Mafikeng, South Africa- At the capital of the Northwest Province some 260 kilometers west of Johannesberg, Team Domingo of the Philippines arrived at the Mmabatho Palms Hotel Casino Convention resort for the Official weigh-in of REDEMPTION. A boxing event put up by South Africa’s premier boxing promotional outfit Branco Sports Productions headed by Branco Milenkovic.

Michael Domingo is scheduled to face IBF rated South African native Vusi “Marvelous” Malinga for a twelve round IBF Bantamweight Title Eliminator where the winner of which will have the chance to fight for the IBF world title next year.

Team Domingo composed of Michael Domingo, Head Trainer Edito Villamor, Assistant Trainer Jonh Rey Bunao and ALA Promotions Public Relations head Chad Canares together with the IBF officials and other South African boxers left Sandton, Joberg 15 minutes past 9AM and had a long and smooth ride to Mafikeng when after some tens of kilometers past the famous Cradle of Humankind in the Gauteng Province the vehicle they were riding experienced trouble.

The Chrystler van Team Domingo was in continued driving for almost an hour when the van could no longer push further forcing the group to stop and phone the other cars in the convoy to drive back for assistance. Luckily the other cars had some extra space to accommodate the team from the Philippines.

The scheduled 2 PM weigh-in started at 230 for the teams that packed the Hotel Conference room was waiting for the weighing scale to arrive.

Michael Domingo had to do a little work shedding 8 grams over the contracted 53.52 kg limit while Vusi Malinga made the weight easy. It was little trouble though as all Domingo needed was to do light stretching to make the weight. Official weight for both fighters were 53.34 kg.

NEW YORK (Oct. 29, 2010) – Streaking former University of Tennessee linebacker Ovince St. Preux (7-4), of Knoxville, Tenn., who is coming off an eight-second knockout victory, will seek his fifth consecutive conquest inside the distance when he faces Antwain “The Juggernaut’’ Britt’’ (11-4) of Virginia Beach, Va., in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) bout during a terrific STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on Friday, Nov. 19. The evening of fights will take place at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss., LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT, (delayed on the West Coast).

In the night’s featured fight, lightweight (155 pounds) star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro (20-4) will take on Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox (9-3) of Cincinnati.

Unbeaten 155-pounder Ryan Couture (1-0) will face an opponent to be determined on the televised undercard. The son of legend Randy Couture won his STRIKEFORCE and MMA debut with a 1:15, first-round submission (triangle choke) over Lucas Stark last Aug. 13 on STRIKEFORCE Challengers.

The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card is presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and will mark STRIKEFORCE’s initial foray into the state of Mississippi.

Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Coliseum box office and Be-Bop Record Shops, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com and www.STRIKEFORCE.com.

St. Preux, who fights out of Knoxville MMA, has won all four of his fights this year in the first round in a total elapsed time of 7:10. He called it a night after demolishing tough UFC veteran, Jason “Dooms’’ Day, with a single punch in just eight seconds in his most recent outing last July 24.

Day came out hard, charging St. Preux at the opening bell and throwing a hard left hook. St. Preux avoided the shot and landed a crushing, thunderous uppercut that floored Day. He immediately followed up with more punches, forcing the referee to step in and halt matters.

The victory was the second in a row for St. Preux since he won his STRIKEFORCE debut with a 0:47, first-round TKO (punches) over Chris Hawk last April 17 in Nashville. Shortly thereafter, St. Preux signed a multi-fight deal with STRIKEFORCE.

St. Preux is a 6-foot-3, 27-year-old who played for the Vols from 2001-2004. After graduating with a degree in Sociology in ’04, he became heavily involved in MMA, utilizing his impressive wrestling skills and natural athletic abilities. He made history on Feb. 20, 2009, by not only competing in Tennessee’s first sanctioned MMA event, but also by recording the first knockout.

“Everything’s going good, but the more I win, the harder I know I have to work,’’ St. Preux said. “I fought some tough guys early in my career because it didn’t matter to me who I fought. Looking back, I probably should have won all those fights. But I’m not mad because I learned so much from each of them.’’

The 6-foot-1, 32-year-old Britt is making his third consecutive start for STRIKEFORCE, second on SHOWTIME and first since losing to current STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight World Champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante last May 15.

After controlling Feijao for most of the standup in the first round, even buckling the Brazilian at one point, Britt got caught with an overhand right. He staggered backwards and Cavalcante followed him into the corner before unleashing a left hook and uppercut that forced the referee to stop the action at 3:45.

A member of Hybrid Academy of Martial Arts, Britt had entered the Cavalcante clash having won four of five, including an impressive, dominant first-round TKO over Scott Lighty on Dec. 19, 2009.

“This is a must-win fight for both of us,’’ said Britt, who has gone more than one full round only three times in a career that began in March 2007. “But I really want this bad. I thought I had Feijao and would love a rematch with him especially since he now is the STRIKEFORCE champion.’’

Ribeiro is a decorated submission expert who won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship four times, once as a purple belt in 1996 and three times as a black belt in consecutive years (1999-2001). His 20 victories include 14 stoppages (12 by submission) and he has defeated, among others, such notable fighters as Joachim Hansen, Eiji Mitsuoka and Mitsuhiro “The Endless Fighter” Ishida.

Wilcox, a former NCAA wrestling star and bodybuilder, has won his last four starts. In his most recent outing on March 26, he registered a unanimous decision over Shamar Bailey at STRIKEFORCE Challengers in Fresno, Calif.

The younger Couture is a member of the Las Vegas, Nev., based Xtreme Couture fight team. Before impressively winning his pro debut, the 28-year-old compiled an amateur record of 5-1-1 with all five wins coming by submission.

Doors at Jackson Convention Complex will open at 6:45 p.m. CT. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. The first televised main card fight will begin at 10 p.m.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Three-time world champion Antonio Margarito talks with reporters during a packed media day at the Fortune Gym in Hollywood Thursday. Margarito takes on superstar Manny Pacquiao on November 13, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas. 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

CLICK TO WATCH THE EVENT

RE: Amateur Boxing On HALLOWEEN EVE- Everyone should attend in Costume

Gleason’s Gym continues the monthly boxing series Saturday evening October 30, 2010.

Everyone is encouraged to dress up for Halloween. There will be prizes for the top three costumes.

The show will include amateur boxers that are part of our Monthly Boxing Series. The show will include JO, Novice, Senior and Master bouts. There will be male and female bouts.

The weigh in will begin at 4:00PM and the first bout will begin at 6:00PM.

All our bouts are pre-matched. They are sanctioned by USABoxingMetro. All boxers must have their boxing book with them in order to participate.

The ticket price is $20 per person. Children 6 and under are not charged. All gym members and registered amateurs with their books in hand pay $15 per person.

Superstar Manny Pacquiao shadow boxes during a packed media day at the Wildcard Boxing Club in Los Angeles Wednesday. Pacquiao takes on three-time world champion Antonio Margarito on November 13, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas. 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

Minneapolis, MN- Two Minnesota pugilists who have never been shy to accept a challenge will square off in a Minneapolis vs. St. Paul rematch December 18, when Phil Williams takes on Matt Vanda at Target Center. The card will bring boxing back to Target Center with an exciting line up of other in-state grudge matches, pitting Minneapolis area fighters with St. Paul area fighters.

While Vanda picked up a split decision victory over Williams last November, “The Drill” vows to be better prepared, and far more active in his second opportunity.

“I’m not going to really comment on how I plan on doing it, but I’m going to do a lot of things differently. I feel like I’m going to make the most of the opportunity, and get the win this time around.” Williams said.

The heavily publicized first meeting between Williams and Vanda was Minnesota’s highest grossing boxing event in 2009, and was viewed throughout the region on Fox Sports North.

Vanda made headlines last week, publicly announcing his desire to take on middleweight prospect Caleb Truax. While Truax’s team has shown little interest over the past six months in a rematch with Phil Williams, an offer was made to Vanda and Truax earlier this month to meet December 18th. Reports say that Vanda accepted terms while Truax turned the in-state grudge match down.

“I’m excited to take on the best in order to become the best around here. I’m not going to try to duck or dodge my way to the top. I’ve wanted this rematch for a while, and I’m ready to get in with Truax again too whenever they’re ready.” Williams commented on the Minnesota middleweight scene.

The North Minneapolis native, Williams, made his last ring appearance in April when he battled the undefeated Truax to a ten round draw. Vanda will take on fellow veteran Ossie Duran on November 12th prior to starting camp for Williams.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, IBF Light Heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud will defend his crown on December 17th in Miami, Florida against former Super Middleweight title challenger Fulgencio Zuniga.

“I’m not familiar with Zuniga, but my prediction is we gonna win the fight,” Cloud told ESPN.com on Tuesday. “All I heard about the fighter is he a tough fighter, been in some title fights and he comes to fight. We taking him serious like any other fight.

“Those other guys turned it down. They demanded a lot of money, but Don King made a very fair offer,” Bonanni said. “Zuniga took the fight. He was offered the fight and stepped up to the plate. He has a big guarantee with Don if he wins. This is a tougher fight in my opinion than if we fought Otis Griffin anyway. Zuniga is a proven veteran. He’s nothing to be sneezed at and we are training as such.”

“We tried everyone in the light heavyweight division [in the IBF rankings] who was available and there were no takers,” Said Cloud’s trainer Al Bonanni. “We’re training for Zuniga and we’ll be ready to go at it on Dec. 17. I’m very happy Cloud is fighting. We want to stay busy.”

“Everything’s coming together now,” Cloud said. “I had promotional problems in the past [before signing with King] and all of that has been taken care of. It’s good to be right back in the ring. I’ve been rusty as a nail when I’ve fought and I’m still performing on a world class level. It is good to be back in the ring before the year is out.”

Cloud’s goal is to take care of Zuniga and then look for a major fight in the division. He mentioned lineal champion Jean Pascal, fellow titleholders Beibut Shumenov and Jürgen Brahmer and top contenders Chad Dawson and Nathan Cleverly.

“After I take Zuniga out, I’m looking for any of those guys, wherever,” Cloud said. “Pascal, Dawson. Shumenov? We will knock him out in [his home country of] Kazakhstan or wherever he want to meet at. Cleverly, Brahmer. Tell them all to put the money up. I’ll come to their hometown and knock them out.”

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
Bayonne, NJ (October 26, 2010) – Calling Bobby Rooney Jr.’s cell phone rarely elicits an answer from the Bayonne, NJ resident. Instead, the likelihood is that you’ll hear a more familiar voice than the local son done right. Beetlejuice, the pint-sized cult figure of “The Howard Stern Show” fame, often picks up the phone and directs calls.

“He’s my special adviser,” Rooney Jr. jests as he explains his roommate’s role in his career. “He keeps me on the straight and narrow.”

Rooney Jr. (11-3-1, 6 KO) will be making his first ring appearance in nearly a year this Saturday, October 30 when he faces Tyler Seever (11-11-1, 8 KO’s) of St. Louis, Missouri in a six-round light-heavyweight bout at Bally’s Atlantic City. In the main event, New Brunswick, NJ’s unbeaten featherweight sensation Jorge “King” Diaz will face former world title challenger Emmanuel Lucero in a ten round clash. The card will be promoted by Pound for Pound Promotions.

Rooney, 38, credits clean living and his passion for the sport for his ability to continue fighting at an advanced age. Rooney first started boxing in 1984 under the mindful eye of his father Bobby Rooney Sr and current manager Sal Alessi. Rooney had a long amateur career, and in 1992 decided to hang up the gloves and start a family.

Rooney remained away from the sport until 2002, when he decided to lace them back up casually to get back into shape. The daily grind of the sport began to reignite his love for boxing and under the guidance of his father and Alessi, Rooney turned pro.

Aside from his own career, Rooney continues the tradition set by his own father as he now runs the Bayonne Police Athletic League Gym where he originally started boxing. After his father retired from the gym in 2006, Rooney Jr took over and the gym won back-to-back New Jersey Golden Gloves team championships in 2009 and 2010.

“I love fighting in Atlantic City. My fans love it, they come down and spend the night and we always have a good time. After my fight, I look forward to taking a seat in the audience and watching one of the most exciting and talented prospects in the sport, Jorge Diaz.”

The card will also feature highly-touted junior middleweight prospect Glen Tapia of Passaic, NJ in a six-round bout against an opponent to be named. Tapia, aged 20, has a record of 7-0 (5 KO) and is fresh off his tour of duty as Manny Pacquiao’s main sparring partner for his upcoming match against Antonio Margarito.

Junior middleweight prospect Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan (14-1, 7 KO’s) of Paterson, NJ will face off with undefeated Ronald Cruz (9-0, 6 KO’s) of Bethlehem, PA in an eight round battle.

Heavyweight Amir Mansour of Wilmington, DE, super-middleweight prospect Jason “El Monstruo” Escalera of Union City, NJ, light welterweight Christian Martinez of The Bronx, NY, and light heavyweight Anthony Smith of Kennett Square, PA will also be in action against opponents to be named later.

Tickets, priced at $75, and $50 can be purchased at the Bally’s Atlantic City Box office , by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or online at ticketmaster.com.

“MANNY HITS LA” — Superstar Manny Pacquiaoarrives in Los Angeles Saturday night to continue training for his upcoming mega fight against Antonio Margarito. Pacquiao takes on three-time world champion Antonio Margarito on November 13, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas. 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

FRESNO, Calif. (Oct. 23, 2010) – On an exhilarating evening that featured action fights highlighted by crowd-pleasing victories by Fresno fan favorites Lavar Johnson and Billy Evangelista, Bobby Voelker (23-8), of Kansas City, Mo., evened the score with previously undefeated Roger Bowling (8-1) of Cincinnati with a second-round TKO (punches) in the main event Friday on STRIKEFORCE Challengers live on SHOWTIME® from the Save Mart Center.

In other results on the televised portion of an event presented by STRIKEFORCE and Rockstar Energy Drink: Johnson (15-3), of Fresno, scored an explosive 2:17, first-round knockout over Virgil Zwicker (9-2), of Temecula, Calif., in a heavyweight scrap; the comebacking Evangelista (11-0, 1 NC), of Fresno, won the fight of the night with a thrilling, crowd-pleasing, hard-fought three-round unanimous decision over Waachiim Spirit Wolf (8-7-1), of San Diego, Calif., in a catch weight bout at 165 pounds; Julia “The Jewel” Budd (1-0), of Sechelt, British Columbia, made an instant impression at 145 pounds, impressively winning her pro debut with a second-round TKO (punches) over previously unbeaten Shana Olsen (4-1), of Burnsville, Minn., and John Devine (5-2), of San Francisco, submitted (rear-naked choke) Brandon Cash (5-3), of Fresno, at 3:20 of the first round in a heavyweight match.

Voelker lost a technical decision to Bowling five months ago on STRIKEFORCE Challengers when an exciting encounter ended prematurely due to an accidental poke in the eye in the third round. Friday, however, the 6-foot, 31-year-old Voelker shook off a fast start from the aggressive-minded Bowling to triumph decisively in perhaps a career-best performance. It was Voelker’s ninth victory in 12 starts.

“I really trained hard and I really wanted to win this fight,’’ said Voelker after the match was stopped at 3:58 of the round. “I felt like I had something to prove. If they want a third fight, I’m for it, or I will just move on. I’m just very happy that all the hard work I put in morning, noon and night paid off like it did.’’

Johnson was fighting for the second time since he was gunned down while attending a family barbeque during the July 4 holiday in 2009. The 6-foot-2, 33-year-old survived three gunshot wounds sustained during the walk-by shooting that led to the death of a cousin. A father of two young boys, Johnson spent 30 days in a hospital, fighting for his life, and several more months rehabilitating.

Friday, the hard-hitting Johnson, who has never been victorious via decision, looked as good as new as he earned his seventh consecutive knockout victory.

“This was just the kind of fight I wanted,’’ said Johnson after dropping the game Zwicker with a four-punch salvo that prompted the referee to step in and halt matters at 2:17. “I give Zwicker a lot of credit. He came to fight like I knew he would. But I wanted to make a statement. There are a lot of big-name heavyweights in STRIKEFORCE and I feel it’s time I get my shot at one of them.

“I love fighting in Fresno. It is my home and the fans here are loud and totally into it. They are great.’’

Evangelista, making his first start since Nov. 6, 2009, won an absolute slugfest by the scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28. The extremely popular local fighter is a natural 155-pounder and Friday’s fight was at a catch weight of 165. The naturally bigger and stronger Spirit Wolf, who fights at welterweight (170), used his size and strength to his advantage throughout and some thought the scoring could have been closer.

“I love fighting in front of the hometown fans in Fresno,’’ the 5-foot-8, 29-year-old Evangelista said, “but this was a very hard fight. I wanted to make it into more of a stand-up fight but this guy was tough and game as they come.’’

Spirit Wolf, who took down Evangelista no less than three times, felt he deserved much better.

“I come to fight and that’s what I did tonight,’’ he said. “It is bad enough I thought I deserved the decision, but to not get a round on those scorecards is ridiculous. Honestly, I feel I got ripped off.

“But I hope STRIKEFORCE liked what they saw and they give me another chance. I had to drop weight for this, and that wasn’t easy, but I will fight anybody.’’

Despite losing a blow for delivering an illegal elbow late in the first round, Budd dominated the more experienced Olsen.

“I am very happy right now,’’ said the highly regarded Canadian Muay Thai Champion who was the only fighter to defeat Gina Carano in Muay Thai. “I wanted to keep it standing more, but Shana was tough.’’

Although it would be unrealistic, after just one fight, for her to even entertain thoughts of facing STRIKEFORCE World Champion Cris Cyborg, the No. 1 female fighter in the world, Budd’s performance against Olsen clearly showed that she deserves to be mentioned at or near the top of a short list of possible challengers at 145 pounds.

“It’s up to my coaches,’’ said Budd, who graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor’s degree in human kinetics. “But I’d be game for it.’’

The victory by Devine came in his first start since losing to Daniel Cormier last March 26 on STRIKEFORCE Challengers.

“This is obviously a big win,’’ said Devine after dealing Cash his third consecutive defeat. “I knew he was heavy-handed but I did what I had to do. I am fortunate and appreciative for everyone involved in making this fight happen.’’

Friday’s action-packed event will re-air as follows:

DAY CHANNEL

Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO2

The telecast also will be available On Demand beginning this Monday, Oct. 25.

Mauro Ranallo called the action on SHOWTIME with MMA legend Pat Miletich and The Fight Professor, Stephen Quadros, serving as expert analysts.

In Friday’s non-televised professional result: David “Tarzan’’ Douglas (5-2) of Antioch, Calif., rallied impressively to register a second-round TKO (punches) over previously undefeated Dominic Clark (4-1) of Fresno.

UPCOMING STRIKEFORCE EVENTS ON SHOWTIME: STRIKEFORCE Challengers will be in Jackson, Miss., on Friday, Nov. 19 (11 p.m. ET/PT). In the main event, lightweight star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro (20-4) will take on streaking Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox (9-3) of Cincinnati at the Jackson Convention Complex.

MMA legend Dan Henderson will face former STRIKEFORCE World Champion “Babalu” Sobral when STRIKEFORCE returns to St. Louis on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Scottrade Center (10 p.m. ET/PT). In featured bouts, Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of Nottingham, England, meets Scott “Hands Of Steel’ Smith (17-7, 1 NC) of Elk Grove, Calif., in a welterweight match, “Ruthless “Robbie” Lawler (17-6, 1 NC) of Elk Grove, Ill., takes on 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt Lindland (22-7) of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight scrap, top contender and former EliteXC champion Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva (14-2), of Coconut Creek, Fla., by way of Brazil, throws down with the older brother of STRIKEFORCE World Heavyweight Champion, Alistair Overeem, Valentijn “The Python’’ Overeem (28-23), of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, football legend and unbeaten MMA fighter Herschel Walker (1-0) will meet an opponent to be announced and St. Louis native Jesse Finney will face a foe to be determined.

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts telecasts, along with access to the SHOWTIME Sports Facebook® and Twitter® pages, please go to http://Sports.Sho.com.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

FRESNO, Calif. (Oct. 21, 2010) – All the fighters who will compete on an excellent STRIKEFORCE Challengers event presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., tomorrow/Friday, Oct. 22, at Save Mart Center live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) made weight Thursday at Radisson hotel.

In the main event, welterweight Relentless” Roger Bowling (8-0) of Cincinnati will put his unbeaten record on the line one more time against “Vicious” Bobby Voelker (22-8) of Kansas City, Mo., in a rematch of an exciting fight last May 21 that ended prematurely due to an accidental poke in the eye.

Other televised fights on SHOWTIME: Lavar “Big” Johnson (14-3), Fresno, Calif., vs. Virgil “RezDog” Zwicker (9-1), Temecula, Calif., heavyweights; Billy Evangelista (10-0, 1 NC), Fresno, vs. Waachiim “Native Warrior’’ Spirit Wolf (8-6-1), San Diego, Calif., at 165 pounds; Shana “Rock Solid’’ Olsen (4-0), Burnsville, Minn., vs. Julia “The Jewel” Budd (pro debut), Sechelt, British Columbia, middleweights (145 pounds); and Brandon Cash (5-2), Fresno, vs. John Devine (5-2), San Francisco, heavyweights.

Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale at the Save Mart Center box office, select Save Mart Supermarkets, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

Doors will open at 4:45 p.m. PT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 5:30 p.m. The first televised match starts at 8 p.m. PT.

What the fighters said Thursday:

ROGER BOWLING
“Just like the last time, this is going to be a war from start to finish against a great opponent. I’ve trained really well and I’m very confident.

“I don’t want to leave any doubt this time around.’’

BOBBY VOELKER
“I feel great and am very hungry and very emotional for this fight and want it really badly. I’ve been pumped since the rematch was made.

“I’ve been working on a lot of new things and making changes so I can improve. Roger is a tough guy, for sure. I’m used to being the bully, but I got blitzed a little the first time.

“No matter how this fight starts out, I plan on hitting him in the face.’’

LAVAR JOHNSON
“My weight’s back up, my timing and balance are better and overall I just feel great.

“I’m looking forward to putting everything behind me so I can concentrate on fighting and knocking guys out. I don’t want to just be known as the guy who got shot.

“This guy’s strength is standing so I hope it plays out that way. No one wants to watch a couple of big dudes rolling around the cage.

“I am definitely not looking past Zwicker, who’s aggressive and probably a little faster than me. But I know a good win could put me in line to fight some of STRIKEFORCE’s top heavyweights, which is definitely what I want to do. There are a few good fights out there for me.’’

VIRGIL ZWICKER
“I am totally focused and feel 100 percent ready, both physically and mentally. This is a tremendous chance for me to show what I can do, maybe the best I’ve had, and that’s why I’ve worked so hard.

“I’m confident I can cease the opportunity on Friday.’’

BILLY EVANGELISTA
“I’m injury free, feel great and looking for a good fight Friday and then, ultimately, to a return to 155 pounds. I’m in good condition but after not fighting for 11 months fighting at around 165 made sense.

“There are plenty of top fighters at 155 in STRIKEFORCE and I’m willing to fight any of them. I definitely plan on fighting more often and going after the big guys at 155.’’

WAACHIM SPIRIT WOLF
“I actually had a full camp for this so I’m excited and anxious and ready to go. This will be a fantastic fight. To fight an undefeated fighter on SHOWTIME is a tremendous opportunity and what it’s all about.

“I’ve already fought three guys that were unbeaten going in against me and I am 3-0.

“This is actually a homecoming for me because I was born in Fresno and lived here until I was about two-years-old.’’

SHANA OLSEN
“I’ve trained hard and my goal is to win. I don’t put pressure on myself to win impressively. I am fighting a Muay Thai champion who defeated Gina Carano, so my work is cut out for me.

“But this is a sport and a time and place in my life where I belong. I have a strong desire to make it to the top, and right now I am in the process of working my way up.’’

JULIA BUDD
“I am fighting someone who’s strong and knows what she’s doing, but I’m also strong, fit and ready to go.

“I take it one fight at a time and I work to be the best so I can fight the best, but there is no doubt I am stepping up for this one and will be the underdog.

“I love MMA, putting in the work, the lifestyle and the challenge.’’

BRANDON CASH
“Every fight is a must-win and this is the most motivated I’ve ever been for a fight. My weight is good, my mind is good and I am raring to go.

“I’m coming to fight. That doesn’t mean I won’t be patient, but the plan is I just want to knock him out.’’

JOHN DEVINE
“He’s a good striker who comes out fast, but I am a better wrestler than him. This is such a great opportunity for me and I really want to thank STRIKEFORCE. I’m confident I’ll finish him.’’

Baltimore, MD (October 21, 2010) – Due to unforeseen circumstances, the card scheduled for this Saturday at the Pikesville Armory has been postponed until December 11.

All ticket holders will have access to the same seat for the Saturday, December 11 show.

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
All participants for tomorrow’s “Capitale Punishment II” card weighed-in today at the NYS Athletic Commissioners Office in downtown New York City. Below is the scheduled bout sheet, with weights included.

Main Event – Lightweights
8 Rounds

Jorge Teron – 137 1/2 lbs.
Vs.
James Hope – 136 1/2 lbs.

____________________________

Light Heavyweights
4 Rounds

Sean Monaghan – 174 1/2 lbs.
Vs.
Nick Whiting – 176 1/2 lbs.
_____________________________

Flyweights
6 Rounds

Eileen Olszewski – 109 lbs.
Vs.
Suzannah Warner- 107 1/2 lbs.
__________________________

Bantamweights
6 Rounds

Elton Dharry – 116 lbs.
Vs.
Jose Rivera – 117 lbs.
___________________________

Light Heavyweights
4 Rounds

Hajro Sujak – 172 1/4 lbs.
Vs.
Naseem Dean – 174 lbs.
__________________________

Super Middleweights
4 Rounds

Elmer Vera – 165 lbs.
Vs.
Abdellah Smith – 165 lbs.

*** ALL BOUTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***

“Capital Punishment II” is promoted by Star Boxing and The Empire. The Capitale is located at 130 Bowery, in Manhattan, NY. Doors open at 6:30PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:30PM. Tickets are currently on sale and are being priced at $200, **$150**, and $50. Tickets may be purchased by calling Star Boxing at (718)823-2000. **For information on discounted $150 seats (for $100) for advanced purchase call now!** For more information visit www.starboxing.com or www.theempirese.com.

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing, Inc. has been in operation since 1992. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit the official website at www.starboxing.com.

ABOUT THE EMPIRE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT:

The Empire Sports & Entertainment Co. is primarily engaged in the business of promoting entertainment events and the creation and distribution of sporting events. Today, The Empire acquires the rights to develop and promote sporting and entertainment events through contractual relationships and provides event management services. The Empire arranges events and coordinates venues, media and sponsorship. For more information please visit www.theempirese.com.

Star Boxing

Star Boxing Exclusive Merchandise

Facebook/Star Boxing

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
Tomorrow night, Star Boxing and The Empire present “Capitale Punishment II” at the Capitale in New York City. Headlining the show, is the Bronx’s three-time NY Golden Gloves Champion, Jorge “The Truth” Teron (23-2-1, 15KO’s) taking on James Hope in an eight round lightweight affair. Also on the card is popular light heavyweight prospect, and 2009 NY Golden Gloves Champion Irish Seanie Monaghan (3-0, 2KO’s). The entire card will be shown on the GoFightLive.TV tape delayed. All fight participants will officially weigh-in today at 5PM at the NYS Athletic Commissioners office.

Tickets to see this event live, at the beautiful Capitale in downtown New York City, are still available, and can be purchased at the door. With an intimate atmosphere, boxing at the Capitale is more than just a night of exciting fights, but an all-around party, including beautiful ring cards girls, a DJ, and multiple full-service bars, making it a night of live boxing you will not want to miss.

“Capital Punishment II” is promoted by Star Boxing and The Empire. The Capitale is located at 130 Bowery, in Manhattan, NY. Doors open at 6:30PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:30PM. Tickets are currently on sale and are being priced at $200, **$150**, and $50. Tickets may be purchased by calling Star Boxing at (718)823-2000. **For information on discounted $150 seats (for $100) for advanced purchase call now!** For more information visit www.starboxing.com or www.theempirese.com.

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing, Inc. has been in operation since 1992. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit the official website at www.starboxing.com.

ABOUT THE EMPIRE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT:

The Empire Sports & Entertainment Co. is primarily engaged in the business of promoting entertainment events and the creation and distribution of sporting events. Today, The Empire acquires the rights to develop and promote sporting and entertainment events through contractual relationships and provides event management services. The Empire arranges events and coordinates venues, media and sponsorship. For more information please visit www.theempirese.com.

Star Boxing

Star Boxing Exclusive Merchandise

Facebook/Star Boxing

twitter.com/starboxing

I have lost my closest friend, my inspiration in life, my one and only brother. This is something I could never imagine, but for some reason I feel his life is not a loss. My brother is me! We live our lives through each other. We dedicate our triumphs to one another and share the challenges we face in life. What does someone do when they lose the one person in their life like this? They are devastated right? Allow me to share with you Stathi’s thoughts and what he wants. If you can believe me, I feel you will all be somewhat enlightened to hear what I have say.

The fight will go on! I will do this for Stathi, my family and myself. The moment I walked in for a grueling sparing session after hearing the news of his death earlier that day, my trainer Brendon Smith shook my hand and said to me “you are about to take the bravest step of your life.” We nodded, smiled and went to work. I worked as I have never done before. He is with me and will be all the way. I am happy about this.

I have never experienced anything like I felt that day. Stathi is inside me! We will fight this fight together. I know this is what he wants.

I would like to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers for my brother, my family and myself. God bless.

Michael Katsidis

Atlantic City, NJ – Spartan Fight Promotions of Atlantic City, NJ will be holding their 1st Ring Card Girl Tryout Competition on Saturday, November 6th at G&P Training and Fitness Center located at 11 S. Iowa Ave in Atlantic City, NJ. The event, sponsored by Tito’s Vodka, Ducktown Tavern and Liquid Lightning will be held from 9:00pm to 11:00pm with complimentary beverages being served throughout the night.

Individuals who would like to participate in the tryout should contact the VP of Marketing, Michael Holland at 609-703-4182. Prizes will be awarded to the finalists and they will also become the official Ring Card Girls for Spartan Fight Promotions events.

“The winners from the competition will become part of our promotions team and they will also be featured in our annual calendar,” said Michael Brestle, Owner/Operator of G&P Training and Fitness and Spartan Fight Promotions. “This is a great opportunity for everyone to see our new fitness facility and also receive information on upcoming fight events produced by Spartan Fight Promotions.”

Tickets are $20.00 per person and can be purchased at G&P Training and Fitness Center located at 11 S. Iowa Ave in Atlantic City or at the door on the night of the event. You must be 21 years of age to enter and ID will be required. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Spartan Fights Childhood Obesity Program. Ticket price also includes complimentary admission to the after party held at Tropicana’s 32 Degrees Luxe Lounge.

As Atlantic City’s first complete fitness facility, G&P Training and Fitness Center is committed to delivering an individual and unique training experience where we inspire our clients to attack training through hard work and dedication.

CLICK FOR EVENT INFO
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (Oct. 21, 2010) — Classic Entertainment & Sports’ newly-launched Mixed Martial Arts Division will host its second show Friday, Oct. 22, 2010 at Foxwood Resort Casino’s Fox Theater, starring a rematch between Luis “Rock Star” Felix and Joe DeChaves.

Friday’s pro-am event will feature five amateur bouts, followed by nine professional fights, featuring Lionel Young (3-4, 2 submissions) of Boston, Mass., Hitalo Machado (6-4, 6 submissions) of Danbury, Conn., and Uxbridge, Mass., veteran Steve Skrzat (4-0, 4 KOs).

The main event pits two newfound rivals against one another for the first time since Sept. 17 in Lincoln, R.I. Felix (5-5), of Cranston, R.I., beat New Bedford, Mass., native DeChaves (3-3) 1 minute, 4 seconds into the opening round in a controversial stoppage by the referee.

The show will be broadcast on GoFightLive.com, featuring play-by-play and color commentary by Patrick Sullivan, Michael Parente and MMA veteran Mike “The Beast” Campbell, and can be purchased at the GoFightLive.com Website for $9.99.

Tickets for “Cage of Horrors” are available by calling CES at 401-724-2253 or the Foxwoods box office at 800-200-2882.

For more information on “Cage of Horrors,” or other upcoming shows, visit CES online at CESBoxing.com.

FRESNO, Calif. (Oct. 20, 2010) – Four of the fighters who will appear on a top-notch STRIKEFORCE Challengers event presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), this Friday, Oct. 22, participated in an Open Media Workout on Wednesday at Fort Washington Fitness.

The four were heavyweight Lavar “Big” Johnson (14-3), of Madera, Calif., who faces Virgil “RezDog” Zwicker (8-1) of Temecula, Calif.; undefeated Fresno resident Billy Evangelista (10-0, 1 NC), who takes on Waachiim “Native Warrior’’ Spiritwolf (8-6-1) of San Diego in a 165-pound catch weight bout, world-ranked Shana “Rock Solid’’ Olsen (4-0), of Diluth, Minn., who faces highly regarded Canadian Muay Thai Champion Julia “The Jewel” Budd (pro debut), of Sechelt, British Columbia, at 145 pounds, and Fresno heavyweight Brandon Cash (4-2), who battles John Devine (5-2) of San Francisco.

In this Friday’s main event, welterweight Relentless” Roger Bowling (8-0) will put his unbeaten record on the line one more time against “Vicious” Bobby Voelker (22-8) of Kansas City, Kan., in a rematch of an exciting fight last May 21 that ended prematurely due to an accidental poke in the eye.

Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale at the Save Mart Center box office, select Save Mart Supermarkets, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

Doors will open at 4:45 p.m. PT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 5:30 p.m. The first televised match starts at 8 p.m. PT.

What the fighters said Wednesday:

LAVAR JOHNSON
“I feel good and I am very happy to be on a STRIKEFORCE card that has so many of my (Fresno Pro Buhawe) teammates on it. I’m excited for everybody.

“I know Zwicker will be ready. He’s a fast, scrappy fighter who comes to fight. He may be a little shorter than me, which will definitely be a little different. The last two guys I’ve fought have been taller.

“God blessed me with an opportunity to have a second chance at life and has put me in position again to show what I can do. I’ll be ready to go on Friday.’’

BILLY EVANGELISTA
“I’ve been working really hard. I want to keep this winning streak going. I’ve prepared like I always do. I don’t watch tapes. My job is to do the best I can and not worry about my opponent.

“Winning is always the main goal, but I really would like to submit this guy – just so I could get a submission on my record.’’

SHANA OLSEN
“I’m really excited about fighting for STRIKEFORCE the first time and fighting on SHOWTIME. I consider myself a well-rounded fighter and look forward to displaying my skills.

“I never look past any opponent and this will be a tough fight. But, of course, I will fight anybody, and that includes (STRIKEFORCE 145-pound World Champion and No. 1 Female Fighter in the world, Cris) Cyborg. My goal is to become the world champion. It doesn’t matter to me who I fight to get the title.’’

BRANDON CASH
“It’s always great when STRIKEFORCE comes to Fresno because they use a lot of local fighters like me. I don’t like losing and I lost the last time I fought in Fresno so I appreciate STRIKEFORCE giving me another chance.

“I am going to thank them by knocking this guy out.’’

Baltimore, MD (October 20) – James “Keep em’ Sleepin” Stevenson has been perfect thus far inside the squared circle. The gifted boxer-puncher has scored a number of highlight reel knockouts and only three of his thirteen opponents survived to the final bell. While everything has gone as planned for Stevenson during his two year professional career, the unbeaten 27 year old suffered a devastating setback following his most recent bout.

A few months after outpointing George Rivera, Stevenson’s father James Sr. died suddenly of a heart attack, leaving both the fighter and his family in shambles. The tragic loss also meant Stevenson had to take care of his stay at home mother. Between coping with losing his father and a nagging wrist injury, the hard hitting Baltimore native was out of the gym for an extended period of time.

Although he still struggles daily, Stevenson returned to training in late July with a newfound inspiration to become a world champion.

“My father would have told me stay in the gym and keep on fighting so I am doing this for him,” said the inspired Stevenson. “I am training harder than ever and my goal to win a world is in my father’s honor.”

His first test will come this Saturday at the Pikesville Armory against once beaten Phillip McCants, a slick Philadelphian who hasn’t lost in more than five years. Stevenson, who doesn’t know much about his opponent, says he is rededicated to the sport and ready for whatever tricks the 8-1 McCants has up his sleeve.

“I always expect a tough fight no matter who it is against. I never overlook any opponent but I am going to 100% prepared for whatever McCants has to offer.”

The highly anticipated Stevenson-McCants showdown will serve as the main event of Baltimore Pro Boxing’s “Who’s The Man II”.

The undercard will feature a match up between unbeaten cruiserweights Steve “Show Stealer” Wheeler (6-0, 5 KO’s) of Catonsville, MD and Cabin Creek, WV’s Jason Pauley (4-0, 1 KO), as well as separate bouts showcasing top local prospects Thomas “KO” Snow (12-1, 8 KO’s), Maurice “Freight Train” Byarm (9-0, 6 KO’s), and “Slick” Nick Kisner (6-0, 4 KO’s).

Tickets start at $40 and can be ordered by calling 410-675-6900 or going to the Armory’s box office.

Doors open at 7 pm and the opening bell is slated for 8. The Pikesville Armory is located at 610 Reisterstown Rd in Baltimore, MD.

Fairless Hills, PA–Undefeated welterweight contender Mike Jones, of Philadelphia, PA, opened up his training camp at the 10th Round Gym in Fairless Hills, PA, last week in preparation for his Nov. 13 fight with Jesus Soto-Karass at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX.

The Jones vs. Soto-Karass fight opens up the pay-per-view telecast that night on a card which features Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title in the main event.

Among Jones’ sparring partners are fellow-Philadelphians Gabriel Rosado and Raymond Serrano. Rosado (14-5, 8 K0s) is on the verge of his own world ranking at junior middleweight while Serrano (13-0, 6 K0s) is quietly moving up through the welterweight division.

Jones also has been working with unbeaten junior welterweight Ronald Cruz (9-0, 6 K0s), of Bethlehem, PA.

A pro since 2005, the 27-year-old Jones is ranked between No. 2 and No. 4 by all four major world sanctioning bodies. At stake in this scheduled 10-rounder will be Jones’ NABA and NABO welterweight belts.
“I am taking time off from my job (forklift operator at Home Depot in Cherry Hill, NJ) to concentrate on my boxing career,” Jones said. “This is a big fight for me. Soto-Karass is not a pushover and I need to be fully prepared—as usual—for this match. It’s a whole new stage for me and I need to be focused 100 percent.”

Other major fights on the PPV card include: Kelly Pavlik, of Youngstown, OH, vs. Bryan Vera, of Austin, TX, 10 rounds, super middleweights; Guillermo Rigondeaux, of Miami, FL, vs. Ricardo Cordoba, of San Miguelito, Panama, 12 rounds, super bantamweights.

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
ATLANTIC CITY/NEW YORK (October 20, 2010)—On Saturday night October 30th one of the best Featherweight prospects in the world in Jorge Diaz will risk his undefeated record when he takes on former world title challenger Emanuel Lucero that will headline a huge night of boxing from Ballys Atlantic City and will be broadcasted LIVE all over the world on www.gofightlive.tv

To order the fight LIVE at 7:30 pm Eastern Time for just $9.99, click

http://www.gofightlive.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Jorge_King_Diaz_vs_Emmanuel_Lucero/871

The card is presented by John Lynch’s Pound for Pound Promotions.

Diaz of New Brunswick, New Jersey brings in a perfect mark of 14-0 with nine knockouts and has quickly become one of the most exciting prospects in the lower weight divisions.

Diaz has fought on some of the biggest shows on the east coast as he has appeared at either Boardwalk Hall or Madison Square Garden seven times and in his last bout, Diaz fought in famed Yankee Stadium as part of the Miguel Cotto – Yuri Foreman undercard when he stopped tough Korean Jae-Sung Lee in six rounds.

Diaz two signature wins have come in the last year as he blasted out former Olympic Gold Medal winner Yan Barthelemy in six rounds in Madison Square Garden. Three fights later, Diaz scored an eight round unanimous decision over fellow undefeated Alejandro Lopez (16-0) in Key West, Florida.

Lucero of Scranton, PA via Mexico has a very respectable record of 24-5-1 with fourteen knockouts has fought the best in the world.

He went 21-0-1 in his first twenty-two bouts which includes wins over former world champion Juan Polo Perz and title challengers Rogers Mtagwa and John Lowey.

Lucero then challenged for the IBF Jr. Featherweight title but unfortunately he was up against a buzzsaw named Manny Pacquiao. The current best fighter in the world stopped Lucero in three rounds.

Lucero has only lost to the top featherweights as his only other losses have come to former world champions Valdemir Pereira and Daniel Ponce De Leon and former world title challengers Rocky Juarez and Jason Litzau.

In his last bout, Lucero scored an eight round unanimous decision over Robert DaLuz.

In a rare battle of top prospects, Jeremy Bryan (14-1, 7 KO’s) of Paterson, NJ will take on undefeated Ronald Cruz (9-0, 6 KO’s) of Bethlehem, PA.

Bryan was a former national Golden Gloves champion has one controversial defeat on his ledger. He will go up against Cruz who has scored some vicious knockouts and in his last few bouts has shown much improved boxing skills.

Glen Tapia (7-0, 5 KO’s) will see action in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Tapia has been named one of best young prospects on the east coast. Tapia will be extremely prepared as he is in camp as one of the chief sparring partners for Pacquiao in the Philippines.

Amir Mansour is one of the most interesting heavyweight prospects around.

The Delaware native won nine straight bouts before spending eight plus years in prison. On the day he was formally released, He scored a highlight film stoppage over Samuel Brown on August 27th.

Mansour will not be in with a pushover as he will be taking on Alex Mejias in a bout scheduled for six rounds.

Mejias has a record of 11-5 with five knockouts and has been in with quality opposition such as world ranked Derric Rossey (22-2); Tor Hamer (10-0) and Bowir Tupou (18-1).

In his last bout, Mejias scored a third round stoppage over undefeated Kimdo Bethal Boykin (4-0) on September 11th.

Also seeing action on the card will be popular Light Heavyweight Bobby Rooney (11-3-1, 6 KO’s) and a Light Heavyweight bout between undefeated Anthony Smith (6-0, 4 KO’s) and Donald Bernard (8-7-2, 4 KO’s)

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the brother of WBO interim Lightweight champion Michael Katsidis was found dead in Brisbane, Australia.

Stathi Katsidis was found dead and with Michael training it Thailand, it is unclear weather his November 27 bout with Lightweight world champion Juan Manuel Marquez will go on as scheduled.

“We haven’t spoken to Michael, but we have spoken to Brendon,” David Itskowitch, an executive with Golden Boy, Katsidis’ promoter, told ESPN.com. “Our concern right now is for Michael, not as to whether he will fight. He just lost his brother, who he was very close with. However long it takes, he will decide what he will do. Right now the fight is not a concern for us. We’re concerned for him.”

According to multiple Australian media reports, Stathi Katsidis was found dead by his girlfriend, Melissa Jackson, who also is the mother of their 4-year-old son.

The cause of death has not been determined, although he had a history of drug and alcohol problems, including a positive test for ecstasy in 2008 and a prior drunken driving arrest, according to media reports.

Newark, NJ (October 18, 2010) – Undefeated lightweight prospect Michael Angelo “The Artist” Perez will step up in competition when he takes on battle tested veteran Hevinson Herrera November 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

At 14-6-1 (9 KO’s), Herrera is the most experienced foe of Perez’ young career. Each of Florida based Colombian’s losses came against world class fighters in Ricardo Cordoba, Edner Cherry, Cyril Thomas, Luis Cruz, Zolani Marali and Jose Arboleda. Herrera also fought to a draw with future two time world title challenger Feider Viloria.

Perez, a 2008 National Golden Gloves Champion, has dominated since entering the professional ranks as a high school senior in October 2008. The Newark native is 9-0 with 4 wins by KO and won virtually all 30 of the professional rounds he’s boxed thus far. In his most recent bout on July 17, Perez stopped Jorge Ruiz in 2 minutes and 29 seconds.

Although he will enter the squared circle with an opponent that has fought 79 more rounds than him and battled the superior opposition, Perez is ready to put on a show in front of his hometown fans.

“I’m excited for the fight,” said Perez, who compiled an outstanding 112-10 amateur record. “Herrera has a lot of experience and I am expecting a good fight. I’ve had a great training camp and I’m ready to step up, so the fans can expect fireworks on November 6!”

The six round showdown between Perez and Herrera will take place prior to an HBO “Boxing After Dark” doubleheader featuring former two division world champion Zab Judah against unbeaten power puncher Lucas Matthysse and Robert Guerrero versus Vicente Escobedo.

The card is being promoted by Main Events, Golden Boy Promotions and Super Judah Promotions.

Tickets priced at $53, $78, $103 and $253 (ringside) can be purchased at Prudential Center Box Office, by calling TicketMaster at 800-745-3000 or www.Prucenter.com.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, two division world champion Zsolt Erdei will fight on November 20th in Atlantic City as part of the undercard featuring the middleweight championship rematch between Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams.

Erdei inked a deal with Lou DiBella over the weekend.

“I have followed him for a while and watched a number of his fights, and he’s a high quality guy,” DiBella said. “He has superstar status in Hungary. He’s like a rock star there. He doesn’t need the money. He didn’t come back for the money. Coming to America is about legacy and about trying to prove he’s belongs with the top guys, that he can beat the top guy. That is why he’s coming back.”

“What’s coming up next for me is in America,” Erdei said. “To be successful there is the next step after having achieved mostly everything in Europe. The big names in my weight division, I want to challenge and defeat them. That’s my goal. I know it’s going to be a tough and a big challenge, but I have never run away from these kinds of tasks. I didn’t want to end my career without giving it a try in the USA.

“We had a few options, especially from U.S. promoters. After a lot of discussions and negotiations, we met with Lou DiBella and DiBella Entertainment in New York. These meetings were always very positive. He made the best offer, and what was very important to me was that he believes in me. From the beginning I have seen Lou DiBella as a really nice person and I have the confidence in him, and I know that he will open the doors to the American boxing market in order to secure a successful continuation of my career.”

“I love boxing and that’s why I want to continue,” Erdei said. “Boxing is my life and I’m a fighter. I was looking for a new challenge after I had been the WBO light heavyweight world champion for nearly six years, had won the WBC cruiserweight crown and my contract with Universum Box-Promotion had ended.”

“He hasn’t taken a lot of punishment,” DiBella said. “His weight doesn’t fluctuate much. So at 36, it’s not a big deal to keep fighting. He doesn’t have a lot of mileage on him. He has taken care of himself and believes he has a lot left. But he’s not looking for a five-year comeback. He’s looking for four or five fights. He thinks he can beat the top guys at light heavyweight — Jean Pascal, Chad Dawson, that level of guy.”

Thackerville, Oklahoma — Texas star Raul ‘La Cobrita’ Martinez of San Antonio will take on Rodrigo Guerrero of Mexico on a ‘Top Rank Live’ boxing championship card at the WinStar World Casino on Saturday, November 20.

“This is a very exciting, entertaining main event in our first boxing event at the WinStar World Casino,” said Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum.”I have had the opportunity to spend time at the WinStar World Casino. It is a first-class facility with all of the amentities that one would want at a casino resort hotel. We are very proud to stage our fight program at the WinStar World
Casino on November 20.”

“We are very excited to be hosting a ‘Top Rank Live’ boxing card which starts off our Red River Rumble series in our Global Events Center,” said Michael McEwan, assistant general manager of the WinStar World Casino.

Martinez and Guerrero will box in an IBF Junior Bantamweight Elimination Fight which is scheduled for 12 rounds in the 115-pound weight division. Martinez, 28, has a record of 27-1 with 16 knockouts. He is ranked IBF #2.

Guerrero, from Ciudad, Neza, Mexico, has a record of 14-2-1, 9 KOs. He is a former WBC Continental Americas champion. At the age of 22, Guerrero is a five-year professional.

There will be seven bouts on the card. Casey Ramos, an undefeated 11-0 featherweight from Austin, Texas, and Noah Zuhdi, a 11-1 lightweight from Oklahoma City, will be featured on the undercard. Each will be in a six-round bout.

Arum said this event will “…launch of a series of exciting boxing events at the WinStar World Casino.”

First bell on November 20 is set for 8 pm. Top Rank Live! will be telecast on Fox Sports Network (FSN).

The big boxing event will be at the Global Events Center. Tickets are priced at the $35 (silver), $50 (gold) and $65 (platinum) levels.

Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.winstarworldcasino.com at the Global Events Center Box Office and via phone at 1-800-622-6317.

The Las Vegas Valley will begin reaching new record temperatures on Monday, October 18th, 2010. This prediction comes as Jason “Friday the 13th” Douglas, professional fighter from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, arrives at the McCarran International Airport. Wednesday at the Press Conference (12 noon) he will meet face-to-face with his opponent from the Valley, Henry Namauu (UNLV graduate), and the temperature will climb again. Then Thursday at the weigh-in (5 PM), each fighter will have to be below the 199-pound limit, the cruiserweight requirements. Then comes the big record breaker on Friday night, when the winner will be chosen by judges’ decision or by knockout in the main event bout presented by Crown Boxing at The Crown Theater and Night Club, located in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jason and Henry both have had impressive amateur boxing careers, but now we are talking professional boxing. Jason has eight wins, four being KOs, and only two losses. Henry has seven wins, five being KOs, and only 3 losses. Both fighters have had ten professional bouts. Jason has his work cut out for him on Friday night when he gets into the ring with Henry. This fight promises to be a war from start to finish and only one fighter will emerge the winner!

The night will feature six action-packed bouts, with Henry Namauu and Jason “Friday the 13th” Douglas highlighting the night. In a four-round featherweight bout, Mandy LaPointe will take on Hondi Hernandez. Chase Corbin will take on Titus Holmes in a four-round light middleweight bout. Alvaro Morales will take on Chad Davis in a four-round pairing of heavyweights. Local featherweight favorite, Rocco Santomauro, will face-off against Robert Guillen in a four-rounder. In the super bantamweight opener, Alexis Santiago squares off against Sergio Herrera in a bout also scheduled for four.

The Post Fight Party will be rockin’ in The Crown Nightclub immediately following the fights. Your fight ticket allows you admission to the party.

Fight week schedule:
Press Conference on Wednesday, October 20th at the Crown Theater and Night Club (12:00 PM).
Weigh-in on Thursday, October 21st at the Crown Theater and Night Club (5:00 PM).
The Friday Night Fights on October 22nd at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada in the Crown Theater and Night Club (Doors open 5pm / First bout 7pm).

MUST BE 21 & OVER WITH ID

Tickets (702) 777-7776
$25 RESERVED, $50 RINGSIDE, and $100 VIP

For more information, visit http://crown-boxing-inc.com/

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Former Heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs went to the hospital in Hamburg, Germany after his twelve round beatdown defeat at the hands of WBC Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko.

Now, he is in Hamburg’s Eppendorf University Hospital with a broken left orbital bone in his face, a broken nose and a torn left biceps, Empire Sports and Entertainment promoter Greg Cohen told ESPN.com.

“He was banged up pretty bad,” Cohen said, shortly after arriving back in New York on Sunday. “The CT scan came back normal, thank God. Shannon wants to get out of there as soon as possible, but he’ll be there for a little bit longer. He’s devastated. He really thought he was going to win.”

“His biceps is a very serious injury and they have to do surgery, and he’ll probably be there for a week,” Cohen said. “It might require more than one surgery.”

I wouldn’t be here [in New York] if he wasn’t OK,” Cohen said. “He was in intensive care after the fight for precautionary reasons. The injuries are not life-threatening. He’s just banged up, but it’s not life-threatening or very serious. Other than the injuries I described, everything else is OK.

“He walked out of the arena on his own. They wanted to put him on as stretcher, but he wouldn’t let them. He’s going to be fine.”

“He trained for this. He was 100 percent ready mentally and physically, but I wish they would have stopped it around the eighth round,” Cohen said. “I love Shannon. He’s like family to me. As a human being, he is much more important to me than as an athlete. So it was tough to watch. But Shannon did not want them stopping this fight. I wish they didn’t listen to him, but I understand. I spoke to his corner after one of the rounds and Shannon was telling him, ‘I’m OK, I’m going to get him.’ Even after the 11th round, he thought he was still going to do it. His will was never broken. If I was in the corner, I would have stopped it. But I’m the promoter, not the cornerman.

“I don’t blame the referee at all. The referee did a good job. And I don’t blame the corner. I understand, but my preference would have been for it to be stopped.”

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
WBO JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

MAIN EVENT – 12 ROUNDS

Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (19-0-1, 16 KOs), WBO Jr. Featherweight Champion, Bayamon, Puerto Rico,121 ¾ LBS.

Vs.

Ivan Hernandez (28-4-1, 17 KOs), Challenger, Ensendada BC, Mexico 121 ¾ LBS.

WBO YOUTH MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

CO-FEATURE – 12 ROUNDS

Raul Casarez (15-2, 8 KOs), Reynosa, Mexico, 158 ¼ LBS.

Vs.

Antony Greenridge (14-5-1, 5 KOs), Orlando, FL 159 ¼ LBS.

8 ROUNDS

Patrick Majewski (13-0, 8 KOs), Atlantic City, NJ by way of Poland 161 ½ LBS.

Vs.

Joseph Gomez (17-2-1, 8 KOs), Bloomfield, NM 165 ¾ LBS.

6 ROUNDS

McJoe Arroyo (5-0, 2 KOs), 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian, Fajardo, Puerto Rico 117 ¼ LBS.

Vs.

Israel Rojas (3-1, 2 KOs), Aguas Prietas, Sonora, Mexico 116 ½ LBS.

Time permitting, highlights of other fights will be shown including:

4 ROUNDS

Anthony La Porte, Jr. (Pro Debut), son of former world champion Juan La Porte, New York, NY 125 ½

LBS.

Vs.

Hipolito Rivera (0-2), Hato Rey, Puerto Rico 126 126 ¾ LBS.

4 ROUNDS

Israel Vazquez (Pro Debut), son of former world champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Sr., brother of world champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr., Bayamon, Puerto Rico 108 ½ LBS.

Vs.

TBA

(ALL FIGHTS & FIGHTERS SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

WHAT: “The Rising Son Returns” PPV pro boxing show

WHEN: Saturday, October 16, 2010 – 9 PM/ET 6 PM/PT

WHERE: Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, FL

PROMOTER: All Star Boxing, Inc. “The New Generation” & Felix “Tuto” Zabala, Jr.

NEW YORK (Oct. 15, 2010) – Super Six World Boxing Classic fans will get a chance to see WBA world champion and tournament-point leader Andre Ward headline the SHOWTIME telecast on Saturday, Nov. 27 (live at 9p.m. ET/PT), it was officially announced one week after Ward’s tournament opponent Andre Dirrell pulled out of their Group Stage 3 fight due to injury.

Ward, who has already locked up a Semifinal berth in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, will defend his WBA super middleweight world title against world ranked top-10 contender Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, Australia, by way of Douala, Cameroon, in the second-half of a SHOWTIME doubleheader.

The fight, which will take place in front of Ward’s hometown fans at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., will not be part of the Super Six tournament, Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports®, announced. The event is being promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions, the promoter for Bika.

There will, however, be Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament action on Saturday, Nov. 27, from Finland. In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME doubleheader, “King” Arthur Abraham will meet Carl “The Cobra” Froch for their pivotal Group Stage 3 bout for the vacant WBC world title. This bout will air on same day delay from the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki.

The 31-year-old Bika will be making his third world title appearance, challenging for the belt that Ward wrested from Mikkel Kessler with a brilliant performance in the opening Group Stage of the Super Six tournament. Bika is 0-1-1 in world title fights, having lost a decision to Joe Calzaghe in Oct. 2006 and being forced to settle for a controversial draw against Marcus Beyer in Germany in May 2006.

Two of Bika’s most noteworthy victories came when he crushed Peter Manfredo, Jr. (TKO 3) in Nov. 2008 and when he outpointed Sam Soliman across eight rounds in Oct. 2007.

As evidenced by the fact that he has never been knocked out, Bika is known for his granite chin and is regarded as one of the toughest fighters in the world at 168 pounds. A 2000 Olympian for Cameroon, Bika has fought some of the division’s elite champions, but has long accused the big-name super middleweights of avoiding him.

In an opportunity to get back into the world title picture, Bika lost his most recent start controversially when he was disqualified for hitting Jean Paul Mendy while he was down in the first round of an IBF world title eliminator this past July 31. On his way to what looked like a certain knockout win, Bika dropped Mendy to his knees with a left hand, then landed a right uppercut that caused Mendy to pitch forward face-first on the canvas. Referee Joe Cortez ruled that Bika had fouled Mendy and he called the fight at 1:19 of the first round.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

CLICK FOR FULL EVENT INFO
WHO: WILFREDO VAZQUEZ JR.WBO Jr. Featherweight Champion Bayamon, PR, 19-0-1, 16 KOs
IVAN “Choko” HERNANDEZ, Former World Champion, Ensenada, MX, 28-4-1, 17 KOs
And the Rest of the Full Fight Card

WHAT: Official Weigh-in for the Vazquez Jr vs. Hernandez Fight Card

WHEN: Friday, October 15, 5:30 PM

WHERE: Silver Spurs Arena Parking Lot
1875 Silver Spurs Lane
Kissimmee, FL34744
(321) 697-3333

Media Credential Pick-Up will be on Saturday from 5:00 – 8:00 PM in the North Lobby

WBO Jr. Featherweight Champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr will be transported by helicopter to the scale for today’s OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN at the Silver Spurs Arena, in Kissimmee, FL. Waiting at the scale will be his opponent Ivan “Choko” Hernandez.

You may be thinking, “?Wilfredo esta loco?” After the fight, he is planning to bungee jump across the street from the hotel. He’s been talking about it all week.

On Saturday, October 16, 2010, All Star Boxing, Inc and Promoter Tuto Zabala, Jr. will return to the city that has hosted many of the company’s boxing shows during the past 10 years that have filled the Kissimmee Civic Center on many occasions. This time it will come back with a World Title fight and one of the biggest shows in Central Florida history that will be hosted at the 10,500 seat Silver Spurs Arena of the Osceola Heritage Park in an event billed “The Rising Son Returns”.

In the main event, WBO Jr. Featherweight Champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. of Bayamon, Puerto Rico will make the second defense of his title when he meets his toughest opponent so far in Ivan “Choko” Hernandez of Ensenada, Mexico in a bout schedule for 12 rounds with Vazquez WBO Jr. Featherweight Title at stake.

For Vazquez Jr.(26), it will be a homecoming. He has fought in Kissimmee 13 times in route to his world title win last February 27 when he stopped “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona of the Philippines in 4 rounds to capture the title. In his first defense, on May 29, he also stopped former Olympian and #1 contender Zsolt Bedak of Hungary in 10 to improve his record to 19-0-1-16 KO’s.

Former world champion Hernandez (27) is ranked #10 by the WBC and WBO and has fought world champions Mark Johnson, Fernando Montiel, Toshiaki Nishioka and Israel Vazquez. Hernandez’ two most recent fights were both 5th round knockout wins, against Jaime Maldonado and Lisandro De Los Santos, to improve his record to 27-4-1, with 17 KOs.

Tickets for Vazquez Jr. vs. Hernandez on October 16, priced at $202, $102, $52 and $27, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Silver Spurs Arena box office and on-line at Ticketmaster.com.

Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. vs. Ivan “Choko” Hernandez will be broadcast live on-pay-per-view, distributed by Integrated Sports in the US and in Puerto Rico by Pay Per View Connection beginning at 9 PM ET/6PM PT at a suggested retail price of $34.95.