TWO WORLD TITLES AT STAKE; MIGUEL COTTO vs. ALFONSO GOMEZ and KERMIT CINTRON vs. ANTONIO MARGARITO ON APRIL 12 in Atlantic City on HBO’s WCB

World Championship Double Header which will take place at Boardwalk Hall Undefeated world champion Miguel Cotto defends his WBA welterweight belt on April 12 against Contenders’ star Alfonso Gomez.

Undefeated WBA Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto and Alfonso Gomez face- off at the New York City Press conference.

Cotto has beaten a quartet of former world champions in his last five fights – Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Paulie Malignaggi and Carlos Quintana – which has made him the most dangerous welterweight in the world.

Miguel Cotto

Gomez, in the biggest fight of his career on July 14, 2007, stopped Arturo Gatti in the seventh round and ultimately sent him into retirement.

Alfonso Gomez


Also featured on the card is IBF Welterweight Champion Kermit Cintron defending his title against former world champion Antonio Margarito.

IBF Welterweight Champion, Kermit Cintron

This will be Cintron’s chance to avenge his only professional loss which took place against Margarito at Caesars Palace on April 23, 2005.

Antonio Margarito

Hunky Dorys Fight Night: Dunne set for battle on Western front‏

Hunky Dorys Fight Night: Dunne set for battle on Western front

Bernard Dunne is itching to get his hands on former World Champion Felix Machado. The Dubliner’s clash with Machado headlines this Saturday’s Hunky Dorys Fight Night at the Breaffy House Resort in Castlebar, Co. Mayo and Dunne will be out to put last August’s defeat to Kiko Martinez well and truly behind him.

“I’m in great form and my training camp has gone really well,” said Dunne. “I’m just very excited about the fight and looking forward to putting on a good performance.” Dunne however has been handed a tough task as he bids to return to winning ways against “El Macho” Machado. The 35-year-old Venezuelan was IBF Super Flyweight Champion from 2000 – 2003 and has a wealth of world title experience having campaigned in no less than 8 world title fights at both super flyweight and bantamweight.

Machado was promoted throughout that time by Don King and scored notable scalps over fellow world champions such as Martin Castillo, Mauricio Pastrana and Julio Gamboa during his 3 year title reign. Having fought in the U.S., Thailand, Panama, Argentina, Nicaragua and his native Venezuela coming to Ireland is unlikely to concern the laid back Machado.

Dunne is looking forward to pitting his skills against an opponent of the quality of Machado. “He’s a serious operator and a class act, you don’t win world titles unless you’re a very good fighter. I’ve seen a few of his fights and he’s a tall, rangy southpaw but I’ve fought southpaws before so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

Reflecting back on the loss of his European title to Martinez last August Dunne said, “I was disappointed for myself and disappointed for the fans. People pay good money to see a fight and they didn’t get much action that night but hopefully I can make it up this weekend.

Saturday’s Hunky Dorys Fight night at the Breaffy House Resort in Castlebar will give Mayo fight fans a chance to sample the excitement of professional boxing and in particular the atmosphere of a Bernard Dunne fight.

“Brian has had the idea of bringing the show on the road for quite a while now,” said Dunne. “It’s something new so hopefully the atmosphere that the fights used to generate at the Stadium and The Point will travel to Mayo.”

Another international 10 rounder on the card will feature Andrew Murray. The undefeated Cavan man has racked up 11 straight wins in the pro ranks and is also the reigning Irish Light Welterweight champion. He's been busy of late racking up two stoppage wins in the last 3 weeks and he'll aim to take a step up in class this weekend.

There will be plenty of local interest on the card to with Castlebar’s very own Keith Cresham making his pro debut and Ballinrobe’s Michael Sweeney looking to extend his unbeaten record. London based Galway native John O’Donnell also features.

Also in action is undefeated unbeaten Cuban heavyweight and former World Junior Amateur champion Mike “El Rebellio” Perez. Also making his debut on the card is hard hitting Limerick man Jamie Power while Polish fight fans are also catered for with Grzegorz Proksa in action against Venezuelan dangerman Jairo Alvarez.

Proksa is considered to be the best prospect to emerge from Poland in decades and has already racked up 13 straight wins.

The Hunky Dorys Fight Night will be broadcast live from the Breaffy House Resort on RTÉ TWO this Saturday night with coverage starting from 9pm.

YAMMA Pit Fighitng - Ricco Rodrigues, Mark Kerr and "The Yamma" Revealed‏

Los Angeles– Today YAMMA Pit Fighting (YPF), a new mixed martial arts (MMA) organization created by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) founder Bob Meyrowitz, announced details on the YPF surface called "The Yamma" and revealed the revised fight card for the organization’s first live pay-per-view event, which will air live from the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on April 11, 2008. MMA veteran and two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion Mark Kerr will fight in the ‘Masters Superfight’ against Oleg Taktarov. In addition, former UFC Heavyweight Champion and recent VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew participant Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez has been added to the eight-man heavyweight tournament. Tickets for the event can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the Trump Taj Mahal Box Office. The live pay-per-view broadcast is available in the United States and Canada through In Demand Networks, TVN Entertainment, Bell ExpressVu, Viewer’s Choice Canada and Dish Network.

The YPF surface, known as “The Yamma,” is an evolution of the traditional fighting structure and is designed to keep the fighting more explosive and continuous. In today’s MMA matches, fighters rush their opponents in the quest for a takedown, and the fight often ends up on the ground and pushed up against the fence. The action often stalls there, and must be stopped and moved back into the center of the ring. The Yamma’s design is specifically aimed at stopping this break in the action. The Yamma is a circular pit, shaped almost like a bowl, with a circular flat bottom that rises up around the edge. In this ring, if a fighter is pushed backwards towards the fence, he moves up the lip, gaining both a height and leverage advantage over his opponent. From this position, the fighter on the lip can use gravity and leverage to reverse his opponent, and take the fight back into the center without a break in the action.

“There has been a lot of speculation about the Yamma; some people thought it would have a moving floor, spikes or even live alligators,” said Bob Meyrowitz, Rope Partners. “But the Yamma isn’t about flashy gimmicks; it’s about the evolution of a sport and how the traditional ring can be altered to accelerate that evolution. At its core, the purpose of the Yamma is to make MMA fighting more exciting for those who matter most - the fans.”

“The Yamma’s design is all about function,” said Scott Nagel, lead designer of the Yamma. “It works because of its sloped up edges and because there are no corners. If you are pushed back, you are pushed up – and what goes up is coming back down, probably in a way that causes the opponent a great deal of pain. It’s going to be much more exciting, much more continuous and have much more action.”

Mark Kerr, a Toledo, OH native, got his start in wrestling, where he was a high school state champion. At Syracuse University, Kerr was the Division I champion at 190 pounds in 1992 - Randy Couture, wrestling for Oklahoma State University, took second place. Kerr soon got into MMA, and had four impressive wins in the UFC, in which he was a two time heavyweight tournament champion. He then began fighting in Pride Fighting Championships in 1998. In 2003, HBO aired a documentary titled "The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Mark Kerr." The program chronicled the no-holds barred aspect of mixed martial arts and Ken Shamrock, Bas Rutten and Mark Coleman also appeared in the film. Kerr won his last fight against Steve Gavin on November 7, 2007. He stands 6 ft 3 in tall and weighs 236 lbs and has a record of 13-06-0.

Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez, a UFC/Pride/King of the Cage veteran, was born in San Jose, California and raised in Staten Island, New York. Rodriguez may be best known for defeating MMA mega-legend Randy Couture in 2002 at UFC 39 to win the UFC heavyweight title. He subsequently lost the title to none other than powerhouse Tim Sylvia. Rodriguez recently appeared on VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and made a commitment to sobriety and returning to the MMA scene. Since returning to MMA, he has competed in four fights, winning two by TKO and losing two by decision. Rodriguez stands 6 ft 4 in tall and weighs 250 lbs and has a record of 27-7-0.

For the first time in over a decade, MMA will return to its origins by reviving the hugely popular tournament format, in which fighters will participate in multiple fights on their way to claiming the ultimate victory, the title of YAMMA Heavyweight Champion. The format will test the endurance and skill of each fighter, as victory in each round is rewarded not with extended rest, but with another fight. Tournament fighting has long been a huge draw for dedicated MMA fans due to the non-stop action provided by fight-after-fight formatting.


The April 11th fight card is as follows:

MASTERS SUPERFIGHTS (Two Five-Minute Rounds)

Oleg “The Russian Bear” Taktarov VS. Mark Kerr

Butterbean VS. Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge

8 MAN HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT (One Five-Minute Round & Championship is Three Five-Minute Rounds)

Marcelo “Pato” Pereira
Sherman Pendergarst
Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez
Tony Sylvester
Chris Tuscherer
Travis “The Diesel” Wiuff
Alexey Oleynik
George Bush

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster’s extensive network of 81 ticket centers throughout the Delaware Valley including Boscov’s, Marshalls and select West Coast Video and Gallery of Sound locations or call Ticketmaster’s convenient Charge-by-Phone service at 1-800-736-1420. For Online Information: www.ticketmaster.com


About Rope Partners

Rope Partners, formed by Bob Meyrowitz and Peter Kauff, have over a 20 year track record of pioneering successful ventures in the music, broadcasting and sports industries. This is illustrated by their successes with DIR Broadcasting (the largest independent radio syndication company), The College Television Network (the largest private television network in the United States), and Semaphore Entertainment Group (the originator and founder of the UFC).

For more information, visit www.yammapitfighting.com or www.myspace.com/yammapitfighting

Floyd Mayweather: Not Even Fighter of The Month

The Boxing Standard
Floyd Mayweather: Not Even Fighter of The Month

Super Lightweight Boxing Champion of the World, "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather and Wrestling star, the new super lightweight Hero Floyd "Money" Mayweather attends the WWE's Wrestlemania XXIV, New York City Press Conference to face "Big Show" Paul Wight, before both the main event this past March, and Floyd "Money" Mayweather's (MME) victory.


I just received my BWAA invite to their 2007 awards dinner on May 1, 2008. The second I saw Floyd Mayweather was voted "Fighter of The Year" by boxings finest, I threw the invitation out. Mayweather being voted FOTY is another layer of proof that todays boxing writers are more fans than anything else.

Miguel Cotto clearly faced and defeated better opposition than Mayweather did, not to mention he won more convincingly. Mayweather beat Oscar De La Hoya by split decision in 2007. The trouble with that is Oscar hasn't won a big fight since 2002, and has been a part-time fighter since 2004. Floyd followed the De La Hoya fight up with a 10-round TKO over undefeated Jr. welterweight, Ricky Hatton. In that fight, I had Mayweather up a point going into the final around. Other than the final blow Mayweather landed to end the fight, nothing else beyond him struggling with the limited Hatton will be remembered. On the other hand, Cotto stopped Zab Judah (who Mayweather had to come from behind to win a decision against in late 2006), and decisioned Shane Mosley, who beat Oscar De La Hoya in 2000 & 2003. For the record, I had Mosley over Cotto by a point.

Along with Cotto, Kelly Pavlik had a better 2007 than Mayweather did. Pavlik scored a pair of seventh round stoppages over hard hitting Edison Miranda and undisputed middleweight champ Jermain Taylor. Like Cotto, Pavlik fought two of the better fighters in the division in which they campaign. Compared to Mayweather, who chose a semi-retired fighter, and another who campaigns in a division beneath him.

I'm not going to take the time to compare Mayweather's body of work to other fighter of the year recipients, you do it, because it makes me ill when I do it. In closing, Floyd Mayweather being voted FOTY is another reason why boxing is sometimes hard to take serious and 90% of boxings finest writers should start covering hunting and fishing.


© 2007, 2008 All photos by "El Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications and Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience all rights reserved

David “EL TORRITO” Torres vs. Oscar “EL ARTISTA” Leon

CHICAGO, IL- An excellent lightweight bout has been added to THE ODEUM RUMBLE this Friday night, April 11th as undefeated lightweight prospect David “EL TORRITO” Torres will take on former world title challenger Oscar “EL ARTISTA” Leon, it was announced today by Dominic Pesoli, President of 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING.

THE ODEUM RUMBLE will be held at the Odeum Sports and Expo Center which is conveniently located 20 minutes from downtown Chicago at 1033 N. Villa Avenue in Villa Park and is easily accessible from the Eisenhower expressway in addition to toll roads 355 and 294. Specific directions and further information can be found on their website at www.odeumexpo.com

Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling the 8 Count Productions box office at 312-226-5800. Doors will open on the night of the fight at 7pm, with the first bell at 8pm.

Said Pesoli about the Torres/Leon scheduled eight rounder, “David Torres is a very good prospect from the Tacoma, Washington area. He’s taking a real step up in competition by coming to Chicago to face a Columbian veteran like Oscar Leon.”

About the rest of the card, Pesoli stated “We’ve got seven terrific fights on this card, from top to bottom. It gives our fans an opportunity to see Luciano Perez who’s a longtime fan favorite in a real tough fight against Carlos Molina. Ivan Popoca and Andrzej Fonfara are both terrific prospects who are continuing to get better each time out.

And we’ve got new faces like Yusaf Mack and Torres along with MMA veteran Terry Martin and newcomer Juan Gonzalez who are making their pro debuts.

Our matchmaker, Jerry Alfano, has done another excellent job in ensuring that our fans get to see competitive, action packed fights.”

Long highly thought of as a top prospect in the Pacific Northwest, Torres comes into the battle with a record of 19-0 with 12 knockouts. The 29 year old is coming off a third round stoppage of Donnell Logan on March 1, 2008. In his only fight in 2007, he won a unanimous decision over lightweight division gatekeeper Robert Frankel on February 17th.

The more experienced Leon, from Cartagena, Columbia, sports a 27-7 record with eighteen knockouts over his twelve year career. In 2003, Leon faced world title holders Derrick Gainer and Chris John in successive battles, losing both by narrow split decisions. The 34 year old has fought in numerous countries including Indonesia, Panama, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa and Turks and Caicos Islands. This will be his first appearance in Chicago.

The full bout card for THE ODEUM RUMBLE is

Luciano Perez vs. Carlos Molina, eight rounds, junior middleweights

Yusaf Mack vs. Oscar Leon, eight rounds, light heavyweights

David Torres vs. Oscar Leon, eight rounds, lightweights

Andrzej Fonfara vs. Manny Castillo, six rounds, middleweights

Ivan Popoca vs. Trenton Titsworth, five rounds, welterweights

Terry Martin vs. Ricardo Upchurch, four rounds, cruiserweights,

Ikem Orji vs. Juan Gonzalez, four rounds, lightweights

Along with 8 Count Productions, THE ODEUM RUMBLE is presented by Miller Lite, TCF Bank and AeroMexico, the premier travel source in Mexico.

The weigh-in for this event will take place at 7pm on Thursday, April 10th at EL JIMADOR, 1600 N. Mannheim Road in Stone Park, just west of Chicago.

The Master of Ceremonies for THE ODEUM RUMBLE will be ring announcer Thomas Treiber.
8 Count Productions was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland. In 2003, Pesoli along with former featherweight contender Mike Garcia opened JABB Boxing Gym, a 6,000 square foot venue dedicated to the finest Chicagoland boxers of all talent levels.

To view the seating chart and poster for this event or for more information on 8 Count Productions and JABB Boxing Gym, please visit www.8countproductions.com and www.jabbboxinggym.com

CREATING CONTENDERS SINCE 1998
Bernie Bahrmasel
Publicist/8 Count Productions
www.8countproductions.com

"Fists A Flying" at the Aviator Results; Yuri Foreman vs. Saul Roman, Joshua Clottey vs. Jose Luis Cruz, Martin Wright vs.Artie Bembury

Undefeated Yuri Foreman won a unanimous 10-round decision over Saul Roman to take the NABF light middleweight championship Thursday night at Aviator Arena.



Super Welterweight Yuri Foreman



Foreman, from Brooklyn, improved to 24-0 and dropped his Mexican opponent to 28-4.

Joshua Clottey, from the Bronx, scored a TKO at the end of the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round bout against Jose Luis Cruz of Santa Ana, Calif.

Pawel Wolak Emmanuel Clottey and Super Welterweight Joshua Clottey



Clottey improved to 33-2 with 29 KOs. Cruz dropped to 34-3.

Welterweight Martin Wright w tko 3 Artie Bembury

Super Welterweights Chris Algieri w tko 3 Ken Dunham

Welterweight Anthony Lenk w pts 4 Bernel Ayers

Lightweight Argenis Mendez w pts 6 Oscar De La Cruz


Super Welterweights Mike Ruiz w tko 1 Bryan Mullis


See Exclusive live video interviews from this event at http://youtube.com/ELEmpress1
See; Joshua Clottey, Martn Wright, Luis Del Valle, Paulie Malignaggi, Joseph Agbeke ans more.

Special Guest In the House Included;
Paul "The Magic Man" Malignaggi, IBF World Junior Welterweight Champion


Sadam "World Kid" Ali, 2008 US Olympic Team Boxer member


Phillip Jackson Benson will compete in the 165-pound open final of the Daily News Golden Gloves on April 18 2008 at Madison Square Garden


Female Fighters Vanessa Greco and Keisher "Fire" McLeod-Wells


Female Fighters Melissa Hernadez, Ronica Jeffries and Belinda Laracuente


© 2007, 2008 All photos by "El Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience all rights reserved

UFC STAR TERRY MARTIN TO MAKE PRO BOXING DEBUT ON APRIL 11TH IN CHICAGO‏

UFC Star Terry Martin will make his professional boxing debut on Friday, April 11th at THE ODEUM RUMBLE, an evening of world class professional boxing at the Odeum Sports and Expo Center in Villa Park, presented by Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING.

The Chicago born and raised 27 year old Martin, having established himself in mixed martial arts over the last five years with a record of 18-4 with ten knockouts and five submissions, will face Ricardo Upchurch of Mansfield, Ohio in a four round cruiserweight bout.

With a resemblance facially and in build to Mike Tyson, Martin has been able to not only build a successful mixed martial arts career but also is working towards his Doctorate at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. Previously Martin earned a BA in psychology from Northern Illinois University followed by the completion of his Masters degree at Concordia University.

The seven bout event is headlined by a terrific junior middleweight clash between Chicago based veterans Luciano Perez and Carlos Molina. The crosstown showdown between the Mexican natives is scheduled for eight rounds.

The full bout card for THE ODEUM RUMBLE is

Luciano Perez vs. Carlos Molina, eight rounds, junior middleweights

Yusef Mack vs. TBA, eight rounds, light heavyweights

David Torres vs. TBA, eight rounds, lightweights

Andrzej Fonfara vs. Manny Castillo, six rounds, middleweights

Ivan Popoca vs. TBA, five rounds, welterweights

Terry Martin vs. Ricardo Upchurch, four rounds, cruiserweights,

Ikem Orji vs. Juan Gonzalez, four rounds, lightweights

Along with 8 Count Productions, THE ODEUM RUMBLE is presented by Miller Lite, TCF Bank and AeroMexico, the premier travel source in Mexico.

The Master of Ceremonies for THE ODEUM RUMBLE will be ring announcer Thomas Treiber.

The Odeum Sports and Expo Center is conveniently located 20 minutes from downtown Chicago at 1033 N. Villa Avenue in Villa Park and is easily accessible from the Eisenhower expressway in addition to toll roads 355 and 294. Specific directions and further information can be found on their website at www.odeumexpo.com

Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling the 8 Count Productions box office at 312-226-5800. Doors will open on the night of the fight at 7pm, with the first bell at 8pm.

8 Count Productions was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland. In 2003, Pesoli along with former featherweight contender Mike Garcia opened JABB Boxing Gym, a 6,000 square foot venue dedicated to the finest Chicagoland boxers of all talent levels.

To view the seating chart and poster for this event or for more information on 8 Count Productions and JABB Boxing Gym, please visit www.8countproductions.com and www.jabbboxinggym.com

CREATING CONTENDERS SINCE 1998
Bernie Bahrmasel
Publicist/8 Count Productions

NeuLion Packs a Punch with the IFL‏

Plainview, NY & New York – IPTV service provider NeuLion and the International Fight League (IFL) announce today a new partnership to deliver The IFL Network to fans worldwide. The International Fight League is one of the world’s premier Mixed Martial Arts fighting organizations, currently in its second year of operation. The new IFL Network brings fans closer to the action and is the next best thing to being ringside. The IFL Network is free to viewers and has already attracted many top advertisers. Through its iPTV service, NeuLion will also provide the IFL with complete billing services to support pay-per-view, registration, and future subscriptions. The IFL will be able to offer live events and video on demand showing the preparation fighters endure before going inside the ring. This announcement follows the successful launch of NeuLion iPTV networks for the National Hockey League, New York Knicks, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Toronto Maple Leafs regional sports network, New York Dragons, Cuban Baseball and others. “NeuLion Sport Networks continue to grow. We are excited to have the IFL as a new network and partner. It gives fans the opportunity to watch the best IFL content as never seen before. Consumers prefer to have a choice in watching sports on either the TV or the PC and that is something we specialize in, since our platform can deliver to either device,” said Chris Wagner, executive vice president and co-founder of NeuLion. “We have had some of our greatest success, both internationally and domestically, on the television and digital platforms, and partnering with an industry trailblazer such as NeuLion gives us another piece to the new media puzzle that others don’t have,” said IFL CEO Jay Larkin. “The future of MMA lies in growing the sport and telling the stories of our young and dynamic athletes and coaches, and this will be a great stage to further reach that goal.” The IFL Network is now live and can be accessed by visiting http://www.ifl.tv/Video.html. Viewers can watch high quality video right from their web browser and have the option of sharing videos through NeuLion’s syndication features. Other social networking IFL opportunities for online chat, text messaging, and Fantasy Fighters will be added to the service in the future. Leveraging NeuLion’s iPTV platform to broadcast content, the IFL Network is user friendly and can be accessed anywhere, anytime. The IFL Network features elements such as: What’s New, Behind the Ropes, Live Events, IFL on TV, Championship bouts and much more. The IFL is currently televised in the United States on Fox Sports Net and HDNet and in over 70 countries worldwide. This exciting video player caters to the growing fan base and gives consumers one central place to access all things IFL and watch the latest content not available anywhere else. To access the IFL Network please visit http://www.ifl.tv/Video.html and a complete media kit can be found at http://www.neulion.com/IFL. Log-on, put on your gloves and step inside the ring today. About NeuLion:NeuLion is an IPTV service provider that builds broadcasting networks operating over the Internet. By using the public Internet, content can reach viewers anywhere in the world. NeuLion customers are interested in reaching specific markets with a broadcast television and video streaming service or are broadband providers looking for new applications. NeuLion offers an end-to-end service that delivers content directly to the TV, PC or a variety of other consumer devices. Programming carried by NeuLion includes sports, religious networks, broadcast television from international providers and others. The technology used by NeuLion allows streaming video to be delivered at lower bandwidths than cable and satellite television signals without sacrificing picture quality. NeuLion’s service also allows Customers to have their own network. To learn more visit www.neulion.com 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. "But you know he’ll always keep movin’You know he’s never gonna stop movin’Cause he’s rollin’, he’s the rollin’ stone.And when you wake up it’s a new morning The sun is shining, it’s a new morningBut you’re going, you’re going home."- Gerry Rafferty, 'Baker Street' www.ifl.tv * Catch the IFL on FSN Saturdays at midnight and LIVE on HDNet on May 16

Ivan Popoca will return to the ring at THE ODEUM RUMBLE, a seven bout action packed card of world class professional boxing set for Friday, April 11th

Popoca, a native of Guerrero, Mexico, will be featured in a five round bout against fellow undefeated prospect Trenton Titsworth, it was announced today by Dominic Pesoli, President of 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING.

Tickets for THE ODEUM RUMBLE may be purchased in advance by calling the 8 Count Productions box office at 312-226-5800. Doors will open on the night of the fight at 7pm, with the first bell at 8pm.

The stay busy Popoca, 5-0-1 (5KO’s), who has fast become a Chicago crowd favorite with his all action fighting style, will be making his third appearance in 2008. In his last bout Popoca scored a stunning fifth round knockout of Guadalupe Diaz on February 15th at Cicero Stadium. This followed his devastating second round knockout of Richard Baldo on January 25th also at Cicero Stadium.

Titsworth, 2-0-1 (2KO’s) is coming off a four round decision against James Ventry on February 29th in Lemoore, California. The 24 year old Omaha native made his pro debut by knocking out Sean Wilson on November 3, 2007.

Speaking following a recent workout at JABB Boxing Gym in Chicago, the 26 year old Popoca said, “I’ve been in the gym training since shortly after my last fight in February. This is my year to make a move and I need to stay in solid shape at all times. I want to fight as often as possible.”

About fighting in Chicago, Ivan said, “The fans here are terrific and I’m very happy that they have come out to support me. I’m looking to put on a great performance next Friday night.”

Said Pesoli, “Ivan’s getting better with each fight. He’s been working diligently in his training and that’s paid off in his results. Titsworth is a tough undefeated kid that I’m sure will take the fight right to Ivan.” Popoca is a frequent training partner of WBC Lightweight Champion David Diaz.

The seven bout event is headlined by a terrific junior middleweight clash between Chicago based veterans Luciano Perez and Carlos Molina. The cross-town showdown between the Mexican natives is scheduled for eight rounds.

The complete bout card for THE ODEUM RUMBLE is

Luciano Perez vs. Carlos Molina, eight rounds, junior middleweights

Yusaf Mack vs. Oscar Leon, eight rounds, light heavyweights

David Torres vs. Ernesto Zamora, eight rounds, lightweights

Andrzej Fonfara vs. Manny Castillo, six rounds, middleweights

Ivan Popoca vs. Trenton Titsworth, five rounds, welterweights

Terry Martin vs. Ricardo Upchurch, four rounds, cruiserweights,

Ikem Orji vs. Juan Gonzalez, four rounds, lightweights

Along with 8 Count Productions, THE ODEUM RUMBLE is presented by Miller Lite, TCF Bank and AeroMexico, the premier travel source in Mexico.

The Master of Ceremonies for THE ODEUM RUMBLE will be ring announcer Thomas Treiber.

The Odeum Sports and Expo Center is conveniently located 20 minutes from downtown Chicago at 1033 N. Villa Avenue in Villa Park and is easily accessible from the Eisenhower expressway in addition to toll roads 355 and 294. Specific directions and further information can be found on their website at www.odeumexpo.com

8 Count Productions was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland. In 2003, Pesoli along with former featherweight contender Mike Garcia opened JABB Boxing Gym, a 6,000 square foot venue dedicated to the finest Chicagoland boxers of all talent levels.

To view the seating chart and poster for this event or for more information on 8 Count Productions and JABB Boxing Gym, please visit www.8countproductions.com and www.jabbboxinggym.com

CREATING CONTENDERS SINCE 1998
Bernie Bahrmasel
Publicist/8 Count Productions

www.8countproductions.com