As ESPN readies to turn thirty-one later this week, the boxing industry should feel free to join in any celebrations the world wide leader plans on having. Since Chris Berman, Bob Ley, & co. emerged on television screens across the nation in September ’79, ESPN has televised boxing on a regular basis — both professional and amateur bouts. The relationship between ESPN and boxing is a crucial one that must be maintained and through the use of the internet, hopefully expanded.

This past Saturday, ironically, the network’s Friday Night Fights season series wrapped up in Montreal, Canada — marking the end to yet another entertaining and successful year of fights for the Disney-owned network. While both HBO and Showtime’s fistic budget dwarfs that of ESPN’s, Doug Loughrey, ESPN’s boxing director of programming, has done an admirable job putting together intriguing and exciting fights.

This past season, specifically, while HBO and Showtime created storylines and built-up fighters (Chris Arreola & Chad Dawson to name two whose scripts were rewritten), ESPN seized on opportunities for create and air fights that already had intriguing storylines built-in.

For instance, back in February, Antonio Escalante (24-2, 15 KO) took on Mickey Roman (30-7, 22 KO). Built-in storyline: Escalante and Roman were childhood rivals, both having grown up in Juarez, Mexico. They scrapped once some thirteen years previous to this bout on the streets of the city and had a chance to run it back once more inside the ropes in El Paso, Texas — Escalante’s adopted hometown. After ten hellacious rounds in front of the pro-Escalante crowd, the judge’s awarded the fan-favorite the unanimous decision victory.

Then in June, Zab Judah (39-6, 27 KO) returned to the ring in front of five thousand fans in Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center. Built-in storyline: Judah returned back to 140 lbs. and claims he is refreshed. This interested 625,000 people enough to tune into Friday Night Fights to watch “Super” Judah stop Jose Armando Santa Cruz (28-5, 17 KO) within three rounds — landing a crisp, beautifully thrown uppercut to drop his opponent in the third.

I could continue to rattle of a laundry-list of built-in storylines that were flushed out during this past Friday Night Fights season, but that would be silly. Point is, Loughrey’s vision in what to invest in and create for his Friday Night Fights series is admirable. What is even more exciting for boxing fans is that it seems Loughrey has a vision for boxing on ESPN that stretches beyond the television set — which could lead to endless possibilities.

A few months ago, ESPN announced that it had struck a deal with the English Premier League, Italy’s Seria A, the German Bundesliga, and Spain’s La Liga — among others — to air select soccer games on ESPN3.com. The stream, which pending one’s bandwidth has the potential to come in clearer than on a television set, is offered for free, even if the game is not shown on ESPN or ESPN2.

On July 31, ESPN announced that, only after HBO and Showtime passed up the opportunity to televise the fight, it will be showing the September 11 Wladimir Klitschko-Samuel Peter IBF & WBO title fight live on ESPN3.com and replay the bout the following day on ESPN.

On the following Friday, the 17th of September, ESPN3.com will air the live flyweight bout between Edin Dapudong vs. Wilbur Uicab, live from Cancun, Mexico and replay it the next day on ESPN Deportes.

If ESPN’s budget grows next year — like it did with soccer this year — ESPN3.com can serve as a crucial player in how boxing fans will be able to watch intriguing fights in high quality for no cost.

The relationship that boxing has with ESPN is vital — regardless of the talent they are able to book for Friday Night Fight cards. When ESPN has a financial investment in a sport, they are more willing to support it and promote it. If their financial investment grows, there is little doubt that the coverage will mimic that.

ESPN has the potential to drive and push sports. When it increased it’s stake in NASCAR at the expense of hockey, ESPN created the NASCAR Now television show, while axing National Hockey Night. Once ESPN shut the door on the NHL completely, hockey turned Versus to air their national games, including playoffs. This led to a columnist at the spoof-newspaper The Onion to pen an article titled “NHL Signs Broadcast Deal with Food Network” — an obvious jab at being forced to televise their sport on deep cable.

None of us want boxing to end up on the proverbial Food Network and the opportunity with ESPN3.com emerging as a serious outlet for major sports to be televised live on is great news for boxing. Hopefully the Klitschko-Peter fight draws enough traffic to the site that it will catch the attention of the big wigs at the world wide leader. If that’s the case, then like soccer, maybe the people running the show at ESPN can kick a little more cash boxing’s way. And with an expanded boxing budget for ESPN, we’d all reap the rewards.

On Friday September 10th at the mecca of East End boxing, at the York Hall in London’s East End, Mick Hennessy makes a welcome return to boxing has he promotes a eight fight card.

Topping the bill is talented former Commonwealth welterweight champ, John O’Donnell a transplanted Irishman who bases himself out of West London taking on over twelve experienced American Terrance Cauthen, a former Olympian in an interesting international match up, O’Donnell is hoping that victory here could propel him into a British title challenge by the end of the year providing he comes through this.

Also booked for action is Lee Purdy, the first ever professional boxing champion from Colchester, England’s oldest recorded town!

Purdy last time out fought beyond the call of duty in possibly the fight of the year against Manchester’s Denton Vassell for the then vacant Commonwealth title, Purdy is scheduled to defend his Southern Area bauble against an opponent to yet be announced.

Further up the scales is gigantic Tyson Fury who at 6’9 has lofty ambitions himself has he hopes for a showdown with British champion Derek Chisora, last time out Fury disposed of one time nemesis John Mcdermott in crushing fashion in a much eagerly awaited rematch due to controversial scoring in there first meeting, Tyson showed there was no need for mathematics this time around, only for the ref to be able to count to ten!
Fury however takes on American Donnell Holmes over 8×3 minute rounds, and is the first time Tyson has met an American during his professional career.

Also featured is Greek hero Chris Evangelou from Enfield at light welter, has is Tyler Goodjohn who also debuts at 10st in his first pro outing, as does middleweight John Ryder whom is trained by ex pro Colin Lake, all face selected opposition.
Plus two more added to the card see’s improving Bradley Evan’s and Phill Fury, cousin of heavyweight Tyson who are appearing against select opposition.
For tickets please visit www.hennessysports.com

On Saturday September 11th at London’s York Hall, Goodwin promotions put on a interesting show, featuring no fewer than eleven fights in an almost marathon show, however topping the bill are two title fights featuring Pat McAleese who takes on over ten at light middle, Lee Noble.

Also another title fight between Ryan Barrett and Hackney’s Mark Alexander look’s like it could be rather interesting if the pre fight insults have been anything to go by, has Barrett has promised to humiliate and stop Alexander in there clash for the international masters super featherweight title.
“I will destroy and knock Alexander out to win the title!” the former Amir Khan opponent has promised, has both have hurled insults at eachother, even Barrett called Alexander ‘Minnie Mouse’!

But hey talking of cartoon charachter’s, or in true Warner Bros idiom ‘that’s not all folks’, there’s more…..

Also featured on the undercard is big punching Tony Conquest at cruiser who takes on much travelled Hastings Rasani, also booked for action is Erick Ochieng at middle against Alex Spitko, a true warrior.
Also featured are Darryl Setterfield against solid journeyman Matt Scriven, plus exciting light welter sensation Phil ‘the Phil Gill experience’ Gill against Damien Turner, in Gill’s sixth outing in the pro ranks, Gill is hoping sometime in the near future for a title chance.

At super middle Eder Kurti meets Danny Goode over four, while feather George Jupp takes on oft beaten Pavels Senkovs again over four while at middle Michael Norgrove takes on one time prospect Ian Eldridge.

Also making there professional debuts are Jamie Arlain at light welter and also Joel Mcintyre at light heavy.

For ticket information please visit www.goodwinpromotions.co.uk or alternatively phone 01525 851150.

Superstar Manny Pacquiao and three-time world champion Antonio Margarito pose during the press conference to kick off their national press tour with stops in New York and Dallas. Pacquiao and Margarito will do battle, November 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas. Pacquiao vs Margarito is promoted by Top Rank in association with MP Promotions and Cowboys Stadium. This telecast will be available live on HBO Pay Per View.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
TONY JEFFRIES has split with trainer Bobby Rimmer after 18 months together.

The Olympic bronze medallist (7-0-1) is being trained by Sean Casey for his
next fight at Rainton Meadows Arena, Houghton-le-Spring on Saturday 11th
September.

After the Sunderland boxer¹s next fight, a major announcement will be made
regarding a new full-time trainer.

OJaffa¹s¹ promoter said: ³The split is no reflection on the job Bobby has
done with Tony since they teamed-up.

³I rate Bobby highly and I hope to continue our good working relationship.

³He already trains British light-middleweight title contender, Brian Rose
who I co-promote, and hopefully there will be other fighters with can work
together with.

³Everyone involved with Tony¹s career would like to thank Bobby for all the
sacrifices he has made for Tony.²

Maloney indicated that Jeffries¹s long-term future could lay with an
American trainer.

He added: ³When Tony was in America on holiday I arranged for him to meet
with some well known trainers I have personal knowledge of.

³He enjoyed meeting them, but I have to emphasise no decision has been taken
yet. It will be made immediately after the next contest.

³I am sure Sean will make sure that Tony is well prepared for next week¹s
test.²

Jeffries¹s opponent will be named in the next 48 hours.

The Houghton-le-Spring bill is topped by Jason Booth (35-5) who challenges
for Canadian Steve Molitor¹s (32-1) IBF world super-bantamweight
championship.

In the chief supporting bout to, British featherweight champion Martin
Lindsay (16-0) boxes a non-title bout.

Local stars in action include Jon Lewis Dickinson (8-1), Travis Dickinson
(6-0), Trevor Crewe (2-2), Gary Fox (2-0), Kirk Goodings (4-0), Martin Ward
(8-0), George Watson (8-1-2), and debutant Glen Foot.

Tickets for the massive night of action are available from 0871 226 1508,
0191 564 0202 or www.frankmaloney.com. VIP Ringside are £95 with the rest a
bargain £35. Get yours in advance for a show that looks certain to sell out.

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
MARTIN LINDSAY has his eye on two fights in the next few days, but will only
be landing his bombs in one of them.

The British featherweight champion (16-0) faces Kenyan southpaw David Kiilu
(33-10-2) in a non-title eight rounder at Rainton Meadows Arena,
Houghton-le-Spring on Saturday 11th September.

He also has one eye on this Saturday¹s Commonwealth championship clash
between John Simpson and Stephen Smith ­ where the winner will become his
mandatory challenger.

Lindsay, 28, said: ³Simpson v Smith is a very hard fight to call, but I
couldn¹t care less which one I defend my British title against.

³I just hope there is someone who has the bottle to share a ring with me for
my British crown.

³Kiilu looks a good opponent and has more experience than anybody I have
ever faced and even won a title at lightweight.²

Promoter Frank Maloney added: ³It is such a headache getting Martin matched
up because nobody wants to face him.

³Ideally, I would have liked next week¹s bout to be a British title defence
but nobody wanted to know, although I am sure Simpson or Smith will be
keen.²

Lindsay won the British title when he last boxed in March with a convincing
points win over Jamie Arthur.

The Houghton-le-Spring bill is topped by Jason Booth (35-5) who challenges
for Canadian Steve Molitor¹s (32-1) IBF world super-bantamweight
championship.

Local stars in action include Olympic bronze medallist Tony Jeffries
(7-0-1), Jon Lewis Dickinson (8-1), Travis Dickinson (6-0), Trevor Crewe
(2-2), Gary Fox (2-0), Kirk Goodings (4-0), Martin Ward (8-0), George Watson
(8-1-2), and debutant Glen Foot.

Tickets for the massive night of action are available from 0871 226 1508,
0191 564 0202 or www.frankmaloney.com. VIP Ringside are £95 with the rest a
bargain £35. Get yours in advance for a show that looks certain to sell out.

Superstar Manny Pacquiao arrives in Los Angeles Monday night for his big Tuesday press conference in Beverly Hills,Ca. On November 13, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas, Pacquiao takes on three-time world champion Antonio Margarito. Pacquiao vs Margarito is promoted by Top Rank in association with MP Promotions and Cowboys Stadium. The Pacquiao vs Margarito telecast will be available live on HBO Pay Per View

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

It’s one of the great wonders of Boxing how a guy can go from Journeyman to contender and in some cases even winning a World title. It happened with Glen Johnson he had multiple loses on his ledger, albeit several of them dubious before rose to become champion. It happened to Orlando Salido & Cristobal Cruz to battle tested Mexican warriors with double digit loses. They say you can learn more from a loss than you can a win that’s most definitely the case with Filipino fighter Michael Domingo he’s had plenty of practice going 40-14-2(18). He’s on a nice 9 fight winning streak which includes snapping Miguel Roman’s 21 fight unbeaten run, a stoppage over one time American Olympian Jose Navarro & last time he demolished former title challenger Luis Melendez in two. Domingo turns 31 in late August but believes he’s in his prime and above all wants to land the so far elusive World title fight. The message is clear don’t sleep on Michael Domingo if you do it might just be you who’s left sleeping.

Hello Michael, welcome to 15rounds.com

Hello Anson.

Anson Wainwright – Your scheduled to appear next on 28 August at Waterford Cebu City, any ideas as yet who you will be facing? What can you tell us about the show?

Michael Domingo – My next fight is actually going to be on the 29th of October 2010 at the Dubai Tennis Stadium in Dubai U.A.E. I am scheduled to fight Angky Angkota of Indonesia. It is a presentation of my promotional company ALA Promotions of Antonio L. Aldeguer, Philippine Television Giant ABS-CBN Sports and Dubai based KO Promotions of Zac Taumafai. My fellow ALA Promotions boxers Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and A.J. Banal is also fighting in the same card.

Anson Wainwright – Last time out you beat Luis Melendez when you impressively stopped him in two. What can you tell us about that fight?

Michael Domingo – The fight was good because I won. I did not get to enjoy it that much though because when I landed a hard punch in the first round I felt he was backing up too much and did not want to engage. After that I just went for the kill.

Anson Wainwright – Could you tell us who is part of team Domingo? Who is your manager, trainer & promoter and what gym do you train at?

Michael Domingo – My manager is Mr. Antonio L. Aldeguer who owns ALA Promotions and the ALA Gym where I train everyday and my trainer is Edito “ALA” Villamor.

Anson Wainwright – What is a typical day in they gym for you?

Michael Domingo – I wake up to jog around 5:30 AM and finish up at 7:00 AM everyday. I eat breakfast thereafter and then I rest. On Mondays-Wednesdays-Fridays I do strength and conditioning training and on Tuesdays-Thursdays-Saturdays in the afternoon I spar.

Anson Wainwright – Could we rewind 20 plus years and tell us about your childhood and what your upbringing was like?

Michael Domingo – 20 years ago I worked with my parents on a farm planting rice. I got bored and decided to start a gang called the Peace Makers who ironically got into fights almost everyday. I always figured in street fights. There was one incident when a rival hit me with a rock in the head and it was really bad. After that I was encouraged by a neighbor to go into boxing and that started that.

Anson Wainwright – Your hometown of Cebu is known as a hotbed of Boxing in The Philippines could you tell us about how this influenced you and your path into Boxing?

Michael Domingo – Yes Cebu is a hotbed of boxing in the country but I actually am from Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao Philippines but I started my career in boxing in Davao City where I boxed for 5 years before moving to Cebu.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do away from Boxing? What are your hobbies?

Michael Domingo – I just want to relax and go to the mall. I love watching movies and go Videoke singing with my close friends.

Anson Wainwright – Going back to the start of your career you debuted back in 1999 you streaked to 10-0-1(3) before your first loss, then you then slipped to 11-12-1(5) in your next 24 fights over a 4 year period. What happened to you at that time?

Michael Domingo – I believe I was mismanaged then. I also needed money those times because I was away from home being in Davao. I accepted fights whatever weight class was offered. I lost focus and my drive. It was about survival then.

Anson Wainwright – At that point you looked like you would slip into journeyman status however you reinvented yourself going 18-2(9) putting yourself in line for a world title fight. Even then the two loses were on the road in Japan & France. Can you explain how you managed to go from a journeyman to a possible world title fight?

Michael Domingo – I am just lucky that ALA Promotions and my management team helped guide me to where I am now. I would like to thank most especially Sir Antonio Aldeguer and Sir Michael Aldeguer for guiding not just my career but my life as well.

Anson Wainwright – The Bantamweight class is strong at the moment what are your thoughts on the top fighters at 118? Who are you targeting?

Michael Domingo – The 118 Bantamweight class is one of the most talented and competitive divisions now but I feel I am ready for any one of them. I want Montiel:-). Vic Darchinyan, Perez is on the list too.

Anson Wainwright – Your countryman Manny Pacquiao won the race to congress. What are your feelings on that and what you feel he has done for Filipino Boxing?

Michael Domingo – I am very happy for Congressman Manny Pacquiao. He is one special individual and i know he has a lot to offer in helping his province of Saranggani. Manny Pacquiao has blazed the trail for Filipino boxers to follow and has inspired us boxers to believe nothing is impossible.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for the Bantamweight class?

Michael Domingo – To all you Champions of the Bantamweight class, I am just here ready and waiting to fight you. PICK ME!

Thanks for your time Michael, keep up the good work.

Thank you very much Mr. Anson Wainwright.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former Light Heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver will make his first appearance as a Heavyweight when he takes on Nagy Aguilera on October 15th in either Memphis or California in a bout that will be broadcasted on Showtime.

“I won’t be the biggest heavyweight. I won’t be the strongest guy, but I think I’ll be the quickest and most elusive and the best counter puncher the heavyweight division has seen in a long time,” Tarver said. “I want to see if I can hit these big boys and put a dent in them. It remains to be seen, but if I can put a dent in these big boys, I’ll be the next heavyweight champion.

“I think I have so much more to give to the game. People are dying for a guy in the heavyweight division who has a face and a name and has some credibility. That’s what I bring to the table. You look at the American landscape and we don’t have anything out there. So I will give it a try until they beat me. I look at it like I am undefeated at heavyweight. And I am not fighting a dead man. Aguilera is a credible guy and I will see where I stand right off the bat.”

The bout is slated to headline a special edition of Showtime’s “ShoBox: The New Generation” series. Tarver (27-6, 19 KOs) has been working as a ringside commentator on the series.

“Maybe I’ll fight and commentate at the same time and pick up two checks,” Tarver joked.

“I think I stayed too long in that division,” said Tarver, who is best known for defeating Roy Jones Jr. in two of their three fights, including a shocking second-round knockout in their 2004 rematch. “I outgrew that division a long time ago. I was 28 coming out of the amateurs. I fought at 178 and, as a pro, I had to lose three more pounds. It was tough. I did it for a long time and I don’t have any regrets. But my last performances show I wasn’t as strong as I was in the past, and Dawson was 14 years younger than me. That had a lot to do with it. I wasn’t able to be as strong as I should have been in a fight.”

“I feel good right now. My goal is to be very strong and solid at the weight,” said Tarver, whose promotional company AT Entertainment will promote the bout. “I’ll look better with the weight on me. I won’t look frail and drawn and skinny.”

“Aguilera is a bona fide heavyweight and did real well going the distance against Maurice Harris,” Tarver said. “We’ll see if we can best that and step up to the plate with the big boys. This is a great opportunity for him to fight a name guy after just losing a competitive fight. I’m not picking no dead man to fight. Aguilera can hit, so I’m testing myself. I’ll have to get used to the big guys punching me — if they can land one. I am looking to fight those big guys and prove I am worthy of the heavyweight championship.”

Lucas Matthysse remained undefeated by stopping Rogelio Castaneda in round one of a scheduled ten round Jr. Welterweight bout in Santa Fe, Argentina.

Matthysse dropped Castaneda three time in the round with the fight being stopped just as Castaneda’s corner threw in the towel in round one.

Matthysse, 139 1/2 lbs of Buenos Aires, Argentina is now 27-0 with twenty-five knockouts. Castaneda, 139 1/2 lbs of Sacramento, CA is now 26-16-3.

Former Welterweight world title challenger Sebastien Lujan scored a seventh round stoppage over Emilio Julio Julio in a bout scheduled for ten rounds.

Lujan dominated the action and Julio did not come out for round seven.

Lujan, 147 lbs of Santa Fe, Argentina is now 34-5-2 with twenty-seven knockouts. Julio, 146 lbs of Barranquilla, Colombia is now 18-6-1.

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT CARD
A capacity crowd turned out to support Philadelphia, PA’s Chazz Witherspoon (26-2 18 KO’s) at the Grand Ballroom of Trump’s Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ. The partisan crowd was hoping Witherspoon would return to his winning ways, while cagy veteran Livin Castillo (16-8 10 KO’s), of Atlantic City via Ecuador, a much better fighter than his record would indicate, was looking to make Witherspoon’s degree in pharmaceutical sales to use as his source of income.

Witherspoon got off to a slow start, losing the first four rounds on my card. Although he was the bigger man, Witherspoon was unable to mount an offense and was fed a steady diet of body shots by Castillo, whose game plan looked to be pot-shot then get out of range. The fight plan was working beautifully, on paper, as Castillo won the early rounds, taking no damage, but also delivering very little as well.

Sensing their fighter needed a lift, those in attendance came to life at the start of round five. Witherspoon did as well, feeding off the new energy. The St. Joseph’s university graduate started fighting with a greater sense of urgency, rediscovering his right hand, but his power shots failed to find the mark and the round that started as momentum changer ended with an even more confident Castillo.

One of the beauties of heavyweight division is a big strong man is never out of the fight. The fatal flaw in Castillo’s plan was letting a fighter with Witherspoon’s punching power hang around to long. The Philadelphia crowd soon got what they drove down the Atlantic City Expressway to see.

Early in the seventh round Witherspoon unloaded a right uppercut to the chin of Castillo that sent him to the canvas. A game but rubber legged Castillo got up, but Witherspoon landed several more right hands, forcing Referee Earl Brown to stop the contest at 2:21 of the seventh round.

In a battle of Super middleweights Philadelphia’s Farah Ennis (16-0 10 KO’s) bested an out classed Reggie Pena (6-4 1KO’s) from Ocala, Florida. Pena has a habit of leaning in with his head and Ennis was only to happy to use his right uppercut to demonstrate why that is not a good idea. Pena did manage to mount an attack in the third round only to be knocked down by a body shot in the closing seconds. Ennis sealed the deal in the third by another body shot and Pena was counted out at 1:56 of the round.

In a six round lightweight, contest Jose Reyes (23-8 8 KO) of Vineland, NJ got bested by Colombia’s Walter Estrada (37-13 25 KO) in a split decision. Estrada, a southpaw, knocked Reyes down in the first with a left cross. Estrada suffered a cut to the bridge of his nose in the fourth round. But his better ring generalship carried the day and swayed the judges his way. Scores were 58-55 and 57-56 for Estrada, with the third card reading 57-56 Reyes.

In a one sided match in the light heavyweight division Lavarn Harvell (6-0 3 KO) of Atlantic City knocked down Jackson, TN’s Nathan Bedwell (2-4 1KO) three times in four rounds on his way to a unanimous decision victory. Scores were a lopsided 40-33 on all three cards.

Super Middleweight (and son of former heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon) Isiah Seldon (2-0 1 KO) of Atlantic City drew a nice crowd to his second pro fight and didn’t disappoint them, stopping Jason Johns (0-3) of Danville Virginia at 2:57 of round 1.

In the opening bout of the evening, Atlantic City’s Eugene Soto (3-0 1KO) added another win to his record besting Maurice Williams (1-6 1KO) of Camden via majority decision. Mr. Williams may be the cockiest 1-6 fighter of all time and his clowning in the ring may have cost him in the judges’ minds. The scorecard of 37-37 was overruled by tallies of 38-36 and 38-37 for Soto.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that the September 18th fight between Juan Manuel Lopez and Rafael Marquez that was postponed due to a hand injury to Marquez will now take place on November 6 at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“It’s done, we’re good,” said Gary Shaw, who promotes Marquez. “I talked to the Marquez camp and [Lopez promoter] Top Rank was fine with it. I spoke to [Top Rank president] Todd duBoef about it to get it done.”

“Fortunately, my thumb injury did not prevent me from continuing my conditioning, including running daily,” said Marquez, who proved his durability in an epic four fight series with Israel Vazquez. “I am extremely grateful that my fight with Juan Manuel Lopez was rescheduled so quickly. On November 6, JuanMa and I have a date with destiny. I can’t wait.”

The southpaw Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs) is 27-years-old and has been fighting professionally for five years. He is a consensus top-10 pound-for-pound fighter and is widely considered a rising star. A win over Marquez would easily be the most significant of his young career. Conversely, Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs) at 35-years-old is well into the second half of a remarkable career. He has fought in 11 world title fights in his 15 years as a pro and he is a virtual lock for the Hall of Fame. A win over Lopez would give him a world title in his third weight division.

“This has become the most important fight of my career,” Marquez said.

“I’m looking forward to showing my skills against a great champion like Rafael Marquez, one of the all-time greats and a future Hall of Famer,’’ Lopez said. “It will be the biggest fight of my career.”

“So far we have just one TV fight, but I’m trying to get [Showtime’s] Kenny [Hershman] to buy another one,” Shaw said. “I have an idea for a very good fight. The question is if Kenny has the money in the budget.”

Shaw said he’d like to match junior middleweight titlist Sergei Dzinziruk, who he co-promotes with Artie Pelullo, against Vanes Martirosyan, who is promoted by Top Rank.

“Ken was not opposed to the fight. It’s a question of money,” Shaw said. “I know Top Rank is fine with making that fight.”

“Everyone always asks us who is going to be the next great heavyweight. Well, on Sept. 11, we feel it will be Sam Peter’s shining moment.” – Todd DuBoef, president of Top Rank, Aug. 27

There is no possibility Sam Peter is going to be the next great heavyweight. He auditioned for the post years ago and was found wanting in savvy, dedication, heart and bottom – in everything but power, actually. Todd DuBoef is Peter’s promoter, of course, but he’s also a pretty sharp guy. So take a second look at the above quote: He cocks a haymaker then throws a jab.

In DuBoef’s defense, it should be remarked that his quote came at the end of a conference call tough to finish. Peter was indecipherable and taciturn. He did not want to discuss the past or future. He just wanted folks to watch him on Sept. 11.

That day on ESPN, Peter will challenge Wladimir Klitschko for one half of the heavyweight championship of the world, in Frankfurt, Germany. It will be a rematch of an entertaining 12-round scrap that happened almost exactly five years before. In promoting the fight, Peter did not give meaningful answers to any questions of strategy last week but, again, instructed us to watch Sept. 11. Why should we?

As it happens, there are two good reasons: what Peter did in his first fight with Klitschko, and what Peter did in his last fight in Texas.

Let’s journey back to 2005 and recall the time of Klitschko-Peter I. A different time indeed. If there were a Klitschko anyone took seriously, it certainly was not Wladimir. His older brother Vitali was coming off a pair of knockout victories in 2004 and about 10 months from announcing his retirement to go into Ukrainian politics, after injuries kept him from defending his WBC belt against Hasim Rahman. Wladimir, meanwhile, had our pity.

He’d not lasted four minutes against Corrie Sanders in 2003. He’d been unable to answer the sixth-round bell against Lamon Brewster in 2004. He’d hired trainer Manny Steward in the hopes Steward might play Wizard of Oz to his Lion. And every time he got hit, he wore a queasy look on his face that said, “Get me out of here.”

He was desperate to revive his career. So desperate, in fact, that he agreed to a fight against a wild-swinging undefeated African strongman incapable of being deterred by good boxing. If you’re new to the heavyweight division, that is, you might be shocked to learn that, in September of 2005, Wladimir Klitschko was perhaps boxing’s most sympathetic figure.

Klitschko-Peter I was about two questions: Is there a single well-delivered punch to Klitschko’s head that won’t knock him down? and does Peter have any boxing skills whatever? Neither question was answered. Most every time Peter landed a clean punch, Klitschko went down. And in 36 minutes, Peter landed about three clean punches.

But you cheered for Klitschko that night against Peter because he was so obviously fighting a fragile psyche as much as an undefeated opponent. He was dropped thrice and rose each time. Manny Steward bolstered his spirit between rounds, and Klitschko survived to win a unanimous decision.

But had you then told anyone watching that, in 2010, two Klitschko brothers would be seen as essentially indestructible, you would have needed to invent a third brother – Mikhail, Boris or Nikita, maybe? – to be taken seriously.

Today, Wladimir Klitschko is a monster of sorts; former contenders threaten their children with tales of his right cross before bedtime. And if you could take a model of Samuel Peter and give it any other name, Klitschko would ruin him. But there’s a very real chance that in a couple Saturdays, once the bell rings and Klitschko’s nimble brain runs a query on the image of Peter before him, some frightful values will get returned.

Then we’ll enter a laboratory of fear with Klitschko as our guide. Fear has a weakening effect whenever you experience it, of course, but it writes sentences with exclamation points in prizefighting. It begins with a hollowing-out of the upper legs and spreads to the knees, burning energy at an accelerated pace for which no conditioning regimen can prepare you. Run a marathon in camp, spar 100 rounds on Fridays, skip rope for six hours – go right ahead. Once you are afraid, once your body gets the message from your brain, you’re not conditioned well enough to finish a championship prizefight.

Is this guaranteed to happen? Of course not. Wladimir may in fact look across the ring on Sept. 11 and see the guy his older brother embarrassed in 2008 and Eddie Chambers decisioned in 2009. He may hit Peter with so many long jabs in the first six minutes that Peter reverts to form.

But Peter’s form, coincidentally, is the second reason his rematch with Klitschko could be interesting. Were you at the Gaylord Texan in March? If not, here’s the most surprising appearance made that weekend: Samuel Peter’s abdominal muscles. They were visible. At his lowest weight since 2001, Peter looked fantastic against Nagy Aguilera. He counterpunched with patience. He wasn’t shy about finishing his overmatched opponent, but he wasn’t reckless either. He waited for Aguilera to hang jabs and blasted him with right hands.

Klitschko does not hang his jab; frankly, he’s too skittish to hang any punch. But he does like to extend his left glove and use it as a sensor cum patty-caker. If Peter were somehow able to land his right hand over Klitschko’s outstretched left arm, he might just get another look at Wladimir’s queasy face.

It’s a long shot, but Todd DuBoef’s quote above could prove right on both counts. People are indeed always asking – and will still be asking – who is going to be the next great heavyweight. And Sept. 11 might actually be Sam Peter’s shining moment.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter.com/bartbarry

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (August 29, 2010)— Top American Heavyweight Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon came off his longest lay off and struggled through the first six rounds of his scheduled ten round bout with Livin Castillo only to come out for round seven and score a thrilling knockout that headlined a great night a great night of boxing that was promoted by Mike Brestle’s Spartan Fight Promotions at the Trump Taj Mahal Grand Ballroom.

After a pretty even first round, Castillo began to land numerous long left hands to bot the body and head and it looked like Witherspoon was a bit befuddled.

Witherspoon came out in round seven and went for broke and succeeded as he landed a barrage of punches that sent Castillo to the Canvas. Castillo rose to his feet only to be battered all over the ring by an unrelenting flurry by Witherspoon and finally referee Earl Brown stopped the fight at 2:21 of round seven.

It was later found out that Castillo was leading 58-56; 58-56 and 59-55 on all three judges score cards

“It felt good to be back”, said Witherspoon, who was making his first ring appearance after an almost nine month layoff since a stoppage loss to world ranked Tony Thompson at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

“My plan was to box and get the ring rust off and then I took him out when my coach (trainer Wade Hinnant) told me it was time to get him out of there.

Witherspoon is now 27-2 with nineteen knockouts.

The co-feature saw Farah Ennis remain undefeated as he used a vicious body assault to take out late replacement Reggie Pena in round three of a scheduled eight round Super Middleweight bout.

In a battle of veterans, former world title challenger Walter Estrada scored a six round split decision over Jose Reyes.

Three local favorites remained undefeated as Isiah Seldon scored his first knockout when he took out Jason Johns in round one of a scheduled four round Super Middleweight bout.

Atlantic City Light Heavyweight Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell dropped eighteen year old Nathan Bedwell three times en route to a four round unanimous decision.

Eugene Soto recovered from two first round knockdowns to gain a controversial majority decision over Maurice Williams in a four round Super Middleweight bout

Spartan Fight Promotions will be back this fall with another great night of boxing. Details to be announced shortly

Photos by: Tom Briglia / PhotoGraphics Photography

This great night of action will be available on www.gofightlive.tv

FULL RESULTS

10 Rounds – Heavyweights—Chazz Witherspoon (27-2, 19 KO’s) 231 lbs of Philadelphia, PA TKO 7 (2:21) over Livin Castillo (16-9) 212 lbs of Atlantic City, NJ

8 Rounds—Super Middleweights—Farah Ennis (16-0, 10 KO’s) 173 lbs of Philadelphia, PA TKO 3 (1:56) over Reggie Pena (6-4) 178 lbs of Ocala, FL

6 Rounds—Lightweights—Walter Estrada (37-13-1) 134 lbs of Miami, FL SPL DEC (scores 58-55-; 57-56 & 56-57) over Jose Reyes (23-8) 138 lbs of Vineland, NJ

4 rounds—Light Heavyweights—Lavarn Harvell (6-0) 170 ½ lbs of Atlantic City, NJ U DEC (scores 40-33 on all cards) over Nathan Bedwell (2-4) 169 lbs of Jackson, TN

4 Rounds—Super Middleweight—Isiah Seldon (2-0, 1 KO)160 ½ lbs of Atlantic City, NJ TKO 1 (2:57) Jason Johns (0-3) 164 lbs of Danville, VA

4 Rounds—Super Middleweights—Eugene Soto (3-0) 163 ½ lbs of Atlantic City, NJ Maj DEC (scores were 38-37; 37-36 and 37-37) over Maurice Williams (1-6) 164 lbs of Camden, NJ

Catch the replay of the SUNDAY SIZZLER SEASON 3 OPENER: W/ Special Co-Host Martin Snow and surprise Boxing guest. Billy From Philly, New York Dan, and many many more. Special Guest: Boxing Legend Gerry Cooney Light middleweight Contender Sechew Powell UFC Vet Blake Bowman …WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation Heavyweight Champion Jason Gavern and a touch of MMA with Blake Bowman.

Guaynabo, P.R.- After presenting former champions in attendance Wilfredo Gómez, Alfredo Escalera, Félix Trinidad and Wilfredo Vázquez along with current champion Juan Manuel López, the stars of the main event made their way to the ring.

As expected Segura started off aggressively seeking Calderón who managed to slip and block many of the oncoming shots while landing jabs and straight right hands. Still, Segura managed to land some hard hooks to Calderon’s rib cage in both the first and second rounds even if it cost him a warning from the referee for hitting low. The third round saw Calderón slip more punches and the chants of “Ole!” started emerging from the crowd. In the fourth, Calderón went into a corner and Segura started unloading everything only to miss most if not all of his punches. All the while, the Iron Boy was landing counter left hands to his opponent’s face who finished the round visibly out of air.

Segura had his best round so far in the fifth when he took Calderón to a corner and unloaded again but the Puerto Rican wouldn’t be as successful this time and was visibly exhausted and getting hit a lot. What appeared to be a knockdown was ruled as a slip. Segura started well enough the sixth but Iván managed to land some heavy looking punches on Segura who was now getting slower and clumsier with his punches.

The seventh round was the first round to actually resemble a previous Calderón fight as the little man from Guaynabo boxed in reverse making the Mexican miss and along the way making him pay for it. In the eighth round, when it appeared that Calderón was on his way to another successful defense, he got taken to a corner where he took a knee after taking some shots and stayed on it until he got counted out by Luis H. Rivera.

Time of stoppage was 1:34 of the eighth round for Giovanni Segura who now owns both WBO and WBA belts and improves his record to 25-1 with 21 stoppages. The Mexican said he was thinking about the opportunity he had in front of his hands when he was getting tired and that was what motivated him to keep on working. Segura showed he can not only bang but can do it smartly as he was able to cut off the ring and come back and reassert himself after having a slump where he admitted he was getting manipulated by the Puerto Rican.

Calderón, who admitted he made mistakes in trading and was hurt by a body shot more than the head shots. His record now sports a first loss and falls to 34-1-1 with 6KO’s.
Calderón said he planned on resting till next year when he hopes to get another shot.

Lightweights started off the action with Rey Diaz (0-1) and Jeffrey Fontanes (1-0, 1KO) making their respective professional debuts. Referee Roberto Ramírez Jr. stopped the action at just 0:43 of the first round after Fontanes took his opponent to the corner by a series of unanswered flurries. Díaz complained expecting a standing eight count instead of the quick, and to many ring side observers, unnecessary, stoppage.

Also fighting to four rounds were junior welterweights Christopher Vélez ( 1-0-1, 1KO) and José Carlos Lozada (1-1-1, 1KO) . After a slow first round, both fighters traded shots with Vélez appearing to have the better of rounds two and three. A bruised Lozada tried to use his jab to keep his aggressive tormentor at bay but still got tagged both upstairs and downstairs. Somehow two judges saw the fight even at 38-38 while the last one saw Lozada win all four of the rounds. The decision and Lozada were both loudly booed by the crowd.

Samuel Santana and Felix St.Kitts were up next in a lightweight match set for six rounds. Santana showed a slight edge in the first round but when they both started trading in the second St. Kitts appeared to be stronger. St. Kitts, a Guaynabo city policeman, started strong in the third round but appeared to tire towards the end of the round and fought the fourth round in spurts. Round five was a tad slower for both fighters and by round six, St. Kitts (12-8-2, 7KO’s) appeared spent. The policeman landed several low blows in the final round and tried some roughhouse tactics but still couldn’t take enough away from Santana (3-4-2, 0KO’s )to win the round. Scores were 59-55 and 60-54 twice for Santana.

Up next was former Puerto Rican Olympian Alexander “El Pollo” de Jesús who was allowed to fight while he is serving a prison sentence. His opponent, who came in over seven and a half pounds heavier than De Jesús, was José Angel Román. Their bout was also set for six rounds at the junior welterweight limit. De Jesús quickly demonstrated his superiority landing clean, accurate punches and slipping and blocking anything Román threw at him. Rounds two and three saw Román try a little more but be just as unsuccessful. By round four and into the fifth, Román looked but kept on coming and De Jesús contented himself with winning the rounds but wasn’t going for the stoppage. De Jesús let his hands go a little more but still couldn’t stop his opponent from charging on. Scores were 60-54 on all three of the judge’s scorecards for El Pollo who moves to 20-1 with 13KO’s. Román drops to 11-24-5 with 5KO’s and should consider what his next move will be.

Former Puerto Rican Olympian McJoe Arroyo (5-0, 2KO’s) went up against Sigfredo Medina (3-2, 2KO’s) in a bantamweight bout set for six. Arroyo’s accurate jabs, straights and uppers had Medina swollen and reddened by the end of round two and Medina had barely landed any shots on his southpaw opponent halfway through the bout. Arroyo added some left hooks to his punch output in the third and by the fourth round was basically boxing circles around his opponent. Rounds five and six were comfortably dominated by the former amateur star who only occasionally got hit after landing multiple blows on his opponent. All three judges saw the bout 60-54 in favor of Arroyo.

Undefeated prospects Hector Marengo of Arecibo, Puerto Rico and José “La Sombra” González of Toa Baja were up next in a lightweight match set for six rounds. González appeared stronger from the very first round and in the second, bloodied and imposed his will on Marengo even if he had to catch some leather to do it. Marengo was able to dodge and counter a little bit more in the third and by the fourth round was fighting on more even terms with González. By now, both fighters had basically forgone their jabs much to the delight of the crowd.

Midway through the fifth, González dropped his opponent with a series of unanswered uppercuts and kept on pounding on him prompting the crowd to ask for a stoppage. Still referee Roberto Ramírez Jr. let it go into the sixth before finally halting the action at of 1:19 the final round. It must be noted that Marengo kept on throwing punches till the very end. González improves to 12-0 with 8KO’s while Marengo looses his O to go to 5-1-4, 3KO’s.

McWilliams Arroyo, brother of McJoe and the other half of the set of Puerto Rican amateur stars fought Jovanne Fuentes at the flyweight limit in a bout set for six rounds. The first two rounds were fairly close with Arroyo’s greater output giving him a slight edge. In the third and fourth, Arroyo made his opponent back up against the ropes for long stretches at a time but was still finding it hard to land anything clean. In the fifth Fuentes tried letting his hands go more often and found some success with some strong hooks to the body. The sixth and final round was a more even one with both fighters taking turns throwing and landing combinations. Scores were 60-54 on all three of the judge’s score cards. Arroyo ups to 4-1 with 3KO’s while Fuentes drops his first one and falls to 2-1 with 1 KO.

This Saturdays pay per view clash between Ivan Calderon 34 (KO 6) -0-1 and Giovanni Segura 24 (KO 20) -1-0 for the unification of the WBO and WBA 108lb belt is of special significance to WBA 105 lb champion Roman Chocolatito Gonzalez 25 (KO 21) -0.

In recent months Gonzalez has been very vocal in his desire to fight Calderon after a verbal altercation in Managua earlier this year.

“Although I would love to shut Calderons mouth; it really doesn’t matter who wins. They are fighting for a WBA title so there is no way the winner can avoid me now without vacating the title”.
Gonzalez is making a long overdue return to the ring in the 108lb division next Friday against Mexican Jesus Limones 16(9)-1-1 in Managua.

Gonzalez has not fought since the January 30th demolishing of Ivan Chicken Meneses in Mexico in four rounds.

The fight is a non title 10 round tune up for the 4th defense of his 105lb crown in Japan later this year.
“The issues that have kept me out of the ring are a thing of the past”. Gonzalez says “I am ready to take my career to the next level and Segura and Calderon are in my way”.

Chazz Witherspoon and Livin Castillo weighed in for their Heavyweight showdown that will take place Saturday night at The Taj Mahal in Atlantic City in a bout that is promoted by Spartan Fight promotions and Can be seen on www.gofightlive.tv
CLICK FOR EVENT INFO

Watch Witherspoon – Castillo Weigh in in Sports  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT LIVE FOR $4.99
Chazz Witherspoon 231 – Livin Castillo 212
Farah Ennis 173 – Reggie Pena 178
Jose Reyes 138 – Walter Estrada 134
Lavarn Harvell 170 ½ – Nathan Bedwell 169
Isaiah Seldon 160 ½ – Jason Johns 164 ½
Eugene Soto 163 ½ – Maurice Williams 164

VENUE: Trump Taj Mahal
Promoter: Spartan Fight Promotions (Mike Brestle)
First Bell: 8pm est
Broadcast: www.gofightlive.tv

Photos by: Tom Briglia / PhotoGraphics Photography

Iván “Iron Boy” Calderón faces tomorrow one of the toughest challenges of his career when he faces hard punching Mexican, Giovanni “The Aztec Warrior” Segura. Calderón (34-0-1, 6KO’s) has faced the likes of Hugo Cázares, Roberto Leyva, Nelson Dieppa and Rodel Mayol, all fighters with heavy hands, but Segura (24-1, 20KO’s) may turn out to be a little more complicated than the above mentioned fighters. Not only is Segura a “thinking man’s” brawler but Calderón has showed signs of slipping more frequently as the years have gone by.

In his last outing, Calderón faced hard-hitting but limited Jesús Iribe and was knocked down before finding his groove and out-boxing his opponent to a convincing decision victory. Iribe is no Segura and carried five losses into his fight against Calderón. Some against marquee opponents such as Edgar Sosa and Brian Viloria but two other were against unknowns Erik Ramírez and Jesús Jiménez. Segura’s only loss came at the capable hands of César Canchilla and was quickly avenged by an emphatic fourth round TKO.

For the Puerto Rican southpaw, the fight represents his first opportunity to unify titles, something he could never do at minimum weight despite having defended his WBO belt eleven times (His eleventh round KO of Edgar Cárdenas was a non title fight when Cárdenas failed to make weight) and this being his sixth defense of his light flyweight title.

Segura on his behalf won the Interim WBA strap on his rematch with Canchilla and became champion after Michael Koncz a towel in the ring during his fight against Juanito Rubillar. Segura was declared the winner and went on to defend against Sonny Boy Jaro, Walter Tello and Ronald Ramos, all fights ending within the distance.

Calderón is as pure a boxer as can be. He has to be, for twelve rounds every fight, for he has no power to end fights. Segura is an unorthodox puncher. Segura will look to pressure Calderón using not only his power but his feet. All others who have tried to pressure Calderón into fighting their fight have failed to use their legs to make their pressure effective. Even though Segura has never faced a fighter of the Iron Boy’s class (none have until they face him) he has shown he can cut off the ring when he gets to his opponents and that may be the key to defeating Iván.

Still, Calderón’s experience should help him negate his opponent’s advantages in size, youth and power. The champion from Guaynabo has proven versatile and effective against taller opponents with longer reach. His toughest fights have come against very unorthodox fighters, which Segura is one, but he has still managed to pull off victories in every one of them except his first fight against Rodel Mayol which ended in a technical draw. In this Ring Magazine’s Champion against number one contender, I expect the Champion to remain so.

The card is presented by PR Best Boxing and will be available through pay-per-view

Program Lineup Through Friday September 3
Date Sport Event Price
Fri Aug 27 7:00PM ET Boxing The Big Rock Out 3 $9.99 More info
Fri Aug 27 8:30PM ET MMA Ring of Fire Presents Summer Brawl $9.95 More info
Sat Aug 28 6:00PM ET Boxing Gleason’s Gym – Amateurs $FREE! More info
Sat Aug 28 8:00PM ET Boxing Spartan Fight Promotions – Battle #1 $4.99 More info

Boxing
The Big Rock Out 3
Fri Aug 27 7:00PM ET
Click here to watch this event on GoFightLive!

ATLANTA, GA. The Big Rock Out professional boxing series and rock concert will be held on Friday, August 27th, 2010 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza. This event will feature eight bouts, including the main event featuring former WBC Lightweight Champion Zahir “King” Raheem (30-3) vs Roberto Valenzuela (52-53-2). The Co-Main event will feature Paul “The Truth” Delgado (23-9-1) vs Chad Greenleaf (12-15-1).

GUESTS OF HONOR
Evander Holyfield (Bronze Medal) One and only four-time Heavyweight World Champion breaking Muhammad Ali’s record, three-time cruiser weight World Champion Tyrell Biggs (Gold Medal) the first and only American to win the Super Heavyweight Gold Medal, US National Amateur Champion and top-flight heavyweight contender Virgil Hill (Silver Medal) two- time Cruiserweight and three-time Light Heavyweight World Champion, the most title defenses of any light heavyweight champion in history, WBA comeback fighter of the year Henry Tillman (Gold Medal) Decorated amateur, cruiserweight World Champion 1984 Olympic Boxing Team.

For full fight card and more details about this event, visit GoFightLive.tv or click here

Spartan Fight Promotions – Battle #1
Sat Aug 28 8:00PM ET
Click here to watch this event on GoFightLive!

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (August 2, 2010) – On Saturday night, August 28th, Spartan Fight Promotions will present Battle I at the beautiful Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City with a terrific main event that will pit Heavyweight contender Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon battling rough veteran Livin Castillo in a tough heavyweight bout scheduled for ten rounds.

Also featured are undefeated fighters, Qa’id Muhammad (Super Flyweight), Joel De La Paz (Super Middleweight), Lavarn Harvell (Light Heavyweight) and Eugene Soto (Middleweight).

For full fight card and more details about this event, visit GoFightLive.tv or click here

Gleason’s Gym – Amateurs
Sat Aug 28 6:00PM ET
Click here to watch this event on GoFightLive!

For more details about this event, visit GoFightLive.tv or click here

A couple of weeks back I was made a promise by Giovani Segura’s manager Ricky Mota he agreed to my request to an interview with Segura ahead of his WBA & WBO Unification fight with Ivan Calderon. Now it’s not unheard for your requests not to come to fruition in this game. However a man of his word Ricky Mota contacted me from Puerto Rico to fulfill his part of the bargain. Now Segura 28, aims to complete his part of the deal he wanted the biggest and best fight out there and his team dually delivered Calderon. The fight takes place in Calderon’s homeland of Puerto Rico this Saturday where he is a National Treasure and very difficult to beat. A fact not lost on Segura or his team who know that they are public enemy number one at the moment and will most likely have to KO there Hall of fame bound opponent. Going into the fight Segura sports an impressive 24-1-1(20) ledger with 77% KO ratio

Hello Giovani, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – In the last few days it’s been announced that you will be facing Ivan Calderon in a Unification. What can you tell us about that fight ands how you see it?

Giovanni Segura – Im very happy to unify with best 108 in the world ivan calderon, I see the fans being the winner of the fight but without a doubt me beating him that night.

Anson Wainwright – What do you expect from Calderon? How good do you think he is?

Giovanni Segura – I think there is no secret he will run and box and i will try to be smart and knock him out.

Anson Wainwright – You’ve been busy so far this year having two fights already winning both. What can you tell us about them?

Giovanni Segura – Good exciting fights that gave me more experience just what i need under m belt.

Anson Wainwright – Tell us about your team who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you use?

Giovanni Segura – Manager Richard Mota, Trainer Javier Capetillo & promoter Top Rank. I train at the Azteca Boxing Club in Bell Ca.

Anson Wainwright – Much has been made of Capetillo after what happened with the Margarito-Mosley fight. What is your take on it?

Giovanni Segura – No Comment

Anson Wainwright – What are your goals in Boxing?

Giovanni Segura – To fight the best and keep unifying my world titles

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us how you first became interested in Boxing and went to the Aztec Club?

Giovanni Segura – Since I was kid I’ve been interested in boxing started when iwas 16 years old

Anson Wainwright – What can you tell us about yourself as a person, your hobbies, interests and facts about yourself? What fighters did you like when you were young and who do you like now?

Giovanni Segura – Im a clean honest man, that likes to play soccer and spend time with my family. julio cesar chavez, finito lopez, felix trinidad

Anson Wainwright – How do you find making 108? Do you struggle? What is your walk around weight when not training? Do you have a special diet when a fight is coming up?

Giovanni Segura – I struggle a little bit to make 108 but nothing crazy. my walk around weight is 122.

Anson Wainwright – What do you think of the Light Flyweight division and the strength of it? What do you think of your fellow champions?

Giovanni Segura – I dont think much of my fellow champions.but would love unify with them all.

Anson Wainwright – What is the fight you would most like and how do you envisage it turning out?

Giovanni Segura – Ivan Calderon by KO.

Anson Wainwright – Finally is there anything you’ll like to add?

Giovanni Segura – Thanks for having me here dont miss my fight with calderon there will be fireworks

Anson Wainwright – Thanks for your time Giovani,

Giovanni Segura – It’s been a pleasure.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Another night at the Nokia Center downtown Los Angeles brings us another installment of Golden Boy’s Fight Night Club! With the music blaring and the crowd hyped up, the card was packed with 8 fights including 2 amateur bouts.

The first bout was a junior welter fight featuring Devo Donaldson of Hollywood and Osman Rivera of Pasadena. The action was saved for the second round as Donaldson was knocked down twice. On the second knockdown, the referee stopped the bout and Rivera was the victor.

The second bout was also in he 140 weight class. Out of Maywood, CA Sergio Nunez battled Joaquin Chavez out of nearby Commerce, CA. As to be expected these bys came out swinging and showed little to no defense. The third and final round had two knockdowns before going the distance. The winner was Sergio Nunez.

In the first professional bout of the evening, Bastie Samir (3-0, 3KO’s) of Ghana met Jacob Alvarez (0-1) of Victor Valley, CA. Bastie was like a bully, following Alvarez around the ring and landing meaningful power punches! The bout was stopped at end of the first round much to Mr. Alvarez’s delight

The next bout was a four round, welterweight bout pitting Stephen Rubalcava (0-1) against Salvador Rios who was making his pro debut. Rios worked his jab often while mixing in many body shots. It was only a matter of time before Rubalcava would have to succumb to the constant pressure but the referee stopped the fight midway through giving Rios a TKO victory in his first fight.

The next bout was another welterweight bout; undefeated Antonio Orozco (7-0, 5KO’s) was meeting the more experienced Humberto Tapia (15-14-1, 8KO’s). This fight was close and had tons of action with both guys in each others kitchen all fight. By the end of the fourth round it was anyone’s guessas to who was winning but in the fifth round Orozco seemed to take a slight lead as he began to double up his jab. And the scorecards were the same on all three cards, 60-54, to the winner Oroxco.

In our next fight, Johnathon Bobadillo met Juan Figueroa in a battle of junior welterweight fighters. Both fighting in front of a hometown crowd, these guys were looking to leave a lasting impression but both guys looked like amateurs, swinging wildly and missing. In a battle between two soda cans, how do you pick which one was less of a dud? Well the judges did…the scores were 39-36, 39-36, 38-37 all for Bobadilla who improves to 5-3.

In the main event of the night, local fave and undefeated Ronny Rios (11-0, 5KO’s) met Leivi Brea of Miami, FL (17-8-3. 9KO’s). The first was a feeling out round, both fighters were overly cautious but I would give the edge to Brea. Rios became more aggressive in the second, perhaps too aggressive as he dropped Brea from a low blow (by corcelli). Something lit a fire under these guys as the both came out swinging in the third. Both guys landed big shots. The fourth ended controversially…after a flash knockdown by Rios, a second knockdown came moments later but Brea tried to claim that it was from a low blow. While on the canvas complaining, Brea was counted out at 2:59 of the round.

In the final bout, Armando Dorantes of LA met Sergio De La Torre of Escandido, CA. With a very quick left hook, Dorantes dropped Torre in what seemed to be a flash knockdown. Seconds later Dorantes dropped him and the ref waved the bout off at 1:06 of the first. Dorantes is now 8-2 with 2KO’s.

A couple of pretty good actors are scheduled for a fight that will match them Saturday night in Boston in a mixed mess of boxing, wrestling, checkers, chess, apples and oranges. I’m not exactly sure what all Randy Couture and James Toney will be doing. I just wish they weren’t doing it.

The Expendables, with a cast that includes Couture in a major role, is a hit, an entertaining few hours of fiction during a long summer when Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. is still just a fantasy. But it would have been a relief if the film turned into reality and Toney-Couture was made expendable long before it ever happened. This is no knock on the movie or Couture or Toney, a former middleweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight champion who was convincing as Joe Frazier in the 2001 film Ali.

In some corners, this so-called fight– Toney the boxer versus Couture the UFC legend — is being portrayed as a final judgment on whether the art in the martial mix is sweeter than anything in boxing’s traditional science. Please, Toney is 42 and Couture is 47. Give the winner an AARP belt or a shot at Evander Holyfield, but don’t take this more seriously than anything you might see in a parking lot after last call.

Other than Toney, everybody thinks Couture wins easily because he has the home-cage advantage. He knows his way around the chain-link fence, unlike Toney, who knows all about clinching, but won’t be able to trash-talk his way out of Couture’s Greco-Roman education. Toney figures to have his feet taken out from under him and find himself flat on his back not long after the circus begins.

So what?

This mismatch of mixed skill has never been known to go far or prove much. On the scale of significance, it belongs right there, alongside Mayweather-versus-Big Show.

Three years ago, former heavyweight Tommy Morrison tried a version of mixed martial arts in a show with rules written to favor his punching power. Against an unknown, Morrison was allowed to wear shoes against his bare-footed opponent in at a casino on Apache land in Northern Arizona. Like Toney, Morrison bragged about how dangerous his punches would be in the four-ounce gloves worn by MMA fighters.

But Morrison never got much of a chance to land the power that made him a dangerous heavyweight. He got shoved around the cage, looking trapped and panicked. He was declared the winner, although it was hard to tell. He needed those shoes to run out of the cage and into a waiting van, never heard from again.

The crowd, MMA partisans, booed Morrison and a show without winners.

Expendable then. Expendable now.
NOTES, ANECDOTES

· Jose Sulaiman, president of the Mexico City-based World Boxing Council, threatened to suspend lightweight Genaro Trazancos and featherweight Adolfo Landeros for fighting last Friday in Tucson in defiance of a declaration that the WBC would not authorize Mexicans to box in Arizona because of the state’s tough new immigration law. Trazancos and Landeros said they were in Arizona only to make a living. If Sulaiman is serious and not just grandstanding, he would pay the fighters the purses that they would forfeit if they didn’t fight in Arizona. The WBC has been taking money in the form of sanction fees out of fighters’ pockets for years.

· Despite Sulaiman’s threats, Don Chargin, last Friday’s promoter at Casino Del Sol, plans to stage another card on Tucson property on Sept 24 or Oct. 1. Despite controversy over the immigration legislation, Chargin says that Arizona will continue to be an important boxing market. He points out that Roger Mtagwa’s dramatic 10th-round stoppage of Tomas Villa in a featherweight bout at Casino Del Sol was a contender for Fight-of-the-Year honors in 2008

Dan Rafael of espn.com reported that disgraced former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito received a boxing License in Texas and a proposed fight with Manny Pacquiao will now go forward on November 13th at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX.

“After a thorough review of his application it was determined Mr. Margarito met the requirements of the Texas Combative Sports Act and Rules,” William Kuntz, the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, said in a statement.

“I want to thank the state of Texas for granting me a boxing license which enables me to continue my passion for the sport of boxing in the United States,” Margarito said in a statement. “I have dedicated my life to giving the fans of the sport entertainment and excitement. On Nov. 13, this great opportunity will ultimately be fulfilled when I battle Manny Pacquiao.”

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, on vacation in France, was happy with the news.

“For me, it was like a terrible nightmare, this whole thing, and now the sun is shining,” Arum told ESPN.com. “I really believe that it will be a very competitive fight. One guy is much bigger and stronger [Margarito] and the other guy [Pacquiao] is quicker and hits with both hands. It will be a fascinating fight to watch.”

“I was never a big fan of the ABC, but they were totally honorable and very responsible in this whole situation,” Arum said. “They made us go back to California, which to me didn’t make sense. But we did it because they requested it and then they issued a letter saying any state was free to license him. I really believed that once we followed the ABC road map that we were going to be OK.”

“Based on the review of the above information I have authorized the issuance of a license to Mr. Margarito,” Kuntz said.

“I think the crowd will be much bigger and Jerry [Jones] thinks it will also,” Arum said. “The last fight was not during football season. This one is, and we have all the Dallas Cowboys assets they use during the season to help this time. We have a lot of stuff that we didn’t have for the Clottey fight. With Margarito being Hispanic, and this is North Texas, which has a huge Hispanic population, that will make this even bigger.”

Jones said: “This is a good one because we know Margarito — with our fan base, in our area — if we do the fight, then it’ll be a big draw.”

CLICK FOR FULL EVENT INFO
Gleason’s Gym continues the monthly boxing series, Saturday, August 28th at 6:00 PM.

The jam packed card will have Junior, Senior and Master boxers competing. The weigh in begins at 4:00 PM.

New York’s number one matchmaker, Angela Querol made the matches.

This event is sanctioned by USABoxingMetro

The admission price is $20.00.

Gym members and registered amateurs with their books in hand pay $15.00

(only children under 5 are no charge)

Mark your calendar!

Saturday, September 11th at BB King Blues Club and Grill

The British National team will box a New York All Star team.

We are looking for sponsors and benefactors.

Please help.

Atlantic City, NJ–Undefeated super middleweight Dennis “The Assassin” Hasson and fellow-Philadelphian Tommie “Big Poppa” Speller meet in the scheduled eight-round semifinal on Saturday evening, Sept. 25, in the Grand Ballroom at Bally’s Atlantic City.

The scheduled 12-round main event features Teon Kennedy, of Philadelphia, against Alex Becerra, of El Paso, TX, for the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) super bantamweight title. First of seven bouts begins at 7.30 p.m.

The card will be televised by www.gofightlive.tv.

Hasson, 26, of the Kensington section of Philadelphia, is 10-0, 3 K0s, since turning pro in 2008. In his last fight July 30 at the South Philly Arena, Hasson ended an eight-month layoff by scoring a six-round decision over Alberto Mercedes, of Milwaukee, WI.

As an amateur, Hasson compiled a 94-16 record and earned a silver medal in the 2006 US National Amateur Championships.

Boxing runs in Hasson’s blood. Hall-of-Fame light-heavyweight champion Tommy Loughran, also of Philadelphia, was his maternal grand uncle. In addition, Hasson was born on Tusculum Street, where Rocky Balboa lived in the movie.

Speller, 32, of West Philadelphia, is a tough customer who just came off a hard eight-round points loss to unbeaten Dion Savage on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The only foe common to both men is Dave Cook, of Butler, PA. Speller beat Cook by decision earlier this year while Hasson stopped Cook in four rounds in 2008.

Tickets priced at $50 and $75 are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions (215-765-0922) and also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com.

Tonight was the first card this writer covered where Boxrec.com couldn’t serve as a reference tool.

There weren’t any titles up for grabs and only two of the bouts were scheduled for more than three rounds. A ten point must system was nonexistent. Hometown decisions didn’t come into play. Most importantly, the combatants fought for pride and experience, not paychecks.

The Dover Boxing Club presented an entertaining fourteen fight amateur card at the elegant Palisadium in Cliffside Park, NJ, which has a breathtaking view of New York City. The venue was comparable to nearby Schuetzen Park, a popular North Jersey club show venue. Those on hand cheered loudly for the fighters they came to support, but also paid their opponents homage.

“I have always loved working with the amateurs,” said Rich Stoltenborg, the Dover Boxing Club’s Director who organized the show and also trains multiple pros. “It’s a different level of course but this is the heart of boxing. This is where the kids begin from eight years old until some of them turn pro.”

Stoltenborg also acknowledges that things are a lot smoother in the unpaid ranks than in the pros.

“Everybody basically gets along even though there are some arguments.” “We are all here for the same reason to build these kids’ character, keep them off the streets and keep them honest.”

Here are this evening’s results

170 lb Sub Novice: Darius Wesley (Silver City Boxing Club) Dec Henry Logan (Dover Boxing Club)

147 lb Sub Novice: Justin McGee (Middletown PAL) Dec James Kuehnapfel (Dover)

180 lb Sub Novice: Paul Stanton (Union City Boxing Club) Dec Dave Shahinian (Evolution)

130 lb Open Class Female: Jamielee Smith (Dover) Dec Candice Perez (Aces)

201 lb Sub Novice: Ken Reid (Middletown PAL) RSC 2 (TKO) Alex Banari (Passaic Boxing Club)

140 lb Sub Novice: Jason Herrera (Evolution) DEC Daniel Gonzalez (Hackensack PAL)

201 lb Novice: Michael Lowery (Plainfield Boxing Club) DEC Dan Mansfield (Dover)

151 lb Sub Novice: Andrew Ridner (Dover) Dec Damien Elliott (Hackensack)

160 lb Sub Novice: Miles O’Connor Dec Tim Rajkumar (Aces)

125 lb Novice: Herkin De La Rosa (Union City) Dec Jose Martinez (Plainfield)

201 lb Sub Novice: Chase Hoookway (Dover) RSC 2 Jose Marrero (Aces)

163 lb Open Class: Anthony Gangemi DEC Haquil Glen (Elite)

150 lb Sub Novice: John Tealan (Hackensack) Dec Argenis Matos (Elite)

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Spartan Fight Promotions Press conference that took place on August 25th at the GNP Fitness Center in Atlantic City announcing the August 28th fight card at The Taj Mahal in Atlantic City that will feature Chazz Witherspoon battling Livin Castillo and can be seen LIVE on gofightlive.tv

Watch Spartan Fight Promotions Press Conference Part 1 in Sports  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
PART 2

Watch Spartan Fight Promotions Press Conference Part 2 in Sports  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com