Hunky Dorys Fight Night – Bazan predicts McCloskey’s downfall

Hunky Dorys Fight Night – Bazan predicts McCloskey’s downfall



Former World Champion Cesar Bazan arrived in Letterkenny this week promising to wreck Paul McCloskey’s unbeaten record. The two men meet in the top of the bill on this Saturday’s Hunky Dorys Fight Night at the Letterkenny Leisure Complex and Bazan is brimming with confidence ahead of the clash.

The Mexican arrived in Letterkenny on Sunday to acclimatise after a gruelling 6 week training camp in the mountains near his native Mexico City.

“Everything has been great since I arrived in Ireland, the people have been very nice and it is a beautiful country. I have trained long and hard for this fight and I am in great shape. I had 4 fights in France earlier in my career so fighting and winning in Europe is nothing new to me.”

Bazan admits to knowing little about McCloskey or caring for his ever-growing reputation as one of the light welterweight division’s hottest prospects. “I never heard of Paul McCloskey until I was asked to fight him and I don’t think I’ll be hearing any more about him after this weekend either. I am only concerned with myself and my preparations.”

Now 33 Bazan captured the WBC Lightweight title in 1998 by beating Stevie Johnson. He made 2 successful defences before losing to Johnson in a rematch on a split decision but Bazan believes he’s still capable of recapturing his world title winning form.

His current record stands at 46 wins and 9 defeats but he disputes all but 2 of those losses. “Except for my losses to Miguel Cotto and Jose Luis Castillo all my losses have been controversial. Just look at my record and see how many split decisions have gone against me and in the other guys hometown. What does that tell you?

“I just hope I get a fair deal in Ireland but I don’t think there will be any doubt about the winner of this fight. I know I have the power to knock out McCloskey. I wish Paul McCloskey well in his career but he is not in my league. I have fought the best and beaten the best, McCloskey hasn’t beaten anyone so far.”

McCloskey insists that he’s undaunted by Bazan’s reputation. “His record is certainly impressive,” admitted the Dungiven southpaw. “He’s a puncher and has twice as many KO’s as I’ve had fights so you have to respect that. He’s also very durable and has only been stopped by big names like Miguel Cotto and Jose Luis Castillo. But having said all that I’ve been ready for fights like this for some time now so I’m looking to go in there and do an impressive job on this guy.”

The undercard will feature former World title challenger and British Champion Neil Sinclair. The power punching Belfast man is desperate to get back in to title contention but first he will need to get past durable Spaniard Juan Martinez Bas in Letterkenny.

Also on the undercard are a pair of reigning Irish Champions, Light Welterweight title holder, Andrew Murray and Light Middleweight kingpin Ciaran Healy. Murray has stepped in for the injured Stephen Haughian in what will be a quick return to action following a stoppage win on the Macklin – Campas undercard in Dublin last weekend.

Healy will be out for revenge in his 8 round contest with Pavel Lotah. The Latvian outpointed him over 6 rounds in Limerick last month so Healy will be looking to even the score in Letterkenny.

Also on the bill is undefeated Omagh prospect Damian Taggart and new pro Luke Wilton who will be making his first start in the paid ranks.

Cuban heavyweight Mike Perez has also been forced off the card with an injury suffered in last weekend's win at the National Stadium.

Tickets for the Hunky Dorys Fight Night priced from €60 are on sale from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.

Unbeaten super middleweight prospect James McGirt Jr. fighting on ShoBox April 11 vs. Carlos DeLeon, Jr.

VERO BEACH, Florida– Unbeaten super middleweight prospect James McGirt, Jr. (18-0, 9 KOs) squares-off with another son of a former world champion, Carlos “Baby Sugar” DeLeon, Jr. (19-2-2, 12 KOs), April 11 in the 10-round co-feature on ShoBox, live from Miccosukee Resort in Miami.

“Fighting on ShoBox means everything to me,” McGirt said. “It’s a stepping stone for my career and I’m very excited. I fought on ShoBox one other time, when I defeated Aaron Pryor’s son, Stephan. Every fight is a new chapter in my career, each one the biggest of my life. I know DeLeon is going to bring his ‘A’ game. I’ve got to be better than him, smarter than him in the ring. I know my father will be telling me to keep my right hand up.

“I’ve been working very hard, so going the distance (in his first scheduled 10 round fight) won’t be a problem, if I need to. It’s his first 10-round fight, too. My weight is right on and I’ve never been this close to the contracted weight so far out from a fight. I’ve been in the gym for so long, waiting for a fight since October, working regularly since right before New Years. For the past 2 ½ months I’ve been on a strength program, lifting weights, and I’ve bulked up a little. I’ve found a home at super middleweight.”

The fathers of McGirt and DeLeon were world champions at the same time in 1988. James “Buddy” McGirt, St., who had a 73-6-1 (48 KOs) record as a pro, was a 2-time world champion in two weight classes (IBF light welterweight 1988, WBC welterweight 1991-93). Carlos “Sugar” DeLeon, Sr., 52-8-1 (32 KOs) as a pro, was a 4-time WBC cruiserweight champion (1980-82, 1983-85, 1986-88, 1989).

“James is ready to take it to the next level,” McGirt's manager, Dennis Witherow, remarked. “We’ve had him on a strength-and-conditioning program. We saw a small difference in his last fight against (Jason) Naugler, but he had only been on the program for 30 days. This fight we expect to see a substantial difference. I think some people are going to be surprised by James’ strength. His boxing skills continue to get better, too. ‘Buddy’ knows boxing so well that he can even pick-out James’ natural skills and still make them better. He’s constantly on James to improve.

“We’re all excited about James fighting again on ShoBox. A win can get James a top 10 fighter next. He’s willing and deserves that, too. You can count on one hand the number of rounds James has lost. He wants to prove that he’s a premier fighter making a name for himself, not the son of a great fighter being protected. As James’ opponents are better, he gets better.”

McGirt, rated No. 26 by the WBC, is a southpaw originally from Brentwood, New York, now living and fighting out of Vero Beach, Florida. DeLeon, rated No. 31 by the WBC, is the reigning USNBC champion from Puerto Rico.

The McGirts are on a mission to become the first family in boxing to feature father-son world champions with the former working his natural son’s corner as head trainer when the latter captures a major world title.

ABELL STARTCHES DRASKOVIC IN TWO; PAVES THE WAY FOR TUSSLE WITH WHEELER

ABELL STARTCHES DRASKOVIC IN TWO; PAVES THE WAY FOR TUSSLE WITH WHEELER

Heavyweights headline at The Legendary Blue Horizon on Friday Night April 11th to be aired live on www.gofightlive.tv

PHILADELPHIA— after a one bout power outage, Joey “Minnesota Ice” Abell got back in the knockout column with a destructive second round knockout over Ratko Draskovic in less then two rounds on Thursday March 27 in Gothenburg, Sweden which now clears the path for Abell to return to his home away from home when he takes on Maurice Wheeler on Friday April 11 at The Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia.

This great night of action is promoted by Vernoca L. Michael and Blue Horizon Boxing Inc.

Abell dropped Draskovic at the end of round one and ended matters with a thudding jab that put Draskovic down and out at the beginning of round two.

Abell, 19-1 with eighteen knockouts will look for his eighth knockouts in nine Legendary Blue Horizon appearances when he takes on the crafty and experienced southpaw Wheeler.

Wheeler, 10-11-1 with one knockout will be making his sixth Legendary Blue Horizon appearance (3-2) and will have the hometown advantage as the Philadelphia native will attempt to the spring the upset.

This fight along with a packed undercard can be seen live all over the world on www.gofightlive.tv

The co-feature will be a Middleweight battle between Gee Culmer (13-1, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia and Anthony Little (7-10-1, 1 KO ) of Akron, Ohio in a eight round affair.

This is a ten bout card that features Steve Chambers (15-1, 4 KO’s), the Legnedary Blue Horizon debut of Simon “One Punch” Carr (4-1-1, 3 KO’s) and the pro debut of Sweden’s Anders Holmberg

Ticket prices for this great night of boxing are $200 for Queen Seating, $125 for Presidential seats, $65 for VIP, $55 for Ringside, and $45 for General Admission and can be purchased by calling The Legendary Blue Horizon at 1-215-763-0500 or by logging on to comcasttix.com. Doors open at 6:30 PM / 1st bout begins at 7:30 PM sharp.

The Legendary Blue Horizon is located at 1314 North Broad Street in Philadelphia, PA

For more information, log on to www.legendarybluehorizon.com

Edgar Santana will be appearing on the ShoBox series televised by Showtime on April 11th from Miami, Florida

Santana headed to Showtime in April!


Edgar Santana will be appearing on the ShoBox series televised by Showtime on April 11th from Miami, Florida. He will be facing Joseito Lopez 22-2 (13KO) of Riverside, CA in a 10 round Main Event.

© 2007, 2008 Keisha Morrisey all rights reserved

YUSEF MACK ADDED TO APRIL 11TH CHICAGO CARD‏

CHICAGO- Super middleweight contender Yusef Mack has been added to THE ODEUM RUMBLE, an evening of world class professional boxing set for Friday, April 11th, it was announced today by Dominic Pesoli, President of 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING.

The 28 year old Mack, a native of Philadelphia, PA, will square off against Mexican veteran Ernesto Zamora in a scheduled eight round bout. Both fighters will be making their first appearances in Chicago.

Mack, 23-2-2 with fourteen knockouts, is coming off a terrific battle with world title challenger Librado Andrade on October 7, 2006 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. In an all-action fight Mack drilled Andrade with a devastating left hook in the first round, sending the granite chinned Mexican down hard and fast. Andrade recovered and was able to earn a stoppage in the seventh round with repeated body shots in a fight that Mack was winning on all three scorecards.

Sonora, Mexico native Zamora brings a record of 15-13 with eleven knockouts into the bout with Mack.

Said Pesoli, “Mack is a world class, highly skilled boxer. In his last fight he showed the courage of a lion and boxed beautifully after knocking Andrade down in the first round. We’re thrilled to bring him to Chicago for our fans."

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 full bout card for THE ODEUM RUMBLE is

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

Yusef Mack vs. Ernesto Zamora, 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
www.8countproductions.com

THE TRUTH IS REVEALED ABOUT ONE OF SPORTS’ MOST DISPICABLE ACTS

BOXING’S MOST SHAMEFUL CRIME FULLY EXPOSED AT LAST; BOXER’S KNUCKLES WERE CAST IN PLASTER PADDING REMOVED FROM GLOVES, Truth Revealed Behind Assault of “Irish” Billy Collins Jr. Luis Resto Comes Clean After 25 Years Motion Filed Against State of New York.



New York City- Details will be revealed regarding the filing of a motion to reopen the case of the Collins-Resto boxing scandal with the Federal Court of Claims against the State of New York.

As the 25th anniversary of the incident approaches that forever changed the lives of boxers “Irish” Billy Collins Jr. and the Bronx’ Luis Resto, new evidence has been uncovered during the making of the film Cornered—which exposes the true nature of the crime to be much worse than previously reported.

Will justice finally be served for the Collins family and estate? Will the sport of boxing finally gain closure of this open wound?

The date of June 16, 1983, forever will taint the history of New York sports and the world of boxing. That evening at Madison Square Garden, a shameful chain of events ended a promising young boxer’s career and changed the lives of many associated with the tragic scandal.



Nashville, Tennessee’s 'Irish' Billy Collins Jr. was an undefeated welterweight and fulfilling every boxer’s dream of fighting in the world’s most famous arena. Collins’opponent, Luis Resto, had his own aspirations by playing the spoiler role as the Bronx underdog who rose to the occasion in front of the hometown fans. What transpired in the Collins-Resto fight was so heinous it led to Resto’s conviction, incarceration and lifetime ban from boxing.

Now, as the 25th anniversary of the incident approaches, new evidence has been uncovered during the making of the film Cornered—which exposes the true nature of the tragic crime to be much worse than previously reported or known.

“New revelations may lead to revived litigation,” said Marc R. Thompson of Manhattan’s Pulvers, Pulvers and Thompson, the attorney for Andrea Collins-Nile, widow of late the Billy Collins Jr.

Now, 25 years later, it’s asked: Will justice finally be served for the Collins family and estate? Will the sport of boxing finally gain closure of this open wound? The answers start coming forth Thursday, April 3.



News Conference - announcing plans to re-open the case of the Collins-Resto scandal
Reenactment of the crime - never-before-seen demonstration, Official Motion Being Filed Against New York State. Plus, a surprise witness to the crime. The film Cornered exposes the whole truth behind what really happened that June evening in the world’s most famous arena. Cornered reveals the lurid chain of events that allowed a boxer to endure a 30-minute assault. What transpired before and during the Collins-Resto fight was so heinous it led to Resto’s conviction, incarceration and lifetime ban from boxing. The brutally-beaten Collins quickly fell into a tragic downward spiral.



Cornered picks up with the lives of those people still affected by the crime 25 years later and answers many unanswered questions such as why was this despicable act carried out for the Collins-Resto fight in particular? And, how did the perpetrators manage to get the tampered gloves past New York State Athletic Commission officials? The film helps boxing gain closure to an open wound, but will justice finally be served for the Collins family estate?



http://www.lsetv.com
See Exclusive live video footage of all of the details above, from the Press Conference at Demsey in New York http://www.youtube:com/ElEmpress1

© 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

“HEAVY HITTERS; RESULTS FROM TWIN RIVER‏Twin River Events Center, Lincoln, RI

“Heavy Hitters”

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Jason Estrada (12-1, 2 KOs), Providence, RI WDEC10 (98-92, 98-92, 97-93) Lance Whitaker (32-5-1, 27 KOs), Van Nuys, CA

CRUISERWEIGHTS
Aaron Williams (17-0-1, 12 KOs), Las Vegas, NV WTKO2 (2:50) Andre Purlette (40-3, 35 KOs), Miami, FL

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Joey Spina (22-1-1, 15 KOs), Providence, RI WDEC6 (58-56, 57-56, 56-57) David Whittom (10-6-1, 6 KOs), Lac Beauport, Canada

Henry Mayes (7-5-1, 4 KOs) WDEC6 (58-56, 57-56, 57-56) Joey McCreedy (7-2, 5 KOs), Lowell, MA

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Andre Nevsky (5-0, 3 KOs), Worcester, MA WDEC4 (4035, 40-35, 40-35) Fitzgerald Johnson (1-4, 1 KO), Ashboro, NC

FLYWEIGHTS
Isander Beauchamp (5-0, 2 KOs), Lynn, MA WTKO2 (2:14)) Rob Bell (0-1, 0 KOs), Flint, MI

Promoter: Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc
Matchmaker: Ted Panagiotis

Coming out party for young lions Jason Estrada & Aaron Williams; ESPN2 Friday Night Fights, Rocky Marciano and Zak DeOssie to be honored

PROVIDENCE– CES stable-mates Jason “Big Six” Estrada and “Awesome” Aaron Williams are planning coming out parties Friday night (April 4) on the ESPN2 Friday Night Fights card, “Heavy Hitters,” promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc. (CES), live from Twin River Events Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

2004 U.S. Olympian Estrada (11-1, 2 KOs) fights former NABO/NABA/WBC Continental Americas heavyweight champion Lance “Mount” Whitaker (32-4-1, 27 KOs) in the 10-round main even, while 21-year-old Williams (16-0-1, 11 KOs) also faces his stiffest test to date, ex-NABO cruiserweight title-holder Andre “Tombstone” Purlette (40-2, 35 KOs), in the 8-round co-feature.

The 6’ 8” Whitaker has beaten former world champions Oleg Maskaev and Al “Ice” Cole, as well as previously undefeated Robert Davis (22-0), and 2-time world title challenger Monte Barrett.

“I don’t care if he’s 6’ 8” because we’re not playing basketball,” the 27-year-old Estrada said. “(Mike) Tyson proved height doesn’t matter in heavyweight boxing. I have the kind of hand speed Whitaker’s never seen before. I fought a taller boxer in the amateurs - a 6-9 Cuban - and I beat him in Cuba. I’ll be putting pressure on him from the start. I’ll be going forward and he’ll be going backwards. I’m going to keep beating him to the punch. I’ll out-hustle him. I’m younger, stronger faster, quicker and more motivated. Fighting on ESPN2 in the main event is one more step I need to take. This is my moment. I’ve been waiting for this chance.”

Purlette may have more than twice as many knockouts as Williams has had pro fights, but the prodigy is far from intimidated. “I’ve known him a long time,” 9-time U.S. national amateur champion Williams noted. “We’ve sparred back in the day. He’s going to come to fight and it’s going to be a very interesting fight – youth versus a veteran. Fans are going to see a young, fast kid moving up in the cruiserweight ranks in Aaron Williams. Fighting on ESPN2 in the co-feature means a lot to me. Not only am I an ESPN-caliber fighter, I am also getting closer to being a main event fighter.”

The great Rocky Marciano will be posthumously inducted into the CES Ring of Honor in a special ceremony with his brother, Peter, accepting on behalf of the Marciano family. Marciano (49-0) fought 28 times in Providence, winning 24 by knockout.

Former Brown University football star, Super Bowl champion New York Giants linebacker/special team player Zak DeOssie, will also be honored.

Providence’s dangerous light heavyweight Joey “KO Kid” Spina (21-1-1, 15 KOs) takes on Quebec Boxing Council champion David Whittom (10-5-1, 6 KOs) in a 6-round bout. Also on the undercard is light heavyweight “Irish” Joey McCreedy (7-1, 5 KOs) versus “Hurricane” Henry Mayes (6-5-1, 4 KOs) in a 6-rounder, Russian super middleweight Andrey Nevsky (4-0, 3 KOs) against Fitzgerald Johnson (1-3, 1 KO), and flyweight Isander Beauchamp (4-0, 1 KO) tangles with pro debuting Rob Bell. Exciting Philadelphia super lightweight “Hammerin’” Hank Lundy (10-0-1, 6 KOs) has been added to the card.

Tickets for “Heavy Hitters” are priced at $35.00 (ADA stage seating only), $40.00, $50.00, (Bronze), $75.00 (Silver), $100.00 (Gold) and $150.00 (Jimmy’s Platinum Club) and are available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254), going on line at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Twin River Event Center (100 Twin River Road, Lincoln, RI), or any TicketMaster location. Contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or Twin River Events Center (877.82.RIVER/ www.twinriver.com) for more information. Doors open at 6 PM/ET, first bout at 7 PM/ET.

(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Heavy Hitters.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied at all times by an adult and they must enter through the West entrance.)

CHICAGO'S 8 COUNT PRESENTS THE ODEUM RUMBLE ON APRIL 11TH‏

CHICAGO, IL- World class professional boxing returns to the Chicagoland area on Friday, April 11th as Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, presents THE ODEUM RUMBLE, an action packed evening at the Odeum Sports and Expo Center in Villa Park.

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 the Odeum Sports and Expo 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.

Headlining THE ODEUM RUMBLE is 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.

Said Pesoli, “This is a terrific battle between two tough Mexican fighters. Luciano and Carlos have been in great fights in Chicago and out of town and our fans are in for a tremendous matchup between these two warriors. They’ve both recently been involved in very close decision losses and have a lot at stake by facing each other in this crossroads bout."

Heavy handed Luciano “EL GALLO MICHOACANO” Perez, 15-7-1 (13KO’s) has been a Chicago fan favorite since making his pro debut almost five years ago. In his last major fight in Chicago, the 29 year old Perez engaged in a bloody battle with Francisco Rincon at the Aragon Ballroom which had the huge crowd of Chicago fight fans on their feet from start to finish. Although bleeding badly and behind on the scorecards, Perez rallied in the last two rounds to win a memorable split decision.

Most recently Perez battled former world champion Carlos Baldomir over ten rounds on November 23rd in Cabazon, California in a bout broadcast on SOLO BOXEO. Although almost knocking out Baldomir in the third round and continuously rocking him in the middle rounds, Perez came out on the short end of a majority decision.

The 24 year old Molina, a native of Patzcuaro, Mexico now living in Chicago brings a record of 9-4-1 (4KO’s) into the bout with Perez. Molina is perhaps best known for his two evenly fought battles with highly regarded prospect Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.. which ended in a draw on December 16, 2005 and a majority decision loss on February 18, 2006.

In his last major fight, Molina battled with unbeaten prospect Mike Alvarado in a bout broadcast on SOLO BOXEO on February 16, 2007. After the eight round war was over, the packed house at Cicero Stadium was positive that Molina had won only to be overruled by the judges who handed Alvarado a very slim majority decision win.

The co-main event of the evening features unbeaten lightweight prospect David “EL TORRITO” Torres in an eight round bout. The Washington State resident brings a record of 19-0 with twelve knockouts into his first Chicago area bout. More information on this bout will be announced shortly.

In a special six round middleweight attraction, Chicago fan favorite Andrzej “THE POLISH PRINCE” Fonfara will look to continue his five bout winning streak as he squares off against Los Angeles based veteran Manny Castillo. The 20 year old Fonfara, 9-1 (3KO’s) has continued to impress Chicago fight fans since turning professional in June 2006. The 34 year old Castillo will have the experience advantage in the bout having faced Diego Corrales, Mickey Ward, Ahmed Santos and Juan Carlos Rubio over his sixteen year career which compiles a record of 13-15-3 (5KO’s).

Also featured on THE ODEUM RUMBLE undercard is fast rising, unbeaten Chicago based prospect Ivan Popoca. The hard swinging Popoca, 5-0-1 (5KO’s) has won three in a row, avenging the only blemish on his record by knocking out Guadalupe Diaz in his most recent bout on February 15th at Cicero Stadium.. More information on this scheduled five round welterweight bout will be announced soon.

Making his pro debut is mixed martial arts veteran Terri Martin of Chicago. In a scheduled cruiserweight four rounder, Martin will battle fellow newcomer Ricardo Upchurch of Mansfield, Ohio.

The full bout card for THE ODEUM RUMBLE is

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

David Torres vs. TBA, eight rounds, lightweights

Andrzej Fonfara vs. Manny Castillo, six rouds, middleweights

Ivan Popoca vs. TBA, five rounds, welterweights

Terri 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 this event 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

YAMMA Pit Fighting Statement‏; Pat Smith will replace Gary Goodridge in the YAMMA Pit Fighting “Masters Superfight” against Eric “Butterbean” Esch

YAMMA Pit Fighting has announced that Pat Smith will replace Gary Goodridge in the YAMMA Pit Fighting “Masters Superfight” against Eric “Butterbean” Esch in Atlantic City on April 11, 2008. Goodridge was forced to withdraw from the event after losing a fight in South Korea on March 30, 2008 in what has been determined a knockout. This rendered Goodridge ineligible to fight on April 11 by the New Jersey Athletic Commission, which requires 30 days of inactivity following a KO.

Pat Smith was previously slated to fight Oleg Taktarov in the event.

Patrick Smith, an American mixed martial artist and professional kick boxer, gained notoriety in the early days of the UFC with his commanding wins in several memorable fights, including his defeat of Ninjitsu practitioner Scott Morris in UFC 2. The Denver, Colorado native stands 6 ft 2 in tall and weighs 230lbs., and has won five of his last six MMA fights.

The updated fight card for the April 11th event is as follows:

MASTERS SUPERFIGHTS (Two Five-Minute Rounds)

Oleg “The Russian Bear” Taktarov VS. Mark “The Titan” Kerr

Butterbean VS. Pat Smith

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

NO HOLDS BARRED: Jay Hieron, Wagnney Fabiano, Bob Meyrowitz, YAMMA Preview, IFL Review‏

NO HOLDS BARRED: Jay Hieron, Wagnney Fabiano, Bob Meyrowitz, YAMMA Preview, IFL Review

http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-04-05T14_20_06-07_00

On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman reviews the IFL mixed martial arts card held Friday, April 4, at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and previews the debut show of YAMMA Pit Fighting mixed martial arts this coming Friday, April 11, at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Right after their fights, we spoke with two of the IFL champions, 170-pounder Jay Hieron and 145-pounder Wagnney Fabiano, about their successful title defenses Friday night. Hieron, a former Div. I college wrestler at Hofstra, scored a TKO win over Mark Miller with a ground-and-pound attack, winning at just 2:10 of the first round. Fabiano, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and expert, scored a first-round knockout of Shad Lierley in just 37 seconds, landing a beautiful straight left-right hook combination that put him away.

This coming Friday, April 11, the much-anticipated and already controversial debut show of YAMMA Pit Fighting takes place at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This will be an all-heavyweight show, with two Masters’ Superfights and a one-night, eight-man tournament. This card will also be shown live on pay-per-view.

To get the latest on this card and clear up some of the mysteries about this show as well as some of the confusion being spread by some so-called media members, we spoke directly this past Thursday afternoon with Bob Meyrowitz, a co-founder of the UFC and now the man in charge of YAMMA Pit Fighting.

To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link at the start of this message, scroll down that page, and just press the play button on the player.

You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).

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.

The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/).

Make sure to check out my regular weekly boxing show SecondsOut Radio, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio/. On this week's edition, we speak with Joseph Agbeko, the IBF bantamweight champion, and Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko (25-1, 22 KOs) was not widely known to the boxing world before his title fight Sept. 29, 2007, with then-IBF bantamweight champion Luis Perez. Most of his fights had been in Africa against opponents who were nowhere near being world-ranked. But that did not stop Agbeko from pulling the upset and dethroning the veteran Perez with a seventh-round TKO. We discussed with Joseph Agbeko his background as a fighter and his plans for his next fight. We also recently spoke with Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, at the kickoff news conference to announce the April 19 fight between two champions, light heavyweight king Bernard Hopkins and super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe. We spoke with him about this fight, and also about the plans of Golden Boy Promotions to enter the worlds of soccer (football) and mixed martial arts. Also, we discuss the narrow view of much of the boxing media towards combat sports, their failure to understand other real combat sports such as mixed martial arts and wrestling, and their fawning over the staged pro "wrestling" spectacle, which has left so many of its participants prematurely dead. It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register to gain access to it. Just click here, http://www.secondsout.com/radio/, and listen, learn, and enjoy.

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Matyushenko, Fabiano, Hieron Retain Titles at IFl New Jersey‏

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.– International Fight League titleholders Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko (Belarus), Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Jay “The Thorobred” Hieron (Freeport, N.Y./Las Vegas) each retained their respective titles at the IFL event at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. in front of 5131 spectators this evening. Matyushenko weathered a strong first round by Jamal “The Suit” Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.), then punished the challenger with a series of right hands before the bout was stopped with 30 seconds left in the second round. Fabiano, known for his world-class Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expertise, stunned Shad Lierley (Seattle) with a solid punch just 37 seconds into the first round to record the KO.
Hieron dominated the entire round against Mark Miller (Chicago), finishing the round with a ground-and-pound until the referee stepped in for the TKO. In the camp vs. camp competition between Miletich Fighting Systems and American Top Team, LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) of MFS scored a knockout of Rafael Dias (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) with just seconds remaining in the third round of a very competitive featherweight bout. ATT’s welterweight Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) won a second-round submission via kneebar over Jesse Lennox (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). The light heavyweight bout between Carmelo Marrero (Douglasville, Pa.) and Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) was ruled a no contest when a cut from the head of Marrero from an inadvertent head butt would not stop. In addition to Matyushenko vs. Patterson, in the bouts between Midwest Combat and Renzo Gracie Academy, Gracie’s Jim Miller (Sparta, N.J.) scored a unanimous decision over Bart Palaszewski (Wonder Lake, Ill.) in a highly entertaining lightweight bout; Brad Blackburn (Olympia, Wash.) turned around a welterweight bout in which he was trailing with a third-round KO over Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). The night started with a non-title bout between light heavyweights, with IFL veteran Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas) claiming a split decision over Brendan Barrett (Tuckerton, N.J.). In another non-title bout, Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (London, Ontario) scored a narrow but unanimous decision over Nate Lamotte (New Hampshire). IFL East Rutherford, N.J.Friday, April 4, 2008 Non-Title Bouts205 lbs.: Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas) def. Brendan Barrett (Tuckerton, N.J.) via decision (split) after three rounds155 lbs.: Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario) def. Nate Lamotte (New Hampshire) via decision (unanimous) after three rounds American Top Team vs. Miletich Fighting Systems145 lbs.: LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) def. Rafael Dias (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) via KO (strikes), 3:56, 3rd170 lbs.: Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) def. Jesse Lennox (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) via submission (kneebar) 1:25, 2nd205 lbs.: Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) vs. Carmelo Marrero (Douglasville, Pa.), no contest Midwest Combat vs. Renzo Gracie Academy155 lbs.: Jim Miller (Sparta, N.J.) def. Bart Palaszewski (Wonder Lake, Ill.) via decision (unanimous) after three rounds170 lbs.: Brad Blackburn (Olympia, Wash.) def. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) via KO (strikes), 1:50, 3rd Championship Bouts 205 lbs.: Vladimir Matyushenko (Belarus) def. Jamal Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.) via TKO (strikes), 3:35, 2nd145 lbs.: Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) def. Shad Lierley (Seattle) via KO (punch), 0:37, 1st170 lbs.: Jay Hieron (Freeport, N.Y.) def. Mark Miller (Chicago) via TKO (strikes), 2:10, 1st 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. Visit www.image.net for photographs from the bout

Council for Unity’s 2008 Champion for Children Gala

Boxing promoter Lou DiBella, President and CEO of DiBella Entertainment and Diane Garnick, an Investment Strategist for Invesco, have been selected as honorees for the 2008 Council for Unity Champions for Children Gala. The gala will take place at 6pm on Thursday, April 10, 2008 at The Lighthouse Chelsea Piers.



The mistress of ceremonies will be Law and Order SVU’s Tamara Tunie, who plays medical examiner Dr. Melinda Warner. Other special VIP participants include New Jersey State Senate President Richard Codey and 1997 Nobel Prize Winner in economics Dr. Robert C. Merton, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at the Harvard Business School.

Lou DiBella launched DiBella Entertainment in May of 2000 as a full- service sports and entertainment company, while maintaining its presence in the world of boxing. Mr. DiBella is the President and managing partner of the San Francisco Giants’ class AA minor league baseball affiliate, the Connecticut Defenders. He recently appeared in the Sylvester Stallone boxing film “Rocky Balboa” (2006) as the fight promoter who stages Rocky’s return to the ring. DiBella is currently a producer on the film “Love Ranch” which is being directed by Academy Award winner Taylor Hackford and stars Academy Award winners Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci.



Diane Garnick directs the Global Investment Solutions and Research Team at Invesco. She has published hundreds of reports that focus on portfolio construction, volatility, corporate actions, equity indices, exchange trade funds, futures, options, accounting and taxation. Ms. Garnick is the founder of The Ladies in Red, a charitable organization focused on charities geared towards solving issues faced by underprivileged children and women throughout the world.

Event sponsorship ranges from $25,000- $50,000 for President’s Circle table, $10,000 for Patron table, $5,000 for host committee table, and $500 per person. For tickets call 212.701.9440 or for more information on the Council for Unity please visit their website at www.councilforunity.org. The Council for Unity is a qualifying tax-exempt organization as described in section 501C (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Proceeds from this event will enable the organization to continue its vital work on behalf of young people.

The Council for Unity is a not-for-profit children’s charity that has been resolving issues of safety, bias, bullying, and gang violence in schools and communities over 30 years. The Council is known for successfully reaching the unreachable child, and actively helps over 80,000 young people every day. Their mission is to empower young people, individuals, and groups with the skills necessary to promote safety, unity and achievement in schools and communities. The Council for Unity is located at 50 Broadway, Suite 1503, New York, New York 10004.