LOS ANGELES, Calif.(Jan. 23, 2013) – GLORY, the world’s new premiere kickboxing league, will bring it’s ROAD TO GLORY USA fight series, intent on discovering America’s next great fighting superstars, to Hollywood Park Casino in Los Angeles with a stacked, one-night, eight-man middleweight (187 pou! nds) tournament on Saturday, Feb. 9.

Tickets for the event, headlined by the ROAD TO GLORY USA single-elimination tournament, are priced from $40 and can be purchased by phone at 877-446-7962. The tournament is being held as part of a Dennis Warner-promoted WCK fight card also featuring five Muay Thai bouts.

“We are excited to showcase our new ROAD TO GLORY development series for prospective future superstars in the sports and entertainment mecca of Los Angeles,” said GLORY CEO Marcus Luer. “Our fight team headed by legendary trainer Cor Hemmers has hand-picked a group of eight hungry, aspiring world champions from various parts of the U.S., looking to make it to the global stage that GLORY’s championship level events take place on. To get there, though, they will have to show they have what it takes by persevering in this highly-competitive tournament.&rd! quo;

Enlisted for the eight-man tournament are red-hot prospect Eddie “Showtime” Walker (9-1-1, 7 KOs) of Atlanta, Ga., hard-hitting Andrew Kapel (11-3, 10 KOs) of Minneapolis, Minn., seven-time South African kickboxing champion Van “The General” Wyk Povey (32-3-1, 22 KOs) of Dublin, Calif. via Pretoria, South Africa.; California State Champion Edgar Del Fierro (18-4, 14 KOs) of Fresno, Calif.; former Karate and Sambo champion Evgeny Zotov (5-2, 3 KOs) of Knoxville, Tenn.; undefeated upstart Mike Lemaire (6-0) of San Diego, Calif.; Casey Green (5-5) of Santa Monica, Calif.; and Jonarth Junio (8-4, 1 KO) of Bellflower, Calif.

The winner of the ROAD TO GLORY USA middleweight tournament will be awarded a grand prize of $20,000 and a one-year contract with GLORY where he will have the opportunity to compete in the world’s most prestigious one-nigh! t GLORY kickboxing tournaments that award up to $600,000 in prize money.

A tournament “alternate” bout on the card will pit Afram Egbochuku (2-0, 2 KOs) of San Diego against Jacob “King Cobra” Poss (9-1, 4 KOs) of Los Angeles. Should any of the tournament’s quarterfinal round fight winners be unable to return to the ring for semifinal round action due to injury sustained en route to victory, the winner of the matchup between Egbochuku and Poss will take the injured fighter’s place in the tournament.

A draw to determine the ROAD TO GLORY USA middleweight tournament’s quarterfinal round matchups will take place on a date and at a location to be announced soon.

Doors at the first floor showroom at Hollywood Park Casino will open for the event at 5 p.m. PST and the first preliminary bout begins at 6 p.m.

About GLORY:

GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world’s new premier kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe and offering up to $1,000,000 in prize money to the winners of one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each weight class. The fight series also includes 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments and events with traditional, single bouts.

With television deals spanning every continent, online live video streaming of all shows and the world’s largest online martial arts library, GLORY is one of the world’s most widely distributed sporting organizations.

Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organization has offices in the UK, Holland, Tokyo, Malaysia, Singapore and soon in the USA. Its personnel include an unprecedented mix of accomplished entrepreneurs and senior level executives from the diverse worlds of finance, sports marketing, telev! ision and martial arts fighting.

In 2013, GLORY launched the ROAD TO GLORY tournament fight series to identify and develop new kickboxing talent in The United States and elsewhere around the globe into future champions and superstars of the sport.

About Hollywood Park Casino:

Located just three miles east of the world renowned Los Angeles International Airport, Hollywood Park Casino – the first casino in the U.S. to be based at a racetrack – has served as one of the nation’s premier gaming facilities since opening its doors in July 1994. The Casino’s six-story, 220,000 square-foot Las Vegas-style gaming facility plays host to more than 3,000 visitors daily, seven days a week. Open 24 hours, the Casino’s beautiful art deco facility provides 65 tables of the most popular poker games, such as Hold’em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha, and Mexican Poker. In addition to poker, the Casino displays 35 tables of California card games! that include Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow Poker, Pai Gow Tiles, Baccarat, and Super Pan 9. What’s more, the horse racing-themed Casino allows patrons to place both live and simulcast racetrack wagers – for such world famous domestic and international tracks as Santa Anita and Del Mar – from the convenience of their seats. The Casino also offers nightly bingo in the 1,000-seat bingo facility – the largest charitable bingo operation west of the Mississippi. The Casino’s luxurious amenities include spectacular banquet facilities and meeting rooms as well as 24-hour concierge service, health club, massage center, an exclusive VIP lounge, and valet parking service. For more information about Hollywood Park Casino, please call (800) 888-4972 or visit our website at www.playhpc.com.

The January 25 edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will feature former Junior Middleweight titlist Sergiy “The Razor” Dzinziruk (36-1-1, 24 KOs) and Brian “The Warrior” Vera (21-6, 12 KOs) in the 12-round main event. Friday’s show will air live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, and will be available online through WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. The card will also air live on ESPN Deportes+, the new digital extension of ESPN Deportes and ESPN3, and will air tape delayed on ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. The card from Verona, N.Y., is promoted by Banner Promotions.

Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside at Turning Stone Casino describing the action for ESPN2 HD, while studio host Todd Grisham will present all the latest news and boxing highlights. Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights) with Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega in the studio. Bi-lingual reporter Bernardo Osuna will present live interviews and reports for both shows.

Main Event:
The Ukraine’s Dzinziruk is coming off a September draw to Jonathan Gonzalez. Manager Harry Kazandjian said of Friday’s fight, “Sergiy’s got to win this fight. Brian Vera is a tough guy, but Sergiy needs to beat him and look good. He’s got to win convincingly.”

Vera, a native of Texas and participant in the third season of The Contender, is coming off one of his best wins, a 12-round majority decision win over former Junior Middleweight titlist Sergio Mora.

“I think Dzinziruk is good, he’s technical,” Vera said. “I think my style is perfect for him. I’ll put a lot of pressure on him and I don’t think he likes that. I think he likes to dictate the fight and kind of control things. But somebody that’s going to stay on top of him and put a lot of pressure on him, is going to throw him off his game a little bit. I’m going to be the bigger, stronger guy, and am going to impose my will on him and take it from him.”

Co-Feature:
Friday’s co-feature will pit undefeated Junior Welterweight Tony “Lightning” Luis (15-0, 7 KOs) of Ontario, against Texas’ Jose “El Loco” Hernandez (13-6-1, 5 KOs) in a 10-round bout. Luis will look to build momentum after a first-round knockout win over Andres Ledesma, while Hernandez will look to rebound from a 10-round majority decision loss to Robert Osiobe.

Follow ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like it on Facebook. Follow ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo

Every time a prizefighter competes in the ring, he embraces the opportunity to redefine his career and change how he is perceived by the entire boxing community.

On February 9th, in his adopted hometown of Brooklyn, New York, crafty fight veteran Dmitriy Salita (35-1-1, 18 KOs) will take his first step towards a much larger goal when he battles experienced boxer Hector Camacho Jr. at the Barclays Center as part of a special Showtime televised event.

While most fight critics and boxing scribes are dubbing this singular event as a “crossroads” match for the underrated technician, the Ukrainian born pugilist views this opening as the dawning of a new era in his fight career.

“Every fight that isn’t a championship opportunity is a crossroads match,” explains the 30 year old pugilist. “With every victory, a fighter moves one step closer to the ultimate goal of winning a world title. With every loss, a boxer slips further away from realizing his dream of becoming a champion.”

“I’m viewing my upcoming bout on February 9th as the most important of my fight career and a touchstone which will measure my status as a contender in the very talented Welterweight and Junior Middleweight divisions.”

“Although I’ve been a professional for several years, I’m realistically considering this contest as a new beginning to my fight career. I’m very excited and thankful for this opportunity.”

One of the many reasons for his abundant sense of optimism has been his training regimen at the world renowned Kronk Gym of Detroit, Michigan.

“From the first day of sparring at the Kronk Gym, I noticed that the style and spirit of the facility and its fighters were very special and unique. It’s very much like being in a real fight. The pride and intensity level there has taken my abilities to much greater heights. It has really made me view the sport in a much different way.”

“When you train at such a high level of intensity and you’re able to control those sessions in the gym, it really increases your confidence and makes you a much better fighter. It’s been a real honor to train with the great fighters at the Kronk Gym.”

Dmitriy will be heading into his February 9th contest under the tutelage and mentoring of one of the more underrated trainers in boxing, Javan “Sugar” Hill. The 30 year old fight veteran insists the astute nephew of legendary boxing icon Emanuel Steward is one of the best kept secrets of the sport.

“Most boxing insiders are aware of this, but many casual fight fans don’t realize how truly talented ‘Sugar’ Hill is as a trainer. He learned everything from the great Emanuel Steward and has embodied the heart and soul of the Kronk Gym.”

“I’ve been in boxing for a very long time and have had the privilege of working with a lot of great trainers, and to me, Sugar Hill is the best trainer in boxing. Within the next few years, Sugar will be recognized as one of the top trainers of the sport.”

With a renewed sense of vigor for the sweet science, Dmitriy Salita truly believes he is now entering the “prime” of his professional boxing career. The Ukrainian born pugilist intends to put forth his finest effort to date when he faces Hector Camacho Jr. in front of a few thousand of his closest friends at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

“My fight with Camacho is going to be a very special event,” explains the talented boxer/puncher. “This is going to be the first ‘NYC battle of the boroughs’ at the Barclays Center. Camacho is going to have all of his supporters from the Bronx attending the fight, and I am truly blessed with the amount of encouragement that I receive from my friends in Brooklyn.”

“My opponent has been through a lot recently and my heart really goes out to him and his family for their recent loss. But this is the fight game and there has to be a victor on February 9th. Even though I have been a prizefighter for a very long time, I haven’t been a part of many big events like this. I have waited a long time for this opportunity and I fully intend to make the most of it.”

“On Saturday, February 9th, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, I will take the next big step towards winning a world championship.”

The Dmitriy Salita vs. Hector Camacho Jr., “Battle of the Boroughs” special attraction, will be one of eight incredible fights on the February 9th bout sheet at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The talent enriched fight card will be headlined by “Danny Garcia vs. Zab Judah”, a 12-round title bout for Garcia’s Unified Junior Welterweight World Championship, and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME®. Tickets, priced at $206, $106, and $56, are on sale now and are available for purchase at WWW.DSALITA.COM , or by calling 646-481-5558.

The wait for the highly anticipated European Light Heavyweight Championship is almost over. Current titlist Eduard Gutknecht (24-1, 9 KOs) takes on former world champion Juergen Braehmer (38-2, 30 KOs) at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany on February 2. The two camps are in their final preparations for the fight and as expected, both coaches believe that their own man has the edge over the opponent.

There is only one favourite when it comes to the bout between Gutknecht and Braehmer and that is the current EBU-Champion. That is at least the opinion of his coach, Ulli Wegner. “Eduard is in very good shape. I believe that he has the quality to win this tough fight and to move on to even bigger things,” said Wegner. “He has shown great attitude during our preparations and is always eager to learn more under my guidance. We know that Braehmer has his own qualities and is very experienced but he is not the same Juergen Braehmer he was two years ago during his time as the WBO-Champion. He isn’t world class anymore.”

Karsten Roewer has an entirely different point of view. “I have been very impressed with Juergen during our training. He is always willing to work hard and he gives it his all. You can tell that he lives for boxing,” said Roewer. “We have been working on the basics and will use the last few days at camp to work on his real strength – counter boxing. We know that Gutknecht fights with a lot of heart so Juergen has to keep constant pressure on him. However, I know that he has what it takes. He has the experience and is determined to get back to where he was and prove his doubters wrong.”

But not only the match-up between the two fighters is the cause for some heated debate. February 2 is also the duel between two coaches of Team Sauerland. One of them is Ulli Wegner who currently has four world champions under his wings. The other, Karsten Roewer, is still an up and coming trainer who already guided Sebastian Sylvester to the IBF Middleweight World Championship. However, the coaches themselves do not see any significance in the fact that they are going head to head.

“That is no special challenge for me”, said Wegner. “I have formed loads of guys, who had no great experience as amateurs into world beaters. I made them and taught them discipline, tactics and technique. Roewer on the other hand has loads of good amateur boxers but so far only managed to guide Sebastian Sylvester to a world title.” Roewer added: “Of course it is an exciting task to compete with one of the greatest coaches in the world and maybe even get one over him.” Nevertheless, the 50-year-old also has a warning in store. “Ulli mentioned that he isn’t a good loser – unfortunately for him so am I.”

January 23, 2013 – Gary Shaw Productions undefeated lightweight prospect, Jonathan Maicelo (18-0, 10 KOs) will step in the ring against Tyler Ziolkowski (14-17 8 KOs) this Saturday, January 26, at the Fitzgerald’s Casino & Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi. The bout is scheduled for 6-rounds in the lightweight division on a card being promoted by Prize Fight Boxing Promoters. Maicelo, fighting out of New Jersey by way of Peru, is undefeated as a professional and has passed every test with flying colors against his gauge type opponents.

Maicelo will face off against another barometer type fighter in Ziolkowski — who has fought a laundry list of top prospects — as he attempts to put together the kind of impressive performance that measures up to those student prospects that have come before him.

“I want to show my skill and it’s not enough to win, I have to be exciting as well. I’m on a very precise blueprint and I’ve strategized my time thus far, it’s all about doing the right things and staying on track means a win Saturday,” Maicelo said.

Gary Shaw, Maicelo’s promoter, feels his fighter is preparing for victory on Saturday.

“It is always exciting to have Maicelo on a card and getting to watch him grow as a fighter is an exciting process. He definitely demonstrates a fighter determined each time out and his hard work will payoff in the ring and in his future in the sport,” Shaw said.

BEJING (January 23, 2013) — February 10 may mark the beginning of the Chinese New Year — the Year of the Snake — but January 23 will be known as the day the Era of Zou began. Hall of Fame promoter BOB ARUM announced the signing of two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner and three-time World Amateur Champion ZOU SHIMING. Arum made the announcement today at a press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel Bejing.

“Zou is an incredible talent who is beloved in the People’s Republic of China,” said Arum. “We at Top Rank will make every effort to make certain that he has a spectacular career as a professional boxer.”

Shiming, 31, one of the most popular Olympic athletes in the People’s Republic of China, is the world’s greatest amateur light flyweight, capturing gold medals in the World Amateur Championships in 2005, 2007 and 2011 while capturing gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. He also owns an Olympic Bronze Medal from the 2004 games, making him his nation’s first Olympic medalist in boxing as well as its first boxing Gold Medalist in the World Amateur Championships and the Olympics.

Known for his extraordinary speed and superb footwork, thanks to years of martial-arts training, many of Shiming’s opponents complain that they cannot keep up with him much less see his punches coming. He has stated that his heroes are Muhammad Ali and Jackie Chan. Shiming is scheduled to make his professional debut on April 6 at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in Macau.

“We are extremely grateful to the Sands China Ltd. for its great cooperation in this venture to launch the professional career of this great young athlete,” continued Arum.

The 17th season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®’s famed reality television show, The Ultimate Fighter®, began on Tuesday with a special two-hour premiere on FX. Twenty-eight middleweight (185 pounds) fighters squared-off in 14 elimination fights, vying for a coveted spot on the series and their chance to win a six-figure contract with the UFC®.

Visit ufc.com for a full recap of the episode.

Premiere episode fight match-ups and results:

· Adam Cella, Fenton, Mo., submitted Jake Heun, Salt Lake City, in 1st round

· Zak Cummings, Kansas City, Mo., def. Nik Fehete, Las Vegas by TKO in 1st round

· Kevin Casey, Hawthorne, Calif., submitted Eldon Sproat, Kaunakakai, Hawaii, in the 1st

· Tor Troeng, Umea, Sweden, submitted Scott Rosa, Sparks, Nev., in the 1st

· Clint Hester, Atlanta, Ga., by unanimous decision over Frasier Opie, Milten Keynes, England

· Bubba McDaniel, Albuquerque, N.M. def. Ryan Bigler, Barrigada, Guam by TKO in the 2nd

· Josh Samman, Tallahassee, Fla., def. Leo Bercier, Great Falls, Mon. by TKO in the 1st

· Kelvin Gastelum, Yuma, Arz., by unanimous decision over Kito Andrews, Sacramento, Calif.

· Jimmy Quinlan, Metheun, Mass., def. Mike Persons, Stockton, Calif. by TKO in the 2nd

· Uriah Hall, New York City, by unanimous decision over Andy Enz, Anchorage, Alaska

· Gilbert Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo., submitted Eric Wahlin, Taylorsville, Utah, in the 1st

· Luke Barnatt, Cambridge, Eng., by unanimous decision over Nicholas Kohring, Valley Springs, Calif.

· Dylan Andrews, Gold Coast, Aus., by majority decision over Tim Williams, Millville, N.J.

· Collin Hart, Santa Rosa, Calif., submitted Mike Jaspar, Camarillo, Calif., in the 1st

Team Selections

Team Sonnen won the coin toss, electing to pick first. Below are the final rosters, in order each was selected, are:

Team Sonnen

Luke Barnatt

Uriah Hall

Zak Cummings

Tor Troeng

Jimmy Quinlan

Kevin Casey

Kelvin Gastelum

Team Jones

Clint Hester

Josh Samman

Bubba McDaniel

Gilbert Smith

Collin Hart

Adam Cella

Dylan Andrews

Team Jones, therefore had the option of the first fight pick and chose Gilbert Smith versus Team Sonnen’s Luke Barnatt.

The series resumes next Tuesday, January 29, on FX at 9 p.m. ET/PT (check local listings for Central and Mountain Time) In that episode – “Ambush” – 14 victorious middleweights move into the house, and training begins. A fighter gets emotional after his team shows serious doubts about his readiness. Then Barnatt and Smith face off in the first preliminary fight.

For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter under our new name @TUFonFX or on Facebook.com/TUF.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries and territories, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 30 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed by THQ, and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

FX

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 98 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series Sons of Anarchy and Justified; the miniseries American Horror Story: Asylum; the upcoming drama series The Americans; the acclaimed hit comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer, Wilfred, BrandX with Russell Brand, and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell; and the upcoming comedy Legit. The network’s library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX’s other offerings include the acquired hit series Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother, and live sports with UFC and NCAA football.

Sherman Oaks, Calif. (January 22) – Mexican Olympic boxer Oscar Molina is ready to make his highly anticipated professional debut after suffering a setback that forced him to postpone his first professional bout.

The 23-year old Olympian was originally scheduled to fight alongside twin brother Javier (12-1, 5 KOs) in November, but was halted by a painful cyst in his left shoulder that was hindering the use of his left arm in training.

Oscar and Javier Molina

The cyst was drained and Molina has been given a given a clean bill of health and that it shouldn’t be a problem in the future. With the injury resolved, Oscar is anxious to finally make his long-awaited professional debut on January 26.

“I have no nerves thinking about my first fight. I am just very excited and can’t wait to be in the ring,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for many years and I’m ready to make my debut.”

Molina has thick roots in boxing, as he is the son of a former Mexican amateur boxer and brother of 27-year-old boxer Carlos Molina (18-1-1, 7 KOs). The bout will be fought in Chihuahua, Mexico, where Molina’s extended family lives.

The event is promoted by Promociones del Pueblo in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions.

http://www.oem.com.mx/elheraldodechihuahua/notas/n2851494.htm

January 22, 2013 – Southpaw middleweight contender Sergiy Dzinziruk is preparing for his January 25th contest against hardnosed Texan Brian Vera on a Banner Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions promoted edition of ESPN 2’s Friday Night Fights. The bout is scheduled for 12 rounds at the middleweight limit and will be televised live from the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York. A win over the gritty Vera could mean big things for Dzinziruk as he looks to put himself in position for a world title opportunity.

Dzinziruk defeated Daniel Santos in 2005 to win the WBO junior middleweight championship, a title he successfully defended 6 times. The former junior middleweight champion from the Ukraine by way of Hamburg, Germany will be looking to impress in front of a national audience, using his high level boxing ability to out maneuver his opponent Vera, a fighter with a more brute style.

“I’ve been working very hard in the gym, but specifically I’ve been working at getting the most out of my natural abilities. I have all the tools needed to become the very best and being aware in the ring doesn’t just come from the defensive side of things, you have to know your limits and capabilities offensively and be willing to push yourself further each time,” Dzinziruk said.

In his last outing, Dzinziruk took on Puerto Rican prospect Jonathan González and the two fought to a draw, although Gonzalez missed weight and had a 7lb weight advantage over Dzinziruk. Still, Dzinziruk was able to negate the weight disadvantage and stifle Gonzalez, boxing his way around the bigger man.

“I felt like my last time out I didn’t capitalize on every opportunity that was presented to me, it was my fight to grab and it slipped away because I let it. I’ve prepared to get back into the win column and anything less is unacceptable, I will define the moment and not let the moment define me,” Dzinziruk said.

This time around Dzinziruk will be fighting an opponent in Vera that has made a career out of digging deep in his most dire moments. Vera is coming off of an impressive victory over perennial contender Sergio Mora in August of last year.

“I respect every opponent, but Vera is a different monster,” Dzinziruk said. “The guy never quits and he is always willing to take the fight to the most uncomfortable places possible. I’m willing to go wherever is necessary, but it won’t be Vera calling the shots because I’m going to dictate the pace and control the fight. My preparation for this fight has put me in the best possible shape, and with my conditioning I will systematically break my opponent down and reestablish my position amongst the division’s elite.”

Gary Shaw, Dzinziruk’s co-promoter, is excited to get his fighter back in action and in front of a large commercial audience. Shaw feels that his fighter is in title contention right now and a win would only bolster those chances.

“Sergiy is a dangerous fight for any of the belt holders in the division and I could see him in a title fight by the end of 2013,” Shaw said. “If you look at the landscape of the division you realize it’s a deep division filled with opportunity, Sergiy fits right in that picture and his abilities make him easy to matchup with just about anybody. A win over a guy like Vera puts him right there in title contention.”

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (January 23, 2013) – The World Boxing Council (WBC) Female Championship Committee has ordered a mega-fight between undefeated WBC welterweight champion Cecilia “First Lady” Braekhus (21-0, 5 KOs) and 14-time, three-division world champion Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm (32-2-3, 9 KOs).

The WBC has awarded the distinction of the Diamond Belt for the Braekhus-Holm fight because “it is regarded as one of the best fights in the history of female boxing.”

If the promoters for Braekhus (Sauerland Boxing) and Holm (Fresquez Productions) are unable to reach an agreement, the WBC will conduct a purse bid Friday, February 15 at the its headquarters in Mexico City.

“Sometimes you need to be careful what you ask for,” Holm’s promoter Lenny Fresquez warned. “This reminds me of Mary Jo Sanders all over again. We all know what happened there (Holm won 10-round decision for IBA light middleweight title and then they fought to a draw) and we never heard from her after she challenged Holly (in 2008).”

Braekhus issued a video challenge to WBC No. 1-rated Holm after Holly’s last fight in December, which Holm quickly accepted, pending terms, for a July fight in Las Vegas. Talks between Kallie Sauerland and Lenny Fresquez had already started before the WBC’s order (Jan. 17) was sent to the two promoters.

Braekhus has owned the WBC welterweight championship since 2009, when she defeated Vinni Skovgaard by 10-round decision. The Colombian boxer who lives in Norway has made 10 consecutive title defenses. She is also the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion.

Holm held the WBC welterweight title in 2007 and 2008, stopping Miriam Brakache in the seventh round, and she made one successful title defense against Ann Saccurato with a win by 10-round decision before relinquishing the WBC 147-pound division belt. Holm has also been world champion in the light welterweight and light middleweight divisions.

For more information go to www.fresquezproductions.com or follow Holly Holm on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HollyHolm.

Tacoma, WA (January 22nd, 2012) – Halquist Productions and CageSport are hitting the ground running to start off 2013. Scheduled for February 16th, CageSport XXIII will feature Drew “The Eternal Fire” Brokenshire (5-1) defending his featherweight title for the 1st time against MMA veteran Enoch “The Animal” Wilson (16-8-2) in the semi-main event. In the Main Event, Brent Knopp (3-0) and Darrio Mobley (2-2) will battle it out for the 2nd time, but with the vacant CageSport middleweight title up for grabs this time around.

Tickets for CageSport XXIII are still available and can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA.

Brent “Mankill” Knopp is quickly gaining a fan base ever since turning pro in early 2012. He has accumulated a record of 3-0 (all 3 fights coming at CageSport) and has finished every fight via the 2nd round KO or TKO. Training out of one of the most respected MMA gyms on the west coast, AMC Pankration, Knopp is surrounded by UFC and StrikeForce stars along with being coached by one of the world’s best, Matt Hume. Knopp last fought on September 29th at CageSport XXI against Team Quest’s Brandon Pitts. The event was televised in 5 states on regional sports network ROOT SPORTS. In July, Knopp entered the cage for the 1st time with his upcoming opponent, Dario Mobley. After being cut badly in the 1st round, Knopp rebounded and TKO’d Mobley in the 2nd to earn the 2nd victory of his career.

Mobley will be coming into the fight with the mindset of getting a 2nd chance after the disappointing loss the 1st time around. It was clear that Mobley had won the 1st round, but he wasn’t able to sustain the momentum and got caught. This will be his chance to prove himself to the fans that he’s a legitimate contender in the state.

Drew Brokenshire, fighting out of Tacoma, WA, may be the most captivating fighter that has ever fought at CageSport. He made his CageSport debut back in December at CageSport XXII when he took on the then featherweight champ, Julian Erosa. The two duked it out for all 5 rounds in what turned out to be one of the most thrilling MMA fights ever presented to the Emerald Queen Casino showroom. Both fighters brought huge fan bases to the event and each fighter had moments of brilliance that had their fans on their feet the entire time showing enthusiasm that fighters live for. Brokenshire also stops by and trains at AMC Pankration from time to time along with the Academy of Brian Johnson in Lacey. He will have another big test at CageSport XXIII when he takes on Enoch Wilson.

Team Quest’s Enoch Wilson brings lots of experience to the table as his 16-8-2 record would suggest. Most recently, Wilson participated on Halquist Productions’ Battle at the Boat boxing show on January 5th and came out with a dominant victory, knocking down his opponent 4 times with kidney shots before the referee stopped the fight. This will be Wilson’s 1st appearance on a CageSport card and has the potential to bring another exciting night to the Emerald Queen Casino as he also has a large fan base in the area.

Eight other action packed bouts are scheduled at CageSport XXIII including two female fighters making their debuts, Thea Wolfe vs. Sarah Lagerstrom. Up and comers scheduled to fight include: Aaron Martin and Freddie Bauman. With CageSport, Halquist Productions has created the most premier MMA promotion in the Northwest. Many fighters that have fought on a CageSport Card have moved on to fight in national organizations such as StrikeForce, Bellator, and the UFC. More information about CageSport XXIII and all other Halquist Productions can be found at www.halquistproductions.com

After confirmation at the end of 2012, Prospect Boxing and Chris Gilmour boxing are pleased to confirm the line up to their March 8th joint promotion at Ravenscraig Sports Facility in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire.

Titled the “ The Steel Men return” the card is topped by Glasgow’s Gary McCallum who takes on Stranraers Paul Allison for the vacant Scottish Middleweight title over ten rounds, while the chief under card slot sees rising flyweight Iain Butcher return to action over 8 rounds.

A full undercard features the talented Rhys Pagan, Mark Parvin, Sean Watson and Ryan Scott. While Jordan McCorry, Darren McAdam, Mitch Prince will also be in action. March 8th also sees Alex Montgomery makes his pro debut in the Super Middleweight division and Martin Taylor at Light Welterweight.

With a eleven fight card in the offering, Co-promotor Paul Graham explains that the main event was an easy choice “We had a few options for the main event, however I feel that Paul (Allison) in with Gary (McCallum) a good domestic fight and both fighters will do nothing but entertain. They both are at the stage were they want to progress there career to the next level, and an area title fight is the way to progress it.

While joint promoting with Chris Gilmour, the former pro referee admits that there is a rivalry between the both “Well Paul Allison is my fighter and Gary McCallum is Chris Gilmour’s fighter. So that itself adds another dimension to the main event, and we both have confidence in our fighters. But there can be only one winner on the evening,

“I am looking forward to returning to Motherwell, the local support over the last few shows has been great, so its good to reward them with a stacked card like this. On the evening we have eleven fights scheduled and that includes a title fight, and with a licensed bar in the venue, it will be a good evening.

Prospect Boxing and Chris Gilmour present ‘The Steel Men Return’ an evening of Professional Championship Boxing at Ravenscraig Sports Facility on Friday March 8th . Headlined by Gary McCallum v Paul Allison for the Vacant Scottish Middleweight Title.

With a 9 fight undercard it features Rhys Pagan, Mark Parvin, Sean Watson and Ryan Scott. Jordan McCorry, Darren McAdam, Mitch Prince and Alex Montgomery makes his pro debut in the Super Middleweight division.

Tickets are priced at £30 (unreserved) and £40 (ringside) ,and further details are avail from www.prospectboxing.com and www.facebook.com/ProspectBoxing and @ProspectBoxingRavenscraig to host ‘The Steel Men’ as Championship Boxing returns

After confirmation at the end of 2012, Prospect Boxing and Chris Gilmour boxing are pleased to confirm the line up to their March 8th joint promotion at Ravenscraig Sports Facility in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire.

Titled the “ The Steel Men return” the card is topped by Glasgow’s Gary McCallum who takes on Stranraers Paul Allison for the vacant Scottish Middleweight title over ten rounds, while the chief under card slot sees rising flyweight Iain Butcher return to action over 8 rounds.

A full undercard features the talented Rhys Pagan, Mark Parvin, Sean Watson and Ryan Scott. While Jordan McCorry, Darren McAdam, Mitch Prince will also be in action. March 8th also sees Alex Montgomery makes his pro debut in the Super Middleweight division and Martin Taylor at Light Welterweight.

With a eleven fight card in the offering, Co-promotor Paul Graham explains that the main event was an easy choice “We had a few options for the main event, however I feel that Paul (Allison) in with Gary (McCallum) a good domestic fight and both fighters will do nothing but entertain. They both are at the stage were they want to progress there career to the next level, and an area title fight is the way to progress it.

While joint promoting with Chris Gilmour, the former pro referee admits that there is a rivalry between the both “Well Paul Allison is my fighter and Gary McCallum is Chris Gilmour’s fighter. So that itself adds another dimension to the main event, and we both have confidence in our fighters. But there can be only one winner on the evening,

“I am looking forward to returning to Motherwell, the local support over the last few shows has been great, so its good to reward them with a stacked card like this. On the evening we have eleven fights scheduled and that includes a title fight, and with a licensed bar in the venue, it will be a good evening.

Prospect Boxing and Chris Gilmour present ‘The Steel Men Return’ an evening of Professional Championship Boxing at Ravenscraig Sports Facility on Friday March 8th . Headlined by Gary McCallum v Paul Allison for the Vacant Scottish Middleweight Title.

With a 9 fight undercard it features Rhys Pagan, Mark Parvin, Sean Watson and Ryan Scott. Jordan McCorry, Darren McAdam, Mitch Prince and Alex Montgomery makes his pro debut in the Super Middleweight division.

Tickets are priced at £30 (unreserved) and £40 (ringside) ,and further details are avail from www.prospectboxing.com and www.facebook.com/ProspectBoxing and @ProspectBoxing

Las Vegas, Nevada – The world’s longest running sports reality TV series is back as The Ultimate Fighter® returns for its exciting 17th season TONIGHT at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FX with a special two-hour premier show.

Featuring UFC® light heavyweight champion Jon ‘Bones’ Jones and Chael ‘the American Gangster’ Sonnen as coaches, the premier sees several breathtaking fight finishes – including one of the fastest KOs in the history of the series – as 28 of the world’s best unsigned mixed martial artists collide in 14 fight-in eliminators.

And, for the first time in the eight-year history of TUF™, the fighters’ families and friends will be in attendance for the fight-ins as the middleweights throwdown, desperate to earn a spot in the famed TUF House and pursue their dream of a six-figure UFC contract.

Who will be on Team Jones, and who will suit up for Team Sonnen – decisions are made tonight.

Also launching for the premiere is a fantasy bracket style tournament, a competition that challenges players’ skills and strategies. The TUF™ Tournament, the first of multiple fantasy games on UFC.com/Fantasy, will encourage interactivity between fans, rewarding those earning the most points with their picks, and introducing fans to upcoming fighters.

Click links below to view preview videos:

Who’s Next?: http://youtu.be/byaAVv9_MWI

Raise The Stakes: http://youtu.be/g4LpCfA9jfE

Jones vs. Sonnen: http://youtu.be/S7RvB8kERRE

The competitors are:

Dylan Andrews (16-4-1), 32, Gold Coast, AUS
Jake Heun (3-2), 25, Salt Lake City, Utah

Kito Andrews (9-2), 34, Sacramento, Calif.
Nicholas Kohring (3-0), 22, Valley Springs, Calif.

Luke Barnatt (5-0), 24, Cambridge, ENG
Mike Jaspar (6-0), 29, Camarillo, Calif.

Leo Bercier (7-2), 31, Great Falls, Montana
Bubba McDaniel (20-6), 29, Albuquerque, N.M.

Ryan Lee Q. Bigler (9-3), 28, Guam
Frasier Opie (10-5), 25, Milton Keynes, ENG

Kevin Casey (5-2), 31, Hawthorne, Calif.
Frederick Persons (3-0), 28, Stockton, Calif.

Adam Cella (4-0), 27, Fenton, Mo.
Jimmy Quinlan (3-0), 26, Metheun, Mass.

Zak Cummings (15-3), 28, Kansas City, Mo.
Scott Rosa (4-1), 27, Sparks, Nev.

Andy Enz, (6-1), 21, Anchorage, Alaska
Josh Samman (9-2), 24, Tallahassee, Fla.

Nik Fehete (5-1), 32, Las Vegas, Nev.
Gilbert Smith (5-1), 30, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Kelvin Gastelum (5-0), 20, Yuma, Ariz.
Eldon Sproat (3-1), 27, Molohai, Hawaii

Uriah Hall (7-2), 28, New York City, N.Y.
Tor Troeng (15-4-1), 29, Umea, SWE

Collin Hart (4-1-1), 23, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Eric Wahlin (5-1), 29, Taylorsville, Utah

Clint Hester (7-3), 24, Atlanta, Ga.
Timothy Williams (7-1), 26, Millville, N.J.

Many of today’s most recognizable names in the UFC have emerged from the TUF™ series, including, among many others, Forrest Griffin, Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans, and Michael Bisping.

Tune-in and watch who will become the next THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER on FX!

For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter under our new name @TUFonFX or on Facebook.com/TUF.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries and territories, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 30 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed by THQ, and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

FX

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 98 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series Sons of Anarchy and Justified; the miniseries American Horror Story: Asylum; the upcoming drama series The Americans; the acclaimed hit comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer, Wilfred, BrandX with Russell Brand, and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell; and the upcoming comedy Legit. The network’s library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX’s other offerings include the acquired hit series Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother, and live sports with UFC and NCAA football.

NEW YORK (Jan. 22, 2013) – One of the top prospects in boxing, the talented but untested Demetrius Andrade (18-0, 13 KOs), of Providence, R.I., makes his first start for respected trainer Virgil Hunter when he faces aggressive-minded former world title challenger Freddy Hernandez (30-3, 20 KOs), of Lynwood, Calif., in the 10-round junior middleweight main event on ShoBox: The New Generation doubleheader this Friday, Jan. 25, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In a matchup of once-beaten junior welterweights in the 10-round co-feature at Paramount Theater in Huntington, N.Y., Raymond “Tito” Serrano (18-1, 8 KOs), of Philadelphia, meets Emmanuel “Tranzforma” Taylor (15-1, 10 KOs), of Edgewood, Md. The event is promoted by Star Boxing and Banner Promotions.

Hunter, the Boxing Writers Association of America 2011 Trainer of the Year, and Andrade, a world-ranked, 6-foot-1, 24-year-old southpaw, have been together for only a couple of months.

“All coaches get their fair share of calls, and I get some, too,’’ Hunter said. “Demetrius called me and we started talking. I’d been aware of him because he was an Olympian and knew he was a good kid, but once we met I was most definitely very pleased to make his acquaintance. I enjoy working with him.

“Demetrius’ dad did a terrific job with him. He’s a great kid with a great personality and he wants to succeed. I think he has unlimited potential and everything it takes to not only be a future champion but an ambassador for the sport. There’s really a lot of upside to Demetrius. It’s just a matter of time.’’

A former international amateur standout – Andrade (pronounced “Ann-Drade”) was the 2007 World Championships gold medalist at 152 pounds and represented the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games – continues to acclimate himself to the new surroundings in northern California.

“I’ve been training at Virgil’s private gym in Hayward, Calif.,’’ said Andrade, who owns amateur victories over the likes of current world champion Austin Trout and prospects such as Keith Thurmond, Danny Jacobs, Fernando Guerrero, Jack Culcay and Charles Hatley. “I knew Virgil from him being in the amateur program and I just reached out to him. He’s a stand-up guy and everything’s going smoothly. We’re just taking it one step at a time, just getting in shape for this fight.’’

Andrade has steadily ascended in the rankings since turning pro in October 2008. He’s currently rated No. 3 in the IBF and WBO and No. 8 in the WBC. He’s been carefully matched throughout his four-year career but owns a couple of noteworthy victories. He won his three fights in 2012 by knockout inside two rounds, including a second-round TKO over Alexis Hlores in his last start on Sept. 12.

But Hunter and ShoBox expert analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood agree that Hernandez will be the toughest foe to date for Andrade, who’ll be making his ShoBox debut. “On paper this should be his toughest challenge, when you consider the competition the other guy has fought,’’ Hunter said.

Said Farhood, “Demetrius Andrade, along with Gary Russell Jr., was chosen as Most Likely To Succeed from the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. On ShoBox, he’s finally making that next step that will vaunt him from prospect to contender.

“Hernandez is a legit tough guy who’s fought the very best. This is a real test for Andrade, a major step up. Andrade’s been criticized for the level of his opposition, but part of that criticism stems from how easily he’s beaten the fighters put in front of him.

“Hernandez will bring it, so if Andrade’s as good as we think he is, he’ll not only win, but shine.”

Offered Andrade, an athletic, versatile boxer with good skills and movement: “Freddy Hernandez is a great fighter, and we’re going to put on a great show.”

Hernandez fought four former world champions in a row – DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley, Mike Anchondo, Andre Berto and Luis Collazo — between February 2010 and October 2011. “El Riel” went 3-1, winning the final fight of the four-bagger with an exciting 10-round unanimous decision over southpaw Luis Collazo on Oct. 15, 2011.

The brother-in-law of current WBC featherweight kingpin Daniel “Ponce” De Leon, Hernandez, 33, lost his most recent outing to WBC No. 1 contender Erislandy Lara on a 10-round decision on June 20, 2012. The scores in a rough fight were 95-94, 98-91 and 99-90.

“I’m not much of a talker outside of the ring, I’d rather just let my fight inside do the talking for me,’’ said Hernandez, a boxer-puncher who may come out ultra-aggressive against the less-experienced Andrade.

Serrano, a 5-foot-8, 25-year-old, will be fighting for the first time since hooking up with trainer Barry Hunter, who also handles Lamont and Anthony Peterson. It is his first start since a devastating fifth-round knockout loss to Karim Mayfield in a pick ‘em bout on May 18, 2012, that ended with chaos in Serrano’s corner. World-ranked going in, he’d won all 18 of his fights since going pro in October 2007.

“I’ve been with Barry since about July,’’ said Serrano, an accomplished amateur and ambidextrous boxer-puncher who likes to work the body. “After I fought Mayfield, I took some time off and then I got with Barry. I train at his gym and spar with the Petersons. It’s definitely stepped up my level of training. I’ve worked hard and feel it’s made me a stronger fighter.

“I haven’t seen any of Taylor’s fights, but I remember him from the amateur days. The guys in the gym know him from the amateurs and they’re helping me prepare. I’m looking forward to starting the year off right. I learned from my mistakes. I want to accomplish my goal, and become champion of the world.”

Looking back at the Mayfield defeat, Serrano said, “I was surprised how easy it was for me to hit him. He’s strong. He fought a good fight. He caught me with a good shot. I’ll be back.”

Taylor hails from a family of fighters. He was a top amateur before turning pro in March 2009. After opening with 14 consecutive victories, the 5-foot-7½-inch, 22-year-old boxer-puncher came up on the wrong end of a split eight-round decision to Prenice Brewer on Nov. 10, 2011. He regained his winning ways 11 months later when, in his lone bout since losing, won a six-round majority decision over George Dosa on Oct. 12, 2012. Taylor triumphed by the scores of 60-54, 58-56 and 57-57.

“I’ve been getting ready for this fight in Baltimore since Dec. 1,’’ he said. “I’ve worked hard in the gym and I’m ready to show what I’ve got. I’ve got a lot of styles. I can box or bang, but basically I usually box. It depends on the other fighter.

“I’m familiar with Serrano. I know him from the amateurs. He was in my region, so we fought in the same tournaments but he was a little older than me. He’s a good fighter, a good boxer. I give him credit. But absolutely, I’m going to win the fight. I’m just going to use my jab and pressure, and that’s what is going to win me the fight.”

Tickets, priced at $50, $100 and $150, are available through Ticketmaster online www.Ticketmaster.com or phone (800) 745-3000, through The Paramount Box Office (631) 673-7300, the Star Boxing Office (718) 823-2000 or on their website, www.StarBoxing.com. Doors on fight night will open at 7 p.m. ET with the first bell at 8 p.m.

15rounds.com Claudia Bocanegra captured the images of last Saturday night’s championship tripleheader that saw great wins by Mikey Garcia and Gennady Golovkin as well as a disputed draw featuring Juan Carlos Burgos and Roman Martinez

CHESTER, PA (January 22, 2013)—THIS Saturday night, January 26th, It will be a special night inside of Harrahs Philadelphia as a mammoth 12 bout card of boxing will take place to celebrate the two year anniversary of Joey Eye Boxing Promotions & David Feldman’s partnership with the casino.

This will be the tenth show that the duo has put on in Harrahs Philadelphia and they have a great night in store for the fans.

“This will be a special night of boxing in many regards for myself and my partner David Feldman”, said Joey “Eye” Intrieri, founder of Joey Eye Boxing.

“We have been the only ones in the state to put on consistent good shows and have had memorable fights already. We expect to have a long run here and will continue to put on the best fights possible”

“I want to thank the General Manager of Harrahs Ron Baummann plus everyone in the entertainment department as well as our staff and the loyal fan base that comes out time and time again to make this all possible”

In the six round main event, Victor Vasquez (15-7-1, 7 KO’s) will be making his 6th appearance at Harrahs when he takes on Esteban Rodriguez (6-4-1, 1 KO) of Lebanon, PA in a Lightweight bout

DeCarlo Perez (8-2-1, 3 KO’s) of Atlantic City will fight undefeated Dante Moore (8-0-2, 4 KO’s) of Cleveland, OH in a six round Jr. Middleweight bout

In a six round Jr. Welterweight affair, Julio DeJesus (6-3-3, 3 KO’s) of Chester, PA battles Ramon Ellis (4-7-2, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia

Undefeated Light Heavyweight Amir Shabazz (2-0) of Philadelphia will rematch Abdellah Smith (2-4, 2 KO’s) of Queens, NY in a four round rematch

In a four round female Jr. Welterweight bout, undefeated Althea Saunders (3-0-1) of Atlantic City will fight debuting Laura Incarnato of Philadelphia

Undefeated Welterweight Tyrone Crawley Jr. (2-0) of Philadelphia boxes Benjamin Burgos (1-2) of Mount Pocono, PA in a four round bout

In a four round Heavyweight bout, undefeated John Mercurio (5-0, 4 KO’s) of Philadelphia takes on Lonnie Kornegay (1-7-2) of Baltimore, MD

In another four round Heavyweight bout, undefeated Mark Rideout (2-0) takes on Aaron Bratton (0-1) of Baltimore, MD

In a four round Jr. Middleweight, Gilbert Alex Sanchez (2-1, 2 KO’s) of Camden, NJ battles Greg Jackson (2-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia, PA

Undefeated Jovontae Starks (5-0, 4 KO’s) of Minneapolis, MN will fight Chad McKinney (1-0) in a fight that features two undefeated Jr. Middleweights in a bout scheduled for four rounds

In a rematch, Alex Barbosa (4-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will try to make it two straight over Arthur Parker (1-8, 1 KO) of Lancaster, PA

Rounding out the card will be debuting Sam Teah of Philadelphia taking on an opponent to be named in a four round Lightweight bout

Tickets are now on sale for $100 (VIP); $65 (Ringside) and $45 (General Admission) and can be purchased at the Harrahs Philadelphia Gift Shop; By calling Joey Eye (267-304-9399); David

Feldman (610-291-0806); 800-480-8020 or on http://www.webtix.net/

New York, NY (January 21, 2013) – Junior middleweight boxer and philanthropist Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson of New York will be live in studio on “Sports on 1” Tuesday, January 22.

“Sports on 1” airs at 11:30 pm ET on New York 1 (NY1) throughout the New York area and is hosted by Tom McDonald.

Melson, who is 10-1-1 with 4 knockouts, will discuss his February 9 bout at the Barclays Center, the cause he passionately fights for, Team Fight to Walk and how a college course jumpstarted his boxing career.

Fans can ask Boyd a question on the show by calling 212-NY1-TALK or emailing Sportson1@ny1.com.

For more information about “Sports on 1”, please visit NY1.com or check your local listings.

Tickets to Melson’s bout at the Barclays Center are available on TeamFighttowalk.com

Sherman Oaks, Calif. (Jan. 21) – World-rated light welterweight Mike Dallas Jr. (19-2-1, 8 KOs) is geared up for what will be the biggest and most emotional fight of his professional career as he takes on Argentine sensation Lucas Matthysse (32-2, 20 KOs) in a SHOWTIME® Championship Boxing main event on Saturday, January 26 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The SHOWTIME Championship Boxing broadcast begins live on SHOWTIME beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

The upcoming fight will be a monumental one in Dallas’ career and personal life, as it will be his chance of achieving his goal of obtaining a title belt, but also his first bout since losing his father to leukemia last November.

“This fight means a lot to me,” the 26-year-old boxer said. “It’s the biggest fight I’ve had. If I win this fight, it takes me to another level.”

Dallas has dedicated the bout to his late father, Mike Dallas, Sr. He has been gruelingly training with Virgil Hunter to prepare for the 30-year-old Matthysse, who was anointed with the interim WBC Light Welterweight Championship belt after beating the undefeated Ajose Olusegun (30-1, 14 KOs) by technical knockout last September.

Nicknamed “The Silent Assassin,” Dallas has incorporated power with his excellent boxing skills and his persistence in wearing down his opponents, which may prove requisite in defeating Matthysse, who has lost his only two bouts by decision.

Dallas isn’t overcomplicating his approach to the fight as the game plan is mapped out by Hunter the 2011 Trainer of the Year. His plan of attack is to remain true to his style of boxing, speed and quickness.

“I’m just going to be myself and box and take advantage of openings,” the Bakersfield, Calif. native said. “I’ll do what I’ve been taught to do and force him to have to make the adjustments as the fight goes on. I’m just going to be smart and fast.”

“I truly believe that Mike can defy the odds against Matthysse,” said Dallas promoter Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions. “Fights against the likes of Josesito Lopez and Mauricio Herrera, which I thought he won, prepare you for these opportunities.”

The Matthtsse vs. Dallas fight is being promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Box Promotions and Goossen Tutor Promotions.

For more information visit www.goossentutorpromotions.com and follow up on Twitter at GoossenTutor, keep up with the latest using or becoming a GTP fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoossenTutor.

Former world heavyweight title challenger Manuel Charr returns to action on February 22nd in Galati (Romania). The „Diamond Boy“ will defend his WBC Silver International Championship against 35-year old Turk Yakup Saglam. Saglam was scheduled to fight former world champion Ruslan Chagaev on December 1st in Dusseldorf but Chagaev didn’t show up for the weigh-in.

„Chagaev was scared, that’s why he didn’t come to fight me!“, said Saglam. Felix Sturm who promoted the show in Dusseldorf tried to convince former cruiserweight champion Firat Arslan to jump in as last-minute replacement. But Arslan didn’t want to fight Saglam either so the bout was cancelled.

„That two former world champions refused to fight Yakup Saglam tells you a lot about him and his power“, states Charr. „Chagaev just didn’t show up without any reason. I am not like that. I don’t duck anybody. So here I am giving Saglam the fight he has been waiting for for a long time.“

Saglam won 28 of his 29 professional fights with 25 wins coming by way of knockout. His sole loss was a controversial decision awarded to unbeaten German champion Michael Wallisch in April 2011. „I thank Manuel Charr for giving me the opportunity to fight him“, says Saglam. „I hope that he doesn’t decide to chicken out like Chagaev. I am a warrior, I’ll fight anybody. I promise that I will be in top shape on February 22nd and make Charr regret that he offered me this fight.“

The show in Galati will be promoted by EC Boxing and broadcasted live on Eurosport. Charr who promotes himself is paying all costs for his own fight. „I want to remain active and defend my titles to earn another title shot“, says the „Diamond Boy“. „My only goal is to get my hands on Vitali Klitschko again. I just hope that he doesn’t retire before I get a second chance to take the title from him.“

NEW YORK (JANUARY 21, 2013)—On the heels of Saturday night’s controversial WBO Super Featherweight title bout that saw defending champion Roman Martinez receive a gift draw against Juan Carlos Burgos, Burgos promoters Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing are filing a request to the WBO for an immediate rematch.

The bout saw Burgos batter and get the better of Martinez for the duration of the twelve round fight yet only judge Waleska Roldan had the fight scored in favor of Burgos by a tally of 117-111. Somehow judges Tony Paolillo saw the fight for Martinez 116-112 and John Signorile had the fight even at 114-114.

Even before the scores were announced, the HBO broadcast team called into question about the judges as they had 9 combined title assignments with Signorile working his first title bout ever.

HBO Boxing Analyst Max Kellerman went as far to say to “Keep your eye on Paolillo” before the scores were even announced. Kellerman later said he “should not get an assignment on this level…”

The official punch stats showed a 286-193 advantage for Burgos with a 234-164 tally on power punches

HBO also ran a poll where fans sent in their thoughts on who won the fight and an overwhelming 84% of those who participated believed that Burgos should have been awarded the victory and title.

“Juan Carlos won that fight hands down and this week we will file for an immediate rematch”, said Arthur Pelullo, CEO of Banner Promotions.

Continued Pelullo, “The kid worked hard and should be a world champion this morning. We just hope the WBO agrees with what the whole world saw and does the right thing by granting us this rematch”.

Added Alex Camponovo, General Manager of Thompson Boxing, “The draw left Juan Carlos Burgos completely dejected and angry. We all felt the same way as his dream of becoming a champion turned into a New York nightmare. We hope the WBO does not punish a young man who has given everything to his craft since the age of 10 and joined the pros when he was 16 years old. An immediate rematch should be the only solution to a poor ending and I think Martinez’s people and the champion himself know deep down that he did not do enough to retain the belt.”

Below is a sampling of respected boxing media opinions on the fight:

– Mike Rosenthal of Ring Magazine: “This is what bothers me: Juan Carlos Burgos dreams his entire life of winning a major world championship, which so far had eluded him, and then earns that title by dominating the current champion in the ring. Then a bungling judge steals what should’ve been the greatest night of his career. That’s what happened on Saturday, when Burgos clearly outboxed WBO lightweight titleholder Rocky Martinez but had to settle for a draw because of a horrible split decision. The rogue judge was Tony Paolillo, who somehow scored the fight 116-112 (eight rounds to four) for Martinez. The 114-114 score of John Signorile also is baffling. The biggest punches of the fight were the dozens of punishing body shots landed by Burgos. And, according to punch stats, Burgos landed 93 more overall punches and 70 more power punches than Martinez (286-193 and 234-164). That Paolillo and Signorile somehow failed to see that left Burgos (30-1-1, 20 KOs) on the wrong end of yet another injustice in boxing. Shame.”

– Dan Rafäel of espn.com: 116-112 Burgos. “The 24-year-old Burgos (30-1-1, 20 KOs), however, seemed to carry the better of it. He used a hard, sustained body attack throughout the fight. Of the 234 power shots Burgos landed, 118 were to the body, according to CompuBox statistics. Burgos outlanded Martinez (26-1-2, 16 KOs) in 10 of the 12 rounds”

– Harold Lederman-HBO Judge: 117-111 Burgos. On the broadcast, Lederman was quoted as saying, “Burgos carried this fight. I don’t know how you miss it”

– Doug Fischer of Ring Magazine: I scored 115-113 for Burgos.

-Steve Kim of Maxboxing.com: 116-112 Burgos

-Lem Satterfield of Ring Magazine: 115-113 for Burgos

– Kevin Iole of yahoo.com 115-113 for Burgos

With this much discord, the boxing world deserves redemption for this injustice. Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing eagerly await a response from the World Boxing Organization.

January 21, 2013 – Highly touted undefeated super-featherweight prospect, Joel Diaz Jr. (11-0, 10 KOs) will make his well anticipated return to the ring on February 8, 2013, against Canada’s Tyler Asselstine (12-0, 7 KOs). The 10-round co-feature bout takes place at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” will televise the show which is promoted by is Yvon Michel’s GYM Promotions in association with Boxing 360.

Having knocked out his last nine opponents, Diaz looks to continue his reign as one of the biggest power punchers in the division. Asselstine will present a stern step up in competition for Diaz, but one he is looking forward to.

“I’ve been training very hard for the last six months waiting for my named to be called and now that time has come,” said Diaz. “I know this will be a fight where I will have to go to my opponents’ backyard and fight him on his homeland. These are the type of fights that can only make me better. I have complete confidence that I will come out victorious against Asselstine.”

Diaz who fights under the promotional banner of Boxing 360, has been training at “The Summit” in Big Bear, California, with his well know trainer Able Sanchez. Together the two have been working diligently on improving all aspects of Joel’s God given attributes.

“Able is a great trainer and he knows what my strengths are,” Diaz stated. “I know if I listen to his instructions I’m going to become a better fighter. He’s trained many well known fighters and I just want to follow the footsteps of those who’ve made it to the top. Right now I’m feeling very comfortable in the ring fighting both on the inside and out. In addition, my stamina is at an all time high as I’m in the best shape of my life. I want to thank my promoter Mario Yagobi and Boxing 360 for giving me this opportunity.”

Boxing 360 expects Joel Diaz Jr. to have a tremendous 2013. Fans can expect Joel to be fighting frequently in the months ahead. For more information on Joel Diaz Jr. please visit www.boxing360.com.

Up until last week Robert Woge (10-0, 9 KOs) did not even know if he was
going to participate on the bill of the European Light Heavyweight
Championship between Eduard Gutknecht and Juergen Braehmer at the
Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin on February 2. But not only will the prodigy
of coach Ulli Wegner be part of the night, he will also get his first shot
at a professional title, when he takes on Hakim Zoulikha (18-3, 9 KOs) for
the vacant IBF Intercontinental Title.

Woge, who is known for his spectacular and hugely entertaining style of
fighting, is rewarded for his professional attitude when it comes to
training. “I’m constantly keeping myself in shape. This sport isn’t just my
job it’s also my greatest passion. That is why I kept myself active right
after my last fight against Serhiy Demchenko on November 3. And that showed
during the latest fitness test – I have improved in almost every aspect,”
says the light heavyweight.

The only downside to this opportunity: “It is very unfortunate that I got
this chance because of the injury Yoan Pablo Hernandez sustained. We train
together and he is a friend of mine. But obviously, he couldn’t compete in a
championship fight with a fractured hand. However, I believe that he is
happy that I have now earned myself a shot at a professional title. He will
keep his fingers crossed for me”, said Woge.

The 28-year-old is currently preparing himself for Zoulikha at training camp
in Kienbaum. “I am in great shape. The training got more intense at the
beginning of January. However, I know that I do not have an easy task ahead
of me when I square off with Hakim Zoulikha. His record is good and he has
some victories over tough opposition to his name.” Hence, Woge is counting
on the support of the fans. “I will probably be a bit more nervous than I am
normally as this championship opportunity came out of nowhere. That’s why
the fans are very important. I am hoping that the people in Berlin will
stand firmly behind me.”

Tickets for the big fight night at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin,
Germany can be purchased at www.boxen.com and www.eventim.de.

We came to the moment for which we assembled, Saturday, the telling collection of intervals, two predecessors succeeded by the aptly named championship rounds, the young contender, having had the bridge of his nose crushed by the top of the other man’s head, would have to beat back the old champ, making him quit or at least relent enough to bring a satisfyingly definitive conclusion. Instead, his test sheet confidently filled, our prodigy strode to the room’s front and handed it to the proctor, and the proctor nodded sagely, took the crisp leaf from the student, turned, slipped it in the shredder beside his desk, and said: “That’s an A, champ!”

American Mikey Garcia dropped Mexican Orlando Salido four times in the opening four rounds of their Saturday fight for Salido’s WBO featherweight title – tempting, briefly, a line like “Trampler KO-4.” Noticeably, Garcia did not drop Salido again after round 4, though he staggered him a few times, notably in the sixth, after which, at the halfway point of the match, Garcia’s trainer and older brother, Robert, beseeched his charge to knock Salido out before any shenanigans ensued. A couple rounds later, shenanigans ensued when Salido landed a long right hand then brought his head crashing into Garcia’s relocated nose, breaking it. A ringside physician was hastily summoned and convinced noses are not broken in prizefighting, and the match was complicitly waived-off, giving Garcia a technical decision, Salido’s maroon belt and enough exculpation to keep an asterisk out of his biography – even if the young man never protested.

Likely, Mikey Garcia would have passed Salido’s inquisition well enough, but then, likelier still, Sergio Martinez would have made a quite different spectacle from the one he made in his final 90 seconds with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in September, no? The pair of minutes that followed Salido’s splintering Garcia’s cartilage, belaboring his breathing for what was to come and at least fraying the edges of Garcia’s composure, held in them a chance to learn everything left to know about Garcia, but instead left aficionados ignorant of Garcia’s capacity for adversity as we were when the night began.

Saturday’s main event also did nothing to help televised boxing’s mounting credibility problem. Without Larry Merchant to check enthusiasms any longer, HBO’s journalistic role has succumbed to its promotional one, and Showtime – whose Al Bernstein has nearly Merchant’s credibility but whose dissent is a negative thing (it is found in what he doesn’t say about a fight or fighter) – has rapturously embraced the role of “in association with” promoting.

This was what Saturday’s co-main brought on HBO, when, instead of forcing guest commentator Andre Ward to say what he doubtlessly noticed with wide eyes – that limited little Gabriel Rosado couldn’t miss Gennady Godzilla Golovkin with right uppercuts, as many as four in a row – viewers were treated to “middleweight Mike Tyson” comparisons, as if Rosado were a fraction of the light middleweight Michael Spinks was a light heavyweight, as if Tyson needed a corner stoppage after 20 1/2 minutes to finish Spinks rather than 91 seconds. Or is that analogy too much? It is too much, alas, and perhaps less appropriate than Shakespeare, so we’ll have some:

“As on the finger of a thronèd queen
The basest jewel will be well esteemed,
So are those errors that in thee are seen
To truths translated and for true things deemed.”

It is a sense that now overcomes viewers of the showcase events that have in the past composed an unseemly number of HBO matches: Regardless of what the a-side guy does, it will be celebrated. When Mikey Garcia (or Floyd Mayweather) retreats to the ropes, lands a potshot, clinches, and begins canvassing the canvas for a referee, it is at best evidence of the opponent’s inability to get anything done, and at worst a slightly boring but tolerable bit of strategizing by a master boxer. Which is fine, probably, so long as violent endings or accomplished opponents are en route.

But as Golovkin nears his 31st birthday, the best name on his resume remains Kassim Ouma, 2-5 in the 4 1/2 years before Golovkin got him; and while Garcia was probably going to beat Salido comfortably and possibly going to stop him, well. There was nothing to celebrate Saturday, and it does future celebrations no favors to force a celebration over what proved unsatisfying. These things need to happen organically, lest we get cases like Andre Berto or Victor Ortiz or James Kirkland, which seem, somehow, to check fans’ future enthusiasm fractionally much as they multiply their inevitable discontent.

Mikey Garcia is absolutely one of boxing’s best prospective attractions, and Golovkin is almost as likely the beast he appears in the gyms of Big Bear, Calif. But until Garcia is made uncomfortable by an opponent, or allowed, as the case may be, to continue with an opponent whose foul tactics render him uncomfortable, should anyone be sure? And while Golovkin probably is the robotic tenderizer of men’s flesh he appeared while walloping a 154-pounder with five losses – a man, it may be helpful to remember, whom Alfredo Angulo finished in less than a third of Golovkin’s time, at junior middleweight – must the coronation commence already, because it behooves ratings at boxing’s flagship network to manufacture and market new faces to viewers?

No and no – those are the answers, but since no one likes a scold, here’s a better note: Saturday’s three-fight card from New York was an excellent matchmaking start to HBO’s 2013, bereft of what cynicism we’ve seen from the network in bygone days; the main event featured two fighters from one promoter, yes, but Salido was universally believed a stern test for Garcia and proved to be, or would have. Neither fighter in the co-main belonged to the main-event’s promoter, and that too was excellent. There is quality control afoot at HBO, and since the on-air talent is going to sell instead of report to viewers whatever happens in front of them, this is something welcome as it is overdue.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Cornwall, Ontario, Canada (January 20, 2013) – Rising junior welterweight Tony “Lighting” Luis, 15-0 (7 KO’s), will now face rugged veteran Jose “Loco” Hernandez January 25 on ESPN Friday Night Fights at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.

The quick-handed Canadian’s original foe Miguel Gonzalez withdrew, citing an illness and opening the door for Hernandez.

With an extremely deceptive 13-6-1 record, Hernandez battled six unbeaten foes and was on the wrong end of a disputed decision more than once. The Waco, TX native lost in controversial fashion to Matt Remillard, Michael Angelo Perez, Oscar Meza and Luis Ramos, coming in as the B-side in each of those bouts. He also owns impressive victories against Aaron Garcia, Noe Bolanos and Jairo Sanchez, while fighting to a draw against Mickey Bey.

“Jose Hernandez is a very difficult opponent and there’s a reason he’s never been in a rematch,” said Luis’ promoter Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions. “To be honest, I think he’s tougher than Gonzalez and Tony will definitely be tested, but I expect him to pass with flying colors. I think Tony’s the real deal and this is the next step on his journey to be a world champion.”

Tickets are available by going to Ticketmaster.com/event/00004983ADD5CF2D?artistid=850878&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=33 and fans can interact with Tony via Facebook at Facebook.com/tony.luis.14.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has to decided to retire as he lacks the desire to continue his career and wants to preserve his long term health.

“When you stay in the sport too long you have health problems. That’s a big, big thing for me,” Pavlik said. “I’m not talking about now. I’m talking about in the future. I’m talking about when I’m 55 or 60. What’s gonna happen to me then? Why take any more chances, especially in that sport. It’s a brutal sport and you never know what can happen.

“I won the world title, I defended my title, I was champ for three years and I made good money. Why take the chance of medical problems? That’s a big part of it. I also don’t think the drive is there anymore. I’m moving on to a new chapter in my life.”

“I’ve been a pro for 13 years and doing this since I was 9,” he said. “I go away for two or three months at a time (to train) and I’m tired of leaving my family. It comes to a point where you just don’t want to do that anymore. I put my money away and then with the Ward fight being canceled, well, health and time with my family is more important at this stage, especially with no guaranteed big fight or date.

“I love Kelly. He did a lot of great things. He’s a friend and a great guy to know,” said Pavlik’s manager Cameron Dunkin, who is in New York because his fighter, Miguel Angel “Mikey” Garcia challenges for a featherweight world title against Orlando Salido in Saturday night’s HBO main event. “It was a great experience working with Kelly and I’m very happy for him making his decision.

“All the stuff he accomplished, when people said he couldn’t, when they were down on him earlier in his career and said he would never do anything, I believed in him and knew what he could do. I am so proud of what he accomplished.”

“I had a pretty good career,” Pavlik said. “I was 40-2 and I only lost to two of the best guys, Martinez and Hopkins. I’m content. It’s not like I got knocked out. It’s not like I got knocked out the way Manny Pacquiao got knocked out (in December by Juan Manuel Marquez).

“I’m fine physically. But I feel like why keep pushing the envelope? I made it this long and this far and I have had fights that were tough fights. I got dropped by Jermain Taylor, got dropped earlier in my career. But you constantly take punches and it all adds up. When you’re done, you might have brain problems, you might be punchy, you might develop Parkinson’s. Why push it? I don’t need it and my heart’s not in it anymore. So why take the chances? I’ve been very fortunate up to this point.”

“I know this — if it had been me who pulled out of the Ward fight, I would have been reamed. At this stage, I am just tired of the negativity and comments and a whole bunch of things. But I know people will think I’m drinking and it will be the first thing people go after.”

“I was contemplating it even before the last fight (in July),” Pavlik said. “Then they came up with the Andre Ward fight and I guess I got the motivation back. But I had been thinking about retiring and when the Ward fight fell out, that was icing on the cake for me.”

“For two or three years, she was telling me she wants me to be done. She said when I got to the age of 30, she wanted me to retire, so she backed it,” Pavlik said. “Her biggest fear was long-term (physical) affects of boxing. My parents are behind it. They always said if I am not going into the ring 100 percent mentally ready, they didn’t want me doing it, so they’ve been supportive of it.”

“As of right now, being a fighter and doing this since I was 9 and being at the level I’ve been at, I’m done,” Pavlik said. “Is out of the question would I come back? I can’t say that but then you can’t rule it out. But as of now, it’s legit.”

The Theater at Madison Square Garden played host to three of boxing’s most anticipated fights as Top Rank in association with K2 Promotions showcased three world title fights in one night. The main event was a breakout performance for Mikey Garcia (30-0, 26 KOs, 125 ½lbs) who took on WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido (39-11-2, 27 KOs, 126lbs). Things started quickly for Garcia when a left hook dropped Salido, who was lunging in with his head low. Not long afterwards, another spectacular punch sent Salido down again. After a dominant second round, Garcia knocked Salido down for a third time with another blow that Salido just simply didn’t see. This time it was a right uppercut. Garcia’s patience against the veteran Salido was impressive. Salido had been down countless times in the past, and Garcia made sure that he wouldn’t make a mistake despite his dominant start. To open the fourth round, a short right hand tagged Salido and sent him down yet again. Four knockdowns in four rounds, but none of them were particularly devastating. Salido quickly made it up to his feat each time, but despite stilly seemingly looking okay, Salido was sitting on an eight point deficit after only four rounds, and he was being thoroughly outclassed by his younger opponent.

Garcia is the textbook definition of an economical fighter. He doesn’t move unless it is to put his opponent in an unfavorable position where it would be difficult to land clean punches. He doesn’t throw punches for the sake of throwing punches. Each punch matters and they all serve a greater purpose. The left hooks that sent Salido down were simply short hooks that caught Salido with his head down trying to lunge inside. Other left hooks were thrown to shift Salido’s head into perfect range for his right hand.

There was only so much Salido could do to respond. He opened up the fifth round in a much more aggressive manner. He wasn’t going to tire Garcia out with the way he had been fighting, so he worked towards mauling Garcia against the ropes, leaning his body weight onto Garcia’s hoping to tire him out with sheer physicality. While Salido’s sloppier tactics improved things a bit, Garcia was still in total control. For every successful punch that Salido landed, Garcia landed an even more impressive one; often buckling the knees of Salido. By the eighth round, Salido came in with a right hook, and his head came forward, smashing into Garcia’s face. It created a loud smacking noise heard many rows back. After the round ended and Garcia walked towards his corner, it was clear that he had suffered a broken nose. Referee Benjy Esteves Jr. called in both ringside physicians to observe Garcia’s injury, and they both decided that Garcia was unfit to continue. Due to the accidental headbutt fight came to the scorecards, which were all in Garcia’s favor by a wide margin. The official scores read 79-70, 79-69, 79-69, giving Garcia the victory and his first world title.

Rising sensation Gennady Golovkin (24-0, 21 KOs, 160lbs) had a strong Kazakhstan showing when he defended his middleweight title against the talented Gabriel Rosado (21-5, 13 KOs, 159lbs). Golovkin’s reputation preceded him as in the first few rounds; Rosado utilized a great deal of movement and was very hesitant to throw punches. Golovkin was not flustered by this and walked Rosado down into the ropes and landed some strong blows. In the second round, a right hand from Golovkin opened up a cut over the left eye of Rosado, and it wasn’t long before the blood started pouring out of it. Golovkin just continued to apply the pressure, giving Rosado no room to breathe. Referee Steve Smoger kept a close eye on Rosado’s cut, which was getting worse and worse, and it looked like he was ready to stop the action, but Rosado’s cutman was able to contain the bleeding just a bit, but it was an impossible task. In the seventh round, Golovkin seemed to be going for the KO, and that was when Rosado’s corner stepped up onto the apron and threw in the towel. Golovkin successfully defended his title with a seventh round technical knockout at the 2:46 mark of round seven.

In an interesting matchup, Roman Martinez (26-1-1, 16 KOs, 129lbs) Juan Carlos Burgos (30-1, 20 KOs, 129 ½lbs) squared off in what looked to be an interesting clash of styles. The bout started off in an entertaining fashion as Martinez was able to get inside of Burgos’ rangy offense. Both fighters landed hard blows in the opening rounds, but Burgos’ size and movement seemed to be in control. He often ripped hard hooks to the body from a great distance, and they were taking their toll on Martinez’ body. The pace hit a plateau in the middle rounds. Burgos maintained control of the fight, but neither fighter seemed to kick it into a higher gear, and the fans became a bit frustrated. The pace continued in this fashion until the final bell. Most in attendance had Burgos winning the fight clearly. The final scores read 117-111 for Burgos, 116-112 for Martinez, and 114-114, making it a disappointing split draw. He result drew boos from the crowd.

Sean Monaghan (16-0, 10 KO’s, 177 1/2lbs) was the final non-televised bout when he faced Roger Cantrell (15-2, 8 KO’s, 184 1/2lbs). In addition to his weight advantage, Cantrell also had a sizeable height advantage over his opponent, and he stuck behind his jab to open the fight. Monaghan was able to slip underneath and get inside Cantrell’s range to land some blows of his own. The second round saw Monaghan land multiple unanswered combinations on Cantrell. In the third, Cantrell’s size and weight seemed to come into play and he went on the offensive. The middle rounds saw things level out as both fighters exchanged some heavy blows. But it was Monaghan whose blows were harder, more frequent, and more precise. Cantrell’s stamina seemed to wither and his punches lacked pop. Monaghan used that opportunity to wisely go to the body. Cantrell managed to weather the storm and survive until the final bell. The final scores read 77-75, 78-74, and 79-73 in favor of Monaghan, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

Rising star Glen Tapia (16-0, 9 KO’s, 153 1/2lbs) made short work of Ayi Bruce (14-8, 8 KO’s, 153 1/4lbs) in their bout. Tapia was just simply too big, too strong, too fast, and too smart for Bruce. He opened up the bout mixing things up from a distance with combinations to the body and head. Bruce had no answer. After a successful first round, Tapia became more aggressive. After a hard combination, Bruce was shaken and forced to cover up and weather the storm. Tapia beautifully began landing to the body, which forced Bruce to drop his guard just enough to allow Tapia to land a left followed by a right hook that sent Bruce down.

Bruce beat the count but was on very shaky legs. Tapia went in for the kill and landed about a dozen blows before the referee jumped in and saved Bruce at the 2:33 mark of the second round, giving Tapia a TKO victory.

Puerto Rican Olympian Felix Verdejo (1-0, 0 KO, 130 ½lbs) needed only two punches to knock out Tomi Archambault (1-3, 1 KO, 129 ½lbs). The opening bell rang, and Verdejo threw a left hook to Archambault’s body followed by a fast left hook that landed on his chin. That was all it took, and Verdejo was victorious with a TKO victory in only :21 of the first round.

In an exciting cruiserweight match, Isa Akberbayev (10-0, 7 KOs, 196 ½lbs) and Anthony Ferrante (12-4, 7 KOs, 196lbs) exchanged hard blows for ten rounds. Neither fighter took time getting to know eachother. Near the end of the first round, a right hand to the side of Akberbayev’s head sent him down. The knockdown did not seem to have any lasting effects and when the fighters continued, with only a few seconds to go, Akberbayev landed a right hand that sent Ferrante down. The fight cooled off a bit, but both fighters still traded hard blows. Ferrante’s size and ability to use it well seemed to tire Akberbayev. That, plus a cut that Akberbayev suffered midway through the bout seemed to trouble him throughout the second half of the fight. Entering the final round, Ferrante’s trainer shouted that he needed a knockout to secure a victory even though it seemed like he was ahead on points. Ferrante, calm as ever, shared a laugh with referee Randy Newman before entering the tenth round and landing a vicious right hand that knocked Akberbayev out cold and face first on the canvas. The bout was waved off, and Ferrante was credited with a tenth round knockout at the 1:19 point.

Mikael Zewski (17-0, 13 KOs, 149 ½lbs) scored three knockdows en route to stopping Brandon Hoskins (16-3-1, 8 KOs, 146lbs). All three knockdowns came in the fourth round and the referee called a halt to the action at 1:42 of the round, giving Zewski a TKO victory.

The judges gave Ronald Ellis (6-0, 6 KOs, 168 ½lbs) every round when he took on Steven Tyner (3-9-2, 2 KOs, 170lbs). The scores all read 40-36 in favor of Ellis for the unanimous decision victory.

It was a classic. In a town that enjoys a classic brawl so few and far between, the Minneapolis Convention Center was treated to one for the storybooks when Caleb Truax finally met Matt Vanda with Minnnesota middleweight supremacy on the line.

Minnesota boxing, for all intents and purposes waved goodbye to an icon, as Matt Vanda came up short against his probable successor Caleb Truax in a 10 round unanimous decision. The state’s strongest ticket sellers in this era were able to generate a strong crowd, and supplement the atmosphere with an absolute show.

Minnesota’s middleweight champion, Caleb Truax, solidified his title by outclassing the St. Paul native over ten rounds, despite sporadic rallies from Vanda. The veteran, Vanda, attempted to win the mental war over the younger Truax by raising his hand in triumph following a flurry midway through the bout. The Osseo native, Truax, showed poise, and was able to answer back with strong combinations throughout the fight, and eventually silence a pro-Vanda crowd.

The electricity was amplified in the late rounds of the bout, as the always energetic Vanda fan base urged their fighter on, but to little success. Vanda was outgunned by the younger, faster and stronger fighter from the early going. In a bout that truly served as a shot in the arm to the sport of boxing in Minnesota, Truax reigned supreme and showed promise of a new era, just as Vanda did so many times in the past decade.

The bout was complimented by a strong undercard line up which featured an instant local classic between Charles Meir and Travis Perzynski. Both fighters tasted the canvas, in an all out war, as Meir was able to outlast the less experienced Perzynski over eight rounds.

A man dubbed as one of the state’s strongest punchers pound for pound, put his power on display, when Muhammad Kayongo went toe to toe with Gilbert Venegas in a six round slugfest. Kayongo was able to slide the uppercut through the cover of Venegas all too often, and pull out a unanimous decision victory in a well contested bout.

Also in action were lightweight standouts Jeremy Mclaurin, who made his way back into the win column by beating Dewayne Wisdom, and Tony Lee who topped Leonard Overstreet, both in decision victories.

If you haven’t heard of Sergey Kovalev you’re not alone. Until tonight not many have. But after an emphatic stoppage win over a top 5 opponent in Gabriel Campillo (on network TV no less!), it’s safe to say we’ll all be seeing more of Kovalev in the near future. So impressive was his destruction of Campillo that he may have actually made it hard for himself to get a big fight any time soon.

Campillo was legitimately world class and only recently lost a highly debatable decision to light heavyweight champ Tarvoris Cloud. Kovalev apparently didn’t get the memo as he steamrolled right though Campillo without a second thought. From the onset, Kovalev threw as if Campillo was merely a heavy bag that needed a good working over. Campillo seemed at a loss and was unable to keep Kovalev’s bombs from getting through his guard. About 30 seconds into round 3 Kovalev’s punches finally showed an effect on Campillo, who became trapped along the ropes and went down on all fours amid a flurry of punches. After beating the count, Campillo was again subjected to a flurry of Kovalev’s punches and wisely took a knee to compose himself. It didn’t help. When he finally did rise, he tried to back away from the onrushing Kovalev and ended up eating a hard right hand going backwards that dumped him on the seat of his pants. Referee Michael Ortega had seen enough and called of the fight at 1 minute 30 seconds of round three. Make no mistake, Kovalev (now 20-0-1 17kos)can certainly crack. It remains to be seen how good he truly is, but the way in which he dismantled Campillo makes me think it’ll be fun to find out. Campillo (21-5-1 7kos) on the other hand, simply can’t catch a break. After dropping a number of close fights and now being destroyed by Kovalev, Campillo’s risk/reward factor is off the charts. And not in a good way. It’s hard to imagine any top fighter who would want to fight him so it could be a long road back to the top for Campillo.

If you blinked, you might have missed the NBC Sports Net co-main event between middleweights Elvin Ayala and Curtis Stevens. Less than a minute into the first round, Stevens landed a picture perfect counter left hook that dumped Ayala to the canvas. Although he beat the count, Ayala was on shaky legs when he was allowed to continue and Stevens immediently took advantage; unleashing a flurry of punches that was punctuated by a left hook that laid Ayala out cold. Stevens(now 23-3 17kos) looked impressive taking care of Ayala so quickly and his stock will surely rise based solely on the severity of the knockout. Ayala (now 26-6-1 12kos) had been on the receiving end of a number of brutal knockouts and should probably being to start thinking about calling it a career.

In the opening bout of the evening, heavyweights Jarrell Miller and Joey Dawejko batteled to a 4 round draw. The fight was completely one sided with Miller throwing more and landing the harder, cleaner shots throughout. The fight was ruled a draw solely on the two points referee Johnny Callas took from Miller in round 3. Miller had pushed Dawejko to the canvas numerous time throughout the preceding 2 rounds, but it was unclear why the points were deducted as Dawejko was on his feet both times the points were taken. Whatever the reason, the 2 points were the reason all three judges scored the bout 37-37. Miller now stands at 4-0-1 (4kos). Dawejko adds his second draw and is now 7-1-2 (3kos).

A six round super featherweight bout between Joseph “Chip” Perez and Jason Sosa ended early courtesy of a Sosa right hand in round 4. The fight started poorly for Perez, who suffered a flash knockdown on a right hand to the midsection late in round 1. The knockdown happened as Perez was moving backward and though it did no damage, it did serve to animate Perez who fought back hard in rounds 2 and 3 to try and make up for the lost point. Sosa made the rounds close though by matching Perez punch for punch. Amid a heated exchange in the 4th, Sosa turned the fight with a lead right hand that caught Perez flush on the chin. Perez beat the count but was declared unfit to continue by referee Johnny Callas, who called the fight at 2 minutes 10 seconds. With the win, Sosa improved to 8-1-3 (4kos) while Perez dropped to 10-2 (3kos).

Super Middleweight Marcus Upshaw overcame some early troubles to knockdown and eventually knock out Vladine Biosse. Upshaw was being outworked over the first three rounds but started to pick up the pace in round 4. He began to land his right hand with regularity and in round 5, was able to floor Biosse with it after setting it up with a well timed jab. Biosse beat the count and was able to recover enough to make rounds 6 and 7 competitive. Upshaw was able to stop the momentum Biosse was building in round 8 when he again landed a perfect 1-2 that dropped Biosse to the canvas. Biosse rose but absorbed enough punishment over the course of 20 seconds to cause referee Tony Chiarantano to stop the fight. Upshaw runs his record to 15-8-1 (6kos) while Biosse slips to 14-2-1 (7kos). Time of the stoppage was 2:25 of round 8.

Lightweight Edwin Cotto (1-0 1Ko) made a successful pro debut by stopping Ian James (2-5-1 1Ko) within the scheduled 4 round distance. Cotto was never in any trouble and landed almost everything he threw. He dropped James in rounds 2 and 3 and ultimately stopped him in round 4; knocking him backward into referee Michael Ortega who wisely stopped the fight. Time of the stoppage was 18 seconds.

Welterweight Jimmy Williams got a little help from Curtis Stevens, whose 1st round KO of Elvin Ayala allowed his pro debut to be broadcast to millions on network TV. Williams didn’t shrink from the moment and batter his opponent, Noel Garcia, before stopping him impressively. Williams scored a knockdown in round 3 via a left hook, right hand, left hook combo. Garcia beat the count and survived the round, but probably wishes he hadn’t. In round 4 Williams landed a crushing right uppercut, left hook combo that knocked Garcia cold. It was about as good a way to make a pro debut as one could imagine. Williams is now 1-0 1Ko while Garcia drops to 2-16-2 1Ko. Time of the stoppage was 39 seconds of round 4.

Deontay Wilder kept his perfect knockout record intact by disposing of Matthew Greer in round two of a scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout.

Wilder dropped Greer from a hard right hand in round two and moments later the fight was ended after a combination put Greer to his knees.

Wilder, 225 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is now 27-0 with twenty-seven knockouts. Greer, 240 lbs is now 15-9.

Robinson Castellanos scored a first round stoppage over Edgar Ramirez in a scheduled ten round Featherweight bout.

Castellanos dropped Ramirez with a left hook and a second knockdown was registered from a right hand and the bout was stopped at 1:49 of round one.

Castellanos. 126 lbs of Cumajuato, MX is now 17-9 with eleven knockouts. Ramirez, 124 1/2 lbs of Hermoso, MX is now 13-6

Ivan Morales scored a spectacular one punch knockout over Patricio Camacho in the opening frame of their scheduled eight round Bantamweight bout.

Morales landed a perfect right hook that put Camacho flat on his back and the fight was immediately stopped at Forty-Seven seconds.

Morales, 117.7 lbs of Tijuana, MX is 20-0 with thirteen knockouts. Camacho, 114 lbs of Gusuave. MX is now 16-8-1

In a scheduled six round Middleweight bout, Francisco Reza scored a fourth round stoppage over Roberto Ventura.

Reza is now 11-5 with nine knockouts. Ventura is now 11-7.