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Latest Boxing News
 Tribal Commission Changes McKart - Marquez
By: Keith Terceira The Saginaw Chippewa Boxing Commission has officially corrected their call of the Raul Marquez - Bronco McKart bout that took place March 29th, at the Soaring Eagle Casino in MT. Pleasant, Michigan. The outcome of the bout has been ruled a majority draw. According to the McKart camp both the ABC and Fight-Fax have already been notified of the changes and suspects that Raul Marquez has as well. Fight Fax returned my email today confirming that they had received the correction from the tribal commission. This change throws a curve at the IBF who have already approved the bout between Marquez and Giovanni Lorenzo for an eliminator bout. One IBF official who had been following the developments thinks this may put McKart into the ratings and that the entire matter is going before the Championship Committee.  N’dou strictly business for champ Malignaggi
SIRACUSA, Sicily (May 1, 2008) – IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi has shifted training camp from Vero Beach (Florida) to Sicily in preparation for his May 24 rematch with Lovemore N’dou on the Ricky Hatton-Juan Lazcano card in Manchester, England. Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KOs) captured the IBF title last June by defeating champion N’dou (46-9-1, 31 KOs) by unanimous 12-found decision. Paulie successfully defended his belt this past January with a 12-round decision against No. 1 contender Herman Ngoudjo (16-1).
Fighting an opponent he thoroughly outclassed (120-106, 120-106, 118-108) less than a year ago, flooring him in the process, has all the makings of a potential trap fight for Malignaggi, especially with a potential mega-deal on the table to fight Ricky Hatton this fall in New York City, pending wins May 24 by both fighters.
“I’m just working on getting the job done May 24th,” Malignaggi explained. “I’m focused on doing my job on this card, not looking any deeper than I have to. I’m training in Sicily to get acclimated to the time change (like England, 6 hours difference from the East Coast of the U.S.). I have connections here and everything was set-up for me, including my sparring partners. I trained two weeks in Vero Beach with Buddy (McGirt, head trainer) and he’ll catch up with us in Sicily.
“N’dou is a pressure fighter who fights at a high pace. I just have to stay consistent and fight like I did our first fight. I’ll force him into making adjustments. He has to try and get to me, come to me, not stay on the outside. He’s been the same fighter for a long time and I don’t expect anything much different this fight.”
Malignaggi was born in Brooklyn but his Italian immigrant parents moved back to Siracuse, Sicily when Paulie was only a few months old. Six years later, the family decided to move back to the United States, but Paulie’s professional soccer playing father, Nello, stayed only a few weeks before returning to live in Siracuse.
McGirt predicts Malignaggi will be ready for N’dou once again. “N’dou brought in Boza Edwards to train him and I know they’ll be concentrating more on a body attack,” Buddy said. “They’ll judge Paulie off of his last fight (against Ngoudjo) and try to do a couple of things differently. Once things don’t go his way, hopefully, N’dou will go back to fighting the way he always does. “Paulie won’t be looking ahead to Hatton. He never mentioned Hatton’s name in the two weeks he trained here (Vero Beach). Paulie learned a tough lesson against Ngoudjo, looking ahead to talks about fighting Hatton. There’s no Hatton fight unless he wins this fight. Paulie will be ready.”  Remillard defends WBC Youth title in Hartford
Headlining “Connecticut Conquest” June 13 at the Connecticut Convention Center HARTFORD (May 1, 2008) – WBC Youth featherweight champion Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard makes his title defense June 13 against Mexican challenger Jose Magallon in the 10-round main event headlining “Connecticut Conquest” at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.
“Connecticut Conquest,” promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc., will be taped live and air Saturday, June 14 at 7 PM/ET on CN8/The Comcast Network, as well as Friday, June 20 at 8 PM/ET on Cox Sports Television. Remillard (13-0, 7 KOs), who hails from nearby Manchester, captured the WBC Youth crown this past January with a convincing 10-round decision versus Manuel Perez (11-3), ending Matt’s 16-months inactive stretch due to a wrist injury that twice required surgery. Remillard won a stay-busy fight March 21 with a win by four-round against veteran Jesus Salvador Perez. Mexican-native Magallon (8-4, 2 KOs), fighting out of Las Vegas, has won two in a row. In the eight-round co-feature, unbeaten Connecticut heavyweight Tony “TNT” Grano (13-0-1, 11 KOs), 2005 U.S. Nationals champion, takes on the stiffest test of his young career, Thomas Hayes (26-2, 18 KOs), of Chicago. “Boxing is alive in Connecticut and six of the fighters on this card are from Connecticut,” promoter Jimmy Burchfield said. “This is a Connecticut show and we’re very excited about this card and being back in this beautiful building. The Connecticut Convention Center really wants to have boxing here.” A six-round Special Welterweight Attraction pits Hartford’s Israel “Pito” Cardona (36-9, 26 KOs) against New Bedford (MA) police officer Jason “School Boy” Pires (20-3, 9 KOs) in an intriguing match-up of former champions. Cardona, who unsuccessfully fought Paul Spadafora for the IBF lightweight championship nearly nine years ago, once held the IBO super featherweight and light welterweight belts, as well as the USBA and NABF lightweight crowns. “Pito” announced that this will be his last fight. Former USBA super bantamweight title-holder Pires has not fought in more than five years during which time he attended college and became a police officer. Others scheduled to fight June 13 against opponents to be determined include Hartford favorite, junior welterweight and prison guard Addy Irizarry (4-1, 2 KOs); Ledyard (CT) super middleweight Brian Macy (3-0, 1 KO), 2000 National PAL amateur champion and University of Connecticut graduate; Hartford super middleweight Tylon Burris (1-0, 1 KO). Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday, May 2) and priced at $35.00 (VIP Bronze), $55.00 (VIP Silver), $80.00 (VIP Gold), $100.00 (Diamond) and $150.00 (Jimmy’s Platinum Club VIP). To purchase tickets go to or call CES (401.724.2253/2254), Connecticut Convention Center (860.249.000), Manchester PAL (860.645.6261), Willy’s Gym (860.614.2281), Connecticut Restorations (860.528.6800), Strikezone Gym (860.444.2845), L.A. Boxing Gym (860.221.5987) and 401 Boxing (401.261.9800). For more information call CES (401.724.2253/2254), the Connecticut Convention Center (860.249.6000), or go on line at www.cesboxing.com. Doors open at 6 PM/ET, first bout 7 PM/ET. PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES Matt Remillard: “September, 2006 I fought for my first title (WBC Youth super featherweight) in Hartford. I was here (CCC) here then and I’m proud again to be fighting here June 13. But I fractured my wrist in that fight. I’m fighting Jose Magallon, a very tough Mexican, who is a very exciting fighter. With my style it’s going to be head-to-head. I’m looking forward to hurting people again. I believe I have heavy hands. I’m looking forward to bringing Hartford the best fight it’s every seen. This will be my first time headlining in the main event. I’m moving at the right pace. I’m only 21, 13-0, and there’s no rush. I’m looking forward to moving up in the ratings. I’m very excited to be fighting on this card with ‘Pito’ in his last fight. He’ll be remembered as one of the greatest fighters ever to come out of Hartford. I want to pack the house June 13th.”
Tony Grano: “Only four fighters to win the National Championships have been from Connecticut in the lat 81 years and I’m proud to be the only heavyweight. This fight will be against my toughest opponent. He’s 26-2 with 18 knockouts. I’m looking forward to fighting on the same card with Matt Remillard, ‘Pito’ Cardona, Ty Burris, Addy and Brian Macy. It’s going to be a great night and I’m going to put on a great show.” Israel Cardona: “I’ve been here before but this fight is important for me and not just because it’s here. No excuses, no complaints; I’ve done everything I can. I’ve gotten some new fans in the last three years, but I’m retiring after this fight. Things haven’t gone my way and I don’t see pursuing my career at my age because of the politics of the game. I tried to get back to the top, but the odds were against me. I don’t know why Jason is taking this fight. I know him, we’ve sparred together, but he’s making a big mistake doing this. This is my last hurrah and then I’ll pass the torch to Remillard, (Mike) Oliver and Grano. They’ll take over the local scene. I’ll still be involved in boxing somehow. I got to No. 1 in the world pretty much on my own. I have nothing to complain about.” Addy Irizarry: “I’m really looking forward to fighting in the Connecticut Convention Center with so many good fighters on this card. I’ve trained hard for this fight. It’s going to be an exciting night of boxing.” Brian Macy: “I started as an amateur a long time ago in Hartford, but this venue is a lot nicer. Hartford’s a great fight town. The great Willie Pep was from here. I hope to continue the (boxing) legacy. I’m very happy to be fighting here. Ty Burris: “I want to thank John Scully for taking me on as my head trainer. There’s going to be a lot of great boxing on June 13th.”  TSURKAN SCORES CAREER BEST VICTORY
New York- April 25, 2008, Ukrainian born and Bronx resident Andrey Tsurkan (26-3 17KO) scored the biggest win of his career Friday night as he outgunned fellow tough guy Jesse Feliciano (15-7-3 9KO), scoring a TKO at 1:17 in the eighth round of a scheduled ten round Jr. Middleweight contest, at The Utopia Paradise Theater in The Bronx, NY. The fight was televised live on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights.
The fight was as advertised, with both guys locking horns right from the opening bell. Both styles were mirror images of each other as the fighters stood at close quarters trading freely.
Tsurkan landed a picture perfect right hand late in the round, which dropped Feliciano for a short count and then followed up with crisp combinations, which had Feliciano on rubber legs as the bell sounded ending the round. Feliciano came out strong in round two as the fighters once again engaged each other, both landing big shots. The fight went back and forth but it was clear that Tsurkan's punches were cleaner and crisper but Feliciano would always try and answer. As the fight entered the eighth round, it seemed Tsurkan had built a clear lead.
Midway through the round, with Feliciano refusing to take a step backwards and Tsurkan landing heavy and damaging blows, referee Benji Esteves called a halt to the fight as Feliciano was taking a lot of punishment due to Tsurkan's relentless assault. Everyone applauded Esteves' decision in stopping the fight, as Tsurkan was certainly inflicting damage on the game Feliciano, who has proven time and time again what a real warrior he is. This was a thrilling crowd-pleasing brawl, which had the fans in attendance on their feet throughout.
The semifinal eight round Heavyweight contest saw Poland's Albert Sosnowski improve to 43-1 (26 KO) with a fifth round stoppage of game Terrell “Baby Bull” Nelson (8-5 5KO). Sosnowski was making his American television debut. Albert showed poise throughout as he withstood an early assault from Nelson.
Sosnowski landed the more telling blows as both fighters set a good pace. Sosnowski landed a beautiful right uppercut followed by a clean left hook, which dropped Nelson in the fifth round. The end was in sight as Nelson arose and fought back bravely but referee Wayne Kelly stopped the fight at 0:52 of the fifth as Sosnowski landed numerous clean punches.
Under card action was plentiful. The evening started off with Heavyweights Joe Hanks (2-0 1KO) and Corey Winfield (2-4 2KO) locking up in an entertaining four round bout won by Hanks 40-36,39-37 39-37.
The second bout of the evening featured Middleweights Bryant Pappas (6-0 6KO) and Mike Terry (1-3 1KO). Both fighters came out swinging for the fences but Pappas' persistence paid off as he stopped the game Terry midway through the third round of a scheduled four round bout.
In a wild four round Featherweight contest Eddie Irizarry (2-0 1KO) thrilled his large contingent of fans stopping Jean Ramos (0-1) at the end of the first round. The action was frenetic from the opening bell. Irizarry dropped Ramos with a neat left-right combination but Ramos came back firing as he caught Irizarry with a huge left hook staggering into the ropes. Irizarry came right back and landed monster shots as Ramos went down again near the end of round and was unable to continue as the bell sounded ending round one. This one had the fans going wild.
In an upset Clarence Moore (5-3-1 5KO) avenged an earlier loss to hometown favorite Jon Schneider (7-2-1 5KO) knocking out Schneider at 2:48 of round two of a scheduled four round Cruiserweight bout. Schneider was impressive early but walked into short uppercut followed by a left hook, which stunned him badly. Moore seized the opportunity and landed a vicious uppercut, which put Schneider on the deck for the count.
Hot Welterweight prospect Raymond Serrano Jr. (5-0 3KO) won a hard fought four decisions over journeyman Damon Antoine (7-24-1 3KO). Serrano, just 18 years old, displayed poise and sharp punching over the course of the fight winning by scores of 40-36,40- 36, 39-37.
The nearly sold out crowd was treated to a highly entertaining, action filled evening of boxing. Star Boxing head honcho Joe DeGuardia was thrilled by the evening's fights. “This was a throwback to the glory days of boxing. Each fighter who participated tonight came to fight and tried to win. I am very proud of the performances they gave all of us in attendance and those who watched on ESPN2.”
 BANNER SIGNS FIVE FIGHTERS TO PROMOTIONAL CONTRACTS Banner Promotions president Art Pelullo has signed five fighters – IBO featherweight world champion Cristobal Cruz, and four prospects, Ruslan Provodnikov, Orlando Lora, Maxim Vlasov, and Ji-hoon Kim - to promotional contracts.
Art said, “I think all of these boxers have a lot of talent and determination, and the potential to become world champions. I’m looking forward to working with all of them.”
IBO featherweight world champion Cristobal Cruz, 36-11-1 with 23 knockouts, of Tijuana, B.C., Mexico, who is co-promoted by Golden Gloves Promotions, is coming off a sensational win in his last fight on March 7.
After the fight, Fightwriter.com’s Graham Houston reported, “Toughness, tenacity and a CompuBox punch record for a 12-round fight carried Tijuana veteran Cristobal Cruz to a bitterly hard-fought majority decision win over highly regarded South African Thomas Mashaba in an upset on Friday Night Fights.
“This was a terrific fight, almost non-stop action. A clear underdog, Cruz fought with a winner’s attitude, going right at Mashaba and throwing punch after punch from all directions, body and head, around the sides and up through the middle.
“Back and forth they went, but Cruz was often having the last word, seeming to throw six or seven punches after getting hit by two or three.
“Fights such as this are great for boxing - 12 intense and exciting rounds, the issue in doubt to the very end, with a veteran journeyman gritting out a surprise win over a world-class fighter adding a feel-good factor.”
The four prospects will fight on the undercard of the Chris Byrd-Shaun George main event at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on May 16:
Ruslan Provodnikov – 7-0 with 6 knockouts, of Ekaterinburg, Russia; 24 years old, 5’6” tall, 140 pounds. Ruslan, who is co-promoted by German Titov of Titov Box Promotion, is scheduled to open the May 16 ESPN show.
Maxim Vlasov – 11-0 with 3 knockouts, of Tolyatti, Russia; 21 years old, 6’3” tall, 168 pounds. Vlasov is co-promoted by Rinat Yusupov.
Orlando “Olimpico” Lora – 20-0-1 with 15 knockouts, of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico; 27 years old, 5’10” tall, 140 pounds.
Ji-hoon Kim – 13-5 with 10 knockouts, of Goyang, Korea; 21 years old, 5’9” tall, 130 pounds.
Kim will fight Koba Gogoladze, 20-2 with 8 knockouts, in the co-featured bout. The opponents for Lora, Provodnikov, and Vlasov are to be announced.
 WBC NEWS
April 28, 2008 – Mexico City.
To: MR. CARL FROCH
Dear champion:
The WBC Board of Governors has reviewed the situation concerning your case and the two unfortunate cancellations of the final elimination fights that were scheduled to determine the mandatory contender of the super middleweight division of the WBC.
The WBC has voted unanimously to appoint you as mandatory contender of the division.
We would like to wish you the best of luck and once again congratulate you for your exemplary loyalty to the World Boxing Council.
Sincere regards,
Jose Sulaiman Ch.
c.c. Hennessy Sports
WBC Board of Governors
British Boxing Board of Control
Frank Warren
 McGirt regroups after 1st loss, returns to middleweight
VERO BEACH, Florida (April 25, 2008) – There’s nothing more devastating in boxing that than a hot prospect’s first pro loss, especially for someone such as James McGirt, Jr. (18-1, 9 KOs), whose last name alone makes opponents perform better. McGirt suffered his first set-back April 11 when another son of a former world champion, Carlos “Baby Sugar” DeLeon, Jr. (20-2-2, 12 KOs), stopped James in the seventh round of their ShoBox co-feature. DeLeon was floored by McGirt at the end of the sixth round, but he got to his feet just before the bell sounded. “When I dropped him, instead of listening to my father (head trainer “Buddy” McGirt), I got careless,” James explained. “I had him but dropped my right hand and got caught. My legs were a little wobbly, but I was more embarrassed than anything having been knocked down for the first time in my career. I thought that I could deal with it but got hit with an uppercut. I tried to wait it out, hoping he’d gotten tired punching, but I wasn’t punching back and the ref stopped the fight. “The hardest thing in the world is to take your first loss. I still know that I’m going to be a world champion someday. This is part of the learning experience. No excuses. I should have listened and boxed. It’s a hard pill to shallow. I want a rematch, but I know it won’t happen right away. I won’t be able to sleep at night unless I fight him one more time.” McGirt’s father, 2-time world champion “Buddy,” suffered his first pro loss in his 30th fight, as the No. 1 contender in the world, to Frankie Warren by 10-round decision. “I warned James last year that he was dropping his right hand too much,” Buddy noted. “You can’t take anything for granted. Once he knocked the other guy down, James thought that he had him, but he got caught by that left hook. It’s a great learning experience. I was talking to Roy Jones. He said at least it happened now or he would have kept doing it and now he’ll listen. James can’t have a flamboyant, relaxed attitude like he did in basketball. On the court he could be nonchalant, flashy, but you can’t do that in the ring. They’re always trying to beat Buddy McGirt’s son and Buddy McGirt. In a way I’m glad it happened. It’s going to be a good learning experience for James. I told him he should thank DeLeon for the wake-up call because he got lazy. “Sure, it’s a hard pill to swallow. I saw the punch hit him and I can still visualize it like a picture in my mind. That night, James became a man, and not just in the ring. Taking nothing away from DeLeon, James had the fight and should have won. Now he has to put it behind him and move forward. After a first loss, you either become a better fighter, or get out of the game. James’ eyes were opened. You can’t do what he did in basketball, not in this business, and now he understands. What he does from here on will determine what he is in boxing.” McGirt may have been more comfortable making weight and fighting as a super middleweight, but the plan is for him to slowly move back to the middleweight division. “His opponents at super middleweight are too big,” McGirt’s manager Dennis Witherow explained. “I talked with Buddy after the fight and we agree that James needs to fight as a middleweight. They weighed-in the same weight but, in the fight, the difference in their weight made a big difference. He’ll fight at 162-163 in his next fight, hopefully in July. We’re going forward, not looking backwards. The loss is part of the learning process, a bump in the road. He got caught and that’s just part of the game.” Buddy added, “The last two days (prior to the fight) James just shadow-boxed. He didn’t run or train, ate right before the weigh in, and came in at 166. He won’t have a problem making 163. We saw how small James (166-167 lbs. in the fight) was in comparison to DeLeon (between 180-185 lbs) and even (Jason) Naugler. James will be fighting as a middleweight.”  UNDEFEATED JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT JAMES MOORE WEIGHS HIS OPTIONS
Undefeated junior middleweight James Moore, 15-0 (10 KOS), a native of County Wicklow, Ireland, who fights out of Queens, New York, is itching for a fight. He wants to continue the momentum that began with his sensational 10 round decision victory over the much more experienced J.C. Candelo of Colombia in the main event of the March 15th pre-St. Patrick Day’s show at Madison Square Garden’s WaMu Theater that was called “A Fistful of Shamrocks.”
“I have been saying for years that I want big fights,” said the 30-year-old Moore, a veteran of 314 amateur bouts and the former captain of the Irish national amateur team.
“By beating Candelo I proved that I am ready to move to the next level. I don’t want any more easy fights. The only way I’m going to move my career forward is by fighting the best possible opponents.”
Early in the week of April 21, Moore agreed to a bout with Ronald Hearns, 18-0 (14 KOS), the son of the legendary Thomas “Hitman” Hearns who fights out of Detroit. That fight was being looked at as the opening bout of an HBO tripleheader in June.
When HBO told promoters they were looking for more of a New York-themed show, Moore’s matchmaker, Bruce Silverglade, said that Moore would be willing to fight Pawel Wolak, a hard-punching Polish-American with a 20-0 (14 KOS) record, or Andrey Tsurkan, a native of Ukraine who was 25-3 (16 KOS) going into an April 25 bout in the Bronx against Jesse Feliciano. Wolak and Tsurkan both fight out of New York.
“James is willing to fight anyone in the world,” said Silverglade. “I keep getting inquiries from ESPN 2, Showtime and HBO. James and his team are very confident in his abilities. We are looking for high-profile opponents. I can assure that James is not the roadblock in any negotiations for a big fight.”
During a meeting at Walker’s restaurant, which is located on the corner of North Moore and Varick steeets in the Tribeca section of Manhattan on April 22, Moore emphatically stated that he is not only eager, but extremely willing to take on any fellow undefeated prospect, especially if the fight is televised on a major network.
“I’ve been fighting a long time and realize it is time to make my move,” said Moore, who has postponed putting his 22 foot Grady White boat in the water for the season because of the possibility of going to camp to prepare for a major fistic challenge.
“I truly believe that this is going to be my year. I am very happy with the outcome of my fight with Candelo, and I would love to follow it up with a victory over someone like Hearns. If that fight does not get made, it’s not going to because of me. I’m ready, willing and eager to fight him.”
 Munroe Puts European Title At Risk On May 2
Super bantamweight Rendall Munroe returns to the ring at Harver Hadden LC in Nottingham, England on Friday, May 2, 2008, after recently shocking the boxing world by clearly outpointing Spanish strongman Kiko Martinez to capture the European title in March.
"The Punching Dustman" wants to be an active champion and pleaded with promoter Frank Maloney to arrange a title defense before the the summer and Maloney delivered the mandatory European challenger, French and European Union champion, Salem Bouaita.
It's only been seven weeks since Munroe defeated Martinez, but the sharp southpaw is looking to continue his string of impressive performances with a win over Bouaita that will move him up the world ranks.
"I like being busy and what I can earn with my title, but I also like the respect I get being European champion," said Munroe. "Since that win, my phone doesn't stop ringing.
"My colleagues at work even off to carry my bins for me. I'd hate to think what they'd offer me if I became world champion, maybe my own dust truck to drive around in! It would be bigger than that American thing that Chris Eubank drives around in," laughed Munroe.
The Leicester based European champion isn't taking the challenge of Frenchman Bouaita lightly as he's once again taking off time at work to put his body through the painful stress of training and is determined not to let his fans down.
In an intriguing chief support bout, Bantamweight Ian Napa is looking to make the third successful defense of his British title and the resulting honor of winning the cherished Lonsdale Belt outright. But Napa knows he needs an impressive win over Irish champion Colin Moffett of Belfast on May 2 if he is to march up the world rankings while hopefully Maloney can deliver a European title opportunity before the end of the year.
The undercard features sensation Kevin Concepcion, who hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Leicester middleweights Tony Sibson and Chris Pyatt. Concepcion is undefeated in 10 outings and has his eye on a title by the end of the year.
Also appearing on the bill is the return of light middleweight Sam Webb to the Maloney fold after a short period on the opposite side.
Frank Maloney presents "Two-Tone" on Friday, May 2, 2008 with European super bantamweight champion Rendall Munroe defending against European Union titlist Salem Bouaita at the Harvey Hadden Leisure Centre in Nottingham, England. Chief support is provided by British bantamweight champion Ian Napa defending against Irish titlist Colin Moffett of Belfast.
Tickets are priced at £75 and £35 and are available by logging onto www.frankmaloney.com or by calling the Box Office at 0871 226 1508. Sky Sports televises live on SS1 starting at 9:30PM.
Other Frank Maloney News:
Saturday, May 24, 2008 will feature the biggest selling fight in the history of British boxing, IBO light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton vs. Juan Lazcano, in front of 55,000 fans at City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England on a shared production with Punch Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions.
Chief support features IBF light welter champion Paulie Malignaggi vs. former titlist Lovemore N'dou and Commonwealth welterweight champion Craig Watson defending against Matthew Hatton.
Any remaining tickets to Hatton v.s Lazcano can be purchased on www.ticketmaster.co.uk , www.seetickets.com , www.gigsandtours.com and www.rickyhitmanhatton.co.uk . Sky Box Office will televise live commencing at 10PM.
Friday, June 13, 2008 sees a highly anticipated light heavyweight bout between British champion Tony Oakey vs. Commonwealth champion Dean Francis at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth, England. Ticket information and Sky Sports broadcast schedule will be announced when available.
 HOPKINS/CALZAGHE: A Woman’s View
By: Amy Green An interesting fight- and certainly not a pretty one, but with a few minor adjustments B-Hop could’ve won by split decision and I wouldn’t be in betting debt.
Hopkins knockdown in the first round rudely welcomed Joe Calzaghe to the United States and nearly reassured Tom Jones his celebrity status back in Wales was still #1. After the mid way point of the fight, Calzaghe began piling on more swats than a good old domestic between Ike and Tina Turner and Hopkins was on the defense. Some interesting things noted here- Calzaghe dealt more low blows, which Hopkins is normally accused of, and Hopkins strayed from his Dream Team’s game plan and resorted to holding a little too much in the face of Calzaghe’s hyper busy hands.
The third man at this party, Joe Cortez, could have made the difference in Hopkins favor had he done two more things: deducted Calzaghe for low blows and given Hopkins time for the mysterious low blow late in the twelfth and final round.
In his post fight comments, Hopkins revealed to Max Kellerman his "private" was knocked outside his protective cup. OK- if his "Mr. Private" is so Major it takes five minutes- an entire five minutes! to get readjusted, then by all means, if the low blow were taken duly into consideration, things should have literally swung back into Hopkins favor, and he would have won by the merest of margins.
Joe Calzaghe’s split decision over Bernard Hopkins doesn’t go down in the books as a great victory nor is it a devastating defeat for Hopkins. Hopkins did wanted he wanted to do by his own admission for half the fight and Calzaghe stepped up the punches and landed the record against Hopkins, but by no means is quantity always quality. Comments? agreen009@yahoo.com  Ruiz rated high, still avoided
LAS VEGAS (April 17, 2008) – Former two-time world heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz used to be the Rodney Dangerfield of boxing as well as one of its most avoided fighters. Now, though, the new Ruiz has gained respect in many circles, particularly after his impressive win against 4-time world title challenger Jameel McCline, yet, John remains the opponent champions and top contenders alike least want to fight. Top American contender Ruiz and European challenger Alexander Dimitrenko are the only heavyweights rated among the top six in the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation. Rated No. 2 and No. 3 by the WBA and WBC, respectively, and No. 6 by the IBF but, unlike Dimitrenko, Ruiz is also ranked in the top 10 by The Ring magazine. “After so many years of not being respected,” Ruiz said, “it’s exciting to know and feel that I’m finally being recognized as one of the top heavyweights in the world. I’m glad. It’s been a long time coming. I’m ready to clean-up the heavyweight division and I’m willing to fight any of the reigning champs or other top contenders. “I can’t wait for my next fight. I’m so much more confident fighting this time around, throwing more punches and combinations, just being more aggressive in the ring. I’m motivated more today than I ever was in the past. I changed my whole team and it’s really made a big difference, especially having Manny Siaca, Sr. as head trainer. I’ve learned so much from Manny. We’ve been working hard and it’s paying off.” Ruiz (43-7-1, 29 KOs) has fought himself back into position for another world title shot, coming off an impressive 12-round decision on March 8 in a near shutout performance (119-109, 118-110, 117-111) against McCline, who is his previous fight had three times floored new Samuel Peter, returning to the vintage days when “The Quietman” first won a world title with a 12-round decision against legendary Evander Holyfield in 2001. The Puerto Rican-American Ruiz is the first and only Latino heavyweight champion of the world. He has fought in 10 world championship fights, defeating three world heavyweight champions -- Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman and Tony Tucker – in addition to beating top contenders such as Andrew Golota, Fres Oquendo, Kirk Johnson and McCline during his 15-year pro career.  Showtime Championship Boxing Live at Mohegan Sun
Two titles are on the line June 7th in the Arena
Uncasville, CT (April 15, 2008) - WBC Super Welterweight champ Vernon "The Viper" Forrest (40-2-0-1NC, 29 KOs) is set to defend his title against Sergio "The Latin Snake" Mora (20-0-1, 5 KOs) in a Showtime-televised main event live at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, June 7th. The action begins at 7:30pm.
Tickets are $125.00, $75.00 and $50.00 and are on sale now at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call any Ticketmaster Charge by Phone number; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet.
Forrest, of Augusta, Georgia, became a household name after his two tremendous victories over Shane Mosley in 2002 and that same year won Ring Magazine's "Fighter of the Year" award. Forrest won the vacant WBC Welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Carlos Baldomir in July of 2007. He went on to successfully defend the title in December of 2007 against Italian Michele Piccirillo, scoring an eleventh round TKO.
Mora, of Los Angelos, California, was the winner of NBC's hit reality boxing show The Contender in 2005 and has remained undefeated since that time. His latest bout was a victory against Rito Ruvalcaba in January, 2008 for which he scored a TKO in the 6th round.
In the co-feature bout of the evening, WBO Welterweight champ Carlos Quintana (25-1-0, 19 KOs) will make his first title defense against former champ Paul Williams (33-1-0, 24 KOs). Quintana upset Williams (his only loss) to win the WBO Welterweight in their first bout against each other on February 9, 2008 in Temecula, CA. Quintana won by unanimous decision, with ringside judges scoring the fight, 115-113, 116-112, and 116-112. A thrilling and action packed undercard will be announced soon. For more information on Showtime Championship Boxing and other great events at Mohegan Sun, visit mohegansun.com. For information on this week's schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163. |