Undefeated Welterweight Mike Jones talks about his showdown with Randall Bailey on the Pacquiao – Bradley card

Teon Kennedy talks to 15rounds.com./gfl.tv Marc Abrams about his world title opportunity on June 9th against Guillermo Rigondeaux on the Pacquiao – Bradley PPV card

LAS VEGAS (JUNE 7, 2012)–#2 WBO; #4WBA #4WBC world rated cruiserweight BJ Flores 27-1 (18kos) watched intently as the fight this past Saturday took place between Lateef “Power” Kayode vs. Antonio Tarver. He was hoping with the Showtime exposure that one of the two boxers would emerge as a star.

The bout ended in a draw. Neither guy moved forward, yet both received valuable tv time on a BIG time boxing network. BJ Flores was smiling.

“The cruiserweight division is definitely starting to heat up”, Said Flores. Flores has been not only one of the most active cruiserweights in the world scoring 3 wins in the last 8 months, but has attracted very large gates in Springfield Missouri where he has a HUGE hometown following.

“Both guys fought well and Tarver started a little slow but came on down the stretch. He definitely Hurt Kayode and showed he can still punch. The decision being a draw was just. I was leaning towards Tarver but this fight was good for the division. Both guys fought well”

But one of the fighters is on the radar of Flores. Lateef Kayode.

Flores has desperately tried to secure a fight with the powerful Nigerian and now feels the timing is perfect.

“I want to make a formal challenge to Kayode. This is a fight between two top world rated Cruisersweights both trying to get into position for the world title. I need a fight like this to make a statement. A dangerous fight! A Big fight between two top #5 world rated guys on Showtime between us will be exciting and bring more notoriety to the cruiserweight division.”

“It’s no secret that I’ve wanted Kayode for a long time. After he beat Nick Iannuzzi , I contacted Gary Shaw Promotions immediately for a match between us. Well, they went in another direction and I fought Iannuzzi next to make a statement. They said the timing wasn’t right. I respect their decision. But now the Time couldn’t be more right! I have had 3 fights in 8 months and would love to face Kayode next. He has shown improvements and this fight can be big. We can do it in Springfield, Missouri and sell 5000 seats with this on Showtime or any network! But the truth of the matter is I will fight you anywhere. I just want it to be known that the money is there and we can easily make this happen”

“No cruiserweight can sell tickets in America like that so it makes perfect sense. Who else should Kayode fight with all the champions buys in upcoming defenses?? It’s a natural fight. Two top rated guys in America. We built up a VERY good fan base in Springfield and I want to bring a big fight back home. I am ready immediately!! Let’s get it done!!”

“This is the kind of fight I need. I respect Kayode and his manager Steve Feder. I respect Gary Shaw Productions. I know this will be a difficult fight and this will bring out the best in me. I need a challenge like this. GSP, my phone lines are open!”

During the June 1st NBC Sports Network Fight Night broadcast, Freddie Roach commented, “I think Bryant Jennings is the best prospect America has right now in the heavyweight division.”

Jennings keeps Chambers and Adamek apart at press conf for 6/16 NBC Sports Network “Fight Night” show

Photo credits: Mike Gladysz

Jennings shared his thoughts on this, “I totally went crazy after I heard that! He had told me personally, but when he announced it on national television I was blown away. Freddie knows boxing.” When asked if he agreed with Roach, Jennings said, “I work pretty hard and I do see myself as one of the best , if not the best.”

Bryant Jennings –

Photo credits: phillyboxinghistory.com

Fred Jenkins, Manager/Trainer for Jennings said, “Bryant has the potential to be the greatest heavyweight of all time. He is still learning and that makes all things possible.”

Jennings’ promoter, Russell Peltz, of Peltz Boxing, commented, “All you hear about is Tyson Fury, Seth Mitchell, David Price, and yet Bryant Jennings is the one they should be talking about.”

Bryant “By By”Jennings will face Steve “Freight Train” Collins on NBC Sports Network “Fight Night” June 16. The NBCSN broadcast will begin at 9PM ET.

FIGHT INFO: The June 16th NBC Sports Network Fight Night card at Newark’s Prudential Center features Tomasz Adamek vs. Eddie Chambers. Co-featured on the card will be Bryant Jennings vs. Steve Collins, Garrett, Indiana, 25-1,18 KO’s. The NBCSN broadcast will begin at 9PM ET. The card is presented by Main Events in association with Peltz Boxing, Ziggy Promotions and Goossen Tutor Promotions.

Tickets priced at $254 ringside, $104, $79, and $54 available through Ticketmaster: online at www.ticketmaster.com; Charge-by-phone: 1-800-745-3000; Ticketmaster Express 866-448-7849; and Ticketmaster ticket centers. Tickets are also available at Prudential Center’s Box Office and www.prucenter.com.

NBC SPORTS NETWORK FIGHT NIGHT SCHEDULE (All Times ET)

Saturday, June 16, 9-11 pm – Prudential Center, Newark, NJ

Friday, September 21, 9-11pm – Site TBA
Saturday, December 8, 9-11 pm – Site TBA

To find the location of the NBC Sports Network on your local cable, satellite or IPTV provider, click here:http://www.nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30092015/ns/sports/

Tweet the link to NBC Sports Network Fight Night channel finder: bit.ly/175UuU
Twitter: #FightNight
Twitter: @main_events @NBCSN
Facebook: facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing facebook.com/NBCSports

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

– Saturday, June 9, 2012 12:00pm Noon ET featuring CMTC-A Muay Thai Team Canada Trials at the Century Casino in Calgary, Canada. The Canadian Muay Thai Council – Amateur will be hosting their Annual Team Canada Trials on Saturday, June 9th, 2012 in Calgary, Alberta. This event will feature 50 athletes from across Canada competing for amateur Muay Thai supremacy in 2 divisions. B Division athletes will be fighting to gain valuable experience and move their way up the Canadian rankings. A Division athletes will be competing for a spot on Team Canada and the right to represent Canada at the IFMA World Championships in Russia this fall. Help support Canadian Amateur Muay Thai and the sport of MuayThai as it pushes towards the Olympics!

– Saturday, June 9, 2012 8:00pm ET featuring Canadian Extreme Cage Rage 8 at the Monctons Lion Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. CECR is branching out of New Brunswick, Canada and looks to be a solid proving ground for MMA in Eastern Canada where the fighters are separated from the other Canadian hotbeds of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver and as such have their own unique fighting circuit. This 11-bout amateur card is sure to heat up the night as these fighters go toe to toe. In the main event, Gary Brown (0-1) fights Storm Miller (0-1) in a welterweight scrap. This bout promises to be a full throttle throw down as Brown and Miller are both new to the sport and looking to build momentum in their budding careers. Brown is a well rounded fighter with knockout power and the same can be said for Miller. It will be a chess match in the cage as whoever can counter punch the best will probably have the distinct advantage. The striking could also just be a setup for a great ground battle as both Miller and Brown are submission specialists. In the co-main event, Jeff Brake (0-1) battles Justin Young (0-1) in a welterweight tilt. Brake and Young are both looking for their first win, so both fighters backs’ will be against the proverbial wall in this match. Brake ha knockout power in either hand and Young is more a tactician who likes to methodically dismantle his opponents. The contrast in styles makes for a fun fight and the winner will be right back in the thick of things with maybe a future title shot on the horizon..

– Saturday, June 9, 2012 9:00pm ET featuring Muay Thai Journey Fight-Series WMC Title at the Century Casino in Calgary, Canada. After the wildly successful Journey Fight Series V in support of Women’s Cancers and after awarding the 140lb professional tournament for the WMC North American title, the Journey continues with Journey Fight Series VI! This time around, 8 of the best 160lb professional fighters have been invited to participate in a tournament style competition, over 3 events to award the first 160lb WMC North American title! WMC is the most recognized and credible professional MuayThai sanctioning body in the world! Don’t miss out as this event will sell out early! In the main event, Nate Smandych battles Sheldon Gaines. Smandych is coming off a dominant unanimous decision in his last bout while Gaines is coming off a razor thin loss by decision to Scotty Leffler. Both men will be throwing heavy leather in this contest. The opening round matches will be selected through a random draw taking place after the fighter weigh-ins. The eight fighters now slated to compete in the tournament are Nate Chambers, Sean McKinnon, Marcus Fisher, Preston Baptiste, Shane Campbell, Troy Sheridan, Ken Tran and Daniel Kim.

Other events this week:

Pro-Wrestling: Impact Zone Wrestling (Weekly Free show): June 9, 8:00pm ET.

Racing: Speedway Motorcycle Races – Industry Racing, Every Wednesday Night: Starting June 6, 9:30pm ET.

Soccer: CONCACAF World Cup Soccer – Jamaica vs Guatemala: June 8, 9:00pm ET

CONCACAF World Cup Soccer – Costa Rica vs El Salvador: June 8, 10:00pm ET

GFL now offers full access to over 6,000 fights for the low monthly price of $9.99 subscribe now at www.GFL.tv

***GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 1300 live events with over 6000 combat sports videos in 196 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 5 million public viewers over the years with more than 250 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. GFL is also available on Roku, Android, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices. Check the event page for details.

If Combat Sports is your game…Go Fight-Every Night with GFL Combat Sports Network

Join us at: www.GFL.tv or https://www.facebook.com/GoFightLive.tv or twitter.com/GFL or youtube.com/Gofightlive or inquiries contact press@gfl.tv

NEW YORK (June 5, 2012)—TOMORROW NIGHT!! The 87th annual Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Awards Dinner will be streamed LIVE AND FOR FREE!! On www.gfl.tv

The awards dinner will take place from the Copacabana in New York City and some of the greatest boxers in the world will be honored.

Heading the program will be the awarding of the 2011 Fighter of the year to World Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward.

Ward had a stellar 2011 as he won the coveted World Boxing Classic with a terrific performance over Carl Froch in December.

Also in attendance will be WBC Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko who will be presented James A. Farley Honesty and Integrity Award. Klitschko and brother Wladimir are more than just world champions as they are true gentlemen and have done massive amounts of charity work all over the world.

Future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins will receive a special recognition for his breathtaking win over Jean Pascal last May to become the oldest man ever to win a world championship.

Hopkins’ good friend, Dewey Bozella receive the Bill Crawford Award for overcoming adversity.

Bozella spent twenty-five years in prison for a murder he did not commit only to make a successful pro debut at age fifty-two.

Ward’s trainer Virgil Hunter will pick up the Eddie Futch trainer of the year.

Delvin Rodriguez & Pawel Wolak will be on hand to receive the Fight of the Year from their scintillating fight that was ruled a draw last July in New York.

All of those great figures plus many other big names in boxing will be there and all will appear on the webcast for exclusive interviews.

“This is defiantly the biggest night in the sport & Jack Hirsch and his organization put on a great event every year”, said gfl.tv Director of Boxing Acquisitions and host of the live webcast Marc Abrams

“To have all of these great fighters and personalities being honored and present and under one roof is great. This is the top of the sport and to have everyone from up and coming Superstars like Andre Ward to men who have done it in Bernard Hopkins and Vitali Klitschko is something the fans around the world will really enjoy. This truly is the Academy Awards of boxing”

GFL now offers full access to over 6,000 fights for the low monthly price of $9.99 subscribe now at www.GFL.tv

***GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 1300 live events with over 6000 combat sports videos in 196 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 5 million public viewers over the years with more than 250 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. GFL is also available on Roku, Android, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices. Check the event page for details.

If Combat Sports is your game…Go Fight-Every Night with GFL Combat Sports Network

Join us at: www.GFL.tv or twitter.com/GFL or youtube.com/Gofightlive or inquiries contact press@gfl.tv

Monday, June 4, 2012. Paul ‘The Punisher’ Williams, wishes to send his sincere thanks and appreciation to his fans worldwide for their prayers, cards and wishes he’s received since his motorcycle accident just over a week ago. “I feel the love and support from everyone and it’s overwhelming, I am very thankful to all of my fans and friends who have rallied around me in a time when I need them the most”. Williams asks that all future letters and cards please be sent to: 3060 Will Rogers Place, Atlanta 30316.

Philadelphia PA- Teon Kennedy (17-1-2, 7 KOs) of Philadelphia, who challenges WBA bantamweight titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux (9-0, 7 KOs), of Cuba, on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV as part of the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley championship card, has had to overcome two fairly recent family life-shattering incidents that would have broken less-resolute fighters.

Late in 2009, Kennedy knocked out Francisco Rodriguez, of Chicago, IL, in the 10th round of their scheduled 12-round contest for the vacant USBA super bantamweight title. Kennedy’s elation at winning was short-circuited when Rodriguez collapsed in his corner, was rushed to the hospital and died of a brain injury two days later.

No one prepares a fighter for when the most tragic possible ending occurs in a fight.

“When it first happened it was difficult, but as anyone in boxing knows that could happen,” said Kennedy, who was 13-0-1 and 23 years old at the time. “It could happen to me. Sometimes I do still think about it, but I try not to dwell on it.”

Kennedy did not fight for six months, but he had the encouragement of his team as well as that of the Rodriguez family to get back into the ring.

He came back with three good wins, including a scintillating performance, a 12-round unanimous decision over then-undefeated prospect Julio Diaz, of New Brunswick, NJ.

The second life-altering incident occurred in mid 2011.

Kennedy was charged with a felony stemming from a shooting in Philadelphia. Those charges were later dropped, but it played on Kennedy’s mind as he prepared for a fight last August that, had he won, could gave led to a match with undefeated Yuriorkis Gamboa of Cuba, in a world featherweight title fight.

He went through with the fight last August and lost his first bout as a pro, a 12-round decision to Alejandro Lopez, of Mexico, in a lackluster performance.

“The legal issues were definitely in my head,” Kennedy said. “It’s hard to be falsely accused of something I did not do. That was probably the main reason I didn’t feel like myself.”

He put his first setback and his legal charges behind him and he got back in the gym quickly. Boxing experts weren’t sure if he’d rebound, but he turned in a strong performance in his most recent fight, a draw against the once-beaten Chris Martin, of Chula Vista, CA, in January in Las Vegas. Many observers felt Kennedy, the aggressor for most of the fight, deserved the win.

Kennedy feels that he has come to grips with the arduous road he has had to travel the last several years.

“Everything bad is in the past now,” said Kennedy, who is looking to pull off the upset against the favored Rigondeaux. “I’m just focused on the fight. I’m still going to be aggressive.”

PHILADELPHIA (June 4, 2012)–The boxing community was saddened on Sunday when longtime Philadelphia personality Rob Murray, Sr. succumbed to cancer.

Murray was a well known fight figure for three-plus decades as he managed, trained, promoted and did almost everything around Philadelphia boxing.

Murray was the original manager of future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins and also managed future world champion Steve Little. Murray trained Bennie Briscoe for a short period. Murray managed world title challengers Will Taylor and most recently guided the career of World Heavyweight title challenger “Fast” Eddie Chambers and his brother Steve Upsher Chambers.

For the better part of the past decade Murray was the Director of Boxing at The Legendary Blue Horizon. As many of you know, Rob or “Big Rob” was one of Philadelphia’s outstanding boxing personalities. He was known for his WURD Radio Shows- This Week in Boxing and This Week in Sports.

Rob was married to Denise Blocker Murray and the proud father of two sons, Robert, Jr. and Raheem.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWED:

Sister Clara Muhammad School
4700 Wyalusing Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131
Wednesday, June 5, 2012 at 12:30 P.M.

On the heels of his rival Winky Wright retiring on Monday, former three division world champion Shane Mosley followed suit in announcing his retirement on Monday.

“Good morning everybody. Just want to thank you for showing me so much love,” Mosley tweeted. “Had a great career and loved every moment of it, win, lose or draw.”

“I’m going to leave it alone,” Mosley, 40, told ESPN.com of fighting. “I’m good. I’m going into the promotional world, I’m training my son [21-year-old amateur Shane Mosley Jr.]. It was a helluva career. I’m happy for all the great memories and all the great fighters that I fought. Now it’s time give back. I’m ready to train my son full-time now.”

“That’s life, that’s getting older,” he said. “When you get older, you see what happens. You think you can do things. You see stuff that you think you can do, that you want to do, but you just can’t do it anymore.”

“I have to credit a lot of those wins to [the late] Genaro Hernandez and Zack Padilla,” Mosley said. “They were both world champions fighters and they sparred with me every day and molded me into the fighter I was. So did my father [Jack, who also trained him for most of his career]. I owe a lot to him.

“Being recognized as pound-for-pound, especially when Roy Jones was there at that time, was an honor. To be considered in the same breath as Roy was great for me. Not many people can say they were the pound-for-pound best, but I’m one of those people.”

“I remember [then-HBO boxing chief] Lou DiBella wasn’t very happy with the Holiday fight,” Mosley said. “I was under the weather for that fight and he told me he didn’t like the fight. I told Lou if there’s anyone you feel can beat me at lightweight, put ’em in front of me because I don’t want to have the belt if I’m not the best.”

“I always wanted to knock guys out. It was a mindset that I had when I tuned pro — knock everybody out and it’s never going to a decision,” Mosley said.

“That 2000 fight with Oscar was huge for me,” Mosley said. “He gave me the opportunity when he didn’t have to and I thank him for that. Everything from there was gravy for me.”

“I have no regrets in my boxing career. Vernon was a great fighter and I was ready to fight anybody,” Mosley said. “I gave Vernon that big chance because I got that big chance against Oscar. Vernon Forrest needed the chance and I said, ‘Let me give him the opportunity.’ I did the same thing with Winky Wright, who was a lot bigger than me. But I said let’s do it. No regrets.

Mosley invoked his immediate rematch right against Forrest and while the second fight six months was more competitive, Forrest won another unanimous decision. Mosley then moved up to junior middleweight and, in his second fight in the division, challenged champion De La Hoya in a big-money rematch. Mosley won a controversial decision and two title belts, although it came to light later that he testified before a grand jury that he had used BALCO mastermind Victor Conte’s undetectable steroids “the clear” and “the cream” during his training.

Mosley has said all along that he was unaware that what he took was illegal and that it was given to him by former conditioning coach Darryl Hudson.

“I wasn’t aware that it was ‘the clear’ or ‘the cream’ or other such craziness,” Mosley said. “If I knew it was illegal I wouldn’t have taken it. I’ve always lived my life clean. That whole situation made me upset and still has me upset to this day.

“I’m still upset with the people I had around me that led me into that. I was always a clean boxer. Never tested positive for anything. For them not to protect me — Darryl Hudson — it sickened me. In 2003, he put a blemish on me. He led me to something that wasn’t good. It wasn’t like I asked for it. I didn’t ask for it, I didn’t need it.”

“Margarito was pretty big, especially with all the things going on in my life at the time,” Mosley said. “It was a big victory to be able to go out there and dominate and then knock him out.”

“My son is getting older. He’s 21 and after I fought ‘Canelo,’ I thought about that he was 21 and I thought I should spent more time training my son, getting the new generation ready,” said Mosley, who said he will also spend time trying to get his Sugar Shane Promotions off the ground.

“I hope they remember me as a great fighter, a great person and somebody that cares about boxing,” Mosley said. “I hope they remember that I loved to fight. It’s been fun.”

June 4, 2012 – Boxng360’s heavyweight Joey Dawejko (7-0, 3 KOs) and middleweight Keandre Leatherwood (9-1-1, 6 KOs) fought this weekend at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Dawejko stopped his opponent Edwin Ranquillo (2-2, 1 KO), by means of fourth round knockout, while Leatherwood went the distance with Frankie Filippone (9-2-1, 2 KOs) and got a draw.

“I felt really good going into this fight,” said Joey Dawejko. “I was feeling him out early in the fight and started to find my spots as the fight went on. Once I had him hurt I knew I was going to get him out of there. I want to stay busy and my promoter Boxing360 is looking to get me back in the ring very soon. My goal is to get to 10-0 by the end of 2012.”

Said Leatherwood, “I thought I did enough to win the fight, but Filippone was the hometown fighter and he definitely got some love from the judges. I’m completely healthy and will be back in the ring as soon as Mario Yagobi has a fight lined up. I will most likely go back down to 154 and compete at Jr. Middleweight.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former Jr.Middleweight champion Winky Wright has retired following his ten round unanimous decision defeat to undefeated Middleweight Peter Quillin lasts Saturday in Carson, California.

“I’m gonna call it a day. I’m gonna chill out and play golf and live life,” the 40-year-old Wright told ESPN.com.

“I figured I’m 40 and if I can’t be champion again, I don’t want to do it anymore,” Wright said. “I’m not here just fighting to be fighting. Boxing is supposed to be fun and if it ain’t fun anymore I don’t need to do it so I am done for good. I had fun. I fought a good fight [against Quillin], I didn’t get hurt, I was in shape. My timing was off but I take nothing away from Quillin. He fought a good fight. He was strong. So I’m going to go ahead and get out of the game.

“I accomplished a lot. I want to be true to my fans. I don’t want to be fighting just to be fighting. I don’t need that. I got money, but if I can’t be champion again, I’ll do something else. I’m retiring from the ring. The ring didn’t retire me. If I wanted just to fight I would have come back with an easier fight. I always wanted to challenge myself which is why I took a tough fight like I did.”

“Being in fights on the road helped me to know I could fight anywhere against anyone, no matter what,” he said. “That overseas thing worked out great for me. I got a lot of European fans. If I wanted to, I could still fight. A lot of people have wanted me to come back over there to fight.”

Wright became a regular on HBO and then moved up to middleweight. Felix “Tito” Trinidad, one of boxing’s biggest stars, had ended a retirement by beating Ricardo Mayorga in his comeback fight. For his second fight of the comeback, Trinidad surprisingly picked Wright to fight in what was a major HBO PPV event.

“Tito had destroyed Mayorga and nobody gave me a chance. They thought he’d knock me out and we just did what we did,” Wright said.

What Wright did was put on a clinic in a virtual shutout that sent Trinidad back into retirement for nearly three years before he fought one more time against Roy Jones Jr.

“That fight with Tito was a big fight. That was No. 2 to me because it got me a lot of fans,” Wright said. “Tito was a good guy and everything worked for me in that fight. We still respect each other. Tito became good friends with me after that fight.”

“He came to my dressing room before and after the Quillin fight,” Wright said. “I probably wouldn’t be where I’m at if Shane didn’t give me a shot. So I thank him a lot for that. Before that nobody would fight me, nobody with a name would fight me, so I owe a lot to Shane.”

“I’m glad people know me and respect my accomplishments. It was a great career,” he said. “I always tried to carry myself like a champion and respect people.”

“I got my man, Jim Wilkes, my friend and my attorney who I do some business with. We’ll make sure my money is right and I’ll enjoy my life. I think I had a great career. I love my fans, I love how they stayed behind me no matter if the boxing world wasn’t behind me. They were behind me.

“That motivated me to want to beat everybody and become undisputed champion. But there is life after boxing. So you’ll see me around. You’ll still me at ringside. You’ll see me in Las Vegas. I can relax and watch all the young kids come up and do what they need to do.”

Beibut Shumenov scored a lopsided unanimous decision over Enrique Ornelas to retain the WBA Light Heavyweight bout at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas.

Shumenov was aggressive from the outset as he threw punches in volume and just about every round looked the same as Ornelas was clearly outclassed.

Shumenov won by scores of 120-108 on all cards and is now 13-1. Ornelas of Guanjato, MX is now 31-8.

Joseph Elegele scored an eight round majority decision over Lanard Lane in a fight featuring once-beaten Jr. Welterweights.

It was a good back and forth battle with each man having their moments. The difference on one card with the fifth round knockdown that Elegele scored.

Elegele, 143 lbs of Melbourne, FL won by scores of 77-74, 76-75 while once card read even at 76-76 and he is now 13-1. Lane, 142 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia is now 13-2.

Daquann Arnett scored a second round knockdown en route to a four round unanimous decision over Yosmani Abreu in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Arnett, 153 lbs of Pine Hill, Orlando Florida won by scores of 40-35, 39-36 and 39-36. Abreu, 154 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas is 2-3-1.

Andrew Cancio scored the biggest victory of his career by scoring a ten round unaninous decision over former multiple time world title challenger Rocky Juarez in a Jr. Lightweight bout at the Fantasy Springs Hotel and Resort in Indio, California.

The two traded knockdowns as Juarez scored a hard knockdown when he dropped Cancio with a thudding three punch combination in round two. Cancio evened up the knockdown count in round five when he sent the usually iron chinned Juarez with a combination in round five.

Cancio dominated the rest of the fight as he was more active and landed the more telling blows and cruised to the 98-89; 97-90; 97-90 decision.

Cancio, 128 lbs of Blyth, CA is now 14-1-2. Juarez, 129 lbs of Houston, TX is virtually done and is now 28-10-1.

Hugo Centeno scored a fourth round stoppage over Rahman Yusubov in round four of a scheduled eight round Middleweight bout.

The time was 2:29 when Centeno was rocking Yusubov on the ropes and the bout was stopped.

Centeno, 158 lbs of Oxnard, CA is now 14-0 with eight knockouts. Yusubov, 157 lbs of Dallas, TX is 8-8.

Jose Cayetano scored a fifth round stoppage over Arturo Badillo in a scheduled eight round Bantamweight bout in Tijuana, Mexico.

Cayetano dropped Badillo in the first round and then again in the fifth for which Badillo didn’t beat the ten count.

Cayetano is now 12-1 with five knockouts. Badillo is now 20-4.

Jose Zepeda scored a sixth round stoppage over Abner Lopez in the sixth and final round of their Welterweight bout.

Zepeda is now 10-o with eight knockouts. Lopez is 6-2.

Jesus Badillo remained perfect by winning a four round unanimous decision over Jorge Sillas.

Badillo is 7-0. Siillas is now 1-8.

Sergio Ortega won a four round split decision over Ezequiel Avilez in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Ortega is 5-0. Alvilez is now 3-1.

Bethlehem, PA—Powerful junior middleweight contender King Gabriel Rosado, of Philadelphia, PA, says he should be the one to fight Saul Canelo Alvarez in September.

“Let Canelo step up to the plate and fight a real man,” Rosado (left) said after his impressive ninth-round knockout over world-ranked Sechew Powell, of Brooklyn, NY, on Friday night at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem (below right).

“They keep going over the same old names. Carlos Quintana? Please, give me a break. Carlos Molina? Get real! Those guys can’t hurt my sister. Maybe Canelo wants to play it safe for awhile.

Rosado’s win over Powell, which was televised as part of the NBC Sports Network Fight Series, should push Rosado to the top of the class at 154 pounds.

It was Rosado’s sixth straight win, fourth by knockout, and improved his record to 20-5, 12 K0s.

Going into the fight, Rosado was ranked No. 5 by the IBF, No. 9 by the WBC. He should also pick up a WBO ranking now that he has won the vacant WBO Inter-Continental junior middleweight belt.

“A lot of guys talk tough, but don’t back it up,” Rosado added. “I’ve fought tough guys every step of the way. My record may not be all that glittering to look at, but check out the guys I’ve fought. Name me another junior middleweight who came up the old-fashioned way like the old-timers did.

“Why should Canelo be afraid? He’s got one of those pretty records (40-0, 29 K0s). I should look like a piece of cake to him.

“If TV wants action, I’m their man. If they’re just looking for a pretty face with a pretty record, then they can choose one of those phony contenders. My day will come!”

Alvarez, the WBC champ at 154 pounds, was signed to defend against Paul Williams on Sept. 15 in Las Vegas before Williams was severely injured in a motorcycle accident last weekend in Georgia.

James Kirkland was the first choice to replace Williams, but that matchup fell apart.

“Stop playing around!” Rosado added. “I’m ready and I’m willing. Too many promoters play it safe with their fighters and want to keep everything in-house. That way they keep control, regardless of who wins. Let’s break that mold and make a real fight fans’ fight!”

BROOKLYN, NY (June 2, 2012)—TONIGHT!! From the Aviator Sports Complex, Sadam Ali’s Worldkid Promotions makes its promotional debut that will feature Ali fighting Franklin Gonzalez for the WBU Americas Welterweight Title.

The eight round main event plus a four fight undercard can be seen LIVE all over the world at 7pm eastern for just $9.99 on www.gfl.tv

The card can be ordered by clicking: http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Worldkid_Promotions_Presents_Brooklyn_Boxing_Live/1556

Ali of Brooklyn is a 2008 U.S. Olympian is looking to win his first title when he takes on the battle tested Gonzalez who has been in the ring with some of the best fighters in the world such as Luis Collazo, Dmitry Salita and Antwone Smith.

Gonzalez is coming off a decision win over 16-1 Eddie Hyland.

FULLCARD:

Sadam Ali (14-0, 8 KO’s) vs. Franklin Gonzalez (15-9, 10 KO’s)
Jennifer Santiago (PD) vs Mikayla Nebal (0-1)
Steven Gamache (2-0, 1 KO) vs. Willie Bryant (0-3-1)
Armin Mrkanovic (2-1, 1KO) vs Daniel Pietch (PD)
Akil Frederick-Auguste (PD) vs. Jamil Gadsen (PD)

UPCOMING BOXING EVENTS ON GFL

WEDNESDAY 6/6—THE BWAA AWARDS DINNER WITH APPEARANCES BY ANDRE WARD, VITALI KLITSCHKO AND BERNARD HOPKINS AMONG OTHERS

GFL now offers full access to over 6,000 fights for the low monthly price of $9.99 subscribe now at www.GFL.tv

***GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 1300 live events with over 6000 combat sports videos in 196 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 5 million public viewers over the years with more than 250 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. GFL is also available on Roku, Android, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices. Check the event page for details.

If Combat Sports is your game…Go Fight-Every Night with GFL Combat Sports Network

Join us at: www.GFL.tv or twitter.com/GFL or youtube.com/Gofightlive or inquiries contact press@gfl.tv

Sadam Ali 147lbs vs Franklin Gonzalez 146lbs

Jennifer Santiago 119lbs vs Mikayla Nebal 120lbs

Steven Gamache 151lbs vs Willie Bryant 152lbs

Armin Mrkanovic 189lbs vs Daniel Pietch 180lbs

Akil Frederick-Auguste 159lbs vs Jamil Gadsden 156lbs

PROMOTER: Worldkid Promotions
Venue: Aviator Sports Complex
1st bell: 7pm
broadcast: gfl.tv

Just a day after agreeing to a September 15th world title bout with Saul Alvarez, James Kirkland has bowed According to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It was uncomfortable and he was concerned,” said Kirkland’s manager Cameron Dunkin said. he called me and said he wasn’t going to fight. The doctor said his shoulder was healing fine but James was afraid he was going to tear it again. He felt tightness and felt he shouldn’t fight. He said it feels bad, that he couldn’t use it properly. He said, ‘I can’t train right, so I won’t be ready by Sept. 15.’

“He is sick about it. He needs the money. He’s been doing rehab on the shoulder and the doctor said he was ahead of schedule, but the doctor also said you can’t tell how fast you’re going to heal. But he was ahead of schedule and his mobility was ahead of schedule. James told me how much he wanted the fight, the opportunity and the money.

“He’s been stretching it and doing his therapy, but when he began snapping punches, he said he felt a twinge and that it didn’t feel right and that he could tell it wasn’t right. That’s not going to change in a week or two. He said, ‘I can’t train 100 percent, and for a guy like this, I have to be 100 percent.’ He knew he was rushing it.”

“You have to trust the managers and doctors when they say he is OK to go,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said. “So now, he’s not going to be ready and the last thing we want is to start a promotion if the guy is not going to be 100 percent.”

Later on Thursday, however, Kirkland’s story began to change, according to Dunkin. Dunkin said he and co-manager Michael Miller were sent an email by Austin’s Curtis Meeks, a former professional fighter and friend of Kirkland’s who was 9-1-2 with three knockouts in his 2001 to 2008 career. Dunkin said Meeks recently began serving as an adviser to Kirkland and that in the email he told them that Kirkland “would sign the contract today for $2.5 million and that he is ready to go for the right money.”

“Our answer was that James is injured,” Dunkin said. “We won’t fight him if he’s injured, and said he’s obviously not going to be ready to fight Sept. 15. His answer was that James could fight later in the year, but that it would have to be for $2.5 million. This guy is obviously telling him he is getting screwed on the money, which is not the case.

“So James is out of the fight. I can’t get him $2.5 million. That’s ridiculous. I’d love to get him that much because I get a percentage, but it’s not reality. James is a great kid but he’s getting really bad advice. And if he can’t fight, he shouldn’t fight at any price. So it’s just crazy. It’s totally insane. We told James, ‘If you’re healthy, fight. If you’re not healthy, don’t fight.’ But don’t make it about the money because the money he was getting for the fight was very, very good money.”

“So Kirkland has a new adviser who told him not to take the fight unless he gets $2.5 million. That is what I was told. It is unbelievable,” Schaefer said. “I don’t get it. That’s not how we do business. We agreed to a deal with him and he was being paid very, very well.”

“Canelo is the big Mexican superstar and he will be fighting at the MGM Grand on pay-per-view and we will be looking at other names for him to fight,” Schaefer said. “The good news is there are other names out there. It’s a deep division.”

Gabriel Rosado continued his hot streak as he scored an impressive ninth round stoppage over Sechew Powell in a Jr. Middleweight bout at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Rosado landed some solid shots early but Powell matched him by using his experience and used an educated left hand to keep him virtually even on the scorecards.

The fight changed in round eight as Rosado came out in relentless fashion as he tried to jump all over Powell and landed some hard flurries. Rosado may have briefly punched himself and let Powell get in some offense with the left hand.

That would be Powell’s last stand as Rosado came out guns a blazing in the ninth and attacked Powell with some hard shots and was awarded a knockdown. Rosado closed the show in an action packed fashion as he continued to pummel Powell on the ropes which prompted referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight at 2:43 of the ninth frame.

Rosado, 154 lbs of Philadelphia will now look for a title opportunity with a record of 20-5 with twelve knockouts. Powell, 150 3/4 lbs is now 26-5.

Ronald Cruz remained perfect by scoring a twelve round unanimous decision over Prenice Brewer.

Cruz was active and landed thudding body shots throughout the fight in an effort to slow down Brewer, who was using his legs in order to create angles. Cruz trapped Brewer several times on the ropes. In round nine,Cruz landed some hard shots and Brewer, who felt the affects of the body work was moving less. Brewer had a solid round eleven as he landed some quick combinations. Both guys fought hard down the stretch with Cruz being egged on by his raucous supporters as Cruz lives just blocks from the Sans Casino in Bethlehem.

Cruz, 147 lbs of Bethlehem won by scores of 118-110 on all cards and is now 17-0. Brewer,147 lbs of Cleveland, OH is now 16-2-1.

NEW YORK / ATLANTIC CITY (June 1, 2012)—TONIGHT!!! at the Tropicana Casino & Resort, undefeated Light Heavyweight Dennis “The Assassin” Hasson will take on his toughest for to date when he battles George Armenta in an eight round bout.

That bout plus a five fight undercard will be broadcasted LIVE all over the world at 7:30pm est on www.gfl.tv

The show can be seen for just $9.99 by clicking: http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/DEE_LEE_Promotions_Presents_Super_Summer_Brawl/1490

Hasson of Philadelphia was a decorated amateur and has a record of 13-0 with five knockouts. Hasson turned pro in 2008 with a four round unanimous decision over John Michael Terry and has subsequently racked up wins over the likes of Currant USBA & NABF Cruiserweight champion Garrett Wilson and Philly tough guy Tommie Speller. In his last bout, Hasson, twenty-eight years-old he scored a second round knockout over Eddie Caminero.

Hasson trained by former Middleweight world title challenger Dave Tiberi.

Armenta has a record of 14-8 with eleven knockouts and has faced top competition such as former world champion Yuri Foreman; Sechew Powell; Mark Tucker Edwin Rodriguez; and Former world title challenger Elvin Ayala.

Armenta scored fourth round stoppage over former U.S. Olympian Dante Craig.

In a six round co-feature, former world amateur champion Joey Dawejko (6-0-1, 2 KO’s) takes on Edwin Ranquillo (2-1, 1 KO) in a Heavyweight bout.

In a six round Middleweight bout, KeAndre Leatherwood (9-1, 6 KO’s) battles Frankie Fillipone (9-2, 2 KO’s)

Saud Clark of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against fellow debuter Flavio Augusto Reyes.

Local favorite Antowyan Aikens (4-0, 1 KO) of Atlantic City will battle Kenneth Taylor Schmitz (2-1, 1 KO) in a four round Middleweight bout

Rounding out the card will be Super Bantamweight Joshua Reyes (2-0) of Vineland, NJ facing off with Miguel Antonio Rodriguez (0-2)

The fights will be called by Marc Abrams and he will be joined by a plethora of Hall of Fame fighters who are in Atlantic City for an all-star Gala that will take place on Saturday

UPCOMING BOXING EVENTS ON GFL
SATURDAY 6/2 – WORLDKID PROMOTIONS FEATURING SADAM ALI

WEDNESDAY 6/6—THE BWAA AWARDS DINNER WITH APPEARANCES BY ANDRE WARD, VITALI KLITSCHKO AND BERNARD HOPKINS AMONG OTHERS

GFL now offers full access to over 6,000 fights for the low monthly price of $9.99 subscribe now at www.GFL.tv

***GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 1300 live events with over 6000 combat sports videos in 196 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 5 million public viewers over the years with more than 250 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. GFL is also available on Roku, Android, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices. Check the event page for details.

If Combat Sports is your game…Go Fight-Every Night with GFL Combat Sports Network

Join us at: www.GFL.tv or twitter.com/GFL or youtube.com/Gofightlive or inquiries contact press@gfl.tv

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
Dennis Hasson 175 – George Armenta 173
Saud Clark 148 – Flavio Reyes 147
Joey Dawejko 239- Edwin Ranquillo 229
KeAndre Leatherwood 162 – Frankie Fillipone 160
Antowyan Aikens 166 – Kenneth Taylor Schmitz 166
Joshua Reyes 123 – Miguel Antonio Rodriguez 119

Promoter: Dee Lee Promotions (Diane Fischer)
Venue: Tropicana
Broadcast : www.gfl.tv

According to Dan Rafael rising heavyweight contender Seth Mitchell will not be able to compete against Jonathon Banks on July 14th due to an injured hand.

“He injured his right hand in his last fight, which was five weeks ago, but he thought the (injury) would go away,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “He went to see the doctor and the doctor said that nothing is broken but he recommended that Seth not do any sparring or have any contact for the next 6 to 8 weeks. He is scheduled to see a hand specialist next week and he will be evaluated to see if anything additional needs to be done.”

“If the doctor says the hand needs to be in splint, obviously there is not going to be a fight,” Schaefer said. “You want to make sure he takes care of the injuries and comes back when he’s ready. So I informed HBO about what is going on and we will see what the best way is to replace the fight and take it from there. We have a very good stable of fighters and we will come up with a fight worthy of an HBO ‘World Championship Boxing’ opening bout for July 14.”

“This fight was a great opportunity for Seth in his progress, but our plan remains to get him, within the next 12 months or so, a heavyweight title shot. This is a setback, but it happened. It’s disappointing for the fans, for us and certainly for Seth Mitchell. But I think it is a momentary setback and as soon as he’s cleared to fight he’ll be back on TV.”

Earlier Thursday, Sharif Salim, Mitchell’s manager, denied there was any serious issue with Mitchell’s hand when asked about it by ESPN.com.

“We’re in camp and we’re moving forward,” he said. “Seth fights through a lot of things. There are always bumps and bruises from the last fight, but we are preparing for the fight on July 14. We’re not here to talk about injuries or make excuses.”

After the unfortunate accident to former two division champion Paul Williams, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will now take on James Kirkland on September 15th in Las Vegas for the WBC Super Welterweight champions that will be the headline bout of an HBO PPV card according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“That’s not the way you want to get the fight, but it wasn’t like James wasn’t in the running in the first place,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “You have to deal with injuries and setbacks even as severe and tragic as this one is for Paul.

“James Kirkland was always on the short list of potential opponents for Canelo Alvarez and it came down to two names, guys which are exciting and are known, and that was Paul Williams and James Kirkland,” Schaefer said. “When we were told James couldn’t fight until the end of September, that eliminated him as a potential opponent because it was important for Canelo and for us for the fight to be on Sept. 15, the Mexican Independence Day weekend, which is traditionally reserved for the biggest Mexican stars to fight on.”

“About a week ago, I was informed by (Kirkland co-manager) Michael Miller that James had made tremendous progress and that he could fight sooner than we originally thought,” Schaefer said. “But there was nothing I could do because we had already agreed to a Williams fight.

“When the tragedy happened with Paul Williams, I called Michael to see if James had been medically cleared and he was and he very much wanted the fight. It was a matter of working out the numbers, which we did in the last few days. I’m excited because it is one of those fights where you can leave the judges at home. I would bet anyone this will end in a knockout, one way or the other. This is not going to the scorecards, and that’s what fight fans like.”

Schaefer said the card will be called “Knockout Kings” — which he said he got clearance to use even though that it is the name of a popular boxing video game series — figuring that Alvarez-Kirkland and the potentially explosive co-feature — a featherweight title bout between Mexican countrymen Jhonny Gonzalez (52-7, 45 KOs) and former junior featherweight titleholder Daniel Ponce De Leon (43-4, 35 KOs) — would end in stoppages.

“Gonzalez-Ponce De Leon is another barnburner where you can leave the judges at home because you know it will end up in a knockout,” Schaefer said. “We will look to add other fights to the card that we think will end in knockouts.”

“Canelo was very saddened,” Schaefer said. “He couldn’t believe it and was in shock. God-permitting and health-permitting Canelo told me he would like to invite Paul to be ringside but we don’t know if it is going to be feasible. But Canelo was really shaken up. He was speechless. We had to explain what happened a couple of times. It was a nice gesture for him to offer to fly Paul and his family out for the fight. Canelo believes Paul will always be fighter and a champion and he told me he is going to dedicate the fight to Paul Williams.”

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
WHEN: Saturday, June 2nd, 2012 at 7pm

WHERE Aviator Sports Complex
(Brooklyn, New York)

PRICIPLES: MAIN EVENT—8 ROUNDS WELTERWEIGHTS
Sadam “Worldkid”Ali (14-0, 8 KO’s) vs. Franklin Gonzlaez (15-9, 10 KO’s)

Plus 5 undercard bouts Featuring Bantamweight Juan Dominguez (10-0, 7 KO’s)
Armin Markanovic (2-1, 1KO) –Cruiserweight
Steven Gamache (2-0, 1 KO)—Jr.Middleweight
Jennifer Santiago—2 time Golden Glove Champion—Pro Debut
Akil Frederick –Pro Debut

Promoter: Worldkid Promotions

TICKETS: $150. $100, $75 & $50

BROADCAST: LIVE on www.gfl.tv for $9.99 by clicking:
http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Worldkid_Promotions_Presents_Brooklyn_Boxing_Live/1556

NEWARK , NJ (May 31, 2012)–—On Wednesday night June 13th, The Robert Treat Hotel in Newark will play host to a night of championship boxing which will feature Richard Pierson boxing Gary “Fast Hands “Jones for the WBC Fecarbox Super Middleweight Title

That fight will be the main event of a boxing night of boxing promoted by Gabe LaConte’s First Round Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions.

An outstanding undercard has been assembled that will feature some of the best talent in The New York/New Jersey area.

Taking part in a six round Bantamweight bout will be Qa’id “Kid Dynamite” Muhammad.

Muhammad of Atlantic City has a perfect mark of 7-0 with six knockouts and is coming off a third round stoppage over Steven Johnson on April 18th at The Robert Treat Hotel. Muhammad’s opponent will be named shortly.

In a six round Jr. Middleweight bout, Tommy Rainone (17-4, 4 KO’s) of New York takes on Keenan Collins (14-7-3, 9 KO’s) of York, PA

John Lennox (10-1, 5 KO’s) of Carteret, NJ will take on Rodricka Ray (3-5-1, 1 KO) of Jackson, TN in a six round Heavyweight bout

Anthony “Juice” Young (4-0, 2 KO) of Atlantic City battles Christian Steele (2-3, 1 KO) of Staunton, VA in a four round Welterweight bout.

Aaron Kinch (3-0-1, 1 KO) of Newark, NJ will get it on with Khuzaymah Al Nubu (0-2) Fostoria, OH in a four round Heavyweight bout

Thomas Baldwin (2-0-2, 1 KO) of Newark will fight Fotzgerald Johnson (2-6,1 KO) Asheboro, NC in a four round Jr. Middleweight bout

Heavyweight Dan Mayfield of Dover, NJ will make his pro debut against an opponent to be named.

Tickets for this outstanding night of boxing are $1500 for Tables; $100 (Front Row); $75 VIP
and $50 for General Admission and can be purchased at:

Boardwalk Saloon
206 Bloomfield Ave
Newark, NJ
973-483-8766

Elite Heat Gym
130 Mt. Pleasant Ave
Newark, NJ
862-772-2532

Final Round Boxing
156 Algonquin PKWY
Whippany, NJ
973-515-0704

Greg Cohen Promotions
(212) 851-6425

May 31, 2012 – Gary Shaw Productions, Sturm Box Promotion, Grange Old School Boxing and UFA Sports are happy to announce a world title unification bout featuring IBF middleweight champion Daniel “The Real Deal” Geale (27-1, 15 KOs) and WBA Super World champ, Felix Sturm (37-2-2, 16 KOs). The 12-round 160-pound main event will take place in Germany on Sept. 1, 2012, at a location to be announced, with television network SAT1 broadcasting the event to millions around the world.

Said Promoter Gary Shaw, “This event is what boxing is all about. When you get two world champions agreeing to fight each other with no hesitation, you know the fans are going to be witnessing an unbelievable bout. Both guys are hungry to keep their titles and they’re going to leave everything in the ring. Words can’t describe how excited I am about this event. Geale and Sturm are true warriors who are going to “Bring It” come fight night. It’s going to be an incredible night of boxing. The true winners will be the fans.

“In Daniel’s last fight a new Australian superstar emerged,” Shaw continued. “Daniel’s superiority is confirmation that he is on the verge of pound-for-pound status. With the expert guidance of Garrie Fransisco and Bill Treacy managing Daniel’s career, along with Graham Shaw steering his corner, Geale has the right team to take him to middleweight supremacy. It’s an honor to be promoting such a great fighter with a great team.”

After a dominating performance against mandatory challenger, Osumanu Adama (20-3, 15 KOs), Geale will look to extend on a six-fight winning streak. He has fought all but one of his bouts in his native Australia. In his lone start outside his homeland, Geale traveled to Germany and captured the IBF middleweight title against Sebastian Sylvester (34-5-1, 16 KOs). Geale wants to make a statement in this bout as he fights in Germany for a second time.

“I’m truly thankful to be fighting in this unification bout with Felix Sturm,” Geale said. “My promoter Gary Shaw has promised me the biggest fights and he’s kept his word. Fighting in Germany is a very difficult task, but I was successful there once before when I captured my first world title against Sebastian Sylvester. My goal will be to beat Sturm in his homeland, and bring his title back to Australia once again. I’m fighting for my country and all the kids I train at the Grange Old School Boxing gym.

“I also want to thank my managers Garrie Fransisco and Billy Treacy who, in conjunction with my trainer Graham Shaw, have all worked hard to get me to the top. Right now I’m in the best shape of my life and Graham has seen the improvements in my ability to make adjustments in the ring. I’m fully prepared to give the fans an exciting fight when I step in the ring with Sturm.”

Sturm, who is coming off an impressive ninth-round knockout victory against then-once- beaten challenger Sebastian Zbik (30-2, 10 KOs), is undefeated in his last 14 bouts. He’s best known in America for his fight with Oscar De La Hoya, in which many fans believe he won clearly, but instead lost on a close unanimous decision. With 14 title defenses, Sturm is considered one of the best pure boxers in the sport, and will seek to add another world title belt to his collection.

“Fighting in my native land of Germany is incredible and I can’t wait to show the German fans, once again, what I’m made of,” stated Sturm. “Daniel Geale is a worthy opponent, but he’s never been in the ring with a fighter like me. I fight for the people of Germany and I’m not going to let them down! I will be victorious on Sept. 1.”