PROMOTIONAL RIGHTS TO ROBERT GUERRERO REMAIN WITH GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS
Gilroy CA, September 30, 2009 – On September 29, 2009, the California Superior Court vacated a December 15, 2008 arbitration award in the proceeding (the “Arbitration”) commenced last year by Robert Guerrero against Goossen Tutor Promotions. The Superior Court’s decision was not based upon the substantive merits of Guerrero’s claims against Goossen-Tutor Promotions, but was based upon the California State Athletic Commission’s failure to obtain arbitrator Armando Garcia’s signature on the award, which Garcia indicated under oath in July of this year, that he was prepared to sign.
Since the commencement of the Arbitration, the 5 year promotional agreement between Guerrero and GTP has expired by its own terms. On December 18, 2008, Guerrero entered into a promotional agreement with Golden Boy Promotions, which agreement was approved by the California State Athletic Commission. The vacatur of the arbitration award by the Superior Court has no effect on the validity of the Guerrero-Golden Boy Promotional Agreement, and Golden Boy remains the exclusive promoter of Robert Guerrero.
GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS RESPONDS TO MALIGNAGGI AND DIBELLA COMMENTS
LOS ANGELES (September 30, 2009) – Following the release of a series of incendiary statements from Lou DiBella and his fighter, junior welterweight Paulie Malignaggi, regarding the decision of former lightweight world champion Juan Diaz to forego a rematch with Malignaggi this December, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer responded to their statements.
“Let the facts be facts. Juan Diaz won the first fight. The only controversy was the wide margin on one of the judges score cards, so there is no reason for Juan Diaz to take short money to fight Paulie Malignaggi again. If Paulie wants to take short money and make it worth Juan’s while to come to New York and beat him again, then let us know and we are ready.”
“Juan is one of the most exciting fighters in the world and has a very loyal fan base in Texas which turns out in big numbers to see him fight. If Paulie does not generate the same amount of money at the gate, then why should Juan be punished for that?”
“Juan will fight anyone, anywhere as long as it makes sense from a career and a financial point of view. All of us at Golden Boy are extremely proud of what Juan Diaz has accomplished in and out of the ring.”
“Juan delivers in the ring every single time with a thrilling performance. There is no need for Paulie nor Lou DiBella to attack him in any way. Juan has plenty of other options which we will now diligently pursue. These options include a possible mega fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, Robert Guerrero, the winner of Guzman vs. Funeka or a potential showdown with Ricky Hatton in England should Ricky decide to return to the ring.”
“We wish Paulie Malignaggi much success with his career.”
KLITSCHKO OUTWORKS MAYWEATHER
LOS ANGELES (Sept. 30, 2009) – Who would have thought that a six-foot-seven, 252 pound heavyweight champ would outwork and be more aggressive than boxing’s pound-for-pound king?
That’s what happened on Saturday night at STAPLES Center, when World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko threw more punches in 10 rounds in his dominating title defense over Cris Arreola than pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr. threw in 12 rounds in his defeat of Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19.
HBO showed a replay of the Mayweather-Marquez fight prior to the Klitschko-Arreola match on Sept. 26, and a comparison of the punch statistics might be surprising to fight fans who think the heavyweight division produces only slow, unexciting fights.
According to CompuBox, Klitschko threw 802 punches over 10 rounds while Mayweather threw just 493 punches over 12 rounds. Two-hundred-eighty-three of Klitschko’s blows were power punches, while Mayweather threw a mere 105 power punches.
Mayweather, who has been labeled the fastest man in boxing, is 11 ½ inches shorter and weighed-in 106 pounds less than Klitschko for his bout against Marquez, who was a naturally smaller fighter and moved up two divisions to fight Mayweather.
“The punch stats show that the heavyweights are not always less entertaining than the lightweights,” said Tom Loeffler, Managing Director, K2 Promotions. “Vitali once again showed his dominance of the heavyweight division in front of a full house at STAPLES Center and even outworked the pound-for-pound king, while fighting someone his same weight.
“His work-rate was incredible and this was the third time he put on a great show at Staples.”
Klitschko, who holds the highest knockout percentage in the history of the heavyweight division, looked sharp in his third fight since returning from a four year retirement due to injuries. A crowd of more than 16,000 witnessed what many critics and experts say was one of the finest performances of his career.
“This was the best condition that I have ever seen Vitali in, and I don’t see anyone beating him in this shape,” said Fritz Sdunek, Klitschko’s trainer.
The title defense was Klitschko’s second successful victory over a No. 1 contender since winning the WBC title from champion emeritus Samuel Peter in October, 2008. Klitschko followed up the Peter victory with a ninth-round TKO of No. 1 challenger Juan Carlos Gomez before he scored a 10th round TKO over No. 1 contender Arreola on Saturday.
“I was surprised at how tough and determined Arreola was,” Klitschko said. “He was really well prepared and took many more punches than I expected.”
GOOSSEN TUTOR WINS “APPEAL” IN CASE AGAINST ROBERT GUERRERO
DECISION RETURNS IBF SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION’S RIGHTS TO PROMOTER
Los Angeles, CA (September 30, 2009) – In a ruling yesterday that sent a strong message to the California State Athletic Commission (“CSAC”), Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert H. O’Brien, on behalf of Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis vacated an arbitration decision by a CSAC arbitrator that voided boxer Robert Guerrero’s promotional agreement with Goossen Tutor Promotions, finding “The award was procured by corruption, fraud or other undue means.” California Code of Civil Procedure § 1286.2(a)(1). As a result, Goossen Tutor Promotions remains the promoter of Guerrero pursuant to its Promotional Agreement.
After changing managers in 2007, Guerrero tried to get out of his promotion agreement with Goossen Tutor, claiming the five-year term of the agreement had expired. Goossen countered that the agreement, which was signed by Guerrero, his mangers, and a representative of CSAC, provided for extensions due to various injuries and suspensions. According to the CSAC’s own rules, then Executive Officer Armando Garcia was to arbitrate the dispute.
Mr. Garcia conducted the arbitration, heard from the witnesses, took evidence, and under CSAC’s own rules, had until November 14, 2008, to issue his decision. He did not issue his decision and four days later, tendered his resignation, effective December 31, 2008. Although Mr. Garcia remained CSAC’s Executive Director and was on the State’s payroll at the time, on December 12, 2008, Garcia’s assistant, Bill Douglas, issued a so-called “Decision of the Arbitrator” in favor of Guerrero, who immediately signed a promotional deal with Golden Boy Promotions.
When Goossen questioned why Mr. Garcia, as the sole arbitrator, did not issue and sign the decision himself, Deputy Attorney General Earl Plowman claimed the decision was reached by Mr. Garcia, who was not available to sign it.
However, Goossen Tutor was able to prove to the satisfaction of the Court, that the Decision was not Mr. Garcia’s but was procured through “fraud, corruption, or undue means.” As it turns out Mr. Plowman had actually authored the Decision, which was never issued by, reviewed by, approved by, or even seen by Mr. Garcia when CSAC issued it as a purportedly binding decision. In fact, Mr. Garcia was available to CSAC after he tendered his resignation, and was actually contacted twice after Goossen asked the Court to vacate the arbitration award, once by Mr. Plowman’s supervisor, Ms. Karen Chappelle, and once by a CSAC Commissioner. Both times, Mr. Garcia declined to support the Decision.
Before forcing Goossen Tutor to court to vacate the Decision, Goossen asked CSAC to order a new arbitration. CSAC deadlocked at 3-3, and tabled the motion, eventually refusing to vote. As Goossen’s counsel, Nomi Castle, of Castle and Associates in Century City, CA, explained:
“We lost the arbitration unfairly and we filed what would be the equivalent of an appeal because arbitration is done under the auspices of the State of California, and the California State Athletic Commission has a scheme for handling its cases through arbitration as opposed to a court,” Castle explained.
“This was the only way we have to challenge the award, other than appearing before the commissioners which Dan Goossen did, receiving 3 votes of 6 ruling to re-arbitrate. After the support from the commissioners for re-arbitration, the Commission backed off of that and said they don’t have jurisdiction and we would have to take them to court to pursue the issues we had. Which is exactly what we did. In essence we filed an appeal or a writ. We brought a petition to vacate the arbitration award and/or as an alternative to stay the enforcement of that arbitration award pending discovery as to who actually issues the decision on arbitration because Armando Garcia was the arbitrator, and yet he was not the person who made the decision or signed the award. And we brought our petition in front of a court on various legal grounds and the petition was granted.
“This was the correct decision,” Castle said. “It was the one we were after and the court recognized that there was corruption and fraud on the part of the Commission and the way they handled this matter in issuing the arbitration ruling in favor of Guerrero. As a practical matter, Goossen Tutor Promotions is still the promoter of Mr. Guerrero and I’ll leave it to my client to discuss his future promotional plans.”
Goossen’s counsel, Farzad Tabatabai of Castle & Associates added: “Justice was done. The Court’s ruling correctly recognizes what should be obvious to everyone: an arbitration decision that is drafted by someone other than the arbitrator and signed by an outsider to the arbitration, without ever being seen by, reviewed by, or approved by the arbitrator, may not be binding on the parties. The question that remains to be answered is how CSAC and the Attorney General’s office allowed this to happen in the first place.”
For more on Goossen Tutor Promotions, go to www.goossentutor.com.
Cintrón and Quintana to fight in Puerto Rico
By Alejandro Echevarria
San Juan, P.R.- Former welterweight title holders Kermit “The Killer” Cintrón (31-2 27KO’s) and Carlos “El Indio” Quintana (26-2 20KO’s) were present at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum for the first press conference prior to their upcoming bouts on the 24th of October. Cintrón will face off against Brazilian Juliáno Rámos (15-2 12KO’s) at a maximum weight of 150lbs while Quintana will do the same against tough as nails Jesse Feliciano (15-7-3 9KO’s) at the junior middleweight limit.
Ramos last fight was a knockout loss to welterweight prospect Mike Jones over a year ago and carries no victories over top rated fighters. Cintrón is coming off one of his best performances in defeating highly regarded Alferdo “El Perro” Angulo at 154lbs. so 15rounds.com inquired about that. “The Killer” said that a lot of it had to do with the fact that he really wanted to fight in Puerto Rico, where he was born and raised until the age of 8. He said that before he signed with Dibella Entertainment he made them promise him a fight on the island and they delivered. Still, the former belt holder made it clear that this type of “tune up” fights can be very dangerous because the fighters are coming with a winning mentality.
He admitted he hadn’t seen his opponent and didn’t know much about him but nevertheless expressed his confidence in victory. He mentioned that in his last fight against Angulo he proved that he could box as well as trade with opponents. About that fight Cintrón went on to call Angulo “La Perra” or “b*tch” based on the fact that he had beat him up and taught him boxing that night(Angulo left the ring before speaking to the media after that fight).
Cintrón would also have some advice for his fellow countryman regarding Quintana’s next opponent, Jesse Feliciano, a previous victim of his. “He takes a lot of punches”. The Killer made it very clear that Feliciano is really tough which says a lot coming from a guy who has stopped 27 of his 31 victims.
Quintana also took time with the press to discuss his upcoming bout. He expressed he felt privileged to fight in front of his people and on the same card as Cintrón. About Feliciano, he said he’s seen him fight several times and knows he is tough. Still, he knows how to handle fighters like that and is certain the fight will not go the distance.
Although El Indio has fought in Puerto Rico before, he admits there is pressure but he knows how to handle it. He also noted that it will be just a day under a year without fighting when he steps in the ring with Feliciano but having gone through long layoffs before he knows how to keep in shape. About his weight, Quintana said he could still make the welterweight limit but there has to be enough motivation in monetary terms for him to do it as it admittedly drains him.
Also in action will be undefeated Puerto Rican prospects Joel “Joelo” Torres (11-0-1 7KO’s) against an opponent to be announced and José “Chelo” González (7-0 4KO’s) against Javier García (6-2-1 2KO’s) of Gurabo, Puerto Rico. A total of eight bouts is planned for the evening with the transmission of the DiBella-PR Best Boxing production airing through Pay-Per-View for a price of $29.95 in Puerto Rico and the united States.
Biosse’s journey from gridiron to ring continues Saturday
“Saturday Afternoon Special” Oct. 3 at Twin River
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Sept. 30, 2009) – Former University of Rhode Island football player Vladine Biosse continues his remarkable journey from Cape Verde to Providence and back into the ring this weekend on the “Saturday Afternoon Special” show at the Twin River Event center in Lincoln, R.I.
Biosse (3-0, 3 KOs) faces his stiffest test as a pro against Tafari Lawton (1-0) in a 4-round bout. “Vlad is a neighborhood hero,” promoter Jimmy Burchfield said. “He is a graduate of Hope High School and the University of Rhode Island, where he played football. Vlad is a true gentleman who is doing a great job in the Cape Verdean community. He’s an exciting performer who is working hard to become a top prize fighter.”
The solid “Saturday Afternoon Special” card is a rare matinee show (2 PM/ET start), promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc. (CES), in association with Twin River, Banner Promotions, Star Boxing and DiBella Entertainment.
Unbeaten prospect Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (11-0, 8 KOs), a 2-time national amateur champion, headlines in an 8-round super middleweight bout against veteran Darnell Boone (16-12-2), while 2008 U.S. Olympian Demetrius “The Extinguisher” Andrade (7-0, 6 KOs), a former World amateur champion, faces another undefeated prospect, Chris Chatman (4-0, 2 KOs), in the 6-round co-feature.
The 27-year-old Biosse moved to Providence 13 years ago from his native Cape Verde. He was a soccer player who didn’t speak English, which caused some social problems, but eventually got him into playing football.
“Sports are in my blood,” he explained. “Everyone in our family grew up like that from watching my father, an ex-soccer player. When I first moved here I was the odd guy out because I played soccer and ran track. I tried to make friends but the kids in my neighborhood and school teased me because I didn’t play football. My senior year at Hope High School I decided to try football. I liked it and went on to play at Dean College (2-time Junior College All-America player) and the University of Rhode Island. I did well because I was always fast. I learned the game as I went along. I do think there are similarities between football and boxing. In football, you work as part of a team, train hard and study tapes of your opponents. I may be fighting alone in the ring, but boxing takes a team effort, too, with your cornermen playing a big part. The only big difference is football’s played on a field; boxing is in a ring.”
Biosse, who is now a U.S. citizen and has a URI degree, didn’t start boxing until he moved to Providence. He had a 25-3 amateur record, including four overseas tournaments as a member of the Cape Verdean National Boxing Team. Vlad captured a silver medal at the African Games and qualified to be a member of the 2008 Cape Verdean Olympic Team, but he didn’t get an opportunity to compete in Beijing due to lack of funding.
“I understand it’s not all about boxing,” Biosse remarked about his rising popularity, especially in the Cape Verdean community. “My college education has helped me realize that boxing is a sport in which you have to perform, but it’s also showbiz and there’s a need to entertain. Someday, I want to be world champion, and I’m working hard to reach that goal. I appreciate the chance Jimmy Burchfield and CES is giving me. They’ve shown me a lot of love. We’re family.”
Light welterweight Simeon Dunwell (9-1, 2 KOs) takes on David Marquez (5-6-1, 1 KO) in a 6-round bout. Also fighting on the undercard in 4-round fights are Hartford junior middleweight David Bauza (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Khristian Geraci (4-6-1, 3 KOs), New Haven light welterweight Edwin Soto (1-0, 1 KO) vs. TBA and Providence light welterweight Jesus Caro (4-0, 4 KOs) vs. Damien Butler (0-1). All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Rollback ticket prices for “Saturday Afternoon Special” are $25.00, $35.00, $50.00, $100.00 ($15.00 redeemable free play at Twin River), and limited $150.00 Jimmy’s Platinum Club ($25.00 redeemable free play at Twin River), and are available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254), going online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at Twin River’s Players Club booth at Twin River, or any TicketMaster location.
Contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or the Twin River Event Center (877.82.RIVER/ www.twinriver.com) for more information. Doors open at 1 PM/ET, first bout at 2 PM/ET.
(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Saturday Afternoon Special.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied at all times by an adult and they must enter through the West entrance.)
Simon to defend USBA Middleweight crown on October 17th at the Palms against Ayala
Las Vegas, NV, September 28, 2009 – “Punch-out,” returns to the Palms Casino Resort in beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, October 17th, 2009. Headlining this explosive night of action which begins at 7:00 P.M. will be a 12 round USBA Middleweight Championship bout. Rounding out the night Guilty Boxing seeks to raise the entertainment value as we put several boxing and MMA fights together for your viewing pleasure in what we consider the best of both worlds.
In the featured bout of the evening, Guilty Boxing presents a 12 Round USBA Middleweight Championship Bout between Lajuan Simon (21-2-2, 12 KO’s) current USBA Middleweight Champion of Philadelphia, PA against “Mandatory Challenger” Elvin Ayala (20-3-1, 9 KO’s), of New Haven, CT in what should be a sizzling all action twelve round title affair. Undercard boxing action will showcase the likes of two local Las Vegas talents, Hard charging, non-stop puncher “Lightning” Lonnie Smith (8-2, 6 KO’s) fighting in a six round bout at lightweight coming off a spectacular third round KO in his last outing. Also featured on the card will be the mauler from Morocco, Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak (7-0, 3 KO’s). As an added attraction, Las Vegas Heavyweight Clarence Tillman will round out the card.
“Punch-out,” will also spotlight the up and coming stars of tomorrow, as we present hardcore MMA bouts! “MMA is quickly making its presence felt around the world, and Guilty Boxing and The Palms are striving to give the fans what they desire; the best of both worlds, boxing and MMA on one night for a very affordable price!” stated Guilty boxing’s Vice President Jeff Grmoja.
Tickets are available and start at just $30.00. Doors open at 6:30 P.M. and the first bout begins at 7:00 P.M. Tickets can be purchased now at the Palms Resort Hotel & Casino Box office or by phone at (702) 942-7777 or 1-866-942-7777.
Henry Crawford’s Golden Opportunity
By Matt Yanofsky
With his record continuing to grow but a big fight still evading him, Henry Crawford became quite frustrated. No longer interested in fighting off TV, Crawford was prepared to wait for his opportunity. Recent whispers linked Crawford to a fight with hard hitting Philadelphian Mike Jones but the fight never came together.
Much to his surprise, Crawford was offered a fight with highly touted Antwone “The Truth” Smith slated to take place on ShoBox: The Next Generation. Crawford quickly accepted the bout and was more interested in the opportunity than the payday, which is virtually unheard of these days. Garden State Fight Scene had the opportunity to catch up with Crawford, who is two days away from what is by far the most significant fight of his career.
Garden State Fight Scene: Henry, congrats on landing the fight. Smith’s original opponent was Carlos Molina, an extremely tough gate keeper that pulled off a handful of upsets. Then out of nowhere, we hear Henry Crawford signs to fight Smith. How did everything come together?
Henry Crawford: I took the fight with two weeks notice originally. I had the idea that he had another opponent but it didn’t matter to me because they said (it would air on) Showtime and I said (I’ll take it)! I wasn’t worried about the money and was ready to fight because I stay in the gym.
Editors Note: The fight was initially scheduled for September 18 but was moved back to this Friday, October 2.
GSFS: Did you go to camp for the fight or did you train in Paterson as usual?
HC: I trained here in Paterson. I am comfortable here with my family and live a disciplined life so I don’t need (a training camp). Camps are for guys that are unstable and don’t have the discipline. I worked here with Jeremy Bryan, Ossie Duran, Pawel Wolak, and Kendall Holt.
They all give me different styles too. Wolak gives me pressure, Duran can box and Kendall has speed so they all gave me good work.
GSFS: Against Smith, you will enter the ring with a record of 22-0-1. I know you were frustrated because it took so long to land a significant TV fight. Why do you think it took so long?
HC: (pauses) Everybody is out there trying to get that quality fight you know? Some (insignificant) past offers and people not wanting to fight me factored into it. This fight happened to land at the perfect time.
GSFS: The fight was originally scheduled for September 18 but was moved back to Friday. Were you happy that you had more time to prepare for Smith or dejected that you had to wait longer?
HC: I was ready for the 18th but it doesn’t matter. I am constantly in the gym preparing myself so the wait made no difference.
GSFS: Antwone Smith is going to be a significant step up for you. Smith scored four impressive wins on ESPN, coming into each fight as the opponent. Smith most recently defeated well regarded Richard Gutierrez. Have you seen any of his fights and how are you preparing for this step up?
HC: I have seen a few of his fights and he had some nice wins on ESPN. I see it like this; he is just another opponent for me. He is just another guy that I am fighting so I don’t look at him any differently.
If you look at it, when I fought Jerome Ellis I was called on 3 days notice, I didn’t know anything bout him except that he was tough and I got the win. Same thing happened when I fought Gilbert Venegas. I only knew that he was 8-1. I took that fight short notice and had no tapes. I thought I won but it was (ruled) a draw.
GSFS: I was at your last fight against Kaseem Wilson and quite honestly, it was a frustrating to watch. Even though you were the clear victor, some people were disappointed with the fight. What happened?
HC: Actually, I was pretty happy about my performance. He was a Cory Spinks type (fighter because he was) jabbing and running. He had the slick southpaw thing down pat. I hadn’t faced a southpaw in awhile but if they judge me on my last performance they are making a mistake. Styles make fights.
Smith comes to fight and is a good technical fighter. He doesn’t get wild (so he) makes all his punches count and it is (probably) going to be like a chess match but who knows. It may be a war or may be a chess match Friday but if he does come at me, I‘m no punk! I’ll exchange (punches) if I have to.
GSFS: Mike Jones was the name most mentioned as your next opponent. Why didn’t that fight come together?
HC: I called up (promoter) Main Events because that was the fight they discussed so I asked what was going on. (Shortly thereafter) I heard he had a nick injury so I was like “ok I got to move on.”
GSFS: Smith is coming into the fight as the favorite. Will that provide extra motivation?
HC: Hey, who did he fight? Richard Gutierrez and one unbeaten Mexican? I look at them as nobodies.
Look at beginning of my career. I fought unbeaten guys and guys with 1 loss. I think I fought the tougher guys and (to me Smith) is just another opponent. He is a man like I am a man and when it comes down to it I’m going to take care of business. I hope he comes in confident!
GSFS: If you defeat Smith, where are you looking to go from there?
HC: I am looking to take anybody! There is no tomorrow for me I am 28 and have a family to feed. I want any big fight god willing everything goes ok. Shit, I want a world title fight or at least continental (title fight) to get me (rated) in the top 10.
GSFS: Thanks for your time and best of luck on September Friday. Is there anything you’d like to add in closing?
HC: I want everybody to tune in since it’s going to be on Showtime. It’s going to be a good fight!
JUAN DIAZ TURNS DOWN AGREED UPON DEAL FOR REMATCH WITH PAULIE MALIGNAGGI
(September 29, 2009) In 1980 Roberto Duran became famous for uttering the words “no mas” in the eighth round of his rematch with “Sugar” Ray Leonard. Almost thirty years later, Juan Diaz is refusing to even entertain the thought of a rematch by saying “no gracias” to the deal his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, had already agreed to for a second meeting with Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi.
On August 22, Malignaggi and Diaz battled back and forth in what has been widely acclaimed as one of the best fights of 2009. Despite the close nature of the fight, and most observers believing Malignaggi had done enough to win, Diaz was awarded an astonishingly lopsided unanimous decision. The verdict, which was particularly jaw-dropping given Judge Gale Van Hoy’s 118-110 scorecard in favor of Diaz, has had boxing fans far and wide clamoring for a rematch.
Over the course of the past two weeks Malignaggi’s promoter, Lou DiBella of DiBella Entertainment, and Diaz’s promoter, Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, began hammering out the details of Malignaggi vs. Diaz 2, with both sides agreeing that everything would be split and distributed evenly, from the fighter’s purses to the percentage of profits off the event that both companies would keep. The two sides had begun reaching out to venues in Chicago due to its neutral location between Malignaggi’s hometown of Brooklyn, New York, and Diaz’s hometown of Houston, Texas (where the first fight took place). Even HBO was onboard, agreeing to pay a hefty license fee for the rights to air the bout on December 12.
“I was very excited,” said Malignaggi of his reaction to the news a deal was nearing completion. “I knew the rematch was going to be a great fight and I knew I was going to beat the breaks off this guy.”
Things began to fall apart, however, when word of the deal being struck was met with vastly different responses by the camps of the respective fighters. While Malignaggi swiftly agreed to the terms of the deal and put into motions plans to start a training camp, Diaz and manager Willie Savannah rejected the offer his promoter had struck on his behalf, thus killing the dreams of all boxing fans that these two top junior welterweights would square off again.
“I assumed when Golden Boy and I reached an agreement, that the deal was done, and I think Richard Schaefer believed it was going to get done,” said DiBella. “I know that Golden Boy tried to make this fight with the license fee that was available; they were frustrated by unreasonable management and an unwilling fighter.”
Diaz did not give a specific reason for his withdrawal other than saying he deferred his decision to manager Willie Savannah. Whoever made the final call, Malignaggi suspects it was the overture of neutrality that ultimately killed the bout from the Diaz end.
“If Juan is a real fighter, he will pull up his skirt and tell Willie Savannah he wants the rematch,” said Malignaggi. “Willie doesn’t want to do a rematch because they can’t screw me the second time around. In the spirit of competition, Juan should want a rematch and this rematch should happen.”
“The problem with marketplace decisions are that they give the beneficiaries the idea that they have marketplace leverage, even when they don’t,” added DiBella, who has another theory why Team Diaz has chosen to stay away from Paulie Malignaggi this time around: “I guess Juan Diaz doesn’t want to see his mother crying with her head buried in her hands again.”
While Malignaggi will always be amenable to an opportunity to settle the score with Diaz, he is moving on, and not letting Diaz get in the way of him or his career advancement.
“I’m not going to wait on Juan Diaz,” he said. “I heard Diaz actually wants a rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez [who stopped Diaz in nine rounds in February], but who gives a crap? Marquez will knock him out cold again. Here’s an idea. How about Malignaggi vs. Marquez? I’ve got to keep it going, with or without Juan Diaz.”
Pavlik – Williams press conference quotes
PAUL WILLIAMS This fight is finally going to happen. Now we are really going to fight. I know that this is going to be a real big fight for me. It is going to be a hard test. I bring too much action to the fight for him. I know Pavlik is going to hit me with some big shots. His game plan is to try to hit me with a power shot and hurt me to get some respect. I am going to weather that storm and come back and hit him with some big shots. I am going to do what I do best – I am going to go out there and fight like I always fight. It is going to be an exciting fight for the fans and an exciting fight for me. People ask if I can deal with a middleweight punch. Will I fold or will I stand up? I am going to stand up. I take my hat off to Kelly, he is a champion. I am looking to come get those belts. I am going to be a four-time champion. I like a challenge and this is one of my biggest challenges. He’s had some good fights, knocking out a lot of guys. This fight right here, I am not going to sleep. I think I am going to put him to sleep. I know he is a big power puncher but I am going to pop him with some shots too. I do all my talking in the ring and I say may the best man win and I know it’s going to be me. I know he thinks the same thing, that he’ll win, but I’ve just got to prove him wrong. You all will definitely see some action. I am going to bring it like I always bring it. CRAIG PETERSON We want no excuses. Please take Kelly to a training camp away from Youngstown. On December 5 the best fighter will win and on that night the best fighter will be Paul Williams. KELLY PAVLIK I have been waiting a long time for this fight and the time in between fights is not a problem. Eight weeks is more than enough time for me to train. I think this is a big match-up for middleweights. There are not too many big fights out there right now. A lot of guys are moving out of the weight class and the big fight right now is Paul Williams. He came off a big win against Winky Wright and it’s what everybody wants to see right now. I know I want this fight and I am always looking for the best opponent out there. Paul throws a lot of punches, wears fighters down and comes form all angles. My style is the same exact thing. If you’ve seen the fights with Taylor and the fight with Miranda, I put the gear on and it’s time for war. I train for every fight whether the guy is 0-100 or 100-0. I train for twelve-rounds even though I have a high knockout ratio, I have four fights that went the distance. And those four fights I had to be in tip-top shape because I throw a lot of punches every round also. Paul is a great conditioned fighter and I’ll need to wear him down and I’ll need to break him down. I know that makes for a great match-up and I will come away with a “W.” I never predict – there are no rounds to pick – our plan is to go in there, look at the films, get the right sparring partners and be dominant and make another mark in history. I compare this fight to the Miranda fight. Miranda was on top of his game that that fight set up my fight with Taylor. I need to beat Williams at this time, when he is on top of his game to set up bigger fights. December 5 is going to be a great night for boxing and you’ve got two guys that aren’t holding back. This will be a fight where the last man standing wins, I am not anticipating a decision. He’s never been hit by a natural middleweight. How he will stand up to that in the later rounds is the question. He looks like a middleweight by his height and his frame. What I took from the Hopkins loss is how to bounce back from my first loss as a professional. That night was so frustrating for me. I have a lot to prove still, I am hungry and I want to go down in history as one of the best middleweights of all time. JACK LEOW It’s great to be back in the ring. One thing I can assure Team Williams is that we are not leaving Youngstown. There will be no excuses – it’s tough to make excuses when you are winning the fight. “The Punisher” will be the punished. There will be no reasons for excuses. I hear him going back to 147-pounds and I don’t want excuses out of them when we win the fight that they should go back to 147. They agreed to 260 and we’ll see how they live up to it after the fight. I expect nothing but the best from Paul Williams, he is always in fantastic shape. He always comes prepared and we are going to be prepared for twelve-rounds of fighting. I wish him nothing but the best and as he said the best man is going to win the night and obviously I believe it is going to be my man. It’s great to finally get back into the ring and back into training and get the show on the road.
World Middleweight Championship
KELLY PAVLIK vs. PAUL WILLIAMS
Saturday, December 5 – LIVE ON HBO – Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall
TICKETS GO ON SALE TOMORROW at NOON ET
ATLANTIC CITY (September 29, 2009) – “Great Caesars Ghost!” World Middleweight Champion KELLY “The Ghost” PAVLIK returns to his old haunt — Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall — where he first captured the world title, Saturday, December 5, for the biggest gamble of his world title reign. Pavlik faces two-division world champion PAUL “The Punisher” WILLIAMS. Promoted by Top Rank and Goossen Tutor Promotions, in association with Caesars Atlantic City, the Pavlik-Williams world title fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT.
Combined, these two sluggers boast an incredible record of 72-2 (58 KOs), a winning percentage of 98% and a victory by knockout ratio of 80%!
Tickets, priced at $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50, go on sale Tomorrow! Wednesday, September 30, at Noon ET, and can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster (800) 736-1420 or online at www.Ticketmaster.com.
“My world title reign has been no different than my world title climb. I keep fighting the best men out there,” said Pavlik. “My two title defenses have been against the No. 1 contenders. Now I’m getting the fight I have wanted most of all, against Paul Williams.
“I’m not content being the World Middleweight Champion, I want to be the best man in the game, pound for pound. Defeating Williams will go a long way to making my case I will be 200% for this fight because that’s what it will take to win.”
“I’m not looking down on Pavlik. This fight will be fought eye-to-eye,” said Williams. “It’s a fight that’s overdue. The public has wanted to see this from the moment that they heard talk of it. Even before Pavlik-Hopkins. I haven’t been able to receive the props that I deserve at this point in my career as an athlete. I have not been able to get the quality of fight that I wanted and I appreciate that Pavlik has stepped up. I believe that upon defeating Pavlik, I will get the accolades that are due.”
“Kelly Pavlik is a superstar because he has always accepted the biggest challenges,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “Now Kelly faces the toughest test of his middleweight title reign in fellow world champion Paul Williams, who proved he was the goods when he manhandled Winky Wright in his last fight. This isn’t just the class of the division facing off. It’s the class of boxing.”
“From 147 to 168 pounds, there is no one better than Paul Williams,” said Dan Goossen, president of Goossen Tutor Promotions. “That is why he is known as “the most feared fighter in boxing.” This fight will cement Paul’s standing as the best middleweight in the world.”
“Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams have established their credentials as elite fighters and with their respective styles, boxing fans everywhere are in for a very early holiday gift,” said HBO Sports senior vice president Kery Davis. “These are battle-tested American middleweights who are sure to produce a memorable night of action under the bright lights.”
“Caesars is very excited to welcome world champion Kelly Pavlik and his huge contingent of Youngstown, Ohio fans back to Atlantic City,” said Harrah’s Entertainment Sports & Entertainment Consultant Ken Condon. “We are looking forward to what is sure to be another fabulous night of championship boxing at Boardwalk Hall with these two exciting world champions.”
Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs), the star from Youngstown, Ohio, joins former lightweight champions Harry Arroyo and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini as hometown world champions. Pavlik Ghost wrote a career year in 2007 against three of the best who boasted a combined record of 74-4-3 (55 KOs) when he faced them. The consensus “Fighter of the Year” for 2007, Pavlik knocked out Jose Luis Zertuche (19-3-2, 14 KOs) and Edison Miranda (28-1, 24 KOs), in world title elimination bouts, earning him the right to become Jermain Taylor’s mandatory challenger. His year-end finale, a seventh-round stoppage of the previously undefeated Taylor, to claim the world middleweight championship, was selected as the “Fight of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America and extended Pavlik’s two-year victory by knockout streak to nine bouts. Pavlik defeated Taylor handily in their rematch in February 2008 to solidify his claim as one of boxing’s top pound for pound fighters. He has successfully defended the title twice, both by knockout, against Gary Lockett and Marco Antonio Rubio, the No. 1 contenders and mandatory challengers for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the World Boxing Council (WBC), respectively.
Williams (37-1, 27 KOs), from Atlanta, Georgia, boasts a 73% victory by knockout ratio and five victories over world champions, two good reasons why he is known as boxing’s “Most Feared Fighter.” The tall southpaw with the endless reserve of power and energy has twice captured the WBO welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Antonio Margarito in 2007 and a first-round TKO of Quintano in 2008, avenging the only loss on his professional resume. Unable to get fellow welterweight champions to fight him in title unification bouts, Williams moved up to the junior middleweight division and closed out 2008 by knocking out three-time junior middleweight champion Verno Phillips in the eighth round to capture the WBO interim junior middleweight title, which he still holds. Williams returns to the ring after one of his most impressive victories, a thorough blitzkrieg of two-time junior middleweight champion Winky Wright last April. It was a complete beatdown. Williams kept an extremely fast pace from the first bell through the last, consistently landing the harder punches to produce a near shutout on scorecards – 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109. If three world titles weren’t enough, the victory over master technician Wright served notice to the boxing world that Williams should be feared.
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