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Webster, Pizarro, Teah & Cuevas Win in South Philly

Posted on 08/13/2018

By: Ken Hissner

On Saturday night Hard Hitting Promotions Will Ruiz and matchmaker Manny Ramirez put on 8 bouts before a very good attended crowd. These bouts took place at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

In the Main Event Super Middleweight southpaw Derrick “Take It to The Bank” Webster, 27-1 (14), of Glassboro, NJ, halted Les “Lock Load” Sherrington, 37-11 (21), of Broadbeach, Australia, at 1:32 of round 9 in a scheduled 10 rounds.

In the first round Webster landed the first effective punch a lead left to the mid-section. Sherrington landed a right, left to the chin backing up Webster. Webster landed a 3-punch combination rocking Sherrington who immediately tied him up until the bell sounded. In the second round Sherrington landed a combination to the head as Webster acknowledged it. Webster landed a left uppercut to the chin of Sherrington who came right back at Webster.

In the third round Sherrington landed a low blow having referee Gary Rosato give Webster a minute rest. Sherrington landed three straight punches as Webster was backing up. In the fourth round the boo’s started. Webster not being the most exciting boxer playing it safe. Whenever Sherrington comes forward he does well but sitting back Webster pick’s him apart with his jab.

In the fifth round it was more of the same with Webster backing up piercing Sherrington with his jab. Sherrington landed the last punch of the round a right to the body of Webster. In the sixth round Sherrington landed a combo as Webster was moving away. Webster landed an effective 3-punch combo to the head of Sherrington getting his attention. Webster ended the round with a solid jab to the chin of Sherrington.

In the seventh round Webster started bouncing around like a “kangaroo” to the “man from down under”. Webster landed a partially blocked left to the right glove of Sherrington. Sherrington landed several body shots causing Webster to spin around. In the eighth round Sherrington landed a lead right to the chin of Webster who immediately grabbed Sherrington. Webster landed a flurry of punches backing Sherrington to take a knee. Webster jumped on him with a flurry dropping him again causing referee Rosato to step in and stop it.

Very impressive was 18 year-old Lightweight Branden “The Gift” Pizarro, 11-1 (5), of Philadelphia, stopping Hector Marengo, 7-12-4 (4), of Arecibo, PR at 1:32 of the second round of a scheduled 6.

In the first round it didn’t take long before crowd pleasing Pizarro landed a right, left and right dropping Marengo barely beating the count of referee Steve “SS” Smoger. Pizarro jumped on him right up until the bell sounded! In the second round Pizarro picked up where he left off in the previous round throwing punch after punch until Marengo dropped to the canvas. He was up but wobbly as referee Smoger wisely waved it off.

Back in the win column Lightweight Liberian Samuel “Tsunami” Teah, 14-2-1 (7), of Philadelphia, stopped Zack “AK 47” Ramsey, 8-4 (4), of Springfield, MASS, at 2:49 of the first round in a scheduled 6.

In the first round it was all Teah having Ramsey on the defense. Suddenly a right uppercut to the mid-section dropped Ramsey who tried to get up causing referee Rosato to call a halt.

Exciting southpaw Lightweight Jeremy “King” Cuevas, 10-0 (8), of Philadelphia, stopped southpaw Uganda’s Deo Kizito, 3-4 (2), of Dubai, UAE, now living in Wash., DC, at 2:02 of the sixth round in an action packed fight in a scheduled 6, in the best fight of the night!

In the first round Cuevas wasted no time throwing punches backing up Kizito. Halfway through the round Cuevas hurt Kizito with a right hook to the head that had Kizito wobbling several feet backwards. Cuevas jumped on him but Kizito managed to weather the storm. In the second round Cuevas landed a chopping right to the head of Kizito. Half a minute later Kizito got into an exchange with Cuevas showing he didn’t come to fall down.

In the fourth round Cuevas came out twirling his left hand while landing a snapping jab to the chin of Kizito. Cuevas had Kizito in a corner landing a barrage of punches and it looked like referee Smoger was stepping in to stop it as Cuevas backed off thinking it was stopped. All of a sudden both fighters went to war. Cuevas thought he knocked Kizito down ending the fight and ran to the corner and up on the ropes with hands held high. Referee Smoger called it a slip as Kizito went down but Cuevas didn’t see the slip signal. Cuevas went right after Kizito who held his own until the bell.

In the fifth round Kizito for some reason must have thought it was the last round and went to touch gloves as Cuevas smashed him with a straight left to the chin. Kiziot showed very good recovery when he got hurt. Cuevas continued landing punch after punch as Kizito backed up before coming back with punches of his own. The fans were loving it! In the sixth and final round they touched gloves and Cuevas landed a straight left to the chin of Kizito. Kizito landed several low punches as referee Smoger gave him a break but Cuevas waved it off and went after Kizito. Cuevas went after him landing punch after punch until Kizito hit the canvas with referee Smoger wisely waving it the end!

Super featherweight Gadwin “El abayarde” Rosa, 7-0 (6), of Ocala, FL, stopped southpaw Angel Albeio, 4-10-3 (1), of Kissimmee, FL, at 2:05 of the fifth round in a lack luster bout scheduled for 6 rounds.

In the first round it was rather uneventful as both threw few punches other than jabs. In the second round Rosa landed a left hook to the chin of Albeio to start the round. There was little action after this with both back to jabbing which continued into the third round as Rosa continued for the most part being the aggressor.

In the fourth round the Philly fans were growing restless after following a good match prior to this. With both boxers being from FL you have to wonder if the sparred before and are continuing it now. Albeio is on the move as Rosa caught him with a glancing left hook to the side of the head. Rosa landed four punches to the body. Seconds later a Rosa right to the head started what a left hook to the mid-section finished dropping Albeio. As he got up he walked to his corner forcing referee Rosato to call a halt.

In the opening bout Cruiserweight and holder of half a dozen regional titles Prince Badi Ajamu, 29-5-1 (15), of Camden, NJ, lost a decision to Kenny Cruz Carasquillo, 3-2-1 (2), of Bayamon, PR, over 6 rounds.

In the first round Carasquillo landed wicked body shots on Ajamu. Ajamu continued using his jab and landed a punch a second past the bell and both touched gloves in good sportsmanship. In the second round Carasquillo turned southpaw and immediately back to orthodox. Halfway through the round Carasquillo landed a hard left hook to the chin of Ajamu. Ajamu pinned Carasquillo in a corner as both exchanged punches for half a minute. In the third round while against the ropes Carasquillo fought well with Ajamu getting the last punch in a right uppercut to the chin as the bell sounded.

In the fourth round Ajamu with hands held high throughout the fight brought them down with a vicious body attack from Carasquillo. In the fifth round a right hand from Carasquillo on the chin of Ajamu brought a roar from the crowd. Ajamu landed a left uppercut to the chin and followed with a right cross to the chin of Carasquillo. At the end of the round Ajamu looked spent. In the sixth and final round Carasquillo started opening up more and backed into a corner drawing Ajamu in landing several punches of his own. Then, just prior to the end of the round Carasquillo landed a flurry of punches.

Scores were 59-55 twice and 58-56 with this writer having it 59-55. The referee was IBHOF Steve “double SS” Smoger.

Super bantamweight Puerto Rican Romuel “Cuco” Cruz, 2-0-1 (1), of Philadelphia, and Jose Lopez, 0-0-1 (0), of New York, NY, battled to a majority draw over 4 rounds.

In the first round after several exchanges Lopez landed a solid right to the chin of Cruz. Lopez had a mouse under his right eye at the end of the round. In the second round Lopez landed an overhand right knocking Cruz back several steps. Cruz landed a left uppercut to the mid-section and Lopez came back with a right uppercut to the mid-section of his own.

In the third round Cruz worked the body of Lopez well. Lopez knocked out the mouthpiece of Cruz with a right uppercut to the chin. Cruz landed several punches but got countered by a Lopez right to the chin. The last 30 seconds both fighters went to war! In the fourth and final round Cruz used his jab well while Lopez missed with a big overhand right. Cruz landed several left hooks to the body of Lopez. Cruz moved better than in the previous rounds evading lunges by Lopez. Cruz landed a solid right to the chin of Lopez almost knocking him down just prior to the bell.

Scores were Werlinsky 39-37 Cruz, McNair 38-38, Page 38-38 and this writer had it 39-37 Lopez. Smoger was the referee.

Bringing his own cheering section Super featherweight Christian Tapia, 5-0 (4), of Coamo, PR, defeated southpaw Israel Suarez, 4-6-2 (2), of Luquillo, PR over 4 rounds.

In the first round every solid punch Tapia landed had his many fans cheering. Both fighters fought on even terms for the most part. Suarez got the last punch of the round in a straight left to the chin of Tapia. In the second round Tapia was out landing Suarez for the most part. In the final seconds of the round Suarez got in a solid lead left to the chin of Tapia.

In the third round Tapia landed half a dozen unanswered punches while inside. Tapia drove Suarez against the ropes rocking him several times until Suarez spun out. In the fourth and final round Tapia landed a vicious body attack of half a dozen punches almost doubling Suarez over. Tapia having Suarez in a corner brought his already standing large group of fans roaring their approval. Suarez was able to get through the round.

Scores were Weisfeld 40-36, Page 39-37 and McNair 39-37 as did this writer. The referee was Gary Rosato.

At ringside were unbeaten Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson, Angel Pizarro, Jr. and Greg Hackett. Ever popular cut man Joey Eye worked several corners including the main event.

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Derrick “Take it to the Bank” Webster Defeats Oscar Riojas in AC

Posted on 06/05/2018

By: Dave Ruff

Derrick “Take it to the Bank” Webster, 26-1 defeated Oscar Riojas, 16-10-1, over 10 lackluster rounds Friday night at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ, on a Mis Downing Promotion.

Webster called out the two WBA champions and wants a USBA title bout. Webster isn’t rated in any of the WBA, WBC, WBO or IBF and No. 44 in the IBO so unless he gets rated there will be no world title bout for him.

Webster is No. 3 in the USBA with Philadelphia’s Jesse “Hollywood” Hart, 27-1 holding that title. They were once both managed by Doc Nowicki and Dave Price at the same time. It’s doubtful they will ever meet because neither wants to fight the other. Hart defeated Webster twice in the amateurs and is looking for an opponent in August in Atlantic City. Webster should contact Top Rank who is promoting and put his name in the hat.

Beating club fighters like Riojas will not get Webster ranked. He has to step up sooner or later. Hart also has the NABF belt and Webster is not in their ratings.

In the co-feature Atlantic City’s Isiah Seldon, 12-1-1 and defeated Lamar Harris, 9-15-4, of St. Louis. In his previous fight Harris fought Webster. This is why Webster isn’t ranked fighting the club fighters like Harris. Seldon is a wild swinger but can excite the crowd. 60-52 twice and 59-53 were the scores over 6 rounds.

Prince Badi Ajamu, 29-4-1, of Camden, NJ, got back in the win column defeating Edgar Perez, 7-25, of Chicago, IL, over 8 rounds, 80-72 twice and 79-73. The 46 year old Ajamu is up there in age and defeated Perez last August.

Brooklyn’s James Wilkins, 4-0, won his 4th straight by stoppage over Joe Gbola, 3-3-2, of Newbergh, NY, who couldn’t come out for the third round.

In the opening bout Felix Manzueta, 2-0, of Dover, DE, stopped Antonio Allen, 0-8-1, of Philadelphia in the second round.

The show didn’t start until 9:30 and was over past midnight. Seemed the gloves were not there so it cost a big delay in the starting time.

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Lundy and Webster Win at 2300 Arena

Posted on 02/12/2018

By: Ken Hissner

At the 2300 Arena in South Philly Saturday night Hard Hitting Promotions put on a six bout card with the main event having Philly’s “Hammerin” Hank Lundy defeating former WBO Super Lightweight Champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley.
In the Main Event southpaw Lightweight “Hammerin” Hank Lundy, 29-6-1 (14), defeated former WBO Super Lightweight Champion southpaw DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley, 50-29-1 (28), of Washington, DC., over 8 rounds.

“Chop Chop” made his entrance on a “hoverboard” with flags in each hand to the delight of the crowd.

In the opening round Lundy flipped Corley without a warning from referee Shawn Clark. Lundy out landed Corley though it was Corley who ended the round with a good combination to the head of Lundy. In the second round Corley landed a solid right hook to the head of Lundy. Lundy was having a problem landing as Corley showed his defensive skills. Then a Corley left to the head of Lundy had the crowd cheering. Corley evened the score.

In the third round Corley landed a combination with Lundy missing wildly in return. Even though missing half his punches, Lundy still out landed Corley, who did more on defense. Lundy turned to orthodox in the round. In the fourth round Corley landed a solid lead left to the mid-section of Lundy. A lead left from Corley rocked Lundy taking one on the chin. As it seemed both boxers collided a right from Lundy to the body of Corley caused a flash knockdown.

In the fifth round Lundy landed a 3-punch combination backing Corley up several steps. Lundy switched back to southpaw still out working Corley. In the sixth round Corley landed a 3-punch combination to the head of Lundy. Lundy missed several punches looking to end it to no avail. In the seventh round a lead left by Corley to the chin of Lundy backed him to the ropes. Lundy got a warning from referee Shawn Clark for a low blow. Again missing more than landing Lundy still did enough to take the round of an aging Corley.

In the eighth and final round Corley landed several combinations but Lundy came back rocking him with a left to the head at the bell.

Judge Poturaj 79-73 and judges Rubenstein and Page 79-72 as did this writer.

In the co-feature Super Middleweight southpaw Derrick “Take it to the Bank” Webster, 25-1 (13), of Glassboro, NJ, won a lopsided decision over Francisco “El Volcan” Cordero, 38-10 (29), of Barranquilla, Colombia.

Through an interpreter Cordero said “how does he win a fight running all night?”

Judge Kenny had it 79-73 with Poturaj and Rubenstein having it 80-72 as did this writer.

In the opening round the much taller Webster had an easy time of it but Cordero either smiled or waved him in for more. In the second round taking many jabs Cordero landed several overhand rights backing Webster up. Cordero landed a right and left to the head of a smiling Webster. Webster went back to his usual counter punching style taking the round. In the third round Cordero kept coming forward showing little respect to Webster’s punching power. Webster continued giving Cordero a boxing lesson until a Cordero punch went a little south making referee Benjy Esteves, Jr. gave a warning to Cordero and Webster getting several minutes rest.

In the fourth round both boxers were pounding their chests when Cordero drove Webster back several steps with a pair of wild punches to the head. Webster could land his jab with his eyes closed the way he is painting Cordero’s face. In the fifth round Cordero landed several wild left hooks backing Webster up. Webster came back with his jab while Corder landed a right and left to his head. Webster landed a hard straight left to the chin of Webster. In the last 10 seconds Cordero started chasing Webster who was pack pedaling.

In the sixth round Webster landed a rare left uppercut which seemed to be the punch to hurt Cordero. Webster decided to stop moving around the ring pop shoting Cordero in the middle of the ring until a Cordero right to the chin got Webster back on his bicycle. The fans started cheering for the underdog Cordero by the end of the round.

In the seventh round Webster continued Webster had press row wondering how Cordero was still upright. In the eighth it was all Webster but it was Cordero with his hands held high and the crowd cheering him for chasing Webster in spite of the obvious size difference.

For the vacant WBC International Super Featherweight title Nydia “DaPhenopenal” Feliciano, 9-10-3 (0), of the Bronx, NY, lost a lopsided decision to Alicia “The Baum” Baumgardner, 5-0 (4), of Fremont, OH, over 8 rounds for the vacant WBC International Super Featherweight title. In Feliciano’s corner was Brian Cohen who is well known for his stable of female boxers.

Judge Page and Poturaj had it 79-73 and Kenny 78-72. This writer had it 79-73.

In the opening round Baumgardner came out throwing bombs to the head of Feliciano. Halfway through the round Feliciano got Baumgardner’s attention with a right to the head. In the second round Baumgardner landed half a dozen unanswered punches without return in the middle of the round. Feliciano kept coming forward. Baumgardner’s percentage of landing punches is near perfect.

In the third round Feliciano made it close finishing strong after taking her share of punches coming forward in a peek-a-boo defense. In the fourth round Baumgardner landed good uppercuts to the chin of Feliciano finally rocking her with a good right to the chin that got the crowd’s reaction. In the fifth round Baumgardner worked the body trying to bring the defense of Feliciano down. Baumgardner kept up the attack. In the sixth round Feliciano landed a nice combination to the head of Baumgardner. Baumgardner has gone into the fifth round for the first time and slowed down in the round. Close round with Feliciano possibly pulling it out.

In the seventh round this round was similar to the first 5 rounds with Baumgardner landing a solid right uppercut to the chin of Feliciano just prior to the bell. In the eighth and final round Baumgardner was using the ring well with Baumgardner never giving up coming forward.

Lightweight prospect southpaw Jeremy “King” Cuevas, 7-0 (5), of Philly, won a workman like stoppage scoring several knockdowns as southpaw “Mighty” Mike Fowler, 6-13 (2), of Milwaukee, WI, couldn’t come out for the fifth round.
In the opening round both southpaw’s mixed it up well. With about 10 seconds to go in the round a left from Cuevas to the head of Fowler dropped him for referee Clark’s 8 count as the bell sounded. In the second round it didn’t take long before another chopping left from Cuevas to the head dropped Fowler. Cuevas followed up with a good right uppercut to the chin of Fowler who was fighting back. Good round for Cuevas but Fowler is better than his record show’s.

In the third round Cuevas started to go to the body of Fowler who held his own though falling short once again. In the fourth round Cuevas landed a jab followed by a straight left to the chin of Fowler. Cuevas landed the best punch of the round a lead left to the head of Fowler just prior to the bell.

Fowler couldn’t come out for the fifth round. Assisting Tony Bersani was long time Philly trainer Charles “Cornbread” Ramey.

Heavyweight southpaw Hasim “Gold Blooded” Rahman, Jr., 4-0 (3) of Baltimore, MD, took a majority decision over Rony “Big Country” Hale, 3-11 (3).

In the opening round southpaw Rahman was pin pointing his punches well. Hale got in one wild right to the side of Rahman’s left side of the head. Near the end of the round Hale got in a good right to the head that got Rahman’s attention. Rahman landed too many punches in taking the round. In the second round Rahman turned orthodox after taking a wild right to the chin. He had been landing shots to the big mid-section of Hale who turned southpaw and back to orthodox. It was a very close round. Both looked winded.

In the third round Hale had Rahman against the ropes landing half a dozen punches without return before tying up Hale. Halfway through the round Hale landed a lead right to the chin putting Rahman against the ropes. Both looked exhausted with Hale coming back to take the round. In the fourth and final round with both tired, especially Hale, there wasn’t much action as Rahman seemed to pull it out.

Judge Page had it 38-38, Judge Rubenstein 39-37 and Kenny 40-36 for Rahman. This writer had it 39-37 for Rahman.
In the opening bout Middleweight “Dangerous” Dillon Kasprzak, 0-1 (0), of Philly, lost a split decision to southpaw Michael “The Hammer” Crain, 1-1 (0), of Smyrna, DE, in a spirited 4 rounds.

In the opening bout southpaw Crain is outworking Kasprzak who halfway through started to go to the body since he couldn’t hit him in the head. Crain went to body and head with leading lefts to the chin. In the second round both mixed it up well with Crain landing the best punch a short left to the chin of Kasprzak. Crain continues to land more than Kasprzak.

In the third round Crain landed a left uppercut to the chin hurting Kasprzak. Near the end of the round Kasprzak’s head cleared and both boxers ended the round slugging it out. In the fourth and final round a wide left hook from Kasprzak dropped Crain for referee Clark’s mandatory 8 count. Crain came back and Kasprzak looked spent.

Judge Page had it 38-37 Kasprzak. Both judges Poturaj and Rubenstein had it 38-37 for Crain as did this writer.

Ring Announcer was Mark Fratto. There were not any “fighters of the night” in this one in which looked like another full house for Hard Hitting Promotions. They will be coming back the end of March with a site to be determined.

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Zhilei Zhang, Derrick Webster & Prince Badi Ajamu Win in AC

Posted on 08/06/2017

by: Ken Hissner

Mis Downing Promotions in Association with Roy Jones, Jr’s Square Ring Promotions put together a six bout show at the Claridge Hotel & Casino and Radisson Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ, Saturday night with a nine bout card. Rene Aiken was matchmaker.

Chinese 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist heavyweight southpaw Zhilei Zhang, 17-0 (13), now out of Las Vegas, NV, stopped Nick “2 Gunz” Guivas, 13-8-2 (9), of Topeka, KS, at 2:43 of the first round of a scheduled 10.

In the opening round Zhang used a jab and right hook keeping Guivas on the defense rarely throwing a punch. Zhang dropped Guivas in his own corner with a right hook body shot. Shortly later another Zhang right hook this time to the head and down went Guivas for the second time as referee Shada’ Murdaugh waved it off. Guivas came in for a pay day and Zhang needs to step up the competition.

In the Main Event super middleweight southpaw Derrick “Take It to the Bank” Webster, 24-1 (13), of Glassboro, NJ, stopped Lamar “King of Pain” Harris, 9-14-4 (5), of St. Louis, MO., at 0:28 of the second round.

In the first round Harris came out fast until several Webster jab’s hit him in the face followed by a straight left to the head. A right hook from Webster spun Harris a full 360 degrees. A follow-up combination from Webster dropped Harris who got to his feet as referee Murdaugh gave him the 8 count as the bell sounded ending the round. In the second round a flurry of punches from Webster had Harris out on his feet causing referee Shada’ Murdaugh to call a halt. Webster needs to step up the competition.

In the co-feature cruiserweight “The Boxing” Prince Badi Ajamu, 28-3-1 (15), of Camden, NJ, returned after 8 years, to win a lack luster decision over Puerto Rico’s Edgar Perez, 7-22 (3), of Chicago, IL, over 8 rounds.

In the first round Ajamu used an effective jab to the midsection keeping Perez at bay. It was a feeling out round. In the second round Ajamu landed a 3-punch combination to the body and head of Perez. A jab by Ajamu pushed Perez back several steps. In the third round Ajamuj landed half a dozen punches mostly to the body of Perez putting Perez against the ropes. Ajamuj landed another 3-punch body shot bringing the defense of Perez down. In the fourth round Ajamuj landed half a dozen unanswered punches from Perez. It was nothing more than a sparring match.

In the fifth round Ajamuj landed eight light punches as Perez continued fighting a survival fight. Ajamuj continued to work the flabby body of Perez. Near the end of the round Ajamuj got Perez upset causing the best exchange of the fight. In the sixth round Perez used and effective jab as Ajamuj was in a peek-a-boo defense. In the seventh round they continued to go through the motions. In the eighth and final round of a real snoozer it finally came to an end. Referee Gonzales had little to do with few clinches.

Judges Pasquale and Page had it 80-72 while Barnes scored it 79-73. This writer had it 80-72.

Middleweight Shady Gamhour, 4-0 (3), of Sweden living in Pensacola, FL, knocked out Jessie Singletary, 0-3, of D.C., at 1:43 of the first round.

In the opening round Singletary came out throwing punches while Gamhour was using his jab. Suddenly a lead right hand from Gamhour on the chin of Singletary and down he went for the count from referee Ricky Gonzales. Former world champion Roy Jones, Jr., worked the corner of Gamhour.

Cruiserweight Mike “Super Beast” Hilton, 7-0 (6), of Trenton, NJ, was fortunate to get a decision over Willis “The Prophet” Lockett, 4-12-6 (5), of Takoma Park, MD, in a foul filled 6 rounds.

In the first round Lockett is throwing more punches with little power while Hilton hurts him every time he lands a punch mostly to the body. In the second round Hilton landed a 3-punch combination as Lockett came in low. Hilton got a warning from referee Glover for pushing Lockett’s head down. Lockett outworked Hilton in the round. In the third round a lead overhand right from Lockett landed on the head of Hilton to the crowd’s delight. Both fighters tumbled to the canvas. Lockett continues to outwork Hilton who was too busy loading up and throwing little.

In the fourth round after both fighters missed wild left hooks Lockett landed a lead right to the midsection of Hilton. Lockett continues to outwork Hilton. In the fifth round Hilton was missing with wild punches until he finally landed a right driving Lockett to the ropes. Hilton warned for pushing by referee Glover. Hilton landed a power punch to the body of Lockett hurting him. There was much too much holding in the round. Both fighters looked exhausted. In the sixth and final round Lockett landed a left hook to the head of Hilton. Hilton landed a low left south of the border putting Lockett on the canvas. Referee Glover gave him but 30 seconds to re-coup. Again Hilton landed a low right hand putting Lockett on the canvas for another 10 second rest from the referee Glover who doesn’t understand the fouled fighter can take up to five minutes to re-coup.

Judge’s scores were Barnes 60-54, Pasquale 60-53 and Page 58-56. This writer had it 57-57.

In the opening bout Cruiserweight southpaw Lamont “Lay Em Down” McLaughlin, 0-2 (0), of Philly, was knocked out by Tahlik Taylor, 2-7 (0), of Freeport, NJ, at 0:31 of the first round of a scheduled 4.

In the opening round McLaughlin came at Taylor who countered with a right hand and down went McLaughlin for the count from referee Mary Glover. The crowd loved it as Taylor won his second fight in nine starts.

Mis Downing Promotions will return November 4th.

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Zhang, Webster, Ajamu and Cauthen at Claridge in AC Saturday

Posted on 08/03/2017

By: Ken Hissner

Mis Downing Promotions and Square Ring Promotions will have a nine bout card at the Claridge Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, Saturday night! In a ten round boutunbeaten 2008 Olympic heavyweight Silver Medalist from China southpaw Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang, 16-0 (12), who has scored nine knockouts in his last ten fights. He is No. 13 in the WBO rankings. His opponent is Nick “2 Gunz” Guivas, 13-7-2 (9), out of Topeka, KS.

Headlining in an eight round bout is Glassboro, NJ, Super middleweight southpaw Derrick “TakeIt to the Bank” Webster, 23-1 (12), seeking a ranking in one of the four organizations taking on Lamar Harris, 9-13-4 (5), of St. Louis, MO, in an eight round bout.

In the co-feature 6 round bout returning to the ring after an eight year layoff and holder of the WBC Continental Americas, WBO NABO, World Boxing Foundation, CABOFE, IBC Inter-Continental and PA State titles is Camden, NJ, cruiserweight Prince BadiAjamu, 27-3-1 (15), who won eight of his last nine fights only losing to Roy Jones, Jr., taking on Edgar Perez, 7-21 (3), of Chicago, IL. Perez holds a win over Atlantic City’s Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell, who was 13-0 at the time. “What better way to bring the attention to child abduction which is a big problem in this country than to be in the ring and get this message out there”. He would also like a rematch with Jones who as co-promoter will be in attendance.

Another match-up of two NJ middleweights is former Olympian Terrance “Heat” Cauthen, 36-8 (9), of Trenton, NJ, after a five year absence taking on Nick Valliere, 5-2 (2), of Forked River, NJ. Trenton’s cruiserweight Mike Hilton, 6-0 (6)trying to make it seven straight ko’s against Willis Lockett, 14-20-6 (5), of Takoma Park, MD, who holds a win over Wildwood, NJ, boxer Chuck “The Professor” Mussachio.Camden, NJ, unbeaten featherweight Vidal Rivera, 6-0 (4), is listed against tba. These three are over six rounds. In four round bouts Newark, NJ, super lightweight Dion Richadson, 3-1 (2), meets FelipNazario, 0-7, of the Bronx, NY. Shady Gamhour, 1-0 (1), of Pensacola, FL, meets Jesse Singletary, 0-2, of D.C. and Philly cruiserweight Lamont McLaughlin, 0-1, meets Tahlik Taylor, 1-7, of Freeport, NY.

There will be a press conference at 5pm Thursday at the Flagship Hotel, 60 North Main Avenue in Atlantic City. The first bout Saturday will be at 7pm.

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Derrick “Take It to the Bank” Webster Wins in Return to the Grundy Arena in Bristol, PA, Saturday!

Posted on 05/14/2017

Derrick “Take It to the Bank” Webster Wins in Return to the Grundy Arena in Bristol, PA, Saturday!
By: Ken Hissner

Three new promoters in Deuce Promotions and Kane 5 Promotions in association with MIS Downing Promotions in an ice rink presented five fights before a crowd of about 500. Sacred Downing from Trenton, NJ, was an outstanding amateur boxer who was an Olympian.

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Super Middleweight southpaw Derrick “Take It to the Bank” Webster, 23-1 (11), of Glassboro, NJ, won the WBF International title stopping southpaw Frankie Filippone, 22-6-1 (7), of Norfolk, VA, at 0:32 of the seventh round. Referee Eric Dali who worked the entire five matches saw enough after Filippone was knocked down in the sixth round and twice in the seventh of a scheduled ten rounds. Filippone had won his six previous fights.

Webster much taller than Filippone rarely used his left hand controlling the fight with a jab. Filippone tried urging Webster into mixing it up and not just eating jabs all night and when Webster did Filippone wouldn’t exchange with him. It was not a performance by Webster that would get him into the top 15 of any of the organizations. Up until the final round it was more like a sparring session.

The co-feature was cancelled when female lightweight Ikram Kersat, 7-1 (5), of Pensacola, FL, born in Tunisia and previous only fought in Germany had several opponents fall out. The WBF Jr. Regional title belt was given to her by James Gibbs of the WBF. Webster made Filippone wait some ten minutes in the ring before he came out of his dressing room. Commissioner Rudy Battle and Boxing Director did little to make Webster appear.

In the new co-feature Mikkel Lespierre, 16-0-1 (7), of Brooklyn, NY, won a fairly interesting bout over the once prospect Jerome “The Messenger” Rodriguez, 7-9-3 (2), of Bethlehem, PA, who has lost eight of his last nine fights. Rodriguez landed more punches in this battle of southpaws but Lespierre was too heavy handed for him.

Judges scores were Lundy and Page 59-55 twice and 58-56 Weisfeld all in favor of Lespierre as this writer had it 58-56 for the winner.

Featherweight Vidal Rivera, 6-0 (4), of Camden, NJ, won a majority decision over southpaw Jesus Salas, 1-1 (1), of PR over six rounds.

Salas was the much taller of the two and may have took the first round but from the time the bell sounded to start the second round Rivera got inside the reach of Salas and took it to his body and head. “I felt I won the fight and have gotten few fights due to my job and opponents lacking to fight me,” said Rivera. He had an outstanding amateur career.

Cruiserweight Mike Hilton, 6-0 (6), of Trenton, NJ, scored a technical stoppage over Eric Cason, 2-6 (2), of Davenport, IA, at 2:51 of the second round in a schedule 4.

Hilton won a close first round but gave Cason a beating in the second round until referee Dali called a halt. Cason complained to no avail.

Light heavyweight Brandon “Brob” Robinson, 3-1 (2), of Upper Darby, PA, easily defeated by knockout over Phillip Legrand, 1-5 (1), of Atlanta, GA, at 0:45 of the second round.

In the show opener Liberia’s Gowarr Karyah, 1-0 (1), of Philadelphia stopped Jose Homar Rios, 1-5 (1), of Moorhead, WI.

Rios tried by kept get tagged by Karyah and the referee Dali had seen enough. There were no complaints from the loser’s corner.

In this writer’s ten years of covering fights the conditions were the worst. The freezing ice hockey rink was so cold we moved to the penalty box to get off of the covered ice. The speaker system was poor and a late start. This facility should not be approved by the commission in the future. With a lack of security the fans stood in front of the penalty box making the writers stand for the entire show.

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Christopher “Ice” Brooker Headlines at SugarHouse Casino Friday!

Posted on 05/11/2017

Christopher “Ice” Brooker Headlines at SugarHouse Casino Friday!
By: Ken Hissner

Kings Promotions with CEO Marshall Kauffman and David Feldman come back looking for another sold out arena Friday night at the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia!

A press conference was held at the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia Tuesday on 1001 N. Delaware Avenue. There will be seven bouts with a total of 38 rounds of competitive boxing. First bout at 7pm.

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Philadelphia’s ever popular super middleweight Christopher “Ice” Brooker, 11-3 (5), will be in the main event looking to stop a two fight losing streak as he takes on southpaw Oscar Riojas, 14-7-1 (4), from Monterrey, MEX, over 8 rounds.

Promoter Kauffman said “no soft fights for the fighter’s only entertaining fights. We sold out the arena in our first show and expect to do it again in our second show here at the SugarHouse Casino come Friday night”.

“I made the mistake of trying to box instead of my usual aggressive style in my last fight. There will be none of that this time,” said Brooker. He had a new trainer in his corner last fight named Muhammad Aziz who will be there again. “I didn’t have a big amateur career so every fight is a learning experience for me,” said Brooker.

First boxer to speak was Philadelphia’s cruiserweight Sam Orapeza, 1-0 (1), a cruiserweight and former MMA fighter at 13-3 with all knockout wins. “I look to knockout every opponent they put before me,” said Orapeza. He debuted at the SugarHouse Casino March 11th scoring a first round knockout! He will face Kyle McNutt, 1-2 (1), of Battle Creek, MI. Like BrookerOrapeza is all action!

The co-feature will be headlined by Lightweight Jerome “The Conqueror” Conquest, 6-2 (1), of Philadelphia who had his trainers Wade and Randy Hinnant there. “I broke my foot but wasn’t diagnosed properly and did my roadwork for 17 weeks before it was discovered broke. I was out for 6 months but it feels fine now,” said Conquest. He is matched with veteran Daniel Perales, 10-9-1 (5), out of Monterrey, Mexico, over 6 rounds.

David Feldman let all in attendance know that “Sam, Chris and Jerome didn’t have it easy growing up and it prepared them for the sport of boxing”. Bantamweight Harold Lopez, 1-0 (1), who is out of Allentown and who was on the Puerto Rican Olympic team is backafter scoring a first round knockout on the last show. He faces Sergio Aguilar, 2-5 (2), of Mexico City, Mexico. Anytime a Puerto Rican and Mexican meet it usually means fireworks!

From out of state will be Featherweight Chaise Nelson, 4-1 (3), of Dayton, OH, will be in a 6 round bout. He will be in against his sixth straight Latino opponent in Bryan Perez Nevarez, 2-5-1 (1), of Puerto Rico. Also from out of state is lightweight Jeffrey Torres, 2-0 (1), out of CT, who takes on Kashon Hutchinson, 2-2 (1), of Reading. Torres wins were both in Philadelphia. In a 6 rounder is super middleweight Blake Mansfield, 4-0-1 (2), coming in from Burlington, NC, taking on Henry Beckford, 4-6 (1), of Coram, NY.

Also on Saturday at the Grundy Arena in Bristol, PA, on 475 Beaver Street will feature southpaw Derrick “Take It to The Bank” Webster, 22-1 (11), out of Glassboro, NJ, who will face southpaw Frankie “The Freight Train” Filippone, 22-5-1 (7), from Norfolk, VA, who is on a 6 fight winning streak for the WBFInternational super middleweight title over 10 rounds!

There will be a female bout in the co-feature with super lightweight Tunisian IkramKerwat, 7-1 (5), out of Frankfort, Germany against Atlantic City welterweight Althea “Lady Thunder” Saunders, 3-3-2 (0), who is known at times to sing the National Anthem. It will be for the WBF Junior Regional title over 6 rounds.

On the undercard will be Trenton’s Mike Hilton, 5-0, Camden’s Vidal Rivera, 5-0, New York’s MikkelLesPierre, 15-0-1, Asbury Park’sDarryl Bunting, 3-1-2, and Pensacola’s Frederick Wilhite, 5-0.
New to the area will be promoters Deuce Promotions, Mis Downing Promotions and K5 Promotions per Marc Abrams who is the PR man for both shows.

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Boxing Insider Notebook: Cuellar, Mares, Lopez, Webster, Crawford, Beltran, and more…

Posted on 12/06/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Cuellar, Mares, Lopez, Webster, Crawford, Beltran, and more…
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of November 29th to December 6th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

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Cuellar, Mares, and Lopez Media Workout Quotes

Featherweight world champion Jesus Cuellar and former three-division world champion Abner Mares participated in a media workout in Los Angeles Tuesday in advance of their long awaited showdown taking place Saturday, December 10 from Galen Center in USC in Los Angeles and live on SHOWTIME.

Also in attendance Tuesday at City of Angels Boxing was former title challenger and local fan favorite Josesito Lopez, who competes in a welterweight bout on the undercard. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features junior middleweight world champion Jermall Charlo taking on top-rated challenger Julian Williams in a battle of undefeated rising stars in their prime.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Ringstar Sports and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are priced at $35, $50, $75, $150 and $200. To purchase tickets go to www.galentix.com.
Here is what the participants had to say Tuesday:

JESUS CUELLAR

“The fight is here and I’m ready to step in the ring. I have defended my title six times already and I want to be the best in the division. He’s one of the best and I’m willing to challenge him.

“This is an important fight that I’ve wanted for a long time. It’s an important fight for my career and to prove to everyone how good I am.

“Abner Mares is a high level fighter. I have to beat him to reach the next level of this sport. That’s what I’m preparing to do.

“You’re going to see everything I’ve learned on December 10. I love to train hard and I’ve improved greatly as a fighter. I’m going to put it all together in the ring.

“There’s no pressure for me coming into this fight. I know that I’m in his backyard but I have the people of Argentina behind me. This is going to be a really good fight.

“I’m ready to go to war. I know Abner is ready and he has a goal in his mind. I’m ready to do what I have to do in the ring.

“It’s been almost a year. We came here in January to fight Mares and now the time is almost here to accomplish our goal.

“I have to go out there and do my job. I’m going to show Abner a lot of different things. I have a lot more skills than people give me credit for. It will all be on display in the ring.

“I know that I’m going to be at 100 percent. I’m more confident now than I’ve ever been that I’m prepared for this fight and I’m going to win.

“Freddie Roach is getting the best out of me. He knows what I like to do and he knows how to correct my mistakes. He’s doing a really good job in training camp.

“I’m working to go 12 rounds and end the night with a victory for Argentina. I came here to achieve a great victory for my country.”

ABNER MARES

“I’m so happy and excited to be fighting in Los Angeles and in my backyard again. SHOWTIME is the reason I’m famous.

“On paper I thought that Cuellar is probably going to be toughest, strongest fighter I’ve been in with. I can’t say for sure because we haven’t fought yet. But I know that he is a strong, powerful champion who is coming in to keep his title.

“There’s always a reason behind something bad that happens. In this case, me not being able to fight twice (due to postponements), it just gave me the opportunity to get to know Robert even better. I’ve had a whole year leading up to this fight. You will see a difference in me. I’m very eager and excited to fight.

“It’s going to be a tremendous fight. I think Cuellar only has one style, and that’s to rely on his power punches. He’s a come forward type of fighter that seems to always be looking for the knockout. But I’ve been known to give a fight too and make for great fights.

“My plan is to make the fight as easy for myself as possible. I feel I have the tools to give him different looks that maybe he hasn’t seen before against a fighter of my talents. For me to win another world title would mean the world to me. It would be an early Christmas present for me, my family and my friends.

“Coach Robert Garcia brings the discipline and the demanding voice of a trainer. We have to do things his way and I like that. It’s bringing the best out of me. I’m really excited for this fight.

“Fighting in my hometown of LA, I feel like I have the home field advantage. I don’t feel any pressure at all. I feel like I’m in as good of shape as I can be and there will be no ring rust. I’ve actually had three training camps for this fight, after postponements in March and June.

“If you look at Cuellar he looks much naturally bigger. But we’re both going to weigh just about the same at the weigh-in. He has to make the same weight as I do. I felt a little bit of pressure before the Leo Santa Cruz fight, but none this time.

“Bringing in Robert Garcia has been a great thing for me. He’s brought a lot of experience and he’s one of the best coaches out there. I can’t wait to show the fans what I’ve learned from Robert.”

JOSESITO LOPEZ

“I’ve been anxious to get in there but I’m ready now and excited to get back to doing what I love. I healed up from some injuries that I suffered. Now that I’m fully healed I have felt the power returning and it’s time to go.

“The most important thing is that I’m 100 percent ready mentally and physically. I’ll be right there in the ring on December 10.

“This is my first quiz in going back to school and working my way toward a world title. I’m back in the gym and putting everything together so that I can use it in the ring.

“I am going to be smart and work hard in the ring. I know I have to make the key adjustments during a fight that will make the difference when I meet the elite fighters.

“Just a few months ago when I sparred for the first time in a while, I realized I missed getting hit. Why? Because I love the chance to hit back. Even just having the Vaseline back on my face was something I missed. I’ve probably watched more boxing than I had in my entire life since I’ve been gone.”

“This absence has brought back the fire in me. There are several titles that are accessible to many guys in my division. I know I’m right there and I just need to take the right steps to get to that point.

“I have undivided attention in training camp with Robert Garcia and I’ve worked very hard to get myself ready. I feel like I’m still improving and getting better.

“I’m really excited to get back in the ring. I can hardly wait. There’s nothing I love more than performing for my fans. I’m going to do what I always do, which is make sure the fans see a great fight when I’m in the ring.”

Split-T Management Signs Antonio Vargas

Split-T Management is pleased to announce the signing of another member of the 2016 United States Olympic Team, Antonio Vargas to a managerial contract..

Vargas of Kissimmee, Florida was the Flyweight representative for the 2016 U.S. Team.

“I have known Split-T Management’s David McWater for several years. The people I know told me a lot of positive things about him. He showed me he was a good person and the man who can manage my career the way it should be,” said Vargas.

Said Split-T Management’s David McWater, “Antonio is just a special kid. Of course he has all the talent and physical tools, but he is so much more than that. He’s got incredible focus and determination. Not to mention, he is always very classy. I wanted to represent him since the first time that I saw him at the National Golden Gloves, and I know he will be a world champion.”

He was considered one of the best pound for pound fighters on the squad, and the most successful amateur of the team heading into the games. He was a U.S. Youth Open champion, U.S. National Elite champion, two-time National Golden Gloves champion and won the Gold Medal at the Pan American Games at the age of 18. Those accomplishments led him to be named the 2015 USA Boxing Male Athlete of the Year.

In the 2016 Olympics, Vargas lost to eventual Gold medal winner Shakhobibdin Zoirov of Uzbekistan.
Vargas will turn professional at either 115 or 118 pounds and his handlers believe that he will fight up to junior lightweight before his career is complete.

Vargas has a very exciting style, and he has taken traits from some of the best fighters in the world that he feels makes him a complete fighter.

“I would compare my style to Manny Pacquiao, Vasyl Lomachenko, and going back a bit, Orlando Canizales because all three had fast hands and feet with the ability to stop on a dime and unleash powerful shots to the head and body that can get you out of there.”

Vargas began boxing at age nine.

“I had ADHD, and was a very hyper kid that was always fighting and getting into trouble,” said Vargas. “One of my teachers actually told my parents to put me on medication. My father instead brought me to the boxing in gym in hopes it would help me burn a lot of energy and tire me out.”

“I told my teacher that I was on medication but it was actually boxing that helped calm me down so I could focus on my studies and stay out of trouble.”

As Vargas grew older, boxing became more of a future then just an activity.

“I won a lot of state tournaments, but when I won the US Youth Open Tournament at age 16, I realized I could make boxing my career. I was undefeated for 4 years, which I won several gold medals at the National Golden Gloves, U.S National Championships and Pan American Games.”

Vargas believes that all of his international experience will help him in the pros because he was exposed to the many different styles of boxing, and now he is extremely motivated due to his Olympic experience.

“The Olympics did not go as I wanted. I lost to the eventual gold medal winner. The loss made me real hungry and now I train harder than I ever did before because I want to be the best.”

“I plan on turning professional as either a junior bantamweight or bantamweight and win world championships in four different weight divisions. I am going to achieve greatness while glorifying Jesus Christ and to spread his word.

Derrick Webster to Return on Zab Judah Card

Fresh off a dominant TKO victory of Zoltan Sera last month in Philadelphia, Derrick “Take it to the Bank” Webster (21-1, 11 KOs) will make a return to the ring on Jan. 21st at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, N.J. Standing opposite him that night will be Thomas Awimbono (25-5-1, 21 KOs), with the IBO Super Middleweight Championship on the line.

“I am extremely excited because it has been a few years since the last time I fought in New Jersey,” the Glassboro native stated. “Just being able to fight back in New Jersey feels good. I really have to take my hat off to the amount of supporters who have already committed to coming out to this fight.”

With the IBO Super Middleweight Championship on the line, Webster says that the intensity surrounding this camp is already at an extreme level.

“My trainers and I have really kicked it into high gear,” he remarked. “(Head trainer) Denny Brown and (assistant) Robert Rossi are already pushing me to my limits. In order to be a champion, you have to train like a champion. I am so hungry for this right now, and all I can think about is the amount of sacrifices that I have made to get to this point. This shot here, I am taking it by the horns, and we are going to ride it all night long. This boy is going to have hell to pay. It might be a 10-round fight, but I really don’t know if it is going to make it the distance.”

A newly married man, Webster quickly put to rest any concerns regarding his mental focus in his last fight, where he knocked down Sera three times before a referee stoppage in the 5th round.

“With me getting married in September, so many people questioned whether or not I would be the same guy,” he said. “I found out about my last fight at the wedding. We were supposed to go on a month-long honeymoon, and I shut my honeymoon down to start preparing for the fight. If that’s not sacrifice and determination, I don’t know what is. I wanted to make a statement that in 2017 I am going to be a problem, period. I don’t want any .500 fighters or guys with bad records. I never wanted any fighters like that, but I just fought who they put in front of me. With this last guy, it had to start with him in terms of what I am trying to accomplish in 2017.”

The card on Jan. 21st is being promoted by Renee Aiken, someone who has been a consistent ally of Webster throughout his career.

“Going into the last fight, I had every intention of staying busy afterwards,” Webster confirmed. “Right after we took care of business with our last opponent, I immediately started looking for another card. I reached out to Renee Aiken about a spot on one of her future cards, and she helped us get this fight locked up. I just really wanted to stay busy after the last fight to keep the momentum going.”

Webster vs. Awimbono will be the co-feature bout on the Jan. 21st card, with former four-time world champion Zab Judah making his return to boxing in the main event.

“I met Zab Judah when I was in camp with Jean Pascal a few years ago,” Webster recollected. “Above all things, he is a great person. He is a four-time world champion, and that is such a huge accomplishment. I always said I was the main event, even when I have not been fighting in the main event. I always wanted to be the most exciting fighter on the card. But for me to get to share the stage with a guy of his stature, that means a whole lot to me. I’m a southpaw, he’s a southpaw. In my book, I’m calling this night the southpaw showdown. I am excited to see Zab once again, and I am going to bring him to the ring in unbelievable fashion. I am going to handle my business, and then I am going to sit back and watch Zab do his thing.”

Menard Ready for Beltran on Crawford vs. Molina Card

Rayne, Louisiana’s “Rock Hard Mighty” Mason Menard (32-1, 24 KOs) knows he’s in for a tough challenge when he makes the first defense of his WBO NABO Lightweight Championship against fellow top-10 contender Ray Beltran (31-7-1, 19 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, December 10, at CenturyLink Center Omaha in Omaha, Neb.

The 10-round Menard vs. Beltran lightweight showdown will serve as the middle bout of an HBO World Championship Boxing tripleheader (9:35 p.m. ET/PT) that will open with the same-day delay telecast of the Joseph Parker vs. Andy Ruiz, Jr. WBO heavyweight championship in New Zealand.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with TGB Promotions, the exciting event will be headlined by undefeated World Junior Welterweight Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (29-0, 20 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., making the first defense of his unified World Boxing Organization (WBO) / World Boxing Council (WBC) /Ring magazine 140-pound world titles against one-time world title challenger and current No. 1 contender JOHN MOLINA JR. (29-6, 23 KOs), from Covina, Calif.
Remaining reserved seat tickets to the Crawford – Molina world championship event, priced at $27, $52, $77 and $127, can be purchased at the CenturyLink Center Omaha box office and all Ticketmaster outlets.
To charge-by-phone call (800) 745-3000. To order online, visit ticketmaster.com.

“I know Beltran has been around a long time and he’s fought at the top level many times. He is very tough and I know he will bring it,” said Menard.

The 28-year-old Menard punched his way into world contention this year with a pair of high-profile knockouts. In April of this year, he scored one for the highlight reels by starching formerly undefeated Eudy Bernardo with one punch in round three.

Then in August, he returned with another KO, this time against well-regarded Uzbekistani Bahodir Mamadjonov in the ninth round.

“2016 has been a great year for me,” he continued. “I’ve had two consecutive KO’s on national television and one is a candidate for ‘Knockout of the Year.’ I also won an award from the WBO in Puerto Rico. Now this fight has fallen into my lap and I will make the best of this opportunity.”

Another impressive victory for Menard would land him in world title contention… a fact not lost on the excited slugger. “Landing this fight is big for me and my career. A win here should put me in position to fight for a world title next. It should open doors me and make me a serious contender in the lightweight division.”

Menard is taking this tough challenge on relatively short notice, but says he’s in great shape and will be fully prepared for battle on December 10. “Yes, I am ready. I was already training to fight December 15. It’s now or never. I believe God has blessed me with this fight because I’ve been praying for a big one to get me to the next level.”

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Boxing Insider Notebook: Kovalev, Breazeale, Webster, Andrade, Cherry, and more

Posted on 06/08/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Kovalev, Breazeale, Webster, Andrade, Cherry, and more
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of May 31st to June 7th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

HBO Returns to Russia for Kovalev’s Next Bout

HBO Sports returns to Russia for the first time since 2013 to present world light heavyweight champ Sergey Kovalev’s title defense against challenger Isaac Chilemba when the fight is presented in the United States on MONDAY, JULY 11 at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT (same day tape-delayed) from the DIVS Arena in Ekaterinburg, Russia, exclusively on HBO.

n his first fight in Russia since 2011, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (29-0-1, 26 KOs) defends his light heavyweight title for the ninth time when he faces Malawi’s Isaac Chilemba (24-3-2, 10 KOs) in a bout scheduled for 12 rounds. Kovalev, 33, has emerged as one of the sport’s most feared punchers defeating many of the best fighters in the light heavyweight division including Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal. He is ranked as one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound performers. Chilemba, 28, has never been stopped in his 29 professional bouts and will look to use his ring savvy to emerge victorious in his first career world title opportunity.

Kovalev vs. Chilemba will be televised from the DIVS Arena in Ekaterinburg, Russia, on Monday, July 11 at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT, capping off an exciting weekend of international boxing on HBO which begins on Saturday, July 9 live at 5:00 p.m. ET/PT when world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury squares off with former titlist Wladimir Klitschko in Manchester, England

Edner Cherry to Meet Lydell Rhodes

Former title challenger Edner Cherry (34-7-2, 19 KOs) and quick-fisted contender Lydell Rhodes (23-1-1, 11 KOs) will compete in the 10-round lightweight main event of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on Tuesday, June 28 from Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pa.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features unbeaten featherweight Omar “Super O” Douglas (16-0, 11 KOs) battling hard-hitting Cuban Alexei “The Hurricane” Collado (19-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-round bout.
“I know Rhodes is a good fighter and I am preparing for a tough fight,” said Cherry. “I am still pushing towards a world title. I learned that when you fight for a title, you have to knock out the champ. I’m not giving up. I’m still here and think this will be a great fight. This is what boxing needs, two great fighters going at it.”

“I have been waiting for a fight like this for a long time,” said Rhodes. “Cherry is a warrior who has never been stopped. I will be the first person to stop him. I have to go out and dominate against a guy who has fought many world champions. I believe if I do that, it will push me towards a world title shot.”

Dominic Breazeale Workout Quotes

On the passing of Muhammed Ali…

“Muhammed Ali was a huge inspiration. Heavy hearts when great ones pass away like that. He was a wonderful man. I never had the opportunity to meet him, but I did meet some of his kids, Layla Ali being one of them.
“Ali was a very inspirational type of individual. You go back and watch some of his fights; I was way too young to see him fight in his prime but I’ve seen the recordings and seen the video footage. Everyone says he did everything wrong but everything right. It’s just phenomenal.

“One of the things I was able to take from watching him fight was his jab. Sometimes he’d beat guys hands down with just his jab.”

On AIBA’s position on pros to fight in Olympics…

“I think it’s a good thing and a bad thing. AIBA’s doing a good job bringing the councils together and generating a new buzz for the sport. It might be a little too late for some of the professional fighters to get themselves together to compete for their country. I like the fact that they’re taking the head gear off because that’s the next step after the Olympics. You go into the pros and there’s not going to be any more padded gloves or head gear that you’re wearing so that’s a good thing. As far as the pros, I don’t see any successful pros joining and entering into an amateur competition, but for those that didn’t get a chance to compete in the Olympics they might.”

On competing in the Olympics…

“I have definitely considered it. But I’ve got a fight coming up.

On his opponent Anthony Joshua…

“I think, in general, he’s kind of had a little bit of a stepping stone as far as fighting in the Olympics in his backyard, having the judges there in his backyard. I don’t know if you saw the fight but when he fought in that final match for the Gold Medal, I was sitting third row and I hands down believe that (he lost). But you know, when you’ve got judges on your side, in your own country, Olympics in your own country, it looks better when the home native wins.

“Even as a professional, he fought a guy in Charles Martin that really didn’t show up fight night. Charles Martin himself had an easy road and path to the title with the whole slip and fall against Glazkov. When you think of a heavyweight champion you want to make sure he’s fought the best, and I think that’s why Joshua has chosen me as his opponent to defend against. That’s what he plans on getting out of the situation if he can make it through the 12 rounds. I plan on putting on some extreme pressure and taking Joshua to a new level of boxing, and we’ll find out June 25.”
On what it means to get a shot at a title…

“I think Joshua’s thinking of me as a stepping stone and he’s going to be sorry about that. He’s just wrong. I mean, he’s fighting a guy at 6-foot-7, 255 pounds that brings the pressure and a great pace from round-to-round. I’m one of those guys that I might take a shot, I might work some defense, I might work a strong jab.

“Either way, I’m going to make it a fight. All of my opponents have been down on the canvas and I don’t think Joshua is going to come shy of that as well.

“I’m going in as the underdog, I’m going into an arena with 20,000 opposing fans. I’ve been picked as the smaller guy in the ring, by the IBF as a stepping stone and I feel like my back is against the wall. I’m going to
come out fighting.”

Demetrius Andrade Workout Quotes

Reflections of Muhammad Ali:

“Muhammad Ali certainly shook the world, and not only in boxing. He was colorful; nobody talked like him. He helped boxers, too. Ali is the reason Floyd (Mayweather, Jr.) is who he is because Ali set the bar high.

“As an entertaining boxer, Ali brought blacks and whites together and later he spread the word about religion, culture and his other diverse interests.

“What young boxer didn’t do the Ali Shuffle? I know I did, and taunted my opponents like him, too.”

About Pros in the Olympics:

“I’m for pros in the Olympics as long as an amateur, who has a few Olympic trials, has the first opportunity to qualify for the Olympics. Coming up in the amateurs, I fought grown men, some who had been Olympians a few times. I was 21 and some of the opponents were 34-35 and had already been Olympians one or two times. They had advantages in experience, power and skill. Unfortunately, Americans only have Olympic opportunities when they’re young amateurs.

“Would I go the Olympics now? Yes! The Olympics is the biggest thing on the planet. To represent the United States again, yeah, I’d do it now for the chance to win gold. But I do think headgear should be applied in amateur boxing, including the Olympics.”

On the 154-pound division:

“I’m putting myself in the best position to fight for the WBO or WBC title. There are rumors of Canelo fighting (WBO champion Liam) Smith. Let me fight Smith and the winner gets Canelo. Or let me fight Canelo with the winner getting Smith.

“I’m going to knock out the Charlo twins. Both guys have fought on SHOWTIME, so those fights shouldn’t be too difficult to make. Once I take care of business with the Charlo twins, I’ll fight Lara (WBA champion) to clean up the division.”

On Gennady Golovkin:

“I definitely want to fight Golovkin. Let me build myself up first, by cleaning out the 154-division, and then we’ll have a mega-fight with two different styles. GGG is known for his knockouts. I knock out people, too, but I’m a better boxer than him. It’ll be one of the biggest fights in the sport of boxing. I’m going to clean up the 154-division, make my reputation and then it’s a go with GGG.”

Relationship with his opponent Willie Nelson:

“We were in the U.S. amateurs together, but because we were in two different weight classes – he was 140-147 and I was 152 – there were no problems between us. We used to watch each other fight and watch other Americans box.

“Nelson is experienced having gone through the amateurs. He fought (Vanes) Martirosyan, who I beat (for the vacant WBO title by 12-round unanimous decision). He’s fought at this level. I know he’s tall, but I’m 6-foot-1, so our height difference isn’t serious.”

Derrick Webster Picks Up 20th Win

Derrick “Take it to the Bank” Webster (20-1, 10 KOs) made a triumphant return to the ring on Saturday night, pitching a shutout over battle-tested veteran Lenwood Dozier at the Grundy Arena in Bristol, Penn. The bout served as the main event of a card that was presented by the Glassboro native’s managerial team, DandD Management & Promotions.

“We were just sticking to the game plan,” Webster said of the strategy that he and head trainer Denny Brown maintained in the contest. “I overextended my shoulder in the first round. Denny has always taught me how to fight with one hand, so that’s what we had to do. I had to step to him with one hand and keep the combinations going with one hand, and we did so. We came out victorious, unhurt and unharmed, by him. I tried to land a big left hook, and I overextended my shoulder. It’s a part of boxing.”

Throughout the night, Webster stayed behind the jab and switched his angles up to create openings. Despite being hampered by his shoulder, he still got off his numbers when the opportunities presented themselves and maintained complete control. Dozier kept a high guard and stayed at range, which made Webster have to break through his shell to land his most significant strikes, but he continued to back Dozier up with his length and the snap in his punches.

Webster also used shifty movement to help him dominate the action over six rounds, keeping his jab in motion and popping off combinations. Additionally, he was very sound defensively, which enabled him to remain virtually untouched. At no point was the end result in doubt, and the Glassboro native would eventually secure the win with flush 60-54 counts from all three ringside judges.

“I really appreciate everybody who came out and supported me,” Webster remarked. “Once again, Team Webster, we’re here. I’m not going anywhere, and look for me in July with Greg Cohen Promotions and DandD Management. I’m getting married in September, and life couldn’t be any better. I appreciate everybody’s support, and I love all of the boxers who fought underneath me and did a great job tonight.”

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Boxing Insider Notebook: Bute, Bey, PBC, Williams, Foreman, Charlo, Webster, Andrade, and more

Posted on 05/31/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Bute, Bey, PBC, Williams, Foreman, Charlo, Webster, Andrade, and more
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of May 24th to May 31st, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Lucian-Bute-66447

Lucian Bute’s Anti-Doping Statement

Lucian Bute was informed of the results of the anti-doping test done after his World Boxing Council (WBC) world title fight against Badou Jack, April 30, in Washington, D.C.

As reported in a statement sent by the WBC, the Washington D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission informed them that Bute tested positive for Ostarine, in an A sample analysis, after the bout.

”I am surprised and sorry about this. I don’t understand what led to this positive result, Bute said. “I have always passed every anti-doping test that I was asked to take since I won a world title. More recently for my fight against James DeGale, in Quebec City, last November, I was tested eight times from before my training camp until after my fight. I have never taken any illegal products. I have a complete trust in my team. There will be an analysis of the B sample and I am sure that this result will be negative.”

”GYM has always been strongly in favor of a strict anti-doping policy to keep the sport of boxing clean,” GYM president Yvon Michel remarked. “We are really surprised by this first result and we now hope that the B sample proves that the first result was wrong. Until then, we support Lucian Bute.”

There will be no further comments on this subject until the publication of Bute’s B sample result.

PBC to Have a Heavy Slate of Fights for the Month of June

The following bouts are scheduled to take place during the month of June under the PBC Banner.

Friday, June 3 -Rances Barthelemy vs. Mickey Bey (Lightweight World Championship); Emmanuel Rodriguez vs. Alberto Guevara from Hollywood, Fla., on Spike (9 p.m. ET/PT).

Saturday, June 4 -Artur Beterbiev vs. Ezequiel Maderna; Bryant Perrella vs. David Grayton from Montreal, Canada on ESPN (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT).

Saturday, June 11 -John Molina, Jr. vs. Ruslan Provodnikov from Verona, NY on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

Sunday, June 12 -Phil Lo Greco vs. Joseph Elegele; Steve Lovett vs. Craig Baker from Lakeland, Fla., on Bounce TV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

Saturday, June 18 -Andrzej Fonfara vs. Joe Smith, Jr.; Juan Carlos Payano vs. Rau’shee Warren; Erickson Lubin vs. Daniel Sandoval from Chicago on NBC (8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT).

Saturday, June 25 -Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter; Jesus Cuellar vs. Abner Mares from Barclays Center in Brooklyn on CBS (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

Saturday, June 25 – Justin DeLoach vs. Junior Castillo; Ryan Karl vs. Luis Solis in San Antonio on NBCSN (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT).

Tuesday, June 28 – Edner Cherry-Lydell Rhodes; Omar Douglas-Alexei Collado from Bethlehem, PA on FS1 and FOX Deportes (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

Julian Williams Ready for Jermall Charlo

On May 21, three of the four world championships in the hot junior middleweight division were contested as Erislandy Lara defended his WBA title with a unanimous decision over Vanes Martirosyan; Jermall Charlo defended his IBF title with a unanimous decision over former champion Austin Trout and Jermell Charlo scored a come-from-behind stoppage over John Jackson to capture the WBC belt.

Sitting ringside was IBF number-one ranked contender, undefeated Julian “J Rock”Williams. Williams was a very interested observer and was interviewed on the SHOWTIME ® broadcast with his thoughts on the happenings of the evening.

“Jermell did his thing. I thought he was losing but Jermell has a clutch gene. He comes through in close fights. He knows what it’s like to be in tough. He’s doing well under Derrick James. He looked better on TV than he did live at the fight. He was losing but he was walking Jackson down. The sand was running out of the hour glass for Jackson. Jermell can punch better than his record indicates. And that style would be better for him because people always called him boring but it was nothing boring about the KO,” said Williams.

“Lara did what he always does. He boxed and moved and he won.”

” I honestly didn’t think Trout would last with Jermall. I was surprised at how competitive that fight was. Jermall has every advantage over Trout on paper but fights aren’t won on paper. Trout proved something. I was actually going to congratulate him but I heard him say to Jermall “smack J Rock for me”. I don’t know what’s up with these guys. He had a chance to fight me for a whole year and he asked another man to smack me. But that’s old news Trout is out of the picture.”

With that being, said the undefeated fighter from Philadelphia is focused in bring back the hardware back to the “City of Brotherly Love.”

“My focus is on Jermall Charlo. It’s going to be a great fight. I think he’s a heck of a fighter. This is legacy defining. This is a real number-one contender against a real champion. This is a real mandatory. This is like Bernard Hopkins having to defend against Jermain Taylor. Or Jermain Taylor having to defend against Kelly Pavlik. Or Felix Trinidad having to fight Oba Carr. This is a real fight and I’m excited. I’m excited to test my skills against one of the best young fighters in the game.

Even though, Williams was ringside, he just wanted to observe and take mental notes of the perspective future opponents.

“I didn’t get in the ring like Charles Hatley did because that’s not my style. Hatley is a talented fighter. I remember him from the amateurs but to each his own. Jermall and Jermell deserve respect and most importantly I know the difference between the two brothers. Hatley got in the ring with Jermall who has to fight me, instead of Jermell who has to fight him. That was Jermall’s moment to shine he had just won a tough fight. Everybody knows he has to fight me. There would be no need for me to get in the ring.”

Even though Williams has been avoided, the powers that be in boxing can not keep Williams from realizing his dreams, and that opportunity will be coming sooner rather than later.

“From my understanding we have to come to an agreement in June. I believe in the IBF. They seem to enforce their mandatory bouts. The IBF did not rank me number-one, not to have me fight for their belt. Jermall said making weight wasn’t that bad. He hired a chef. I know he’s prideful. He’s a champion. He feels he’s better than me, I feel I’m better than him. There is only one way to prove it. Let’s fight.”
I can’t get into details but I believe the fight will be in September as the co- main to a BIG card. I’m super excited to finally get this opportunity.

Richar Abril and Yuri Foreman to Headline In Separate Bouts for Upcoming Broadway Boxing Card

On Friday, June 3, Broadway Boxing returns to the beautiful Resorts World Casino New York City in Queens, NY, featuring former world champions Richar Abril (19-3-1, 8KO’s) and Yuri Foreman (33-2, 9KO’s) headlining in separate bouts. With 70,000 square feet of event space Resorts’ World’s Central Park frequently features up-and-coming musical artists, trade shows and matches with acts from around the world!

The exciting 10-bout card is presented by DiBella Entertainment and New Legend Boxing and sponsored by Nissan of Queens. Abril is set to take on the always-tough, former world title challenger and now resurgent contender Jerry Belmontes (21-8, 6KO’s) in a 10-round super lightweight showdown, while Foreman squares off against Jason Davis in an eight-round junior middleweight matchup.

Team Bone: We Were Robbed Shamelessly

The manager of junior welterweight contender Erick Bone feels that his fighter was not given a fair shake this past Saturday night against former IBF Lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez in San Antonio.

The bout headlined a Premier Boxing Champions card on FS1, was scored in favor of Vazquez by tallies of 99-91, 97-93 and 96-94.

Bone did well when countering and when he decided to force the action, landed the harder shots.

Bone was very effective with the right hand showed good foot work and landed some good body shots.

“Erick won that fight on Saturday night,” said Bone’s manager Eli Mackay.

“It was unimaginable that Vazquez won that fight and for one judge to only give Erick only one round just shows that the judges had their mind made up on what they wanted to see. The only problem is that Vazquez did not do what they wanted to see and it is a shame that a fighter like Erick, who has fought three world champions in his last three bouts (two on short notice) gets deprived of a breakthrough win that could help set up his career.”

“Erick clearly beat Vazquez to the punch all night and he fought a good fight Vasquez barely did anything. These type of out comes even on main event fights hurt the sport”

Bone of Manabi, Ecuador has a record of 16-4 with eight knockouts.

Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade Fighting Way Back to the Top

Undefeated super welterweight Demetrious “Boo Boo” Andrade is in a good place as he prepares for his June 11 showdown versus Willie “The Great” Nelson on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Turning Stone Casino in Verona, N.Y.

Approaching the peak of his professional boxing career, the 28-year-old Andrade (22-0, 15 KOs) has moved past a frustrating three-year stretch that, after he won a 12-round decision over Vanes Masrtirosyan for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) 154-pound world title, found him fighting only twice. One was his only title defense, in which he won impressively by way of a seventh-round stoppage of then WBO No. 1 mandatory title challenger Brian Rose. But, due to promotional issues, Andrade was later stripped by the WBO for inactivity. His last fight was this past October when he recorded a second-round knockout of Dario Fabian Pucheta for the WBO International belt.

Now, Andrade has a new three-year promotional contract that gives his company, A Team Promotions, 50 percent of his promotional rights to go along with 25 percent each for Banner Promotions and Star Boxing.
“I’ve always been in a good place, mentally, because I have confidence in myself,” said Andrade on what he went through during his long stretch outside of the ring. “I continued training hard. The politics of boxing, well, I’m not 100 percent there yet. Not until I’m actually in the ring and fighting will I actually know if that’s worked out for me.

“I’m satisfied in my future, showcasing myself in the ring. I own 50 percent of myself and that – being a promoter – is a big factor. I know everything now, including all the real numbers, and I’ve learned about the ins and outs of this business. I’m also meeting the right network of people to help my career.”

Andrade is thrilled to be fighting on SHOWTIME for the second time during his career, the first back in 2013 on ShoBox: The New Generation against Freddy Hernandez. “The top 154-pounders are with SHOWTIME. I’d like to thank SHOWTIME for giving me this amazing opportunity.”

Derrick Webster to Headline D and D Promotions Presents Rumble at the Rink on June 4th

On Saturday night June 4th, a brand new boxing series will be launched as D and D Promotions presents its inaugural “Rumble at the Rink” Boxing series that will take place at The Grundy Arena in Bristol, Pa.
Scheduled to appear in the six-round main event will be super middleweight Derrick Webster.

Webster of Glassboro, New Jersey has a record of 19-1 with 10 knockouts and will be looking to get back in the win column after an eleven-month layoff.

Webster won his first nineteen bouts, which was highlighted by a 22-second knockout over 23-1 Obodai Sai. He is coming off his first professional blemish when he was stopped by undefeated Arif Magomedov on July 17, 2015.

Also scheduled to appear will be super welterweight Elijah Vines (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia; super bantamweight Vidal Rivera (3-0, 3 KO’s) of Camden, New Jersey and two-time National Golden Gloves champion Mike Hilton (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia.

All four will have their opponents announced shortly plus six High-Level amateur bouts will be part of a special night of boxing.

Rances Barthelemy and Mickey Bey Discuss their Upcoming Fight on June 3rd

Rances Barthelemy and Mickey Bey are scheduled to face each other on a PBC on Spike card on Friday, June 3rd. They recently discussed their upcoming bout.

What advantages do you believe you have because of your training team?

Rances Barthelemy: “To me, Ismael is the best trainer in the world. He was the lead trainer of the Cuban National Team at the time that Cuban amateur boxing was having its most success. He is truly underrated and I do not know why.

“Having gone through different trainers throughout my career, I am glad that I found Salas. We clicked right off the bat, and him being a Cuban and having a successful background both in the Cuban amateur system and in the pros, he’s been able to incorporate the best from both worlds in his training methods. He has also been able to bring out abilities in me that others were not able to and it has made me a completely different fighter.”

Mickey Bey: “Floyd Sr. has been my trainer for about 12 years. We’ve been together since I was a teenager and before I turned pro. He is an old school trainer and he knows the science of boxing.
“Being around the other Mayweather Promotions fighters provides a lot of energy to training because everybody is striving to be the best they can be. Whenever that’s the case it’s always a positive thing because the trainers know that’s what you’re after. Floyd Sr. and Floyd are the reason I moved to Las Vegas. It’s been a blessing to be able to train with him for so long. We gelled from the beginning and I have definitely grown a lot as a fighter.”

What does fighting for this belt mean to you?

RB: “I don’t really focus on this being another title defense. I just focus on it being another fight that I must win impressively so that I can get to the big fights. There is no added pressure from it being a title defense. I just want everyone to see the boxing ability that I have so that I can get the big fights that I want and deserve.”

MB: “Winning back this belt is really important to me. I still feel like it’s mine. He’s just been keeping it warm for me. I had to deal with the injuries but now I don’t have to worry about babying my hand or anything like that.”

What do you think this fight will be like stylistically?

RB: “I plan on this being a great fight between two great boxers. He has a great amateur and pro background, as do I, and hopefully that makes for a great show.”

MB: “You never really know until you’re in the ring but it’s going to be a fight between two skilled boxers. I have seen some footage but not too much because I don’t really watch much tape. I saw him fight for my vacant belt but I can’t get caught up in that because I’m different than anybody he’s ever fought. I’m a lot more difficult than he probably thinks.”

What skill advantages do you believe you have over your opponent?

RB: “I feel I am the better all-around fighter. I have the reach, height and power over him. I feel he has shown in the past that he can’t take a good punch, so we will see if he can take mine.”

MB: “I bring it all. I can do everything that can be done in the ring. Every single department, period. I do think he’s a good fighter, I give him his props, he’s a two-time world champion, but I don’t think he can

Why do you believe you’ll be victorious on June 3?

RB: “I feel I am levels above Mickey Bey in all aspects of the game. I am comfortable with my training and I plan on returning to Miami with my second world title. The adrenaline of fighting in front of my Cuban people will add fuel to my fire and propel me to victory. I am on a mission to be great and leave an imprint in the sport and Mickey Bey is in the way.”

MB: “I’m a better fighter. It’s that simple.”

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Boxing Insider Notebook: Lara, Fury, Wilder, Povetkin, Canelo, Hagler, Leonard, and more…

Posted on 05/17/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Lara, Fury, Wilder, Povetkin, Canelo, Hagler, Leonard, and more…
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of May 10th to May 17th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Photo Credit: Edward Jackson
Photo Credit: Edward Jackson

Erislandy Lara Camp Notes

WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara is set to defend his world title and settle his score against Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan when the two meet in the main event of a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader featuring the top 154-pound talent in the sport on Saturday, May 21 from The Chelsea, inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Live televised coverage on SHOWTIME begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features unbeaten IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion Jermall Charlo taking on former champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout and his twin brother Jermell Charlo battling top challenger John Jackson for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World Title.

Lara and Martirosyan will meet after their 2012 bout ended in a technical draw. See below for the Cuban-born champion’s thoughts on training camp, the rematch and more:

On his rematch with Vanes Martirosyan:

“This is a very important fight for me. Our last fight unfortunately ended in a draw because of a clash of heads so we have some unfinished business to take care of. This time I’m not going to leave any doubt on who the better fighter is. I’m coming to dominate and retain my world championship.”

On training camp:

“I’m taking this fight very seriously. I’ve been pushing my body to get in the best shape possible. My body feels incredible and I couldn’t ask for a better training camp. I’ve been sparring a lot and my timing is getting better with each session. Everything is going as planned.”

On the May 21 card:

“It’s great to be fighting on this card, especially when there is so much on the line while I defend my title. In addition, the Charlo brothers are fighting on the undercard, which makes for a great night of boxing for the super welterweight division. The landscape of the 154-pound division will be laid out after May 21.”

On the state of the super welterweight division:

“Honestly I believe the 154-pound division is one of the strongest in all of boxing. I feel I’m leading the pack and my goal is to unify all the belts. I’m going to take it one fight at a time with the mindset to clean out the division.”

On fighting in Las Vegas:

“Vegas is the boxing capital of the world and fighting there is unbelievable. The fans are very supportive. The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan is very intimate and every seat in the building is a good seat. I anticipate a lively crowd.”

On his relationship with Ronnie Shields:

“Ronnie is a great coach and his game plans are very well thought out. He keeps everything simple. If we have to make adjustments during the fight, he’ll be able to point them out. We both have a great mutual respect for one another.”

NextVR Delivers Virtual Reality Highlights of Canelo vs. Khan

Golden Boy Promotions and NextVR have teamed up to deliver virtual reality highlights from the May 7 WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight Championship fight between Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) and former two-time world champion Amir “King” Khan (31-4, 19 KOs), originally telecast live on pay-per-view from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The virtual reality highlights will be offered for free starting at 10:45 p.m. (ET) following HBO’s exclusive replay of the fight at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Saturday, May 14.

The virtual reality highlights of Canelo vs. Kahn will be available for 30 days on the NextVR app for Gear VR owners.

NextVR’s immersive virtual reality highlights will bring fans to the weigh-in, to the pre-fight training room with Canelo and ultimately into the ring to experience Canelo take down Kahn with a devastating right hand in the sixth round.

“Golden Boy Promotions is fully committed to giving fans the best possible experience, and our partnership with NextVR takes that experience to the next level,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Short of being in the ring with Canelo, Virtual reality offers the clearest picture of what it’s like to box the biggest star in the sport.”

“I worked with NEXTVR during my training camp for Canelo vs. Khan and the results were fantastic,” said Canelo Alvarez. “I am looking forward to have my fans witness what it feels like to be in the ring on a personal level and I trust NextVR to deliver an exciting and explosive experience.”

In addition to the VR boxing match, fans can watch a powerful training session in virtual reality as Canelo prepares for his fight from his gym in San Diego. The behind the scenes footage, released earlier this month, is also available on the NextVR app for 30 days.

Deontay Wilder’s Statement on Title Fight with Povetkin

In the wake of the news on Friday that Alexander Povetkin tested positive for the banned substance meldonium, WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder and his representatives have been made aware of the WBC’s decision on Sunday that the fight will not occur in Moscow on May 21.

“I’m very disappointed that due to Povetkin’s failed drug test the fight is not going to happen on May 21 in Moscow,” said Deontay Wilder. “I had worked very hard to prepare myself for this important title defense, spending the last two weeks training in England to get accustomed to fighting in Europe. I wanted to give the fans a great show, but we understand the WBC’s position that the fight occur on an even playing field.”

Povetkin, the WBC No. 1 heavyweight championship contender, tested positive for the substance in a urine test conducted by the Las Vegas-based Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) on April 27.

“Based upon Povetkin’s positive test for meldonium, and with the health and safety of Deontay Wilder the paramount consideration, this fight could not take place next Saturday,” said DiBella. “As a result of Povetkin’s use of a banned substance and breach of contract, Deontay Wilder was deprived of an opportunity to defend his title as he was prepared to – on an even playing field. He and his team have suffered substantial damages as a result. Any talk of rescheduling by Mr. Ryabinskiy at this point is unfounded and premature. Team Wilder will await further communications from the WBC and will weigh all our options given what has transpired.”

The 30-year-old Wilder (36-0, 35 KOs) and his team were supposed to fly to Moscow on Sunday for a week of preparation and promotion leading up to the fight. Now, Wilder will return home to Tuscaloosa,
Alabama and await further information from the WBC.

“This is a huge disappointment and a setback to my goals in boxing. I want to be an active heavyweight champion and it is still my goal to collect all the belts and become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,” Wilder said.

Tyson Fury Issues a Statement
Tyson Fury, the Heavyweight Champion of the World, was interviewed last week by a video media outlet known as SportsView London. During the interview, Mr Fury made comments that have been viewed by some as offensive.

Mr Fury would like to apologize to anyone who may have taken offence to these comments.

As a man of Traveller heritage, Mr Fury has suffered bigotry and racial abuse throughout his life and as such would never wish anyone to suffer the same. He has many friends of a wide range of backgrounds and races and wishes no ill to anyone of any race, religion or sexual orientation.

Mr Fury is a devout Christian and a family man, however he accepts that in the past he has said things publically which are misrepresentative of his beliefs and usual good character. He appreciates he has a duty as the Heavyweight Champion of the World. He knows it comes with certain responsibilities and anything he says publicly will be heavily scrutinized.

Mr Fury now wishes to move past this and instead concentrate on what he does best, which is boxing, starting with his defence of the Heavyweight Championship of The World in the rematch against Wladimir Klitschko on July 9th at the Manchester Arena.

Mr Fury said: “I apologise to anyone who may have taken offence at any of my comments. I said some things, which may have hurt some people, which as a Christian man is not something I would ever want to do.

Though it is not an excuse, sometimes the heightened media scrutiny has caused me to act out in public. I mean no harm or disrespect to anyone and I know more is expected of me as an ambassador of British boxing and I promise in future to hold myself up to the highest possible standard.

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am in no way a racist or bigot and I hope the public accept this apology.”

Gorman Added to Klitschko vs. Fury Undercard

NANTWICH heavyweight Nathan Gorman has been given the opportunity to appear on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s mammoth heavyweight title rematch with Wladimir Klitschko.

Fights are coming thick and fast for the Ricky Hatton-trained 19-year-old as he has racked up four victories with three knockouts since turning professional in December.

This past weekend Gorman floored Poland’s Kamil Sokolowski three times en route to a fifth round stoppage in Walsall and just two weeks earlier he wiped out Hrvoje Kisicek in just one session at London’s Copper Box Arena.

The opportunity to feature on the Fury v Klitchsko 2 card is huge for a boxer at this early stage in his career and Ricky Hatton believes fight fans will be pleased with what they see in Manchester on July 9.

“For a young prospect, things don’t get any bigger than this,” Hatton said. “The chance for a teenage heavyweight to box on the same bill as a world heavyweight title fight is massive.

“Nathan only started boxing around three years ago and he had to pinch himself when we told him where his next fight would be.

“I expect Nathan to shine on the night regardless of who he’s in with. In his last couple of fights he’s shown the power and shot picking we’ve been working on and I believe fans at the Manchester Arena will be very impressed with what they see from him.”

Like Tyson Fury, Gorman comes from proud travelling stock. His uncle, Bartley Gorman, was a legend of bareknuckle boxing and was often referred to as ‘The King of the Gypsies’ thanks to an unbeaten run that lasted more than 20 years.

In fact, respect between the Gormans and the Furys played a part in getting young Nathan this chance.
“We have to thank Tyson and Peter Fury for getting Nathan on this card,” Hatton explained.

“The Fury family are close to Nathan’s and they’ve seen him in action since he first put on a pair of gloves.

“Tyson said he wanted Nathan on his undercard and Peter put the wheels in motion to make it happen. After training Tyson and Hughie, Peter knows a good heavyweight when he sees one and he was instrumental in pushing for Nathan to be included on the bill because he thinks he’ll had some excitement to the bill.
“We really can’t stress how grateful we are to Tyson and Peter for their belief in us and their support.”

Boxcino Champions and World Title Challengers to Face Off

It will be a battle of the Boxcino champions when former world title challengers, Willie Monroe Jr. and John Thompson, square off in a 10-round middleweight bout in the main event of SHOWTIME BOXING on SHO EXTREME on Saturday, June 11, live 7 p.m. ET/PT from The Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.
In the SHO EXTREME co-feature, Boxcino 2015 heavyweight champion Andrey Fedosov (28-3, 23 KOs) will face Mario Heredia (11-1, 9 KOs, 1-2 in WSB) in a 10-round heavyweight bout.

The SHO EXTREME bouts will precede a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader that will feature Ruslan Provodnikov taking on John Molina Jr. in what should be an action-packed junior welterweight bout for as long as it lasts.

“I am glad to be back, and I look forward to fighting in front of my loyal fans who will come from Rochester to see me fight,” Monroe said.

“I have been training hard, and I look forward to fighting another Boxcino champion like Willie Monroe,” Thompson said. “It should make for a great fight.”

“I am glad that I will finally be getting back in the ring,” Fedosov said. “I got some time to rest and now I feel better and stronger than ever. I just want to get in that ring on June 11. I am looking forward to putting on a great show as I look for a major fight.”

Derrick Webster to Headline D&D Promotions on June 4th

On Saturday night June 4th, a brand new boxing series will be launched as D and D Promotions presents its inaugural “Rumble at the Rink” Boxing series that will take place at The Grundy Arena in Bristol, Pa.

Scheduled to appear in the six-round main event will be super middleweight Derrick Webster.

Webster of Glassboro, New Jersey has a record of 19-1 with 10 knockouts and will be looking to get back in the win column after an eleven-month layoff.

Webster won his first nineteen bouts, which was highlighted by a 22-second knockout over 23-1 Obodai Sai. He is coming off his first professional blemish when he was stopped by undefeated Arif Magomedov on July 17, 2015.

Also scheduled to appear will be super welterweight Elijah Vines (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia; super bantamweight Vidal Rivera (3-0, 3 KO’s) of Camden, New Jersey and two-time National Golden Gloves champion Mike Hilton (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia.

Marvin Hagler Jr. to Face Ray Leonard Jr.

On April 8, 2017, Feldman Brothers, Ritesh Parikh and former Heavyweight champion of the world, Larry Holmes will present a special night that will feature a bout 30 years in the making.

Marvin Hagler Jr. and Ray Leonard Jr. will square off in a battle for legacy in a contest that will come exactly 30 years after the Father’s squared off in a memorable fight.

The third man in the ring will be the same referee that officiated Leonard Sr’s win over Hagler Sr. That being Richard Steele.

The event will distributed worldwide live on Pay-Per-View.

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