Rocktagon MMA First to Sign Deal with Federation of Amateur Mixed Martial Arts (FAMMA)
Las Vegas – May 16, 2012 Rocktagon MMA CEO James Jeda announced today that the promotion has signed a deal with the newly formed Federation of Amateur Mixed Martial Arts (FAMMA). Fighters at Rocktagon MMA events will now be eligible to qualify for the first-ever FAMMA World Championship, to be held at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas from October 31-November 3, 2012.
The objective of the newly formed FAMMA is to organize a worldwide amateur MMA federation to promote the development of the sport itself and to provide athletes with an international platform while still enabling them to gain experience and exposure as an amateur. The FAMMA World Championship will give individual MMA promotions, regardless of size, the ability to offer their fighters an opportunity to display their talents on a global scale and possibly receive a professional contract.
Besides featuring action-packed bouts between athletes in twelve male and five female weight divisions, the multi-day FAMMA World Championship event will include lots of action outside of the cage as well. The FAMMA World Expo will give fighters and fans alike a chance to shop for MMA merchandise, visit vendors, and attend the FAMMA Cage Girl Competition, where two winners will be selected to carry the cards during the FAMMA Finals.
Jeda, who had initially planned for Rocktagon MMA’s own amateur national championship, explains why he chose to join forces with FAMMA. “We had everything in place for the Nationals when Wayne (FAMMA President and CEO W.S. DeMilia) contacted me,” said Jeda. “We share a similar vision of the future of amateur MMA. We each bring a lot to the table and we will be able to move at a faster pace by working together. “
DeMilia is impressed with Jeda’s leadership and background. “James Jeda has turned Rocktagon MMA into a national promotion in less than sixteen months, which is unheard of at the amateur level,” DeMilia stated. “He has vast experience in the entertainment, branding, and mixed martial arts industries and will be a valuable asset to this organization. I am extremely pleased to have him on board personally and to have Rocktagon MMA as our first affiliate.”
As Rocktagon MMA’s CEO, Jeda’s main goal has been to build a strong national program providing amateur fighters with more diverse experiences than most local or regional promotions are able to offer. “The Rocktagon MMA business model has always been to put fighters first, no matter what the monetary cost,” he explained. “It is very important to me that fighters at the amateur level have the ability to compete in different states, both to increase their visibility by getting them in front of as many people as possible and so they have a better idea of what they may face as a professional. That was my objective when we started and that is the direction we have headed ever since.”
Jeda believes that the affiliation with FAMMA will add value to the Rocktagon MMA program. “FAMMA is an international organization, which means our national champions will now have the chance to compete on a global level, ” he said. “Winning a FAMMA World Title at Mandalay Bay will bring even more exposure to our athletes, which accomplishes Rocktagon’s “Fighter First” goal.”
According to Jeda, FAMMA affiliation would also benefit local and regional promotions. “This is great for Rocktagon,” he stated, “but it is also huge for other organizations and fighters around the world. It will help everyone involved build world-class amateur athletes.” Jeda encourages other organizations to take a serious look at the FAMMA program. “Most promoters I know will be more than willing to work together to advance the sport and help fighters any way they can. I am very excited about Rocktagon MMA’s affiliation with FAMMA and I look forward to others joining the team.”
The first Rocktagon MMA event to qualify amateur fighters for the FAMMA World Championship is Rocktagon MMA’s Pro-Am ELITE Series 20 Rock-n-Rage on June 30 in Warren, Ohio. This event also marks the launch of Rocktagon MMA’s National Pro Series and kicks-off the “From the Cage to the Stage” Rock-n-Rage Summer Tour. Rock-n-Rages are Rocktagon MMA’s premium shows that combine MMA events with well-known music acts in select markets. Rocktagon MMA will continue to hold FAMMA sanctioned events in multiple states this year, qualifying fighters for the FAMMA World Championship in Las Vegas.
To find out more about Rocktagon MMA, please visit www.rocktagonmma.com. Fans may also follow Rocktagon MMA on Twitter at twitter.com/Rocktagon_MMA, view YouTube videos at youtube.com/therocktagonmma, or like Rocktagon MMA on Facebook at facebook.com/rocktagonmma. For more information about the Federation of Amateur Mixed Martial Arts, or to inquire about the affiliation program, go to www.fammafighter.com.
FRANKLIN “YA YA” LAWRENCE SEES MOLLO AS STEPPING STONE TO TITLE SHOT—FIGHTS LIVE ON WEALTH TV & GFL.TV
CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT CARD
INDIANAPLOIS, IND (May 15, 2012)—This Friday night at the beautiful Dover Downs Casino in Dover, Delaware, WBC number-twelve ranked Heavyweight Franklin “Ya Ya” Lawrence will look to make it six straight knockout wins when he takes on Mike Mollo in a bout for the vacant NABA Heavyweight title. From his confident words, he feels it will come in impressive fashion.
That bout plus a full undercard that will be featured by an appearance by the always exciting Mike “No Joke” Stewart can be seen live beginning at 7:30 pm est. on www.gfl.tv ($9.99) by clicking: http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Friday_Night_Fights/1487
Lawrence of Indianapolis is 17-2-2 with twelve knockouts and has scored five straight knockouts over the likes of former contender Lance Whitaker, former U.S. Olympian Jason Estrada and his bout when he stopped Raymond Ocheing.
He expects to have the same result with the very tough Mollo.
“Mike Mollo cant fight. He just swings wildly”, said a (to put it mild) confident Lawrence from Indianapolis.
“Andrew Golota boxed him and then beat him half to death”, continued Lawrence in reference to Mollo’s January 19, 2008 defeat to Golota.
“The guy has no inside game and he is not ready for me. He doesn’t do anything textbook but I will give him credit because he does take a good beating.”
With the recent hot streak that he is on, Lawrence believes his date with destiny is getting closer by the fight.
“I will be fighting for the championship within a fight or two. My ratings would be higher except the guys ahead of me are ducking me.”
“Once the networks see what I can do, they will know I am a serious challenger for the title”
Lawrence held training camp in Indianapolis is proud of his state.
“I am Midwest to the bone and a true Hoosier and can’t wait to bring the Heavyweight championship home to Indianapolis.”
Lawrence is promoted by Fisticuffs Promotions and the CEO Dave Escalet sees big things for Lawrence.
“This is a great fight for Franklin. And when he looks great on Friday night, It will be six in a row against top competition and he will have earned his opportunity for a big fight”, said Escalet
The action begins on www.gfl.tv at 7:30 pm with Mike Mittman calling the action with analysts Legendary Heavyweight champion Larry Holmes and Marc Abrams.
About GFL
GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 1300 live events with over 6000 combat sports videos in 196 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 5 million public viewers over the years with more than 250 combat sports related website affiliates in its network. GFL is also available on Roku, Android, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices.
TEXAS-SIZED COMEBACKS HIGHLIGHT BOXING SHOW IN PHARR
PHARR, TX – Two highly anticipated comebacks are set to begin Saturday night, May 19, at the Pharr (Texas) Convention Center, when Jerry Belmontes and Odlanier Solis return to the ring in separate spotlight bouts on a full card promoted by Main Events, Cavazos Boxing Promotions and Arena Promotions.
Lightweight Jerry Belmontes, 15-0, 5 KOs, returns after nearly one year out of the ring. The Corpus Christi native had a vast amateur career that included national titles in 2003 and 2007. He also made it to the semi-finals of the USA Olympic Trials in 2008. As a professional, Belmontes has beaten everyone put in his path, including his most recent opponent Justo Vallecillo, whom he defeated by unanimous decision in his last start on June 24, 2011. After the layoff, Belmontes is anxious to get back in action.
“What I’m looking for is getting my name out there as one of the top prospects,” Belmontes said. “I want to get as many fights as I can this year.”
The first of those fights comes Saturday night against Dominican Ramesis Gil, 7-3-5, 5 KOs, in the main event to be televised by TeleFutura on their Solo Boxeo Tecate series. Rising prospects like Belmontes are familiar territory for Gil, who has faced undefeated boxers in his last five starts. Gil upset Luis Joel Gonzalez in his last bout, and will be looking to do the same against Belmontes in their 8-round match.
Heavyweight Odlanier Solis, 17-1, 12 KOs, also looks forward to getting back to business on Saturday. The six-time national Cuban amateur champion and 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist last fought fourteen months ago, in a challenge of WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, on March 19, 2011. That frustrating affair ended abruptly in the first round when a sudden knee injury forced Solis out of the fight almost before it began. Up to that point, “La Sombra” was boxing comfortably and staying on his game plan against the champ. However, the end came at 2:59 of the first round.
After some time off and a lengthy rehab, Solis is ready to fight again. He’ll face Konstantin Airich, 23-5-2, 17 KOs, in a 12-round fight for the vacant IBF Inter-Continental heavyweight title. Airich, a former European and Intercontinental champion, is riding a six-bout winning streak that includes knockouts in his last three. Solis will have advantages in age, height and weight – not to mention his world class amateur pedigree – but Airich has stayed busy and has never looked better than in his most recent outings. This title fight will be broadcast internationally, and highlights of the fight will be shown on TeleFutura’s Solo Boxeo Tecate.
Although the focus will be on these two major comeback stories, the remainder of the card is a Texas-heavy lineup that should thrill the Pharr fans, as well as TeleFutura viewers.
Super featherweight Oscar Tovar of Alton, TX takes on Gilberto Cancino of Brownsville, TX in the televised 4-round opener. Mission, Texan Raul Tovar faces Juan Ovalle of Mercedes, TX, in a 4-round welterweight bout.
In the non-televised portion of the show, lightweight Angel Hernandez, McAllen, TX, fights Ramiro Torres, San Antonio, in a 4-rounder, and Felix Piedra of Mercedes, TX, and Juan Ruiz, of San Juan, TX clash in a 6-round light heavyweight bout.
‘Storm’ brewing June 8 in Montreal Alvarez defends NABO light heavyweight title against Hawk Lemieux returns to action
MONTREAL (May 18, 2012) – Undefeated North American Boxing Organization (”NABO”) Light Heavyweight Champion Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (8-0, 5 KOs) makes his first title defense on Friday, June 8 against Native American challenger Shawn “The Sioux Warrior” Hawk (23-1, 19 KOs), headlining the fifth and final edition of this year’s popular GYM Fast & Furious Boxing Series, at the famed Bell Centre in Montreal.
Alvarez, a 28-year-old Colombian native who lives in Montreal, is on the fast track to stardom in the 175-pound division. The 2008 Colombian Olympian captured the NABO title belt last December, stopping Emiliano Cayetano (21-3) in the opening round. Alvarez, who is rated No. 15 by the World Boxing Organization (”WBO”), won all eight rounds in his most recent fight against Rayco Saunders (22-15-2) this past April.
“On June 8,” Alvarez said about his 10-round main event, “it will be my first fight as the main event of the GYM series and I’m very proud. In the ring, I intend to justify the confidence they have placed in me, and put on a good show for the Quebec public. Shawn Hawk is a fiery young boxer who has determined to win, but I am sure that I have what it takes to keep my belt in my adopted country.”
The 27-year-old Hawk, fighting out of Atlantic City (NJ), is riding a five-fight win streak, his last four coming since he dropped down in weight to compete in the light heavyweight division. Hawk’s victims at 175 pounds have included Henry Buchanan (20-2), Otis Griffin (23-8-2) and Rubin Williams (29-10-1) for the Sovereign Nations title.
ExcitingMontreal middleweight David Lemieux (25-2, 24 KOs) is a caged lion after being sidelined with a right hand injury he sufferedlast December in his fight against Joachim Alcine (33-2-1, 19 KOs). The 23-year-old Lemieux, ranked No. 23 by the World Boxing Council (”WBC”), takes on tough Mexican-American Jaudiel “Negro” Zepeda (12-5-1, 9 KOs), who gave Renan St-Juste (23-3-1, 15 KOs) all he could handle in his last fight.
“With this fight,” Lemieux predicted, “I restart my career. I know I have disappointed many of my supporters but I recently learned a lot and have matured. I cannot wait to reconnect with the action. Without looking too far ahead, of course, I dream of fighting rematches against (Marco Antonio) Rubio and Alcine in the near future.”
Fighting on a stacked undercard are a trio of talented, unbeaten heavyweights — Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas (10-0, 6 KOs), Eric Barrack (7-0, 6 KOs) and Didier Bence (4-0, 2 KOs). Rivas’s opponent will be announced shortly.
Barrack was spectacular on April 20 in his victory by second-round knockout of rugged Sandy Pembroke, fighting out of British Columbia. This time around Barrack faces another former Canadian Olympic boxing champion, Sheldon Hinton (11-8-1, 4 KO), of Alberta, in a six-round bout. Barrack intends to make a powerful statement as one of the best, young heavyweight Canadian boxers with another spectacular knockout.
Bence, who has been out of the ring since last December due to a facial injury, is rapidly developing. His battle-tested opponent, Stéphane “Brutus” Tessier (3-28-1, 1KO), of Longueuil, promises to push young Bence in their six-round match.
Also scheduled to fight on the undercard is exciting middleweight Ahmad Cheikho (6-4-2, 5K), also fighting out of Montreal, who is a protégé of Camille Estephan (Eye of the Tiger Management). One additional fight will soon be announced.
The GYM Fast and Furious Boxing Series is an innovative and unique event at the Bell Centre, featuring seats and close to the action. These events are also available to watch on PPV in Canada via Canal Indigo, Bell TV and Shaw TV.
TICKETS ON SALE: Please note that tickets will be available at the Bell Centre box office, evenko.ca or at GYM (383.0666), starting at $60.00.
Hitz Adds Three More Fights to Mammoth Horseshoe Event on May 25
Promoter Bobby Hitz and Hitz Boxing have added three more fights to the lineup for their Friday, May 25 “Fight Night at the Horseshoe” event at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana.
In addition to the 10-round WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight Championship main event between “Fast” Fres Oquendo (33-7, 21 KOs) and Joey “Minnesota Ice” Abell (28-5, 27 KOs), no less than 9 big fights are now scheduled, including an intriguing eight-round all-Chicago middleweight match-up between Donatas Bondorovas (14-3-1, 3 KOs) and Ramon Valenzuela (7-0, 1 KO).
Also added to the schedule are undefeated middleweight Meegal Harper (5-0, 5 KOs) of Chicago Heights taking on Traverse City, Michigan’s more experienced Chris Grays in a four-rounder and pro-debuting welterweight Nick Ramirez of Rockford, Illinois, facing off against Lorenzo Wilson (1-1-1) of Indianapolis in a four-round fight.
The opponent for light welterweight Genaro Mendez’s (4-1-1, 3 KOS) six-round fight will be David Laque of Bloomington, Minnesota.
The full lineup:
Genaro Mendez (Chicago) vs. David Laque (Bloomington, MN)
David “Diesel” Latoria (Chicago) vs. Stanley Allen (Gary, IN)
Mike “Hollywood” Jimenez (Chicago) vs. Adrian Hermann (Everett, WA) David Martin III (Hobart, IN) vs. Tim Washington (Toledo, OH)
Phillip Triantafillo (Chesterton, IN) vs. Emerson Chasing Bear (Rapid City, SD)
Terry Martin (Chicago) vs. Donta Woods (Atlanta, GA)
Donatas Bondorovas (Chicago) vs.Ramon Valenzuela (Chicago)
Meegal Harper (Chicago Heights, IL) vs. Chris Grays (Traverse City, MI)
and pro-debut Nick Ramirez (Rockford) vs. Lorenzo Wilson (Indianapolis, IN)
“Fast” Fres Oquendo (Chicago) vs. Joey Abell (Coon Rapids, MN)
Fedelatin Heavyweight Title
The high-class atmosphere and luxurious surroundings the Horseshoe has to offer make their boxing shows a Las Vegas-style night of boxing that Chicago-area fans don’t have to get on a plane to enjoy.
The Horseshoe Casino has an intimate, comfortable venue with luxurious seats, a spectacular gaming area, free parking, exquisite food and all the amenities — and is just 20 minutes from Downtown Chicago.
Tickets for “Fight Night at the Horseshoe” are on sale now, starting at a fan appreciation price of $10, and are available atthe “Venue” box office, ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets.
Congrats to 15rounds.com Barry & Frauenheim as they net 5 Barney Awards
In perhaps the most diversified voting results to date, the judges for the 11th annual Boxing Writers Association of America writing contest, known as the “Barneys” in honor of the late BWAA president Barney Nagler, have tabbed different first-place winners in each of the six categories.
All award winners will be recognized at the 87th annual BWAA Awards Dinner to be held June 6 at the Copacabana in New York City.
Taking top honors are Michael Rosenthal, of RINGTV.com, for Event Coverage; Bernard Fernandez, of the Philadelphia Daily News, for Column; Lee Groves, of RINGTV.com, for News Story; Tom Gerbasi, of Boxingscene.com, for Feature Under 1,750 words; Ron Borges, of Boxing Monthly, for Feature Over 1,750 Words, and Springs Toledo, of Thesweetscience.com, for Investigative Reporting.
Judging was done on a blind basis, with all entries submitted with bylines and other identifying marks as to authorship removed, and on a weighted point system.
Borges also tied for third in Event Coverage, for a fight report written for the Boston Herald, with Toledo taking third in News Story. Other multiple placers in the top three include Kieran Mulvaney, of ESPN.com, with seconds in Event Coverage and (tie) Feature Over 1,750 Words; Thomas Hauser, second in Investigative Reporting (for Secondsout.com) and (tie) Feature Over 1,750 Words (for Toprank.com), and Eric Raskin, third in Feature Under 1,750 Words and Investigative Reporting, for stories written for Grantland.com.
In the unofficial sweepstakes competition, with five points for a first place, four for a second, three for a third and one for an honorable mention, RINGTV.com finished with 13 points to 12 for Thesweetscience.com, 11 for Boxingscene.com, nine for Boxing Monthly and eight for ESPN.com.
EVENT COVERAGE
1. Michael Rosenthal, RINGTV.com
2. Kieran Mulvaney, ESPN.com
3. (tie) Mitch Abramson, NYdailynews.com; Ron Borges, Boston Herald
Honorable Mention
Bart Barry, 15 rounds.com; Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times; David P. Greisman, Boxingscene.com; David Weinberg, The Press of Atlantic City
COLUMN
1. Bernard Fernandez, Philadelphia Daily News
2. (tie) David P. Greisman, Boxingscene.com; Gordon Marino, The Wall Street Journal; Kieran Mulvaney, ESPN.com
3. William Dettloff, RINGTV.com
Honorable Mention
Bart Barry, 15rounds.com; Ron Borges, Boston Herald; Springs Toledo, Thesweetscience.com
NEWS STORY
1. Lee Groves, RINGTV.com
2. Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times
3. Springs Toledo, Thesweetscience.com
Honorable Mention
Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times; David P. Greisman, Boxingscene.com; Thomas Hauser, The Ring; Gordon Marino, The Wall Street Journal; Don Steinberg, Philly.com; George Willis, New York Post
FEATURE UNDER 1,750 WORDS
1. Tom Gerbasi, Boxingscene.com
2. Steve Farhood, Boxing Monthly
3. Eric Raskin, Grantland.com
Honorable Mention
Bart Barry, 15rounds.com; Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times; Lee Groves, Compuboxonline.com; Matthew Hurley, Secondsout.com; Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated; Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times.
FEATURE OVER 1,750 WORDS
1. Ron Borges, Boxing Monthly
2. (tie) Adam Berlin, Boxing.com; Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated
3. (tie) Thomas Hauser, Toprank.com; Ronan Keenan, Thesweetscience.com
Honorable Mention
Bernard Fernandez, Philadelphia Daily News; Norm Frauenheim, The Ring
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
1. Springs Toledo, Thesweetscience.com
2. Thomas Hauser, Secondsout.com
3. Eric Raskin, Grantland.com
Honorable Mention
Ron Borges, The Ring; William Dettloff, The Ring; Norm Frauenheim, 15rounds.com; David Weinberg, The Press of Atlantic City
JUDGES
Rick Bozich, Louisville Courier-Journal; Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com; David Schwartz, University of Iowa, School of Journalism and Mass Communication; Jerry Sullivan, The Buffalo News; Paul Vigna, Harrisburg Patriot-News; Dr. Denny Wilkins, Saint Bonaventure University, School of Journalism.
Undefeated Junior Welterweights Serrano & Mayfield on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights
Undefeated Junior Welterweights Raymond “Tito” Serrano (18-0, 8 KOs) and Karim “Hard Hitta” Mayfield (15-0-1, 9 KOs) will meet in the 10-round main event May 18 on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra. Friday’s show will air at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN3 from Albany, N.Y. The card is presented by Star Boxing.
Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside for ESPN2 HD and ESPN3 at the Times Union Center describing the action, while studio host Bernardo Osuna will present the latest boxing news and highlights. On ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights), Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will call the fights with Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega in the studio.
Both shows will include Osuna’s interview earlier this week with Manny Pacquiao. Both shows will also discuss the U.S. Olympic boxing team as it prepares for the 2012 Summer Games in London. ESPN Deportes will discuss U.S. Olympic boxer Jose Ramirez and female boxer Marlen Esparza. Esparza of Texas, moved to the third round at the women’s world boxing championships Sunday.
Main Event:
California’s Mayfield is trained by Virgil Hunter, who also trains Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward, and enters Friday’s fight having defeated former Junior Lightweight titlist Steve Forbes. Mayfield won a 10-round decision over two-time Venezuelan Olympian Patrick Lopez in his last fight.
Serrano of Philadelphia is coming off a February 10-round decision win over Kenny Abril.
“I’ve seen a few of Mayfield’s fights,” Serrano said. “I think both of us are going to try to see who lands first. I think he’s going to come out strong, but I’ve got a good game plan. I’m ready to go to war.”
Co-Feature:
Undefeated Middleweight Jason “Monstruo” Escalera (12-0, 11 KOs) will meet Nick “The Machine Gun” Brinson (9-1-1, 5 KOs) in the co-feature. Both fighters are coming off wins over Marcus Brooks–New Jersey’s Escalera with a fourth-round TKO and New York’s Brinson with an eight-round decision.
Follow ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like on Facebook.
Green slams Kessler: “Mikkel will not be worth a nickel
Allan Green (31-1, 21 KOs) continued his war of words with Mikkel Kessler (44-2, 33 KOs) today at the final press conference in Copenhagen. Three days ahead of their WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship (Silver) clash at Denmark´s famous PARKEN Stadium, Green claimed that the Viking Warrior was a long way past his prime. “He used to be a joy to watch, a great fighter, but that was before he fought Calzaghe,” the 32-year-old American stated. “He has not been the same fighter since. I don´t know if it is mental or physical wear, but he´s just not been on the same level any more. Mikkel will not be worth a nickel when he will be in the ring with me. I will break his a** into two halves. I want him to be at his best on Saturday night, the best he can possibly be, and for his sake it better be enough!”
The Viking Warrior said he will be happy to prove that he can still deliver at the highest level – a level Green has never fought at. “Green just talks a lot,” Kessler said. “This is nothing unusual before a fight. He seems to be confident, which is good for him. He will need all his confidence on Saturday night. I´m in fantastic shape, I am ready to put on a great show. I know I can hurt Green and once I have hurt him, I will go for the KO. But I am not making any predictions about the outcome. I just know that I am going to win.”
Promoter Kalle Sauerland is looking forward to a great night at PARKEN, with Michael Buffer calling both fighters into the ring and the Champions League Final being shown on four jumbotron TV screens. “It´s going to be great event for sports fans,” Sauerland said. “A top undercard, the Champions League Final and then Kessler versus Green. It can hardly get any better. Kessler-Green is a high-risk fight. At light heavyweight, Green can do a lot of damage, he has a lot of power, but so has Mikkel, who is the better boxer. This is going to be very exciting. I am sure Mikkel will win.”
And Jimmy Montoya, Kessler´s coach, added: “Green, I respect you as a fighter, you are a good fighter, but a much better talker. Mikkel will beat you on Saturday night.”
Anthony Wilson, Green´s coach, believes Kessler is already confused: “In the past weeks, Kessler first said he was the better boxer and Green the bigger puncher who will come at him to slug it out. Then Kessler changed his mind and said he himself had a bigger punch than Green. Kessler has got no clue what he is talking about. And he has got no clue what Allan Green will bring to the table come Saturday night.”
In the co-featured main event, Patrick Nielsen (14-0, 8 KOs) will take on Gaetano Nespro (19-8-1, 3 KOs). Polish KO machine Mateusz “The Master” Masternak (26-0, 20 KOs) comes face-to-face with Hari Miles. Torben Keller faces Yuri Pompilio, Erik Skoglund meets Pablo Sosa and Simeen Smaadal clashes with Srdjan Mihailovic.
ANTONIO “MAGIC MAN” TARVER AND WINKY WRIGHT FLORIDA MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS
“I’m a sharpshooter. I punch organs. I target organs: liver, kidney, heart.
I don’t just punch mass, I punch organs and I punch that chin.” – Antonio Tarver
Tarver vs. Lateef “Power” Kayode to Headline “Four Warned” Quadruple Header
On Saturday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®
From The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
TAMPA, Fla. (May 15, 2012) – Less than three weeks before Antonio Tarver steps into the ring to continue his campaign at cruiserweight by taking on the unbeaten power puncher Lateef Kayode, the “Magic Man” held an open workout on Tuesday before a packed house of his hometown media at Calta’s 24/7 Fitness.
Tarver vs. Kayode will headline “Four Warned,” a stacked night of boxing on SHOWTIME® featuring four high-stakes prizefights. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will air live at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) on Saturday, June 2 from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Joining Tarver at the workout on Tuesday was his good friend Ronald “Winky” Wright, who will fight in the co-main event, making his return to the ring against rising star “Kid Chocolate” Peter Quillin.
After a storied career at light heavyweight, Tarver (29-6, 20 KO’s), of Tampa, Fla., made an emphatic debut in the cruiserweight division last summer. The Magic Man headed to Sydney, Australia and stopped hometown favorite Danny Green (RTD 9) on July 20, 2011 to capture the IBO cruiserweight title. Wright (51-5-1, 25 KO’s), of St. Petersburg, Fla., will return to the ring for the first time since April 11, 2009. He faces Quillin (26-0, 20 KO’s), who will risk his unblemished record.
Kayode (18-0, 14 KO’s), who is trained by the acclaimed Freddie Roach, is not only taking the biggest leap in competition in his career, but he is also facing a man who knows him very well. Tarver has been ringside providing expert analysis for all five of the Nigerian-born Kayode’s appearances on ShoBox: The New Generation.
Here’s what Tarver and Wright had to say on Tuesday:
ANTONIO TARVER:
“This guy is predicting he’ll knock me out in the fifth round. If Kayode comes in with that type of recklessness, he can be out before that because he has never been hit by someone who can punch as hard as me. And not just punching hard, I’m a sharpshooter. I punch organs. I target organs: liver, kidney, heart. I don’t just punch mass, I punch organs and I punch that chin. Remember that the chin is not a muscle so you can have all the muscles surrounding your neck and body, chest and abs, because if I touch that chin the right way, it’s lights out, baby.
“There are no more guys like myself. Shane Mosley lost. Bernard Hopkins lost. I’m the last Mohican. I’m the last guy who is 40-plus.
“We have a storyline here: A young guy who took offense to what I was saying as a commentator. I was just doing my job. I think the youth, the inexperience got the best of him. He’s got his handlers saying that he’s ready to roll the dice. But you’ve got to respect his position. He’s a young fighter coming up that has nothing to lose. So Kayode is in a beautiful position and if he loses to me, what has it done? It’s going to set him back a little bit but he can regroup. I can’t regroup if I lose to Lateef Kayode. There would be an asterisk and a question mark by my name and we can’t have that.
“He’s only got two hands and he can’t throw them but one at a time. We’re going to simplify it. I’ve fought a lot of strong guys that didn’t get lucky, that couldn’t hit me, couldn’t find me. So he’s coming in here trying to get lucky. I’m coming in here to rely on my skills, my experience and my conditioning to win this fight. I’ll take Kayode places he’s never been. And that’s in deep waters. He’s never been in there with a fighter like me and I’m going to show him what it’s all about.
“This is what sparring is all about. I’ve got young guys in here. I don’t have any old punching bags in here. Because if I can’t get it done in the gym, I can’t get it done June 2.
“We’re putting everyone on notice. Expect the unexpected. Kayode said the fight is going to end, that he’s going to knock me out in the fifth round. He might have a good prediction in the fifth round but I think he’s got the storyline a little twisted.
“We’re in a phone booth in camp. That’s definitely what we think the fight will represent, a phone booth. We like it in close quarters. I’m too old to run.
“I had a chance to commentate a few of his fights and he didn’t like the things I was saying. But as a young fighter, you can’t always feed them cake and ice cream. Sometimes you’ve got to put something in the back of his head so he could say, ‘You know what? Maybe there is something I can go back and work on.
“It’s about skill and I got it. We’re not going to wait for anyone to tell us how great we are because if you wait for someone to give you a compliment, you’ll be waiting forever and a day. We know who we are and we are going to continue to display it. We’re going to kill our critics with success. We got the skill, us throwback fighters. And I’m a throwback fighter because I’m older now, I’m sitting down [on my punches] more and I’m a fan friendly fighter.
“What keeps the fire burning? Critics, naysayers and my own personal achievement. People can laugh now when I tell them I’m going to become heavyweight champion. They don’t want to buy into it but they will because at 210 pounds, I’m elusive. I’m powerful. I’m strong and they can’t hit what they can’t see. I’m not a big, robotic fighter that can’t move. So those are they’re advantages. The only hope they got is to hit me on the chin and knock me out. And that’s never been done before. .
“I’m going to get that heavyweight title. Wladimir Klitschko, here I come. I’m going to get that heavyweight title. That’s coming back to America, baby. Trust it. Stamp it. Write it down.”
WINKY WRIGHT:
On making his return to the ring on a card with friend and fellow Floridian Antonio Tarver:
“It feels good. It makes it easy. To have your homeboy on the same card, we go out there and kick some butt. You know me.
When discussing the bravado displayed by Kayode and Quillin at the kickoff press conference:
“Young guys, young guys. Inexperience and all of that. The nervousness is getting to them and they want to prove this and prove that. The only time you’ve got to prove something is in the ring.
“Fans cans expect a great fight. They can come to see Winky Wright knock Kid Chocolate’s head off – not knock him out – knock his head off. He thinks I’m going to run? We’ll see. I’m going to show him a fight.”
“Four Warned” features former Light Heavyweight World Champion Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver (29-6, 20 KO’s) facing unbeaten Lateef Kayode (18-0, 14 KO’s) in a 12-round cruiserweight fight, former undisputed junior middleweight kingpin Winky Wright (51-5-1, 25 KO’s) returning to the ring to meet undefeated Peter Quillin (26-0, 20 KO’s) in a middleweight bout, Austin Trout (24-0, 14 KO’s) risking his perfect record and WBA Super Welterweight belt against Delvin Rodriguez (26-5-3, 14 KO’s) and IBF number one rated bantamweight contender Vusi Malinga (20-3, 12 KO’s) facing IBF number five rated contender Leo Santa Cruz (19-0-1, 11 KO’s) for the vacant IBF bantamweight title. All four bouts will be telecast on Saturday, June 2, live on SHOWTIME® (9:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. “Four Warned” is presented by A.T. Entertainment, Golden Boy Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions with Trout vs. Rodriguez being presented in association with Greg Cohen Promotions and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Malinga vs. Santa Cruz being presented in association with Branco Sports Productions. The event is sponsored by Corona and AT&T.
Tickets for “Four Warned” are available for as low as $25, with VIP floor seats priced at $200. Other tickets in the 8,000-seat outdoor stadium at The Home Depot Center are available at $50 and $100. Fans can purchase tickets at AXS.com or by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available for purchase by calling 1-877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 1-877-234-8425.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com.
About Showtime Networks Inc.:
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
Warriors, Bluewave, and Newhouse Sign Mark “Too Sharp” Davis!
Warriors Boxing, Bluewave Boxing and Newhouse Promotions are proud to announce the signing of 2005 and 2006 United States Amateur Champion and undefeated super featherweight Mark “Too Sharp” Davis (16-0, 5 KOs) to an exclusive promotional agreement.
25-year-old Davis is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and now lives in Cleveland, Ohio. During his 200 amateur bouts, he competed at the 2005 World championships and won the Eastern Olympic trials for the 2008 Olympics. Davis also won gold medals at the 2002 US Junior Olympics, the 2002 US National Silver Gloves, and the 2002 Police Athletic League (PAL) tournament as a junior. He won a silver medal at the 2003 PAL and won a gold medal for the USA at the 2003 Under-19 Sweden Cup.
Lightning quick and masterful on defense, as a professional, Davis has already beaten some well-thought-of opposition, including Guillermo Sanchez (13-3) in his latest fight and Ramesis Gil (then 6-1) before that.
“We’re all very excited to be working with Mark,” said Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing. “He was a terrific amateur and he’s proven to be a blue-chip prospect as a professional. I predict big things for him.”
“He’s a future world champion,” said Bluewave’s Luis DeCubas. “Mark is at a level of skill already that puts him in an elite class. It’s going to be a pleasure to work with him and help get him where he wants to go in professional boxing.”
Newhouse Promotions, a Cleveland-based company, is also very pleased with the signing: “I feel Mark is on track to become the best fighter in the world,” said lifelong friend and Newhouse’s Tim VanNewhouse. “Working with strategic men like Luis DeCubas and Leon Margules, I know he will get the opportunity to compete on some of the highest levels the sport can offer.”
ESPN News- Pacquiao condemns critics' anti-gay allegations May 16, 2012Manny Pacquiao says he loves and supports gays and lesbians, even though he does not approve of gay marriage. […]Associated Press
- Pacquiao condemns critics' anti-gay allegations May 16, 2012Manny Pacquiao says he loves and supports gays and lesbians, even though he does not approve of gay marriage. […]Associated Press
- Lemieux's comeback trail to start with Zepeda May 16, 2012Montreal middleweight David Lemieux will return to the ring in a scheduled eight-rounder on a June 8 undercard at the Bell Centre in Montreal against Jaudiel Zepeda. […]Dan Rafael
- U.S. female boxer Esparza qualifies for London May 16, 2012Flyweight Marlen Esparza has become the first American female boxer to qualify for the London Olympics. […]Associated Press
- Peterson to present case, asks for Nev. license May 15, 2012Junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson will seek a Nevada boxing license despite his admission that he took a banned substance, which forced the cancellation of his rematch with Amir Khan. […]Dan Rafael
- Taylor qualifies for women's boxing at Games May 15, 2012Three-time world champion Katie Taylor of Ireland qualified for the London Olympics women's boxing, defeating Saida Khassenova of Kazakhstan 20-8 in the 132-pound class at the world championships on Tuesday. […]Associated Press
- Peterson fallout spurs Golden Boy to shift card May 15, 2012Golden Boy Promotions said Monday it has decided against putting on a June 30 Showtime card in Washington, D.C., because of the continuing fallout from the Lamont Peterson failed drug test. […]Dan Rafael
- Boxer Casal recovering after being attacked May 14, 2012The father of light welterweight boxer Nick Casal considers his son lucky to be alive after sustaining several deep cuts to his head in an attack last weekend. […]Associated Press
- Margarito forced to postpone fight due to injury May 14, 2012An Achilles injury has forced former welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito to postpone a return to the ring that had been planned for May 26 in Tucson, Ariz. […]Dan Rafael
- USA Boxing sending nine to compete in London May 12, 2012Six more American boxers have qualified for the Olympics with winning performances at a qualifying tournament in Brazil, allowing USA Boxing to send an impressive nine fighters to the London Games. […]Associated Press
- Pacquiao condemns critics' anti-gay allegations May 16, 2012
