Bethlehem, PA—Undefeated welterweight prospect Ronald Cruz (left), of Bethlehem, PA, faces hard-hitting Doel Carrasquillo (right), of Lancaster, PA, in the scheduled 10-round main event of the first-ever boxing card at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem on Friday evening, July 1.

Cruz will headline a card for the first time as well as engage in his first scheduled 10-round bout in a temporary 1,600-seat tent on the grounds of the Sands.

”The Sands is proud to present its first professional boxing event featuring Ronald Cruz from Bethlehem,” said Robert DeSalvio, President of the Sands. “The fans will see a great card from Peltz Boxing.”

Cruz, 24, has developed a following while boxing 11 times in Philadelphia, PA, and Atlantic City, NJ. A pro since 2009, Cruz has won all 12 of his fights, nine by knockout. He has knocked out his last five opponents, including former national amateur standout Jeremy Bryan, of Paterson, NJ, and local rival Manuel Guzman, of Lancaster, PA.

Managed by ex-pro Jimmy Deoria, of Phoenixville, PA, and trained by Lemuel Rodriguez, of Bethlehem, Cruz had a brief amateur career, fighting 28 times in a13-month period from July, 2007, until August, 2008.

Carrasquillo, 38, has fought nearly every good prospect up and down the East Coast while compiling a record of 15-17-1, 13 K0s.

Known for a good punch and a solid chin, Carrasquillo knocked out previously unbeaten Denis Douglin, of Marlboro, NJ, in his last fight Feb. 18 in Salisbury, MD. Douglin, who was 12-0 at the time, is one of 11 undefeated fighters Carrasquillo has boxed.

Carrasquillo has boxed only four men (out of 33) with losing records, an incredible statistic in today’s boxing world.

Proving he doesn’t mind fighting local heroes in their hometowns, Carrasquillo knocked out Jorge Melendez last year in the loser’s backyard of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Melendez was 13-1-1 at the time. Two years earlier, at Tioga Downs in Nichols, NY, Carrasquillo snapped the 13-fight unbeaten streak of hometown hero Wayland Willingham with a first-round knockout.

“Tell Cruz he’d better be in top shape because Doel will be looking for him,” said Albert Solis, who trains Carrasquillo. “He’s never fought everyone as tough as Doel.”

Six preliminary fights complete the card, which begins at 7.30 p.m. and is being promoted by Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc.

“It’s an honor to stage the first boxing card at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem,” said International Boxing Hall-of-Fame promoter J Russell Peltz. “Ronald Cruz has been bringing fans with him to his fights in Philadelphia and Atlantic City. Now he has a chance to showcase himself at home. This could be the first step in helping boxing to become a fixture at the Sands.”

Tickets priced at $51 and $78 and go on sale next week in the gift shop of the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem and online at www.ArtsQuest. org. Tickets also can be purchased at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions (215-765-0922) and online at www.peltzboxing.com.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that famed trainer Freddie Roach is set to be the focus of a reality show scheduled to debut in early 2012 on HBO.

The show will follow Roach and his training of many of the biggest fighters out of his Wildcard Gym and will be called “On Freddie”.

“I am used to it,” Roach told ESPN.com about having the cameras around him constantly. “Pretty much the same deal as ’24/7′ and ‘Fight Camp’ with cameras there at 5 a.m. and waking me up. They have the keys to my house to get in.

“It’s going to be my life at home and mostly everything in the gym leading up to fights. It doesn’t bother me having the cameras around. Sometimes it gets overwhelming and if it does, I tell them to go home.”

“They put together a really good idea of people looking into my life from the outside,” Roach said. “The thing is it will give people a look at what my life is like. I have a great life and with the Olympic team thing coming up and Manny and Amir having fights, I hope people will find it interesting.”

“We are truly excited about this innovative new reality series that will allow HBO to partner with Peter Berg,” Michael Lombardo, president of HBO Programming, said. “Freddie Roach is an extraordinary person and many of our subscribers are familiar with his superior work in training some of the world’s premier fighters. This will be a fascinating and unique series.”

“We start filming more of the show this week. They stopped in (Tuesday) to get a look at the gym and see the atmosphere and see who the characters are at my gym. I have some interesting friends,” Roach said with a laugh. “This show will give a broader picture of my life and the people I take care of and the people that take care of me. It will be much broader than just getting one fighter ready for a fight. You’re not going to catch me at home too often though. The gym will be the focal point of the show.”

“HBO’s enthusiasm in supporting a less-conventional, vérité style of storytelling is why they continue to create original and truly innovative programming,” Berg said. “It’s why they are the best and we are very excited to be working with them.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward has re-signed with his co-promoters Goossen-Tutor and Antonio Leonard as well as re-inking a deal with manager James Prince.

“In Dan (Goossen), I have a very strong promoter, two promoters actually, Antonio Leonard and Dan, and a strong manager,” Ward said. “I have a great coach (Virgil Hunter), who has been with me from day one. We’ve got a strong foundation, strong stability and as we keep going to the top it’s only going to get stronger, and I am happy to say that we signed an extension to our promotional deal.

“I think it was pretty much a no brainer because not only is Dan a West Coast guy and so am I, but we have chemistry, and that’s big. So I am thankful for that today and I am proud to be announcing that news.”

“Andre is that special individual that has grown immensely inside the ring as well as outside of it,” Goossen said. “He’s someone that I am very proud to be associated with not only in business, but in life. He is somebody that shows the strength and gumption to go out there and talk the talk and walk the walk.”

Goossen said their agreement would have expired “near the end of the year.”

“Andre is a special young man because he’s a man of values and I just think he has all the talent in the world,” Goossen said. “It’s an exciting time for our company and for Andre.”

“I am living the dream right now by being a champion of the world to defend my title the way I have been defending it and just to have the team that I have behind me right now,” Ward said. “It’s a very strong team that doesn’t have a lot of problems in house and when it comes to boxing that is very rare. As a team, and as an individual, we are right where we need to be.”

Ward also signed an endorsement with Everlast.

“Andre Ward is the perfect brand ambassador for Everlast,” said Matt Cowan, vice president of marketing and products for Everlast. “He is a champion in every sense of the word . . . His accomplishments in the ring speak for themselves and aside from being a world class athlete, we consider Andre a world class human being.”

TONY JEFFRIES has thrown down a challenge to new British and Commonwealth super-middleweight champion George Groves.

The Olympic bronze medallist’s promoter Frank Maloney now plans to contact Groves’ manager and trainer Adam Booth in a bid to make the match.

Within minutes of Groves outpointing DeGale, Jeffries was pleading with Maloney to try and make the the mouthwatering scrap.

And Maloney believes Groves may well take up the challenge, saying: “I mentioned the fight to Adam a couple of months ago.

“When the DeGale fight was in the balance I mentioned a Commonwealth title defence against Tony at the Stadium of Light.

“He said the DeGale fight was likely to take place, but a fight against Tony is something they would consider afterwards if he won.

“I am now throwing down the challenge and hopefully we can sit down and see if we can come up with a package.”

Jeffries, 26, is unbeaten in eight fights, but has been put of action this year because of eye surgery.

The Sunderland hopeful is now fighting fit and training in California under Tommy Brooks.

Maloney who is looking at a July fight in Florida for the hopeful added: “Adam worked out a good strategy for George and the tactics were spot on.

“But from what I saw it was a high quality amateur fight, and I do believe Tony would beat George even though few will believe me.

“Tommy Brooks is amazed at Tony’s sudden development and we would take the fight in a heartbeat, but it is all down to what route George wants to go.”

Northern California, May 23, 2011 – Mixed Martial Arts Champion, Nick Diaz will continue pursuing his Mixed Martial Arts career instead of professional boxing as it has been deemed that it be in Nick’s best interest to focus on his primary combat sport and profession.

Team Diaz had contemplated transitioning over to the boxing world in a legitimate attempt to pursue a high-level boxing career. These discussions began in 2009 with long-time boxing promoter, Don Chargin and proceeded up until recent times.

Never before in the history of both sports had a pound-for-pound MMA combatant in his prime had the desire or been contractually free to attempt to transition over to boxing.

The landscape of Mixed-Martial Arts moves at a rapid pace and while Diaz’s chance to make history, becoming the first true cross-over MMA star to enter the boxing ring, an opportunity arose for Nick to make a different sort of history in his primary field of fighting.

Don Chargin states, “Nick is a good kid and a very exciting fighter. Right now he has an opportunity of a lifetime as it pertains to his MMA career. While I don’t doubt that Nick and his team were serious about taking the big step into boxing, it only makes sense for him to finish what he started and see how far he can go in MMA before he does anything in boxing. It’s all about timing… we began these discussions over two years ago and nobody would have imagined the type of demand that there currently is for Nick as a mixed martial artist.”

Cesar Gracie (Nick’s manager) states, “There are some people that have said we were just posturing to go into professional boxing and they don’t understand that this thing is something we had been working on since 2009. It wasn’t just out of nowhere but at this point in time, there’s a certain chance that comes along once in a very long while and it only makes sense to stick to MMA as of right now. Nick’s been working really hard to get to this point in his MMA career and it wouldn’t make sense for us to make that transition into boxing right now. If this were a couple months ago or if certain fights had played out differently, we’d definitely be ready to go into boxing, but that’s not how it played out. Don Chargin is a great boxing promoter and he understood our dilemma completely and I thank him for that.”

While the intrigue for the proposed Nick Diaz-Jeff Lacy bout had drawn a massive amount of media interest in its rumored status, this type of cross-over match-up will have to take place at a later date.

Diaz’s MMA career will undoubtedly have some major changes within a short while as he’s ready to transition into the next phase of his fighting career.

Don Chargin continued, “I’ve had a long promotional career filled with numerous big events dating back the 1960s. Taking Nick Diaz into boxing would have undoubtedly been a big one but this is Nick’s career and his legacy as a MMA fighter needs to be solidified now. I wish him all the luck going forward and know that Zuffa will have itself one very exciting fighter for many years to come.”

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Atlantic City, NJ – There is no rest for the weary and Cage Fury Fighting Championships will return to the Resorts Hotel and Casino on Friday, June 10th, 2011 for CFFC 9: Beach Brawl. Headlining the event will be Renzo Gracie prospect, John Cholish taking on a battle-tested veteran in Mikhail Malyutin for the CFFC lightweight title. Cholish, who currently holds two other titles, is currently riding a six fight win streak which includes a submission victory over Ultimate Fighter veteran Marc Stevens in Strikeforce last year. Malyutin also holds a title and is coming off of two impressive wins over UFC and Pride veterans, Chris Liguori and Luiz Azeredo respectively.

The co-main event will feature Bellator and Strikeforce veteran Igor Gracie taking on Quinton McCottrell in a welterweight showdown. From the famed Gracie family, Igor comes into this bout with a record of 3-2, but has two submission victories in a row. His last victory came on the undercard of Strikeforce’s Fedor vs. Silva where he submitted John Salgado with an arm triangle choke. McCottrell, a veteran of ten MMA contests has won all but one of his fights by KO or submission. Also, set to return to the cage are CFFC veterans Nah-Shon Burrell, Kyle Cerminara, Stephen Perez, Trevor Suter, and Ariel Sepulveda.

Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased through any of Taskmaster outlets including www.ticketmaster.com or watch it live on iPPV at www.gfl.tv.

– Cage Fury Fighting Championships is a pioneer in bringing prominent and elite MMA talent to the east coast since 2006. Not only did CFFC bring feared street fighter Kimbo Slice’s first foray into MMA in 2007 with an exhibition match against former boxing heavyweight champion, Ray Mercer, the organization has also help launch the careers of several MMA stars.

– GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 1000 live events with over 5000 combat sports videos in 196 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 3.3 million public viewers over the years with more than 150 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. GFL is now available on Roku, Android, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices.

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

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READING, PA – Junior middleweight boxer Keenan Collins of Reading made a successful return to the ring with a convincing first round knockout of Allentown’s Jorge Delgado Saturday night at the Sovereign Center’s Reading Eagle Theater in Reading, PA. The six-round scheduled bout headlined King’s Promotions “Fight For Hope”.

The 34-year-old Collins, who raised his record to 13-5 (9 KO) with the win, finished off the 35-year-old Delgado, now 4-10 (2 KO), with a double jab followed by a straight right hand that put him down. Delgado rose, but was deemed unfit to continue by referee Gary Rosato as the bell rang to end the round.

“Wow! It’s been a long time since I felt that right hand,” Collins told the Reading Eagle.

The fight was Collins’ first in a year and a half, and his first win since 2006.

In the night’s co-featured bout, Allentown’s Eliud Torres (now 5-2-2) scored a six-round unanimous decision over Travis “The Animal” Thompson of Pottstown, PA.

Also, a bout between debuting junior lightweights Cesar Gonzales of Reading and Oshahon Omo-Osagie of State College, PA ended in a draw.

According to TMZ.com, six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya has checked himself in a substance abuse treatment center in California.

De La Hoya tells TMZ he feels he will come out “a stronger, healthier person.”

De La Hoya issued a statement to TMZ that reads, “After doing an honest evaluation of myself, I recognize that there are certain issues that I need to work on. Like everyone, I have my flaws, and I do not want to be one of those people that is afraid to admit and address those flaws.

“Throughout my career and my life, I have always met all challenges head-on, and this is no different. I am confident that with the support of my family and friends, I will become a stronger, healthier person.

“I ask for respect and privacy as my family and I go through this process.”

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READING, PA (May 21, 2011) – Junior middleweight boxer Keenan Collins of Reading, PA has been waiting for this moment for a year and a half, his return to a boxing ring. Tonight Collins gets the chance to resume his career when he faces Allentown, PA’s Jorge Delgado in a six-round bout at the Sovereign Center’s Reading Eagle Theater.

Collins-Delgado headlines an exciting pro-am card entitled “Fight For Hope”, which is promoted by King’s Boxing.

The big-punching Collins, 12-5-2 (8 KO), and Delgado 4-9 (2 KO) are no strangers to each other, having fought on the same cards multiple times over the past few years. Their familiarity with each other adds another wild card to this match that may or may not play a factor in this matchup.

“Being familiar with Delgado won’t be the deciding factor, my preparation will,” says Collins, whose last fight in December of 2009 ended in a disappointing no contest after an accidental headbutt in the first round. “I’ve worked very hard over the last few months and am ready to be the fighter I always felt I could be.”

Collins admits that he needed the time away from the ring after losing his focus on boxing. Slowly but surely Collins has worked his way back into fighting shape, stoking the fire that once made him one of the sport’s hottest prospects.

“I was Kermit Cintron’s first trainer and I always felt that Collins had the same potential as Kermit did,” says trainer Marshall Kauffman, who is also promoting the event. “Keenan has great talent, and I think this rest did him some good as he was able to rejuvenate himself.”

The rest of the pro card will be comprised of exciting local matchups, including heavyweight favorite William Miranda (2-3) of Allentown facing Philadelphia’s Zeferino Albino (4-12, 2 KO) in a four-round bout; Eliud Torres (4-2, 2 KO) of Allentown against Travis “The Animal” Thompson (4-7, 3 KO) of Pottstown in a four-round junior lightweight bout; Grayson Blake (1-0, 1 KO) of York against pro debut Danny Lugo of Harrisburg in a four-round junior middleweight bout; Pro debut Cesar Gonzales of Reading against fellow debut Osahon Omo-Osagie of State College, PA in a four-round junior-lightweight bout;

The card will also feature some of the best local amateur talent, including Quincy Staples of Reading against Abram Santos of Allentown in a rubber match to settle a 1-1 tie.

Xavier Melendez of Reading will face Exeter Township’s Kenny Williams, Fabian Valentin of Reading versus Elmer Madenia from Lebanon, and 6’6″, 280 pound Super Heavyweight Giant Joe Campano versus Darnell Hayes from Lebanon.

And in female amateurs, Tassalea “The Princess” Lopez of Reading will face Janel Grim of Lebanon.

The night will also feature exciting musical performances by local singing talent Allie Santos of Allentown and Jeffrey Beauvais of Mohntan, PA.

The event will be sponsored by Everlast, Direct TV, and GMI First.

Tickets, priced $50, $35 and $25 can be purchased by calling King’s Boxing at 610-587-5950, Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or by going online at Ticketmaster.com. VIP tables and family of four special packages are also available. For more information, call 610-898-7469.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that former two-division champion Paul Williams will take on undefeated Cuban, Erislandy Lara on July 9 at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom in Atlantic City.

Williams was originally penciled in to fight Nobouhiro Ishida but after HBO first approved the Japanese fighter, pulled the plug on that bout.

“Erislandy is another outstanding Cuban amateur that has been put on the fast track in the pros along with his former teammates Yuriorkis Gamboa and Odlandier Solis,” said Dan Goossen, who promotes Williams. “We’re looking forward to getting Paul back into the ring, especially against a young, hungry tiger like Lara. We have all the confidence in Paul overcoming all the odds and fighting his way back to the top.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the agreed upon bout between Paul Williams and Nobouhiro Ishida will not go on as planned as HBO put the kibosh on Ishida as Williams comeback opponent.

The bout was set for July 9 in Atlantic City and the report said that HBO gave no explanation why they would not approve Ishida as the opponent.

Williams will fight on July 9 as promoter Goossen-Tutor is looking for a more suitable opponent for HBO’s liking

– Friday, May 20, 2011 8:00pm ET featuring Cage Fury Fighting Championships – CFFC: 8 ‘Seek and Destroy’ at the Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Main Event will feature veteran welterweight Doug ‘Flash’ Gordon taking on rising star Joey ‘Boom Boom’ Rivera. With a record of 11-9, Gordon has fought almost all the top welterweights in the east coast including UFC and Bellator veterans. In his last fight Gordon knocked out previously undefeated Jesus Martinez in just 50 seconds of their first round bout to capture another title. This bout not only showed that Gordon still has something left, but showed he can still be a force in CFFC’s welterweight title picture. In the Co-Main Event, current lightweight champion, Marques Daniels will take on Jay Coleman in his long awaited return to action. Daniels (6-4) is riding a two fight win streak and only one of his six wins has come via decision. When Daniels fights, he fights to finish. Coleman (6-4) is returning to cage after a four year layoff. With a new attitude and a new school under the tutelage of Ricardo Almeida protege Tom Beblass, Coleman with victories over UFC veterans, Coleman has the experience and the skills to get back on top.

– Friday, May 20, 2011 7:30pm ET featuring Jawbreaker Fight II from the Longbranch Nite Club in Raleigh NC. MMA and Boxing Event! Main Event Pro Boxer Donnell “The Real Touch of Sleep” Holmes, Pro Boxer Co Main event John “Bang Bang” Butler and Pro Boxer Antoine “The Future” Alston and MMA Pro Main Event Keith “Bad Newz” Bell. Ameture MMA Blake “The Ultimate” Risk, Patrick Muegge, Josh Clark, Mark Pellon, Mike Smith and Richard Waithe!

– Saturday, May 21, 2011 8:00pm ET featuring Reality Fighting, New England’s longest running MMA promotion, brings an action packed MMA show back to Mohegan Sun Casino’s Arena. The card features three professional superfights in the women, lightweight, and welterweight divisions, along with an impressive undercard. In the Women’s Superfight, Marianna Kheyfets of Danbury, CT., will take on Kaline Medeiros of Fall River, MA. Marianna trains out of American Top Team, is 2-0 and holds a submission victory over Kim Couture. Kaline, trains with Gillett’s MMA and will be making her pro debut after a stellar amateur career. The Lightweight Superfight pits two fighters who are undefeated in Reality Fighting against one another. Joe Proctor who is trained by UFC fighter Joe Lauzon will go toe to toe with Underdog BJJ fighter Oz Pariser. Ryan Quinn takes on Joe McGann in a Welterweight Superfight. The American Top Team trained Quinn is coming off a dominant win at a recent Bellator fight held at Mohegan Sun. McGann trains with USMMA in Massachusetts, he had an impressive win at the December Reality Fighting.The undercard is stacked with exciting fights featuring Reality Fighting favorites like Emil Haddad, Mark McLaughlin, and Jay Ward.

– Sunday, May 22, 2011 10:00pm ET featuring Tape Delayed May 21st 6pm Kings Boxing Promotions event “Fight For Hope” at the Sovereign Center, Reading, PA. The heavy-handed Collins, who has a record of 12-5-2 (8 KO), will face Allentown, PA’s Jorge Delgado (4-9, 2 KO) in a six-round bout with cross town bragging rights at stake. Collins’ matchup was elevated to main event status after local heavyweight star Travis Kauffman withdrew from the card with a shoulder injury. The rest of the pro card will be comprised of local Pennsylvania talent such as heavyweight William Miranda (2-3) of Allentown, the pro debuts of Williamsport heavyweight Randy Easton and Reading welterweight Cesar Gonzales, welterweight Grayson Blake (1-0, 1 KO) of State College, PA, and lightweight Travis ‘The Animal’ Thompson (4-7-1, 3 KO) of Pottstown, PA. The card also features the best local amateur talent, including Quincy Staples of Reading against Abram Santos of Allentown in a rubber match to settle a 1-1 tie. Xavier Melendez of Reading will face Exeter Township’s Kenny Williams, Fabian Valentin of Reading versus Elmer Madenia from Lebanon, and 6’6″, 280 pound Super Heavyweight Giant Joe Campano versus Darnell Hayes from Lebanon. Female fighters, Tassalea ‘The Princess’ Lopez of Reading will face Janel Grim of Lebanon.

GFL now offers full access to over 5,000 fights for the low monthly price of $9.99 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.

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

Join us at: www.facebook.com/gofightlive or http://twitter.com/gofightlivetv or for press inquiries contact press@gfl.tv

Saturday’s WBO Light Heavyweight champion between Jurgen Brahmer and interim champion Nathan Cleverly has been postponed for a second time. This delay is due to a cut that Brahmer suffered just days before the fight in London according to espn.com’s Dan Rafael

“I am obviously disappointed that Brähmer has pulled out, especially as I was so convinced that Nathan was going to take his world title off him in the ring,” Said Cleverly’s promoter Frank Warren. “Unfortunately, this will now not be possible as Brähmer has withdrawn from the fight.”

“We will get an opponent for Nathan and I’m confident he will enter the ring as champion,” Warren said. “Brähmer has not acted like a champion so, therefore, does not deserve to be one after this. He has a track record for it. He’s a letdown. I couldn’t give a s— what happens to him after (he is stripped). He’s nuts, the guy.

“But at the moment the people I feel most sorry for are Nathan and the fans who have bought tickets. Nathan has trained hard to fight a southpaw, trained the hardest he’s ever done before, but you can bet he won’t be fighting a southpaw on Saturday when we get an opponent for him and that’s a real problem. But we hope we will have a name before the close of business (Wednesday). We are talking to a few fighters who have got good records and are ranked. It’s just a matter of trying to agree to terms with one of them.”

Brähmer was due to fly into the UK on Tuesday,” Warren said. “We got a call saying that he had missed his flight, but would land in the UK on Wednesday at 12 p.m. We sent a car to pick him up from the airport, but he didn’t show up. I then read on the Internet that he has a cut and won’t be fighting. We then found out that his team had emailed their hotel at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning and canceled their rooms.

“Neither Brähmer nor his promoters (Germany’s Universum Box-Promotion) have picked up the phone and had the decency to explain to me what is going on. He is completely unprofessional, and the WBO should impose the ultimate sanction, which is to strip him of his title. It’s one of the most unprofessional things I have seen in my time in boxing. It’s a complete joke, an utter disgrace.

“It’s not the first time this guy has done this and I want the WBO to strip him of the title. It just seems to me Brähmer never wanted this fight.”

A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech, “Real Steel” stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.
“Real Steel” is directed by Shawn Levy (“Night at the Museum” franchise and “Date Night”).
“Real Steel” is an action drama about a former boxer (Hugh Jackman) who, against all odds, gets one last shot at a comeback when he teams up with his estranged son (Dakota Goyo) to build and train the perfect contender for the new high-tech sport of robot boxing

Former welterweight champion Kermit Cintron will take on Carlos Moliina to kick off the July 9 Showtime broadcast that will be hadline by Brandon Rios defending the WBA Lightweight title against Urbano Antillon in Las Vegas according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It’s not signed, but it’s all agreed to,” said Carl Moretti of Top Rank of Cintron-Molina. “It’s Mexico versus Puerto Rico, and that is always a great rivalry in boxing. The winner is going to get a big fight.”

“Molina is on a little bit of a roll with the draw over Lara and the win over Conyers,” Moretti said. “A lot of people thought he beat Lara. You have a highly motivated Molina and a Cintron, who has to beat someone like this to get back to where he wants to be at 147 or 154 pounds. I hate the cliche of it being called a crossroads fight, but it really is.”

A Cintron victory would likely put him back in the mix for a much bigger fight at welterweight or junior middleweight.

“He has the ability to fight at 147 or 154, so if he wins, Cintron puts himself into play for a lot of different fights,” said Moretti, noting that he could eventually face junior middleweight titleholders Miguel Cotto or Sergiy Dzinziruk. “There are a lot of names out there where if he wins, he can find himself another fight on premium cable.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Pound for Pound king Manny Pacquiao looks like he could be meeting currant Lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez for a third time after Marquez agreed to terms for a possible fight November 12 in Las Vegas.

The bout would be at a contract weight of 144 pounds.

“Manny has to eat extra meals just to weigh even 145 pounds,” Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum said.

The report indicated that Marquez would face former Lightweight champion David Diaz on July 2nd in a tuneup bout before the fight with Pacquiao.

“He’s going to do that fight, and if he loses, he’s out,” Arum said.

“It’s the same old story — styles make fights, and, for some reason, I believe if we fight Marquez 10 times, we will have controversy 10 times because he’s figured something out about Manny that no other fighter can do,” Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, told ESPN.com. “We’ve had him down three times, but he’s able to adapt and adjust. I think it will be a very close fight again if we decide to pick that fight. The question is, what is Manny’s monetary reward?”

Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer had the right to match any terms of a Marquez fight but chose not to and that paved the way for the fight.

“He told us we could go ahead with Marquez.” Arum referring to Schaefer’s response.

“I can’t really talk about anything right now based on the advice of my lawyers,” Schaefer told ESPN.com in an email.

“Marquez is definitely the frontrunner we’re looking at, but I have not yet sat down with Bob to discuss our financial deal,” Koncz said. “Bob and I will do that this week before I leave to go see Manny in the Philippines on Sunday. I’ll talk with Bob and see what his offer for Manny’s purse is and all the other things involved, and then I will take that to Manny. I have the parameters from Manny, but Bob and I have not yet had a meeting of the minds.

“Bob has one component for the fight, but he needs two. We have not agreed to the fight or the terms, but we are certainly discussing it. We’ve always been able to come to an agreement.”

“We will listen to both networks and make our decision based on who is contributing the most valuable assets to the promotion,” Arum said. “Who is going to give us the best platform to promote the fight will get the fight.”

Arum said the fight almost assuredly will be at the MGM Grand, even though there are overseas venues interested in making offers.

“I’ve been spending my life with these offers from Singapore, Macau, Dubai,” Arum said. “As far as I am concerned the only offer to cash in on are the ones from the MGM and Cowboys Stadium [where Pacquiao fought twice in 2010].”

Arum said Marquez is the only legitimate option he is looking at for Pacquiao. He mentioned Zab Judah and Timothy Bradley Jr., both junior welterweight titleholders, as alternatives to Marquez immediately after Pacquiao beat Mosley, but he said neither are likely.

“Bradley I cannot talk to because he is still under contract to Gary Shaw, even if he is unhappy,” Arum said. “His contract allegedly runs out at a certain point soon, but not yet. So I’m not going to go there. I could make a deal with [Main Events promoter] Kathy Duva for a Judah fight in five minutes, but that is not my plan. If [Pacquiao] wants to explore Judah, I’ll explore Judah.”

Los Angeles, CA (May 16, 2011) – Southern California heavyweight star Chris “The
Nightmare” Arreola (31-2, 27 KOs) will make a quick return to the ring when he
faces 28-year-old Kendrick “The Apostle” Releford (22-14-2, 10 KOs) of Fort Worth,
Texas, in a 10-round main event on Friday, May 27, at the world-class 6,000-seat
Reno Events Center operated by the Reno-Sparks Convention Visitors Authority and
televised LIVE on ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Goossen Tutor Promotions will present the televised doubleheader of heavyweight
championship boxing billed as “Blame It On Reno, ESPN Style.” The main event of
the ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” telecast was originally scheduled to feature Josesito
Lopez (29-3, 17 KOs) in his first championship defense of his NABF Light Welterweight
Title against “Showtime” Steve Upsher Chambers (23-1-1, 6 KOs).

An injured knuckle by Lopez has forced the postponement of the fight.

The co-feature – in association with Boxing 360 – will remain a scheduled 12-round
IBF Heavyweight Championship Elimination bout matching former Heavyweight World
Title challenger Tony “The Tiger” Thompson (35-2, 23 KOs) against newly crowned
USBA Heavyweight Champion Maurice “Sugar Mo” Harris (24-14-2, 10 KOs).

Last Saturday, May 14, a newly slimmed-down and focused Arreola once again put on
a power-punching display as he recorded a third-round knockout against Nagy Aguilera
at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on the undercard of the Andre Ward-Arthur
Abraham Showtime Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinal. After the fight, Arreola
told reporters he hoped to get another fight soon.

“It’s only my second fight back since being serious,” Arreola said on Saturday.
“I’ll be back in the gym, back to work on Tuesday. I need another fight fast just
to stay focused on what I need to do.”

After learning his wish was granted by promoter Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions
on Monday, Arreola said: “I didn’t think twice when Henry (Ramirez) told me the
possibility of going right back into the ring in Reno. I’ve got one objective in
my career now – train, fight and win.”

“It’s always unfortunate when a main event fighter gets hurt, but in this case,
the fans are the real winners having Chris accept this challenge on such short notice,”
Goossen said. “He’s everything you would want in a heavyweight world contender,
he loves to fight.”

In the former WBO Latino Heavyweight Champion Releford, the 30-year-old Arreola
will face an experienced fighter with a rich family history in boxing. Releford
is trained by his father Kenneth Releford who won several amateur titles, including
the Fort Worth (Texas) Golden Gloves. Releford’s three uncles – George Releford,
Anthony Releford and Vincent Releford – also had noteworthy amateur careers.

Doors open at 4 p.m. with the first bout at 5 pm. The first ESPN televised bout
is set for 9 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the May 27 boxing card at the Reno Events Center are priced at $100,
$59.50 and $29.50 (General Admission). Tickets may be purchased at Reno Events
Center, Eldorado and Silver Legacy’s Ticket Offices, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000
and on line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that former two-division world champion Paul Williams will return to the ring for the first time after being smashed in two round by Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, on July 9th when he takes on Nobouhiro Ishida in Atlantic City.

“We’ve made a deal with Golden Boy for Ishida,” Dan Goossen, Williams’ promoter, said.

“We have a verbal agreement with Ishida and we are just waiting for the signed contract to come back,” said Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions, which co-promotes Ishida with Canelo Promotions. “Ishida agreed to the fight. Everybody involved has agreed to the fight. We’re looking forward to it.”

“We figured since this young man stopped Kirkland, he was hot since Kirkland was hot,” said George Peterson, Williams’ trainer. “We said, ‘Hey, we’ll fight him.’ ”

“We are just anxious to get Paul back in the ring and to do it against someone who just had a spectacular first-round knockout over a highly respected fighter in James Kirkland. That adds intrigue to Paul’s first fight back from the Martinez fight,” Goossen said.

“My experience has told me not to have any concerns,” Goossen said. “I have seen a lot of great fighters — Tommy Hearns, Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko — be on the bad end of a great punch and come back and be dominant world champions. I’ve got no reason to think that Paul Williams won’t follow in those same footsteps.”

HBO accepted Ishida as the opponent after the Williams camp turned down a number of proposed opponents, including former titlist Sergiy Dzinziruk and former title challenger Deandre Latimore.

“It’s going to be Ishida, no doubt about that, so that is who we are preparing for,” Peterson said. “But I haven’t seen him yet. I don’t know the type of fighter he is, but we just want to fight. I heard he knocked Kirkland down three times. I thought Kirkland was a little tougher than the way it seems that fight went, but you never know when you get clocked. A lot of times you don’t recover. So I will take a look at the tape in the next couple of days. But we are looking forward to fighting. All Paul wants to do is fight.”

“The big question is going to be Paul Williams,” Gomez said. “How is he? Ishida has never been knocked out. He’s not a big puncher even though he looked like one against Kirkland. When a guy is coming off a really bad knockout, are they the same? I think we’ll know in the first couple of rounds. If Ishida lands a big punch we will know. We don’t know what Williams has left in the tank. It’s not just the Martinez fight either. Williams has been fighting tough fights since the (Antonio) Margarito fight (in 2007). How much more does he have in the tank?

“Goossen and Team Williams are doing the right thing by getting a guy that doesn’t have a high knockout ratio. But I did the same thing with Kirkland and we guessed wrong. We put Ishida in with Kirkland and, surprisingly, he knocked out Kirkland. You would figure Paul Williams should win. He’s always had a good chin and throws so many punches. But what does he have left? We’ll see what happens. Ishida has nothing to lose and will probably go for broke again.”

“We can’t hang our heads in sorrow and cry over a loss,” Peterson said. “Paul is like, ‘If I take a loss, I take a loss.’ Like (in his first career loss to Carlos Quintana), he said he had a bad night with Martinez. Paul just said, ‘Hey, I had a bad night. I got caught.’ ”

“Paul had some time off, some needed time off,” Peterson said. “We are to a point where we realize that it’s going to be a struggle getting back and getting the recognition after the devastating loss. But Paul will be back and will want Martinez again, no doubt about it. After this one, he wants to fight Martinez for a third time. He is not ducking anyone.

“When I tell people we want to fight Martinez for a third time people say you do? Why not? The guy is in the fighting business. This is his occupation. Guys who shy away from a challenge, we don’t consider them fighters. They are hustlers, pick pocketers.”

15rounds.com would like to congratulate correspondent Dominick Panfile who married his lovely bride Michelle Wunder at a beautiful ceremony in Pennsylvania.

15rounds.com would like to wish the newlyweds a lifetime of happiness.

Former Middleweight and Super Middleweight title challengers, Edison Miranda and Allan Green will appear on the June 4th undercard that will feature the Super Six WBC Super Middleweight title match between Carl Froch and Glen Johnson in Atlantic City according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

15rounds.com was informed on Wednesday that Green (29-3) will take on Philadelphian Dhafir Smith (24-20-7).

Miranda will fight an opponent to be named.

“I’d like to get him in the mix and make some money,” Warriors Boxing promoter Leon Margules said. “Edison is a very exciting fighter. He adds a lot to the game of boxing. If he comes back and looks good, he can still stir it up and be a factor.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that undefeated Featherweight Mikey Garcia will take on once beaten Miguel Beltran Jr. as the televised co-feature of the June 4 WBC Middleweight showdown featuring Julio Cesar Chavez and Sebastian Zbik, spurning down a title opportunity against Billy Dib.

“It’s a good fight because styles make fights,” said Carl Moretti of Top Rank, Garcia’s promoter. “Beltran is a little bit bigger than Mikey. It can’t help but be a good fight.”

“They decided to not pursue the vacant IBF title fight against the worst television fighter in history,” Moretti said. “HBO wasn’t going near it and refers to Dib as the worst television fighter, and I don’t disagree. It’s a tough sell in today’s market. Mikey won’t have the opportunity with the IBF in his next fight, but I have no doubt he will fight for a title and win one.

“Anyone can fight for a belt, but looking good and moving on is where you make money and grow and cement your reputation. I think that passing on a fight with Billy Dib in Staples Center in a fight that would have been ugly to watch was a good move in the long run,” Moretti said.

“Mikey, more than anything, wants to be a champion, but passing on another HBO fight, it was just too much to give up,” said Garcia’s manager Cameron Dunkin. “He considers it an honor to be on HBO and he would never ever turn that down. Although he wants the IBF title and is thankful to them for making him the No. 1 contender, this wasn’t a 10-second decision. He said he can’t give up HBO for anything. It hurt him to give up the title shot, but he said that nothing touches being on HBO, especially to come right back and have a second fight in a row on HBO. He knows he will get his title shot eventually.”

On May 21, 2011 at the Mohegan Sun Arena – Reality Fighting, New England’s longest running MMA promotion, brings an action packed MMA show to Mohegan Sun Casino’s Arena Uncasville, Connecticut. The Live GFL iPPV broadcast at www.GFL.tv will begin at 8:00pm ET. The card features three professional superfights in the women, lightweight, and welterweight divisions, along with an impressive undercard.

In the Women’s Superfight, Marianna Kheyfets of Danbury, CT., will take on Kaline Medeiros of Fall River, MA. Marianna trains out of American Top Team, is 2-0 and holds a submission victory over Kim Couture. Kaline, trains with Gillett’s MMA and will be making her pro debut after a stellar amateur career.

The Lightweight Superfight pits two fighters who are undefeated in Reality Fighting against one another. Joe Proctor who is trained by UFC fighter Joe Lauzon will go toe to toe with Underdog BJJ fighter Oz Pariser. Ryan Quinn takes on Joe McGann in a Welterweight Superfight. The American Top Team trained Quinn is coming off a dominant win at a recent Bellator fight held at Mohegan Sun. McGann trains with USMMA in Mass.

The undercard is stacked with exciting fights featuring Reality Fighting favorites like Emil Haddad, Mark McLaughlin, and Jay Ward. (The card is subject to change) Bantamweight Fight – Jeff Haddad (FAA) vs. Ryan Castillo (Serra BJJ), Middleweight Fight – Mark McLaughlin (Kipp’s Basement) vs. Domenic Gagliardi (SNEMMA), Middleweight Fight – Jay Ward (Black Dragon) vs. Dwight Grant (Anderson’s MA), Featherweight Fight – Eric Lee (Blue Devils) vs. Kirkor Papasian (Royce Gracie), Lightweight Fight – Joe Powers (Dexter Vale Tudo) vs. Leroy Derricott (Nitsuj), – Heavyweight Fight – Juliano Coutinho (CCFA) vs. Charlie Dahlem (Freestyle), – Heavyweight Fight – Dan McGuane (Gillett’s MMA) vs. Mark Hoxie (Freestyle).

Doors open at 6:30PM, first fight is at 8:00PM. For tickets; contact any fighter on the card, visit www.ticketmaster.com , or go to the Mohegan Sun Box Office. Tickets are $35, $60, $80. For more information and directions to Mohegan Sun visit RealityFighting.tv, or call 860-295-0403.

– GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 1000 live events with over 5000 combat sports videos in 196 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 3.3 million public viewers over the years with more than 150 combat sports related website affiliates in its network.

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Philadelphia, PA—Unbeaten welterweight contender Mike Jones makes his first start in his hometown of Philadelphia in more than two years when he takes on Raul Munoz, of Leon, Mexico in the scheduled 10-round main event Saturday evening, June 25, at the South Philly Arena, 7 West Ritner Street.

The Jones-Munoz fight is part of the Top Rank Live! series which will be promoted by Top Rank, Inc. and Peltz Boxing Promotions and will be televised live by Fox Sports Net beginning at 10 pm EST. First of six additional fights begins at 7.30 p.m.

“We have known Russell Peltz for years and he is a true boxing promoter,” said Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who recently celebrated his 45th year as a boxing promoter. “Look at the job he has done with the career of Mike Jones who is now co-promoted by Top Rank and ready to break out as a big star in the welterweight division. Mike is an exciting fighter with size and a lot of power.”

“Mike Jones needs to stay busy,” said co-promoter J Russell Peltz, a fellow Hall of Fame member along with Arum. “He cannot fall into the habit of waiting for HBO or Showtime or pay-per-view fights. That’s the problem with many of today’s fighters; they won’t fight unless they can make a score. The old-timers fought to pay their bills and to learn their craft. Experience is the key here and Mike needs it.”

“I’m looking forward to fighting in Philadelphia again,” said Jones, who will be making his 13th hometown appearance. “I didn’t realize it’s been more than two years. Fighting in Atlantic City is close, but it’s not Philadelphia. Texas and Nevada were good trips, too, but it will be nice to be back home.”

Jones, 28, scored the biggest win of his career Feb. 19 when he scored a unanimous 12-round decision over Jesus Soto-Karass, of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, at the Mandalay Bay Resort Casino in Las Vegas.
The win over Soto-Karass was the second for Jones, who narrowly out-pointed him on the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito pay-per-view blockbuster on Nov. 13, 2010, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX., and retained his NABA, NABO and WBC Continental Americas titles.

A pro since 2005, Jones is 24-0, 18 K0s, and is ranked the No. 1 welterweight in the world by the WBO behind champion Manny Pacquiao, as well as No. 2 by the WBA, 3 by the IBF and 4 by the WBC. The June 25 fight with Munoz will be Jones’ first in Philadelphia since March 6, 2009, when he knocked out Dairo Esalas, of Miami, FL, in two rounds at the Blue Horizon.

Munoz, 31, now living in Topeka, KS turned pro in 1995 at the age of 18. His 21-13-1 record includes 16 knockouts and he has been in with some of the best, including Alfonso Gomez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., Hector Camacho, Yory Boy Campas and Joel Casamayor.

In his last fight April 23, Munoz knocked out John Hoffman, of St. Paul, MN, in two rounds in Topeka, KS.
Tickets priced at $75 and $50 are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions (215-765-0922). They also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com.

DOVER, Del. — Dover Downs Hotel & Casino will present two heavyweight championship bouts on Friday, May 27 in the Rollins Center arena. Headlining for the WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation Heavyweight Title are Franklin “Yah-Yah” Lawrence, 14(9)-2-2, of Indianapolis, Ind. and Jason “The Sensation” Gavern, 20(9)-7-4 of Kissimmee, Fla. This bout is scheduled for 12 rounds.

The co-headline event of the night will feature local phenomenon Amir “Hard Core” Mansour appearing in the first championship bout of his career for the WBF Intercontinental Heavyweight Title. Mansour, from Wilmington, Del. via his hometown of Penns Grove, NJ, made a remarkable return last August from a lengthy hiatus, beefing his record to 13 hard-hitting wins, ten by knockout, and no losses.

“I am very excited about returning to Dover to fight for my first, but not last, title belt,” said Amir Mansour. “Dover Downs Hotel & Casino is a special place for me, and I plan on giving their great boxing fans my best effort.” Mansour will face off against Raymond “King Kong” Ochieng of Nairobi, Kenya, with a record of 23(18)-13(9)-3.

The undercard features super middleweight “Mighty” Mike Tiberi, 16(7)-1 of Smyrna, Del., scheduled for eight rounds and featherweight “Queen” Ronica Jeffrey, 5(1)-0 of Brooklyn, N.Y. Omarr Douglass of Wilmington, Del. will make his debut in a four round super featherweight bout.

Also confirmed on the card is light heavyweight “The Bull” Anthony “Caputo” Smith of Kennett Square, Pa. With a clean record of 9(7)-0, Smith has drawn a loyal local following and brings a large entourage of fans from both Pa. and Del. Cruiserweight Dan “Bada Bing” Biddle 6(4)-1 of Hockessin, Del. is scheduled for four rounds. Opponents are to be announced soon. Nick Tiberi is the matchmaker.

Tickets are still available from $40 to $200 and may be purchased at 800-711-5882 or www.doverdowns.com. 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 8:30 p.m.

# # #

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.

Legendary Bernard Hopkins works out for his May 21st rematch showdown with Light Heavyweight champion Jean Pascal

Superstar Manny Pacquiao(R) wins a 12 round unanimous decision against “Sugar” Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank