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Monday, November 19, 2007

Olympic-bound boxer Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade



PROVIDENCE – How tough is Olympic-bound boxer Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade, the United States’ best bet to medal next year in China? Andrade recently dominated the AIBA Men’s World Championships in Chicago, capturing a gold medal in the 152-pound division, despite competing with impacted Wisdom teeth that were extracted last week. “I was willing to do anything to get the job done,” Andrade said. “I tried to cover up on the inside and box on the outside, but it hurt when I was hit in the back of my head, never mind every time I was punched in the mouth or face.” Andrade didn’t simply dominate the opposition, he decimated it, winning each match by an average of 13 points, 20-7, excluding his gold medal victory against Non Boonjumnong, of Thailand, when the referee stopped the contest because of an injury – Andrade had floored Boonjumnnong in the opening round and held a commanding lead – at 1:45 of the second round. Leading up to the final, in order, “Boo Boo” defeated Georgia’s Jvania Kakahaber (22-11) and Latvia’s Dmiitrjis Sostaks (19-3), Bulgaria’s No. 1 World rated at the time Magomed Nurudinov (26-6) in the preliminary rounds, Germany’s Jack Culcay-Keith (30-9) in the quarterfinals, and Turkey’s Adem Klicci (22-6) in the semifinals. “Nobody can say anything now,” Andrade remarked about winning his first gold medal in International competition. “It feels good. I dreamed of going to the Olympics and I’ve finally done it. I worked hard to get this gold medal. I wasn’t going to leave it in the hands of the judges (Demetrious lost by one point in the Pan-Am championship match to Brazilian Pedro Lima in Buenos Aires). That (World Championships) was a preview of the Olympics. I’m going to be coming even harder in the Olympics. These other guys better watch out.”Andrade and his Team USA Boxing roommate at training camp in Colorado Springs, flyweight Rau-shee Warren, became the first U.S. boxers since 1999 to win world championships. “We finally got it done,” Andrade added, “making a statement that Team USA is going to be strong to the Olympics. We’re a young team that’s getting even better.” The 19-year-old southpaw Andrade was a two-time U.S. National Championships and double National Golden Gloves champion, who blitzed David Lopez (RSCO-2), Charles Hatley (RSCO-3), Keith Thurman (27-13) and Keith Thurman (21-13) at the U.S. Boxing Trials preceding the World Championships. Andrade and his USA teammates are scheduled to compete November 23-26 in a dual against Team China in Beijing. Demetrious’ participation is questionable because of his recent oral surgery.Impacted wisdom teeth and the best amateur boxers in the world just weren’t enough from preventing “Boo Boo” from being golden at the World Championships. Andrade, who represents the 401 Boxing Club in Cranston (RI), is co-trained by his father Paul and David Keefe. Go on line to http://www.boobooboxing.com/ for more information about Demetrious “Boo Boo” Andrade.

NO HOLDS BARRED: Larry Hazzard, Bernard Hopkins

NO HOLDS BARRED: Larry Hazzard, Bernard Hopkins



On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman discusses the latest outrage in the combat sports: The firing of Larry Hazzard Sr., who had been the commissioner of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, which regulates combat sports, for almost 22 years. http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-11-19T23_51_18-08_00

Former Commissioner, Larry Hazzard attends the Guzman vs.Soto fight as a spectator.


We discuss his firing, as well as his place in both boxing and mixed martial arts. Simply put, without Larry Hazzard's role in developing the unified rules of MMA and having MMA sanctioned in New Jersey in 2000, that sport would not have been anywhere near as developed as it is today in the U.S. – if even it would have existed.

Eddie Goldman and Larry Hazzard


His firing, which took place Wednesday, Nov. 14, came in the wake of a letter being sent on his behalf by attorney James Binns to New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine alleging numerous charges of “malfeasance” against officials regulating boxing and mixed martial arts events in New Jersey (http://www.adcombat.com/Article.asp?Author_ID=4&Article_ID=14295). Among the many bombshells in this letter, dated Oct. 23, 2007, included citing an official for allegedly “failing to suspend a combatant who tested non-negative for HIV”; “allowing MMA promoters to deviate from sanction protocols”; “permitting contestants to compete without submitting required medical documents”; and “accepting a CT Scan that revealed marked brain impairment (Stephan Johnson)”. Johnson died on Dec. 5, 1999, from injuries suffered in a fight in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Nov. 20, 1999, in which he was knocked out in the tenth round.

Instead of investigating these serious charges, the New Jersey politicians dismissed Larry Hazzard.

Larry Hazzard was in Atlantic City this past Saturday night, Nov. 17, for the Joan Guzman-Humberto Soto fight at the Borgata Casino, but only as a spectator. Before taking his first-row seat, he held an informal news conference with several members of the boxing media. He also then continued to answer more media questions right after that. We have both discussions for you on this show.

Among the many people who expressed their outrage at this firing and protested it was Bernard Hopkins, the light heavyweight boxing champion of the world, and the president of Golden Boy East, the lead promoter of the Guzman-Soto card (http://adcombat.com/Article.asp?Article_ID=14296). He spoke with the media as well, and we also have that discussion for you.

Bernard Hopkins speaks about the controversial decision to fire Larry Hazzard.


SecondsOut Radio is also free to hear, but you must register to gain access to it, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio.

Make sure to check out my regular articles on the ADCC News at http://www.adcombat.com and on FightBeat.com at http://fightbeat.com.

Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes at http://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.

Art of War (http://www.artofwarlive.com), the undisputed arena fighting 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's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/1636002) in the U.S., and to check your local listings for dates and times. You can also catch IFL Battleground on MyNetworkTV (http://www.mynetworktv.com/). Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, at http://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html.

Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up the mixed 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 all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine 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 martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman

No Holds Barred blog
http://nhbnews.blogspot.com/

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http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/

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Enjoy!