A look inside ALEX “THE TECHNICIAN” BUNEMA; Who will face Roman "Made in Hell" Karmazin on the Trinidad vs Jones Under card

ALEX “THE TECHNICIAN” BUNEMA

Former World Boxing Association Continental Americas Champion
Born in Kinshasa, Zaire, July 28, 1975
Height: 5’9” – Weight: Super Welterweight (154)
Record: 26-9-2, 14 KOs

ALEX “THE TECHNICIAN” BUNEMA


Alex Bunema was born in Kinshasa, Zaire, nine months after the city hosted the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle,” Muhammad Ali’s stunning upset knockout of George Foreman in October, 1974.

Before and long after the fight, an unprecedented boxing buzz engulfed Zaire and Alex was immediately drawn to the Sweet Science.

“The thing that really got me into boxing was the Ali-Foreman fight in ’74,” said Alex, who tallied a 39-1 amateur record before turning professional in August 1996. Growing up, everybody was talking about that fight.

“That was one of the greatest fights of all time and it happened in Zaire. For months and years, that was the only thing people were talking about. It inspired a lot of kids to pick up the gloves and pursue a career in boxing.”

While the Ali-Foreman fight pushed Alex to learn the nuances and intricacies of one of the most difficult individual sports, it was his father’s calming influence that helped him stay motivated and dedicated to the sport.

“My dad used to be a boxer,” said Alex, who stormed out of the professional gates winning his first 13 fights. “He fought as an amateur. He would tell me about his fights and that would inspire me. I started boxing when I was just eight years old.”

Alex quickly turned heads with his advanced skills and strength. He would dispatch opponents with one-part finesse and one-part power.

He would become a four-time national champion in Zaire. He did it in 1992 at 132 pounds, and from ‘93-‘95 he would terrorize the 139 pound division.

Alex’s hard work and determination led him to qualify for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga., but, through no fault of his own, Alex was unable to compete.

“I was one of the youngest fighters to make it to the national team,” Alex said. “I won the Central African tournament. I was ready to go to Atlanta, but the sports federation wanted my family to give them a certain amount of money, and they didn’t have it.”

Alex would now focus on his professional career.

At the age of 21, on Aug. 30, 1996, Alex said goodbye to the amateur world and said hello to professional boxing. Alex would knockout his first opponent, Scan Ione, in the opening stanza.

Alex Bunema attends the Press conference for Trinidad vs Jones.


Alex would face his toughest challenge only a year after turning professional. On Sept. 9, 1997, in Bay St. Louis, Miss., Alex got in the ring with former National Golden Gloves amateur champion Orlando Hollis.

Alex didn’t waste anytime as he got off to a hot start and never looked back. He scored one knockdown in the second round. He dropped Hollis a second time in the third, latter stopping him at 1:48, registering a technical knockout victory.

On March 2, 2000 in Las Vegas, Nev., Alex proved he was capable of winning a tough, close fight against a quality opponent. Alex took home a 10-round split decision victory against former world-title challenger Tony Marshall, who came into the fight with more experience and ring savvy than Alex.

Marshall kept the busier pace, but Alex was the harder puncher. He rocked Marshall in the fifth round and staggered him in the eighth. His hard-hitting style won him fans in the audience and points from the judges. Alex won a split decision where two judges favored him 96-94, and the third judge gave it to Marshall, 97-93.

By now, Alex was gaining experience and momentum. He had only two losses on his resume and a handful of quality wins against tough opposition.

His next challenge would come in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior middleweight title eliminator on Oct. 26, 2001 in Temecula, Calif. against the veteran and crafty Bronco McKart.

It was an exciting fight which earned a standing ovation from the crowd as there were many give-and-take rounds that were close and hard to score. Both fighters were exchanging leather as if it were going out of fashion.

Alex stood a great chance of winning since he applied constant pressure throughout. The judges, however, didn’t see it that way. Alex lost a hard-fought 12-round split decision with one judge favoring him 115-113 while the remaining judges saw it for McKart 116-112 and 117-111.

After the fight McKart admitted, “I almost went down in the fifth. He hit me hard with a body shot and I was very close to going to a knee. Bunema can box and punch with the best of them.”

To date, Alex’s most visible fight came against former world champion Jermain Taylor.

On March 27, 2004, Alex challenged Taylor for his World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas title in Little Rock, Ark. At the time, Taylor was an undefeated, rising contender.

Alex would come out aggressively in the early rounds in an effort to wear down the harder-hitting Taylor. Alex is known for his incredible stamina that wears out even the most conditioned athletes.

Taylor was able to keep a busy pace and consistently landed the harder punches.

Taylor scored two knockdowns in the seventh round, both coming after a series of right hands, and the referee stopped the fight without a count with 44 seconds left in the round.

After the fight, Alex said, “I’m very disappointed. I felt like the referee let me down. I take a knee and he stops the fight. I’ve been down before and have come back to win the fight.”

Alex rebounded nicely after the Taylor loss, having won four of his last five fights.

In his last appearance, Alex dispatched the veteran Steve Walker with a second round TKO on Nov. 10, 2007 in Ridgefield, Wash.

The Zaire native managed another nifty victory nearly two months earlier. Alex delivered a fourth round knockout against the young and tough Farid Shahid on Sept. 21, 2007, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Alex is set to challenge former IBF 154-pound champion Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin for his World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental Super Welterweight title on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008 at Madison Square Garden on the HBO pay-per-view under card of the highly anticipated showdown between future Hall of Famers Felix “Tito” Trinidad and Roy Jones, Jr.

Alex is married and has one daughter.

A look inside ANDREW “POWERFUL POLE” GOLOTA; Who will face Mike Mollo on the Trinidad vs Jones Under card

ANDREW “POWERFUL POLE” GOLOTA
Heavyweight Contender
Born on Jan. 5, 1968, in Warsaw, Poland, now living in Chicago, Illinois
Height 6’ 4” – Weight: Heavyweight
Record: 40-6-1, 33 KOs

ANDREW “POWERFUL POLE” GOLOTA


Andrew Golota began boxing at age 13 and captured an unprecedented seven Polish national amateur championships. He won a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Golota relocated to Chicago and turned pro in 1992, winning his first 27starts—24 by knockout.

He first garnered national attention, however, when he bit Samson Po’uha en route to a fifth-round technical knockout victory in May 1995.

In his biggest victory as a pro, Golota battered Emanuel Steward-trained Danell Nicholson en route to an eighth-round TKO in March 1996, despite nearly getting himself disqualified for a head butt.

The Warsaw native would not be so lucky facing former undisputed heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe, against whom he twice fouled out of high-profile bouts he was winning in 1996. The first meeting between the two on July 11 stands on its own as a fight that will go down in history due to the mayhem that engulfed Madison Square Garden following the proceedings.

A determined Golota performed better than most could have imagined. His combination punching looked like the best in the division, and his ability to slide to either side and deliver punches left Bowe, one of the great heavyweights then or any time, confused and covering up on the ropes. Golota was on his way to registering a shocking upset before things turned sour.

Golota was rocking Bowe in the fourth round when a low blow interrupted the action. The referee penalized Golota a point and gave Bowe time to recuperate. The same thing occurred late in the sixth round and a second point was deducted. Midway through the seventh, Golota struck below the belt for his third point deduction. Inexplicably, with 27 seconds remaining in the round, Golota was disqualified after landing his final illegal blow that left Bowe lying on his back in agony.

A wave of spectators stormed the ring, catching Madison Square Garden security off guard. As Golota returned to his corner, he was attacked by members of Bowe’s entourage and was struck on the back of the head with a portable phone.



For the rematch five months later, Golota’s handlers took extra steps to insure that their charge’s blows would stay in the legitimate target area. A pair of specially-made trunks were fixed to a rounded “body punching” bag at the gym where Golota trained. He spent many an afternoon pounding home his shots above the waistband.

The extra measures taken did not help. A battered Bowe, down twice in the fight and out on his feet in the closing rounds, won by ninth-round disqualification after Golota struck low again. This, after being docked two points for infractions earlier in the bout.

Golota had a chance to redeem himself after being disqualified in back-to-back fights. In October 1997, he got a shot at World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. In a shocking result, Lewis knocked out Golota at 95 seconds of the opening round. Golota came out tentative and went down the first time at the one-minute mark. He gave his best to be competitive, but never recovered and went down again. The referee stopped it shortly thereafter.

After the crushing first-round knockout, Golota won six consecutive bouts, including hard-fought, unanimous 10-round decision victories over Corey Sanders and “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon in July and October 1998, respectively.

The Sanders slugfest was a bloody, one-sided war. Golota dominated, but could never relax as Sanders, despite fighting with a nasty gash over his left eye from the third round on, showed plenty of spunk by continually trying to fight back. At the end, Golota, who had suffered a smaller cut in the third, won by scores of 100-90, 99-90 and 97-93.

Golota had an even easier time out-pointing Witherspoon, the former world heavyweight champion. In what figured to be a tough assignment, Golota boxed magnificently while avoiding ‘Spoon’s once-vaunted right hand to win by scores of 100-91, 99-91 and 98-93.

In January 1999, Golota won his third consecutive unanimous 10-round decision, this one over Jesse Ferguson; however, he suffered a come-from-ahead TKO 10-round loss to then-North American Boxing Federation (NABF) heavyweight champion Michael Grant on Nov. 20, 1999.

Golota had Grant down, and almost out, twice in the first round, but Grant fought on and floored Golota in round 10. Golota got up fast and appeared steady on his feet before the referee asked him if he wanted to continue. Although he appeared to be ready and able to continue, he said “no” twice and the bout was halted at the 1:31 mark of the 10th round. Golota was ahead by scores of 87-80, 86-81 and 85-83 at the time of the stoppage.

Golota registered a third-round TKO over Marcus Rhode on April 22, 2000, in China. Golota had his way with Rhode, knocking him down three times. He dropped Rhode twice in the second round, the first time with a hard right and the second with a double combination. In the third, Golota landed a hard right followed by two combinations that drove Rhode through the ropes. The bout was stopped at 2:49 of the round.

On June 16, 2000, Golota built up an early lead and withstood a late rally to win a unanimous decision over former world champion Orlin Norris. The heavyweight contender captured the contest 99-91, 98-92 and 97-94 to win for the eighth time in nine starts.

On October 20, 2000, Golota fought Mike Tyson in Auburn Hills, Mich. Golota was cut over the eye and knocked down in the first round. After not answering the bell for the third round due to injuries, the fight was declared a no-contest.

After an almost three-year hiatus, Golota fought twice in 2003. On Aug. 14, he stopped Brian Nix (TKO 7) in Dover, Del., and on Nov. 14, beat Terrance Lewis (TKO 6).

On April 17, 2004, Golota had his second chance to win a world heavyweight championship—this time Chris Byrd’s IBF crown. Byrd’s slick boxing style was the stylistic opposite of the brawling Golota.

Andrew Golota


Most boxing experts felt going in that Byrd would frustrate Golota by using his superior boxing skills to wear the big man down, but the Polish strongman gave his best performance since his 1996 heyday when he faced Bowe in those two epic clashes. He avoided fouling, kept his composure, boxed efficiently and many people thought he won the match.

The fight went the 12-round distance, but the judges could not determine a winner. Steve Weisfeld scored it 113-115 for Golota; Melvina Lathan had Byrd winning the fight 115-113; and Tony Paolillo couldn’t break the tie at 114-114.

Golota’s fine performance earned him another world title fight against WBA champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz on Don King’s huge heavyweight Rendezvous with Destiny: Battle for Supremacy card in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 13.

Golota made the most of his opportunity by taking the fight to Ruiz early. After Ruiz landed a solid shot in the second round, Golota answered with a counter punch that floored Ruiz. Still wobbly after regaining his feet, Golota dropped Ruiz again and the end seemed near. While Ruiz survived the round, he would have to overcome a round scored 10-7 by all three judges.

Ruiz fell farther behind in the fourth round when referee Randy Neumann deducted a point from him for hitting on the break. Golota showed great restraint throughout the fight avoiding any fouling tactics that would have cost him points.

Golota was clearly the more highly skilled boxer, but Ruiz’s burrowing, clenching style makes for ugly fights that are difficult to score. For instance, all three judges had Ruiz winning two of the lat three rounds although none of them had the combination.

Although Ruiz’s performed better in the middle and late rounds, many were shocked when a unanimous decision was announced in favor of Ruiz. Frank Lombardi scored it an understandably close 113-112, but the two other judges, Tom Schreck and Oscar Perez scored the fight a less comprehensible 114-111. Many thought Golota had won the fight, including Golota himself.

“I thought I won the fight,” Golota said. “He went down twice. I controlled the fight. I am confused here. I am upside down. This is very confusing to me. Maybe the judges were watching the fights outside the ring [in the arena] and not inside the ring.”

Golota was given the third chance in a row to win a world heavyweight title when he faced World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion “Relentless” Lamon Brewester at the United Center in his adopted hometown of Chicago on May 21.

More than 20,000 fans, mostly from Chicago’s huge Polish community, came to root for the hometown favorite.

Brewster stormed at Golota from the opening bell and landed a devastating left hook just 10 seconds into the fight. Golota came to his feet but staggered before regaining enough composure for referee Gino Rodriguez to allow the match to continue.

For Brewster, this feat was even greater when considering Golota had just gone 12 rounds with WBA champion John Ruiz and 12 rounds against IBF champion champion Chris Byrd without being knocked down in either contest.

Seconds later, Brewster landed another pulverizing left hook that sent Golota down and through the ropes. Golota refused to quit. He struggled and regained his feet long enough to experience the third and final left hook that caused Rodriguez to halt the action at just 53 seconds into the fight.

Golota got back on the winning track by scoring a second-round technical knockout Jeremy Bates in Katowice, Poland, on June 9, 2007.

His last ring appearance was against Mike Tyson conqueror Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride in Madison Square Garden on Oct. 6.

Andrew Golota and Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride, square off in the ring on Oct. 6.

Often a slow starter, McBride took a page out of Lamon Brewster’s and Mike Tyson’s scouting report on the Pole and rocked Golota with several shots in the opening stanza. Golota used his veteran skills to weather the storm and maintain his composure, buying time to establish a rhythm in what turned to be a highly entertaining slugfest that saw the Garden crowd on its feet during much of the contest.

While both fighters exchanged power shots at will, Golota opened a nasty gash over McBride’s left eye in round five. With McBride having trouble seeing out of his eye, Golota pounded McBride in the sixth until referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stepped in and stopped the contest with 18 seconds left in the round.

“Kevin was winded,” Mercante said. “He took a lot of shots. He can fight on another day.”

Golota praised his opponent.

Andrew Golota exits the ring after his victory over Kevin McBride on Oct. 6.


“Kevin surprised me,” Golota said in the ring after the fight. “He was faster than I thought he would be and he didn’t get tired. I proved tonight that I can still fight with anyone.”

McBride thought he could have fought on but was pleased with his performance.

“No, I didn’t think the referee should have stopped it but I was having trouble seeing out of my eye,” McBride said. “He really didn’t hurt me until the end.

“I thought that I had him out in the first round. It was close. I’m okay now.”

MAIN EVENT TRAINER ROUNDTABLE; Alton Merkerson and Papa Trinidad

NEW YORK— Subtle barbs continued to fly between Roy Jones Jr. coach Alton Merkerson and Tito Trinidad trainer and father Papa Trinidad during today’s main event trainer roundtable in the media center at a hotel near Madison Square Garden.

“Tito doesn’t need any help from Roy Jones,” Papa Trinidad said. “We want to fight him at his best.”

Merkerson reached back to Monday’s trainer media conference call to launch this salvo with Papa Trinidad sitting right next to him. “I heard Trinidad Sr. say Tito is going to knock out Roy. If they come in with that strategy, it’s going to be an early night. Roy will take him out early with that game plan. I don’t see this fight going the distance.”

Felix Trinidad Sr. (Father, trainer and manager of Felix “Tito” Trinidad) “Tito had said he might be interested in fighting again even before Don King called. Roy Jones was on the list then.

“Tito did not show his skills against Winky Wright. Winky is very difficult, as you know.

“Tito has shown no difficulty moving up in weight. He brings his strength and his punch with him. Tito doesn’t need any help from Roy Jones. We want to fight him at this best. Roy has been a great champion. Tito has defeated fighters of all styles.
“I weigh 22 pounds less now. My health was not good. Now, after medical treatment, I am 100 percent well. At that time and today, my knowledge of boxing remains. Nothing has been erased. I recovered my potential, my strength and my energy, the same as it was at the beginning of Tito's career. And, thanks to God, what was in my past is to the side. I feel 100 percent and I have concentrated on preparing a technical team. Everybody has his specific duty, and so we feel prepared to defeat one of the greatest trainers of all time.”

Alton Merkerson (trainer for Roy Jones Jr.)

“Tito is normally a slow starter, but in reference to this fight, I think that Trinidad Sr. knows he has to try to start off faster than he usually does. Our strategy is not going to change that much, because I consider Tito to be somewhat one-dimensional, so we know basically what to expect.

“I heard Trinidad Sr. say Tito is going to knock out Roy. If they come in with that strategy, it’s going to be an early night. Roy will take him out early with that game plan. I don’t see this fight going the distance. What Roy does in the ring is to his advantage. But through the hype in this fight, and the darts thrown at each other, I don't think there's going to be too much boxing. It's just my philosophy, and knowing Roy, knowing his demeanor through all the years of training him, I see something in him for this fight that I haven't seen before. I relate it more to the second fight with Montell Griffin.”

Former world champion DeMarcus 'Chop Chop' Corley has stepped in to fill the void and will face Alexander

Undefeated 140-pounder Devon Alexander "The Great" was to have faced Miguel Callist, who, unfortunately, has suffered a training injury.

Trinidad-Jones Featured Pay-Per-View Matches Destined to Produce Slugfests

NEW YORK— Two of the greatest boxers in history, Felix “Tito” Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr., will face each other in a battle boxing fans have been waiting for years to see at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008. The event has been dubbed “Bring on the Titans” and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

But before Trinidad and Jones square off, there will also be three bouts featured at the Garden and live on the pay-per-view telecast including heavyweight Andrew Golota taking on the emerging Chicago heavyweight “Merciless” Mike Mollo;
Former 154-pound champion Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin squaring of with Alex “The Technician” Bunema; and undefeated super lightweight Devon Alexander “The Great”—Don King’s top young prospect—will face his toughest opponent yet in former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley.

DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley


Devon Alexander “The Great"


In a match where two titles will be on the line, Golota (40-6-1, 33 KOs) of Chicago by way of Warsaw, Poland, the current International Boxing Federation (IBF) North American champion will face the young and hungry World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedelatin titlist Mollo (19-1, 12 KOs) in a Chicagoland showdown.

Preceding Golota-Mollo, Karmazin (36-2-1, 23 KOs), from St. Petersburg, Russia, now living in Los Angeles, will defend his WBA Intercontinental super welterweight title against Bunema (26-9-2, 14 KOs), from Kinshasa, Zaire, now living in Atlanta.

The opening of the telecast will showcase the 20-year-old phenom Alexander (13-0, 9 KOs), from St. Louis, Mo., taking on Washington, D.C., veteran and former World Boxing Organization (WBO) 140-pound titlist Corley, who has stepped into the ring with the likes of “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, Zab “Super” Judah, Miguel Cotto, Junior Witter and Jose Alfaro.

Golota, the greatest Polish heavyweight ever and one of the best heavyweights to have never won a world title, has won his last two contests via technical knockout and continues on his quest to win an elusive world crown. His most memorable fights came against some of the best heavyweights of his era including former world champions Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Chris Byrd and John Ruiz.

His last ring appearance was against Mike Tyson conqueror Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride at the Garden on Oct. 6, 2007. Golota can often be a slow starter, so McBride took a page out of Lamon Brewster’s and Tyson’s scouting report on the Pole and rocked him early in the match.

Golota used his veteran skills to weather the storm and maintain his composure, buying time to establish a rhythm in what turned to be a highly entertaining brawl that saw the Garden crowd on its feet during much of the contest.

Golota opened a nasty gash over McBride’s left eye in round five and finished him off with just 18 seconds to go in the sixth when referee Arthur Mercante Jr. halted the contest.

Mollo, 27, is still building his reputation as a legitimate heavyweight contender. A win over Golota would help catapult him into the upper echelons of heavyweight contenders seeking a world-title shot.

Mollo needed only two rounds to knock out Art “The Polish Warrior” Binkowski in his last outing on Oct. 13, 2007, in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Mollo turned in a dominating performance, battering the former Canadian Olympian from pillar to post. He dropped Binkowski three times in the second round before the referee stopped the carnage.

When asked how he felt after the fight, Mollo exclaimed, “Unbelievable, super-aggressive like a pit bull. Now I want Golota.”

Look for the young Mollo to come out swinging early, and the proverbial chips—or possibly the fighters in this case—will fall where they may.

Karmazin is coming off a sterling third-round knockout over former two-time 154-pound world champion Alejandro “Terra” Garcia on Friday, Nov. 23, 2007, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Karmazin, 35, proved why he has always been considered one of the best junior middleweights in the world in an absolute destruction of Garcia where the Russian looked fantastic.

He lived up to his Made in Hell moniker when he dropped Garcia with a devastating body shot in the opening round. The assault continued until Karmazin disposed of the Mexican with a four-punch combination punctuated by a stinging left hook to the body in the third round that earned him a knockout.

“I knew the fight was going to end early after the first round,” Karmazin said. “I’m a boxer, I’m a thinking fighter, and I knew I was faster and punched harder.”

Bunema is also coming into this fight with plenty of momentum. In his last appearance, the 32-year-old dispatched veteran Steve Walker with a second round TKO on Nov. 10, 2007, in Ridgefield, Wash.

The Zaire native managed another nifty victory nearly two months earlier. Bunema delivered a fourth-round knockout against the young and tough Farid Shahid on Sept. 21, 2007, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Alexander is scorching hot, having scored an opening-round TKO over Cory Peterson on Oct. 13, 2007, at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

Fighting out of the Cory Spinks camp under the tutelage of trainer Kevin Cunningham, his promoter Don King thinks it’s time to show Alexander’s skills to a wider audience.

“I insisted on putting Alexander The Great on the Jones-Trinidad pay-per-view because he is emerging and ready to become the top welterweight in the world,” King said. “Now is Devon’s time and I want everyone to see this young talent display his skills.”

Standing in the way of Alexander’s quest for glory is the always dangerous Corley. Now 33, Corley has a vast experience advantage over his young opponent and would like nothing more than to spoil Alexander’s first appearance in a televised pay-per-view match.

The Trinidad vs. Jones domestic pay-per-view telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is being produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View, available in more than 61 million pay-per-view homes.

This domestic telecast will be available in HDTV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For your Trinidad vs. Jones fight week updates, log on to http://www.hbo.com/.

The event will be distributed internationally by KingVision, available through DK International Sales, a division of Don King Productions, Inc.

The event is being promoted by Don King Productions in association with Madison Square Garden.

Alan Hopper Don King Productions

A look inside DeMARCUS “CHOP CHOP” CORLEY; Who will face Devon Alexander "The Great" on the Trinidad vs Jones Under card

DeMARCUS “CHOP CHOP” CORLEY

Former World Boxing Organization Junior Welterweight Champion
Born on June 3, 1974,
Height: 5’ 7” Weight: Junior Welterweight (140)
Record: 31-7-1, 17 KOs

If cockiness were a true measure of a boxer’s ability, DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley would have already retired as an undefeated, undisputed champion. But confidence is only a part of the mix. One must also bring boxing skills to the table, and there is also the ability of the opponents to consider.

Bernard Roach trainer, DeMarcus Corley (C) and Team Corley Member.


On all accounts, Chop Chop passes the test. He has unquestioned ring skills, fought some of the best fighters of his era, and confidence that some might call cockiness.

“If you don’t have confidence in yourself, you are in the wrong business,” Corley said. “Some people may be turned off by the way I come across sometimes, but it is all about believing in yourself.”

Corley has an outgoing personality and is a true showman. He once dreamed of becoming a model. He also is expert at fashion design, and is proud of his tailoring skills. Since learning to sew in a high school home economics class, Corley has made his own ring “outfits.”

“I swore when I left the amateurs that I would never fight in standard trunks again,” he said. For one fight, Corley entered the ring wearing a shiny red mini-skirt with six inches of white fringe and a snug little jacket to match. He had a horned, green dragon mask on his face. “It is all about entertainment and making a name for yourself,” Corley said.

Corley started boxing when he was 12. “I got into it to win trophies because win or lose, you get a trophy,” he said.

In the amateurs, he got his nickname. “We had gone out of town for the Silver Gloves in Mississippi,” Corley recalled. “I was supposed to weigh 65 pounds. When we came back from dinner, I weighed 75 pounds. My coach said to me, ‘you sure chopped up that food.’ So from that day, Chop Chop stuck with me.”

Corley turned pro in May 1996 in his hometown, Washington, D.C., and scored a first-round TKO over Aaron Smith. “I was very excited to be in there with all my friends and family cheering me on,” Corley said.

He went on to win his first 16 starts, going 6-0 in both 1996 and 1997. After winning his first four outings in 1998, he suffered the first blemish on his record when a December bout with Dillon Carew ended in a third-round technical draw.

Corley suffered his first defeat in March 1999, a shocking 10-round split decision to Daniel Lujan (13-7-2 going in). In a wildly exciting bout, Corley won four of the first five rounds. Lujan came back and floored Corley early in the ninth. Both boxers were hurt later in the session, and Lujan was all but out on his feet in the 10th and was lucky to survive the round. At the finish, Lujan got the disputed decision when two judges saw it 95-94 with the remaining scorer in favor of Corley 96-93.

DeMarcus Corley and Team Corley Cornerman


In a career-best performance three starts later, Corley won a 12-round split decision over Ener Julio to capture the United States Boxing Association junior welterweight title on Sept. 24, 1999. Performing in front of his hometown fans, Corley out-pointed Julio, who went on to become the World Boxing Organization junior welterweight champion. Two judges favored Corley 117-110 while the remaining judge gave it to Julio 115-111.

Corley won all four of his starts in 2000 by knockout. He began 2001 by exacting some revenge against Carew by winning a 10-round decision.

Corley was tapped to fight North American Boxing Organization and North American Boxing Association junior welterweight champion Felix Flores, a Puerto Rican fighting out of the Felix Trinidad stable and trained by Papa Trinidad, for the vacant WBO junior welterweight title. Flores had been scheduled to face champion Ener Julio, who was stripped of his title after cataracts were discovered in his eyes during a pre-fight medical screening the week leading up to the fight. Corley was all too happy to step in for this first world title shot.

Flores had floored the crafty veteran Sharmba “Little Big Man” Mitchell in a losing effort in 2000, so nobody expected this to be an easy fight for Corley. In actuality, it was Corley who was seen to be coming in at a disadvantage after taking the fight on just days notice.

Corley sensed early in the first round that Flores was not adjusting well to his southpaw style. He seized the opportunity and landed a crushing right uppercut that dropped Flores midway through the initial round. Corley knocked Flores down again shortly thereafter, and referee Jay Nady wisely ended the punishment at 2:49, just before Corley was about to send Flores down for the third time. Chop Chop had become a world champion.

Corley welcomed a re-match with Julio after the Colombian’s vision problems had been corrected by surgery. Julio had always claimed he was the victim of a hometown decision when the two met in Washington, D.C., in 1999. Chop Chop wanted to put an exclamation point on his first victory and earn the right to face the other 140-pound world champions. Their second meeting took place at Miami Jai Alai on Jan. 19, 2002.

Always a slick boxer, Corley stunned Julio with a powerful straight left that sent him to the canvas in round two. Corley dropped Julio again in the third round, this time with a right, but the challenger survived the round. It became apparent by the fifth round that Corley had progressed as a fighter while Julio seemed to be fading.

Julio tried to brawl with Corley for the remainder of the fight, and it became evident that Corley had increased his power-shot arsenal, appearing more comfortable than ever in their power-shot exchanges. In the end, the judges gave Corley a unanimous decision with scores of 119-105, 118-107 and 117-107.

Corley then agreed to face the top knockout artist in the sport, Randall Bailey, on Jan. 4, 2003, in Washington, D.C. All of Bailey’s 26 wins had come by knockout, and the only fighters able to best him had been Julio and the tough Cuban Diosbelys Hurtado.

Chop Chop’s boxing skills caused fits for the headhunting Bailey, and Corley walked off with a lopsided unanimous decision.

DeMarcus Corley and Yano


Never one to duck a challenge, Corley jumped at the chance to face another one of the sport’s best in Zab “Super” Judah in Las Vegas on July 12, 2003. Corley was up against one of the fastest and most fleet-of-foot boxers in the game.

While Corley displayed fine skills and landed his fair share of the punches, Judah had the edge in punching power. Judge Duane Ford favored Corley 115-113, but Michael Pernick preferred Judah 115-113 as did Chuck Giampa at 115-112.

The non-stop string of fights against top-notch competition continued when perennial pound-for-pound king ”Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr. decided to move up to the 140-pound limit to face Corley on May 22, 2004, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Corley entered the ring wearing shredded battle fatigues and a gas mask. He tested Mayweather's chin in the third round with an overhand left that staggered Mayweather.
In the fourth round, Corley appeared to receive another boost when Mayweather appeared to hurt his always-tenuous right hand.

Chop Chop stung Mayweather again in the fifth round with a big right followed by a left that buckled Mayweather's knees. For a moment, it appeared Corley was about to achieve what many felt was impossible. Mayweather appeared to be out on his feet, but Mayweather rallied and appeared to score a knockdown when Corley went to one knee following a barrage of punches. Referee Benji Estevez ruled that Corley had been pushed down by Mayweather.

Mayweather appeared to score another knockdown in the sixth round, but Estevez ruled that Corley had slipped. Pretty Boy finally got his knockdown in the eighth round with a left-right combination that was preceded by a double right uppercut that stunned Corley. He went down again in the ninth round from a blistering five-punch combination that must have taken all of two seconds to deliver.

Mayweather went on to win a unanimous decision, but Corley had earned his respect.
"Chop-Chop was tough, a solid fighter," Mayweather said after the fight.
After rebounding with a win over Darryl Tyson, Corley traveled to Bayamon, Puerto Rico, on Feb. 26, 2005, to take on the up-and-coming champion Miguel Cotto, a native of the island and the owner of Corley’s former WBO belt.

Corley surprised the heavy-handed Cotto from the outset by standing toe to toe with the young lion. Corley paid for this strategy when Cotto landed a right just 30 seconds into the fight that sent him to the canvas. Cotto unleashed a torrent of blows on his wounded foe, but the experienced Corley responded with shots that buzzed Cotto.

Round two started with Corley deploying his boxing skills to confuse Cotto, who uncharacteristically kept his hands low, causing him to be hit cleanly by the Washington D.C. native. Corley responded by throwing an unintentional low blow that caused referee Enrique Quinones Falu to forego the normal initial warning in favor of a point deduction. Cotto augmented his problems by underestimating Chop Chop’s power.

Perhaps trying to make up for lost ground, Cotto came out punching in round three where he was caught by a devastating right cross that landed squarely on his temple. The young champion was hurt badly and the hometown crowd watched in horror as their star’s legs turn to spahgetti. While Cotto’s mistakes got him into trouble, he did have the wherewithall to tie up Corley, saving himself from a knockdown or knockout.
The fight had reached a fever pitch heading into the fourth, when just after the one-minute mark, Corley landed an unintentional low blow. Cotto recovered after a few seconds and indicated to the referee that he was ready to resume. Falu suddenly decided, again without a warning, to deduct a point against Corley, apparently feeling that if hadn’t warned Cotto earlier, he couldn’t warn Corley at this point.
Cotto landed a huge left hook midway through round five that wounded Chop Chop. Cotto responded with a punching barrage that penetrated through Corley’s guard. Finding himself in dire straits, one of Corley’s gloves touched the mat precipitating a standing eight count.

Once the action resumed, Corley, still stunned from the previous assault, found himself in deep trouble. The veteran wisely chose to take a knee in an attempt to regain his strength. Falu stunned everyone by waving off the action, leaving all to wonder what would have happened had the match continued.

Corley dropped a unanimous decision to the once-beaten Brit Junior Witter in a hard-fought battle in London, England, on Sept. 15, 2006.

At the 16th edition of the WBA’s KO Drugs Festival charity event on May 12, 2007, Corley met up-and-coming Nicaraguan puncher Jose Alfaro (who became a world champion in Germany on Dec. 29, 2007) in Managua.

Chop Chop got off to a strong start, flooring Alfaro in the first round. Alfaro survived the round and was able to come back in the match and stop Corley in the eighth round.

In his last appearance, Corley met Dairo Esalas on Nov. 30 in Tampa, Fla. It was a spirited effort by both fighters in a close fight. Corley ended up on the short side of an eight-round split decision. Two judges favored Esalas 76-75 while the third judge preferred Corley by 76-75.

“I felt I had done enough to win,” Corley said after the fight. “In my heart, I know I won that fight but two of the judges didn’t see it my way. It was close.”Corley’s favorite all-time boxers are “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker.

“If I could do just half the stuff Sugar Ray could do, such as knock a person out going backwards, I would be happy,” he said. “Hagler was just an all-around great, a hard-hitting fighter who had very few losses. In addition, he took very little punishment in the ring. Whitaker, he was quick and slick and just didn’t get hit.”

A Look Inside DEVON ALEXANDER “THE GREAT”; Who will face DeMarcus Corley on the Trinidad vs Jones Under card

DEVON ALEXANDER “THE GREAT”

Undefeated Former World Boxing Council Youth Welterweight Champion
Born in St. Louis, Missouri,
Height: 5’ 8 ½” – Weight: Super Lightweight (140)
Record: 13-0, 8 KOs

DEVON ALEXANDER “THE GREAT”



There is no stretching of the truth when it is said of Devon Alexander that he was a child prodigy in boxing or grew up in the sport. At age 7, Devon’s older brothers Lamar, 12, and Vaughan, 8, ventured across the street from a basketball court they were playing on in St. Louis to go inside Kevin Cunningham’s Hyde Park boxing gym. All three would go on to box professionally.

“My gym was in the basement of an old police station in Hyde Park, one of the highest crime districts in the city at that time,” Cunningham said. Serving as a police officer in St. Louis’s fifth district at the time, Cunningham would know such a things.

“It turned out to be a good thing for the Alexander brothers, Cory Spinks and all the kids in the program because it kept them off of the streets. As a boxer, I always knew Devon was special.”

Soon after the Alexander brothers had begun learning the basics of the art of pugilism, St. Louis and boxing royalty walked in the gym one day in the form of Spinks. Cory had left the sport of boxing after his beloved brother died, but Cunningham had seen him around town and kept nudging him to stop by his gym.

Kevin Cunningham, trainer and Devon Alexander


The following year, the 2-0 teenager took part in boxing history. He defeated Donovan Castaneda by unanimous decision in front of 22,370 spectators, the second-largest crowd in history to witness a boxing event in an indoor arena at Savvis Center in St. Louis. Alexander’s mentor, Cory Spinks, headlined the card opposing Zab Judah.

Alexander had been quiet—not to mention awestruck—during the media frenzy leading up to the history-making card. After his victory, he opened up a little bit.

“I did not really feel any pressure fighting in front of all these people in my hometown,” the southpaw said. “I am a tad disappointed with my performance.

“No excuses, but truth is, I had to pace myself a little and I was trying to get some air. This was my first six-round fight and I got a little tired in the fifth and sixth rounds. But I learned a lot in there. He was a strong guy and seemed way bigger than I was. But everything is cool. I know you can’t knock out everybody. Down the line, going six rounds will be a good thing for me.”

Still a senior in high school but with enough credits to graduate, Alexander was able to make arrangements at Vashon to send in his homework from Las Vegas where trained with Spinks for a month prior to the event.

“I wanted to get the ceremony,” Alexander said. “I wanted to graduate with my friends. Education is very important to me. Boxing can’t last forever. If I have an education, I can do other things.”

After running his record to 8-0, Alexander was again fighting at home with Spinks on Don King’s Gateway to Glory card at Savvis Center on July 8, 2006, featuring Cory’s successful move up to 154 pounds to dethrone then-International Boxing Federation junior middleweight champion Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin.

Keisha and Cory Spinks


Alexander, too, moved up in competition by taking on an 8-3 fighter in Tyler Ziolkowski, who had been in the ring with some notable opponents. The pair had earned the right to vie for the World Boxing Council youth welterweight title, designed for those 23 years old and younger.

“Cory is the king of St. Louis boxing,” Cunningham, who trains and manages both Spinks and Alexander, said. “And basically Devon is the heir-apparent to Cory’s throne. He’s starting to mature into a real pro. It’s a big difference between being and amateur and a pro.”

Amateur scoring values the number of punches landed, not the damage they do. Many pitter-patter amateurs have their gloves full when they hit the pros.

“That’s why I haven’t had as many knockouts,” Alexander said (with three at the time). “I used to be all flick, flick, flick. But now I’m turning my punches over, keeping my fist balled up all the and punching harder.”


“You don’t have to baby-sit him in training,” Cunningham said. “If anything, you have to slow him down. He loves training and he loves boxing.”

Alexander also benefited from three full months spent in preparation, with Spinks, at Don King’s legendary King Training Camp in rural Ohio just outside Cleveland.

Keisha and Devon Alexander


He shocked Ziolkowski by scoring a technical knockout at just 2:40 of the first stanza.

“He knocked Ziolkowski out with a right hook,” Cunningham said of his southpaw. “That’s a good sign that the work we did in camp, focusing on slowing down and developing his power, is working. He’s sitting down on his punches more and landing power shots.

“That guy [Ziolkowski] fought Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. He’s a tough little guy.”

Alexander was pleased as well.

“My winning the WBC Youth Welterweight championship is the just the beginning. It feels good.

“My trainer and I focused on slowing down and turning over my punches so I’ll have more power. I’m still transitioning from amateur to pro but the power is coming.”

Alexander scored a fourth-round technical knockout over Maximinio Cuevas in Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Jan. 6, 2007, before making his first television appearance on SHOWTIME’S popular Sho Box series opposing Scott Ball (8-2) in Belterra Casino and Resort in Indiana on March 2, 2007.

In his toughest test of his young career, Alexander dominated Ball. In round four, Alexander knocked out Ball’s mouthpiece with a barrage of punches. In the sixth, he broke Ball’s jaw.

In round seven, Alexander scored two knockdowns and Ball was counted out.

Alexander scored another knockout over Marcus Luck in Bridgeport, Conn., on July 7, 2007.

Alexander The Great lived up to his moniker in his last appearance by overwhelming previously undefeated (7-0) Cory Peterson with a first-round technical knockout in Hoffman Estates, Ill., on Oct. 13.

Devon has moved back to 140 pounds for his next fight on Jan. 19.

When not in the ring, Alexander, a friendly and out-going person, is also known for his sweet tooth.

“That’s his vice,” Cunningham said. “If you put a cupcake in front of him, oh man!”