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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Don King presents; "Pride of St. Louis", IBF junior middleweight champion Cory Spinks & protege Devon Alexander, the WBC Continental Americas champion

ST. LOUIS— Promoter Don King will feature hometown favorites on a card he has dubbed “Pride of St. Louis” featuring Cory “The Next Generation” Spinks and Devon Alexander “The Great” at Scottrade Center on March 27.



Spinks is a world champion and his protégé Alexander will fight in a championship unification match.

Tickets priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25 go on sale Thursday (Feb. 21) at 10 a.m. at the Scottrade Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by phone at 314-241-1888 for an automated line or 314-421-4400 or 618-222-2900 for sales rep, or online at ticketmaster.com. A per-ticket facility fee will be added to all tickets purchased at all locations, including at the Scottrade Center Box Office. Additional Ticketmaster service charges and handling fees apply. For disabled seating, call 314-622-5420.

Spinks (36-4, 11 KOs) is the reigning International Boxing Federation junior middleweight champion and will face former three-time 154-pound world champion and current IBF mandatory challenger Verno Phillips (41-11-1), a native of Belize now fighting out of Denver, Colo.



The undefeated Alexander (14-0, 8 KOs), the World Boxing Council Continental Americas super lightweight champion, will be in a championship unification match against World Boxing Association FEDELATIN super lightweight champion Miguel Callist (24-6-1, 17 KOs), from Colon, Panama.



“Pride of St. Louis” is being promoted by Don King Productions in association with Banner Promotions.

Scottrade Center, located in the heart of downtown St. Louis, is one of the finest sports and entertainment complexes in the country, with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment and an unprecedented commitment to quality and service. Opened in 1994, the arena is home to the St. Louis Blues Hockey Club and also features a full range of arena programming, including concerts, ice shows, family shows and other sporting events. The building is operated by Sports Capital Partners, owner of the St. Louis Blues, under the leadership of its chairman, Dave Checketts. For more information, please visit www.scottradecenter.com.

Don King Productions has promoted over 500 world championship fights with nearly 100 individual boxers having been paid $1 million or more. DKP also holds the distinction of having promoted or co-promoted seven of the 10 largest pay-per-view events in history, as gauged by total buys, including three of the top five: Holyfield vs. Tyson II, 1.99 million buys, June 1997; Tyson vs. Holyfield I, 1.6 million buys, November 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, 1.58 million buys, August 1995.

DKP promoted Cory Spinks vs. Zab Judah II: Arch Rivals… Meet Me in St. Louis, which boasted the second-largest attendance for a boxing match at an indoor arena in history when 22,370 patrons sold out the Savvis Center (now known as the Scottraded Center) in advance on Feb. 5, 2005.

DKP has promoted or co-promoted 11 of the top 15 highest-grossing live gates in the history of the state of Nevada including four of the top five: Holyfield vs. Lewis II, paid attendance: 17,078, gross: $16,860,300 (NOTE: Also second-highest live-gate gross for any event in the history of the world.), date: Nov. 13, 1999; Holyfield vs. Tyson II, paid attendance: 16,279, gross: $14,277,200, date: June 28, 1997; Holyfield vs. Tyson I, paid attendance: 16,103, gross: $14,150,700, date: Nov. 9, 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, paid attendance: 16,113, gross: $13,965,600, date: Aug. 19, 1995.

Alan Hopper/ Don King Productionshttp://www.donking.com/

IBF Junior Bantamweight Champion Dimitri Kirilov; Dmitriy Salita; Jorge Teron; WBIA Women’s Lightweight Champion Elena Reid; Eileen Olszewski


Thursday February 28, Gotham Boxing and Bash Boxing promotion will present “The Russians Are Coming” at Roseland Ballroom, headlined by IBF junior bantamweight world champion Dimitri Kirilov (29-3, 9 KO's) in his first title defense against Cecilio "Boga" Santos (22-8-2, 12 KO's) in the main event, and the return to the ring of ever popular Dmitriy “Star of David” Salita (27-0-1, 15 KO's), in the co-feature. Undefeated Bronx and Puerto Rican star Jorge "The Truth" Teron (19-0-1, 11 KO's) ascends the ranks when the New York State champ faces Sandro Marcos (27-16-2, 23 KO's) of Mazatlan, Mexico in a 12-round clash for the vacant WBO Intercontinental Lightweight Championship. In yet another championship match up, the ladies will also be in action when WIBA Women's Flyweight World Champion Elena "Baby Doll" Reid (19-3-5, 5 KO's) puts her belt on the line against three time Golden Gloves champion Eileen "Hawaiian Mongoose" Olszewski (4-0-1). Flag-waving patriots will salute U.S. Marine Jon Schneider when the Yonkers, NY native takes on Boston's Tyrone Smith (5-5-1, 2 KO's) in a six round Heavyweight attraction . Tough-minded Amanda Serrano of Brooklyn will make her professional debut, while promising Albanian heavyweight Badarin Toma will also make his first pro appearance, both in four round contests. Tickets are priced at $200, $150, $100 and $50 and are available by calling Gotham Boxing at 212 755-1944

Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing Presents; A 12 round main event, USBA Jr. Welterweight title fight Mike Arnaoutis vs. Harrison Cuello Live Thurs. March 6


Garcia Motivated for Upset!; By Andre Courtemanche


Garcia Motivated for Upset!; By Andre Courtemanche
Photo Courtesy: Kerry Daigle
It would appear on the surface that Houston super lightweight Daniel Garcia will be a huge underdog when takes on Puerto Rico’s Jesus Pabon (11-1, 8 KOs) at the Paragon Casino and Resort in Marksville, Louisiana, and live on ESPN2 this Friday, February 29.



But Garcia (9-4-1, 7 KOs) has a motivational speaker for a manager and doesn’t see the situation that way. “This is a step up for him just as much as for me,” he explains. “He hasn’t really been fighting top opposition until two fights ago. And then he fought somebody undefeated and lost. I‘ve been fighting guys that are there to fight, but don’t have the skill that this guy has. It’s going to be good for both of us to see where we are with our careers.”

In fact, 29-year-old Garcia sees himself as a good match for Pabon in every way. “I know he was an amateur star out of Puerto Rico, but I had 256 amateur fights. I’ve been fighting since I was seven. He’s a typical Puerto Rican fighter, quick on his feet and a good boxer/puncher. I’m a boxer/puncher as well.”

Of his early start in the sport, Garcia says while he was growing up, boxing was mandatory. “In my family you start fighting when you are seven. You box until you’re 18. Then you can quit or keep going.”

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Three title bouts highlight the card as the International Fight League stops at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, February 29



LAS VEGAS– Three title bouts highlight the card as the International Fight League stops at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, February 29. HDNet will have live coverage beginning at 11 p.m. EST/8 p.m. PST and will feature six of the eight bouts on the card, including the championship defenses of lightweight Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.), middleweight Matt Horwich (Portland, Ore.) and heavyweight Roy Nelson (Las Vegas). Here are some quick notes on the event: • The IFL event will see the debut of “Fitestat,” the new custom-designed IFL statistical program that the league has designed with Stats Inc. “Fitestat” will provide over 20 statistical categories for fans for the first time.• Schultz, who defeated previously unbeaten Chris Horodecki in December to win the first IFL lightweight belt, will battle John Gunderson (Medford, Ore.), who now lives in Las Vegas and competes for Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den.• Horwich, who is to be married the following day in Las Vegas, takes on Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa), who fights out of Miletich Fighting Systems.• Nelson, a Las Vegas native, will be in front of his hometown fans when he defends against IFL newcomer Fabiano Scherner (Brazil), who trains with Matt Lindland at Team Quest.• Under the revamped IFL format, the camp matchups include three bouts each between Las Vegas-based Mario Sperry’s World Class Fight Center and Xtreme Couture, and three between Team Quest and Lion’s Den.• Several NASCAR drivers and team members, in town for the races this weekend, will be in attendance on Friday night.• Actor Sean Faris, who stars in the upcoming feature film Never Back Down, will attend and will sign autographs for fans.• Eight competitors will make their IFL debuts, including Josh Haynes (Las Vegas), who may be best known for his appearance on the popular “The Ultimate Fighter 3” television program in 2006.• The next IFL event will be Friday, April 4, at Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey and will feature three title bouts, with a host of local athletes (including New Jersey’s Jamal Patterson and NYU’s Shad Lierley) looking to capture an IFL belt. IFL Las VegasFriday, February 29, 2008 Preliminary Bout145 lbs.: Ian Loveland (Portland, Ore.) (0-2 IFL, 8-7 overall MMA) vs. Dennis Davis (Las Vegas) (0-0, 13-6) Team Xtreme Couture vs. MMA Top Team (Mario Sperry)145 lbs.: Santino Defranco (Tempe, Ariz.) (0-0, 10-3) vs. Rafael Dias (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (0-0, 8-3-1)185 lbs.: Josh Haynes (Las Vegas) (0-0, 8-9) vs. Leopoldo Serao (San Francisco) (0-0, 11-6)205 lbs.: Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (0-0, 6-0) vs. Alexandre Ferreira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (0-0, 15-5) Team Quest (Matt Lindland) vs. Lions Den (Ken Shamrock)170 lbs.: Jake Ellenberger (Omaha, Neb.) (2-2, 16-3) vs. Pat Healy (St. Louis) (2-1, 18-12)*155 lbs.: **Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) (5-2, 18-9-1) vs. John Gunderson (Medford, Ore.) (2-2, 15-5)*265 lbs.: **Roy Nelson (Las Vegas) (4-1, 11-2) vs. Fabiano Scherner (Portland, Ore.) (0-0, 7-5) Championship Bout*185 lbs.: Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) (5-4, 11-5) vs. **Matt Horwich (Portland, Ore.) (6-3, 21-9-1) *Championship Bout**Current Titleholder

Tonight on Nabaté's TV/Webcast show‏; Lenn Robbins from the New York Post one of the most well-respected sports journalists and TV in-studio analysts

Tonight on Nabaté's TV/Webcast show‏; Lenn Robbins from the New York Post one of the most well-respected sports journalists and TV in-studio analysts in the country.
We will discuss the exciting events approaching in college basketball: March Madness!!

Every Wednesday February 27-Guest: Lenn Robbins, sports writer for the N.Y. Post and
college sports analyst on ESPN, Comcast, SportsNet-New Yorkon 'So Much to Talk About' @9pm (Eastern Time) Channel 57 (Time Warner-Manhattan Cable) Channel 84 (RCN-Manhattan Cable) Streams LIVE: http://www.mnn.org/, click 57/84 link

MENTAL TOUGHNESS……THE MISSING FACTOR TO GREATNESS; BY KERRY DAIGLE


MENTAL TOUGHNESS……THE MISSING FACTOR TO GREATNESS; BY KERRY DAIGLE

Maw Maw Daigle always told me, “The people that become great in their fields are not the better educated, the better connected, or the person with the better looks, but rather it will be the person who has the ‘mental toughness’ to desire success no matter what the odds.” To think, Maw Maw Daigle always had the vision to teach me, her mentee, all the secrets to success.

I had the pleasure of working a professional fight Saturday, the 23rd, with one of the boxers I represent, Reggie “Sweet’ Johnson , the former WBA Middleweight Champion of the World and the former IBF Light-Heavyweight Champion of the World, to watch him win his third world title, the IBA World Light Heavyweight Championship. Why am I mentioning this? Simply because Reggie hadn’t fought in years, was 41 years old and competing against one of the toughest competitors in the game of professional boxing, Julio Gonzalez from Huntington Beach, California.

A younger Gonzalez who also was very busy staying sharp fighting regularly. Johnson was not looked at seriously by the media. He was almost ignored. Clearly the odds were against him. I didn’t meet anyone except my trainers, my family, Reggie, and myself who clearly believed that Reggie could win. The other surprised individual was Julio Gonzalez who looked not only perplexed and confused but mostly surprised by the excellent fighting style Reggie Johnson brought to the ring. Gonzalez felt the power from his opponent and was totally not expecting what was happening. What made the difference for Johnson to win? Simply, one simple ingredient, MENTAL TOUGHNESS. (

More info on others thoughts are on http://www.keeppunching.com/ )
In my 35 years of professional boxing I’ve seen some really great fighters; however, I have never seen the ‘mental toughness’ that Reggie Johnson showed leading into this title fight. Forget he hadn’t fought but once in 5 years. Boxing experts said he was too old, not busy enough, and definitely at this age could not hold off the younger, stronger Gonzalez. What the boxing experts could not see in Johnson’s eyes was his will to win, the mental toughness it takes to become a legend in boxing. Now the rest of the boxing world needs to take notice.

One of my favorite people who I often admired and consider a mentor through his books and articles written about him was Vince Lombardi. “Mental Toughness” was often his favorite topic that developed not only champions but also leaders. Mental toughness is the ability to maintain your vision in times of distress and negativity. It is the element missing to keep teams together and athletes winning against all odds. (Think of the New York Giants recently). It is the one ingredient that allows that team or athlete to outdo the competition and perform miracles to win. It is the ability to come back from failing and consider those days of failure as lessons in life to prepare you for success. This also describes the journey of an entrepreneur or professional seeking lifelong success in their field. In the story of the athlete such as Reggie it is the ability to fight a long hard 12 rounds after tearing a muscle in his right shoulder in the 5th round but yet to compete and still win against a dangerous, tough opponent. It is the individual who loses a sale and gets told “no” many times to her sales presentation but prevails regardless. It’s all the same. It is about mental toughness. No negativity can break the mind of the individual who believes in his or her self and then prepares to win.

Lombardi would always mention to his players, “Hurt is in the mind only.” That shoulder injury Reggie Johnson had in the early rounds (the 5th) of the fight could have made him quit but instead he decided that he could compete regardless. It is the person who goes bankrupt but realizes that although his or her finances were taken away that they still owned their skills, therefore, giving them the mental toughness to compete and succeed again. There are so many stories of many successes like this from Walt Disney to Abraham Lincoln to George Foreman and now to Reggie Johnson.

You are not born with mental toughness. It is not inherited. You can’t take a pill and get tough mentally. You learn how to become mentally tough. All successful people are those who set their sights high, gain their goals, move forward, and then fall down due to occasional setbacks. The setbacks make the difference. Once you are lucky enough to have ‘setbacks’ you will learn from them and become mentally tough. It is mark of character.

“The most important element in the character make-up of a man who is successful is that of mental toughness.”

Vince Lombardi
Developing mental toughness the Lombardi or Johnson way is by first keeping the pressure on and never looking back or giving up. It is so easy to do well when there are no problems or stress, however, how many people ‘fold over’ when defeat is biting you in the seat of your pants? It is about being calm and figuring out how something will work vs how something will not work. Reggie Johnson knew, regardless of the shoulder injury, he needed to stare adversity, negativity, and defeat in the face. Only then could he become a winner.

My hat goes off to Reggie Johnson and others who stare at adversity in the face every day and never, ever, give up ……..no matter what.
Remember, obstacles are nothing more than ‘opportunities’ in disguise. Be thankful when you come across an obstacle in your life. It will test your ‘mental toughness’, the make-up of champions and successful leaders.

Keep Punching!
Kerry is a contributing writer for THE ACADIAN, a public speaker, an author and life coach specializing in mental fitness. More of his articles with THE ACADIAN can be found on http://www.keeppunching.com/ . There is also a guestbook for your personal comments on personal development.

Kerry’s blend of wisdom, experience, and personal humility come together in unique and powerful insights that impact everyone he comes in contact with on a daily basis and believes everyone can truly have success in their lives by making a few changes.

Kerry kindly asks of everyone to spread the word of THE ACADIAN to everyone you know to enlighten and lift their spirit with good news wanting to reach as many people as possible. Please help spread the word of KEEP PUNCHING so we can put a smile on someone’s face that is in need of one.

You can email Kerry at kerry@keeppunching.com. We encourage you to write to us to share your thoughts and insights. Is there something that caught your attention that helped you in an article that you may want to share to help others? Let us know.

Kerry is also available for consultations, speaking engagements and workshops. He has traveled all of North America and abroad to Europe and Australia as a keynote speaker.
Keep Punching!

IFL has formed a partnership with the popular social media network imeem, which further increases the league's visibility through online video


INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE FORMS VIDEO SHARING PARTNERSHIP WITH SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK IMEEM NEW YORK, February 26, 2008 – The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI) and leading social media network imeem today announced a video sharing partnership that will give imeem’s growing global community of 23 million users the opportunity to view and interact with media from IFL’s action-packed fighting league at www.ifl.imeem.com. “One of the greatest success stories has been the exposure of our athletes, coaches and events in the digital space, and this partnership with imeem will further that growth,” said IFL CEO Jay Larkin. “Compelling content is key to success, and this partnership gives us added opportunity to continue to expose our brand to as large an audience as possible with compelling content we know this demo loves to view.” The partnership will create an IFL TV channel on imeem where fans can find engaging and fresh media content from the professional mixed martial arts sports league, ranging from match highlights to athlete and coach interviews and instructional segments. The imeem community can also express themselves with their favorite IFL content by creating and sharing custom video playlists with friends on imeem and through embeddable widgets on third party sites across the Web. IFL short form videos are already some of the highest volume sports pieces on a host of digital sharing sites, including YouTube, PalTalk, and Break.com. Visit IFL on imeem at www.ifl.imeem.com for videos and more information on the International Fight League. 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. About imeemimeem is the leading social media network where users create, recommend and discover music, film/video, art, and pop culture media and connect directly with people with similar tastes. The imeem community can share their tastes on imeem and across the Web using innovative media expression tools and social discovery features, including custom music playlists, video channels, photo slideshows and embeddable widgets. The Web-based service www.imeem.com launched in March 2006 and has since grown to over 23 million unique users each month. For more information, visit www.imeem.com. The IFL maintains agreements with other social networking sites such as YouTube, PalTalk, and Break.com. The IFL channel can be found at http://www.ifl.imeem.com/.

Black Carpet! 3rd Annual Young, Gifted & Black (YGB) Entrepreneurial Awards Wednesday, February 27th 2008.


Join Us On The Black Carpet To Salute This Year’s Entrepreneurial Awardees
Bring Your Business Cards & Enjoy An Evening Of Power Networking Corporate & Professional Dress Attire. Table Reservations Are For Dining Only Cash Bar & Cuisine Complimentary Hor D'oeuveres Hour Live Entertainment Featuring New York's DJ Kaos Keynote Speaker & Award Recipient Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez – Secretary of State of New York To View The 2008 Award Recipients.
Special Thanks To The Sponsors & Marketing Partners: Anthony Turner, Baba Roots USA, Blue Knight Greetings Inc, Bryant P. Fields, Caribbean Food Delights Inc, Carlton Brown, Cocktails & Connections, Debbie Douglas,Heather McField, Enchanted Events, Industry Hotel.com, Irie Jam Media, Irie TV, Jamrock Magazine, JI Group Inc, Kenaar, Linkup Media, Mahagony Diamonds, Ms Raine Media Inc, NiteLife Entertainment, Nvidius TV, Plitzs Fashion Marketing, Professionals Inc, Prolinks Inc, The NetLinkz Group Inc, United Caribbean Professionals Network, VP Records Inc, Where Itz At Magazine Inc