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Antowyan Aikens Loses to Decarlo Perez in Main Event at Showboat

Posted on 09/10/2018

By: Ken Hissner

The vacant USA New Jersey State Super Middleweight Title was at stake as Atlantic City’s Antowyan “The Ice Man” Aikens, 13-5-1 (1), lost to Atlantic City’s Decarlo “3mendo” Perez, 17-6-1 (5), over 8 rounds of exciting action with both boxers hitting the canvas.

In the first round Aikens controlled with his jab. In the second round Perez rocked Aikens with a right to the chin knocking him back several steps. Aikens mainly used his jab. In the fourth round Aikens landed a right to the chin of Perez dropping him. He beat the count of 8 by Referee Earl Brown.

In the fifth round Perez was all over Aikens making him hold. The fans were going wild! Aikens came back but mostly held on until the bell. In the sixth round Perez was on the attack. What seemed like a glancing left hook from Perez hit the top of the head of Aikens dropping him to the canvas. He beat the 8 count of Referee Brown. He was able to get through the round. In the seventh round both were mixing it up well. Perez landed a lead right to the head of Aikens just prior to the bell and doing enough to take the round. In the eighth and final round Perez landed a pair of right’s to the chin of Aikens. They both fought furiously to the bell knowing the round may be needed to win the title.

Scores were Lawrence Layton 75-74, James Kinney 77-72 and Al Benett 76-74 as did this writer have it.
In the co-feature Welterweight southpaw John Bauza, 11-0 (5), of North Bergen continued unbeaten easily defeated Rashad Bogar, 4-8-1 (2), of Newark, NJ, over 6 rounds.

In the first round Bauza boxed well landing a double right hook to the body and to the head of Bogar. It was all Bauza. In the second round Bauza continued countering Bogar who would rush in but get hit. It was another big round for Bauza though Bogar never backed off.

In the fourth round Bogar went to throw a right but Bauza beat him to the punch with a left to the chin dropping Bogar. He beat the count of Referee Harvey Dock. In the fifth round Bogar recovered well from the previous round though Bauza continued to win the round. In the sixth and final round Bauza landed a hard overhand left on the chin of Bogar. Though Bauza seemed to take every round Bogar hung in there to the end.

All 3 judges, Atkins, Lundy and Bennett along with this writer had it 60-53. Referee was Harvey Dock.

Making a successful debut Lightweight Isaiah Hart, 1-0 (1), of Atlantic City, stopped “Dangerous” Dillan Kasprzak, 0-2 of Philly, at 0:16 of the second round of a scheduled 4.

In the first round Hart landed a solid right to the chin of Kasprzak stunning him. Hart landed a short right followed by a left hook to the chin of Kasprzak dropping him just prior to the end of the round. Referee Ricky Vera continued his count to 8. In the second round Hart hurt Kasprzak with a right to the chin having him against the ropes as Referee Ricky Vera wisely called a halt. Long time AC top trainer Bill Johnson worked Hart’s corner.

Middleweight Ryan Wilczak, 7-0 (3), of Scranton, PA, defeated Alberto Delgado, 0-4 of Roanoke, VA, over 4 rounds.

In the opening round Wilczak was having his way with little offense from Delgado. He used a jab prior to throwing his right. At the final 10 seconds of the round Delgado finally landed several punches. In the second round Delgado was coming forward but getting countered by Wilczak. Halfway through the round Delgado landed a right to the chin of Wilczak. With Delgado walking in low Wilczak landed an uppercut to the chin just prior to the bell.

In the third round with Delgado pressing the action Wilczak was using a right uppercut to the chin. Wilczak wasn’t using the jab as much this round but throwing lead rights. In the fourth and final round Delgado landed a good left hook to the chin of Wilczak. This was the most competitive round of the fight.

Scores were Atkins 39-37, Lundy 39-37 and Bennett 40-36 as did this writer. Earl Brown was the referee.

In the opening bout in a war Light heavy Tahlik Taylor, 3-12-1 (1), of Greensboro, NC, was stopped by southpaw Travis Toledo, 2-0 (1), of Baltimore, MD, at 2:02 of the second round of a scheduled 4.

In the first round both fighters slugged it out from the bell. In the final minute Toledo was stunned by Taylor but came right back landing right hooks to the chin of Taylor. In the second round Toledo had had Taylor pinned in a corner hurting him and finally dropping him with a left hook. Taylor got up and as Toledo stepped in Taylor hit him with a uppercut to the chin. Toledo again dropped Taylor with a combination. Referee Harvey Dock wisely waved it off.

Middleweight southpaw Omar Salem, 4-0 (1), of Brooklyn, NY, stopped Mike “Top Notch” Anderson, 0-3 of Philly, who didn’t come out for the second round.

In the first round Salem had Anderson on the defense with a good body attack. Salem hurt Anderson going mostly to the body and then the head. Anderson could not come out for the second round. The Referee was Harvey Dock.

Lightweight Nahir Albright, 4-1 (1), of Philly, easily defeated southpaw Glenford “Stallion” Nickey, Jr., 4-2 (1), of Brooklyn, NY, over 4 rounds.
In the opening round the taller Albright had Nickey rocked several times with lead rights to the chin. Nickey switches back and forth from southpaw to orthodox. In the second round Albright continued to land lead rights to the chin as Nickey did quite a bit of holding. Nickey landed the final punch of the round an overhand right to the head of Albright at the bell.

In the third round Albright landed a solid right to the chin of Nickey driving him into the ropes. Nickey charged in getting caught with a Albright right uppercut to the chin just prior to the end of the round. In the fourth and final round Albright was looking to finish off Nickey landing combinations as Nickey was holding in order to survive for the most part.

Scores were Atkins and Lundy 40-36, Bennett 40-35. This writer 40-36. The referee was Ricky Vera.

Lightweight Jahmal Dyer, 6-1 (4), of Baltimore, MD, stopped southpaw Marcos Lugo, 0-2, of Vineland, NJ, at 1:29 of the fourth and final round.
In the opening round both boxers fought on even terms. With about 15 seconds to go a left hook from Dyer to the chin of Lugo dropped him. He beat the count of referee Ricky Vera and got through the round seconds later. In the second round both fighters let it all hang out until a right from Dyer on the chin drove Lugo against the ropes. Lugo came back but Dyer was landing lead rights against the southpaw Lugo.

In the third round Lugo came out firing knowing with the knockdown in the first he’s behind. Considering the vast differences in their records Lugo fights on even terms for the most part. Dyer landed a solid left hook to the chin of Lugo who came right back with a right hook to the chin of Dyer of his own. In the fourth and final round a lead right from Dyer on the chin of Lugo dropped him when his gloves touched the canvas. Referee Vera gave him the 8 count. Shortly seconds later the towel from the corner of Lugo came flying in the ring as referee Vera got between the boxers grabbing Lugo stopping the bout.

Super Bantamweight Ry’Shine “Freak Boy” Collins, 1-0 (1), of Philly, destroyed Lucky Holt, 0-3 (0), of Hannibal, MO, at 0:51 of the first round of a scheduled 4.

In the opening round Collins landed a solid left hook to the chin of Holt. Collins swarmed all over the much smaller Holt dropping him with referee Harvey Dock immediately waving it off.

Welterweight Steve “Illest” Moore, 1-5 (1), of Orange, NJ, lost a hard fought bout to southpaw Kashon “Left Handed Bandit” Hutchinson, 4-5 (1), of Reading, PA, over 4 rounds.

In the opening round Hutchinson drove Moore into a corner. By middle of the round Hutchinson had Moore grabbing. Hutchinson was out landing Moore. In the second round both boxers were working hard with Hutchinson the southpaw again edging Moore.

In the third round Moore had Hutchinson against the ropes until the latter spun out. Moore landed a solid left hook to the chin of Hutchinson who is boxing with his hands to his side. In the fourth and final round Hutchinson had Moore hurt from a left to the chin. Moore was coming forward with the fight up for grabs but walking into punches from Hutchinson. It was an action bout.

Scores were Atkins 39-37, Lundy 40-36 and Bennett 39-37 as did this writer. Earl Brown was the referee.

Philadelphia Welterweight Greg “Lil Greg” Jackson, was awarded the WBF belt when his opponent was a no show. Rising Star Promotions will be returning to the Showboat on November 3rd. All in all it was a crowd pleasing event.

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Antowyan Aikens & Decarlo Perez in Main Event Saturday at Showboat

Posted on 09/07/2018

By: Ken Hissner

Rising Star Promotions, Debra Lamanna, matchmaker Cesar Gonzalez, keeps New Jersey boxing alive with a 12 bout card at the Showboat Hotel & Casino, in Atlantic City, NJ, Saturday night.

With the vacant USA New Jersey State Super Middleweight Title at stake Atlantic City’s Antowyan Aikens, 13-4-1 (1), meets Egg Harbor’s Decarlo “3mendo” Perez, 16-6-1 (5).

Aikens won his first 10 fights and his last 2 fights and is looking to take his first title. It’s been over 4 years since he has fought in his hometown of Atlantic City. He is 6-0 there and looks forward to add another win to that record. He had this to say about his upcoming bout with Decarlo Perez:

I had a 10-week camp, and it was great. I am prepared for a good fight on Saturday. Perez is tough, and I know he is going to bring his “A” Game. He is going to come in shape. But I know what I have, and how I prepared, so there is nothing to worry about. This is one of those fights that is for bragging rights. It is for the State Championship. It is one of those fights that I never expected to happen, but it is here, so I am going to make the best of it. I am prepared to go to war. I will use my boxing ability. That is who I am, but if I have to go to war, then I will.

Perez has defeated Shamone Alvarez, 21-5, who was top dog in Atlantic City at one time. He stopped Philly’s Tyrone Brunson, 22-2-1, who is in the 16 boxer tournament that is coming up. In his last win he defeated Lenell Bellows, 16-1-1, in Las Vegas while Bellows stopped Aikens. Perez had this to say about his upcoming bout with Aikens:

Camp was tremendous. I had a fantastic camp. It was a lot of hurt, but it was worth it with all the road work and great sparring. It was tough, but it was my best camp. Aikens is somebody else that is in the way of something that I want.

He has to go. I know he is the one who wanted this fight, but that is his business. There is not much I can say about that. To me, he wants to prove that he is the best in the area. He had to fight someone who is one of the best. I top my hat to him, because he acknowledged me as one of the best. It is going to be an interesting and action packed fight. We are both coming to fight to see who is the best in the area.

In the 8 round co-feature, Greg “Lil Greg” Jackson, 8-7-1 (2), of Philly battles Julius Dyis, 9-1 (4), of Clarksdale, MS, for the WBF Welterweight title. In a 6 round battle of New Jersey junior welterweights, John Bauza, 10-0 (5), of North Bergen takes on Rashad Bogar, 4-7-1 (2), of Newark.

There are 9 undercard bouts in addition that are scheduled 4’s.

Lightweight Isaiah Hart, of Atlantic City makes his debut against Dillan Kasprzak, 0-1 of Philly. Middleweight Ryan Wilczak, 6-0 (3), of Scranton, PA, meets Alberto Delgado, 0-3 of Roanoke, VA.

Light heavy Tahlik Taylor, 3-11-1 (1), of Greensboro, NC, meets Travis Toledo, 1-0 of Baltimore, MD. Middleweight Omar Salem, 3-0, OF Brooklyn, NY, meets Mike Anderson, 0-2 of Philly.

Lightweight Nahir Albright, 3-1 (1), of Philly meets Glenford Nickey, 4-1 (1), of Brooklyn, NY. Lightweight Jahmal Dyer, 5-1 (3), of Baltimore, MD, meets Marcos Lugo, 0-1, of Vineland, NJ.

Bantamweight Ry’Shine Collins, makes his debut meeting Lucky Holt, 0-2, of Hannibal, MO. Welterweight Steve Moore, 1-4 (1), of Orange, NJ, meets Kashon Hutchinson, 3-5 (1), of Reading, PA. 2018 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight champion Roney Hines, 3-0 (3), of Cleveland, OH, meets Kendrick Houston, 1-3 (1), of Concord, NC.

Doors open at 6 and first bout at 7. Showboat is at 801 Boardwalk.

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Thomas “Cornflake” Lamanna and George Sosa at Claridge Saturday

Posted on 08/17/2017

By: Ken Hissner

Rising Star Promotions returns to the Claridge Hotel & Casino, in Atlantic City, NJ, Saturday. They will be featuring 12 bouts with Thomas “Cornflake” Lamanna of Millville, NJ, against George “El Terrible” Sosa for the WBC Silver Latino welterweight title in the Main Event.

“I’m just ready to fight and I hope he is too. I encourage people to come to this action packed event. 12 events and a title fight,” said Lamanna. His opponent Sosa had this to stay, “I think Lamanna is a boxer who has fought no one of my caliber yet, and like me I have fought everyone.”

Former IBF Cruiserweight champion Imamu “Young Ben” Mayfield, 26-10-2 (19), of Perth Amboy, NJ, takes on upset minded Lamont Capers, 7-10-2 (2), of Hawley, PA. Anthony “Juice” Young, 17-2 (6), of Atlantic City, NJ, takes on southpaw Tracey Johnson, 4-5-4 (0), of Boston, MASS.
Doors open at 6pm and first bout at 7pm

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Mike Tyson Interview: “I’m not looking to be a chairperson, I’m not looking to be ambassador”

Posted on 06/21/2017

Mike Tyson Interview: “I’m not looking to be a chairperson, I’m not looking to be ambassador”
By: Matthew N. Becher

Mike Tyson is the most recognizable face on the planet. He rose to boxing stardom in the early 80s, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion ever. His insane punching power, brashness and bravado made him a household name. It also made him public enemy number one and the Baddest Man on the Planet.

Mike Tyson

Tyson has since grown up, he is currently 50 years old and raising his family in the suburbs of Henderson, Nevada. He has very little involvement in the sport that made him a superstar and keeps busy with work and different ventures. He is currently starring on the Fox television program “Super Human”. His cartoon series “Mike Tyson Mysteries” is set to begin its 3rd season on The Cartoon Network. Mike also just released a new book “Iron Ambition: My life with Cus D’Amato”.

Mike can be seen every once and a while at a boxing match, but very rarely is he in the public eye as he once so heavily was. Yesterday afternoon I was able to speak with Mike one on one and ask him a few questions about his early life in the sport, what he thinks of things now, and what the future may hold for him.

Boxing Insider: What was the boxing scene like in the Hudson Valley and Catskills in your teenage years?

Mike Tyson: All excitement. It was very exciting and I always looked forward to it and it was a really great part of my life.

Boxing Insider: Since you are a boxing historian, do you have any idols that may not have gotten the recognition they deserved?

Mike Tyson: A lot of guys like Jack Dempsey, Rocky Marciano, Larry Holmes, guys like that.

Boxing Insider: In your career as a fighter, is there anything you would have liked to change?

Mike Tyson: Shit, wish I won them all.

Boxing Insider: Can todays state of boxing return to its glory days?

Mike Tyson: I think so. Well, we have a great heavyweight out now named Anthony Joshua. And I think he can change the whole thing around.

Boxing Insider: It’s been a year since the passing of the great Muhammad Ali. Ali used his celebrity to speak up on many social views. Do you see yourself ever stepping into the now empty spot that Ali has left?

Mike Tyson: Well that is not what I want to do in life. What I want to do in life is just be a respectful man and just take care of my children and guide my family in the right direction. I’m not looking to be a chairperson, I’m not looking to be ambassador or anything in that capacity.

Boxing Insider: Right now, who would you say is your favorite fighter to watch?

Mike Tyson: Wow, I got Errol Spence as one of them. I like the Charlo brothers, I like to see them fight. I like to watch Shawn Porter fight. I love watching Lomachenko, he is my favorite fighter so far.

Boxing Insider: Who do you have as an overrated fighter?

Mike Tyson: Overrated? I don’t know, they are all fighting real good now. They just need to fight each other, that’s all

Boxing Insider: The biggest fight that is happening right now is Canelo vs. GGG, but the biggest fight being talked about is Mayweather vs. McGregor. What do you think that fight does to Mayweather’s legacy?

Mike Tyson: I don’t know, its gonna make him a lot of money and that’s what he likes to do. So he’ll make a lot of money in that fight. That’s the best thing to happen for boxing.

Boxing Insider: Do you think boxing took more from you then you got in return?

Mike Tyson: No, it gave me everything that I took from it. It was all fair.

Boxing Insider: Anything going on with you in the boxing world?

Mike Tyson: No boxing stuff, just television and movies and TV.

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Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna & Anthony “Juice Money” Young Win at the Claridge in AC!

Posted on 06/11/2017

Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna & Anthony “Juice Money” Young Win at the Claridge in AC!
By: Ken Hissner

Rising Star Promotions returned to the Claridge a Radisson Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ, Saturday night. Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna and Anthony “Juice Money” Young won in a pair of exciting 8 rounders.

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In the main event welterweight Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna, 23-2 (9), 149.5, Millville, NJ, scored a shut out over durable southpaw Carlos Winston Velasquez, 24-29-2 (15), 149, Managua, NIC, over 8 rounds.

In the first round LaManna boxed well and slipped punches from Velasquez well. In the second round it was more of the same though Velasquez did land some punches. In the third round an over hand right by LaManna rocked Velasquez. A punch from LaManna south of the border got Velasquez angry and he drove LaManna into the ropes. In the fourth round a lead right from LaManna to the chin of Velasquez hurt him.

In the fifth round it was all LaManna hurting Velasquez to the body with left hooks to the body and straight rights to the head of Velasquez. In the sixth round a solid right to the chin from LaManna hurt Velaszuez. In the seventh round LaManna controlled from bell to bell. In the eighth and final round it was all LaManna who dropped Velasquez at the 10 second warning from the timekeeper. Referee David Fields administered the 8 count and time ran out.

All 3 judges Joe Pasquale, Kason Cheeks and Lawrence Layton scored it 80-71 as did this writer. “I want a name fighter in August like Cintron, Judah or Hernandez-Harrison,” said LaManna.

In the co-feature welterweight Anthony “Juice Money” Young, 17-2 (6), 149, Pleasantville, NJ, won an exciting battle over Cuban George “El Te ribble” Sosa, 15-9 (15), 148, Reading, PA, in 8 rounds.

In the first round Young impressed with punches from various angles, and slipped every one of them coming from Sosa. A lead right by Young to the chin of Sosa had him holding on. In the third round Sosa landed a 3-punch combination. Young came back working the body and head of Sosa. In the fourth round they exchanged right hands to the chin. The action heated up in this round.

In the fifth round a left hook to the body by Young hurt Sosa. In the sixth round Young landed a 3-punch combination driving Sosa into a neutral corner. It was a wild round of both fighters rocking one another. In the seventh round a left uppercut to the chin of Sosa by Young knocked his head back. Another action packed round. In the eighth and final round Young twice hurt Sosa first to the body and then to the head. Sosa came back battling to the end.

Judges Pasquale and Cheeks 80-72 and Layton 80-71 with this writer 78-72. “I only had two weeks to train,” said Sosa. “I hurt him to the body and thought I would stop him,” said Young.

Atlantic City super middleweight southpaw Gabriel “Gabby” Pham, 9-1 (4), Pleasantville, NJ, 171, won a lack luster decision over Edgar Perez, 7-21 (3), 172, PR out of Chicago, IL, over 6 rounds.

In the opening round the taller Pham controlled with his jab. In the second round Pham opened up a bit more. In the third and fourth rounds there was little action. In the fifth it wasn’t until seconds prior to the bell the taller Pham landed a flurry of punches. In the sixth and final round Pham landed a good combination to the head of Perez.

All 3 Judge’s had it 60-54 along with the writer. Fields was the ref.

Middleweight Chris “Sandman” Thomas, 6-0-1 (3), 157, Toms River, NJ, and Oscar “The Machine” Valdez, 1-2-1 (1), 158, Batesville, AR, fought to a majority draw over 4 rounds.

In the first two rounds it was full of action with Thomas outworking Valdez. In the third round there was plenty of action with Thomas getting the better of it. In the fourth and final round Valdez landed a flurry of punches putting Thomas into the ropes. It was too little too late for Valdez.

Judges Pasquale and Cheeks had it 38-38 while Layton 39-37 for
Thomas as did this writer. Ric Vera was the ref.

Light heavyweight southpaw Frederick Julian, 5-0 (3), Cambault, FR, now out of Brooklyn, 172, stopped Jose Valderrama, 5-20 (3), 169, Manati, PR, at 1:17 of the sixth and final round.

In rounds one and two it was all Julian with jab and straight lefts to body of Valderrama. In round three Julian landed a pair of lead lefts to the head of Valderrama. In the fourth and fifth rounds Julian continues to press the action with straight left followed by jab to the head of Valderrama. In the sixth and final round Julian scored a pair of knockdowns with left uppercuts to the midsection of Valderrama causing referee Bashir to call a halt.

Lightweight Tomas Romain, 3-1 (0), Paris, FR, out of Brooklyn, 133.5, won over southpaw Lamont “Strongman” White, 1-8 (1), D.C., 137.5, over 4 rounds.

In the first round Romain landed a combination to the head of White controlling the round. In round two White continued to come forward but was getting countered by Romain. In the middle of the round both fighters exchanged combinations. In the third round Romain led with a pair of rights to the midsection of White. At the bell White landed a good left uppercut to the chin of Romain. In the fourth and final round it was the best of the fight with both letting it all hang out while White landed a solid left to the chin of Romain.

Judge Cheeks had it 39-37 while Pasquale and Layton 40-36 along with this writer. Bashir was the referee.

Super featherweight Donald “No Love” Smith, 5-0 (3), Philly, 127.5, defeated Sidell Blocker, 1-8-1 (0), Pleasantville, NJ, 129,

In the first round it was all Smith landing solid punches to the chin of Blocker. In the second round Smith landed several lead lefts to the chin of Blocker. A lead left from Smith on the chin of Blocker rocked him. In the third round Smith is countering well against the aggressive Blocker. In the fourth and final round a low blow by Blocker put Smith down. He took 5 minutes to recoup from Referee Vera. Smith landed a solid left uppercut to the chin of Blocker to end the round.

All 3 Judges had it 40-36 as did this writer.

Super welterweight Elijah “Vicious” Vines, 4-0 (4), Philly, 153, stopped Tyrone “Shoe Laces” Paige, 0-5 (0), Batesville, AR, 156, at 1:43 of the third round.

In the first round switching from orthodox to southpaw Vines dropped Paige with a right hook to the chin. In the second round a lead right by Vines to the head of Paige stunned him. In the third round a left hook by Vines to the chin of Paige drove him across the ring. A left hook by Vines to the nose drew blood and dropped Paige. Referee Bashir saw enough and waved it off.

In the corner of Vines were Rev. Thompson and Danny Davis. Vines is managed by Doc Nowicki.

In the opening bout a rematch southpaw Dan Pasciolla, 9-2-3 (0), 247, Brick, NJ, and Lemarcus “Freight Train” Tucker, 4-2-1 (2), 219, Batesville, AR, fought to a 6 round majority draw.

In the first round a right to the head by Tucker brought blood from the nose of Pasciolla. In rounds two and three Pasciolla used an effective jab with a counter left to the head of Tucker. In the fourth and fifth rounds Pasciolla took the fourth and Tucker the fifth. In the sixth and final round a Pasciolla left uppercut knocked the head of Tucker back. Pasciolla suffered a small cut on the outside of his left eye brow.

Judges Cheeks and Layton had it 57-57 while Pasquale 58-56 Pasciolla as did this writer. Fields was the ref.

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Delvin Rodriguez Loses to Courtney Pennington In Star Boxing Facebook Broadcast

Posted on 05/12/2017

Delvin Rodriguez Loses to Courtney Pennington In Star Boxing Facebook Broadcast
By: Sean Crose

If there’s one thing the forces behind Thursday evening’s Star Boxing fight card at the Mohegan Sun Casino in eastern Connecticut wanted made clear, it’s the fact that card was being broadcast live on Facebook. Not Fox Sports1. Not ESPN2. Not Bounce. Not beIN. Facebook. While fights have streamed live – and for free – before, Star Boxing is on the more significant side of the promotional scale, which made Thursday’s card a memorable event. Was it the beginning of something significant? Time will tell – though the odds may be in its favor.

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The night opened with local (by way of Hartford) fighter Rich Rivera beating on newcomer Marco Parente in the Canadian’s pro debut. The 180 lb catchweight fight was halted in the final seconds of the sixth and final round, giving Rivera a record of 2-0. New Jersey’s Jonathan Rojas was up next, facing fellow lightweight Omar Bordoy in a four round bout. Like Rivera, Bordoy was a Connecticut fighter and the crowd was enormously in his favor. Both he and Rojas, in fact, were making their pro debuts. It was a close, fairly sharp fight for two newcomers to the pro game. The UD win went to Bordoy, who landed the harder punches.

Another Hartford fighter, Jose Rivera, 2-1, then entered the ring to face Long Island’s Marcus Beckford, 3-6-3, in a six round junior middleweight affair. A thunderous, and I mean thunderous, shot by Rivera in the fourth ended things abruptly. Beckford was able to get to his feet, but the referee knew better than to let matters continue. New York City welterweight Sydney MacCow, 4-5, was up next to face East Hartford’s (noticing a theme here?) Anthony Laureano, 3-0. Laureano may have been the obvious crowd favorite, but it was MacCow who dominated the first few rounds by sharp punching and by throwing Laureano’s timing off. Laureano’s pressure, however, began to take effect in the third.

Things got close and heated in the fourth, with Laureano landing the more effective shots. MacCow was definitely there to win, though. Although Laureano was now able to land, the New Yorker kept things razor thin. In the sixth, MacCow was visibly hurt by Laureano. The East Hartford native couldn’t finish his man off, though. Still, the two men closed the show firing away at each other. Indeed, it was a great fight. Laureano took the UD win, but there’s no reason – none – these two couldn’t meet in the ring again.

Former WBC World Female Middleweight titlist Kali Reis, 10-6-1, then faced 7-10-4 Ashleigh Curry. Reis may not have been from Connecticut, but she hailed from right next door in Rhode Island, making her about as close to a local fighter as one could get without actually being local. The first few rounds were somewhat slow affairs, with Reis walking Missouri’s Curry down. The third and fourth rounds presented the audience with more of the same. As the fight wore on, it became clear that – although Curry had her moments – she simply wasn’t of Reis cailber. Curry’s inability to put her punches together, for instance, was particularly telling. The final round showed no significant or sustained change of pace. The easy victory was awarded to Reis, courtesy of a majority decision (how anyone could have ruled it a draw, as one judge did, is a great mystery).

In the co-main, welterweight Samuel Amoako, 21-14, of Ghana, fought undefeated New Yorker Danny Gonzalez, 13-0, in a scheduled eight round affair. Gonzalez dominated the first two rounds, but the fight did not start off being a barn burner. By the fourth round, the bout had developed into a familiar pattern: Amoako would be walked to the ropes and Gonzalez would fire way, hoping to land effectively. Amoako was able to land an occasional solid shot, but those weren’t nearly enough to change the tide. Gonzalez was clearly trying to look impressive, but it can be hard to beat an opponent who isn’t doing much more than surviving.

In the fifth, Gonzalez started landing effectively to the body. Amoako looked like he might be hurt, but held on. And, sure, enough, the sixth was a replay of numerous previous rounds, with Amoako deciding to take it to the ropes with Gonzalez pursuing him. Amoako took a considerable amount of punishment, but, sadly didn’t have much to dish out to his aggressive foe. Needless to say, Gonzalez went home with a comfortable UD win.

It was time for the main event. Danbury, Connecticut’s Devlin Rodriguez, 25-8-4, had been around for a while, but he was clearly looking to work his way back into the upper hierarchy of the junior middleweight division. His opponent was Brownsville, Brooklyn’s Courtney Pennington, 10-4-1. The bout was a scheduled ten round affair. Things started off slow, with Rodriguez stalking and Pennington landing clean on occasion. By the third round, however, it was clear that Rodriguez was the one landing the more effective punches. Or was he? By round 5, Pennington was pot shotting and pot shotting clean. It was a tougher fight for Rodriguez than perhaps some had expected. The truth is that Pennington was looking to keep things slick. That can be problematic for fans who want red meat, but it can also be a very productive strategy. Throughout the middle rounds, the fight was rather close.

The later rounds were similar to the earlier ones. Rodriguez was able to land clean, but his inability to cut off the ring on his man remained problematic. This , though, had as much to do with Pennington’s effective game plan as it did Rodriguez’ own skill set. In the end, the judges saw it in Pennington’s favor, as he walked away with a UD win

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Did Star Wars Gobble ESPN’s Boxing Budget?

Posted on 01/13/2017

Did Star Wars Gobble ESPN’s Boxing Budget?
By Ivan G. Goldman

Word is circulating around ESPN ranks that the network will present 12 of Al Haymon’s PBC shows this year, but so far only one is on the schedule – an April 14 card with fighters and location yet to be announced.

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Employees were also told the network may make a deal to do some shows promoted by Golden Boy. Or maybe not.

ESPN is owned by the $175 billion Disney corporation. You’d think it could scrape up the funds to maintain its relationship with the key sport of prizefighting, but right now there doesn’t appear to be any plan to revive Friday Night Fights as a regular series you can count on. Well, the $4 billion Disney put up to purchase Lucasfilm, owner of the Star Wars franchise, had to come from somewhere.

Haymon’s PBC, which came into the world nearly two years ago with a huge budget and great ambitions to dominate the sport, now limps along on an array of mostly small channels and far more subdued production values. Its war chest is clearly dwindling. But PBC can still boast of a talented stable and its pulse is quite detectable.

With no crossover superstars to build a buzz, boxing stumbles through a rough patch. There’s probably more media attention paid to retired Floyd Mayweather than any active fighters.

HBO, which used to be the face of big-time boxing, has only four shows slated for this year so far, and three of them are pay-per-view. These days the creation of PPV cards doesn’t necessarily signify fights that fans can’t wait to see. More often it means the network is unwilling to front sufficient cash. So the shows must sink or swim pretty much on their own.

HBO is a subsidiary of the $72 billion Time Warner monolith. Its stock shares bounced up 34.5 percent over the past year, but its executives are loath to get behind boxing as they have in years past. As we speak chieftains of $249 billion AT&T are in Washington seeking government approval to swallow Time Warner. That deal might have something to do with HBO’s ragtag retreat from prizefighting.
Remember those boxing shows on premium channel EPIX? History.

Showtime is the bright bulb in the boxing constellation. The premium network isn’t dependent on the PPV financing model and has announced seven shows for this year already. They include a tasty welterweight title unification match March 4 between Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia that will be free to Showtime subscribers. Both are PBC fighters.

Meanwhile, back at ESPN, the sport-savvy network knows what it has to do to be re-identified with boxing in the minds of the fans: Build good fights and the viewers will come.

Ivan G. Goldman’s 5th novel The Debtor Class is a ‘gripping …triumphant read,’ says Publishers Weekly. A future cult classic with ‘howlingly funny dialogue,’ says Booklist. Available from Permanent Press wherever fine books are sold. Goldman is a New York Times best-selling author.

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Errol Spence Jr. – The Six Million Viewer Man

Posted on 08/24/2016

Errol Spence Jr. – The Six Million Viewer Man
By: Sean Crose

Not only did undefeated welterweight Errol Spence Jr impress in Sunday’s televised battle against Leonard Bundu, he gave boxing a much needed bolt of adrenaline. For this weekend’s bout, which was aired live from Coney Island in Brooklyn, brought in an estimated six million NBC viewers. Needless to say, that’s a whole lot of eyeballs tuning into a boxing match. Sure enough, the Premiere Boxing Champions broadcast broke PBC records and proved that, when situated properly, the sweet science can bring in an impressive viewership – even late on a Sunday afternoon in the doldrums of August.

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Photo Credit: Premier Boxing Champions

If this is all very good news for boxing – and it is – it’s exceptional news for PBC powerhouse Al Haymon, who arranged to have a star up and comer in Spence Jr appear right after an Olympic broadcast. That sort of lead in can prove to be invaluable, as it may have proved to be on Sunday. Maybe even more telling, however, is word that roughly three quarters of Olympic television viewers stuck around to see Spence take Bundu out in ruthless fashion in the sixth round. Had Spence bored his audience, well, that audience clearly would have changed the channel.

Something here obviously worked. The question now is whether or not it can work again. The truth is that it certainly can, but strategic thinking will have to be in place. Those of a certain age will remember first learning of fighters like Marvin Hagler and Mike Tyson by watching weekend afternoon television. They may not have turned on the t.v. looking for those fights, but once they saw them, those viewers stopped changing the channel. Having good fights/fighters on an afternoon broadcast can be a terrific thing. All of the elements, however, have to come together.

And the entertaining Spence Jr coming on after the US Olympic basketball team got its gold medals proved to be dynamite. Indeed, it may well be Spence who is happiest of all in all of this. For while he’s still considered an up and comer, the talented Texan has arguably now been seen by more people than peers Keith Thurman, Kell Brook and Danny Garcia. That’s saying something. It also means that it will be harder for the division’s top players to simply write the former Olympian off. Whether the biggest names like it or not, Spence has arrived – and it appears he doesn’t aim on going anywhere.

Except, of course, up.

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AC Boxing Results: Seldon and Mussachio Win Decision Victories

Posted on 05/28/2016

AC Boxing Results: Seldon and Mussachio Win Decision Victories
By: William Holmes

Rising Star Promotions, a young promotional company with roots in Vineland, New Jersey, put on a six bout card at the Celebrity Theatre at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Rising Star Promotions appears to understand one important ingredient to running a successful show in Atlantic City that other notable big name promoters seem to ignore, stack your card with local talent and paying fans will show up.

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The opening bout of the night was between Nick “Slick” Kisner (16-2-1) and Lamont Capers (5-8-2) in the cruiserweight division.

Kisner was considered by many to be the heavy favorite, and he had moments in the bout where he was able to outwork his opponent, but he spent too much time during the fight with his head in his opponents chest and wasn’t throwing enough punches.

Capers landed the harder shots and Kisner was deducted a point in the seventh round for holding. There were a lot of lose rounds, but the final scores were 77-74 twice for Capers, and 76-75 for Kisner.

The second bout of the night was in the bantamweight division between Leroy Davila (0-0) and Dominic Whitehurst (0-0).

“Lucious” Leroy Davila had a large contingent of fans in attendance and the difference in talent was apparent immediately. Davila showed good movement and was throwing his comibnaitons together early. He scored three knockdowns in the second round before the referee stopped the bout at 2:34 of that round.

The third fight of the night was in the heavyweight division between Soloman Maye (1-6-1) and Quian Davis (2-0-1).

Davis looked to be the younger fighter with the harder punches, but he often didn’t aggressively attack when he appeared to hurt Maye and Maye did do some decent body work throughout the bout.

When a fight is only four rounds you have to jump on your opponent when it appears you have hurt him, Davis failed to do that. The final scores were 39-37 for Davis, and 38-38 on the remaining two cards to make it a majority draw.

Quan Johnson (0-0) made his pro debut against Adrian Wilson (0-2) in the welterweight division in the next bout of the night.

Johnson had the best showing of the boxers on tonight’s card as he was able to use his power to score several knockdowns. He scored two knockdowns in the first round, with the second one coming off of a clean straight left hand. Wilson came out aggressive in the second round, but his nose was busted open by Johnson and he had blood coming out of his left eye.

Johnson could have been awarded a knockdown in the third round but the referee ruled it a slip. He scored two knockdowns in the fourth round and landed a two punch combination after the second knockdown before the referee jumped in to stop the bout.

Johnson had an impressive showing, but he looked like he was a good two weight classes heavier than his opponent. The official time of the stoppage was 2:15 of the fourth round.

Chuck Mussachio (18-3-2) made his return to the ring after a three year layoff to rematch Willis Lockett (14-16-5) in the cruiserweight division.

These two boxers met in 2008 and it resulted in a majority draw. Mussachio is not known for his knockout power, but he is a good technical boxer and he was active with his jab and was able to use his reach to keep Lockett at bay for a majority of the fight. Lockett had trouble countering Mussachio, who appeared to be in terrific shape for a boxer who hasn’t fought in three years, and Mussachio was able to pepper Lockett from the outside.

Lockett did have his moments, including a hard over the top right hand in the fifth round that surprised Mussachio, but Mussachio simply outboxed Lockett with his long reaching jab and superior footwork.

The jduges scored the bout 58-56, 59-55, and 60-54 for Chuck Mussachio.

The main event of the evening was between Atlantic City, New Jersey native Isiah Seldon (8-1) and Newark, New Jersey native Eddie Edmond.

Seldon, the son of former heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon, showed flashes of power and was able to rock Edmond several times throughout the bout. However, Seldon was wild at times and didn’t show good head movement.

Edmond was able to outwork Seldon a couple of rounds, especially the fourth rounds, but hurt himself by losing a point for holding in the fourth round and getting knocked down in the sixth round.

If Seldon wants to take a step up to the next level he will need to improve his defense and throw more combinations instead of throwing one power shot at a time, but he was still able to win the bout on the judges scorecards.

The final scores were 58-54, 59-54, and 59-53 for Isiah Seldon.

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The Making of a Boxing Star: Gennady Golovkin

Posted on 04/20/2016

The Making of a Boxing Star: Gennady Golovkin
By: Matthew N. Becher

The American Dream is a thing that many people strive for, from all walks of life, all over the world. The dream that you can work hard, be honest, and one day you will have formed a better life than the one you came from, for not only yourself but for your family. It isn’t an easy thing to achieve. Many obstacles present themselves to the immigrants and foreigners chasing the American dream. In the sport of Boxing this is no different. To be a fighter from a foreign country the opportunity for stardom lies in the United States, and to grab hold of your full potential, you must be able to work harder than a fighter who was born and raised here.

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A world championship is something that can be won anywhere. A great fighter can be from any country, but to truly be ranked as the upper echelon of fighter, to be the fighter making the giant pay days, on pay per view, you have to have more than just the pretty smile and knockout punch.

Gennady Golovkin is the WBA & IBF middleweight champion of the world, and for him to become the face of the sport, he will have to work harder than any American fighter. Here is why.

Golovkin is from Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Not only is that a place few people could point out on a map, he grew up speaking a different language. To become a star in America, you have to speak English, it’s an unfortunate thing to say, but it has always been that way. People are not interested in hearing interviews, talk show appearances or press conferences and always hear their favorite fighter answer through a translator. Golovkin speaks English, he actually speaks several languages, and that is what is great about him. He realized how to adjust and did the work. Of course his English is not perfect, but you can understand him and he is able to get his point across to his fans. He can thank them and engage. It may not seem like a big deal, but it is a very big deal. This was one of the main reasons why Manny Pacquiao went from 2x world champion that nobody could pick out of a lineup to global superstar.

Something else that you need to become the best in the sport is branding. Floyd Mayweather had “TBE” or “Money Mayweather”, Oscar Dela Hoya is “The Golden boy” and Manny Pacquiao had “Pacman”. Golovkin is simply “GGG”, his initials, but those three letters have become synonymous with who he is, and ahead of his fight on April 23rd against Dominic Wade, he will have added a new sponsor to his already well branded “GGG”, Nike’s Jordan brand has signed the undefeated champion to their team. One of the most famous brands in the world. One of the most iconic athletes, Michael Jordan, has signed “GGG” up. Only the 3rd boxer to ever garner the jump man logo, in company with Roy Jones Jr. and Andre Ward.

Another way to get to the next level is adapting to your new environment. Just this past week, Golovkin threw out the first pitch at the L.A. Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants game. A man from Kazakhstan, who we guess, never played much baseball, threw out the first pitch in what is known as “America’s Game”. Golovkin also regularly appears on US television shows like TMZ and ESPN. He now resides with his family in Los Angeles, Hollywood. When he fought at Madison Square Garden last year, he made a one night appearance in the play “Rocky” on Broadway. He works with what he has, and doesn’t stop.

Inside the ring, Golovkin is one of the best in the world. He has the picture perfect smile and knockout power. He is ranked pound for pound in every imaginable list out there. He is a nightmare to all opponents and what he wants more than anything else is to hold all the belts in the middleweight division, fight the best opponents that will actually accept his challenge and make money.

They say on fight night that the work is done in the gym. With Gennady Golovkin it is and it is put in so many other places that it truly shows that the American dream is alive and can be obtained. With hard work, hope and will, anyone can make it.

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Boxing Insider Notebook: Frampton, Briggs, Haye, Pacquiao, Bradley, Ali, Charlo, and more…

Posted on 04/12/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Frampton, Briggs, Haye, Pacquiao, Bradley, Ali, Charlo, and more…
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of April 5th to April 12th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

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HBO to Replay Pacquiao vs. Bradley III

HBO Sports serves up the exclusive replay of the highly anticipated third fight in the heated Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. rivalry when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING:® MANNY PACQUIAO VS. TIMOTHY BRADLEY JR. is seen SATURDAY, APRIL 16 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The HBO Sports team, which was ringside at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, called the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: April 17 (10:30 a.m.) and 19 (11:00 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: April 18 (11:00 p.m.)

HBO Signature: April 17 (4:15 p.m.)

The two highly decorated welterweights who are among the sport’s top pound-for-pound performers came into the matchup with determination to score a convincing victory. Pacquiao and Bradley split the first two meetings with each winning by decision.

New Book About Muhammad Ali from Major Publisher

Running with the Champ: My Forty-Year Friendship with Muhammad Ali (Simon & Shuster; Hardcover; May 10, 2016) is a personal tribute to the remarkable friendship between author Tim Shanahan and legendary Muhammad Ali.

In 1976, Shanahan was a living in Chicago and was associated with a charity that arranged for athletes to speak to underprivileged kids. Ali was also living in Chicago—having just reclaimed his title as heavyweight champion of the world after defeating George Foreman and Joe Frazier—and was at the peak of his fame and athletic skill. Shanahan contacted Ali to ask whether he would participate in the program. Not only did Ali agree, he invited Shanahan to his home where the two then spent several hours talking.

It was the beginning of a forty-year friendship that continues today.

Shanahan and Ali’s relationship has always been personal: Shanahan never worked for Ali, preferring to remain a friend and get his paycheck elsewhere, but he was always there to play witness to the extraordinary life of the Champ. RUNNING WITH THE CHAMP gives readers an inside look at this extraordinary life, as Shanahan shares story after story of Ali’s interactions with various celebrities whom he met over the years, including Michael Jackson (who showed Ali and Shanahan his doll collection); Elvis Presley; John Travolta; Andy Warhol; and many others. Beyond the ring, Shanahan remembers numerous unpublicized incidents of Ali’s generosity to people in need.

Lara, Martirosyan, and Charlo Twins to Take Center Stage on Showtime

The 154-pound division will take center stage on Saturday, May 21 in a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader featuring three world title fights in the same division. In a rare showcase of the division’s elite, five of the top-six super welterweights* will square off live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Venue and ticket information are forthcoming.

In the main event, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara—the consensus No. 1 fighter at 154 pounds—will defend his WBA Super Welterweight World Championship against U.S. Olympian and top contender Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan in a rematch of their 2012 bout that ended in a technical draw.

Brothers Jermall and Jermell Charlo will look to make history in co-featured bouts as the first twins to hold world titles in the same division. Unbeaten IBF Super Welterweight World Champion Jermall faces his toughest test when he makes the second defense of his belt against former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout. Jermell will take on exciting contender John Jackson in a bout for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World Championship.

The event is being promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions.

With five of the top-six ranked fighters on the telecast, the May 21 matchups join an already stellar slate of recently announced boxing events on SHOWTIME. The super welterweights join the top fighters at featherweight, welterweight, super middleweight and heavyweight in a series of fights that features accomplished champions and young stars facing each other in the most significant divisional matches that can be made.

“This is yet another example of SHOWTIME Sports’ commitment to delivering the best lineup in boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “We’re featuring three important championship fights in one of boxing’s most intriguing young divisions – a tripleheader that will bring our 2016 tally of world title bouts to 14 – all free to SHOWTIME subscribers. We’re excited to offer this rare opportunity to see the top fighters in a division all on the same telecast.”
“Mayweather Promotions is thrilled to bring this fantastic tripleheader of super welterweight world champions to fight fans,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “The best of the 154-pound division will be on display on May 21 and we expect an action-packed night of drama.”

Star Boxing’s Joe Smith Jr. Set to Headline at the Paramount

Star Boxing’s Joe Smith, Jr. (20-1, 16 KOs) looks to continue his climb up the light heavyweight ladder when he faces tough and dangerous Brazilian Fabiano Pena (16-4-1, 12 KOs) in the main event in the 23rd installment of Star Boxing’s Rockin’ Fights series on Saturday night, April 23, at the Paramount in Huntington, New York.

Dubbed the “Irish Bomber” because of his knockout power, Smith is highly-regarded among the light heavyweight prospects during a young career guided by promoter Joe DeGuardia. The local hero fighting, out of Mastic, will be making his fourth appearance on his home turf at The Paramount.

Smith, Jr. has reeled off 14 straight triumphs, including nine by way of KO. In his latest win, the Irish Bomber scored a thrilling, unanimous 10-round decision over Will Rosinsky, while showcasing his talents in the Barclays Center ring on December 5.

The native of Mastic is a Union 66 laborer (concrete) in between fights. Trained by Gerard Capobianco, a former light heavyweight contender himself, Smith fights out of the Heavyhitters Boxing Gym on Long Island.

“Joe has all of the tools to be a top light heavyweight,” says DeGuardia. “His power and strength, combined with boxing skills and stamina have him earmarked for a big fight.”

The co-featured attraction is a “Long Island Showdown” when two popular Paramount regulars – Alan Gotay (8-2, 4 KOs) and Anthony Karperis (11-2, 4 KOs) – clash for the New York State Junior Welterweight Championship. Gotay hails from Huntington, while Kaperis is a product of Hicksville, so it will be a true “Battle for Backyard Bragging Rights.”

Chad Dawson, Ryan Kielczweski, Antontio Russell to Highlight Undercard for Gary Russell Jr. vs. Patrick Hyland

A stacked undercard of action featuring former world champion “Bad” Chad Dawson (33-4, 18 KOs), featherweight contender Ryan Kielczweski (24-1, 7 KOs) and undefeated prospects Antonio Russell (5-0, 4 KOs) and Carlos Gongora (4-0, 3 KOs) comes to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT., on Saturday, April 16.

The event is headlined by a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING doubleheader of world title fights: WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. battles Ireland’s Patrick “The Punisher” Hyland and IBF Junior Lightweight World Champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza takes on top contender Stephen “Swifty” Smith from the UK, with televised coverage beginning live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

Dawson will face the veteran Cornelius White (23-4, 17 KOs) in a 10-round light heavyweight bout, Kielczweski enters the ring for eight rounds of featherweight action, Gongora competes in a super middleweight attraction while Russell takes on Leonardo Reyes (3-9, 1 KO) in a bantamweight fight.
Also entering the ring is popular super bantamweight contender Shelley Vincent (16-0, 1 KO) out of Providence, RI., who will have plenty of support behind her when she takes on New Mexico’s Elizabeth Anderson (4-7, 1 KO) in a six-round bout.

Rounding out the action are a pair of prospects making their pro debuts as Providence’s Anthony Marsella Jr. fights in a four-round junior welterweight match and Connecticut’s Mykquan Williams in a four-round welterweight contest. Williams is a highly touted local prospect who fought to a 45-13 amateur record including three gold medal performances at the Ringside World Tournament.

Briggs vs. Haye a Possibility

Forty four year old Shannon Briggs is more known for crashing press conferences than for actually fighting inside the ring, but it appears his mouth and antics have landed him a possible big money fight in the near future.

David Haye is set to fight at the O2 Arena on May 21st, and has recently stated that if Briggs is victorious on his undercard that he will fight him next. Briggs previously chased Wladimir Klitschko around the globe and showed up at several press conferences, and has done the same to David Haye.

David Haye (27-2) is scheduled to face Arnold Gjergjaj (29-0) on May 21st and Shannon Briggs (59-6-1) does not have a scheduled opponent yet.

Carl Frampton Stripped of WBA Junior Featherweight Title

Carl Frampton unified the WBA and IBF Junior Featherweight Titles when he defeated Scott Quigg on February 27th. However, it appears that he will not be fighting at the junior featherweight division anymore and has not agreed to fight the mandatory challenger for the WBA Junior Featherweight Championship. The WBA has since stripped Carl Frampton of his WBA Junior Featherweight title.

Broner v. Theophane Delivered Knockout Ratings for Premier Boxing Champions on Spike

Adrien Broner vs. Ashley Theophane delivered excellent ratings for Spike TV.

The main event drew 1,141,000 viewers (10:36pm-11:21pm) peaking with an impressive 1.3 million viewers at 11:11pm (with +3 DVR playback). This is the most watched PBC fight ever on Spike.

The entire card delivered 955,000 viewers, also a record for the PBC on Spike.

Also of note, 48 minutes of the broadcast were seen by 1 million or more viewers.

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