “If Horn beats this kid, we could do the Pacquiao rematch in the first part of 2018 or go right to a fight with [Terence] Crawford. Pacquiao might not fight again. Who knows?”

Corcoran, 26, has been described as a fringe contender, whose biggest fight came in July 2016, when he suffered his only career defeat in a British super-welterweight title showdown with bitter rival Liam Williams.

Managed by Frank Warren and trained by Frank Greaves at the Peacock Gym in London, he dropped down a division after that sole loss and recently edged past unbeaten Prizefighter winner Larry Ekundayo by split decision on July 8 to claim the vacant WBO Inter-Continental welterweight strap.

Winning that belt placed him at no.10 in the WBO world rankings, seven spots below stable-mate Bradley Skeete, also signed with Warren, who many anticipated winning the shot at the world title.

Horn’s selection for his first defence has been criticised by some, but his pick of a top-10 ranked opponent with the same number of wins should make for a good contest, even though “The Hornet” has one eye on a bigger fight in 2018 with either Crawford or Pacquiao.

Corcoran beat off WBO #3 Bradley Skeete, #8 Luciano Veron and #10 Ray Robinson to land the world title shot down under.

Arum favoured Corcoran’s style over other possible contenders, “Corcoran at least will bring the fight to Horn,” he said.

“We are clearing a location in Brisbane and then we can go ahead with the fight, which will now take place in December instead of November, which is what we were originally planning,” Arum said the fight probably will take place on Friday 15th December in Brisbane.

“We are waiting for the guys in Australia to finalise the plans for the stadium in the next day or two. They’re finishing that up and then we’ll send out the contracts, but everything is done with (Corcoran promoter) Frank (Warren) for the fight,” said Arum, adding that the Queensland government is heavily involved in bankrolling the fight, as it was when Horn faced Pacquiao in one of the biggest bouts in Australian history.

Horn won a debatable decision against Pacquiao on July 2 before a crowd of 51,000 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane in the first main event of Top Rank’s deal with ESPN.

Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, nearly knocked out the 29-year-old home fighter in the ninth-round but couldn’t put him away.

Most spectators thought Pacquiao, who had been bloodied by multiple cuts from accidental head-butts, was the clear winner, but he ended up losing his 147-pound world title by a unanimous decision on scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113.

Pacquiao had the right to an immediate rematch and said he planned to fight Horn again in November, but changed his mind because of a busy schedule with his day job in the Philippine Senate.

He may return for the rematch in 2018 providing that “The Hornet” gets past the “Hellraiser” first.

Lara, Hurd, Gausha, Charlo, Lubin, and Trout Share their Thoughts on Fighting in New York

Six of the top 154-pound world champions and contenders will look to put on a show for the fans in New York as they prepare to enter the ring for a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader Saturday, October 14 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.

The Premier Boxing Champions event is headlined by Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara defending against undefeated Terrell Gausha. Coverage on SHOWTIME begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features hard-hitting unbeaten champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo taking on top contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and “Swift” Jarrett Hurd making his first title defense against tough former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout.

The undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian Gausha is the only fighter on the card who will be making his Barclays Center debut. However, the Cleveland-native has fought once in New York before and looks forward to a return, this time on its’ biggest stage.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to fight at Barclays Center and add my name to the list of great fighters who have competed there,” said Gausha. “There’s something special about fighting in New York. The energy from the fans is really unique. I think I’m the perfect guy to come in and handle that pressure and have it elevate my game.”

Gausha faces WBA Champion Erislandy Lara, who won a decision against Austin Trout in their 2013 title showdown at Barclays Center. This time, Lara looks forward to taking advantage of his elevated role as the main event of this show.

“My memories of fighting at Barclays Center were incredible,” said Lara. “I put on one of my best performances against a great champion in Austin Trout and I’m looking to be even better on October 14. To be headlining in New York is incredibly special and important to me. There’s no better time to be at my very best than in front of these fans.”

Both WBC Champion Jermell Charlo and WBC No. 1 contender Erickson Lubin delivered sensational knockouts to make their Barclays Center debuts in 2017. Charlo made his first world title defense in April by stopping Charles Hatley and wants nothing else but to take care of business when he returns to the squared circle at Barclays Center.

“I’m honored to be fighting in Brooklyn,” said Charlo. “This is another exciting fight card like the last time I was here. I did what I had to do in April. I let my opponent run his mouth and then I took care of him. I’m going to let that happen again. I can’t wait for another opportunity to grow my fan base here in New York.”

Lubin has the strongest connection to the city of the six fighters, as he has made his training camp in nearby Hackensack, N.J., and is frequently able to visit his mother, who is living in Queens. He delivered a one-punch knockout of Jorge Cota at Barclays Center in March on CBS to earn this title opportunity on October 14.

“My last fight was my first ever in New York as a pro or amateur, and it was a memorable one,” said Lubin. “I left the crowd satisfied and entertained them with my squat and hit him with an overhand to knock him out. New York is like my second home and I love it here.

“I love visiting my mom in Queens and eating all the Haitian food she cooks, but I have to wait until after the fight to enjoy it. I’ve really embraced training up here though. We didn’t want to break camp at all. So we came up here for the press conference and were able to get in a workout that day. I’ll be a thousand percent ready once fight week rolls around.”

For IBF Champion Jarrett Hurd and former champion Austin Trout, New York has been a place for career-defining moments. For Hurd, his March 2016 stoppage of Mexican Olympian Carlos Molina at Barclays Center buoyed him towards his world title shot and eventually championship triumph.

“When I beat an Olympian like Carlos Molina, that was definitely when I first thought that I was a fighter who could win a world title and it proved I could compete against anybody,” said Hurd. “I think I picked up some fans in New York between that and beating the ‘Brooklyn Rocky’ Frank Galarza. New York always shows me love, so I feel it’s my duty to give them something to cheer about.

“I’m excited to be in New York because it’s very close to my home in Maryland too. I’m organizing buses for my fans to come up and watch me so I’m expecting another great atmosphere on fight night.”

Already a world champion, Trout had the opportunity to face future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto in 2012 in New York, and he was able to rise to the occasion that the stage demanded. He dominated Cotto over 12 rounds in his first start in New York and although he faltered in his return to New York against Lara, he remains fond of fighting in The Big Apple.

“New York is always a great place to be,” said Trout. “I had the biggest moment of my career in New York, but I want to make up for my last fight at Barclays Center, so fans can definitely expect fireworks on October 14. I’m coming to fight.

“My mother was born and raised in New York so I always look forward to the opportunity to compete here. My favorite thing to do is go to a Chinese restaurant on Avenue X after the fight with my family and I’m hoping to do that as a two-time world champion after this fight.”

Tickets to the event are on sale now and start at $50 (not including applicable fees). Tickets 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. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Posted on 10/03/2017

Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of September 26th to October 3rd; covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Photo Credit: Edward Jackson/Team Lara and Team Gausha/Premier Boxing Champions

Victor Conte Gives Opinion on Luis Ortiz Positive Test

Sports scientist, Victor Conte, reveals in detail, why he believes undefeated heavyweight contender, Luis Ortiz (27-0, 23 KOs), is innocent in regards to his recent positive drug test. An expert in the field of scientific nutrition, Conte feels, Ortiz was negligent in declaring his blood pressure medicine, but also believes there is no evidence of intent to cheat. Conte’s position is that the WBC heavyweight championship fight between, Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs) and Luis Ortiz, scheduled for November 4th on Showtime, should move forward without delay.

“Unless you have strong evidence of intent to cheat, then you don’t have a case,” said a stern Victor Conte. “Let the fight go on. Don’t deprive the fans…and the WBC, I hope your listening.”

Matchroom Boxing Secures Services of Event Marketing and Communications

Matchroom Boxing USA announced on Monday it has secured the services of Ed Keenan’s Event Marketing & Communications, a media relations company, as Matchroom launches its promotional arm in the US and promotes its first event, the HBO televised return of former middleweight world titleholder Daniel Jacobs on November 11.

“I am delighted to welcome Ed Keenan and Event Marketing Communications to the Matchroom Boxing USA team for our launch in the US and our first show on November 11,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport. “Ed has unrivaled experience and a great reputation in the sport for delivering first-class media and PR services and we look forward to forging a strong relationship.”

Ed Keenan’s career in boxing began with the heavyweight showdown between Evander Holyfield and George Foreman, the first fight under the TVKO banner (now HBO PPV). He has since worked on many of the biggest fights in boxing over the years, including the biggest pay-per-view events in the sport: Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin, Canelo vs. Miguel Cotto, De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao, Roy Jones Jr. vs. John Ruiz, Jones Jr. vs. Antonio Tarver I, II & III, Felix Trinidad vs. Bernard Hopkins, Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson, Holyfield vs. Lewis I & II, Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III & IV, Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev I & II, Riddick Bowe vs. Holyfield II & III, De La Hoya vs. Fernado Vargas, and on one of the best trilogies in boxing history, Artuto Gatti vs. Micky Ward.

Ed has also worked with fighters such as Lewis, Jones Jr., Trinidad, Gatti, Vargas, Cotto and “Prince” Naseem Hamed for most of their professional world title bouts.

Erislandy Lara vs. Terrell Gausha Training Camp Notes
WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara will defend his belt for the fifth time, and the first against an unbeaten opponent, when he battles 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha in the headlining fight of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader on Saturday, October 14 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.

Coverage on SHOWTIME begins live at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features hard-hitting unbeaten champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo taking on top contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and “Swift” Jarrett Hurd making his first title defense against tough former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout.

Here is what the fighters had to say from their respective training camps:

ERISLANDY LARA

(24-2-2, 14 KOs) From Guantanamo, Cuba & Training with Ronnie Shields in Houston

Q. How has training camp gone? Has it been affected by the Hurricanes and what is your message for the people effected in your training home in Houston and home in Miami?

“Training camp is going smooth as always. A lot of hard work has been put into the camp. As far as the Hurricanes, it flooded bad in the areas close to our gym, but we were only gone for a couple of days. The roads to the gym were flooded, so we couldn’t go to the gym on those days. I just want to say I’m praying for all those affected by the hurricanes in both Houston and Miami.”

Q. What do you know about Gausha and what kind of problems does he present? What do you have to be prepared to do to get the win?

“Gausha is a very good fighter. I know he was an Olympian and is currently undefeated as a professional. There’s nothing he does that I haven’t already seen. So, I’m just going to stick to my game plan and listen to my corner. If I stay composed I will be able to put on the performance I’m looking for.”

Q. What does it mean to you to be on a card with all of these 154-pound champions and top contenders? How important is it to make a statement to the rest of the division?

“It’s a great honor, especially since I’m in the main event. It shows I’m the top fighter in the division. Getting the win by all means necessary will be my statement. If I get the knockout, it will be icing on the cake as the say here in the U.S.”

Q. What do you think is the significance of you being the longest-reigning 154-pound champion? If you’re able to win on October 14 what fights in the division do you want to make in the future?

“It means a lot. I have a goal to break the record, held by Gianfranco Ross, for most title defenses at 11. But I’ll always be ready to fight anyone they put in front of me. I want big challenges so I would love to fight with GGG or Canelo, and I would also jump at the chance to unify against Cotto or Hurd.”

TERRELL GAUSHA
(20-0, 9 KOs) From Cleveland, Ohio & Training with Manny Robles in Norwalk, California

Q. How has training camp gone so far? Who have you been sparring with and what have they been able to do to prepare you for Lara? Have you tried anything new this training camp?

“Training has been great. We’ve been at it for 10 weeks. I’ve been sparring with good partners, even though I can’t pronounce most of their names. We brought in a bronze medalist from the 2012 Olympics, Chris Pearson and a great Nigerian fighter as well. They’re defensively skilled and as close as we could find to Lara’s style. He’s hard to mimic, but they’re close. We’re not really doing anything new, just working more rounds. I’ve done lots of 12-rounders in sparring, but we’ll save the rest of our secrets for fight night.”

Q. What does it mean to you to fight for a world title for the first time? Is there extra motivation from seeing other 2012 Olympians who’ve picked up titles?

“It’s a blessing and a dream come true. I’ve been working on this since I first laced up the gloves. Not everyone gets this shot and I plan on taking full advantage. Those guys from the 2012 Olympics are my brothers. We talked about things like this back at the Olympics. Then they went out and showed me it’s possible. I want to be the next one to pick up a title to fulfill my promise too.”

Q. What kind of problems does Lara present in the ring? How do you prepare for his skill set and what he does well in the ring?

“I’ve been watching Lara for a while. I know he’s a mover. Guys like that are slick and he’s a good counter-puncher. He’s a crafty veteran and has fought a lot of top guys. But I have a lot of experience myself. I’m undefeated and it’s my time.”

Q. What does it mean to you to be part of a tripleheader with the top talent in the division? How important is it to take advantage of this opportunity and put on the best performance possible?

“Being involved in this lets me know where I’m at. Not just anybody got on this card. We earned our way here and this night will open up other big fights in the division. There’s no pressure for me, though. I put in all the hard work at the gym. On fight night, I just let things flow.”

Demetrius Andrade to Battle Alantez Fox

Undefeated two-time junior middleweight world champion, Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade makes his return to HBO® when he takes on undefeated Alantez Fox in a 12 round middleweight bout that will take place on Saturday, October 21st from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

The bout will be the live co-feature of an HBO Boxing After Dark tripleheader card that will feature Jazreel Corrales defending the WBA World Super Featherweight Title against undefeated Alberto Machado and Ryan Burnett taking on Zhanat Zhakiyanov (tape delay) in a Bantamweight Unification Bout. The HBO telecast will begin at 10:05 p.m. ET/PT.

The Corrales vs. Machado bout is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

The Andrade – Fox bout is promoted by Banner Promotions, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and A-Team Promotions, in association with DiBella Entertainment.

Andrade of Providence, Rhode Island was a 2008 United Sates Olympian, and the 2007 World Amateur Champion. His success has continued in the professional ranks, as he has a perfect professional resume with a record of 24-0 with 16 knockouts.

Andrade, 29 years-old captured the WBO World Junior Middleweight crown with a 12-round split decision over fellow Olympian and previously undefeated Vanes Martirosyan on November 9, 2013. Andrade defended the title with a sensational 7th round stoppage of mandatory challenger Brian Rose.

On March 11, 2017, Andrade became a two-time world champion when he won the WBA World Junior Middleweight Championship with a 12-round split decision over reigning champion Jack Culcay in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Fox of Forestville, Maryland has a undefeated mark of 23-0-1 with 11 knockouts.

The 25 year-old Fox stands 6’4″, and he has used that height to score impressive victories over Kenneth McNeil, Ronald Montes, Paul Valenzuela Jr., and previously undefeated Patrick Day.

“First of all I need to thank HBO, and especially Peter Nelson for giving me this tremendous opportunity. Thanks to him, I get a chance to not only have a great fight on October 21st, but I also get to show my fans on prime time that I’m the best fighter in the junior middleweight and now the Middleweight division, “said Andrade. “I can’t wait for the chance to fight more often and against the very best and thanks to HBO I finally have that chance! And I’m looking forward to giving my fans a great performance and I’m going to show them how much I appreciate their support by giving them a great show!”

“The Olympics were ten years ago. He is not the same fighter. I don’t see anything that he will do that can put a loss on my record. I am going on HBO to put on a boxing exhibition,” said Fox.

“I am very happy for Demetrius to be back in the ring on HBO. There are a lot of compelling fights that could take place on HBO for Demetrius’ future career,” said Artie Pelullo, President of Banner Promotions.

“We are very pleased to have Demetrius back in the ring on HBO,” said Joe DeGuardia, President of Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. “I have always felt that Demetrius is one of the best fighters in the world, and I feel he has a very bright future.”

“Alantez Fox is a tall, rangy, powerful, and undefeated middleweight contender,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Boo Boo Andrade is a great fighter, but we believe that Fox is up to the challenge.”

Posted on 08/28/2016

PBC on Spike TV Results
By: William Holmes

The Honda Center in Anaheim, California was the host site for last night’s Bellator MMA card and was the host site for tonight’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) card on Spike TV.

Three bouts were scheduled to be televised on tonight’s card and featured a welterweight main event between Robert Guerrero and David Peralta.

Photo Credit: Andy Samuelson/Premier Boxing Champions

The opening bout of the night was between US Olympian Terrell Gausha (18-0) and Steve Martinez (16-2) in the junior middleweight division.

On paper, this looked to be the most competitive fight of the night.

Martinez looked like the bigger boxer and both fighters fought out of an orthodox stance. Martinez’s jab was accurate in the first round and he mixed up his shots to the head and body, but Gausha was able to end the round with a stiff counter right.

Martinez out threw Gausha in the second round, but Gausha was connecting with the cleaner counters. There were several good exchanges in the third and fourth rounds, but it looked like Gausha was making Martinez miss more while landing at a higher percentage.

Martinez’s pressure was constant in the middle rounds and could have won him some rounds in the eye of the judges. Gausha was more active in the seventh round than in the previous rounds, and both boxers were willing to stand in the pocket and exchange blows.

Gausha’s jab and lead uppercut were effective in slowing down Martinez in the eighth round, and the ninth round opened up with a flurry with both boxers taking and landing hard shots.

By the final round the fight could have been scored for either fighter and both boxers tried to leave it all in the ring and let their hands go, but neither man was able to score that definitive knockdown to lay claim to a convincing victory.

The judges scored the bout 95-95, 97-93, and 97-93 for Terrell Gausha.

The next bout of the night was between Alfredo Angulo (24-5) and Freddy Hernandez (33-8) in the Super Middleweight division.

Both boxers have spent most of their career fighting in the junior middleweight division, and a loss for either would likely signal the end of any future title shots, and they fought like it in the opening round. Neither Hernandez nor Angulo spent any time feeling the other out and freely exchanged power shots. Hernandez was landing with more frequency and the cleaner shots in the opening round.

Hernandez started off as the more accurate boxer in the second round, but Angulo took some of the best punches that Hernandez threw and was beginning to get within range and land hard punches of his own.

Hernandez had a very strong third round and was able to pop shot Angulo at will
with multi punch combinations. Hernandez’s dominance continued into the fourth round and Angulo was visibly frustrated at the end of the round.

Angulo had a little more success in the fifth round and was able to stun Hernandez with a low blow and a wild left and right hook to the head of Hernandez. Angulo was able to open up a cut over the left eye of Hernandez, who was starting to breathe heavily from his open mouth.

Hernandez’s corner did a good job at closing up his cut before the start of the sixth round and Hernandez was able to go back to pop shotting Angulo from the outside. Hernandez’s cut was re-opened in the final minute of the sixth round from a good right hand by Angulo.

Hernandez had a difficult time keeping Angulo at a good range in the seventh round and his eye was bleeding profusely, but he still out landed and out threw Angulo.

The action was intense and the volume of punches thrown in the final three rounds was high, but it appeared to be Angulo who was landing the harder punches while it was Hernandez who landed the higher number of punches.

The judges scored the bout 98-92, 97-93, and 97-93 for Freddy Hernandez.

The main event of the night was between Robert Guerrero (33-4-1) and David Peralta (25-2-1) in the welterweight division.

Guerreo was a former two division world champion and has been in the ring with the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Danny Garcia. David Peralta has spent his entire career fighting in Argentina and has never fought in the United States.

Guerreo, a southpaw, started off by pressing forward more and showing head good head movement. He looked like he was giving up several inches in height to Peralta. Guerreo was able to get past the jab of Peralta in the opening round and land several hard left hands to the chin.

Guerreo spent most of the second round patiently looking for a clean counter to land while Peralta seemed content on throwing his range finding jab but not much else.

Peralta was able to catch Guerreo by surprise with two quick counter right hands but Guerreo was accurate with his counter punching afterwards in the third round. Guerreo did open up a cut near the hairline of Peralta in the third.
Guerreo was able to snap the head of Peralta backwards several times in the fourth round with hard straight left hands. However, Peralta was able to answer with a strong fifth round and even stunned Guerreo with a combination that ended with a straight left jab. Peralta continued the positive momentum into the sixth round and his style was appearing to baffle Guerreo.

Guerreo fought with increased desperation in the seventh round and likely won the round based on his aggression. However, that aggression disappeared in the eighth round and Peralta used his height to his advantage with an effective and accurate jab.

Peralta had Guerreo backing up in the ninth round and was more willing to throw combinations and even sent Guerreo backwards into the corner with a hard straight right hand. Guerreo hit the ropes and was able to pop back up, but would have been knocked down if the ropes were not there. The ninth round was a very strong round for Peralta.

Peralta’s punches were snapping the head of Guerreo in the tenth round and Guerrero was not able to launch an effective offensive attack in the eleventh.
There were a lot of close rounds, but this writer felt Peralta was ahead on the scorecards going into the twelfth and final round. Peralta finished strong by looking like the fresher fighter and by being the aggressor.

The judges scored the bout 115-113 Peralta, 115-113 Guerrero, 116-112 Peralta in a major upset.

Posted on 08/25/2016

PBC on Spike Preview: Guerrero vs. Peralta, Angulo vs. Hernandez, Gausha vs. Martinez
By: William Holmes

On Saturday Night the Honda Center in Anaheim, California will be the host site for the next Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) broadcast on Spike TV.

Three bouts are scheduled to take place, including a main event between Robert Guerrero and David Peralta. This card is being promoted in conjunction with a Bellator MMA card that takes place the night before.

Photo Credit: Mario Serrano/Team Guerrero/Premier Boxing Champions

The following is a preview of all three televised bouts.

Terrell Gausha (18-0) vs. Steve Martinez (16-2); Junior Middleweights

The opening bout of the night will feature a member of the 2012 United States Olympic team, Terrell Gausha.

Gausha had an impressive amateur career and was also a former two time US National Amateur Champion, but his opponent Steve Martinez was a former National Golden Gloves Champion and also had some success as an amateur on the national stage.

Gausha, despite being a recent Olympian, will be two years older than Martinez at the age of twenty eight. He will also be giving up both height and reach and will be about two inches shorter than Martinez.

Gausha has been very active in the past two years and fought four times in 2015 as well as six times in 2014. Martinez on the other hand has only fought once in 2015 and three times in 2014.

Gausha’s biggest victories have come against Orlando Lora, Eliezer Gonzalez, Luis Grajeda, and Norberto Gonzalez. Martinez has defeated the likes of Jorge Melendez and Jay Krupp.

On paper, this a fight that Gausha should win. However, it is refreshing to see a recent Olympian challenge himself against a good opponent that is actually younger than him instead of older. This should be one of the more competitive fights of the night.

Alfredo Angulo (24-5) vs. Freddy Hernandez (33-8); Super Middleweights

The next bout of the night is between two veterans that have been in the ring with some of the best in the sport. It’s unlikely either Angulo or Hernandez will ever get another crack at a world championship, and both are now fighting in the super middleweight division after spending most of their career fighting as a junior middleweight, but this bout is a must win for either boxer if they want to remain relevant.

Angulo has gone 2-3 in his past five fights while Hernandez has gone 3-3 in his past six fights. Angulo is a former Olympian and competed in the 2004 Olympics. He’s thirty four, but will be three years younger than Hernandez. He will be giving up about a half inch in height and will also be giving up a large six inches in reach.

Both boxers have lost to some of the best the sport of boxing has to offer. Angulo lost to the likes of James De La Rosa, James Kirkland, Kermit Cintron, Canleo Alvaraez, and Erislandy Lara. Hernandez has lost to Brad Solomon, Julian Williams, Francisco Santana, Delvin Rodriguez, Demetrius Andrade, Erislandy Lara, and Andre Berto.

Angulo has the better professional resume and has beaten the likes of Joel Julio, Harry Jor Yorgey, Gabriel Rosado, Richard Gutierrez, and Joachim Alcine. Hernandez has beaten the likes of DeMarcus Corley, Ben Tackie, Luis Collazo, and Jesus Soto Karass.

Neither boxer has looked good in recent bouts, but both have a lot to fight for. There’s a chance this match could turn into a brawl, but it’s likely this bout won’t be very entertaining for the viewers. Angulo should win and maybe get one more chance at a relevant fight.

Robert Guerrero (33-4-1) vs. David Peralta (25-2-1); Welterweights

Robert Guerrero lost his last fight to Danny Garcia and was barely able to pull out the victory against Aaron Martinez.

However, Guerrero is still a relevant name in the sport of boxing and win on Saturday could land him another fight against a top opponent in the welterweight division.

Guerrero has gone 3-3 in his last six bouts but has fought some of the best the sport has to offer. His losses were to Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Gamaliel Diaz early on in his career.

Guerrero is a former featherweight champion and has beaten the likes of Gamaliel Diaz in a revenge match, as well as Joel Casamayor, Michael Katsidis, Selcuk Aydin, Andre Berto, Yoshihiro Kamegai, and Aaron Martinez.

Guerrero, a southpaw and thirty three years old, will be facing off against a relative unknown in the United States in Peralta. Peralta is also thirty three years old.

Not much is known of Peralta in the United States because he has never fought outside of his home country or Argentina. He has fourteen knockouts, which is four less than Guerrero, and his two losses were to the unheralded Cristian Nestor Romero and Claudio Alfredo Olmedo.

He has no notable victories, and his last bout was against an opponent with a sub .500 record. Guerrero should win this bout easily, and a loss for him would be a major upset.