Baltimore, MD (October 21, 2010) – Due to unforeseen circumstances, the card scheduled for this Saturday at the Pikesville Armory has been postponed until December 11.
All ticket holders will have access to the same seat for the Saturday, December 11 show.
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All participants for tomorrow’s “Capitale Punishment II” card weighed-in today at the NYS Athletic Commissioners Office in downtown New York City. Below is the scheduled bout sheet, with weights included.
Main Event – Lightweights
8 Rounds
Jorge Teron – 137 1/2 lbs.
Vs.
James Hope – 136 1/2 lbs.
____________________________
Light Heavyweights
4 Rounds
Sean Monaghan – 174 1/2 lbs.
Vs.
Nick Whiting – 176 1/2 lbs.
_____________________________
Flyweights
6 Rounds
Eileen Olszewski – 109 lbs.
Vs.
Suzannah Warner- 107 1/2 lbs.
__________________________
Bantamweights
6 Rounds
Elton Dharry – 116 lbs.
Vs.
Jose Rivera – 117 lbs.
___________________________
Light Heavyweights
4 Rounds
Hajro Sujak – 172 1/4 lbs.
Vs.
Naseem Dean – 174 lbs.
__________________________
Super Middleweights
4 Rounds
Elmer Vera – 165 lbs.
Vs.
Abdellah Smith – 165 lbs.
*** ALL BOUTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
“Capital Punishment II” is promoted by Star Boxing and The Empire. The Capitale is located at 130 Bowery, in Manhattan, NY. Doors open at 6:30PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:30PM. Tickets are currently on sale and are being priced at $200, **$150**, and $50. Tickets may be purchased by calling Star Boxing at (718)823-2000. **For information on discounted $150 seats (for $100) for advanced purchase call now!** For more information visit www.starboxing.com or www.theempirese.com.
ABOUT STAR BOXING:
Star Boxing, Inc. has been in operation since 1992. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit the official website at www.starboxing.com.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT:
The Empire Sports & Entertainment Co. is primarily engaged in the business of promoting entertainment events and the creation and distribution of sporting events. Today, The Empire acquires the rights to develop and promote sporting and entertainment events through contractual relationships and provides event management services. The Empire arranges events and coordinates venues, media and sponsorship. For more information please visit www.theempirese.com.
Star Boxing
Star Boxing Exclusive Merchandise
Facebook/Star Boxing
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Tomorrow night, Star Boxing and The Empire present “Capitale Punishment II” at the Capitale in New York City. Headlining the show, is the Bronx’s three-time NY Golden Gloves Champion, Jorge “The Truth” Teron (23-2-1, 15KO’s) taking on James Hope in an eight round lightweight affair. Also on the card is popular light heavyweight prospect, and 2009 NY Golden Gloves Champion Irish Seanie Monaghan (3-0, 2KO’s). The entire card will be shown on the GoFightLive.TV tape delayed. All fight participants will officially weigh-in today at 5PM at the NYS Athletic Commissioners office.
Tickets to see this event live, at the beautiful Capitale in downtown New York City, are still available, and can be purchased at the door. With an intimate atmosphere, boxing at the Capitale is more than just a night of exciting fights, but an all-around party, including beautiful ring cards girls, a DJ, and multiple full-service bars, making it a night of live boxing you will not want to miss.
“Capital Punishment II” is promoted by Star Boxing and The Empire. The Capitale is located at 130 Bowery, in Manhattan, NY. Doors open at 6:30PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:30PM. Tickets are currently on sale and are being priced at $200, **$150**, and $50. Tickets may be purchased by calling Star Boxing at (718)823-2000. **For information on discounted $150 seats (for $100) for advanced purchase call now!** For more information visit www.starboxing.com or www.theempirese.com.
ABOUT STAR BOXING:
Star Boxing, Inc. has been in operation since 1992. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit the official website at www.starboxing.com.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT:
The Empire Sports & Entertainment Co. is primarily engaged in the business of promoting entertainment events and the creation and distribution of sporting events. Today, The Empire acquires the rights to develop and promote sporting and entertainment events through contractual relationships and provides event management services. The Empire arranges events and coordinates venues, media and sponsorship. For more information please visit www.theempirese.com.
Star Boxing
Star Boxing Exclusive Merchandise
Facebook/Star Boxing
twitter.com/starboxing
I have lost my closest friend, my inspiration in life, my one and only brother. This is something I could never imagine, but for some reason I feel his life is not a loss. My brother is me! We live our lives through each other. We dedicate our triumphs to one another and share the challenges we face in life. What does someone do when they lose the one person in their life like this? They are devastated right? Allow me to share with you Stathi’s thoughts and what he wants. If you can believe me, I feel you will all be somewhat enlightened to hear what I have say.
The fight will go on! I will do this for Stathi, my family and myself. The moment I walked in for a grueling sparing session after hearing the news of his death earlier that day, my trainer Brendon Smith shook my hand and said to me “you are about to take the bravest step of your life.” We nodded, smiled and went to work. I worked as I have never done before. He is with me and will be all the way. I am happy about this.
I have never experienced anything like I felt that day. Stathi is inside me! We will fight this fight together. I know this is what he wants.
I would like to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers for my brother, my family and myself. God bless.
Michael Katsidis
Atlantic City, NJ – Spartan Fight Promotions of Atlantic City, NJ will be holding their 1st Ring Card Girl Tryout Competition on Saturday, November 6th at G&P Training and Fitness Center located at 11 S. Iowa Ave in Atlantic City, NJ. The event, sponsored by Tito’s Vodka, Ducktown Tavern and Liquid Lightning will be held from 9:00pm to 11:00pm with complimentary beverages being served throughout the night.
Individuals who would like to participate in the tryout should contact the VP of Marketing, Michael Holland at 609-703-4182. Prizes will be awarded to the finalists and they will also become the official Ring Card Girls for Spartan Fight Promotions events.
“The winners from the competition will become part of our promotions team and they will also be featured in our annual calendar,” said Michael Brestle, Owner/Operator of G&P Training and Fitness and Spartan Fight Promotions. “This is a great opportunity for everyone to see our new fitness facility and also receive information on upcoming fight events produced by Spartan Fight Promotions.”
Tickets are $20.00 per person and can be purchased at G&P Training and Fitness Center located at 11 S. Iowa Ave in Atlantic City or at the door on the night of the event. You must be 21 years of age to enter and ID will be required. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Spartan Fights Childhood Obesity Program. Ticket price also includes complimentary admission to the after party held at Tropicana’s 32 Degrees Luxe Lounge.
As Atlantic City’s first complete fitness facility, G&P Training and Fitness Center is committed to delivering an individual and unique training experience where we inspire our clients to attack training through hard work and dedication.
CLICK FOR EVENT INFO
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (Oct. 21, 2010) — Classic Entertainment & Sports’ newly-launched Mixed Martial Arts Division will host its second show Friday, Oct. 22, 2010 at Foxwood Resort Casino’s Fox Theater, starring a rematch between Luis “Rock Star” Felix and Joe DeChaves.
Friday’s pro-am event will feature five amateur bouts, followed by nine professional fights, featuring Lionel Young (3-4, 2 submissions) of Boston, Mass., Hitalo Machado (6-4, 6 submissions) of Danbury, Conn., and Uxbridge, Mass., veteran Steve Skrzat (4-0, 4 KOs).
The main event pits two newfound rivals against one another for the first time since Sept. 17 in Lincoln, R.I. Felix (5-5), of Cranston, R.I., beat New Bedford, Mass., native DeChaves (3-3) 1 minute, 4 seconds into the opening round in a controversial stoppage by the referee.
The show will be broadcast on GoFightLive.com, featuring play-by-play and color commentary by Patrick Sullivan, Michael Parente and MMA veteran Mike “The Beast” Campbell, and can be purchased at the GoFightLive.com Website for $9.99.
Tickets for “Cage of Horrors” are available by calling CES at 401-724-2253 or the Foxwoods box office at 800-200-2882.
For more information on “Cage of Horrors,” or other upcoming shows, visit CES online at CESBoxing.com.
FRESNO, Calif. (Oct. 20, 2010) – Four of the fighters who will appear on a top-notch STRIKEFORCE Challengers event presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), this Friday, Oct. 22, participated in an Open Media Workout on Wednesday at Fort Washington Fitness.
The four were heavyweight Lavar “Big” Johnson (14-3), of Madera, Calif., who faces Virgil “RezDog” Zwicker (8-1) of Temecula, Calif.; undefeated Fresno resident Billy Evangelista (10-0, 1 NC), who takes on Waachiim “Native Warrior’’ Spiritwolf (8-6-1) of San Diego in a 165-pound catch weight bout, world-ranked Shana “Rock Solid’’ Olsen (4-0), of Diluth, Minn., who faces highly regarded Canadian Muay Thai Champion Julia “The Jewel” Budd (pro debut), of Sechelt, British Columbia, at 145 pounds, and Fresno heavyweight Brandon Cash (4-2), who battles John Devine (5-2) of San Francisco.
In this Friday’s main event, welterweight Relentless” Roger Bowling (8-0) will put his unbeaten record on the line one more time against “Vicious” Bobby Voelker (22-8) of Kansas City, Kan., in a rematch of an exciting fight last May 21 that ended prematurely due to an accidental poke in the eye.
Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale at the Save Mart Center box office, select Save Mart Supermarkets, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).
Doors will open at 4:45 p.m. PT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 5:30 p.m. The first televised match starts at 8 p.m. PT.
What the fighters said Wednesday:
LAVAR JOHNSON
“I feel good and I am very happy to be on a STRIKEFORCE card that has so many of my (Fresno Pro Buhawe) teammates on it. I’m excited for everybody.
“I know Zwicker will be ready. He’s a fast, scrappy fighter who comes to fight. He may be a little shorter than me, which will definitely be a little different. The last two guys I’ve fought have been taller.
“God blessed me with an opportunity to have a second chance at life and has put me in position again to show what I can do. I’ll be ready to go on Friday.’’
BILLY EVANGELISTA
“I’ve been working really hard. I want to keep this winning streak going. I’ve prepared like I always do. I don’t watch tapes. My job is to do the best I can and not worry about my opponent.
“Winning is always the main goal, but I really would like to submit this guy – just so I could get a submission on my record.’’
SHANA OLSEN
“I’m really excited about fighting for STRIKEFORCE the first time and fighting on SHOWTIME. I consider myself a well-rounded fighter and look forward to displaying my skills.
“I never look past any opponent and this will be a tough fight. But, of course, I will fight anybody, and that includes (STRIKEFORCE 145-pound World Champion and No. 1 Female Fighter in the world, Cris) Cyborg. My goal is to become the world champion. It doesn’t matter to me who I fight to get the title.’’
BRANDON CASH
“It’s always great when STRIKEFORCE comes to Fresno because they use a lot of local fighters like me. I don’t like losing and I lost the last time I fought in Fresno so I appreciate STRIKEFORCE giving me another chance.
“I am going to thank them by knocking this guy out.’’
Baltimore, MD (October 20) – James “Keep em’ Sleepin” Stevenson has been perfect thus far inside the squared circle. The gifted boxer-puncher has scored a number of highlight reel knockouts and only three of his thirteen opponents survived to the final bell. While everything has gone as planned for Stevenson during his two year professional career, the unbeaten 27 year old suffered a devastating setback following his most recent bout.
A few months after outpointing George Rivera, Stevenson’s father James Sr. died suddenly of a heart attack, leaving both the fighter and his family in shambles. The tragic loss also meant Stevenson had to take care of his stay at home mother. Between coping with losing his father and a nagging wrist injury, the hard hitting Baltimore native was out of the gym for an extended period of time.
Although he still struggles daily, Stevenson returned to training in late July with a newfound inspiration to become a world champion.
“My father would have told me stay in the gym and keep on fighting so I am doing this for him,” said the inspired Stevenson. “I am training harder than ever and my goal to win a world is in my father’s honor.”
His first test will come this Saturday at the Pikesville Armory against once beaten Phillip McCants, a slick Philadelphian who hasn’t lost in more than five years. Stevenson, who doesn’t know much about his opponent, says he is rededicated to the sport and ready for whatever tricks the 8-1 McCants has up his sleeve.
“I always expect a tough fight no matter who it is against. I never overlook any opponent but I am going to 100% prepared for whatever McCants has to offer.”
The highly anticipated Stevenson-McCants showdown will serve as the main event of Baltimore Pro Boxing’s “Who’s The Man II”.
The undercard will feature a match up between unbeaten cruiserweights Steve “Show Stealer” Wheeler (6-0, 5 KO’s) of Catonsville, MD and Cabin Creek, WV’s Jason Pauley (4-0, 1 KO), as well as separate bouts showcasing top local prospects Thomas “KO” Snow (12-1, 8 KO’s), Maurice “Freight Train” Byarm (9-0, 6 KO’s), and “Slick” Nick Kisner (6-0, 4 KO’s).
Tickets start at $40 and can be ordered by calling 410-675-6900 or going to the Armory’s box office.
Doors open at 7 pm and the opening bell is slated for 8. The Pikesville Armory is located at 610 Reisterstown Rd in Baltimore, MD.
Fairless Hills, PA–Undefeated welterweight contender Mike Jones, of Philadelphia, PA, opened up his training camp at the 10th Round Gym in Fairless Hills, PA, last week in preparation for his Nov. 13 fight with Jesus Soto-Karass at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX.
The Jones vs. Soto-Karass fight opens up the pay-per-view telecast that night on a card which features Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title in the main event.
Among Jones’ sparring partners are fellow-Philadelphians Gabriel Rosado and Raymond Serrano. Rosado (14-5, 8 K0s) is on the verge of his own world ranking at junior middleweight while Serrano (13-0, 6 K0s) is quietly moving up through the welterweight division.
Jones also has been working with unbeaten junior welterweight Ronald Cruz (9-0, 6 K0s), of Bethlehem, PA.
A pro since 2005, the 27-year-old Jones is ranked between No. 2 and No. 4 by all four major world sanctioning bodies. At stake in this scheduled 10-rounder will be Jones’ NABA and NABO welterweight belts.
“I am taking time off from my job (forklift operator at Home Depot in Cherry Hill, NJ) to concentrate on my boxing career,” Jones said. “This is a big fight for me. Soto-Karass is not a pushover and I need to be fully prepared—as usual—for this match. It’s a whole new stage for me and I need to be focused 100 percent.”
Other major fights on the PPV card include: Kelly Pavlik, of Youngstown, OH, vs. Bryan Vera, of Austin, TX, 10 rounds, super middleweights; Guillermo Rigondeaux, of Miami, FL, vs. Ricardo Cordoba, of San Miguelito, Panama, 12 rounds, super bantamweights.
Photo by Claudia Bocanegra
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ATLANTIC CITY/NEW YORK (October 20, 2010)—On Saturday night October 30th one of the best Featherweight prospects in the world in Jorge Diaz will risk his undefeated record when he takes on former world title challenger Emanuel Lucero that will headline a huge night of boxing from Ballys Atlantic City and will be broadcasted LIVE all over the world on www.gofightlive.tv
To order the fight LIVE at 7:30 pm Eastern Time for just $9.99, click
http://www.gofightlive.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Jorge_King_Diaz_vs_Emmanuel_Lucero/871
The card is presented by John Lynch’s Pound for Pound Promotions.
Diaz of New Brunswick, New Jersey brings in a perfect mark of 14-0 with nine knockouts and has quickly become one of the most exciting prospects in the lower weight divisions.
Diaz has fought on some of the biggest shows on the east coast as he has appeared at either Boardwalk Hall or Madison Square Garden seven times and in his last bout, Diaz fought in famed Yankee Stadium as part of the Miguel Cotto – Yuri Foreman undercard when he stopped tough Korean Jae-Sung Lee in six rounds.
Diaz two signature wins have come in the last year as he blasted out former Olympic Gold Medal winner Yan Barthelemy in six rounds in Madison Square Garden. Three fights later, Diaz scored an eight round unanimous decision over fellow undefeated Alejandro Lopez (16-0) in Key West, Florida.
Lucero of Scranton, PA via Mexico has a very respectable record of 24-5-1 with fourteen knockouts has fought the best in the world.
He went 21-0-1 in his first twenty-two bouts which includes wins over former world champion Juan Polo Perz and title challengers Rogers Mtagwa and John Lowey.
Lucero then challenged for the IBF Jr. Featherweight title but unfortunately he was up against a buzzsaw named Manny Pacquiao. The current best fighter in the world stopped Lucero in three rounds.
Lucero has only lost to the top featherweights as his only other losses have come to former world champions Valdemir Pereira and Daniel Ponce De Leon and former world title challengers Rocky Juarez and Jason Litzau.
In his last bout, Lucero scored an eight round unanimous decision over Robert DaLuz.
In a rare battle of top prospects, Jeremy Bryan (14-1, 7 KO’s) of Paterson, NJ will take on undefeated Ronald Cruz (9-0, 6 KO’s) of Bethlehem, PA.
Bryan was a former national Golden Gloves champion has one controversial defeat on his ledger. He will go up against Cruz who has scored some vicious knockouts and in his last few bouts has shown much improved boxing skills.
Glen Tapia (7-0, 5 KO’s) will see action in a Jr. Middleweight bout.
Tapia has been named one of best young prospects on the east coast. Tapia will be extremely prepared as he is in camp as one of the chief sparring partners for Pacquiao in the Philippines.
Amir Mansour is one of the most interesting heavyweight prospects around.
The Delaware native won nine straight bouts before spending eight plus years in prison. On the day he was formally released, He scored a highlight film stoppage over Samuel Brown on August 27th.
Mansour will not be in with a pushover as he will be taking on Alex Mejias in a bout scheduled for six rounds.
Mejias has a record of 11-5 with five knockouts and has been in with quality opposition such as world ranked Derric Rossey (22-2); Tor Hamer (10-0) and Bowir Tupou (18-1).
In his last bout, Mejias scored a third round stoppage over undefeated Kimdo Bethal Boykin (4-0) on September 11th.
Also seeing action on the card will be popular Light Heavyweight Bobby Rooney (11-3-1, 6 KO’s) and a Light Heavyweight bout between undefeated Anthony Smith (6-0, 4 KO’s) and Donald Bernard (8-7-2, 4 KO’s)
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the brother of WBO interim Lightweight champion Michael Katsidis was found dead in Brisbane, Australia.
Stathi Katsidis was found dead and with Michael training it Thailand, it is unclear weather his November 27 bout with Lightweight world champion Juan Manuel Marquez will go on as scheduled.
“We haven’t spoken to Michael, but we have spoken to Brendon,” David Itskowitch, an executive with Golden Boy, Katsidis’ promoter, told ESPN.com. “Our concern right now is for Michael, not as to whether he will fight. He just lost his brother, who he was very close with. However long it takes, he will decide what he will do. Right now the fight is not a concern for us. We’re concerned for him.”
According to multiple Australian media reports, Stathi Katsidis was found dead by his girlfriend, Melissa Jackson, who also is the mother of their 4-year-old son.
The cause of death has not been determined, although he had a history of drug and alcohol problems, including a positive test for ecstasy in 2008 and a prior drunken driving arrest, according to media reports.
Newark, NJ (October 18, 2010) – Undefeated lightweight prospect Michael Angelo “The Artist” Perez will step up in competition when he takes on battle tested veteran Hevinson Herrera November 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
At 14-6-1 (9 KO’s), Herrera is the most experienced foe of Perez’ young career. Each of Florida based Colombian’s losses came against world class fighters in Ricardo Cordoba, Edner Cherry, Cyril Thomas, Luis Cruz, Zolani Marali and Jose Arboleda. Herrera also fought to a draw with future two time world title challenger Feider Viloria.
Perez, a 2008 National Golden Gloves Champion, has dominated since entering the professional ranks as a high school senior in October 2008. The Newark native is 9-0 with 4 wins by KO and won virtually all 30 of the professional rounds he’s boxed thus far. In his most recent bout on July 17, Perez stopped Jorge Ruiz in 2 minutes and 29 seconds.
Although he will enter the squared circle with an opponent that has fought 79 more rounds than him and battled the superior opposition, Perez is ready to put on a show in front of his hometown fans.
“I’m excited for the fight,” said Perez, who compiled an outstanding 112-10 amateur record. “Herrera has a lot of experience and I am expecting a good fight. I’ve had a great training camp and I’m ready to step up, so the fans can expect fireworks on November 6!”
The six round showdown between Perez and Herrera will take place prior to an HBO “Boxing After Dark” doubleheader featuring former two division world champion Zab Judah against unbeaten power puncher Lucas Matthysse and Robert Guerrero versus Vicente Escobedo.
The card is being promoted by Main Events, Golden Boy Promotions and Super Judah Promotions.
Tickets priced at $53, $78, $103 and $253 (ringside) can be purchased at Prudential Center Box Office, by calling TicketMaster at 800-745-3000 or www.Prucenter.com.
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, two division world champion Zsolt Erdei will fight on November 20th in Atlantic City as part of the undercard featuring the middleweight championship rematch between Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams.
Erdei inked a deal with Lou DiBella over the weekend.
“I have followed him for a while and watched a number of his fights, and he’s a high quality guy,” DiBella said. “He has superstar status in Hungary. He’s like a rock star there. He doesn’t need the money. He didn’t come back for the money. Coming to America is about legacy and about trying to prove he’s belongs with the top guys, that he can beat the top guy. That is why he’s coming back.”
“What’s coming up next for me is in America,” Erdei said. “To be successful there is the next step after having achieved mostly everything in Europe. The big names in my weight division, I want to challenge and defeat them. That’s my goal. I know it’s going to be a tough and a big challenge, but I have never run away from these kinds of tasks. I didn’t want to end my career without giving it a try in the USA.
“We had a few options, especially from U.S. promoters. After a lot of discussions and negotiations, we met with Lou DiBella and DiBella Entertainment in New York. These meetings were always very positive. He made the best offer, and what was very important to me was that he believes in me. From the beginning I have seen Lou DiBella as a really nice person and I have the confidence in him, and I know that he will open the doors to the American boxing market in order to secure a successful continuation of my career.”
“I love boxing and that’s why I want to continue,” Erdei said. “Boxing is my life and I’m a fighter. I was looking for a new challenge after I had been the WBO light heavyweight world champion for nearly six years, had won the WBC cruiserweight crown and my contract with Universum Box-Promotion had ended.”
“He hasn’t taken a lot of punishment,” DiBella said. “His weight doesn’t fluctuate much. So at 36, it’s not a big deal to keep fighting. He doesn’t have a lot of mileage on him. He has taken care of himself and believes he has a lot left. But he’s not looking for a five-year comeback. He’s looking for four or five fights. He thinks he can beat the top guys at light heavyweight — Jean Pascal, Chad Dawson, that level of guy.”
Thackerville, Oklahoma — Texas star Raul ‘La Cobrita’ Martinez of San Antonio will take on Rodrigo Guerrero of Mexico on a ‘Top Rank Live’ boxing championship card at the WinStar World Casino on Saturday, November 20.
“This is a very exciting, entertaining main event in our first boxing event at the WinStar World Casino,” said Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum.”I have had the opportunity to spend time at the WinStar World Casino. It is a first-class facility with all of the amentities that one would want at a casino resort hotel. We are very proud to stage our fight program at the WinStar World
Casino on November 20.”
“We are very excited to be hosting a ‘Top Rank Live’ boxing card which starts off our Red River Rumble series in our Global Events Center,” said Michael McEwan, assistant general manager of the WinStar World Casino.
Martinez and Guerrero will box in an IBF Junior Bantamweight Elimination Fight which is scheduled for 12 rounds in the 115-pound weight division. Martinez, 28, has a record of 27-1 with 16 knockouts. He is ranked IBF #2.
Guerrero, from Ciudad, Neza, Mexico, has a record of 14-2-1, 9 KOs. He is a former WBC Continental Americas champion. At the age of 22, Guerrero is a five-year professional.
There will be seven bouts on the card. Casey Ramos, an undefeated 11-0 featherweight from Austin, Texas, and Noah Zuhdi, a 11-1 lightweight from Oklahoma City, will be featured on the undercard. Each will be in a six-round bout.
Arum said this event will “…launch of a series of exciting boxing events at the WinStar World Casino.”
First bell on November 20 is set for 8 pm. Top Rank Live! will be telecast on Fox Sports Network (FSN).
The big boxing event will be at the Global Events Center. Tickets are priced at the $35 (silver), $50 (gold) and $65 (platinum) levels.
Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.winstarworldcasino.com at the Global Events Center Box Office and via phone at 1-800-622-6317.
The Las Vegas Valley will begin reaching new record temperatures on Monday, October 18th, 2010. This prediction comes as Jason “Friday the 13th” Douglas, professional fighter from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, arrives at the McCarran International Airport. Wednesday at the Press Conference (12 noon) he will meet face-to-face with his opponent from the Valley, Henry Namauu (UNLV graduate), and the temperature will climb again. Then Thursday at the weigh-in (5 PM), each fighter will have to be below the 199-pound limit, the cruiserweight requirements. Then comes the big record breaker on Friday night, when the winner will be chosen by judges’ decision or by knockout in the main event bout presented by Crown Boxing at The Crown Theater and Night Club, located in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jason and Henry both have had impressive amateur boxing careers, but now we are talking professional boxing. Jason has eight wins, four being KOs, and only two losses. Henry has seven wins, five being KOs, and only 3 losses. Both fighters have had ten professional bouts. Jason has his work cut out for him on Friday night when he gets into the ring with Henry. This fight promises to be a war from start to finish and only one fighter will emerge the winner!
The night will feature six action-packed bouts, with Henry Namauu and Jason “Friday the 13th” Douglas highlighting the night. In a four-round featherweight bout, Mandy LaPointe will take on Hondi Hernandez. Chase Corbin will take on Titus Holmes in a four-round light middleweight bout. Alvaro Morales will take on Chad Davis in a four-round pairing of heavyweights. Local featherweight favorite, Rocco Santomauro, will face-off against Robert Guillen in a four-rounder. In the super bantamweight opener, Alexis Santiago squares off against Sergio Herrera in a bout also scheduled for four.
The Post Fight Party will be rockin’ in The Crown Nightclub immediately following the fights. Your fight ticket allows you admission to the party.
Fight week schedule:
Press Conference on Wednesday, October 20th at the Crown Theater and Night Club (12:00 PM).
Weigh-in on Thursday, October 21st at the Crown Theater and Night Club (5:00 PM).
The Friday Night Fights on October 22nd at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada in the Crown Theater and Night Club (Doors open 5pm / First bout 7pm).
MUST BE 21 & OVER WITH ID
Tickets (702) 777-7776
$25 RESERVED, $50 RINGSIDE, and $100 VIP
For more information, visit http://crown-boxing-inc.com/
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Former Heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs went to the hospital in Hamburg, Germany after his twelve round beatdown defeat at the hands of WBC Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko.
Now, he is in Hamburg’s Eppendorf University Hospital with a broken left orbital bone in his face, a broken nose and a torn left biceps, Empire Sports and Entertainment promoter Greg Cohen told ESPN.com.
“He was banged up pretty bad,” Cohen said, shortly after arriving back in New York on Sunday. “The CT scan came back normal, thank God. Shannon wants to get out of there as soon as possible, but he’ll be there for a little bit longer. He’s devastated. He really thought he was going to win.”
“His biceps is a very serious injury and they have to do surgery, and he’ll probably be there for a week,” Cohen said. “It might require more than one surgery.”
I wouldn’t be here [in New York] if he wasn’t OK,” Cohen said. “He was in intensive care after the fight for precautionary reasons. The injuries are not life-threatening. He’s just banged up, but it’s not life-threatening or very serious. Other than the injuries I described, everything else is OK.
“He walked out of the arena on his own. They wanted to put him on as stretcher, but he wouldn’t let them. He’s going to be fine.”
“He trained for this. He was 100 percent ready mentally and physically, but I wish they would have stopped it around the eighth round,” Cohen said. “I love Shannon. He’s like family to me. As a human being, he is much more important to me than as an athlete. So it was tough to watch. But Shannon did not want them stopping this fight. I wish they didn’t listen to him, but I understand. I spoke to his corner after one of the rounds and Shannon was telling him, ‘I’m OK, I’m going to get him.’ Even after the 11th round, he thought he was still going to do it. His will was never broken. If I was in the corner, I would have stopped it. But I’m the promoter, not the cornerman.
“I don’t blame the referee at all. The referee did a good job. And I don’t blame the corner. I understand, but my preference would have been for it to be stopped.”
CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
WBO JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
MAIN EVENT – 12 ROUNDS
Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (19-0-1, 16 KOs), WBO Jr. Featherweight Champion, Bayamon, Puerto Rico,121 ¾ LBS.
Vs.
Ivan Hernandez (28-4-1, 17 KOs), Challenger, Ensendada BC, Mexico 121 ¾ LBS.
WBO YOUTH MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
CO-FEATURE – 12 ROUNDS
Raul Casarez (15-2, 8 KOs), Reynosa, Mexico, 158 ¼ LBS.
Vs.
Antony Greenridge (14-5-1, 5 KOs), Orlando, FL 159 ¼ LBS.
8 ROUNDS
Patrick Majewski (13-0, 8 KOs), Atlantic City, NJ by way of Poland 161 ½ LBS.
Vs.
Joseph Gomez (17-2-1, 8 KOs), Bloomfield, NM 165 ¾ LBS.
6 ROUNDS
McJoe Arroyo (5-0, 2 KOs), 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian, Fajardo, Puerto Rico 117 ¼ LBS.
Vs.
Israel Rojas (3-1, 2 KOs), Aguas Prietas, Sonora, Mexico 116 ½ LBS.
Time permitting, highlights of other fights will be shown including:
4 ROUNDS
Anthony La Porte, Jr. (Pro Debut), son of former world champion Juan La Porte, New York, NY 125 ½
LBS.
Vs.
Hipolito Rivera (0-2), Hato Rey, Puerto Rico 126 126 ¾ LBS.
4 ROUNDS
Israel Vazquez (Pro Debut), son of former world champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Sr., brother of world champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr., Bayamon, Puerto Rico 108 ½ LBS.
Vs.
TBA
(ALL FIGHTS & FIGHTERS SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
WHAT: “The Rising Son Returns” PPV pro boxing show
WHEN: Saturday, October 16, 2010 – 9 PM/ET 6 PM/PT
WHERE: Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, FL
PROMOTER: All Star Boxing, Inc. “The New Generation” & Felix “Tuto” Zabala, Jr.
NEW YORK (Oct. 15, 2010) – Super Six World Boxing Classic fans will get a chance to see WBA world champion and tournament-point leader Andre Ward headline the SHOWTIME telecast on Saturday, Nov. 27 (live at 9p.m. ET/PT), it was officially announced one week after Ward’s tournament opponent Andre Dirrell pulled out of their Group Stage 3 fight due to injury.
Ward, who has already locked up a Semifinal berth in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, will defend his WBA super middleweight world title against world ranked top-10 contender Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, Australia, by way of Douala, Cameroon, in the second-half of a SHOWTIME doubleheader.
The fight, which will take place in front of Ward’s hometown fans at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., will not be part of the Super Six tournament, Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports®, announced. The event is being promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions, the promoter for Bika.
There will, however, be Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament action on Saturday, Nov. 27, from Finland. In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME doubleheader, “King” Arthur Abraham will meet Carl “The Cobra” Froch for their pivotal Group Stage 3 bout for the vacant WBC world title. This bout will air on same day delay from the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki.
The 31-year-old Bika will be making his third world title appearance, challenging for the belt that Ward wrested from Mikkel Kessler with a brilliant performance in the opening Group Stage of the Super Six tournament. Bika is 0-1-1 in world title fights, having lost a decision to Joe Calzaghe in Oct. 2006 and being forced to settle for a controversial draw against Marcus Beyer in Germany in May 2006.
Two of Bika’s most noteworthy victories came when he crushed Peter Manfredo, Jr. (TKO 3) in Nov. 2008 and when he outpointed Sam Soliman across eight rounds in Oct. 2007.
As evidenced by the fact that he has never been knocked out, Bika is known for his granite chin and is regarded as one of the toughest fighters in the world at 168 pounds. A 2000 Olympian for Cameroon, Bika has fought some of the division’s elite champions, but has long accused the big-name super middleweights of avoiding him.
In an opportunity to get back into the world title picture, Bika lost his most recent start controversially when he was disqualified for hitting Jean Paul Mendy while he was down in the first round of an IBF world title eliminator this past July 31. On his way to what looked like a certain knockout win, Bika dropped Mendy to his knees with a left hand, then landed a right uppercut that caused Mendy to pitch forward face-first on the canvas. Referee Joe Cortez ruled that Bika had fouled Mendy and he called the fight at 1:19 of the first round.
About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
CLICK FOR FULL EVENT INFO
WHO: WILFREDO VAZQUEZ JR.WBO Jr. Featherweight Champion Bayamon, PR, 19-0-1, 16 KOs
IVAN “Choko” HERNANDEZ, Former World Champion, Ensenada, MX, 28-4-1, 17 KOs
And the Rest of the Full Fight Card
WHAT: Official Weigh-in for the Vazquez Jr vs. Hernandez Fight Card
WHEN: Friday, October 15, 5:30 PM
WHERE: Silver Spurs Arena Parking Lot
1875 Silver Spurs Lane
Kissimmee, FL34744
(321) 697-3333
Media Credential Pick-Up will be on Saturday from 5:00 – 8:00 PM in the North Lobby
WBO Jr. Featherweight Champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr will be transported by helicopter to the scale for today’s OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN at the Silver Spurs Arena, in Kissimmee, FL. Waiting at the scale will be his opponent Ivan “Choko” Hernandez.
You may be thinking, “?Wilfredo esta loco?” After the fight, he is planning to bungee jump across the street from the hotel. He’s been talking about it all week.
On Saturday, October 16, 2010, All Star Boxing, Inc and Promoter Tuto Zabala, Jr. will return to the city that has hosted many of the company’s boxing shows during the past 10 years that have filled the Kissimmee Civic Center on many occasions. This time it will come back with a World Title fight and one of the biggest shows in Central Florida history that will be hosted at the 10,500 seat Silver Spurs Arena of the Osceola Heritage Park in an event billed “The Rising Son Returns”.
In the main event, WBO Jr. Featherweight Champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. of Bayamon, Puerto Rico will make the second defense of his title when he meets his toughest opponent so far in Ivan “Choko” Hernandez of Ensenada, Mexico in a bout schedule for 12 rounds with Vazquez WBO Jr. Featherweight Title at stake.
For Vazquez Jr.(26), it will be a homecoming. He has fought in Kissimmee 13 times in route to his world title win last February 27 when he stopped “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona of the Philippines in 4 rounds to capture the title. In his first defense, on May 29, he also stopped former Olympian and #1 contender Zsolt Bedak of Hungary in 10 to improve his record to 19-0-1-16 KO’s.
Former world champion Hernandez (27) is ranked #10 by the WBC and WBO and has fought world champions Mark Johnson, Fernando Montiel, Toshiaki Nishioka and Israel Vazquez. Hernandez’ two most recent fights were both 5th round knockout wins, against Jaime Maldonado and Lisandro De Los Santos, to improve his record to 27-4-1, with 17 KOs.
Tickets for Vazquez Jr. vs. Hernandez on October 16, priced at $202, $102, $52 and $27, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Silver Spurs Arena box office and on-line at Ticketmaster.com.
Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. vs. Ivan “Choko” Hernandez will be broadcast live on-pay-per-view, distributed by Integrated Sports in the US and in Puerto Rico by Pay Per View Connection beginning at 9 PM ET/6PM PT at a suggested retail price of $34.95.
BOB ARUM: Top Rank has a reputation of developing its fighters from scratch, from its earliest fight onward and we don’t usually co-promote a fighter with anyone. But we’ve know Russell Peltz for many years and Russell is a true boxing promoter, who knows what he’s doing as witnessed by the tremendous job he’s done developing Mike Jones to where Mike is one of the rising prospects in boxing on the cusp of becoming a star in the sport. When we looked at Mike we saw a fine young man who had great ability who believed we could help Russell develop him on the next stage against the elite fighters in the sport. We are so proud and happy to be aligned in this venture with Russell Peltz, who has developed more fighters in the Philadelphia area than the Phillies have pitchers and they have a lot of great pitchers and Russell has developed so many.
RUSSELL PELTZ: Bob, I’ve known you for 36 years and I think you’ve known me longer than you’ve known anybody in boxing with the possible exception of Don Chargin.
BOB ARUM: I think it’s about the same time.
RUSSELL PELTZ: I think Mike is probably the best prospect to come out of Philly since maybe Bernard Hopkins. His management came to me a couple years ago asking to please use Mike Jones on a show, who I had never heard of. I put Mike with a New York Golden Gloves champion named Jason Thompson who was undefeated and after Mike knock him out I was deluged with calls from out of town asking who this kid was. I figured I had something and now he is ranked as high as No. 2 in the world and Top Rank has an entrée with most of the top 147-pounders in the world and it can be a good working relationship. For Mike to have a chance to fight in Cowboys Stadium, and we did have an offer to go to England to fight Kell Brook and probably for more money but this is a better stage for him, and we are all looking forward to this.
BRUCE TRAMPLER: At Top Rank we make it a practice to track the careers of up and coming fighters from around the country and always looking to get involved with the best young fighters. When Russell started telling me about Mike Jones a couple years ago our ears perked up because Russell doesn’t get high on too many guys. We had an opportunity to put Mike on a couple of shows we did in conjunction with Russell this year. He beat Bruseles in a fight I thought gave Mike a lot of experience and a kid in Albuquerque, Hector Muñoz, and he’s fought since and we agree with Russell. He’s got everything it takes. He’s got a great body for a welterweight; very good boxing skills and you can see the improvement in each fight. He could be the face of Philadelphia boxing and we are very thrilled to be involved with him.
BOB ARUM: Everyone knows about this storm coming out of Philadelphia and we are proud to have him on this card in Cowboys Stadium on November 13, so speak for your self now Mike.
MIKE JONES: Thank you and I’m happy to be on board. I am honored to be called one of the best prospects since Bernard Hopkins. I am honored to be on the November 13 card against Jesus Soto-Karass and I’m a work in progress. I get better in each and every fight and I will be one of the best out there. I’m in the gym every day trying my hardest in the gym and giving my best in each and every fight.
Can you tell me your familiarity of history of Philly boxing?
MIKE JONES: I grew up in Joe Frazier’s gym so I know about Joe Frazier and some of the fighters that came from there. But I really wasn’t a boxing fan growing up – I played basketball. Some friends brought me to the gym and I am learning a lot now. I know there were a lot of great fighters in Philly, but I don’t know too much about the history.
RUSSELL PELTZ: I try to twist Mike’s arm to get him to look at some old tapes but he’s got a full plate with two young daughters and he still holds down a part time job and he likes to train 24 hours a day but I know he watched a tape the other day of Price Charles Williams beating Bobby Czyz for the title. I am trying to get Mike to use his jab more and that was a fight Prince Charles won with just his left hand.
What about the part-time job and the kids and training?
MIKE JONES: As of right now, I left the job alone to give 100% to boxing, so I have been training basically all day long. I gave the job up at Home Depot shortly before my last fight.
Why did you think the undercard should be so stacked for this fight?
BOB ARUM: We always try to do a good undercard. Sometimes fights that we think are going to turn out to be really great, don’t, like that Castillo-Gomez fight that we had on March 13, which surprised us that it was not that good. We always aim to do what we can to make a strong undercard and in this case we put together something that I am confident that it will absolutely be great I addition to Mike, Rigondeaux is in a title fight in his seventh professional fight. A lot of people say he is the equal or not better than Gamboa. Then there is Kelly Pavlik who is trying to right himself with this fight that he has against Brian Vera. So it is a very interesting undercard. Even the off-TV card is stacked with great prospects and interesting fights.
Is there an urgency to have your fighters showcased?
BOB ARUM: The difficulty with working with another promoter on a big fight is they ask spots on the televised undercard and because they re a co-promoter they are entitled to it. Therefore it is not always possible to present the best possible undercard dealing in a situation like that.
Mike, how do you see this opportunity?
MIKE JONES: This fight means everything to me right now. It will be watched by millions of people around the world and I am going to try my best so I can be looked at as one of the best out there.
BOB ARUM: Todd is over in Europe right now at Sportel and he has said the interest from TV from around the world is immense. It will probably be the biggest coverage we have had in years.
RUSSELL PELTZ: We talked about going to England and because of the lack of exposure and if Mike wins, which is Kell Brook and if he loses he is in a hole. It wasn’t even the money; it was just the opportunity to fight on this show that made the difference.
BOB ARUM: It may even be more advantageous if Mike fought Brook, to do the fight here in the states.
MIKE JONES: I haven’t thought about the crowd too much or how big the stadium is. I feel like I have always proven myself and it always feels like I have a lot of pressure on my anyway. The bigger the crowd, the more relaxed I get.
Where does the pressure come from?
MIKE JONES: The pressure from within. To be great is my calling. The pressure builds up inside and releases in the fight.
What would you like to work on to become a complete fighter?
MIKE JONES: I have an excellent jab and I barely use it. I could control a whole fight with the jab. I need to get it out there more. And I need to use the power jab. I use it as a range finder, a pity-pat, but I need to use that and it will be a lot better as a weapon.
What about your power?
MIKE JONES: Well, it is deceptive power right now. My style right now is to box and move and counter-punch. I feel I have both. I can box and move around or I can get a guy out of there as well. But I can use both.
What kind of fight do you expect?
MIKE JONES: I have seen tapes of him and I expect a tough fight. He reminds me of a baby Antonio Margarito. He comes straightforward and throws a lot of punches and works the left side a lot. I expect for him to come out and give it his all.
RUSSELL PELTZ: I have been on Mike’s back a lot lately explaining to him that with all the talent he has and to use the jab. When Mike was an amateur and everything that Joe taught him was power. Everything was hard and everything was heavy. He said when he left Frazer and went to Vaughn Jackson he became more of a boxer. He thought maybe he shouldn’t have completely disbanded the power game that Joe taught him and that he should revisit it. Use the jab as a straight left. With his size and ability if he starts developing that jab, he can control the whole Soto-Karass fight in my opinion just by letting that thing go out there and really snapping it. Chandler has a jab like that and this is the closest fighter I can find to Mike Jones.
Were you frustrated not getting the TV exposure?
MIKE JONES: I wasn’t frustrated at all. I just get ready for fights. Russell worries about that and he can make it happen one way or another with Bob Arum.
How soon do you expect to challenge for a world title?
MIKE JONES: Very soon. Given the opportunity. I definitely am going want to win this fight, no respect to Soto-Karass. But I come to win this fight and after that maybe I can get a piece of a title.
RUSSELL PELTZ: Mike became a cause-celebre because everyone found out that for some reason, Russell Peltz couldn’t get Mike Jones on ESPN. So people said who is this kid from Philly that keeps winning and is getting blackballed or shutout from TV, and it helped him. We turned a negative situation into a winning situation. I didn’t want television people telling me who Mike Jones could fight. They weren’t going to dictate Mike’s career path.
BOB ARUM: Remember the guy who no one would put on television and nobody would give a title shot to turned out to be one of the greatest middleweights of all time, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler. This happens in boxing and the one thing we pride ourselves on at Top Rank if for any reason a network won’t buy a fight with one of our fighters, we do the fight ourselves. You cannot be beholden to the television networks because if you are you do a disservice to your fighter.
What was your job at Home Depot?
MIKE JONES: I was a forklift operator. My daughter’s ages are 6 and 4.
You said the last fight you wanted to step it up and get your guy out of there, so what is it for this fight?
MIKE JONES: I want to control the fight with the jab and I want to counter-punch and I want to move. I know he can’t fight a mover.
You thought you could knock Berto out, are you disappointed the fight did not come about?
MIKE JONES: A little bit, but I take what I can get. This fight here is not an easy fight. I am fighting a great fighter in Jesus Soto-Karass and this will be one of my greatest days yet. It is a great opportunity for me.
Bob, will it be easier to put the promotion together at Cowboys Stadium the second time around?
BOB ARUM: We learned a lot from the last time obviously. One of the things we learned was pricing tickets because we have so many seats there we can offer people the opportunity to see the fight for $50. People say you will be far away but you have one of the greatest screens, the greatest high definition screen in the world. You see it in high definition and you are there in the arena and no matter how far away you are sitting you can watch the fight closely on that big screen. It makes for a great experience. We are marketing the fights differently because of Margarito. We are reaching out more to the Hispanic community because last time we didn’t have a Hispanic main event and we are very bullish about the buzz that is taking over in North Texas and we know we are going to do more than the 51,000 we did before and how much more we will see. For us as boxing promoters working together with this Cowboy organization is a great experience. They are really a professional operation and too bad none of them can play quarterback because maybe the team would do better but they are really terrific people.
How much do you talk to Jerry Jones?
BOB ARUM: I keep away because he knows I am a crazy Giants fan and he tolerates that but with them losing and the Giants starting to look good I don’t think I am going to talk football with him until we finish this event.
Where do you see Mike fitting in the welterweight division?
BOB ARUM: The welterweight division is very strong. Even thought he is fighting this at junior middleweight, Manny is now a natural welterweight and where Manny is that’s where the money is. And Mayweather is a natural welterweight and he brings a lot of excitement and money to the table. Then there are guys like Berto and Williams who may still be a welterweight and other guys who make it a strong division that can give the public very strong and interesting matches. I know that HBO and Showtime have expressed a big interest in Mike and once we have the attention of the two premium networks, we can explain to a British promoter that the money is better fighting in the USA than fighting over in England. That’s why we are very excited because Frank Warren offered the Brook fight to Russell and Russell turned it down. I think with this exposure that Mike is going to get, I know that we can do some big, big fights on either of those premium networks.
Mike, who would you say is the top welterweight?
MIKE JONES: Manny Pacquiao. I would match up pretty well against him. I know Pacquiao is pretty fast and moves a lot but I am fast too and I am much taller than him. I could jab him and I could get him too.
How far away is he from a fight like that?
RUSSELL PELTZ: I consider this a major fight. Every fight from here on, he could fight Berto, the Selcuk Aydin, he could fight Ionut Dan. Everything is riding on this fight in Dallas. The way he is looking in the gym and they way he is talking and thinking right now I think he is starting to fill in all the loose ends and I think 2011…remember 2009 was a wasted year for us. Pullouts, injuries, it was like the year didn’t even happen. I think 2011 is going to be his year and title…it’s about money and I envision him making a lot of money for himself regardless of who he is fighting and somewhere along the way he will fight for a world title.
Would Miguel Cotto fit in the welterweight group?
BOB ARUM: There is no question that Miguel Cotto fits into every situation. In addition to Miguel being a great welterweight and a big crowd pleaser, Miguel Cotto brings in the people and that certainly is a big possibility. I can’t get a Berto to step up and fight a Mike Jones because his management wants to do the safe-risk thing and as long as HBO is paying him the money to do that, he’ll continue to do it. But Miguel Cotto fights for Top Rank and Miguel Cotto will be at the fight on November 13 and that is surely a possibility. We have to get Mike some more exposure, which we will. Then I can see him going in with a Cotto, going in with a Manny Pacquiao. All these guys are looking for dance partners and all these guys are really athletes and they want to be involved in competitive fights and not walkovers.
Mike, where does the work ethic come from?
MIKE JONES: I have always been like that, ever since I was a kid. It’s just what I like to do. I work as hard as I can to get the best out of me and that carries over into boxing.
What about having a team that has been together for a while?
MIKE JONES: Ever since day one and I don’t need any distractions in this point in my career and I have been with these guys ever since I started. We all get along and we are looking forward to bigger and better things.
BOB ARUM: This has been a very informative call. We are going to have a media day and a workout on the 27th in Los Angeles at the Wild Card Gym and on the 28th media and workout for Margarito at the Fortune Gym in LA and that should be very interesting and we are going to do a press event that week in Houston, TX where Rigondeaux trains with Ronnie Shields and Mike Lee, the Notre Dame boxing champion who trains with Ronnie also. There is a lot of activity as we go into the home stretch. And on the 23rd will be the first installment of the 24/7, which the guys at HBO are telling me it, is the best they have ever done. It is one month to go and down the home stretch and I want to than everyone for being on the call.
************************************
Mike Jones (22-0, 18 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA., currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBA and the WBO and No. 4 by the WBC and the IBF, will defend his NABA/NABO welterweight titles against Jesus Soto-Karass (24-4-3, 16 KOs), of Los Mochis, México. Soto-Karass is the WBC’s No. 7-rated welterweight contender. Jones vs. Soto-Karass will open the Pacquiao vs, Margarito HBO Pay-Per-View broadcast.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Cowboys Stadium, MP Promotions and Tecate, PACQUIAO vs. MARGARITO will take place Saturday, November 13 in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. The $1.2 billion stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. Pacquiao vs. Margarito will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
Remaining Tickets to Pacquiao vs. Margarito are priced at $700, $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50, and can be purchased in-person at the Cowboys Stadium ticket office in Arlington, or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.
HBO’s Emmy-Award-winning all-access series “24/7” premieres an all new edition when “24/7 Pacquiao/Margarito” debuts Saturday, Oct. 23 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The four-part series will air for three consecutive Saturday nights before the finale airs the night before the super welterweight championship showdown in Texas.
For Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com or www.toprank.com .
Fargo, ND- light middleweight contender, Ishe Smith, will have an opportunity to stay active and put himself in position for a major bout in the 154 lb. division when he returns to the ring on November 5, at Scheels Arena in Fargo, ND. Smith will participate in the non-televised portion of Showtime Boxing’s first appearance in North Dakota, presented by Lou Dibella Entertainment.
The televised portion of the card will be headlined by Edwin Rodriguez (16-0) taking on James “Buddy” McGirt Jr. (23-2-1), and Marcus Johnson taking on an opponent to be named. Tickets will go on sale Thursday, October 14th, 2010 at 11 a.m. and are available by calling the Scheels Arena box office or at ticketmaster.com.
Smith (21-5) is making his return to the jr. middleweight division after spirited efforts in the 160 lb. class against Danny Jacobs and Fernando Guerrero in his last two bouts. Smith was able to put the undefeated Guerrero on the canvas with an 8th round knockdown and won the fight on the unofficial scorecards of the Showtime broadcast team, despite ultimately being dealt a controversial decision loss.
In addition to taking on two of boxing’s top middleweight prospects in the past year, Smith, the former “Contender” star, has also served as a sparring partner to some of the sport’s top names, including Zab Judah, Chad Dawson, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Joining Smith, Rodriguez, and Johnson on the star studded card will be Shobox alumni Mickey Bey and Antwone Smith, as well as upper Midwest boxing stars Andy “Kaos” Kolle and Javontae Starks.
Tickets range in price from $20-$65.
Ishe Smith turned professional in 2000 and has captured NABO, WBC Continental, and USBA welterweight titles. Becoming a household name by participating in NBC’s The Contender in 2005, Smith has since appeared on national television numerous times.
Along with holding several marquee victories Smith has also shared the ring with Floyd Mayweather, Fernando Vargas, Shane Mosley, and Oscar De La Hoya as a sparring partner. Smith is based out of boxing’s capital city of Las Vegas, Nevada, and is coached by world renowned trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.
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NEW YORK (Oct. 14, 2010)—Showtime Networks Inc. is proud to announce that the World Light Heavyweight Championship fight between future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins and young upstart WBC World Champion Jean Pascal will be televised live on SHOWTIME.
The 12-round world championship bout, originally proposed as a pay-per-view event in the United States, will be held in Pascal’s home of Quebec, Canada—at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City—on Saturday, Dec. 18, and be televised live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET. The event is co-promoted by Group Yvon Michel Inc. and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Casino Montreal and Quebec Tourism. www.regionquebec.com
“We are thrilled to be able to offer this important championship fight directly to our loyal subscribers and fight fans,” said Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports®. “This is a milestone fight for each man’s respective career and thus this matchup fits perfectly into our programming strategy—to televise the most competitive and meaningful bouts in the sport.
“I want to thank the promoters for this event—Group Yvon Michel Inc., Golden Boy Promotions—and of course the fighters themselves for working with us to bring this bout to our faithful audience. It’s an early holiday present for SHOWTIME fight fans.”
Pascal and Hopkins are setting out on a multi-city, two-country press tour to officially announce their championship showdown with stops in Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto and New York. The press tour will mark Pascal’s first stateside appearance as WBC Light Heavyweight Champion. Please mark your calendars as these are events not to be missed.
PASCAL vs. HOPKINS TOUR DATES AND CITIES
Monday, October 18 Quebec City, Canada (Morning)
Quebec City Hall
Montreal, Canada (Afternoon)
Studio NRJ
Tuesday, October 19 Toronto, Canada
Air Canada Centre
Wednesday, October 20 New York City
Planet Hollywood – Times Square
*Additional Details (media call times, etc.) will be announced shortly.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports®, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, along with access to the SHOWTIME Sports Facebook® and Twitter® pages, please go to http://Sports.Sho.com.
About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
LAS VEGAS, NEV (October 14, 2010) – Top Rank announced today that international television sports reporter INÉS SAINZ has been signed to provide daily fight week reports and features and be part of the international broadcast team for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito World Super Welterweight Championship. Pacquiao vs. Margarito will take place, Saturday, November 13 at the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX and will be broadcast live on pay-per-view in the U.S.
Sainz, a sports reporter for TV Azteca in México and Azteca America in the U.S., will utilize her vast experience interviewing sports personalities from around the globe in producing fresh and insightful reports from the fighters’ camps throughout fight week, as well as live reports from the official press conferences, media workouts, the official weigh-in, all of which will be available to online portals as well as television stations and networks via satellite feeds. Sainz will also be reporting on the pre-fight festivities during fight night at Cowboys Stadium as well as part of the fight’s international broadcasting team .
“Inés will be a valuable addition in providing sports fans unique stories on the fighters and the event during fight week and the fight broadcast itself that we have never had before,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank, which is promoting Pacquiao vs. Margarito, in association with MP Promotions, Cowboys Stadium and Tecate. “Inasmuch as she is bilingual and has the experience of covering major sporting events worldwide and has interviewed the top athletes in those events, she will help enhance our coverage of Pacquiao vs. Margarito and attract a wider audience to the sport of boxing. Top Rank feels very fortunate to have her for this event.”
Sainz, who holds graduate degrees in tax law and sports business administration, and is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, has covered major sports events that span the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the past six Super Bowls and the ATP’s World Tour Masters. She was also an integral part of TV Azteca’s coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa. Sainz also hosts TV Azteca’s popular interview program Dxtips.
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Remaining Tickets to Pacquiao vs. Margarito are priced at $700, $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50, and can be purchased in-person at the Cowboys Stadium ticket office in Arlington, or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.
For Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight week updates, log on to www.toprank.com .
On Friday October 22nd, lightweight prospect Jorge “The Truth” Teron (23-2-1, 15KO’s) returns to the ring, when he takes on James Hope in the feature bout of the evening on Star Boxing and The Empire’s rescheduled “Capitale Punishment II” card at the Capitale NY. The bout is scheduled for eight rounds in the lightweight division.
JORGE “THE TRUTH” TERON
The 25-year-old Teron, a Bronx native, was a three-time New York Golden Gloves champion as an amateur, before turning pro in 2005. Possessing a fan-friendly style, and power in both hands, Teron is looking to get back into the win column after suffering a defeat in his last fight, a shoot out against highly regarded, undefeated, Brandon Rios (25-0-1, 18KO’s).
“Jorge is an exciting, and crowd pleasing fighter,” stated Joe DeGuardia, CEO and President of Star Boxing. “We have had him on some of our shows in the past and he has yet to disappoint. We are looking forward to featuring this match-up, in what is promising to be an entertaining night of boxing in New York City, come October 22nd.”
Hope (6-5-1, 4KO’s) is by no means a pushover or easy fight for Teron. The 26-year-old is coming off a draw in an absolute war with unbeaten prospect Bayan Jargal (15-0) on July 17th, and hopes to bring some of that momentum in with him into the ring on the 22nd.
UNDERCARD ACTION
There are five exciting undercard bouts scheduled to take place, highlighted by the return of popular New York light heavyweight and former NY Golden Gloves champion “Irish” Sean Monaghan (2-0, 2KO’s) taking on Nick Whiting. The bout is scheduled for four rounds in the light heavyweight division.
Also scheduled to appear on the card is the Bronx’s Hajro Sujak (5-1, 2KO’s) as he takes on Naseem Dean (2-2, 1KO) in a four round light heavyweight contest.
In a battle of all-action bantamweight’s, Brooklyn’s Elton Dharry (5-5-1, 1KO) looks to make it four wins in a row when he takes on former two-time NY Golden Glvoes finalist, Jose “Chilli” Rivera (2-1-1). The bout is scheduled for six rounds.
Also seeing action on the card, in a special female attraction, is former world title challenger Eileen Olszewski (5-2-2) as she takes on fellow New Yorker, Suzannah Warner. The bout is scheduled for eight rounds in the flyweight division.
Rounding out the card will be a battle between pro-debuting Queen’s natives, as Elmer Vera squares off against Abdellah Smith in a four round super middleweight showdown.
“Capital Punishment II” is promoted by Star Boxing and The Empire. The Capitale is located at 130 Bowery, in Manhattan, NY. Doors open at 6:30PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:30PM. A complete undercard will be announced shortly. Tickets are currently on sale and are being priced at $200, **$150**, and $50. Tickets may be purchased by calling Star Boxing at (718)823-2000. **For information on discounted $150 seats (for $100) for advanced purchase call now!** For more information visit www.starboxing.com or www.theempirese.com.
ABOUT STAR BOXING:
Star Boxing, Inc. has been in operation since 1992. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit the official website at www.starboxing.com.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT:
The Empire Sports & Entertainment Co. is primarily engaged in the business of promoting entertainment events and the creation and distribution of sporting events. Today, The Empire acquires the rights to develop and promote sporting and entertainment events through contractual relationships and provides event management services. The Empire arranges events and coordinates venues, media and sponsorship. For more information please visit www.theempirese.com.
Star Boxing
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On Saturday, October 16, 2010, All Star Boxing, Inc and Promoter Tuto Zabala, Jr. will return to the city that has hosted many of the company’s boxing shows during the past 10 years that have filled the Kissimmee Civic Center on many occasions. WBO Jr. Featherweight Champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. of Bayamon, Puerto Rico will make the second defense of his title when he meets his toughest opponent so far in Ivan “Choko” Hernandez of Ensenada, Mexico in a bout schedule for 12 rounds with Vazquez WBO Jr. Featherweight Title at stake.
Tickets for Vazquez Jr. vs. Hernandez on October 16, priced at $202, $102, $52 and $27, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Silver Spurs Arena box office and on-line at Ticketmaster.com.
Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. vs. Ivan “Choko” Hernandez will be broadcast live on-pay-per-view, distributed by Integrated Sports in the US and in Puerto Rico by Pay Per View Connection beginning at 9 PM ET/6PM PT at a suggested retail price of $34.95.
ANTONIO LOZADA (Hernandez Promoter): Good afternoon and thanks foe being here. This is a very important fight for us because when Wilfredo Vazquez Sr won his world title, the WBA Jr. Featherweight title, we had the champion Jorge Perez. We did the fight because Jorge had beaten Wilfredo Sr. in Los Angeles 3 years earlier in a 10-round decision. Vazquez came to train in Mexico City for that fight and he was a tiger. Now after all these years I come to fight his son who is a world champion and we bring the challenger Ivan Hernandez to the fight. He is in great shape and we will have a great fight.
IVAN “CHOKO” HERNANDEZ: Thanks for the opportunity and thanks for letting me do what I like. Thanks to Juan LaPorte and Wilfredo Vazquez and thanks to the people who have faith in me and who have trained me for this fight. I want to thank Tuto Zaballa and my trainer who has been with me my whole career. Thanks you to Wilfredo for the opportunity. I just want you to know that I respect you here, but in the ring, I don’t respect you, NADA. Thank you for letting me work because this is my job.
WILFREDO VAZQUEZ SR: I want to thank my brother (Tuto) for having made my son a world champion. I want to thank you also for having my other son on the card who is a junior flyweight. also have another son that will be world champion also. (Israel Vazquez is not in Kissimmee yet. He has a ‘real job’ in a church in Puerto Rico and will arrive tomorrow). What I want to tell Choko that we respect him here but not over there (in the ring). We are ready for Saturday night. Junior is in great condition. We are taking this fight very seriously and he is going to hit you hard. Remember what happened to Jorge Perez in Mexico City. No one was more prepared than me for that fight. If you come to fight you are going to get hurt. We are going to take the title, once again, back to Puerto Rico. I promise you that Saturday is going to be your last fight. You will never fight again.
WILFREDO VAZQUEZ JR: I came here to talk little today because I have already said what I need to say and I will do my talking in the ring. The only thing I want to say to Choko is that I want to thank you for bringing the confidence that you have with you to Kissimmee. Thank you for not giving me my merit. That has made me more motivated to get into the ring and the only thing I can tell you is that on Saturday night you are going to pay for it.
The following conversation takes place after the fighters are separated at the face-off following a shove from each.
IVAN “CHOKO” HERNANDEZ: I do respect you, until you get into the ring. There I have no respect for you. I always treat you with respect, until Saturday night. I want it to be October 16 now, so I can hit you.
WILFREDO VAZQUEZ JR: I want you to respect me. I am tired of all the (stuff) you are saying. I am a man and you need to respect a man. I am going to hit all of you…everywhere. And after you, I will take care of all the Mexicans that come in my way. I am tired of this. The Mexican fighters are not giving me the respect that I deserve. I am a World Champion for a reason.
WILFREDO VAZQUEZ JR (after calming down): I love fighting in Kissimmee. These are the people that believed in me right from the start. Now I am very motivated, more than before. Mexicans are good boxers and he is a good boxer and I won’t take anything away from him.
MCJOE ARROYO: I am real happy to be able to fight on this card where Wilfredo Vazquez will be making the first defense of his world title. I made my pro debut when Wilfredo fought for the title in Puerto Rico on February 27 and its very exciting to be dong it here again in Kissimmee.
ISRAEL “Filipino” ROJAS: I am here from Mexico and I am in great shape and I am ready to give a great fight.
TONY LaPORTE JR: I would like to thank Tuto Zabal for allowing me to have my pro debut here in Kissimmee, FL. I will bring the… …yes, I am very nervous. Anyway, I am just glad to be on this card with Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr.
NEW YORK (Oct. 13, 2010) – Boxing fans viewing Friday night’s TeleFutura broadcast of “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” sat in the judge’s seat and cast their text votes in naming Philadelphia native Danny “Swift” Garcia as the fighter with the most character. His defeat over Greek native Mike Arnaoutis, after a third round knockdown leading to a fourth round technical knockout, led him to a landslide win (70 percentae of votes) over Arnaoutis.
Launched by Tecate, cerveza con carácter, the “Cinturón Tecate”award gives viewers the chance to recognize the strength, courage, and determination of up-and-coming fighters featured on “Sólo Boxeo Tecate.” The boxer who receives the most text votes will be featured in a 2-minute vignette during the following week’s program, giving viewers an insider’s look at the lives of this individual. As part of the promotion, adult consumers who participate will receive free ring tones and screen savers for their cell phones.
In case you missed Friday’s thrilling “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” episode from The Arena in Philadelphia, PA, below is a summary of the night’s excitement.
Winner
Loser
Method
Round
Danny Garcia
Mike Arnaoutis
Technical Knockout
4
Bastie Samir
Joseph Dunn
Technical Knockout
2
Victor Vasquez
Bryne Green
Split Decision
6
Wanzell Ellison
Aaron Anderson
Unanimous Decision
4
Kareem Cooley
Eilud Torres
Unanimous Decision
4
Arash Usmanee
Anthony Flores
Unanimous Decision
8
This week, “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” hits the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California for another exhilarating episode featuring some of today’s most promising boxing talent. Fans at home will have an opportunity to vote and determine whether Frankie Gomez or Ramon Montano is the boxer with the most character! Tune in at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT (10:30 p.m. CT) on TeleFutura.
For more information on “Cinturón Tecate” results or to speak with a brand executive about the program please contact FORMULATIN at (212) 219-0321.
Tecate Boxing
Tecate, cerveza con carácter, is the largest beer brand to sponsor boxing matches in the U.S. Part of its commitment to make boxing accessible to consumers is the title sponsorship of “Solo Boxeo Tecate,” which creates an opportunity for local fans to witness some of the most exhilarating fights by today’s up-and-coming prospects. Additionally, Tecate has been a primary supporter of Golden Boy Promotions’ marquee events since 2007, and has launched a variety of initiatives to ensure consumers are part of the boxing experience, including boxer autograph signing sessions, commemorative cans, PPV mail-in rebate offers, and most recently the launch of a mobile museum “Tecate Museo de Boxeo”, which showcases decades of the most memorable moments in the sport.
About Heineken USA
Heineken USA Inc., the nation’s premier beer importer, is a subsidiary of Heineken International BV, which is the world’s most international brewer. European brands imported into the U.S. include Heineken Lager, the world’s most international beer brand; Heineken Light; Amstel Light, a leading imported light beer brand; Newcastle Brown Ale, the leading imported ale in the United States; and Buckler non-alcoholic brew. Heineken USA is also the exclusive USA importer for the Tecate, Tecate Light, Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands from Mexico. For a safe ride home, download the Heineken USA-sponsored Taxi Magic™ application from your smartphone. Please visit https://ui.constantcontact.com/rnavmap/acalva/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/BWYWEZMV/www.EnjoyHeinekenResponsibly.com.
About Golden Boy Promotions
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by Oscar de la Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. In 2007, in its fifth year of promoting, Golden Boy Promotions set a record by selling over 2.5 million in pay-per-view homes in a single night. Also in 2007, Golden Boy Promotions established the record for highest grossing pay-per-view homes in a single year with more than 4 million total. In 2009, the company broke records again by breaking the million mark in pay-per-view homes again with the return of Floyd Mayweather against Juan Manuel Marquez. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the United States and the world on networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, TeleFutura, SHOWTIME, ESPN2 and Fox Sports Net.
Golden Boy Promotions currently has over 60 fighters under contract, from future hall of famers Bernard Hopkins, Sugar Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez to current world champions and superstars Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan, David Haye, Marcos Maidana, Israel Vazquez and Chris John. Also included on the company’s roster are top contenders Juan Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Saul Alvarez, Victor Ortiz, Joel Casamayor, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Librado Andrade, Rocky Juarez and Abner Mares as well as highly regarded prospects Danny Garcia, Frankie Gomez, Erislandy Lara, Carlos Velasquez and Deontay Wilder.
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Former world champion Ivan “Choko” Hernandez (27), ranked #10 by the WBC and WBO, had an open workout today in Orlando in preparation for his WBO Jr. Featherweight title challenge this Saturday night against defending champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. (19-0-1-16 KO’s), of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, at the 10,500 seat Silver Spurs Arena of the Osceola Heritage Park in an event billed, “The Rising Son Returns,” promoted All Star Boxing.
Hernandez, who has fought world champions Mark Johnson, Fernando Montiel, Toshiaki Nishioka and Israel Vazquez, is coming off two 5th round knockout wins against Jaime Maldonado and Lisandro De Los Santos, to improve his record to 27-4-1 (17 KOs).
“The Rising Son Returns,” presented by All Star Boxing, is being distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9 PM/ET – 6 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH Network and Avail-TVN, for a suggested retail price of only $34.95.
Tickets for Vazquez Jr. vs. Hernandez on October 16, priced at $202, $102, $52 and $27, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Silver Spurs Arena box office and on-line at Ticketmaster.com.
For more information about the Vazquez-Hernandez PPV event go to www.integratedsportsnet.com. Follow Integrated Sports Media on Twitter @IntegratedPPV.
Integrated Sports Media: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr. and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media distributed numerous International soccer matches showcasing teams like Real Madrid, Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA, as well as World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson, and Roy Nelson. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com.
Promoters acted quickly after last week’s pullout of Andre Dirrell for his world title shot against WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward as espn.com Dan Rafael is reporting that former world title challenger Sakio Bika will now step in for that November 27th opportunity.
“We’re working on that. Bika is definitely interested in doing the fight,” Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, Bika’s co-promoter, told ESPN.com on Tuesday. “It’s not done, but it’s being worked on.”
What has not been decided is whether Ward’s bout will be part of the tournament. He is the only fighter in the field to have already secured a semifinal berth heading into the Group Stage 3 bouts, the last of the round robin portion of the tournament. The tournament contract allows for fighters to fight outside of the tournament with Showtime’s approval.
“We’re working on that too,” Schaefer said.
NEW YORK (Oct. 12, 2010) – Top contender and former EliteXC champion Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva has recently been calling out the biggest names in a STRIKEFORCE heavyweight division which arguably is, top to bottom, the most talented and deepest in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
Silva won’t yet get the fighters he’s most often mentioned – most notably, STRIKEFORCE champion Alistair Overeem or Fedor Emelianenko. But Silva gets perhaps the next best thing when he faces Alistair’s older brother, Valentijn “The Python’’ Overeem, in one of the principal bouts Saturday, Dec. 4, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).
The important heavyweight matchup rounds out the televised portion of a stacked, overloaded fight card that features MMA superstar Dan Henderson (25-8) of Temecula, Calif., against former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) of Brazil in a collision of world-class 205-pounders in the main event.
In other fights on SHOWTIME, Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of Nottingham, England, meets power puncher Scott “Hands Of Steel’ Smith (17-7, 1 NC) of Elk Grove, Calif., in a battle of explosive welterweights (170 pounds), exciting local favorite “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6, 1 NC) of Granite City, Ill., takes on 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-7) of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight (185 pounds) scrap and football legend and unbeaten MMA fighter, the remarkable Herschel Walker (1-0), will be opposed by an opponent to be determined
The 6-foot-4, 31-year-old Silva (14-2), of Coconut Creek, Fla., by way of Brazil, is one of the most talked-about and feared fighters in MMA. His freakish size is matched with brute strength, startling speed, incredible agility and quickness and brutal ground and pound skills. Factor in that he is also surprisingly nimble-footed and effectively combines Shotokan Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and you seemingly have all of the ingredients of a future superstar.
Silva has won seven of his last eight starts, including a decisive, lopsided decision over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski in his most recent outing last May 15. Silva’s lone loss since December 2006 came when he was narrowly outpointed by fellow Brazilian, and Fedor conqueror, Fabricio Werdum, on Nov.7, 2009. After an early onslaught that included decking Werdum and having him in serious trouble, Werdum rallied to eke out a decision by the scores of 29-28 three times.
“I want to fight and I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me,’’ Silva said. “My goal is to be the best and fight for a world title.’’
Overeem (28-23), of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, is a fierce, dangerous striker who has won his last two fights in a combined time of 47 seconds. The 6-foot-3, 34-year-old Dutch Destroyer scored a 40-second KO (knee) over Catalin Zmarandescu last May 21. In his outing before last, the previous April 17, a head kick finished off Tengiz Tedoradze seven seconds after the opening bell.
Overeem has several notable victories, including a 0:56, first-round submission over all-time great Randy “The Natural” Couture and a 2:19, first-round submission over Sobral. Overeem has only gone the distance twice in a 53-fight career.
A member of Team Golden Glory like his brother, Overeem is a four-time winner in PRIDE Fighting Championship competition. He’ll be making his debut for STRIKEFORCE after signing with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion in June.
Crowd favorite and St. Louis native, welterweight Jesse Finney, will take on a foe to be announced in the top non-televised undercard scrap.
Tickets for the event are on sale at Scottrade Center, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com or by phone (800) 745-3000.
Doors at Scottrade Center will open for the event at 6 p.m. CT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the first SHOWTIME televised main card fight will begin at 9 p.m.
About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.