CHICAGO- World Boxing Council (WBC) Lightweight Champion David Diaz is preparing to face off against Ramon Montano on Saturday, March 15th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The ten round non-title bout against Montano will be Diaz’s first return to the ring following his outstanding win over three division world champion Erik Morales on August 4, 2007 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. The win over Morales was Diaz’s first defense of his WBC title and was noted on many boxing writers' 2007 “Fight of the Year” lists.
Diaz, under the tutelage of head trainer Mike Garcia, has been in camp at Chicago’s JABB Boxing Gym in preparation for his fight with Montano on the undercard of “UNFINISHED BUSINESS, the long-awaited rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao.
Speaking after an extensive workout, Diaz, 33-1-1 (17KO's) touched on a number of topics;
“I get approached in Chicago a little more since beating Morales. There were over 10,000 people at the fight and many of them have been very gracious to me over the last few months. It feels great, but there is still much to prove so I’m continuing to work hard.”
About facing the Las Vegas native Montano who brings a record of 14-3-2 into the fight on March 15th, “I’ve watched a few of his fights, he’s got a nice jab and comes forward ready to fight. I’m sure he’s training diligently for this opportunity and I’m preparing to be at my best on March 15th. I’m very excited to get back in the ring and fight at the highest level.”
In regards to his training, Diaz, a member of the 1996 US Olympic Team said, “Mike has set up a great camp, training and sparring has been terrific so far.”
The fight against Montano marks Diaz’s third fight in Las Vegas but Diaz is unfazed by the bright lights, “I’m fully aware of fighting on such a big stage but to me it’s a business trip. I’m going there to take care of business and that’s the only thing on my mind. Doesn’t matter to me how big the crowd is or anything like that. The bell rings and I have to be ready to fight.” Diaz won the WBC interim title with a devastating 10th round knockout of Jose Armando Santa Cruz on August 12, 2006 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
About the much rumored bout with Pacquiao for later this year, Diaz said “I’ve heard the talk but I’m so focused on March 15th that I’m not really paying attention to anything else. It’s not my style to look ahead, it’s all about Ramon Montano right now.”
Diaz wanted to pass along a final message to his fans, “I’ve always had terrific support in Chicago and I’ve also gotten great support from new fans after the Morales fight. I’m very thankful and I’m looking forward to putting on a great show on March 15th.”
The fistic debate about which fighter is the best finally will be settled when World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ defends his title against three-division world champion MANNY PACQUIAO in a 12-round battle for pound-for-pound supremacy. Promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Romanza Boxing Productions and MP Promotions, Marquez-Pacquiao II will take place Saturday, March 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
Tickets for Marquez-Pacquiao II,priced at $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100, are on sale at the Mandalay Bay box office and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Macy’s West at the Fashion Show Mall, and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000 or Mandalay Bay (702) 632-7580. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Martin Castillo, former WBA super flyweight world championOPEN MEDIA GYM WORKOUTS
In anticipation of the separate world title bouts on February 16th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV on the undercard of the Kelly Pavlik vs. Jermain Taylor rematch (The Epic Battle Continues) Martin “EL GALLITO” Castillo and Jose Navarro will hold open media gym workouts on Tuesday, February 5th at the South El Monte Community Gym at 12noon.
Former World Boxing Association super flyweight champion Castillo will face off against current World Boxing Organization super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel while three time world title challenger Navarro will battle current World Boxing Council super flyweight champion Cristian Mijares on the HBO-PPV televised undercard.
The Kelly Pavlik vs. Jermain Taylor rematch (The Epic Battle Continues) is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Top Rank Inc. The 12-round rumble will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View on Saturday, February 16th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas beginning at 9p.m. (EST) / 6p.m. (PST). The bout will take place at a catch weight of 166 lbs. as Taylor exercises the rematch clause in his contract from the original Pavlik fight.
Tickets are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100 are on sale at MGM Grand Arena Box Office. Tickets will also be sold at all Las Vegas Ticketmasters locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers, Macy's West at the Fashion Show Mall, and Ritmo Latino.) Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at 702-474-4000 or MGM Grand 800-929-1111. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com
Martin Castillo, former WBA super flyweight world champion, Jose Navarro, three-time super flyweight world title challenger, Rudy Perez, trainer of Martin Castillo, Frank Perez, trainer of Jose Navarro, Frank Espinoza, manager of Martin Castillo.
INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE, HDNET FIGHTS TEAM UP TO TELEVISE FIRST THREE IFL EVENTS OF 2008 LIVE Events From Las Vegas, New Jersey and Connecticut
NEW YORK– The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI) and HDNet Fights today announced an agreement to televise the first three IFL events of 2008 live, beginning with the Friday, February 29 card from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. HDNet Fights will also air the April 4 card live from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., and the May 16 event from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Each two hour show will carry a minimum of five of the eight fights on the card, including no fewer than two championship fights. This is the latest partnership between the IFL and HDNet, which began with the December 29, 2007, IFL Championship event from Mohegan Sun. “We are very pleased to be able to offer our fans around the country these next three events live and in HD,” said IFL President and CEO Jay Larkin. “The quality of our broadcasts is second to none, highlighting the outstanding athletes and exciting bouts as we start 2008 in Las Vegas, live on HDNet.” “The first event we did with the IFL was a great success, and we are very pleased to be able to expand that relationship into the first quarter of 2008,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “HDNet Fights Presents: The IFL is a fantastic addition to MMA action on HDNet.” The Feb. 29 card will be the first in the IFL’s new camp vs. camp format, with Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den meeting Matt Lindland’s Team Quest, and Mario Sperry’s World Class Fight Center against Xtreme Couture. The night will also feature three individual championship defenses, with lightweight titleholder Ryan Schultz, who defeated previously unbeaten Chris Horodecki for the belt, meeting John Gunderson, middleweight champ Matt Horwich, a surprise winner over Benji Radach, defending his crown against Ryan McGivern of Miletich Fighting Systems, and heavyweight champ and Las Vegas native Roy Nelson battling Fabiano Scherner. The two hour show will air live on HDNet at 11 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. PT. About HDNet HDNet Fights (www.hdnetfights.com) is one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the country. Founded by Mark Cuban, HDNet Fights promotes, produces and airs over 24 live MMA events annually for broadcast on HDNet. HDNet Fights is unique as a unifying force in the MMA industry partnering with leading promoters, including M1, Sportfight, IFL, Ring of Combat and others to offer the quality match-ups and productions that MMA fans demand. Founded in 2007, HDNet Fights is led by CEO Andrew Simon while company operations are handled by Dallas MMA legend and former UFC champion, Guy Mezger. HDNet (www.hd.net) is the home for HDNet Fights and is the leader in offering live MMA broadcasts and the leading news and information show for MMA fans, “Inside MMA”. In addition, HDNet provides viewers with the best in original news, sports, music and entertainment programming. From “Dan Rather Reports”, to championship sports coverage from the NHL, NASCAR and Major League Soccer to “Guys Night In” every Friday and the HDNet Concert Series every Sunday, HDNet offers great programming with the world’s best picture quality. Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager and COO Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information visit www.hd.net. If you don’t already have HDNet, call your local cable, satellite or video provider and order it today! About the IFL International Fight League™ (IFL) has its headquarters in New York and offices in Las Vegas. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv.
SecondsOut Radio: Suszannah Warner, Alicia Ashley, Ronica Jeffrey,Jill Diamond, and Women's Boxing
On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio/,host Eddie Goldman focuses on the state of women's boxing. We spoke with NABF strawweight champion Suszannah Warner (http://www.myspace.com/destiny_warner) (8-6, 2 KOs), who won a four-round unanimous decision in a non-title fight over the previously-unbeatenBecky Garcia (5-1, 3 KOs), Friday, Feb. 1, at the Fort McDowell Casinoin Fountain Hills, Arizona. There were two women's fights on Star Boxing's "Punchin' at the Paradise 8" card at the Utopia Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York, which was held Thursday, Jan. 31. Right after her fight, we spoke with Alicia Ashley (http://www.myspace.com/aliciaslickashley)(14-7-1, 1 KO), who won an eight-round unanimous decision on that card over Brooke Dierdorff (4-2-1, 3 KOs) to win the vacant NABF women's super bantamweight title.
We also spoke with former New York City Golden Gloves champion, super bantamweight Ronica Jeffrey (http://www.myspace.com/ladypantha), who won her pro debut, also on that card,with a four-round unanimous decision over Karen Dulin, also making her pro debut.
And we spoke with Jill Diamond (http://www.myspace.com/neverhitalady), NABF Women's Division Chair, a member of the WBC Championship Committee, and the World Boxing Cares Chair, about the state of women's boxing today.
It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register togain access to it. Just click here, http://www.secondsout.com/radio/,and listen, learn, and enjoy. Thanks, Eddie Goldman No Holds Barred bloghttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com/ No Holds Barred podcasthttp://nhbnews.podomatic.com/ No Holds Barred on MySpacehttp://www.myspace.com/nhbnews
Mitchell Rose book review from critically acclaimed boxing writer Ryan Songalia
People remember Mitchell Rose for his unexpected knockout of then-undefeated media magnet Butterbean. Rose's autobiography "Mike Tyson Tried To Kill My Daddy" is a brutally honest account of a man leading his step by trial and error, while overcoming odds with the fighting spirit he developed in the tough streets of Brooklyn, New York.
Not once in his memoirs does Rose ever claim to be without fault. Rose recalls incidences of delinquency, drug use, street violence, as well as his career as a crack dealer. He tells the story like a man who is not ashamed of his past having accepted it as the road that led him to self-actualization. Vividly he describes his lust for something more, transcending Lafayette Gardens projects with the only tools he had as a teenager, through infamy.
Rose uses his first hand perspective to analyze, just as much as he narrates the world and circumstances that he was exposed to in Brooklyn's inner city. He allows the reader into a world that is seldom accurately portrayed in media in a way that people of all walks can identify with on a common human thread. Not just touching on fisticuffs, Rose delves into the cultural clashes and societal ills that he confronted daily in a manner that lends dignity to his environment.
The detail Rose goes into depicts the maturation of a boy, into a man-child, then finally into a man. It was through boxing that Rose transitioned through life stages. And it was through boxing that Rose finally rose above his ghetto restraints to see a world larger than the urban squalor that once imprisoned him.
The story apexes with Rose's quick washout of Eric Esch AKA Butterbean, the gargantuan slugger who had yet to meet adversity until he ran into Rose's straight one-twos. What most attracts the boxing fan is what follows, as Rose chronicles his struggle to make a living as a black-listed "spoiler", a journeyman who upsets stars. It is a story rarely heard by fans, but is stunningly portrayed by Rose's firsthand perspective.
Throughout, Rose remains true to himself and rarely shies away from candor. "Mike Tyson Tried To Kill My Daddy" is a story that many can relate to, and all can enjoy.
NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bob Meyrowitz
NO HOLDS BARRED: Bob Meyrowitz and YAMMA Pit Fighting On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bob Meyrowitz, whose new mixed martial arts league, YAMMA Pit Fighting(YPF), will be debuting Friday, April 11, 2008, at the Trump Taj Mahalin Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a pay-per-view show. Bob is theformer CEO of Semaphore Entertainment Group, which produced theoriginal, classic UFC events from 1993 to 2001. Among the topics Bob discussed were the format of tournaments andmasters super fights which will be used in this organization;incorrect speculation about their new fighting surface; how they planto persuade viewers to buy their pay-per-views; the lack ofunderstanding by many of the early, classic UFC events; his opinion ofthe present-day UFC and the quality of their fighters; some of thenewer MMA organizations; the need to produce stars; the reasoningbehind and history of the marketing strategy of the early UFC's,including the use of humor; how a pro boxer would do in MMA; therelation of the early UFC's to various state athletic commissions; theexperience with the New York commission and politicians in 1996 and1997; the importance of ring girls; and more. To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link below and just press theplay button on the player: http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-02-04T08_49_47-08_00 You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking onthe download link (right-click to save it). You can also listen to it through the NO HOLDS BARRED blog, athttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com, and MySpace page, at http://www.myspace.com/nhbnews,also by pressing the play button on the player. Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes athttp://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download. The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician IanCarpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/). NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by: Art of War (http://www.artofwarlive.com), the undisputed arenafighting championship, promoted by SUN Sports and Entertainment,producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information,check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com (http://www.artofwarlive.com). IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/), the world'sfirst professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check outtheir regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/1636002) in the U.S., and to check your locallistings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, athttp://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html. Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up themixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year.For more news and info, check out their web site,GladiatorChallenge.com (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/). BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for allBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage ofBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well aslifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. GladiatorMagazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com(http://bjjmart.com) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/). FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews,and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martialarts. Thanks, Eddie Goldman No Holds Barred bloghttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com/ No Holds Barred podcasthttp://nhbnews.podomatic.com/ No Holds Barred on MySpacehttp://www.myspace.com/nhbnews
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