According to Dan Rafael of espn.com,. former three-divison world champion Erik Morales will comeback after a two and a half year retirement to take on former Lightweight beltholder Jose Alfaro on March 27 in Mexico.

“I think he’ll sell pretty good, but not like he did last time,” Said Nacho Huizar, who will co=promote the fight along with Morales, referring to Morales’ onetime position as a significant pay-per-view attraction.

“After I heard he was going to come back, he called me and begged me to be his partner,” Huizar said. “It’s an honor to me for him to pick me. If I don’t do it, somebody else will.”

Morales-Alfaro will be televised in the United States via Integrated Sports pay-per-view.

“We’ll see what happens,” said Huizar, who said he promoted Morales’ first five pro fights before Morales went on to become a major star under the guidance of co-promoters Top Rank and Fernando Beltran’s Zanfer Promotions.

“That’s it,” Morales said at the time of his loss to then WBC Lightweight champion David Diaz . “No more fighting. I am done. Too many punches, particularly to the head area.”

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

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”

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.

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

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.”

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.

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

Although Roy Jones Jr. did not last a round when he was stopped by Danny Green in Australia, Jones will get his (at one time) much anticipated rematch with fellow legend Bernard Hopkins according to espn.com

The fight likely will be April 17 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, Hopkins’ promoter, said.

“We worked very hard to keep this fight alive and we got it signed on Wednesday,” said John Wirt, the CEO of Square Ring, Jones’ promotional company. “We’re ecstatic that the fight was made and we’re looking forward to a great event. There’s been a long-standing rivalry between two of the preeminent boxers of our generation. This fight will establish once and for all who is the better fighter between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. This is the fight Roy always wanted.”

“The interesting thing is the conversations never died down,” Schaefer said. “Even after Bernard won and Roy lost, the talks continued and different options were evaluated. But I just felt from talking to Bernard and from the conversations I had with John that they really wanted to fight each other.

“I think there is so much at stake for these guys. This is an event they have been waiting for for 17 years. They would not let anything get in the way of getting this fight finally done. I believe very strongly that at this point in their careers, after everything they have accomplished, I think this is a well-deserved fight for these two guys to finally get it on April 17. Love ‘em or hate em, they are two of the most recognized names in the sport of boxing.”

“The only thing I can say about the structure of the deal is that there is still a substantial financial benefit to the guy who wins by knockout,” Schaefer said.

“Those who write Roy Jones off are making a mistake because he will come in motivated more than ever because this is a personal showdown between these guys,” Schaefer said. “They were waiting a long time for this fight and here it is. Bernard, at this point in his career, keeps on defying mother time. For Bernard, after all the accomplishments, for him to get up for a fight, he also needs that personal motivation, and he will have it against Roy Jones.

“Those two guys, after all the talking and the build up, and the ups and downs and the cheers and disappointments, finally, they are going to meet again. Bernard won’t be judging Roy on his last performance. He knows that would be a big mistake. I think they will both come at their best because of how important this is to both of them.”

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Jan. 13, 2010) – Exciting Philadelphia junior welterweight “Hammerin’” Hank Lundy has predicted an impressive win by 3rd-round knockout against fellow hot prospect, Richard “El Tigre” Abril, in the 10-round “Boston Pop” headliner Jan. 22 at The Roxy in Boston’s famed Theater District.

The fight will be broadcast on a tape delayed basis on www.gofightlive.tv

Lundy, one of the brightest prospects in boxing, stunned Mexican veteran Aldo Valtierra (25-12), who boasts a win against world-rated Jorge Teron, with a first-round knockout in his last fight on Halloween night. The entertaining, highly-revved Philly boxer also stopped previously-unbeaten Jason Cintron (11-1) in the fifth round last year.

Abril (12-1, 6 KOs), a former Cuban amateur standout now fighting out of Miami, replaced Brad Solomon. Abril’s lone loss was by a 10-round split decision to Breidis Prescott, who in his following fight knocked out rising star Amir Khan in the opening round.

“The change of opponents doesn’t bother me because they’re almost the same height,” Lundy explained. “This guy (Abril) doesn’t get off as well as Solomon and I think this is an easier fight for me. He isn’t as active as Solomon. He’s slow and doesn’t use his jab. I’m going to take care of business. Abril is a good fighter. He’s coming to fight and I think it’ll be a great fight while it lasts. I’m going to use my jab, work the body, break him down and I should take him out by the third round. I’m excited to be fighting in Boston for the first time and I’m bringing a Philly style of fighting there.”

The 6-round co-feature matches intra-state rivals Chris Traietti (8-1, 5 KOs), an Iraq War veteran from Quincy, and dangerous Lawrence super middleweight Eddie “Thunder” Caminero (5-3, 5 KOs).

Two former New England amateur standouts, Peabody (MA) welterweight Simeon Dunwell (10-1, 3 KOs) and Josh “Bam Bam” Beeman (4-5-3, 2 KOs), of Providence, go at it in a 6-round match.

CES Ring of Honor Induction

CES president Jimmy Burchfield has announced that Carlos Garcia will be inducted into the prestigious CES Ring of Honor during a special ceremony at “Boston Pop.” Inductees are honored for their contributions or achievement to New England boxing. “Carlos has helped countless kids for years as boxing coach at the Worcester Boys & Girls Club,” Burchfield remarked. “He’s started out and trained former 3-time world champion Jose Antonio Rivera, multiple national amateur champion Bobby Harris and unbeaten middleweight prospect Edwin Rodriguez. Carlos embodies everything we believe in at CES and we’re very happy to be inducting him into the CES Ring of Honor. We’re also presenting Dr. Edgar Ballenas with a special achievement award for all he’s done to help promoters, managers, trainers and fighters over the years in New England.”

Boston light heavyweight Maceo Crowder (1-0, 1 KO), whose brother is 2008 U.S. Olympian Demetrius Andrade, faces New Haven’s pro-debuting Greg McCoy. Quincy junior lightweight Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczewski (6-0, 2 KOs) faces Francisco Palacios (4-9-5, 1 KO) and Hartford middleweight David Bauza (3-0, 3 KOs) meets Erix Quinteros (2-3) in separate 4-round bouts.

Ticket prices for “Boston Pop” are $40.00, $50.00 and $75.00 and available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254) or going online at www.cesboxing.com.

Contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) for more information. Doors open at 6:30 PM/ET, first bout at 8 PM/ET.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former WBA Heavyweight champion John Ruiz has signed a promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions and should pave the way for a mandatory title shot with currant champio David Haye in the spring.

Ruiz, whose contract with Don King expired, is due to challenge England’s David Haye for a version of the heavyweight title, probably on April 3 in London. Golden Boy also promotes Haye.

“I’m excited to become a member of the Golden Boy Promotions family and know that I have a great future ahead of me. I’m going to continue to make history and break records one fight at a time, starting with David Haye this spring,” said Ruiz, who became the first Hispanic heavyweight titleholder when he outpointed Evander Holyfield for a belt in 2001. “I know Golden Boy will help get me back to the top of the heavyweight division and to secure my place in the boxing history books.”

“John Ruiz is a very skilled and talented heavyweight and we are very excited to add him to our elite stable of fighters,” Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya said. “He has proven time and time again that he has what it takes to battle with the top guys in the division and will continue to do so in 2010 and beyond.”

“I saw him fight in Germany and everyone had told me how boring he was,”Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said. “But I thought it was an entertaining fight. Ruiz was the first Hispanic heavyweight champion and we are very involved in the Hispanic marketplace and we think John Ruiz hasn’t been properly exposed in that market. We want to increase his profile in the Hispanic market. That’s really the idea.

“He’s been more fan friendly in his recent fights and I think his new trainer, Miguel Diaz, is part of that.”

With Ruiz due to face Haye, Schaefer said that also played into the decision to sign him, because whatever happens in the fight, Golden Boy will have the winner under contract.

“That certainly didn’t hurt,” Schaefer said. “I’d be lying if I would say something different. But I discussed this with Adam Booth, David Haye’s manager and trainer. I informed him before we signed Ruiz and he was OK with it. Numerous promoters were after Ruiz after it became known he was no longer under contract with Don King. Frank Warren from England pursued him. If Hayemaker [Haye’s company] and Golden Boy were doing the Ruiz fight together it made sense for us to also work with Ruiz.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Jermain Taylor has pulled out of Showtime’s Super Six Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic.

Taylor was due to face super middleweight titleholder Andre Ward in the second stage of the modified round-robin tournament on April 17.

“I’m going to take some time off from the sport of boxing and take myself out of [the] Showtime Sports World Boxing Classic tournament,” Taylor said in a statement. “It’s important that I give my body and mind some much-needed rest, because I have been boxing for nearly 20 years. I plan on keeping myself in shape and making a return to the sport sometime in the future.”

Taylor’s promoter Lou DiBella was pleased that Taylor took his advice and withdrew from the tournament.

“I know it must have been a difficult decision for Jermain and I’m very happy for him and his family that he decided to give himself a much-needed break,” DiBella told ESPN.com.

Behind the scenes Taylor’s manager, Al Haymon, had been working with Showtime on a buyout of Taylor’s remaining tournament fights. It is unclear what sort of deal they reached, if any, before Taylor’s announcement.

“This was not an easy decision for me, having discussed it with my family, trainer [Ozell Nelson], friends and my adviser, Al Haymon, because I’m a very competitive person. But I know this is the smart road for me to take,” Taylor said. “I want to thank Showtime Sports for everything and I wish the best for my five counterparts who will continue on in the Super Six tournament. Most of all, I want to thank the many fans for their continued support.”

Taylor’s replacement is likely to be the winner of a fight between Sakio Bika (28-3-2, 19 KOs), champion of the 2007 “Contender” tournament, and Allan Green (29-1, 20 KOs). Their handlers are working to finalize a fight between the two for Feb. 5 on Showtime’s “ShoBox” series. DiBella promotes Green and Haymon manages Bika.

Late last week, DiBella told ESPN.com that “Allan has agreed to the fight and Bika and Al Haymon are working on their side.”

If Bika and Green fight to a draw, DiBella said the winner of a coin flip would become the alternate. If an injury forced the fight to be called off, the healthy fighter would get the open spot in the field.

PHILADELPHIA (January 9, 2010)—On Friday night February 5th, Vernoca L. Michael and Blue Horizon Boxing Inc. presents the first big show at The world’s number-one boxing venue as a big show is planned for a the annual “Valentine’s Day Special” that will feature some of the best boxers from not only Philadelphia but from Europe as well.

In the main event, Maks Liminov of Prokopyevsk, Russia will risk his undefeated record of 11-0 against new Blue Horizon crowd favorite Loren Myers in an eight round Middleweight bout.

Liminov has a record of 11-0 with seven knockouts and will be making his second appearncde on American soil after fighting his first town bouts in his native Russia.

In that American debut, Limonov stopped Skyler Thompson (11-4) in three rounds on November 7th in Tacoma, Washington.

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.

In one co-feature, exciting Featherweight prospect Eric “The Outlaw” Hunter will see action in an eight round bout against an opponent to be named.

Hunter, just twenty-three years old of Philadelphia has a record of 11-1 with four knockouts and has won six straight since his lone pro defeat in 2007.

This will be Hunter’s third appearance at The Legendary Blue Horizon (2-0, 2 KO’s) and first since his third round knockout over Jules Blackwell on June 6, 2008.

In a special four round Heavyweight bout, Joe Dawejko will make his hometown debut as the nineteen year old former world Jr. Champion will take on Damon Clement.

Dawejko will be looking to thrill his hometown fans much like he did in the fall of 2008 when he was crowned the winner of the AIBA Youth World Championships.

Dawejko won his pro debut on September 26th when he scored a six round unanimous decision over Royphy Solieau.

Clement of Ohio is 0-2.

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

Fresh off his knockout win on December 4th over Nathan Perrott, John Bolden (1-0, 1 KO) of New York City takes on Ricardo Johnson (1-0) of Cincinnati, OH. In a heavyweight bout scheduled for four rounds.

Jackie Davis (3-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will participate in a Ladies Welterweight four round fight against an opponent to be named.

Andres Gustafson of Norrkoping, Sweden will trek across the Atlantic to risk his undefeated mark (3-0, 1 KO) to take on Levay King in a four round Heavyweight bout.

In a four round welterweight bout, Ronald Cruz (7-0, 4 KO’s) and debuting Jr. Welterweight Clemente Bethea of Philadelphia will see action in separate four round bouts against opponents to be named.

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 www.legendarybluehorizon.com/html/tickets.html 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

Gray Maynard scored a three round split decision over Nate Diaz in the Lightweight main event of UFC Fight Night at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA

Scores were 30-37 and 29-28 for Maynard, 155 lbs of Las Vegas and is now 10-0. Diaz, 155 lbs of Stockton, CA is now 11-6

Evan Dunham scored athird round tapout submission over Efarin Escudero in a three round Lightweight bout between undefeated fighters.

Dunham, 155 lbs of Las Vegas is 10-0. Escudero, 155 lbs of Tempe, AZ is 13-1

Aaron Simpson was almost knocked out in the first round but came back to win a close split decision over Tom Lawlor in a three round Light Heavyweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on two cards for Simpson and 29-28 Lawlor. Simpson, 185 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is now 7-0. Lawlor, 185 lbs of Orlando, FL is 6-2-1.

Amir Sadollah scored a three round unanimous decision over Brad Blackburn in a Middelweight bout.

Scores were 30-27 on all cards for Sadollah, 170 lbs of Richmond, VA and is now 4-1. Blackburn, 170 lbs of Olympia, WA is now 15-10-1.

PHILADELPHIA (JANUARY 11th, 2010)—THIS Friday night, the first big boxing of the new decade in Philadelphia will take place as USBA Jr. Middleweight champion, Derek “Pooh” Ennis will take on Edwin Vazquez in an eight round non-title bout that will highlight an eight bout card at The Arena in South Philadelphia.

The card is promoted by Greg Robinson’s Power Productions in association with River Edge Beverage Company.

Ennis of Philadelphia will be looking to improve upon his record that currently stands at 19-2-1 with twelve knockouts and will be looking to carry the momentum of a seven fight win streak. In that streak, Ennis has scored three knockouts and is coming off a career best win when he scored an exciting twelve round unanimous decision over Eromosele Albert on October 16th at The Legendary Blue Horizon to capture the USBA Jr. Middleweight title.

A win over Vazquez will pave the way for Ennis’ first title defense that is tentatively penciled in for April 9th.

Vazquez of Santurce, Puerto Rico has a record of 22-14-2 with eight knockouts and is looking for a win in the worst way as he has dropped five straight contests.

Those losses have come to some of the top Welterweights and Jr. Middleweights as Vazquez has lost to Matthew Hatton (30-3-1); Zab Judah (34-5); Eric Mitchell (20-4-1); Euri Gonzalez (16-0-1) and his most recent outing, Vazquez was stopped in four rounds to Cuban super prospect Erislandy Lara (5-0) on May 22nd in Miami.

Ironically Ennis and Vazquez were scheduled to meet on February 15th, 2008 but Ennis failed to make weight and Mitchell stepped in on less then twenty-four hours notice to score a very close unanimous decision.

An exciting undercard has been put together that will feature of the area’s most popular and top prospects.

In a six round co-feature, popular Victor Vasquez (10-3, 5 KO’s) takes on Gustavo Dailey (4-7, 1 KO) in a battle of Philadelphia lightweight’s.

Vasquez is riding a two fight win streak and the always crowd pleasing fighter, who is a licensed barber will look to cut down Dailey.

Vasquez is coming off a six round unanimous decision over Tyric Robinson (9-4-1) on October 16th at The Legendary Blue Horizon.

Dailey has been matched very tough throughout his career and he has been very active as this will be his thirteenth fight in just under two years of pro experience.

Dailey is coming off the third fight of his trilogy with Maryland prospect, Tyrell Samuel.

Dailey scored a major upset when scored a six round split decision over Samuel last July in Samuel’s backyard in Maryland. The two engaged in a return bout two months later that saw Samuel win by an eight round unanimous decision. The two fought a rubber match in November and once again Samuel scored a five round technical decision after a cut opened up over Samuel’s right eye.

In a second six round co-feature, Northeast Philadelphian, Tony “Boom Boom” Ferrante battles Andre Hemphill in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Ferrante, 8-0 with four knockouts an eight round majority decision over Billy Bailey at The Arena on July 10th.

Ferrante recently came off a six week stint as the main sparring partner for the legendary Bernard Hopkins as Hopkins prepared for his December 2nd win over Enrique Ornelas

Hemphill, also of Philadelphia has a record of 8-13-2 with five wins coming by knockout has been in with top competition and this will be the THIRTEENTH undefeated opponent that he has stepped into the ring with which includes his last fight where he took a fight with Jeremiah Graziano on less then twenty-four hours notice and Hemphill was stopped in the first round of the October 2nd bout at The Legendary Blue Horizon.

Good looking Super Featherweight prospect, Coy Evans of Philadelphia risks his undefeated mark that stands at 5-0-1 when he takes on Vinesh Rungea of the United Kingdom.

Evans is coming off an impressive victory over thirty-five fight veteran Carlos Diaz on October 16th at The Legendary Blue Horizon

Rungea is much like Hemphill as his record, 2-14-3, looks deceiving due to his high level opposition. He has faced seven undefeated fighters which includes his most recent outing which was a first round knockout defeat to highly regarded Rances Barthelemy on August 28th in Hollywood, Florida.

In a four round Light Heavyweight bout, Tommie “Big Poppa” Speller, 4-3 with three knockouts of Philadelphia takes on Dave Cook, 3-3 with two knockouts in a four round bout.

6’4” Middleweight, Derrick Webster, 3-0 with two knockouts of Glassboro, New Jersey will battle Antonio Walls, 2-2 with one knockout of Washington, DC

Wahid Raheem, who is the brother of Lightweight contender and former U.S. Olympian Zahir Raheem, 3-0 with one stoppage of Philadelphia will square off with Eilud Torres (2-1-2, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA in a four round Lightweight bout.

Rounding out the bill will be Cruiserweight, Charles Heyward (2-2,1 KO) of Philadelphia seeing action in a four round Cruiserweight tussle.

Tickets for this outstanding night of boxing are priced at $75, $65 and $40 and can be purchased by calling Power Productions at 215-240-9987; Ticketmaster at 215-336-2000 or The Arena at 267-687-7560

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the saga that is or was a proposed bout between pound for pound kings, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather took even a stranger turn on Sunday night as just hours after it was announced that Pacquiao would fight Joshua Clottey on that date on Pay- Per-view, Golden Boy Promotions announced that Mayweather would be fighting on March 13th on a seperate Pay Per View in Las Vegas

“It’s a date Golden Boy has had for a long time and nothing has changed,” Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said. “We have been talking to Team Mayweather to see who the opponent will be. I hope to have something to announce in the next few days.”

According to sources, Mayweather’s list of potential opponents includes former junior welterweight titlist Paulie Malignaggi and Golden Boy-promoted former lightweight titlist Nate Campbell, both smaller men than Mayweather, as well as former welterweight titlist Kermit Cintron, who is a similar kind of opponent as Clottey is for Pacquiao. There is also a more remote possibility of Mayweather facing junior welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr., who has ties to Showtime, which may not want to let him walk away for a possible fight on rival HBO PPV.

One opponent Mayweather will not be facing is Matthew Hatton, the brother of former junior welterweight champ Ricky Hatton, whom Mayweather knocked out in a 2007 welterweight title fight. Reports in Matthew Hatton’s native England indicate that he is under consideration.

However, Schaefer that is not the case.

“There is absolutely no truth to the rumors about Matthew Hatton. I can’t tell you for sure who Floyd will fight, but I can tell you for sure it won’t be Matthew Hatton,” Schaefer said.

“It is unusual, but what can I do,” Schaefer said. “It wasn’t Floyd who walked away from the Pacquiao fight. There is nothing I can really say about it. I’ve had the date [March 13] for a long time. Initially it was for the Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones fight [which won’t come off because Jones was knocked out in a Dec. 2 interim bout]. You know what? It is what it is. I’m not getting excited about it anymore. I am sitting outside having a cigar and [expletive] it. It is what it is.

“It’s not good. Its not good for Pacquiao to go on that date, which we had for a long time. We had that date, end of story. So it’s not good. How can it be good? It’s not good for boxing. It’s not good for boxing that Pacquiao and Mayweather are not fighting each other. I worked really hard to make that happen and it’s not. And I am not belittling Pacquiao’s fight with Clottey. It’s OK. Hey, we have a piece of [the promotional contract of] Pacquiao. But is it ideal? No it’s not. Is it the end of boxing? Is the world collapsing? No it is not. We all have to look to March 14. March 13 will pass and on March 14 boxing will still be there and there will be exciting fights, and nothing will change that.”

“Nobody wants competing fights. HBO doesn’t want it,” he said. “Nobody in their clear mind can be happy about Mayweather fighting somebody else or Pacquiao fighting somebody else. But we all have to live with it and accept. I’m a boxing fan too and I am pissed off about what happened. Anyone who says anything different is lying. I wish there had been something I could do about it, so I am very frustrated and disappointed, but Floyd Mayweather will still fight

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the WBO Welterweight championship bout between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey is officially set for March 13 in Dallas at the 100,000 seat Cowboy Stadium.

Jones and Top Rank’s Bob Arum and Todd duBoef, who toured the facility and were Jones’ guests at Saturday night’s Cowboys playoff victory against the Philadelphia Eagles, closed the deal for the bout on Sunday afternoon.

“Bob was persistent in keeping this alive as a place for Manny’s fight,” Jones told ESPN.com, while celebrating the deal with Arum and duBoef. “I’m so glad Bob came back to us. We are so excited about this event and that we will be able to bring a big fight here for the Hispanic boxing fans, and all boxing fans in this area, who are also Dallas Cowboys fans. It’s important for us. Manny is such an exemplary athlete.”

“I never got into the NFL or bought the Cowboys for the money. I was lucky enough to already have some,” he said. “This is about having a fighter like Manny and an event like this in our venue. When we finished the deal, I was shaking as much as I was when we beat the Eagles. I’m just as excited.”

Jones said the stadium won’t be set for the full 100,000 seating capacity as was planned for a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout. Instead, they’ll start in the 40,000-seat range.

“But that’s one of the great things about the stadium — we can expand the seating capacity as it warrants,” Jones said.

“This is going to be one of the biggest events in the history of boxing,” Arum said. “This is the most incredible stadium setting I have ever seen. It is absolutely unbelievable. This is going to be much, much more than just a boxing match. A lot of things that happen are ordained by God. We weren’t going to go here for Pacquiao-Mayweather fight because [Golden Boy CEO Richard] Schaefer wouldn’t get on a plane and come down here and see the place. So that didn’t happen. And now that fight isn’t happening. And now we are here with Manny for another fight. When people see this event and how it will be presented, nothing in the past will ever compare to it.”

Photo By Chris Farina / Top Rank

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the fallout from the failed negotiations between pound for pound kings Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather has likely produced a showdown between Pacquiao and former IBF Welterweight champion Joshua Clottey on March 13th possibly in Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

“Josh is ecstatic about it,” Clotteys manager,Vinny Scolpino told ESPN.com. “I think we can get this done in a couple of days. He’s coming home [to New York from Ghana] on Monday.”

“It’s the biggest payday he ever made in his life,” Scolpino told ESPN.com. “He should be doing flips. It’s a huge opportunity.”

Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank, which promotes Pacquiao, told Rafael on Friday night the bout would take place at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

DuBoef said he and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum would fly to Dallas on Saturday to meet with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for a tour of the facility and to finalize the deal before being Jones’ guests at the Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles playoff game on Saturday night.

DuBoef also said former welterweight titleholder Antonio Margarito would fight on the pay-per-view card in the co-feature if he is relicensed at a hearing later this month or in February. Margarito had his license revoked in California for attempting to load his gloves with an illegal substance before facing Shane Mosley last January. Margarito is eligible to ask for his license back after a year, although there is no guarantee he will get it.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Former IBF Jr. Middleweight champion pulled a rabbit out of his has as he came back from being knocked down and rocked on several occasions to come back to stop Dionisio Miranda in round ten of their scheduled twelve round IBF Middleweight elimination bout at the Glendale Auditorium in Glendale, California.

The first couple rounds were fought evenly until Miranda rocked Karmazin with a huge right hand that had the former champion in serious trouble in round three. Karmazin showed his veteran grit by being able to box and hold on until he gained his senses to survive the round. In round four, the two combatants clashed heads and a cut developed around the left eye of Miranda.

Karmazin got back in the fight as he boxed well and put some nice combination’s together to pull close on the cards. In round nine, Miranda landed a huge right that was followed up by a lesser right that sent Karmazin to the canvas. Miranda had over two minutes to finish the fight but Karmazin ducked and held and took some decent body shots and got out of the round.

In round ten, Karmazin landed a big right of his own and stunningly put Miranda on his back. Karmazin showed the experience that Miranda couldn’t as he was able to land some hard shots and drop Miranda for a second time that forced referee James Jen-Kin to stop the fight at 2:37.

With the win, Karmazin, 158 1/2 lbs of St. Petersburg, Russia will now stand to face IBF Middleweight champion Sebastian Sylvester as he notched his fortieth victory against three losses and one draw with twenty-six knockouts. Miranda, 155 1/2 lbs of Barranquilla, Colombia is now 20-5-2.

Anatoliy Dudchenko scored three knockdown en route to an easy six round unanimous decision over Isaac Atencio in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Dudchenko scored knockdowns on right hands in both rounds one and two and again dropped that over matched Atencio again in round five with a left.

All cards read 60-51.

Dudchenko, 175 3/4 lbs is now 7-2. Atencio, 174 1/2 lbs of Denver, CO is now 2-2-1.

Heavyweight Andrey Fedosov stopped faded journeyman Lionel Butler in round two of a scheduled eight round bout.

The two exchanged some solid shots in round one. In round two, Fedosov dropped Butler with a short right hand. Seconds later Fedosov rocked Butler with another right on the inside he than followed up with a another right hand that sent Butler to the canvas for a second time that forced referee Lou Moret to stop the bout at 2:37 of round two.

Fedosov, 223 lbs of St. Petersburg, Russia is now 21-1 with seventeen knockouts. Butler, 276 3/4 lbs of Valencia, CA is now 32-16-1.

Each week, we will be providing a brief overview of the weekend boxing, kind of like a viewers guide so the fans can see what to look for as they sit on their couch (or even a seat at the arena) and down their favorite cold beverage.

The first weekend of the New Year doesn’t provide much but it’s a start and we need to start thawing out after about a month of very little activity.

ESPN 2 Friday Night Fights kicks off the season with a IBF Middleweight Elimination bout between former Jr. Middleweight champion Roman Karmazin and Dionso Miranda.

ROMAN KARMAZIN (39-3-1, 25 KO’s) vs DIONSIO MIRANDA (20-4-2, 18 KO’S)-12 ROUNDS—IBF MIDDLEWEIGHT ELIMINATION BOUT—10PM EASTERN TIME—ESPN 2 WILL TELEVISE

The first televised bout of the New Year has some significance as Karmazin will look to get back into the title picture in his new division, that being 160 lbs.

Karmazin was considered one of the top Jr. Middleweights in the world after he won the IBF crown with a very impressive two knockdown performance when he scored a unanimous decision over Kassim Ouma in 2005.

The only thing that great performance got Karmazin was a year layoff as he got stuck in promoter Don King’s long list of fighters who seem to disappear once they receive some sort of accolade (see Devon Alexander, Steve Cunningham just to name two off the bat).

Karmazin started slowly in his first defense against Cory Spinks and dropped a debatable majority decision in that fight in St. Louis. (My ringside score card actually gave the nod to Karmazin, but unfortunately for Karmazin my card was of no help to him that night).

Since then he has gone 5-1 with four knockouts with that one defeat a knockout loss to Alex Bunema on the Roy Jones – Felix Trinidad undercard in January, 2008. In that bout, Karmazin was dominating until he seemingly ran out of gas and got caught in the tenth round as was knocked out in what was considered a big upset at the time.

Since that fight, Karmazin has been perfect at middleweight; going 3-0 with two knockouts and capturing the NABF title with a decision over Bronco McKart and once defense over shop worn Antwun Echols.

Just looking at Miranda’s record, he seems like a typical South/Central American puncher who racked up a bunch of knockouts fighting no-hopers at home in Colombia.

When he came to America, he gave a good account of himself, giving undefeated prospect Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin all that he wanted and even rocking the New Yorker on several occasions before Quillin held on for a unanimous decision in 2008.

Miranda then went up to Canada and scored a solid majority decision victory over home standing Sebastian DeMers just two months later.

Miranda has been in this position once before as on February 27, 2009 he had the opportunity to fight in an IBF Elimination bout when he was brutally stopped in two rounds by then Giovanni Lorenzo
Miranda went back to Colombia to get healthy and feasted on an opponent who sported a record of 2-19.

I like Karmazin in this bout as though he is 37 years old (ten years older then Miranda) as he has stayed busy against warm bodies and he hasn’t been in many wars so I believe he still has something left. Miranda defiantly has a punchers chance and he showed in the fights with Quillin DeMers that he can be a decent boxer.

It’s Karmazin’s class that wins out here as he scores a unanimous decision that will put him in line for Sebastian Sylvester’s IBF Middleweight crown