Vowing that he would never lose another MMA bout to a stronger, more muscular fighter, Fabricio Werdum has turned to MHP to help him build a more powerful body. “I have to get stronger and more muscular to win the Strikeforce and UFC Heavyweight Championships,” he said after signing a sponsorship contract with nutritional supplement powerhouse MHP. “I’m excited to join forces with Team MHP!”

Fabricio became connected to MHP through his strength coach and grappling partner Jarrod Bunch, a former NY Giants fullback. When Bunch was playing in the NFL, he used MHP products religiously to maintain muscle mass and explosive power to block for Giants running backs and run over linebackers. So when his friend Fabricio lost to a more muscular Alistair Overeem, Bunch turned to MHP to remedy the 6’4”, 250 pounder’s lack of strength and muscle mass.

“MHP products helped me tremendously when I played for the Giants,” says Bunch, “and I’ve been using them regularly since 1998. So I knew they could play a huge part in getting Fabricio stronger and helping him fight better. We now have Fabricio on an intense strength training program and he’s taking ISOFAST 50 protein, Dark Matter post recovery and a host of other MHP products. He won’t lose another bout because he’s not strong enough!”

“When I fought against Overeem, I felt he was much stronger than me,” adds Werdum. “I know that I have to get stronger to keep fighting at the highest level of the MMA heavyweight ranks.”

For more than a decade, MHP has enhanced the strength and muscle mass of athletes in many sports, including football, strongman, powerlifting and boxing. “Based on our experience and proven track record in working with world class athletes, I am confident that MHP supplements will help Fabricio build the muscular power he needs to regain his world title,” says MHP President Gerard Dente. “We are happy to have him join Team MHP!”

Watch for more news and other information about MMA star Fabricio Werdum on the MHPSTRONG.com website and MHP’s Facebook page.

NEW YORK, NY (August 3, 2011) – DiBella Entertainment has added Irish middleweight contender Matthew “Mack the Knife” Macklin to its ever-growing stable of fighters. Macklin, 29, is an intelligent boxer-puncher, who has shown that he is not afraid to engage or press the action when necessary. He is currently ranked #4 by the WBA, #7 by the WBO, and #12 by the IBO, and has nothing but big fights on his mind as he joins the same promotional roster as middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and middleweight contenders Andy Lee, Brian Vera, Ronald Hearns, Peter Manfredo, Jr., and Ishe Smith.

There are times when a loss brings more positive attention to a fighter’s career than any of his previous victories. Coming off his most recent fight, a controversial loss to “Super” WBA middleweight titlist Felix Sturm, that statement could not be truer of Macklin, 28-3 (19 KOs). But now, Macklin is looking for redemption under a new promotional banner, a deal to bring him to the United States that was facilitated by Brian Peters, his manager since 2005.

“I am really happy to be signing with DiBella Entertainment,” said Macklin. “I’ve known Lou DiBella for many years. I met him in Manchester when Paulie Malignaggi fought Lovemore Ndou in 2008. We spoke about doing something together last year, but the timing wasn’t right. I feel that we’re now on the same wavelength. I’m excited about the future and I feel that I am in very good hands with Lou.”

Born in Birmingham, England, to Irish parents, Macklin was studying law at Coventry University while simultaneously competing as an amateur boxer. After winning the national senior Amateur Boxing Association of England welterweight title in 2001, Macklin made the decision to put his studies on hold, to the ire of his parents, in order to pursue a professional boxing career.

In Glasgow, Scotland, on the undercard of future featherweight champion Scott Harrison, Macklin stopped Ram Singh in just 112 second, on November 17, 2001. Going on to win his first nine bouts, six by knockout, Macklin built up enough of a reputation to challenge for the British junior middleweight title. Fighting Andrew Facey on November 6, 2003, Macklin lost a razor-thin 10-round decision by one point, with a score of 96-95.

Macklin bounced back from that defeat winning three straight before fighting professionally in Ireland for the first time against Michael Monaghan for the Irish middleweight title, on May 14, 2005, his 23rd birthday, at National Stadium in Dublin. Macklin won the belt with a fifth-round knockout, at 1:28 of the frame.

Three months after winning the Irish middleweight title, Macklin traveled across the pond to get his first taste of fighting in the United States, winning two bouts by knockout, stopping Leo Laudat in three in Atlantic City, and Anthony Little in two in Philadelphia.

Three fights later, Macklin would engage Jamie Moore in one of the best fights of 2006, in his second attempt to win the British junior middleweight crown. Fighting Moore at George Carnall Leisure Centre in Manchester on September 26, Macklin was quickly drawn into a brawl and the two continued to fight in the trenches for over nine brutal rounds, before the Irishman would succumb to a knockout halfway through the 10th frame.

“I fought Jamie Moore at the wrong weight,” said Macklin. “Although I shouldn’t have fought Moore’s fight, making weight was the problem in that bout. I felt weak, I had no stamina and no reflexes. I stayed at welterweight and junior middleweight for far too long. I am a middleweight.”

Maintaining a busy schedule over the next two years, Macklin would win his next six fights, three by knockout, including a 10-round decision over veteran Yori Boy Campas. Macklin then returned to his hometown of Birmingham to challenge Wayne Elcock for the British middleweight title on March 14, 2009, winning by TKO in the third. Macklin followed that up with a fight against Finnish Amin Asikainen six months later and destroyed him inside one round to add the European title to his collection.

After defending the European title in two of his next three victories, Macklin was poised to make a big slash on the world-boxing scene with a bout against former junior middleweight champion Winky Wright set for Las Vegas. However, that bout did not come to fruition when Wright pulled out after suffering an injury in training. A WBA eliminator against Khoren Gevor next presented itself with the winner to face Felix Sturm. Contractual issues led to Macklin pulling out of that contest, but he was rewarded with a direct shot at Sturm and, despite losing a highly controversial split decision on the champion’s home turf, made a statement with his dynamic performance.

“I went over to Germany and I proved myself. I felt that I won,” said Macklin, who lost the split decision by two votes of 116-112 for Sturm and a 115-113 tally in his favor. “I feel that if we fought 100 times, I would beat him every time. If it were up to me, I’d fight him next, although I don’t think he has any intention of pursuing a rematch with me. If he wants to fight me again, it’s an easy fight to make, as he is his own promoter. I think he knows that he cannot beat me. He’s not going to come to Ireland or England. Fighting Sturm in New York would be great, but I would go back to Germany if I had to. I’d expect a fairer crack at the fight. I think the German officials would be under a lot more pressure to make sure things were on the level, given the controversy of our first fight.

“I think the Sturm fight was an eye-opener for the boxing public at large. Sturm is a leading man in the middleweight division and I think I proved that I am among the top three middleweights of the world.”

DiBella Entertainment President Lou DiBella is excited about his new recruit.

“I viewed signing Macklin as a no-brainer,” said DiBella. “I have Sergio Martinez, the real middleweight champ, the best in the world. But clearly Matthew handled Sturm with ease and he has a claim at being the second-best middleweight in the world. He’s going to want a shot at Sergio and eventually that will make sense.

“I’m very, very happy with the deal,” he continued. “I happen to like the kid very much and that is part of it. There are certain guys who have very pleasing styles for TV. This guy rumbles but he also has skills. He’s fun to watch and made a case that he stands near the top of the middleweight division with the way he fought Sturm.”

LOS ANGELES (August 3)…The “STAR POWER: Mayweather vs. Ortiz” pay-per-view telecast is now complete with four star-studded fights from two sites all taking place Saturday, September 17 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions announced today that Erik Morales vs. Lucas Matthysse and Jessie Vargas vs. Josesito Lopez have been added to the mega-event, which is being produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

The out-of-this-world night of boxing will kick-off with a super lightweight bout featuring undefeated rising star Vargas in his HBO Pay-Per-View debut against hard-hitting Lopez, followed by the first of the night’s three world title fights as Mexican boxing legend Morales will face power punching Argentine Matthysse for the WBC Super Lightweight World Championship. The pay-per-view telecast will then go live to STAPLES Center in Los Angeles with Mexican boxing phenom Canelo Alvarez taking on Alfonso Gomez for the WBC Super Welterweight World Championship, followed by the main event welterweight championship mega-fight, Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz, live from Las Vegas.

Fans in attendance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas will be able to see the Alvarez vs. Gomez fight live, while those in attendance at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles will see Mayweather vs. Ortiz and Morales vs. Matthysse live. Following the showing of Mayweather vs. Ortiz at STAPLES Center, fans in attendance will see two special post-fight concerts performed by Los Tucanes de Tijuana and El Gran Silencio.

“The addition of Morales vs. Matthysse and Vargas vs. Lopez to the September 17 fight card makes ‘STAR POWER’ without a doubt the biggest night of boxing in 2011,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Mayweather Promotions is very excited about Jessie Vargas’ pay-per-view debut on such a huge event to really get his name out there and show the world what he can do.”

“Now that we have a complete pay-per-view card, the stage is set for the world to witness a real supernova of boxing,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Three title fights in one night is something that we are very proud to bring to boxing fans around the world. Each of these championship fights could stand alone as their own main event and fans will be able to experience them all in one night. Adding undefeated Jessie Vargas in his pay-per-view debut and the legendary Erik Morales, who is fighting to make history as the first Mexican boxing warrior to win world titles in four weight classes, really strengthens the entire ‘STAR POWER’ event.”

Tickets for Mayweather vs. Ortiz, Morales vs. Matthysse and Vargas vs. Lopez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena are priced at $1,250, $1,000, $600, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges. Ticket sales are limited to twelve (12) per person at the $1,250, $1,000, $600 and $300 price levels with a ticket limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

STAPLES Center tickets for Alvarez vs. Gomez are priced at $300, $150, $75, and $50, are on sale now and available for purchase online at ticketmaster.com, via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800)745-3000. Tickets are also available at STAPLES Center box office.

A three-division world champion and future Hall of Famer, Erik “El Terrible” Morales (51-7, 35 KO’s) ruled the boxing landscape for years, thrilling fans with his classic battles against Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera, Paulie Ayala, Wayne McCullough and In-Jin Chi. But when he returned from a nearly three year layoff in 2010, many wondered if the Tijuana native still had what it took to compete with the elite. Those questions were answered loud and clear with a three fight winning streak in 2010 and a Fight of the Year candidate in April of 2011, when he went to war for 12 rounds with Marcos Maidana before losing a razor-thin majority decision. Now, the 34-year old warrior is back in the ring and back in Las Vegas to face the concussive punching Matthysse as he vies to become the only Mexican fighter in history to win world titles in four weight divisions.

“This fight is the chance of a lifetime,” said Morales. “I have waited for this moment my entire career. To have the opportunity to win world titles in four weight divisions on Mexican Independence Day and on a night like this is a dream come true. I am going to train harder than ever to make the Mexican people proud and to be victorious on September 17.”

One of boxing’s hardest punchers, Lucas Matthysse (28-2, 26 KO’s) of Trelew, Argentina has made former World Champions Zab “Super” Judah and Devon Alexander see stars in his last two fights, knocking each of them down, only to lose both fights by controversial split decisions. The 28-year-old’s new role as the people’s champion is a good one for the crowd-pleasing standout, who has been delivering stellar performances from the time he turned professional in 2004. A former WBO Latino and WBO Intercontinental champion who counts “Vicious” Vivian Harris, DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley and Rogelio Castaneda Jr. among his vanquished foes, Matthysse, who has won 93 percent of his fights by way of knockout, is amped up and ready to trade blows with one of the sport’s modern greats, Erik Morales, on September 17.

“I cannot wait to get in the ring and fight Erik Morales,” said Matthysse. “I will do anything and everything I can to walk away from this fight as a world champion. I will work harder because I don’t want to pass up this magnificent opportunity.”

Jessie Vargas (16-0, 9 KO’s), who grew up in Los Angeles, now resides in Las Vegas and trains at the Mayweather Boxing Club with recently hired trainer Robert Alcazar, is coming off of an impressive second-round knockout win over veteran Walter Estrada on July 8. His extraordinary performance set off a national buzz among boxing writers and fans that the young prospect is on the fast track to boxing greatness. Appearing in the opening bout in his pay-per-view debut, Vargas has the chance of a lifetime to make his name and talent known around the world against a stiff test in Josesito Lopez.

“Floyd Mayweather and Mayweather Promotions have given me an amazing opportunity to fight on the biggest night in boxing this year,” said Vargas. “On September 17, I know I will be ready to show the world that all of my hard work and preparation has led to this opportunity. I am so excited to be a part of this event and I look forward to beating Lopez and keeping my undefeated record.”

Riverside, California’s Josesito Lopez (29-3, 17 KO’s) may only be 27-years-old, but he’s old school when it comes to his approach to the sport of boxing. This attitude has led him to nearly 30 pro wins, with his only losses coming via narrow decisions. Currently riding a seven-fight winning streak, Lopez showed off his veteran savvy in his most recent victory in January, when he tarnished hot prospect Mike Dallas Jr.’s perfect record by scoring a seventh round knockout.

“I am very excited to be a part of this event and to show the world that I am a force to be reckoned with in the ring,” said Lopez. “I haven’t lost a fight in over three years and I don’t plan on losing this one. Jessie Vargas might be undefeated now, but he won’t be after September 17.”

“STAR POWER” is a mega-event taking place on Saturday, Sept. 17 from two world-class cities with three world titles at stake. Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz will face off in a 12-round fight for Ortiz’s WBC Welterweight World Title from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Canelo Alvarez and Alfonso Gomez will do battle in a 12-round fight for Alvarez’s WBC Super Welterweight World Title from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif. Also live in Las Vegas, will be Erik Morales vs. Lucas Matthysse in a 12 round fight for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight World Title and an opening fight featuring undefeated rising star Jessie Vargas against top contender Josesito Lopez. The mega event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, DeWALT Tools and AT&T. Alvarez vs. Gomez is presented in association with Canelo Promotions and Morales vs. Matthysse is presented in association with Box Latino Promotions and Arano Box Promotions.”STAR POWER: Mayweather vs. Ortiz” will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.floydmayweather.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.mgmgrand.com and www.staplescenter.com; follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @mayweatherpromo, @goldenboyboxing, @VICIOUSOrtiz, @terrible100, @Jessie_Vargas, @JosesitoLopez, @mgmgrand; or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/Mayweatherpromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing. Follow HBO Boxing newsat www.hbo.com/boxing,Facebook at www.facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter @hboboxing. Follow STAPLES Center on Facebook at www.facebook.com/staplescenter and on Twitter @STAPLESCenterLA.

The “STAR POWER” pay-per-view telecast, which begins at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 92 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View®, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Mayweather vs. Ortiz fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.

HBO®’s Emmy® Award-winning all-access series “24/7” premieres an all-new edition when “24/7 Mayweather/Ortiz” debuts Saturday, Aug. 27 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The four-part series will air for three consecutive Saturday nights before the finale airs the night before the welterweight championship showdown in Las Vegas.

Fast-rising super bantamweight prospect Roman Morales makes a quick return to the ring Friday night at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California. Morales, who fought just two weeks ago, will take on Rodrigo Aranda in a bout that will air on the nationally broadcast ESPN2 Friday Night Fights.

Morales (5-0, 4 KOs) of San Ardo, California is coming in off of a devastating first-round knockout of normally durable Juan Tepoz (4-6-1) on July 22nd. Morales, a highly touted amateur before turning pro this past February, ran through Tepoz, scoring two knockdowns in the opening round. Morales had got off to a slow start in his bout prior, something his team had worked to improve upon.

“I told him to start fast, and to start fast we have warm up more in the dressing room,” says his trainer Rodolfo Tapia. “Work a little more, like we do in the gym. Then when the bell rings, show the people what you have. That was the plan, and it worked real good.”

Morales’ manager Repo Ric had some advice for his young upstart going into the bout as well. “I saw Roman eat before the last fight, and he had a turkey sandwich and some french fries,” recalls Repo. “I told him, ‘I want those fries slid off your plate and I want them slid off your plate now. For one thing, people are watching you and another it is three hours before the fight and you have french fries in your stomach with grease and everything.’ So he threw the french fries out right away. The other was that he wasn’t warming up enough, so I told his trainer to warm him up a little more. So I don’t know which one it was, but he did start off a lot faster than he had normally, so hopefully this next fight he will start off fast.”

With really only one full week to train and prepare for his next assignment, Morales quickly got back into the gym, getting sparring with both world ranked Eloy Perez and solid pro Rufino Serrano, who also fights this Friday. Some may be hesitant to schedule two fights so close together for their fighter, but Morales wiped a lot of any worries there could have been away by ending his last fight so quickly.

“He had a sparring partner for one round,” says Repo of the Tepoz victory. “He went home and got right back in that gym, since he just went down the street to do a sparring session, and he got some more sparring that week and is ready to fight again. If he had a hard fight with some bumps bruises then that would be different. But other than that no, keep him moving. If every fight was like the last fight, we would like to go two weeks after this fight.”

Shortly after the victory over Tepoz, Morales’ and his trainer learned that their fight this Friday would make television, and received some other encouraging words from their promoter. “After the fight, Gary Shaw called us over to ringside and was very happy,” recalls Tapia. “He told Roman to keep doing what he is doing, and he promised him a title shot next year. He told Roman that he has been doing good things and to listen to his coach, stay busy and stay focused. That made Roman very happy, and that is a big thing for the main guy to say that.”

Shaw’s words not only encouraged Morales, but also pleased his manager. “My dream was to get with Gary Shaw,” says Repo. “I like the man and I like his company. For me to get with him and with everything progressing the way it is, and for Gary Shaw to say what he’s saying, and for me to be able to do what I do, I love it. I really feel good that Gary talked to them and said he may have a title belt for them next year.”

Five fights in, Team Morales seems to be clicking on cylinders. “People have said some bad things about Repo, but now I tell them that they have to realize Repo is doing a pretty good job,” says Tapia, who is also Morales’ uncle. “I know a lot of people are jealous of Repo in Fresno and always talk bad things about him, but he has been really good for us. He’s been keeping Roman busy and taking him on his way to the top.”

It has been so far so good, but Repo Ric knows there is still plenty of work ahead. “I have been around plenty of promoters, and I have worked for plenty of promoters, and I have learned,” says Repo. “I get in there and learn, and the way I have been moving Roman Morales is showing me that I have learned. From some of the things I have picked up, and I am able to achieve on my own. All I do is boxing. My whole life is boxing, boxing, boxing. I think I am a skillful manager and I learned from the best and I am going to keep learning. I am never going to get too old to learn, and I am never going to learn everything, but I am going to keep learning.”

Next up is an opponent that could provide a stern test, despite his less than threatening record. Rodrigo Aranda (8-14-2, 2 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada is a veteran that has been in with a who’s who of prospects. “This kid we are going to fight is really durable,” says Repo of Aranda, who has only been stopped once in his career. “The purpose is to get some experience because it is hard to find him fights, everyone keeps pulling out. If everyone is going to keep pulling out, then we are going to have to go the distance with some of these fighters. That way he will have some ring experience. If he takes him out, he takes him out, but he doesn’t have to. Break him down and he’ll be 6-0, with four knockouts.”

Knockout or not, Team Morales plans to leave Santa Ynez with the victory and get right back to work on Monday.

Tickets for Friday’s event, promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, are available online at StarTickets.com.

Photos by Stephanie Trapp/trappfotos@gmail.com

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT CARD
Fight Night Entertainment presents Round XVI – Combat at the Cabaret August 13 at the Swinomish Casino in Anacortes, Washington. Featuring a major main event bout that has been currently recognized as the independent fight promotion of the year, LIVE on GFL.

Fight Night Entertainment (FNE) is featuring former UFC Middleweight fighter and Seattle’s own Mario “Super Mario” Miranda versus undefeated Montana’s own Jason Zentgraf.

Mario Miranda has a current professional record of 10-3-0, with 4 of those bouts being in the largest promotion in the world, the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mario has considerable wins over Rick Story, Jose Diaz, Mike “300” Hayes, and David Loiseau. Mario currently is signed to BlackHouse MMA with Ed Soares, which holds some of the toughest fighters in the industry such as Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Junior Dos Santos, and many more. Mario Miranda also fights out of Kirkland, WA’s AMC Kickboxing, ran by the recognized and notable Matt “the Wizard” Hume.

Jason Zentgraf has a current professional record of 5-0-0, with an amazing undefeated line up, and is currently training with Rough House MMA. Jason has considerable wins over Mike Crismon and Roderick Richter in which he holds a ROTR championship belt. Jason is looking to take his career further by signing the deal with FNE and taking on the former UFC fighter, Mario Miranda.

Don’t miss this exciting card that includes UFC vets plus Dustin Praxedes, Craig Jackson, Sam Sicilia, Domenic Rivera, Sabah Fadai an Angel Diaz! Watch the future world champions of MMA compete on this stacked card as Fight Night Entertainment on August 13, streaming live on pay-per-view exclusively at www.GFL.tv! For Ticket info go to: http://www.fightnightentertainment.com/

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YOUNGSTOWN (August 2, 2011) – Former World Middleweight Champion and current World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 1-rated super middleweight contender KELLY “The Ghost” PAVLIK’s professional boxing comeback took a wrong turn inasmuch as Pavlik withdrew from his upcoming 10-round bout against Darryl Cunningham today. The Pavlik-Cunningham bout was scheduled to take place on Saturday at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, OH, and was to be televised live on SHOWTIME® as the main event of a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation. Both the broadcast and the live event have been canceled. Ticketholders can get a refund by returning their tickets to the place of purchase.

“Top Rank is very disappointed at Kelly’s sudden decision to discontinue the rebuilding of his boxing career,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank, Pavlik’s promoter. “Kelly’s team specifically outlined a strategy for Kelly to return to the ring in an effective fashion. Kelly’s team gave us their objectives and we set them on a course, which began last May with Kelly’s fight against Alfonso Lopez and was to continue on Saturday against Darryl Cunningham. It seems Kelly has derailed this plan.”

EXCERPTS FROM DAN RAFAEL OF ESPN.COM STORY BELOW

Apparently, Pavlik was upset over the offer he had received from Top Rank to fight Bute, telling Youngstown television station WFMJ-TV that “the fight is off and the Bute fight is not going to happen. I’m not going to fight a southpaw for peanuts.” He also told the station that his reason for pulling out of the fight was a “business decision.”

Top Rank was working on a deal with Bute’s promoter, InterBox, that would have given the Top Rank/Pavlik side 40 percent of the revenue from the fight. Top Rank had offered Pavlik a minimum purse of $1.35 million (plus an additional $25,000 for training expenses), which could have increased depending on how much money the fight generated.

A source close to Pavlik said that Pavlik was unhappy with the offer because InterBox had originally tried to sign former titlist Mikkel Kessler to fight Bute in November with a substantially bigger offer, which Kessler’s team rejected.

DuBoef said that the cancellation of Saturday’s fight should not have had anything to do with a proposed fight against Bute in the fall.

“Let me make it crystal clear — Saturday’s fight was not part of a two-fight deal,” duBoef said. “There was a plan that we had talked with Team Pavlik about to rebuild his career. We all agreed. It started in May. Then there was supposed to be the fight with Cunningham and then a big fight in the fall. We said we would do our best to plan it. I guess that wasn’t acceptable to Kelly in the last week.

“We had discussed the terms of a Bute fight, but that had no bearing on this. Is it a matter of is Kelly going to fight regularly? Does he want to get back on track and knock that rust off? Apparently not.”

DuBoef said he got a call from Cameron Dunkin, Pavlik’s co-manager, on Monday night telling him that Pavlik was withdrawing from the fight.

“Cameron said that Kelly was not interested in pursuing Saturday’s fight and that he was pulling out,” duBoef said. “I said, ‘That’s his decision. We’re disappointed.’ It’s very unprofessional and it’s his decision. Cameron told me, ‘I hate to tell you this, but he’s not on board for the plan.’ Cameron was very upset because the plan was to get him back in the ring. That is the road to recovery and to rebuilding. We were not going to give him this fight in August and they called us wanting it, so we arranged it.”

DuBoef said his first thought when he heard Pavlik had withdrawn was that maybe he was drinking again, although there is no evidence of that.

“It wasn’t mentioned but it’s the first thing I speculated,” duBoef said. “My first thought was I hope his health is not at risk. We operate gingerly with Kelly as it relates to his demons from the past. We take direction from his team.

“But the behavior here is somewhat erratic and unprofessional. I’m very sympathetic to (Showtime), the fans, my staff, the (Covelli Centre) and the people in Youngstown who were looking forward to this and working on the event. Unfortunately, it did not come about. There is some soul searching to do for Kelly and his team. The answers more lie with him than anyone else.”

Philadelphia, PA—Junior middleweights King Gabriel Rosado, of Philadelphia, PA, and Keenan Collins, of Reading, PA, meet for the vacant Pennsylvania State Junior Middleweight Title on Friday evening, Sept. 9, at the Asylum Arena, 7 West Ritner Street.

The Rosado-Collins championship bout, which tops a seven-fight card, will be televised live by Telefutura/Univision beginning at 9 p.m. First of six preliminary bouts begins at 7.30 p.m.

Rosado, 25, is riding the most impressive streak of his career, having won his last three fights, seven of his last nine, 11 of his last 14. Included in those streaks are victories over former IBF world junior middleweight champ Kassim Ouma, of Uganda, and top contender Saul Roman, of Mexico.

In his last fight July 15 at Bally’s Atlantic City, Rosado (right) knocked out Ayi Bruce, of Ghana, in five rounds.

A pro since 2006, Rosado is 17-5 overall with 10 knockouts. Never one to turn down a tough assignment, Rosado has beaten Latif Mundy, Jamaal Davis, Jose Stinger Medina and James Moore. He has lost to Alfredo Angulo, Derek Ennis (majority decision) and Fernando Guerrero (who was on the floor).

Collins, 34, is coming off a tough 12-round decision loss on June 11 to Charles Whittaker for the vacant USBA junior middleweight title in the Cayman Islands, Whittaker’s backyard.

A pro since 2004, Collins (left) is 13-6-2 overall with nine knockouts. In his only other fight this year, Collins K0d Jorge Delgado, of Allentown, PA, in the first round at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA.

Unbeaten welterweight prospect Ronald Cruz, of Bethlehem, PA, will box in the scheduled eight-round semifinal.

Five additional fights complete the card, which is being promoted by Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., and Don Chargin Productions.

Tickets are priced at $45 and $65. They are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions (215-765-0922) and also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com.

DOVER, Del. — Tickets are selling fast for the Aug. 19 multiple championship night of boxing in the Rollins Center arena at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. Amir “Hard Core” Mansour, 14(11)-0 will face Dominick “The Southern Disaster” Guinn, 33(22)-7-1 for the WBO NABO Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, interim title. The NABO title will place the winner among the Top 15 heavyweights in the world.

Going for his first title shot is Edgar “The Kid” Santana, 25(16)-3(1) of Spanish Harlem, N.Y., who will fight for the interim WBA NABA Light Welterweight title. His opponent has not yet been signed.

Former top-ranked Golden Gloves champion “Queen” Ronica Jeffrey, 7(1)-0 will challenge fellow New Yorker Ela “Bam Bam” Nunez, 9(2)-9(1)-1, for the vacant NABF Female Super Featherweight Title. This is Jeffrey’s first professional title opportunity.

The undercard includes newcomers, cruiserweight Lamont “The Problem Solver” Singletary, 1-0 of Dover, who will face William Clint Green, 1(1)-2(1) of Hannibal, Mo. Super featherweight Omar Douglas, who won his debut fight last May at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, will take on Corey White, 1(1)-2 of Ohio.

Rounding out the undercard are light heavyweight Anthony “Caputo” Smith, 10(8)-0 of Kennett Square, Pa., against Steve “The Spoiler” Walker, 25(17)-27(23) of Hannibal, Mo., and light welterweight “Rockin” Ryan Belasco, 14(3)-5-3 of Wilmington against Fernando “The Whip” Basora, 8(7)-6(6)-1, of Bronx, N.Y. Cruiserweight Dan “Bada Bing” Biddle, 7(5)-1 of Hockessin is also on the card; his opponent has yet to named.

Tickets range from $40 to $200 and may be purchased through VIP Services at 800-711-5882 or online at doverdowns.com. Anyone over 21 with a ticket will receive a complimentary casino table games match play coupon for $10-$50, valid for 30 days at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. The first bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Will call will be open from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.

# # #

About Dover Downs Hotel & Casino

Owned by Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: DDE), Dover Downs Hotel & Casino® is a premier gaming and entertainment resort destination in the Mid-Atlantic region. Gaming operations consist of approximately 2,600 slots and a full complement of table games including poker. The AAA-rated Four Diamond hotel is Delaware’s largest with 500 luxurious rooms/suites and amenities including a full-service spa/salon, concert hall and 35,000 sq. ft. of multi-use event space. Live, world-class harness racing is featured November through April, and horse racing is simulcast year-round. Professional football parlay betting is accepted during the season. Additional property amenities include multiple restaurants from fine dining to casual fare, bars/lounges and retail shops. For more information, please visit www.doverdowns.com.

Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Vestibulum tortor quam, feugiat vitae, ultricies eget, tempor sit amet, ante. Donec eu libero sit amet quam egestas semper. Aenean ultricies mi vitae est. Mauris placerat eleifend leo. Quisque sit amet est et sapien ullamcorper pharetra. Vestibulum erat wisi, condimentum sed, commodo vitae, ornare sit amet, wisi. Aenean fermentum, elit eget tincidunt condimentum, eros ipsum rutrum orci, sagittis tempus lacus enim ac dui. Donec non enim in turpis pulvinar facilisis. Ut felis. Praesent dapibus, neque id cursus faucibus, tortor neque egestas augue, eu vulputate magna eros eu erat. Aliquam erat volutpat. Nam dui mi, tincidunt quis, accumsan porttitor, facilisis luctus, metus

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Once thought to be staged at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson HBO Pay Per View fight will now land at The Staples Center in Los Angeles on October 15th accroding to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“It does look like it will be at the Staples Center,” said Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions. “It’s probably 95 percent it will be there. I am just working with them to finalize our deal.”

Talks with The Prudential Center hit a snag after The building insisted that Main Events, which has staged all of the boxing events at the Prudential Center be involved with the fight card by having signage in the building and a spot on the undercard for Kathy Duva’s promotion.

This will be Hopkins second fight at The Staples Center and first since his February, 2005 Middleweight title defense against Howard Eastman.

“We had a great crowd when Bernard did his historic 20th title defense and now he will do his first defense of the historic title he won against (Jean) Pascal,” Schaefer said. “I think Los Angeles boxing fans, Los Angeles sports fans, the celebrities — I think they like these kind of meaningful events. Staples Center is very excited about it.”

The fight will headline an HBO PPV card. Schaefer and Gary Shaw, Dawson’s promoter, have been working on the undercard.

One of the supporting bouts has been agreed to, Schaefer said. Golden Boy fighter Jorge Linares will face Antonio DeMarco, who is promoted by Shaw, for the lightweight title recently vacated by Humberto Soto (DeMarco’s cousin).

“Gary confirmed to me that his side is in and our side is in, so it looks like that will be one of the fights,” Schaefer said.

SPRINGFIELD, MO (July 28, 2011)—once-beaten Cruiserweight contender, BJ Flores came home to score an emphatic fifth round stoppage over tough Nick Iannuzzi in front of over 2,000 fans at the O’Reilly Center that highlighted the first ever Danger Boy Promotions card in Springfield, Missouri.

The show was a hybrid event that featured four boxing and six MMA bouts which had a capacity crowd entertained throughout the evening.

The show will be available all over the world on Thursday July 28th on www.gfl.tv for just $9.99 by clicking: http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Summer_Fight_Night_at_the_OReilly_Center/1122

Flores got off to a quick start by dropping Iannuzzi in round one from a big overhand right. Iannuzzi barely beat the referee’s count.

Over the next three rounds, Flores focused on the body which had Iannuzzi backing away and not trying to engage much with the hard punches of Flores.

In the fifth round, Flores came out aggressive by landing two hard rights and body work. He repeated that same combination and backed Iannuzzi up in the corner. Flores finished land five with another hard right.

Iannuzzi’s corner stopped the fight after round five with Flores ahead 50-44 on all cards.

“I felt very good and very strong. Coming in at 200 pounds instead of 195 like for my last fight was a huge difference! This was the type of fight I needed. Nick Ianuzzi showed he is a top level North American cruiserweight fighting Lateef Kayode and I went out there and dominated him and on to the next one”, Said Flores

“I will be fighting again in Springfield, MO. in the end of October. I will fight another tough top rated North American opponent and I expect the same type of result. This is a new chapter in my career where I will be active and exciting!””

With the win, Flores showed power that he has been working on and improves his mark to 25-1-1 with sixteen knockouts

Fallon, NV — The City of Fallon, NV and Let’s Get It On Promotions are pleased to announce the fourth annual “Rural Rumble” Fallon Fights 2011, Saturday August 27th at the Churchill County Fairgrounds. “Rural Rumble 2011” will feature world class professional boxing.

“We are thrilled to be presenting the fourth annual “Rural Rumble” once again in Fallon.” Says Fallon, NV Mayor Ken Tedford Jr. “Boxing has played an important role in this area for over a century, and we are proud to continue the tradition.”

Headlining the card is Northern Nevada favorite Derek Hinkey (8-2, 7 KOs) of McDermitt, NV. Hinkey will be making his highly anticipated return to the ring on August 27th after a prolonged layoff due to a hand injury from his fight against Ariel Espinal in 2009.

“It just never really healed correctly and caused me discomfort in my past two fights.” Says Hinkey. “But I’m 100% now and chomping at the bit to get back in there.”

Hinkey, who lives and trains in Las Vegas, stayed in shape and in the gym while allowing his hand to heal. He has trained with several high-profile boxers and MMA fighters in the recent past which kept his game sharp. He will need his best as he takes on the experienced and tough Anthony “Powerhouse” Bartinelli (20-14-2,13 KOs) of Phoenix, AZ in a six round middleweight bout. Bartinelli is no stranger to fighting top names in the middleweight division, and will prove to be a test for Hinkey.

In a light-heavyweight match-up, Reno’s Carlos Gaytan (2-0-1, 2 KOs) will be facing San Jose’s Anthony Johnson (4-0, 1 KO). Both fighters come into this fight undefeated.

Returning to the ring on August 27th is jr. middleweight Jose “Chuy” Elizondo (1-0) of Carson City, NV. Elizondo, who was a stand out amateur, scored a spectacular shut-out decision over Rodrigo Espinoza on April 29th.

In a separate bout, highly regarded amateur Carlos Vasquez of Reno, NV will be making his pro debut against Vincente Medellin (1-0) of Los Angeles. Vasquez, who’s brother is highly ranked amateur Santos Vasquez, decided that his aggressive boxing style was better suited for the professional side of boxing. Vasquez vs. Medellin will take place at 112 lbs.

In a local boxing match-up, cruiserweights Bubba Dupree (0-1) of Reno, NV will be facing Jack “The Motor” Montgomery (0-1) of Winnemucca, NV.

More details will be released soon.

Tickets are available by calling 775 423 4556. Advance tickets are $10 children (ages 6-17) $12 adults; at gate $12 children $15 adults; $50 ringside, $500 for VIP tables. All bouts subject to change.

LAS VEGAS — Super-featherweight “El Negro Mexicano”, “Lightning” Lonnie Smith (13-2-2, 9 KOs) is back in action Friday, July 29th at the South Point Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.

Coming off an impressive unanimous decision win over Oxnard’s “Dangerous” David Rodella in April, Smith looks to advance his career by facing California’s Robert Vargas (5-1). This will be “Lightning” Lonnie’s second televised fight in a row.

“The ultimate goal is to be champion,” says Smith. “And I train like one, so that is the next step.”

After appearing on several of their shows, Let’s Get It On Promotions inked a long-term promotional agreement with Smith this year.

“The win over Rodella on television was huge,” says Let’s Get It On Promotions’ Tommy Lane. “It gave fight fans the opportunity to see what we’ve seen all along. The response we received after that fight about Lonnie was incredible.”

Smith vs. Vargas is scheduled for 6-rounds and will be televised on Telefutura’s “Solo Boxeo” series. Check local listings. Tickets are available by calling 702-797-8055.

Photo by Stephanie Trapp

LAS VEGAS, NEV (July 25, 2011) – World Bantamweight Champion and consensus Top-Three pound-for-pound fighter, NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE, and TODD DUBOEF, President of Top Rank, Inc., announced today that they will move forward together in promoting Donaire’s stellar professional boxing career.

“I am very happy and pleased to announce a recent reconciliation between Top Rank, and myself, and I am also extremely excited to announce that I will be back in the ring this coming October,” said Donaire. “There were some details that required attention, and I feel confident now that my professional goals are being understood and respected by Top Rank. And we have likewise come to a mutual understanding and agreement as far as our common objectives in boxing and how we can work better together as a team. I was able to sit down and figure out the fight map, which both Top Rank and I could agree with. Having a shared goal now, and working together, I’m certain will only make for better fights, and better boxing, now and in the future.

“I am really happy with and proud of my team, especially my manager Cameron Dunkin, and my wife, Rachel, for helping us come to the best solution to recent issues we addressed together. To my fans who have always supported me, thank you for continued support and well wishes. You help keep me motivated, and I will only become a better and better fighter with time. Thank you.”

Added duBoef, “We are thrilled to move forward with Nonito, his team and
capitalize on what we have built together. Nonito has unlimited ability and charisma which was on display in his last thrilling performance against Fernando Montiel. A bright future lies ahead for Nonito and Top Rank.”

Donaire (26-1, 18 KOs), a native of General Santos City, Philippines, who now resides in San Leandro, Calif., has won world titles in three different weight divisions. He is riding an 10-year, 25-bout winning streak. Donaire captured his first world title when he knocked out undefeated defending IBF/IBO flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan in 2007, a title Donaire successfully defended three times – all by knockout – during his two-year reign. He vacated the flyweight championship to move up and win the WBA interim super flyweight title by defeating Rafael Concepcion in 2009. Donaire’s reign lasted one year before moving up in weight again and smashing defending WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel via a second-round knockout to claim his third world title in as many different weight divisions. Donaire has won nine of his last 10 fights by knockout.

Bobby Voelker made it two in a row as he scored a second round stoppage over Roger Bowling in a Welterweight rematch that headlined Strikeforce Challengers 17 at the Pear at The Palms in Las Vegas.

Voelker kneed Bowling in the face that sent him stumbling to the mat. Voelker then landed ten straight punches to the face of a prone Bowling and the fight was stopped by referee Josh Rosenthal at 2:16 of round twp

Voelker, 171 lbs of Kansas City, MO is now 24-8 with fifteen knockouts. Bowling, 171 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is now 9-2

Devin Cole scored a three round unanimous decision over Shawn Jordan in a Heavyweight bout.

Cole, 239 lbs of Medford, OR is now 19-9-1. Jordan, 255 lbs of Baton Rouge, LA is now 11-3

Ovince Saint Preux scored a first round stoppage over previous undefeated Joe Cason in a scheduled three round Light Heavyweight bout.

Saint Preux landed a kick to the ribs and followed up with a left and then pounded Cason until the fight was stopped at 1:12

Saint Preaux, 205 lbs of Knoxville, TN is now 11-4 with six knockouts. Cason, 205 lbs of Milwaukee, WI is now 8-1.

Sarah Kaufman scored a three round unanimous decision over Liz Carmouch in a Lightweight bout.

Kaufman won by scores of 30-27 on all cards and is now 14-1. Carmouch, 135 lbs of San Diego is now 6-2.

Adlan Amagov scored a three round split decision over Ron Stallings in a Middleweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on two cards for Amagov and Stallings took a card 29-28.

Amagove, 184 lbs is now 8-4. Stallings, 184 lbs of Temple Hills, MD is now 9-4-1.

Christopher Martin remained undefeated by scoring a ten round unanimous decision over Jose Silveira in a ten round Featherweight bout at Casino Sol Sol in Tucson, Arizona.

It was a workmanlike effort for Martin who was very effective and controlled the action.

Martin, 123 1/4 lbs of San Diego, CA won by scores of 99-90; 99-90 and 98-91 and is now 23-0-2. Silveira, 123 1/4 lbs of Mexico is now 12-4.

Marc Salser remained undefeated by scoring a six round unanimous decision over Radolpho Armenta in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Luis Borrego scored a four round majority decision over Carlos Lozano in a battle of undefeated Welterweights.

Borrego, 146 3/4 lbs of Tucson, AZ won by scores of 39-37; 39-37 and 38-38 and is now 2-0. Lozano, 148 lbs of Ensenada, MX is now 2-1

Salser landed the harder punches and was very effective despite finding with a bad cut over his left eye.

Scores were 60-54 on all cards for Salser, 137 1/2 lbs of Mansfield, OH and is now 13-0. Armenta, 137 3/4 lbs of Los Mochis, NM is now 10-5-1.

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT CARD LIVE
All participants for Star Boxing’s, “Knock Out Cancer” show tomorrow night at the Hunts Point Produce Market weighed-in today. The show, being presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing at the Hunts Point Produce Market to benefit the American Cancer Society, is headlined by Star Boxing’s undefeated heavyweight contender, Joe “The Future” Hanks taking on “The Contenders” Alfredo Escalera Jr. for the IBA Heavyweight Championship. Hanks tipped the scales at lbs. while Escalera weighed-in at lbs. In the co-feature bout of the evening, Alicia Ashley takes on Christina Ruiz for the vacant WBC Female Super Bantamweight Championship of the World. Ashley weighed-in at lbs, with Ruiz weighing in at lbs. Below is the complete bout sheet for Thursday night’s show.

IBA Heavyweight Championship
10 Rounds

Joe Hanks (R in photo) – 239 lbs.
Vs.
Alfredo Escalera Jr. – 225 lbs.
____________________________

WBC Female Super Bantamweight Championship
10 Rounds

Alicia Ashley (R in photo) – 120 1/2 lbs.
Vs.
Christina Ruiz – 121 1/4 lbs.
__________________________

Jr. Welterweights
6 Rounds

Issouf Kinda – 140 lbs.
Vs.
Bryan Abraham – 140 lbs.
___________________________

Light Heavyweights
4 Rounds

Bruno Bouhi – 172 lbs.
Vs.
Borngod Washington – 174 lbs.
_____________________________

*** ALL BOUTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***

THE LIVINGSTONE JOSEPH VS. TREYSEAN WIGGINS FIGHT WAS SCRATCHED AFTER JOSEPH CAME IN OVERWEIGHT

“Knock Out Cancer” will take place Saturday, July 23 at the Hunt Point Produce Market, which is located at 772 Edgewater Road, Bronx, NY 10474. Tickets to this special event are priced at $50, $75 and $100 and can be purchased by calling Star Boxing at (718) 823-2000 or visiting www.starboxing.com.Tickets may also be purchased at the Hunts Point Market the night of the event. For information regarding sponsorship packages call Yilda Guerrero with the American Cancer Society at (718) 547-5064, etc. 2101. Doors open at 6:00PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:15PM.

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing, Inc. has been in operation since1992. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit the official website at www.starboxing.com

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that WBC Super Welterweight champion Saul Alvarez will defend his crown against Alfonso Gomez on September 17th in Los Angeles as part of a split site doubleheader that will be part of the Floyd Mayweather – Victor Ortiz televised undercard.

“It’s going to be an historic pay-per-view. It will be an amazing experience because the fans at Staples Center will be able to see the live feed from Las Vegas and also see Canelo Alvarez fight live that night, and the people in Las Vegas can see the live feed from the Canelo fight in the Staples Center,” Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com.

“You’re going to have two HBO crews and they’ll give it back and forth between L.A. and Las Vegas. It’s going to be great,” said Schaefer, who is in Las Vegas promoting Saturday’s Amir Khan-Zab Judah junior welterweight title unification fight.

“To be able to see Mayweather-Ortiz and then add to that Erik Morales and Canelo Alvarez against Alfonso Gomez, and a young and emerging fighter who is tremendously talented in Jessie Vargas, it’s sort of like a little bit of everything on this pay-per-view,” Schaefer said.

“You can go to the fight at the Staples Center for as little as 50 bucks, which is the price of a closed circuit ticket (to see the pay-per-view view in Las Vegas). So you could see the pay-per-view on the big screen at Staples plus see Canelo Alvarez. That’s a pretty good deal, isn’t it?”

“For Gomez, he’s been waiting for an opportunity like this,” Schaefer said. “There was a time (in December 2010) when he was supposed to fight (Julio Cesar) Chavez Jr. but Chavez had to pull out. Now he gets to show what he’s all about against (another) big star from Mexico, Canelo Alvarez. I know Alfonso Gomez will come ready and will give Canelo a helluva fight. I told Canelo he better be ready because this guy is coming to win.”

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
BRONX, NY (July 22, 2011)—TOMORROW night at Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx, One of the top American Heavyweight prospects will be in action as undefeated Joe Hanks will take on battle tested veteran Alfredo Escalera Jr. in a ten round bout for the IBA Heavyweight championship.

That fight plus a female world championship bout is promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and will be streamed LIVE all over the world at 7pm eastern on www.gfl.tv

The action can be purchased for just $9.99 by clicking:
http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Knock_Out_Cancer/1127

Hanks of Newark, New Jersey has been perfect and has a record of 16-0 with eleven knockouts.

The twenty-eight year old turned pro in 2007 and has incrementally as he has beat the likes of Hildo Silva (4-0-2); Ashanti Jordan (10-0); Anthony Gatt (7-1-1); Johnnie White (22-2)and in his last bout, Hanks scored a fourth round stoppage over Terrell Nelson on April 22nd.

In Escalera Jr, Hanks will be facing a man with great boxing lineage as his Father Alfredo Escalera was a former world champion.

The younger Escalera has an impressive record of 18-3-1 with twelve knockouts.

The native of San Juan buit his reputation mostly as a Cruiserweight but is 7-0 with seven knockouts when fighting over 200 lbs.

He turned pro in 2005 and went 15-0-1 in his first sixteen bouts.

In 2008, Escalera was chosen to become a cast member of the Contender Season 3.

Escalera is coming off an eighth round stoppage defeat to highly regarded and undefeated Lateef Kayode on August 6, 2010.

In the co-feature, Alicia Ashley will take on Christina Ruiz for the WBC Ladies Super Bantamweight title.

Ashley of Westbury, NY has a record of 16-9-1 with one knockout.

She is a former WIBF Super Bantamweight champion who has fought all over the world such as Canada, Argentina, Austria, North Korea, Guyana and Germany.

She has won two in a row which includes a eight round unanimous decision over Crystal Hoy on January 19th.

Ruiz of San Antonio, Texas has a record of 6-3-1 with four knockouts.

She has fought top competition which includes fights with six undefeated fighters.

She is coming off a third round stoppage over highly regarded and previously undefeated Emily Klinefelter (9-0) on February 5th.

There will be a terrific undercard as well on the broadcast that will feature undefeated Issouf Kinda (10-0, 5 KO’s) and upset specialist Bryan Abraham (4-6-2, 2 KO’s).

Abraham is coming off a stunning knockout over hyped prospect Scott Burrell (3-0-1) and also stopped undefeated Dominic DeSanto (5-0-1).

Also on the card will be the pro debut of New York Golden Gloves champion Livingstone Joseph.

GFL now offers full access to over 5,000 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 1000 live events with over 5,000 combat sports videos in 196 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 1.8 million public viewers last year with now over 150 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. GFL combat sports genres currently include Boxing, MMA and Professional Wrestling. GFL offers expanded programming to include: Daily News & Radio Shows with feature interviews and industry updates along with great Fight Photos, Fighter Videos and a robust Calendar of Upcoming Fight Events.

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Classy super bantamweight prospect Roman Morales returns to the ring tonight in a six-round attraction against pugnacious swinger Juan Tepoz on the undercard of the ESPN2 Friday Night Fights-televised main event of Anthony Dirrell-Kevin Engel at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California.

Morales (4-0, 3 KOs) of San Ardo, California is coming in off of a fourth-round knockout of veteran Jaime Villa in June. Morales, a highly touted amateur before turning pro this past February, has two more fights scheduled over the next 49 days, but first must make it past an aggressive and determined Tepoz tonight. Morales weighed in at 120 ¼-pounds Thursday.

Tepoz (4-5-1) of Santa Rosa, California is riding a three-fight skid, but those two fights came against prospects Richard Contreras and Michael Ruiz Jr. Though he has yet to score a knockout, Tepoz has shown flashes of power as he did manage to score an official knockdown of Ruiz in their first meeting. Tepoz scaled 120 ¼-pounds Friday.

Morales should be at the peak of his powers as a cut in the Villa fight gave him a short reprieve from the ring, not that the eager prospect asked for a break. In addition, Morales got some quality ring time with world ranked super featherweight Eloy Perez in preparation of tonight’s bout.

Perez and Morales have become fairly regular sparring partners in recent months, something that will surely benefit the San Ardo native as he progresses in his young career. Perez, perhaps only a fight or two away from challenging for a world title, has been impressed with the young upstart.

“He’s always in shape,” says Perez. “When I’ve sparred him, he’s always ready. He’s always quick and able to go the rounds. He’s real fast, real slick and he can switch. He fights with both hands. His footwork is real nice. He has skills and it seems like he is learning and working on things he needs to pick up on. He’s a good kid. He has a good amateur background. He’s good. I think he’s a young prospect coming up, he just needs to stay busy.”

Morales, promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and managed by Repo Ric, plans to stay busy should everything go as planned tonight in Cabazon. Morales will get a quick turnaround and fight Isaac Hidalgo (8-7-2, 1 KO) of Tucson, Arizona on August 5th in Santa Ynez, California and then fight on the undercard of Eloy Perez-Daniel Jimenez in Salinas on September 2nd.

Tickets for tonight’s event, promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

Undefeated Cuban sensation, and one of the most exciting prospects in the boxing game, Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (12-0, 10 KOs) will fight Gerardo Robles (14-9, 6 KOs) for the vacant Universal Boxing Organization™ (UBO) International Super Featherweight title on July 29 at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

“Fight Nights at The Cosmopolitan” is presented by Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing & Blue Wave Group, and will also feature a world title eliminator between Lamont Peterson and Victor Cayo, and an explosive Light Heavyweight showdown between Edison Miranda and Yordanis Despaigne. ESPN 2 will televise.

Unlike his brother Yan, a 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, Rances Barthelemy (25) didn’t get to compete in the Olympics as he defected to the United States prior to the 2008 games in Beijing. He turned professional in 2009 with a spectacular 13 second knockout of Jamal Clay, which lead to him being signed up by Leon Margules and Warriors Boxing.

Credit for Barthelemy’s progress as a pro boxer must be given to his team including trainer Orlando Cuellar (trainer of former world champion Glen Johnson), respected boxing industry manager Henry Foster and co-promoters Leon Margules of Warrior’s Boxing and Richard Dobal of Bad Dog Productions.

Less than two years into his pro career, and after only twelve paid fights, Leon Margules has decided to give his rising star a shot at the UBO International title. At the same time, Gerardo Robles (29) will surely be Barthelemy’s stiffest test, having won his last five bouts and eleven of his last thirteen.

In conjunction with Warriors Boxing Promotions and Blue Wave Group, “Fight Nights at The Cosmopolitan” combines the mystique and excitement of legendary Las Vegas boxing matches with a new and socially dynamic experience.

Tickets are on sale now and priced at $250 for VIP tables, $150 for ringside seats, $100 for floor seats, $50 for grandstand seating and $20 for general admission tickets and are available for purchase by calling 877-551-7778 or at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com.

More info on: www.uboboxing.com

The UBO is also on Twitter: www.twitter.com/UBOboxing

And Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Universal-Boxing-Organization-UBO/129022037171860

DOVER, Del., US (July 21, 2011) — Dover Downs Hotel & Casino and the North American Boxing Organization announce the unanimous decision of the NABO Board to sanction the Amir Mansour vs. Dominick Guinn fight for the Heavyweight Interim Title on Aug. 19 in Dover, Delaware, US. The winner of the NABO Interim Championship will garner an automatic Top 15 ranking into the WBO monthly world ratings. The belt is currently held by Tomasz Adamek, who is scheduled to fight Vitali Klitschko for the WBO Heavyweight Championship.

Next month, Amir Mansour will become an international name in the sport of boxing. His road to the championship began 11 months ago at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, when Mansour entered the ring for the first time following an eight-year prison sentence from a drug arrest. His final hour of incarceration was served in a halfway house on the morning of that fight.

During his incarceration, Mansour had a “wake-up call” which led him to turn his life around. He earned a college degree, kept himself in peak physical condition and committed to living a clean, dignified life in which his family could be proud. On Aug. 19, the man known as “Hardcore” with a record of 14-(11)-0 will face Dominick “The Southern Disaster” Guinn, 33(22)-7-1, realizing a life-long dream and a turning point for which he fought long and hard. For Mansour to reach this ranking so quickly is testament to his drive to prove himself in the sport and determination to redeem himself in the eyes of his sons, Asanti, Kazon, and Amir.

“The opportunity to fight for the NABO title is very meaningful to me,” said Mansour. “It was less than one year ago that I started on this trip – August 27th – and now with a victory, I can be rated and be in a position to make my dream come true – a world title. This opportunity will not be in overlooked. I intend on taking full advantage of it and show my critics and the world what type of fighter I am.”

Mark Reels, executive director of the NABO, indicated Mansour met the ratings criteria to compete for the interim title, leading to a unanimous decision by the NABO Board. “We are aware of Mansour’s past, and like many established prize fighters who struggled early in life, we believe when someone has paid his debt to society and conducts himself with dignity in and out of the ring, he deserves a second chance. Placing Mansour at this level is good for Delaware and for the Organization, as well.”

Guinn, of Houston, Texas, is a formidable adversary for Mansour and a seasoned boxer, ranked 11th in the nation. Guinn has been toe to toe with current top ranked heavyweights, Eddie Chambers and Tony Thompson. “This will be a great test for Amir, going against a fighter who is rarely stopped and only top contenders have beaten,” said Nick Tiberi, matchmaker. “A match of this caliber will put Amir in a position to challenge the top heavyweight fighters in the world.”

Those in the know believe Mansour is ready for the challenge. Dave Escalet, manager of the current WBC Caribbean Heavyweight title holder Franklin Lawrence and former advisor to Andrew Golota and Tomasz Adamek, concurs and states that Mansour has as much potential as Golota or Adamek.

“I truly believe that Mansour is one of the top five American heavyweights,” said Escalet. “What makes Mansour exciting is he has the aura of Mike Tyson; you feel that electricity in the audience when you go to a fight in Dover because he brings that explosive knock out power, which very few have. He is able to knock out a heavyweight with one or two punches, which is extremely rare in today’s heavyweight division. In the arena, the crowd is expecting that big punch to land anytime and it makes people come back.”

Greg Sirb, the Pennsylvania Boxing Commissioner who signed off on the fight, said of the Mansour/Guinn match, “This has the makings of being the most exciting pro boxing bout ever held in the State of Delaware.”

More information on the Aug. 19 card may be found at http://www.doverdowns.com/entertainment/boxing-friday-night-fights.

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About North American Boxing Organization

The North American Boxing Organization (NABO) is one of several regulators of boxing that works in North America. The NABO is one of the regional bodies that are part of the World Boxing Organization.

About Dover Downs Hotel & Casino

Owned by Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: DDE), Dover Downs Hotel & Casino® is a premier gaming and entertainment resort destination in the Mid-Atlantic region. Gaming operations consist of approximately 2,600 slots and a full complement of table games including poker. The AAA-rated Four Diamond hotel is Delaware’s largest with 500 luxurious rooms/suites and amenities including a full-service spa/salon, concert hall and 35,000 sq. ft. of multi-use event space. Live, world-class harness racing is featured November through April, and horse racing is simulcast year-round. Professional football parlay betting is accepted during the season. Additional property amenities include multiple restaurants from fine dining to casual fare, bars/lounges and retail shops. For more information, please visit www.doverdowns.com.

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NEW YORK (July 20, 2011) – USBA heavyweight champion Maurice “Sugar Moe” Harris’ often tumultuous boxing career is back in a good place, after he redeemed himself last Saturday in Atlantic City, when he stopped Derric “The Shaolin Fist” Rossy in the 12thround at Resorts Casino Hotel.

Harris (25-15-2, 11 KOs) was coming off of a disappointing loss by third round to Tony “The Tiger” Thompson (36-2, 24 KOs) in May, shown live on ESPN Friday Night Fights in their IBF Box-Off.

Rossy (25-5, 14 KOs), rated No. 15 by the IBF, served as a litmus test for Harris, a 35-year-old whose major claim to fame is winning the 2002 Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament, defeating Thompson in the $100,000 finale, as well as defeating world champion Sergei Liakhovich. The New Jersey fighter found himself at the crossroads once again, facing possible retirement if he lost to Rossy, the former Boston College football standout who had previously defeated WBO champion and 1988 Olympic gold-medal winner Ray Mercer (DEC12) and world title challenger Carl David Drummond (DEC10).

“I never looked at the fight like that,” Harris said, “only as another challenge, another fight. I don’t focus on something like that (in a career-ending fight) because I always need to focus on my opponent and our fight. I did show resiliency when I needed to win. It was a good win, one of my top five, but I was only about 70-percent of what I can really be. I hadn’t been 12 rounds since last August. I was still a little rusty. You can do that (12 rounds) in the gym but it’s not the same as in a fight. I did feel good going into the fight and afterwards.”

Harris dropped Rossy in the sixth, led by two rounds going into the 12th, and finished the show in impressive style. The veteran had worn-down Rossy and eventually trapped his tiring opponent on the ropes in the 12th, decking him again with a three-punch combination, an overhand right to the chin serving as an exclamation point. Rossy got to his feet but Harris moved in to finish him, backing Derec onto the ropes again, and unloading a four-punch combination against his defenseless opponent. Referee Earl Morton halted the action at 1:35 of the final round.

“This fight proved that Maurice’s last one was a fluke.” Harris’ promoter Mario Yagobi (Boxing 360) commented. “He couldn’t respond right after getting hit with so many illegal hits behind the head. I said that before this fight and still believed in Maurice. He was the stronger, bigger guy who showed a lot more skills than his opponent. Rossy came to win. He was in great shape, at 225 pounds, and had a six-pack stomach. Maurice showed his experience, dropping him the sixth, and finishing with a 12th round knockout. Rossy was banged up; his face had a lot of bruises and welts. From the eighth or ninth round, he looked like a beaten fighter.”

“The last two rounds were my strongest,” Harris noted. “I caught my second wind. I knew one good assault would close the deal. I hadn’t had a knockout in a long time (2002 vs. Liahkovich). I thought I had him out in the sixth, but he stayed right in there until the last round. I hit him with some good combinations. He fell and got up, but I knew he was finished.

“The Thompson fight is still in the back of my head. We’ve both won once and I’d like a third fight to settle things. I won’t get over it until we do. I wish him luck in his fights but, even if it’s sparring, I want to fight him again. He didn’t fight the best Maurice Harris but, then again, neither did Rossy.”

Because Harris, rated No. 9 by the IBF, fought an optional defense against Rossy, Maurice has a mandatory coming up against a challenger to be determined. Chazz Witherspoon is the No. 1 rated IBF challenger, followed in order by Steve Collins, Cedric Boswell, Antonio Tarver and Michael Grant.

Other members of Boxing 360’s stable include WBC #5 super bantamweight Leon “Hurry Up” Moore, former IBF super middleweight champion Alejandro “Naco” Berrio, unbeaten welterweight prospect Vitaliy “Demyan”Demyanenko WBC Caribbean & NY State super middleweight champion Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen, Dominican lightweight champion Eudy “AK47” Bernardo, KO king Tyrone Brunson, heavyweight Mike Mollo, unbeaten NABF featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, Nick “Hands of Gold” Casal, middleweight prospect DonYil Livingston, Joel Diaz Jr., and “King”David Estrada.

Go to www.Boxing360.comfor more information about Harris, Boxing 360 or any of its other fighters.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is confirming that the long awaited rematch between WBA Super Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito will take place on December 3rd at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“Everything is being finalized for the fight and when it is, we’ll be at Madison Square Garden,” Said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank who will promte the fight. The famed arena, which is undergoing a significant renovation. “Madison Square Garden is one of the most important arenas in the country and I like doing events here. Miguel has a big fan base here and we want those fans to see him again.”

“When you look at the electricity of previous Miguel Cotto fights that have been at the Garden and the magnitude of this event, the Garden was the perfect place to do it,” duBoef said. “Both guys were open to it. It’s great to be back at a big venue in a big city to keep boxing at the forefront.

Friday, July 22, 2011 11:00pm ET Featuring Ultimate Reno Combat 26 presents Relentless at the Grand Sierra Resort, Reno, Nevada. In one of the showcased matches, a pair of undefeated fighters lock horns as Erivelton Lopez (1-0) battles Brandon Costa (1-0) in a contest of up and coming heavyweights. Lopez won his first fight by armbar submission less than a minute into the fight. Costa won his fight by TKO/injury in the first. This could shape up to be a classic matchup of grappler versus striker. Or it could be something completely different as both men don’t have enough cage time to properly form a game plan against them. This might be a wild fight and steal the show if both men throw caution to the wind. In other action, Undefeated Bantamweight Champion Oscar Ramirez (6-0) is also scheduled to compete. He is coming off of a victory where he won the Ultimate Reno Combat 125 lb Championship in a tough battle and will put his belt on the line for the first time. 5 of 6 of Ramirez’ victories have been stoppages so he will look to get out to a fast start and land a punch or kick or secure a submission early in the fight. Find out if Ramirez will still be champion after Relentless! A women’s match is also scheduled as Kathryn Davis (2-1-1) fights Maria Andaverde (4-2) in what will no doubt be a hotly contested showdown. Davis is coming off of a tough draw in her last fight and wants to get back in the win column while Andaverde is sporting a 2-fight win streak both by first round KO. Expect fireworks in this fight.

– Saturday, July 23, 2011 7:00pm ET featuring CFFC 10 – Black Eye at the Resorts Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, NJ. The main event, undefeated Joey “Boom Boom” Rivera (5-0) defends his CFFC Welterweight Championship against tough Massachusetts fighter Chip “The Surgeon” Pollard (4-2). Rivera has finished all of his opponents inside of two rounds with 4 of 5 ending in the first. Pollard will be the hardest test to date for “Boom Boom” as the New England fighter Pollard has never been knocked out or submitted. For “The Surgeon”, this will be his first championship fight and is a tremendous opportunity for the rising prospect. It will be interesting to see how the fast starting champion, Rivera, responds in the opening moments, because Pollard has never been stopped and is sure to push back against the champ right from the opening bell. This main event will showcase two of the East Coast’s finest and the winner will be deserving of the title “Champion”. In other action, Timmy Williams (6-0) will fight for the CFFC Middleweight Title. Williams is coming off of a spectacular showing at CFFC 7 where he beat UFC veteran Andre Gusmao to the surprise of many. Williams will look to continue to put his stamp on the East Coast scene with his next fight for the 185 lb belt. In still more action, fan favorite Al Buck (5-9) also returns to CFFC to face Mike Medrano (8-8) in what is sure to be a highly contested welterweight battle. These two gladiators always put on fight of the night performances and July 23 should be no different.

– Saturday, July 23, 2011 7:00pm ET featuring The Warriors Cup XII at the R.J. Arena at Brooksdale College in Lincroft, NJ. The WBC Main Event, world renowned British fighter and WMC and WAKO World Champion Liam ‘The Hitman’ Harrison will take on Philadelphia’s Justin Greskiewicz. Both fighters are coming off losses although Liam’s recent loss was against none other than current Muay Thai luminary, Saenchai Sinbimuaythai. Greskiewicz recent loss was during a rematch with New York’s Turan Hasanov and he is without a doubt coming into this fight incredibly hungry and ready to make Liam’s US debut a painful one. How will Justin Greskiewicz match up with the more experienced Harrison? A couple of months ago we would never have though a fight like this would ever materialize, but thanks to the team at Weapons 9, we will now get a chance to find out! I for one can’t wait to see it! In the co-main event, Pittsburgh’s Mark Deluca will be facing off against Philadelphia’s Rami Ibrahim in a WBC Title Elimination Bout. Originally from Sitan NYC, Rami Ibrahim, who now owns and operates Sitan Gym’s Philadelphia branch will no doubt be looking to make both his Philly and NYC fans proud. However, Pittsburgh Muay Thai’s Mark Deluca comes into this bout being the fighter with more experience fighting under Full Muay Thai rules. Both fighters are also coming off losses with Mark Deluca dropping his most recent fight to 2010 North American Muay Thai fighter of the Year Kevin Ross and Ibrahim losing his last Muay Thai bout to Matt Embree in Canada. Both fighters will definitely be looking to get back on to the winning track, which will most likely lead to some fireworks in the ring.

– Saturday, July 23, 2011 7:00pm ET featuring Knock Out Cancer Presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, the American Cancer Society and Hunts Point Produce Market. “Knock Out Cancer” will take place at the Hunt Point Produce Market, which is located at 772 Edgewater Road, Bronx, NY. There are two title fights scheduled on the card, including Joe “The Future” Hanks (16-0, 11KO’s) taking on Alfredo Escalera Jr. (18-3-1, 12KO’s) for the IBA Americas Heavyweight Title in the main event, and Issouf Kinda (10-0, 5KO’s) taking on Bayan Jargal (15-2-3, 10KO’s) for the NYS Jr. Welterweight Title in the co-feature.

– Saturday, July 23, 2011 8:00pm ET featuring Summer Fight Night at the O’Reilly Family Event Center, Springfield, MO. When local product B.J. Flores comes home to compete for a pair of title belts on a boxing/mixed martial arts card on the Drury campus. Flores, who grew up in nearby Willard, revealed that he will take on Nicholas “The Show-Stopper” Ianuzzi of Tampa, Fla., another Top 10 ranked fighter, in the scheduled 10- or 12-round main event for the NABO and NABA Cruiserweight Championship belts. It will be Flores’ first fight in his own backyard since he knocked out Andy Sample in 2007. Flores is 25-1-1 – with 15 wins by knockout – since turning professional in May of 2003 after an amateur career that included a national Golden Gloves championship, while Ianuzzi will bring a 16-2 record into the match, with five of those victories by knockout.

– Saturday, July 23, 2011 9:00pm ET featuring Sportfight X at the North Atlanta Trade Center in Norcross, Georgia. In the main event, two seasoned veterans meet in the cage as Roger “The Leprechaun” Carroll (9-5) fights Dave Vitkay (9-10-1). The North Carolinian, Carroll, is coming off of two first round submission victories and looks to do the same to Vitkay. Carroll is an excellent grappler as 8 of his 9 wins have come via submission hold. Carroll will look to push the pace and use his cardio to wear the bigger Vitkay out and then catch a submission for the tapout. Vitkay is coming off of a tough draw but the fight before that he won in spectacular fashion via second round choke. A grappler himself, the Georgian Vitkay also likes to throw hands and will be looking to win the standup battle for as long as it lasts. In the co-main event, Bellator veteran Steve Ledbetter (7-3) battles Joe “Hitman” Elmore (4-3). Both men are rising prospects and have a huge following within the Atlanta-metro fight scene. The crowd will be going wild for what very could be the fight of the night. This 145 lb clash will be a test of wills as both Ledbetter and Elmore have proven they are game fighters. The winner of this bout is sure to make waves and could be looking at a contract with one of the national promotions soon. In other action welterweights, Patrick “Pat le Chat” Mandio (2-3) and Urarahy “The Show” Rodrigues (4-2) square off in what should be a fun fight. Both Mandio and Rodrigues fight with a reckless abandon at times which makes this fight a pick ’em. It could end in the first round or go the distance, but one thing is for certain, it will be exciting while it lasts.

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