Weekly Sunday Morning Open Line talk show with Marc Abrams LIVE on air with ringside report from MSG and the Lopez/Gamboa fights! 15rounds.com’s Johnny Schulz writer presents: Talking BOXING with JSizzle and New York Dan NYD – A weekly Sunday Morning boxing show covering Boxing from all angles. Alongside and boxing aficionado Danny “NYD” Stasiukiewicz, RTB will cover: • All of the week’s top boxing stories from results to upcoming fights to anything and everything Boxing.

15rounds.com Matt Yanofsky caught up with WBA Super Welterweight champion Yuri Foreman to discuss a proposed June 12th showdown with Miguel Cotto
interview-with-yuri-foreman

15rounds.com’s Matt Yanofsky catches up with legendary promoter Bob Arum after impressive wins by Yuriorkis Gamboa and Juan Manuel Lopez at Madison Square Garden’s WaMu theater
interview-with-bob-arum

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Allan Green will replace Jermain Taylor in Showtime’s Super Six Middleweight boxing classing and will face Andre Ward on April 17th.

Green was rumored for a February 5th bout with Sakio Bika as a “Box Off” to enter the tournament but plans were scrapped.

“It’s a great opportunity for him to be in the Super Six,” Said Green’s promoter Lou DiBella. “He was ready and willing and able to do the fight with Bika. It didn’t happen, and I think there are actually a lot of people breathing a sigh of relief — Showtime and Ward’s people — because the turnaround from Feb. 5 to April 17 was very quick considering the nature of how Allan and Bika fight. The chances of them coming out of the fight without a scratch was unlikely, which would have messed up the April schedule.”

“It wasn’t like it was planned for Allan to take over for Jermain,” DiBella said. “Had we not had the tournament available for us, we were in consideration to fight [titleholder] Lucian Bute [in April]. Allan would have had other opportunities. That said, I think Allan is the right guy for the spot.

“An American had dropped out and Allan was the best American 168-pounder that wasn’t already in the tournament.”

“He has the Mighty Thor tattooed on his arm because he’s a big puncher and carries the hammer of Thor,” DiBella said. “He’s a big puncher and that’s his great equalizer. Ward is a tremendously talented boxer but if you get hit flush by Green, you’re going to have problems, and I think that will be a real issue for Andre. That will make it an interesting fight.”

“He has a disadvantage, but he has that great ability to get the three points in any fight as well as anyone in the tournament outside of Abraham,” DiBella said. “He was prepared to fight his way into the tournament by fighting Bika and the cancellation of that fight gave him the opportunity to walk in. Now it’s up to him to take advantage of that opportunity.”

Juan Manuel Lopez became a two division world champion after scoring a jaw dropping seventh round stoppage over WBO Featherweight titleholder Steven Lueveno. After a slow opening round where both men mostly took their time, Lopez took control. With upwards of 5,000 Puerto Rican supporters cheering him on at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Lopez landed a number of solid uppercuts, body shots and straight left hands in close quarters.

The counter punching Lueveno surprisingly tried to make it a dog fight and was able to land a few head shots, but ultimately ended up paying the price for not sticking to his game plan. Lopez thoroughly dominated the sixth, where Lueveno’s punch out dramatically decreased.

With a gassed opponent in front of him in round seven, Lopez badly rocked Lueveno with a hard uppercut before dropping him on his back with a left hook. Lueveno stood up on shaky legs, forcing referee Benji Esteves to stop the contest 44 seconds in.

“JuanMa looked spectacular. He did what he had to do and he beat a great champion with six title defenses”, Said Ivan Rivera, who is Lopez co-promoter with PR Boxing

“We are looking to make our first title defense in Puerto Rico in May and the Gamboa fight will happen down the line — Matt Yanofsky

Yuriorkis Gamboa retained his WBA “Regular” Featherweight title after demolishing tough Philadelphia based Tanzanian Rogers “The Tiger” Mtagwa inside of two rounds. From the opening moments of the fight, Gamboa’s advantage in speed and athleticism was evident. The 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist tagged Mtagwa with a number of clean head shots in the opening stanza en route to scoring a flash knockdown with a perfectly timed left hook.

Gamboa blitzed Mtagwa in round two, decking him hard with another left hook. The game Mtagwa did all he could to survive the rest of the round, but a combination from the rapidly improving Gamboa sent him crumbling to the canvas, forcing referee Steve Smoger to call a halt to the contest at 2:35.

Gamboa, of Miami, FL via Cuba, improves to 17-0 (15 KO’s), while Mtagwa drops to 25-14-2 (18 KO’s).–Matt Yanofsky

Popular Middleweight “Irish” John Duddy needed just 115 seconds to dismantle Juan Astorga in a bout scheduled for eight rounds.

Duddy dropped Astorga with what looked like a left to the top of the head on a punch that did not look like a telling blow. Duddy emphatically put Astorga down for a second and final time as he dropped Astorga with a vicious left hand to the body. Astorga was in pain and the referee stopped his count at five with Astorga riving on pain in the ground.

Duddy, 160 1/2 lbs of New York, NY is now 28-1 with eighteen knockouts. Astorga, 159 1/2 lbs of Lee’s Summitt, MO is now 14-4-1.

Junior Middleweight rising star Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak scored a one-sided eight round unanimous decision over Ishmail Arvin. Wolak pressured Arvin from bell to bell, tagging the Baltimore, MD native with crisp shots to both the body and the head. Arvin showed tremendous heart and refused to back down, but Wolak, who also showed improved head movement, simply had too much. Scores were 80-72 and 79-73 twice.

“This was a tough fight” said Wolak, a Mount Arlington, NJ native who improved to 26-1 with 18 knockouts with the victory. “He was a physical fighter and landed some good shots so I owe him all the credit in the world for coming to fight and I am ready for whoever is next.”

Arvin drops to 15-2-4 (7 KO’s) with the defeat.

Jr. Welterweight Chris Algieri was bloodied but that didint deter him from pounding out a six round unanimous decision over James Hope.

Algieri continued to come forward despite the blood leaking from his nose and landed some solid left hooks against the game Hope.

Algieri, 140 1/2 lbs of Huntington, NY won by scores of 59-55, 58-56 and 58-56 to stay undefeated at 10-0. Hope, 141 1/4 lbs of Rock Hill, SC is now 4-4.

Exciting featherweight prospect Jorge “Kid” Diaz, of Jersey City, NJ upped his record to 11-0 (7 KO’s) after demolishing Denver, CO’s Tommy Atencio in 87 seconds. Diaz dropped Atencio, 4-4 (2 KO’s), hard with an overhand right and again with a solid body, which ended Atencio’s night.

“I went into the fighting looking to box” said Diaz, who scored a jaw dropping knockout against 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Yan Barthelemy the last time he fought at Madison Square Garden. “I caught him hard with that right hand, so the opening was there to end it early”.

According to Diaz’ manager Pat Lynch, Diaz will return March 20 in Florida.

Queens, NY’s Will Rosinsky improved to 10-0 (6 KO’s) after scoring a workmanlike four round decision over durable Markas Gonazlez of Kansas City, KS. Rosinsky, a multi time Golden Gloves champion, landed a number of good body shots and straight right hands. To his credit, Gonzalez never gave up and pressured Rosinsky from bell to bell. Scores were 40-35 and 40-36 twice. With the defeat, Gonzalez drops to 7-3 (4 KO’s).

Local favorite Tommy Rainone used a second round knockdown to facilitate a four round unanimous decision over Gerardo Cesar Prieto.

Rainone dropped Prieto with a straight left hand and coasted down the stretch as he moved out of dodge from any of Prieto’s offense.

Scores were 40-35; 39-36; and 39-36 for Rainone, 148 lbs of Plain View, NY and is now 13-3. Prieto, 147 lbs of Provo, UT is now 6-8-1.

Former Puerto Rican Olympan, Carlos Negron scored a six round unanimous decision over Garrett Wilson in a Ccruiserweight bout.

Negron battered the game Wilson as he landed numerous body punches and when he went to the head he drew blood from the nose of Wilson as early as round three. Wilson would leap inm and try to land the one scoring blow that would turn the fight around but that didn’t happen as Negron used almost a one foot height advantage to easily avoid any of Wilson’s big shots.

Wilson, 181 lbs of San Juan, Puerto Rico won by scores of 60-54 on all cards is now 7-0. Wilosn, 178 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia is now 7-3.

Photos by Chris Farina of Top Rank

North Bergen, NJ based Colombian Carlos “El Olimpico” Tamara sent shockwaves through the boxing world with a stunning 12th round TKO over IBF Junior Flyweight champion Brian Viloria early this morning at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Viloria controlled the majority of the early and middle rounds, with hard right hands and crisp body shots, but following the 8th, Tamara turned the tides.

The challenger pressured Viloria, using a solid flurry of punches to wear down the 2000 US Olympian. Tamara, who displayed phenomenal stamina, almost forced the severely gassed Viloria into submission in round 11.

Knowing he would still need a knockout to claim the title, Tamara unloaded a barrage of punches and rocked Viloria’s in the opening minute of the final stanza. The spaghetti legged Viloria twice slipped to the canvas due to sheer exhaustion and made it back to his feet, hoping to somehow finish the fight. He wasn’t so lucky.

Viloria did all he could to try and survive, but a follow up assault by Tamara left him defenseless, forcing referee Bruce McTavish to stop the contest and crown a new world champion.

Tamara improves to 21-4 (15 KO’s), while Viloria returns home to Hawaii at 26-3 (15 KO’s). The victory also derails a scheduled
unification between Viloria and WBO champion Ivan Calderon.

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

After Shane Mosley and Andre Berto had their bout canceled for next Saturday night in Las Vegas, a solid undercard was also postponed but one of the main fights has found a home as Yusaf Mack will now battle Glen Johnson in an IBF Light Heavyweight elimination bout on February 5th in Miami in a bout that will be televised by ESPN 2.

Mack 25-2-2 with seventeen knockouts of Philadelphia will be looking to secure a title shot but the former champion Johnson, 49-13-2 with thirty-three knockouts will be standing in his way in front of Johnson’s adopted hometwon fans in Miami.

When reached for comment, Mack’s co-manager Rory Donadio told 15rounds.com, “Team Mack want’s to thank (ESPN Boxing Czar) Doug Loughary for pulling a rabbit out of his hat to make this fight possible”

Nelson Fernandez (Manager): I saw the Solis fight several times and Viloria has huge power, but Carlos can punch with both hands.” “Two of Carlos’ losses came in his opponent’s hometown, but we have learned from our mistakes and will be leaving Viloria’s home country with his title.”

“We want Calderon next since the 108 lb division is in dire need of unification but first thing is first”.

Butch Sanchez (head trainer): Tomorrow will be the happiest day of my life when he takes Viloria’s belt. Three of Carlos’ four losses were controversial (so don’t judge him on that). I have no doubt that Carlos wins tomorrow; there is a reason that Viloria didn’t want to fight us and the IBF had to mandate it!”

Angel “Ping” Dejesus (assistant trainer): “Carlos remained very humble throughout training and he knows this is a golden opportunity. We are here in Viloria’s home country to show him what champions are made of”.

Carlos “El Olimpico” Tamara (20-4 14 KO’s) of North Bergen, NJ meets IBF Junior Flyweight champion Brian Viloria (26-2 15 KO’s) tomorrow at the Cuneta Astrodome in the Philippines. The 10 fight card is available in the US on pay per view starting at 9 am ET.

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

While many of the top stars in Boxing enjoyed a successful amateur career winning various honours it’s not always integril to their development. It also doesn’t gaurentee success in the pro’s. The two sports after all are very different. There’s no exact formula to enjoying success in both sports. In America & Britain fighters tend to go from the amateur’s to pro’s without the same sort of grounding that they get if they were from Cuba, Russia or another Eastern Block country. This isn’t nessessarily a bad thing as a punishing schedule can mean that a guy leaves the best years in the unpaid ranks. However it can also provide him with the chance to hone his skills further and give him much more experience. At the end of the day it’s a fine balancing act.

We start off our closer look into some of the most prestigious amateur tournements with the National Golden Gloves.

Super Heavyweight – Over 201 – Only came into existance in 1982 since then no fighter has successfully won this title and gone on to fight for the Heavyweight title much less win one. Larry Donald probably holds the distinction of being the best fighter of the past winners who went on to have a decent pro career.

Heavyweight – 201 – Is one of the original division’s which debuted way back in 1962. Four fighters have won both the National Golden Gloves & later World title. Michael Dokes became the first in 1976 he later won the WBA Heavyweight crown when he briefly reigned from 1982-83. Greg Page followed in 1978 he beat the very man who unseated Dokes a certain Gerrie Coetzee and again only reigned briefly from 1984-85. In 1984 Mike Tyson won the title before going on to have a stellar career that saw him win become the youngest Heavyweight champion in history. He also unified the title before coming back to win the WBC & then the WBA crowns. Finally in 1986 Orlin Norris won Golden Gloves. Unlike Dokes, Page & Tyson he opted to drop down to Cruiserweight when he became WBA championship. In the 23 years since Norris triumph only Fres Oquendo & Calvin Brock have fought for a version of the Heavyweight title. While 2002 winner Matt Godfrey has dropped to Cruiserweight and will look to emulate Norris when he fights for the vacant title possibly in March.

Light Heavyweight – 178 – Another original weight class. That has seen 5 previous winners go onto world honours in the pro’s. Firstly Marvin Johnson who was the 1971 champion before winning the WBA Light Heavyweight crown in 1978 after a brief reign he then won the WBA title that didn’t last long either before he regained the WBA title in 1986 only to lose it in 1987. Lee Roy Murphy achieved the honour as 1979 champion and followed it up winning the IBF Cruiserweight title reigning from 1984-86. The Great Evander Holyfield became the third to do so when he won the 178 title in 1984 before going onto unify both Cruiserweight & later the Heavyweight division in the late 80’s early 90’s. Ten years later Antonio Tarver won the Golden Gloves then held either the WBC/WBA or IBF titles at some point in the past decade. In 1998 Steve Cunningham became the most recent he went on to hold the IBF Cruiserweight crown from 2007-08.

Middleweight – 165 – Since it debuted back in 1962 the Middleweight’s have produced 5 future World champions. First came Marvin Johnson who first won the 1971 title before moving up to 1972 to win the Light Heavyweight crown. In 1976 Michael Spinks took the honours before winning the IBF Light Heavyweight championship he then unified it over the next few years before heading to Heavyweight where he became the IBF kinpin. As well as fighting at the 1984 Olympics Virgil Hill won that years Golden Gloves before having 3 successful stints as WBA x2 and one as IBF Light Heavyweight holder before in the latter part of his career when he moved to Cruiserweight where he collect the WBA laurels. The following year William Guthrie followed Hill’s lead. In 1997 he won the vacant IBF Light Heavyweight title before losing it in his first defence. The most recent winner was Byron Mitchell who claimed 1996 title then twice became WBA Super Middleweight champion.

Light Middleweight – 156 – Though this division is now defunct in amateur circles it did run from 1967-2002. In those years 6 fighters won the championship. The first to hold this distinction was Michael Spinks who won it in 1974 before moving up to Middleweight. Frank Tate was the 1983 holder before embarking on a pro career that saw him become the IBF Middleweight champion in 1987, a title he held for nearly a year. Future four weight world champion Roy Jones was the 1987 Golden Gloves champion. Lonnie Bradley held took the honour in 1992 and held the WBO Middleweight crown from 1995-97. Jermain Taylor is among very few to successfully retain the title he won in 1998 when returned in 1999. He then went on to win the Unified Middleweight Championship in 2005 before being stripped of two of the belts, he lost the remaining two in 2007. Andre Berto was the 2001 champion, he currently hold the WBC Welterweight belt.

Welterweight – 152 – Seven men have enjoyed success in both the Golden Gloves and the pro’s. It started with 1966 champion Hedgemon Lewis who in 1972 became the NYSAC holder. In 1977 & 1979 Mike McCullum held the title he went on to become a three weight world champion. In 1980 Donald Curry achieved one of his best amateur honours before going onto become Unified Welterweight holder and later the Light Middleweight champion. Frankie Liles was next in 1986 then in 1994 he completed the double winning the WBA Super Middleweight title remaining champion until 1999. Prior to winning gold at the 1996 Olympics David Reid won the 1993 championship. He went on to hold the WBA Light Middleweight title for a year from 1999 to 2000. Cory Spinks followed in his uncles steps winning the 1997 crown. As a pro he became the Unified Welterweight holder and a two time IBF Light Middleweight champion to which is is still today. After winning the 2001 Light Middleweight title Andre Berto dropped four pounds to again become champion in 2003.

Light Welterweight – 141 – Since this division came into being in 1967 at the Golden Gloves 6 men have achieved both titles. The first three are the Legendary quartet of Sugar Ray Leonard who won it in 1974 before going on to win world titles in 5 weight classes from Welterweight through to Light Heavyweight. He was followed by rival Thomas Hearns in 1977 who also went onto become a 5 weight world champion also from Welterweight to Light Heavyweight. In 1986 Roy Jones Jnr held the title before again going onto hold World titles at 4 weights from Middleweight upto Heavyweight only missing out the Cruiserweight crown. St Louis Terron Millett became the 1991 holder. He shocked many people when he beat another former Golden Gloves champion Vince Phillips for the IBF Light Welterweight title in 1999. Another Olympian David Diaz won three out of four titles from 1993, the one he didn’t win was in 1995 when DeMarcus Corley took the honours. Diaz of coarse became WBC Lightweight holder while Corley was the WBO Light Welterweright champion.

Lightweight – 132 – Five men here won both titles. Starting with the aforementioned Hedgemon Lewis in 1964. Followed by Sugar Ray Leonard in 1973. The outstanding Aaron Pryor won back to back championships from 175-76 before going onto have an fantastic pro career in which he is widely regarded as one of the best Light Welterweights ever. He held a first the WBA then IBF crown from 1980 to 1985. When Pryor was stripped of the WBA crown in 1983 Johnny Bumphus held the title though only four six months. He won the National Golden Gloves in 1979. The most recent winner was way back in 1985 by Vince Phillips.

Featherweight – 126 – Only three previous winners here firstly Eddie Hopson in 1988 he later held the IBF Super Featherweight in the mid 90’s briefly. The following year Oscar De La Hoya captured the title he then went on to become the first 6 weight world champion enjoying many successes along the way to collecting 10 World titles in the 90’s and 2000’s. The third to do this was Floyd Mayweather Jnr in 1996. Like De La Hoya he has gone on to enjoy a brillaint career in which he’s won championships at 5 weights all the way from 130-154.

Bantamweight – 119 – Also produced three guys, interestingly in consecuative years in the early 80’s. Steve Cruz was the first do so in 1981 before he upset the Barry McGuigan apple cart to become WBA Featherweight champion. Meldrick Taylor dazzled many in both his amatuer and pro career. He won the 1982 crown and went on to have pro glory at Light Welterweight & later Welterweight. Texan Jesse Benevides claim the prize in 1983 before winning the WBO Super Bantamweight title.

Flyweight – 112 – The first of seven winners came in 1974 with Greg Richardson who went on to in 1991 hold the WBC Bantamweight crown. Leo Randolph won it in 1976 before winning the WBA Super Bantamweight championship in 1980. Jesse Benevides won it in 1982 then went upto Bantamweight to do it again the following year. Next came Johnny Tapia in 1985 he went on to win world titles in 3 weight classes firstly the WBO & later the IBF Super Flyweight titles before WBA & WBO Bantamweight crowns before at the tail end of his career the IBF Featherweight championship. Carl Daniels won the title in 1987 then 8 years later grew into a Light Middleweight where for 6 months in 1995 he held the WBA Light Middleweight laurels. future IBF Bantamweight champion Tim Austin won the title in 1990 & 1991. The most recent winner is Floyd Mayweather who collect 3 Golden Gloves titles this one being in 1994.

Light Flyweight – 106 – Only came in being in 1982 the following year Johnny Tapia won it two years later he went up to Flyweight to become a two weight amateur Golden Gloves champion. In 1986 it was Michael Carbajal’s turn, he of coarse went on to win a pro world title at Light Flyweight. The supremely talented future two weight world champion at Flyweight & Super Flyweight Marc Johnson was the 1988 holder. In 1993 Floyd Mayweather won the second of his three crowns. Olympian Eric Morel collected it in 1994 before becoming a pro champion in 2000 at Flyweight. Most recently it was Brian Viloria in 1999, since then he has become a two time and still reigning IBF Light Flyweight champion.

Winners in 1960’s – 1
Winners in 1970’s – 16
Winners in 1980’s – 22
Winners in 1990’s – 17
Winners in 2000’s – 1 Only Andre Berto has so far from the 2000’s gone onto win a proffessional world title.

Shaquille O’Neal has a good idea and now boxing needs a few good men to do what Kobe Bryant and LeBron James won’t. Fight for Haiti.

With noisy rancor and none of the humor that punctuates the late-night feuding between Jay Leno and David Letterman, the public is turned off by everything said and alleged in the abortive negotiations for a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight. But a chance to come together behind a good cause and for one of its own, Andre Berto, is there with the tragic earthquake that has left Port-au-Prince looking like prehistoric rubble.

O’Neal suggests that the NBA’s richest celebrities compete in the slam-dunk contest at the next All-Star Game. He wants to give half of the proceeds to Haiti. But apparently Bryant and James have decided they would rather save their legs instead of the Haitians. They said no to O’Neal’s proposal, according to various news reports. But the idea is, well, a slam dunk.

A couple of cards, one put together by Top Rank and the other by Golden Boy Promotions, with a percentage of proceeds from each for Haitian relief would say that Bob Arum, Richard Schaefer, Oscar De La Hoya, Pacquiao, Mayweather and all of the other usual suspects can actually agree on something bigger than a personal agenda.

The lead had already been taken by Berto, the World Boxing Council’s welterweight champion who set aside the biggest opportunity in his career and withdrew from a Jan. 30 bout with Sugar Shane Mosley at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay. Instead, Berto is headed to Haiti, his homeland, where at least eight in his family are reportedly dead. His sister, Naomi, her daughter and his niece, Jessica, are homeless.

“I have seen the pain in my parents’ eyes as they attempt to understand what has happened to our homeland,’’ Berto said in a statement. “…As a result of this disaster, I am mentally and physically exhausted, and I have no choice but to withdraw.’’

In a business so characterized by decisions dictated only by me-me-me, Berto’s selfless act stands out, especially in the immediate wake of the blame-game played out in the Pacquiao-Mayweather talks.

Against Mosley, Berto, who lives in Florida and was the only boxer on the Haitian Olympic team at the 2004 Athens Games, finally had his chance at becoming a player at the welterweight table. Upset Mosley, and there was a spot in line against Pacquiao and maybe Mayweather. Fight a competitive bout, and there might have been a rich rematch and even bigger riches against the biggest names in the sport.

But there is a bigger fight, Berto’s only fight. Boxing should help him fight it and in the process help itself.

NOTES, ANECDOTES

· Already, there are headlines saying that Mayweather-Mosley is almost a done deal for sometime in early May. Please, there were headlines that said the same thing about Pacquiao-Mayweather before their March 13 deal was done in. I won’t believe Mayweather is fighting until I see him in the ring with gloves on, robe off and answering an opening bell.

· If Joshua Clottey doesn’t make the Pacquiao corner nervous, he should. The March 13 date in a ring on a NFL field at the Dallas Cowboys palace has the potential to further remind everybody that they blew a chance at boxing’s Super Bowl, Pacquiao-Mayweather. Clottey is as durable as anybody in the welterweight division. He has been reminded that he was passive in the late rounds of a narrow loss to Miguel Cotto so often that he’s not likely to repeat that error. Then, there’s Pacquiao, whose motivation might have taken ht when the Mayweather talks unraveled. Pacquiao also might be looking ahead to a campaign for a Congressional seat in the Philippines. Elements for a major upset are in place.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, an exciting co-feature has been added to the potentially epic fourth bout between Israel Vasquez and Rafael Marquez as Yonnhy Perez will make the first defense of the IBF Bantamweight titlle when he takes on the undefeated and highly regarded Abner Mares on May 22nd at Staples Center in Los Angeles

“I think it’s a great opening fight for that main event and the right fight for that arena,” said Gary Shaw, Perez’s co-promoter. “I think it’s a 50-50 fight.”

“I believe if you’re going to preach and talk about doing what’s best for boxing, then you have to do what’s right,” Shaw said. “Yonnhy has an optional defense and I could have put him in easier [company], but what does that do for him or for boxing? If Yonnhy loses and it’s a great fight, which I expect it to be, he’s still very viable. If he wins, he’s bigger.”

Frank Espinoza, Mares’ manager, told ESPN.com that their side has agreed to the fight but that the 24-year-old Mares would take a tune-up fight in March. He said he’s working out the specifics of the tune-up with Golden Boy.

“We like the fight and we’ve agreed to the fight,” said Espinoza, who also manages Vazquez. “We have to finalize the contract but I don’t foresee any problems. It’s a fantastic opening fight. It’s going to be quite a doubleheader. We’re going to take a fight in March and then go ahead and fight in May. That’s what we need to do.

“Abner needs a tune-up fight to get the rust and kinks out. It’s always dangerous because you never know what will happen, but it’s more dangerous for a guy going in there with so much inactivity. We want to get him in shape, get the kinks out and prepare him to fight Perez. Abner really wants the fight. It’s his time. He’s been waiting and he wants to do it in L.A. in front of his hometown. He’s really excited and pumped up for it.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Kendall Holt will take on Kaizer Mabuza on February 27 in Atlantic City.

The bout will be part of of Top Rank’s new Fox Sports “Top Rank Live” series on but is not expected to be televised and will take place before the broadcast begins which will be headlined by Philadelphia super Prospect Mike Jones taking on Henry Bruseles.

The winner will be due a mandatory title shot against the winner of the March 6 Devon Alexander-Juan Urango 140-pound unification fight, although the match won’t necessarily be next for the Holt-Mabuza winner.

“I think this fight will re-establish Kendall because he’s fighting for the No. 1 spot [according to the IBF],” said Brandon Jacobs, the New York Giants running back who manages Holt. “I think he’ll go through this guy pretty easily and the whoever wins the Alexander-Urango fight will have to come forward and fight him. We want one of the belts.”

If Holt (25-3, 13 KOs) wins and the title fight isn’t made immediately, which is possible since the IBF mandatory won’t yet be due, Top Rank’s Bob Arum, Holt’s promoter, and Jacobs said he could next face contender Lamont Peterson on the undercard of the proposed Yuri Foreman-Miguel Cotto junior middleweight title bout.

When the unfortunate tragedy of the earthquake which struck Haiti earlier this month forced Andre Berto to withdraw from his scheduled unification bout against Shane Mosley, it forced promoter Golden Boy Promotions to cancel the entire January 30th event which was to have emanated from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The cancellation left several bouts slated for the deep undercard without a venue.

However, Golden Boy has found a home for at least one of the more prominent bouts originally pegged for January 30th, as the meeting between rising super featherweights Eloy Perez and David Rodela has been moved to January 29th. Their ten-round bout will now take place just down the road a bit at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino as a supporting bout to WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Gabriel Campillo’s title defense in a rematch against Beibut Shumenov. Golden Boy is co-promoting the card with Shumenov’s KZ Event Productions.

Perez (15-0-2, 4 KOs) of Salinas, California will be making the first defense of his WBC USNBC Super Featherweight title which he won in a back-and-forth struggle over previously undefeated Dannie Williams this past September. In his most recent bout, Perez scored the biggest win of his career, stopping the naturally larger Juan Santiago to claim the WBO NABO 130-pound crown.

Rodela (14-1-2, 6 KOs) of Oxnard, California last fought in August, cruising to a unanimous four-round decision victory over once-beaten Gamalier Rodriguez. That victory was preceded by three straight split decision wins over Juan Garcia, Marlon Aguilar and faded former champion Kevin Kelley.

The significance of their clash has increased since the bout was first signed. The January rankings issued by the WBO have Eloy Perez ranked #3 in the world at 130-pounds. With only WBO #1 Ricky Burns (who is already scheduled to meet WBO kingpin Rocky Martinez in March,) and WBO #2 Terdsak Jandaeng ranked above him in the rankings, Perez could conceivably be paired in an elimination bout next time out. For the currently unranked Rodela, a win over the WBO #3 contender would undoubtedly catapult the Oxnard native into the world rankings.

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.

Minneapolis, MN- One of Minnesota’s most heralded prospects, and former amateur national champion Javontae Starks(2-0 2 ko’s) is slated to box for the first time in his hometown on February 5 at First Avenue night club when he takes on Matt Ellis (1-1).

After fighting twice at Grand Casino Hinckley Starks’ third pro bout will be his first in his native Minneapolis. While his first bout in the Twin Cities is an exciting prospect Starks’ focus in the professionals is to compete at the same level he did in the amateurs, the national and world stage.

“I’m willing to fight the best in Minnesota, but my sights are on the national scene, and putting Minnesota on the boxing map”

Starks made a name for himself nationally in the amateurs, reaching a number one ranking at welterweight, and competing for team U.S.A. on numerous occasions. Two fights into his anticipated professional career Starks has been explosive, stopping Dan Copp in round two, and Andrew Kato in the first round.

Starks’ bout will serve as a co-feature to Minnesota middleweight champion Andy Kolle’s return against Pat Coleman. “Friday Night Fights at First Avenue” will be an 18+ event. Tickets are priced 25$, 35$, and 100$ and are available at www.first-avenue.com/event/4478/friday-night-fights-first-avenue

15rounds.com Claudia Bocanegra was present at New York’s Madison Square Garden where Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey met the media to announce their big March 13th showdown in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas

CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

See all the photos from Tuesday’s Press conference at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas to announce the big fight that will take place between WBO Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and former IBF Joshua Clottey

PHILADELPHIA (JANURY 18TH, 2010)—On Friday night, February 5th, USBA Jr. Middleweight champion, Derek “Pooh” Ennis will battle Edwin Vazquez in a special eight round Jr. Middleweight bout.

The fight will highlight a night of boxing promoted by Vernoca L. Michael and Blue Horizon Boxing Inc. as the world’s number-one boxing venue presents the annual “Valentine’s Day Special”

This bout was originally scheduled to take place on January 15th at The Arena in Philadelphia but was pushed back due to an ankle injury suffered by Ennis.

Ennis, 19-2-1 with twelve knockouts won the USBA Jr. Middleweight title with a tremendous back and forth brawl as he won a hard fought twelve round unanimous decision over Eromosele Albert on October 16th and The Legendary Blue Horizon.

Ennis and Albert exchanged hard combinations in close and the near-sellout crowd at The Legendary Blue Horizon was entertained as the fight was one of the best in Philadelphia in the past few years.

Ennis won by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 in the bout for which most ringside observers thought could have gone either way.

That win catapulted Ennis into the world rankings as he is now ranked number-thirteen by the IBF.

The win over Albert was Ennis’ seventh straight victory and he holds win over Albert (22-3-1), John Mackey (11-3-2) and Troy Browning (20-2-1) in that streak.

This will be Ennis fourth appearance at The Legendary Blue Horizon (3-0, 2 KO’s) with his most recent bout being the classic fight with Albert.

Vazquez is a seventeen year veteran and has a record of 22-14-2 with eight knockouts.

The native of Santurce, Puerto Rico has been in with some of the biggest names in boxing as evidenced by a resume that includes fights with former world title challengers, Demetrius Hopkins, Antonio Diaz, former WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Ricardo Torres, Matthew Hatton, and former Undisputed Welterweight champion Zab Judah.

Vazquez won the WBA Fedecaribe Welterweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Jose Correa (13-1) on March 23, 2007 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Local fans may remember Vazquez last appearance in the area as he lost a razor thin unanimous decision to Eric Mitchell (20-4-1) on March 15, 2008 in Sewell, New Jersey in a bout that was for the IBC Continental-America’s title.

The fight was controversial as Vazquez was deducted a point in round three for a low blow. If not for that deduction the fight would have been a draw.

In an exciting eight round co-feature, Loren Myers of Fresno, California will square off against former world title challenger Israel “Pito” Cardona.

Myers quickly became a fan favorite at The Legendary Blue Horizon after his last outing on December 4th when he battled Gee Cullmer (16-1) to one of the most controversial draws in recent memory. It was a fight where most ringsiders thought Myers dominated and should have had his hand raised and the out of towner received a standing ovation from The Blue Horizon crowd.

Myers of Fresno, California has a record of 7-7-1 with two knockouts and is coming off that disputed draw on December 4th at The Legendary Blue Horizon.

Cardona of Hartford, Connecticut brings in a record of 36-10 with twenty-eight wins coming by knockouts.

Cardona is a seventeen year veteran and raced out to a record of 17-0 with thirteen knockouts before winning the IBO International Super Featherweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Jeff Mayweather. Cardona made two title defenses over Mike Capiello (29-4) and Steve Larrimore (24-17).

Cardona lost a split decision to former world champion Charles “The Natural” Murray (39-4) before winning the USBA Lightweight championship with a stunning third round stoppage over Ivan Robinson (23-1).

Cardona made two defenses of that crown before adding the NABF championship with a twelve round split decision over Golden Johnson (15-1-2).

After scoring a seventh round stoppage over Joel Perez (24-2-2), Cardona lost in his only world title shot when he dropped a twelve round unanimous decision to Paul Spadafora.

After that title bout, Cardona went 3-3 in his next six bout before a four year hiatus.

When Cardona returned from that break he scored two quick knockouts before four consecutive losses to top guys such as Juan Buendia (13-1); Mike Jones (11-0); Antonin Decarie (17-0) and his last bout a very close unanimous decision to Hector Camacho Jr. (48-3-1) on August 29 in Cleveland.

In an eight round Featherweight bout, top prospect Eric “The Outlaw” Hunter (11-1, 4 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on an opponent to be named.

In a four round Heavyweight bout, Former World Jr. Amateur champion Joey Dewejko (1-0) will make his long awaited Philadelphia debut when he takes on Damon Clement (0-2) of Ohio in a four round bout.

In a four round Welterweight bout, Ronald Cruz (7-0, 4 KO’s) of Bethlehem, PA will take on an opponent to be named.

In a four round Heavyweight bout, Tim Johnson (4-1, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on Patrick Budd (2-1, 1 KO) of Dumfries, VA

John Bolden (1-0, 1 KO) of New York will battle Ricardo Johnson (1-0) of Cincinnati, OH in a four round Heavyweight affair.

In a four round Ladies Welterweight bout, Jackie Davis (3-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will take on debuting Tanya Martinez of Colorado Springs, CO

Undefeated Swedish Heavyweight, Andres Gustafson (3-0, 1 KO) of Norrkoping, Sweden will take on Levay King (0-1) in a four round bout.

Debuting Clemente Bethea of Philadelphia will take on Henry Northan (0-1) of Philadelphia in a Jr. Welterweight bout scheduled for four rounds.

Tickets are going fast for this exciting boxing event. The perfect pre-Valentine gift for your boxing enthusiast.

Ticket prices for this great night of boxing are $200 for Queen Seating, $125 for Presidential Seats, $65 for VIP Seating, $55 for Ringside Seating and $45 for General Admission Seating. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-763-0500 or through PayPal by clicking here. Doors open at 6:30 PM / First Bout begins at 7:30 P.M.

The Legendary Blue Horizon™

1314 North Broad Street in Philadelphia, PA

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, After the recent withdraw by Andre Berto for next week;s Welterweight unification bout with Shane Mosley, representatives for Floyd Mayweather have indicated that Mayweather would be ready for a fight with Mosley this Spring.

“I know everyone is rushing to make this fight with Mosley, but I want people to know that Floyd feels awful for Berto and his family for what they and their country are going through,” Said Maywethaer’s close advisor Leonard Ellerbe . “That is first and foremost. But if, in fact, Shane Mosley is available, that’s the fight that Floyd would love to make. It’s no secret that Floyd has been trying to make a fight with Shane for the last 10 years.

“Our condolences go out to Berto and his family because that is the human side of this. Everyone is talking about us making a fight with Mosley, but Floyd wants people to know that his prayers — all of ours — are with Berto. But he also wants people to know that he is ready to fight Mosley. That’s the fight he wants more than anything. And Floyd has instructed me and Al [Haymon, Mayweather’s other adviser] to make the biggest fight possible. We will be talking with [Golden Boy CEO] Richard [Schaefer]. Floyd against Shane is the biggest fight in boxing right now that can be made.”

According to Schaefer, he has the MGM Grand Garden Arena on hold for May 1 and May 8. Ellerbe said that time frame is fine with Mayweather for a fight with Mosley.

“Most definitely,” Ellerbe said. “Shane is a great fighter and if a deal could be made, Shane would be the toughest fight out there. That fight is tougher than the other fight [Pacquiao-Mayweather]. It’s a mega fight if it can be made.”

Photos of Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey arriving in Dallas, Texas for the press conference tomorrow to announce their March 13th bout

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the much anticipated Welterweight unification bout between Shane Mosley and Andre Berto scheduled for next Saturday in Las Vegas has been canceled due to Berto’s focus being on the recent tragic earthquake that took place last week’s in Haiti which is where Berto and his family are originally from.

The cancellation of the fight could lead to Mosley instead defending his title against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the spring.

“Since the 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday evening, I have been focusing on my family and the Haitian people who are facing an inconceivable battle for survival while still trying to continue to prepare for an opportunity I have dreamt of since childhood,” Berto said in a statement. “I lost several family members to the earthquake and, after two days without word, was relieved to learn that my sister, Naomi, and her daughter, Jessica, survived, but were left homeless. I have seen the pain in my parents’ eyes as they attempt to understand what has happened to our homeland and recognize a place they once called home.

“As a result of this disaster, I am mentally and physically exhausted and, therefore, I have no choice but to withdraw from my bout on January 30.”

Berto lost at least eight family members in the disaster.

“Throughout the past six days, I have received an incredible outpouring of support, and I sincerely appreciate everyone’s prayers for the people of Haiti,” Berto said. “I hope that everyone will continue to keep the Haitian people in their thoughts and prayers as we work to rebuild this proud nation. The rebuilding of Haiti is not something that will happen overnight, but I am fully dedicated to helping the Haitian people recover from this catastrophic event.”

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who promotes Mosley, said he told Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) about the cancellation of the fight, and he was understanding.

“It’s just a very unfortunate situation,” Schaefer said. “This is unbelievable. Everyone has seen the pictures from Haiti and followed this devastating situation. We all feel very bad for Andre. We know where his focus needs to be and that is with his family and his people. I talked to Shane. Obviously, he shares the sentiment. He feels bad for Andre and understands. But at the same time he is disappointed because he is in amazing shape with two weeks to go, and now this fight fell out. He is not happy about it, but he fully understands the situation. We just wish the best for Andre Berto.”

The cancellation may pen the door for a mega showdown between Mosley and Floyd Mayweather

“That is a super fight, and now my next order of business — to see if we can put [Mosley-Mayweather] together,” Schaefer said. “That is what I am going to be doing in the coming hours. The sooner the better if we can get this potential fight done. With Shane now being available and Floyd being available, that’s a fight all fight fans and sports fans would embrace. This would be a huge showdown. Shane has wanted that fight for a while. That’s what I am going to try to do.”

“I think he made a correct decision for himself,” said Lou DiBella, Berto’s promoter throughout his professional career. “Your mental health and physical health are more important than one fight. I know that Andre has been in agony since this happened. He has been really struggling. He is mentally and physically exhausted and I don’t think he’s been sleeping. He’s been torn about whether to fight and had to make this decision. I think he’s going to go to Haiti next week.

“It’s the right decision. It’s impossible to watch those pictures from Haiti even if you’re not Haitian. But he and his family and his parents are suffering. It hits very close to home. How could any human being focus under those circumstances? I’m glad for Andre that he made this decision for himself.”

“Not one person involved in the promotion had any negative response to this decision,” DiBella said. “Everyone empathizes with Andre and his whole family. The young man’s well-being outweighs any one fight.”

HBO’s Kery Davis echoed DiBella.

“Andre Berto is a terrific athlete and an even better person,” Davis said. “We can only imagine the pain the earthquake has caused the entire Berto family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Andre and we hope to have him back on HBO when he is ready to return to the ring.”

WBO Featherweight Champion Steven Luevano, Dyah Davis, Marc Abrams, LIVE!! Weekly Sunday Morning Open Line with 15rounds.com’s Johnny Schulz writer presents: Talking BOXING with JSizzle and New York Dan NYD – A weekly Sunday Morning boxing show covering Boxing from all angles. Alongside and boxing aficionado Danny “NYD” Stasiukiewicz, Marc Abrams.

We come to the end of our Pacquiao-Mayweather mourning season. Fun as it is to gnash teeth and tremble at the future of prizefighting, the sun has risen anew, men still don gloves to resolve conflicts in manly ways, and a major venue awaits a major event in a couple months. Let’s think about that.

It will help us inter the ordeal of arrogance and incompetence we’ve been subjected to since the morning of Nov. 15. More importantly, it should clear our palates for Shane Mosley versus Andre Berto. So now, some thoughts about Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Cowboys Stadium – Jerry Jones’ 73-acre architectural marvel, featuring an arch truss planar section that comprises 110,000 pounds of grade-65 Luxembourg steel.

Wait, how many pounds? Check the “Architecture Fact Sheet” at Stadium.DallasCowboys.com. I’ll be in Dallas – Irving, if you want to be pedantic – in March, not because I like Pacquiao more than Floyd Mayweather or because I think Top Rank does better than Golden Boy Promotions or even because I have a soft spot for Ghanaian challengers.

I’ll be there because I want to say I covered a historic figure in a historic edifice.

A historic figure who won’t subject himself to random blood tests for performance-enhancing drugs? Yes. But.

Welcome to our era’s unfortunate cynicism. The best athletes aren’t guilty till proved innocent, exactly, but they are suspect – no matter how many times they’re proved not-guilty.

This is an opinion column, not a report, so take this in the spirit it’s intended – as Adam Carolla might put it. I felt a certain relief when Floyd Mayweather Sr.’s unsubstantiated allegations about Pacquiao got wide coverage. It felt better to have the self-imposed gag order lifted. Any writer who’s covered any other sport in the last decade and tells you he’s never wondered about the world’s best prizefighter – whoever he is or was – is being dishonest.

Stop shaking your head, because here comes something you didn’t already know. Sometime after Manny Pacquiao went directly through David Diaz in 2008, I began using a hypothetical PED-usage test on my Filipino-American friends at the boxing gym. I wanted to see their reactions. They were mixed and revealed nothing we don’t already know about how little we already know.

Did I do this to besmirch the character of a superstar athlete from a Pacific island? Not even a little. I did it for two selfish reasons. First, before I committed time, expense and words to covering Pacquiao’s future exploits, I wanted to ensure that – in the year 2020 – I wouldn’t feel the way so many pundits who provided breathless coverage of Mark McGwire’s 1998 exploits felt this week.

Second, I offered the hypothetical, because on a philosophical level, I don’t know what to think. In the 1990s, I watched a lot of baseball, especially the McGwire-Sosa race, with a suppressed suspicion something like this: If I’m the only one who knows, and nobody else broaches the subject, must it truly compromise this wonderful spectacle?

I also spent time around competitive bodybuilders and power lifters. I watched guys inject themselves with vitamins, drink amino acids, drop stimulants under their tongues before workouts, and participate in “natural” contests. That is, these were guys not using PEDs. And despite their routine departures from what you did in your basement with a Nautilus machine, they weren’t nearly big as McGwire.

The entire debate strikes me as profoundly arbitrary. At their most basic, PEDs expedite healing. That’s why Barry Bonds’ I-worked-harder defense implicated more than it exculpated: Of course you did; everyone else was too sore.

The New York Times reports a Canadian doctor performed “platelet-rich plasma therapy” on Tiger Woods. Blood was drawn, altered in a machine and then injected back in Woods’ body. Apparently this is kosher. But are you allowed to do it to a racehorse? And what’s the difference between recycling blood to help a golfer recover from knee surgery, and doing it to help a cyclist recover from fatigue?

Intent, I guess. Which is why exasperated fans want this debate to go the hell away. They slam their fists on the table and demand Olympic-style testing. But does it check for caffeine?

Yes. Why? No. Why not?

I’ve used all sorts of over-the-counter diet pills, in my day, to suppress appetite. Some euphemism for “speed” is all that works. Metabolife once worked. Then ephedrine got banned. But now you can buy it in the supermarket. If I take it with caffeine, I can replicate the Metabolife formula that was legal in 1999 and illegal in 2004. Should I be able to pass a pre-employment drug test?

Yes. Why? No. Why not?

Can anyone be sure Manny Pacquiao is clean? Can anyone be sure Floyd Mayweather is clean? We don’t even know to whom we should turn for a definition of the word “clean” at this point. We’re simply not there yet – and if “there” is an arbitrarily agreed-to list of testing schedules and banned substances that changes monthly, we can’t be sure we’ll ever be there.

I suspect Joshua Clottey of cleanliness. He bears all the late-fading hallmarks of a PED-less athlete. Or he’s just mentally fragile. Still, I give him a chance against Pacquiao – though I respect Top Rank’s matchmakers too much to give Clottey too much of a chance.

But I’m not going to Dallas to celebrate Clottey’s probable cleanliness. Or even Pacquiao’s legend. I’m going to see the stadium. I want to wander about looking for the media center. I want to see paid-for seats filled before television goes on the air. Most of all, I want to remember my time of covering the fights as something more than a tourist’s brochure of Las Vegas Boulevard South.

I want to see Cowboys Stadium so badly I’d watch Floyd Mayweather fight Nate Campbell there. Honest.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter.com/bartbarry

The PAL Gym in Yonkers, NY is geographically close to Madison Square Garden but is far from the World’s Most Famous Arena. It’s a small venue, maintenance was in dire need and a poor sound system made the ring announcer difficult to hear throughout the evening. While the aforementioned issues could hurt attendance when the facility is used for another event, anyone involved in the sport will tell you that venues like the PAL Gym are a major part of boxing’s club circuit.

The main event of the Friday night’s card was an eight middleweight scrap between local favorite Jose Angel Rodriguez of New York, NY and renowned tough guy Darnell Boone of Atlanta, GA. Boone, who defeated up and coming prospects Chris Archer, Ronald Johnson, Willie Lee, James Countryman, Rasheem Brown and James Johnson, was once again looking to upset the hometown favorite, and almost got it done early on.

Boone had a solid opening round and rocked Rodriguez with a left hook in the second, providing a scare for the latter’s fans. Then Boone, like many unpredictable journeyman, completely changed his game plan; albeit not for the better. In rounds 2-8, Boone’s punch output drastically decreased, giving the speedy Rodriguez an easy opening to outbox him. Boone rarely attempted to remount an offensive attack and spent far too much time lying on the ropes, ultimately costing him the fight.

Scores were 79-73 and 78-74 twice for Rodriguez, who improves to 15-1-1 (2 KO’s). Boone, who asked promoter Brian O’Shea for a rematch following the decision, falls to a decisive 16-4-2 (6 KO’s).

Harlem based African junior welterweight Issouf Kinda remained unbeaten after a sloppy six round unanimous decision over Stephane Malenou. Kinda had success early on with a jab/right hand combo, but Malenou clinched excessively, making the bout a difficult watch.

Kinda continued to be victimized by Malenou’s holding, which cost him a point in round three in addition to a chorus of boos. Malenou had a few good moments in round four and five, but Kinda finished the bout strong.

Scores were 58-55 twice and 57-56. Kinda – pronounced Kin duh – improves to 7-0 (3 KO)’s. Malenou, a New York based Frenchman, drops to 5-6-1.

“Kinda is a solid fighter but my kid (Malenou) has been off for a year and a half”, said trainer Joey Gamache, a former two time world champion. Stephane is 5-6-1, but he wasn’t taken care of early in his career, so we are working on changing that around”.

Good looking prospect Nydia “Da Phenomenal” Feliciano of The Bronx upped her record to 2-0-1 after an impressive four round unanimous decision over Puerto Rico’s Norma Faris. Feliciano dominated the action from bell to bell, tagging Faris with solid body punches and crisp hooks to the head in close quarters ala Juan Diaz. Faris was game, staying on her feet throughout the contest, but simply didn’t have enough to keep Feliciano off. All three judges scored the contest 40-36. Faris drops to 3-2 with the defeat.

In the fight of the night, Allentown, PA junior bantamweight Miguel Diaz sent shockwaves through the building after upsetting local favorite Jose “Chili” Rivera. The opening round was action packed, with the shorter Rivera pressing the action while Diaz attempted to box and move. Diaz took control in the second, using his reach advantage to tag his hard charging opponent with clean punches to the head. Both men had solid success in the third round, as the two traded shots in close range.

Rivera was cut in the fourth round from a headbutt, but the blood only added fuel to the fire. Following the accidental clash of heads, a fired up Rivera pressed the action and stole the round after being outboxed in the opening minute. The score of 38-38, the same way I had it, was overruled by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 for Diaz. Although Diaz of New Rochelle, NY dropped the decision, he did more than enough to warrant a rematch.

Super Featherweight Jonathan Cuba, 2-1 (2 KO’s), viciously stopped 0-2 Takashi Sato in the battle of Manhattanites. Cuba dropped a very timid Sato in the opening round and finished the contest in the third with a huge left hook, which sent his opponent crashing to the canvas. Sato was motionless for a moment but was able to get up under his own power to a standing ovation. Time of stoppage was 0:19.

In the opening bout of the evening, former New York Golden Gloves champion Chazz McDowell, of Yonkers stopped the Bronx’ Alex Cooper in the second of their scheduled four round super featherweight fight. McDowell dominated the action, dropping Cooper in the first round wit a jab and twice more in the second, forcing referee M.S. Murdaugh to halt the contest at 2:24. McDowell is now 1-0 (1 KO), while Cooper falls to 0-3.

The card was promoted by O’Shea Brothers Boxing, who deserve all the credit in the world for putting together a well organized and better than advertised fight card, which had a number of bouts fall off at the last minute. Notables on hand included surging heavyweight Derric Rossy and 2004 Olympian Carlos Tamara, who takes on Brian Viloria this Saturday in the Philippines for the IBF junior flyweight crown.

Manny Pacquiao arriving in Los Angeles for the upcoming press tour to promote his March 13 bout with Joshua Clottey

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Golden Boy Promotions has signed WBA Super Lightweight champion Amir Khan which will pave his way to fight in America possibly on HBO.

Khan, who had been working with Warren on a fight-by-fight basis in recent bouts, agreed to a three-fight deal with Oscar De La Hoya’s company, according to a source familiar with the agreement.

“I am really happy Khan Promotions is partnering with Golden Boy as I know that together they will be the right team to help me continue my career as an elite fighter and to expand my fan base to the United States and around the world,” Khan said. “I’m ready to fight anyone, anywhere, anytime and know that Golden Boy will help me accomplish these goals.”

It is unclear if Khan will face Maidana, a dangerous opponent whom trainer Freddie Roach would prefer for Khan not to face. If Khan does not face Maidana, he could be stripped of his title. It is also possible that Maidana could step aside and allow Khan an interim bout. Golden Boy is a partner with Germany promoter Universum on Maidana’s promotional contract, so that scenario is possible.

“Amir Khan is one of the most talented fighters in the world at any weight,” said Oscar De La Hoya. “That talent, combined with his charismatic and outgoing personality, makes him a promoter’s dream, and I feel will one day lead him to being the face of boxing. We are extremely excited to team with Khan Promotions and look forward to introducing Amir to fight fans in the United States and around the world.”

On a recent trip the United States, Khan discussed a promotional deal with Golden Boy and rival Top Rank. Roach told ESPN.com that Khan called him from England on Friday and asked for him to put him in touch with Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.

“So I put them together,” Roach said. “I know Amir was not happy with the offer to fight Maidana and wanted to see if there was a better deal out there.”

Apparently, he got one from Golden Boy, which hopes to make Khan’s American debut fight against New Yorker Paulie Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden, perhaps as soon as April.

Vanes Martirosyan survived a ninth round knockdown but built up enough of a points lead to win a ten round unanimous decision over former world champion Kassim Ouma at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The two put on a crowd pleasing fight which saw Ouma fight with spirit that he had not shown since his days as the IBF Jr. Middleweight champion over five years ago. Ouma was aggressive as he would be diving in while throw punches that left openings for Martirosyan to successfully counter effectively. Ouma landed some hard rights inside but Martirosyan landed the harder shots with his flurry of choice was a solid jab-right hand for which he used due to his decided height and reach advantage. In round four, Martirosyan buckled Ouma slightly with a solid right hand. Just seconds after that, the two fighters clashed heads which caused a cuts around the left eye of Martirosyam\n.

The fighters stood toe to toe on many occasions with an entertaining exchange at the end of round six. In round nine, Ouma landed a quick right hook during an exchange that sent Martirosyan to the canvas. Martirosyan jumped up quickly to show it was just a flash knockdown. In round ten both tried to close the show in dynamic fashion was Martirosyan getting the better of a hotly contested last thirty seconds of the fight.

Martirosyan, 153 lbs of Glendale, CA won by scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 97-92 to raise his record to 27-0. Ouma, 150 lbs of Palm Beach Gardens, FL via Uganda has now dropped five of six and is now 26-7-1.

Former twelve time national Golden Gloves champion, Jose Benavidez Jr. wasted no time showing off the talents that have made him one of Top Rank’s next big prospects as he dropped Steven Cox just seconds into their scheduled four round Super Lightweight bout which was the catalyst for a first round stoppage victory in his pro debut.

Benavidez, who is trained by Freddie Roach, landed a booming right that sent Cox to the seat of his pants. Cox got up and ate a few more barrages until referee Russell Mora stopped the bout at 1:21 of round one.

Benavidez, 138 1/2 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 1-0 with one knockouts. Cox, 139 lbs of Independence, MO is 1-1.

In an entertaining Jr. Lightweight affair, Diego Magdaleno remained undefeated with an eight round unanimous decision over Gerado Robles.

Magdaleno was quicker and landed the harder shots with the exception of round three where Robles landed some hard rights throught Magdaleno’s southpaw stance. Magdaleno rocked Robles with a pair of straight lefts in round seven and coasted home by winning by scores of 80-72, 78-74 and 78-74.

Magdaleno, 131 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas is now 13-0. Robles, 131 1/2 lbs of Kansas City, Kansas is now 9-9.

In the co-main event Super Middleweight Dyah “Ali” Davis 17-1 (8KO) was very impressive with a fifth round TKO over Jose “El Macho” Medina 15-17 (11KO). Davis was extremely impressive with blistering jabs and accurate combinations. Medina was dropped twice and the final time his corner threw in the towel at 1:04 of the 5th. Davis is the son of Olympic Gold medalist Howard Davis.

In the second co-main even Derek Allen 2-5(2KO) silenced the crowd in Macon with a big KO upset win over Milton “Big” Wynn 8-1(5KO). Allen dropped with a vicious overhand right and the end came at 1:33 of round 1.

The fireworks began with the first bell when middleweight Jonathan “The Conquistador” Cepeda 7-0 (6KO) and Chris Govan 2-6(2KO) came out to meet each others with big bombs! Cepeda dropped Govan in the first round with a devastating left hook and another unintentional shot while Govan had a knee. Govan had a good start of the second before Cepeda dropped him twice with 2 huge rights. Cepeda remains perfect with a TKO win at 1:51 of the second.

The brawl of the night came with featherweights Danny Aquino 3-0 and David Cano 0-1. These two warriors battled from ding to dong in a delight of a fight. Officially scored a unanimous decision win for Aquino with the cards reading 40-36 and 39-37 twice.

Former 3 time NYC Golden Glove and national champion Patricia “Boom Boom” Alcivar, went uncontested as her opponent did not make the ring. Alcivar, the former Olympic athlete of the year took the opportunity to showcase her skills on focus mitts for the crowd. Alcivar is trained by former 2 time world champion. Terri “The Boss” Moss.

Jr welterweight, Alex Paracha, 4-0(2KO) from Afghanistan brawled to a unanimous decision win over Jacksonville’s’ Darrell Jones 2-3(1KO). The cards read 39-37.

Hometown hero Tobias Rice was impressive in his debut with a 4th round TKO over Nate Lovelace.

Former amateur national champion Lamar Russ 2-0(2KO) came off of the canvas in the first round to drop Shawn Actier 3 times on the way to a TKO3 at :58.

Juan Carlos Burgos scored a twelfth round stoppage over Juan Carlos Martinez in a Featherweight bout in Laredo, Texas.

Burgos dominated the action as he used his length and reach as he worked the body of Martinez, who had to lose in upwards of twenty pounds just to get near the contracted weight..

In round eleven, Burgos landed a big right that snapped the head of Martinez straight back. Burogs finished the show i the final round when he landed a hard left that sent Martinez back to the ropes and three punches later the visibly tired Martinez went to the canvas. Just a few punches later, Burgos landed a huge right that forced referee John Schlore to stop the action at 1:07 of round twelve.

Burgos of Tijuana, Mexico is ranked #2 by the WBC and has a record of 24-0 with seventeen knockouts. Martinez is now 15-101-.

Yaundale Evans scored two knockdowns en route to a six round unanimous decision over Gino Escamilla in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

Evans scored thef irst knockdown in round one when he sweeping right hook sent Escamilla into the ropes and referee Freddie Ledesma ruled that Escamilla’s glove touched the canvas. In round two, Evans drilled Escamilla with a hard right hook that sent Escamilla hard to the canvas. Escamilla was on very shaky legs but somehow was able to get out of the round. Evans dominated the rest of the way to coast tho the victory.

Evans, 129 lbs of Cleveland, OH won by scores of 60-52, 60-52 and 59-53 and is now 5-0. Escamilla, 128 lbs of Laredo, TX is 5-7-2.

Former U.S. Olympian Demetrius Andrade made very quick qork of an overmatched Bernardo Gureca in a scheduled six round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Andrade landed a counter right hook around the ear that sent Guereca down for referee John Schlore’s ten count at 1:18 of round one.

Andrade, 154 lbs of Providence, RI is now 9-0 with seven knockouts. Guereca, 154 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is now 15-10-1

In an off-tv fight, Cestus Management’s welterweight destroyer Rodolfo “LA COBRITA” Gomez impressed the charged fans in attendance at the LEC Arena in Laredo, Texas, with an impressive display of power and speed as he disposed of Oscar Roville by brutally knocking him out with a vicious assault of punches in the 3rd round. The first two rounds saw Gomez systematically dissect the tough and rugged Roville, by using an assortment of hard stiff jabs followed by perfectly timed combination’s to the head and body. In the 3rd round Gomez stepped it up by using double jabs followed by booming straight right hands down the middle that connected to the side of the head of the game Roville. Gomez sensing that Roville was hurt immediately followed up with an assortment of punches to the head and body that left Roville defenseless and backed up on the ropes taking shots, causing the referee to stop the fight in the last minute of the round. The fight was part of an ESPN 2 Friday Night Fights under card. Gomez, improved his record to 6-0 with 5 knockouts and continued his march up the boxing latter.

Gina Iacovou, who is Cestus’ CEO, said, “It was great to see the tremendous overal improvement that Rudolfo (Gomez) has made. He continues to get experience as a professional boxer and his natural strength, size, and boxing aptitude are exciting to watch in action. There is no dought that 2010 is going to be a big year for the BABY COBRA!”

Mike Michael, who is Cestus Management’s Chief Advisor, said, “The fans were treated to another great performance by “LA COBRITA”. The way Gomez utilized his natural attributes (height/reach) was impressive and his power is just frightening.” Michael added, “I would like to personally thank ESPN, the LEC Arena and Banner Promotions for featuring our fighter. So lock the doors and run for cover because “LA COBRITA” will be on the rise in 2010!”

PHILADELPHIA (JANUARY 16, 2009)—Victor Vasquez and Coy Evans thrilled a near capacity crowd at The Arena in Philadelphia as they scored thrilling knockouts that highlighted a five bout card that was promoted by Greg Robinson’s Productions in association with Unleashed Beverage Company.

Vasquez and Gustavo Dailey waged a six round Lightweight war in what was the main event of the evening.

Dailey came out firing and landed some hard wining shots for which Vasquez was successful in countering and the two way battle was on from the outset of the fight. The two stood toe to toe as they exchanged being the boss for moments of a time.

Vasquez had his usual rabid cheering section helping pull through some of the tough moments but he seemed to turn the tide in round five as he landed some big right hands. In round six with the two in close, landed hard uppercuts that sent Dailey into the corner and Vasquez landed a barrage of punches that forced referee Hurley McCall to stop the bout at 2:05 of the final round as Vasquez rose his record to 11-3 with six knockouts.

Evans scored his first knockout while remaining undefeated at 6-0-1 as he took care of Vineash Rungea at 2:19 of round two of a scheduled four round Featherweight bout.

Evans dropped Rungea early in the second frame with a aquick right and shortly after landed a booming right hand that sent Rungea down again and hurt as his corner threw in the towel, saving their man from any further damage.

In an all Philadelphia Light Heavyweight bout, Tony Ferrante won a controversial split decision over Andre Hemphill in a six round bout.

Super Middleweight Tommie “Big Poppa” Speller and Middleweight Derrick Webster also scored victories

FULL RESULTS

6 Rounds – Lightweights—Victor Vasquez (11-3, 6 KO’s) 133 lbs of Philadelphia TKO 6 (2:05) over Gustavo Dailey (4-8) 133 ½ lbs of Philadelphia

4 Rounds – Featherweights—Coy Evans (6-0-1, 1 KO) 128 lbs of Philadelphia TKO 2 (2:19) over Vineash Rungea (2-15-3) 128 lbs of the United Kingdom

6 Rounds – Light Heavyweights – Tony Ferrante (9-0) 175 ½ lbs of Philadelphia S DEC over Andre Hemphill (8-14-2) 176 lbs of Philadelphia… Scores were 59-55 Ferrante, 58-56 Ferrante, 58-56 Hemphill

4 Rounds – Super Middleweights – Tommie Speller (5-3) 164 lbs of Philadelphia U DEC over Dave Cook (3-4) 164 ½ lbs of Butler, PA… Scores were 39-37 on all cards for Speller

4 Rounds – Middleweights – Derrick Webster (4-0) 159 ½ lbs of Glassboro, NJ TKO End of 2 over Antonio Walls (2-3) 158 lbs of Washington, DC

Victor Vasquez 133 – Gustavo Dailey 133.5
Coy Evans 128 – Vineash Rungea 128
Tony Ferrante 175 1/2 – Andre Hemphill 176
Tommie Speller 164 – Dave Cook 164 1/2
Derrick Webster 159.5 – Antonio Walls 158
Charles Heyward 191 1/2 – Zeferino Albino NA**

** Albino will weigh in this afternoon

Venue: The Arena
Promoter: Power Productions
First bell: 7:30 pm est