LOS ANGELES (Nov. 28, 2010) –The L.A. Matadors, Los Angeles’ representative in the global World Series of Boxing, won all five of their matches in their home-opener on Sunday at Nokia Theatre with a clean sweep over the Mexico City Guerreros.
Two-time Olympian & 2010 National Golden Gloves champ Rau’Shee Warren, of Cincinnati, Ohio, won his WSB debut with a hard-fought, unanimous decision victory over the Guerreros’ Elias Emigdio, of Mexico, scored 49-46 (twice), 48-47.
“I came here to fight and give the fans what they wanted,” Warren said. “It was a close fight and he was tough, but I’m happy to kick off my season with a win at home. It feels good to win one for the team.”
In one of the most exciting fights of the evening, Matadors heavyweight Javier Torres, of Pico Rivera, Calif., scored a brutal TKO at :55 of the fourth round over Alex Rivera, of Palm Springs, Calif.
Torres was deducted a point for a low blow in the third, but the Matador came out swinging in the fourth. The 2009 National Championships Silver Medalist got Rivera against the ropes with a series of combos and ended the bout with a solid right hook that sent Rivera reeling forward into the referee.
“We broke him down little by little, and it was just a matter of time before we got the KO,” Torres said. “My right, it’s deadly. That’s why he stopped the fight. This win does a lot for me. It advanced me and my team. We’re all trying to win this tournament and get to the Olympics.”
In the light heavyweight bout, Matador Vyacheslav Shabranskij, of Ukraine, won a technical decision over Chicago’s Lamar Fenner after an accidental head butt opened a deep gash above Fenner’s left eye that the referee and ringside doctor deemed was too severe to continue. .
WSB rules dictate that any incidental injury that occurs after the first round must go to the judges’ scorecards. Shabranskij was leading on the scorecards (20-18, three times) at the time of the stoppage and was rewarded the technical decision.
In a bloody, all-action bout, Matador middleweight Russell Lamour, of Portland, Maine, won a unanimous decision over Armando Espinosa, of Victorville, Calif., 50-45 (three times). An overhand right by Lamour opened up a gushing cut behind Espinosa’s left ear, but the game and determined Espinosa continued with a solid, yet losing effort.
“I knew that he wasn’t going to give up so I kept trying to outbox him,” Lamour said. “I kept trying to stick and move and knew I could get the decision.”
In an exciting slugfest that featured very little defense, Matador lightweight Everton Lopes, of Brazil, scored a fourth round TKO over Mexico’s Angel Gutierrez in the opening bout of the evening. After an even, action-packed third round, Lopes stepped on the gas with a relentless onslaught of punches to open the fourth. The referee stopped the bout at 1:16 with Gutierrez seemingly defenseless and taking too many damaging punches.
The World Series of Boxing is a groundbreaking, international sports league with teams from three continents competing for five spots – bantamweight, lightweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight, in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The Matadors will compete against three other North American teams, Miami, Mexico City and Memphis, for the next four months with the winner from the North American division advancing to the semifinals to compete against teams from other continents.
The Matadors will host the Memphis Force on Sunday, Dec. 12 at Club Nokia in their next home match.
Schools have to nurture talent
New Straits Times November 17, 2006 | Harban Singh Harban Singh New Straits Times 11-17-2006 Schools have to nurture talent Byline: Harban Singh Edition: Main/Lifestyle Section: Main Section Type: Letter
I WATCHED the Razak Cup hockey tournament being played in Johor Baru and I was disappointed with the poor standards displayed.
The absence of national players, who are about to participate in the Doha Asian Games, may be the excuse but my judgment is based on the teams that do not have national players.
The fault lies with the previous Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) committee, which didn’t develop players. go to web site blocked games at school
Development is a long-term strategy and the results can only be seen in 10 or more years.
We lack this foresight, which requires (similar to the soccer team) leadership, basics and the ability to work with the schools.
Schools have to nurture talent. The MHF should link up with the Education Ministry through the National Sports Council to increase the number of competitive games at school and district levels.
It is a tall order but we have to face reality. There is no short cut to progress.
I believe the present MHF leadership is a blend of passionate and responsible people. The gap between us and the other Asian teams must be identified and addressed. This is where the Asian Games will be a harbinger of our ranking, where I believe we are good only for a fourth place.
In the World Cup in Germany, I noticed the high standards and good performance from every team. here blocked games at school
There was a vast pool of capable reserves in most teams despite having injured players.
On the contrary in Malaysia, we were so dependent on key players that any injury affected our performance.
A development programme is imperative. We also need to look at South Korea’s model and maybe even have a joint yearly test series with them. They are the most successful Asian team in recent times.
HARBAN SINGH
Johor Baru
Harban Singh
