Arce Targets Darchinyan, Fight with Vazquez Looks Remote

Jorge Arce, one of boxing’s most brash talkers, is no longer clamoring for a fight against WBC super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez. Arce has now set his sights on WBC/WBA/IBF super flyweight champion Vic “The Raging Bull” Darchinyan.

Vic “The Raging Bull” Darchinyan


“Vazquez had his shot, but he waited too long to make a decision and quite frankly, I think he was scared of the match up,” Arce said. “I can only hope that Darchinyan won’t run for the hills like Vazquez did.”

Arce, who fights two divisions lower than Vazquez, has been chasing the fellow Mexican-native for quite some time. Most recently, Arce called out Vazquez after his fourth round TKO win over Isidro Garcia just two weeks ago (Saturday, Nov. 1).

“I really wanted the fight against Vazquez,” Arce said. “But this is a business and right now a fight with Darchinyan makes more sense. Let’s see how much guts the so-called ‘Raging Bull’ actually has.”

Arce has a record of 51-4-1, with 39 knockouts.

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©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

U.S. Olympians J. Estrada & D. Andrade featured on “Holiday Havoc” Nov. 29 at Twin River Event Center, RI

PROVIDENCE– Rhode Island’s only representatives ever on the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, Jason “Big Six” Estrada (2004) and Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (2008), will be showcased November 29 on “Holiday Havoc” at Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

2008 U.S. Olympian Demetrius "Boo Boo" Andrade, CES president Jimmy Burchfield, 2004 U.S. Olympian Jason "Big Six" Estrada. (Photo by Emily Harney)

“Holiday Havoc” is promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc. (CES), in association with Twin River and CN8, The Comcast Network as well as (for Andrade’s fight) Banner Promotions and Star Boxing.

The show will be taped live and air Saturday, December 13 at 7:00 PM/ET on CN8, The Comcast Network in New England and the Baltimore/Washington D.C. market, as well as on Cox Sports Television at a date and time to be determined.

“I’m inviting all of our fans, friends and family to celebrate our big pre-holiday show, the last CES card of 2008, at Twin River on November 29th,” CES president Jimmy Burchfield said. “What better way of ending the year than by watching our two Olympians in action? Rhode Island didn’t have an U.S. Olympic boxer until Jason in 2004 and now he and this year’s Olympian, ‘Boo Boo,’ are fighting on this great card. We have a lot of other talented fighters in five entertaining bouts on the undercard. In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, we’re working with the U.S. Marines ‘Toys For Tots’ program, and are encouraging everyone to bring a toy to the show for less fortunate children.”

Estrada and Andrade are two of the most decorated U.S. amateur boxers of all-time. Estrada was 261-14 in U.S. competition and the first boxer to win both the U.S. Nationals and U.S. Challenge three years (2001-2003) in a row, in addition to a gold medal in the 2003 Pan-Am Games.

Andrade, who was a 2-time U.S. Nationals and National Golden Gloves champion, captured a gold medal in the 2008 AIBA World Championships.

Ever-improving heavyweight prospect Estrada (14-1, 3 KOs), now rated No. 7 in the NABF, takes on Cuban warrior Elieser Castillo (30-6-2, 17 KOs) in the 8-round main event. Castillo has already beaten one U.S. Olympian, 1996 captain Lawrence Clay Bey (KO9), for the NABF Interim title that Elieser was later awarded outright.

Andrade (1-0, 1 KO) made his pro debut this past October, stopping Patrick Cape (4-2) in the second round of their fight in the state of Washington. “Boo Boo” will make his hometown pro debut Nov. 29 in a Special Super Welterweight Attraction on “Holiday Havoc.”

Former USBA champion Jason Pires, now a police officer in his hometown of New Bedford (MA), makes a comeback after being out of the ring for more than five years in a 6-round welterweight bout versus Joshua Onyango (14-16-1, 11 KOs), former Commonwealth title holder.

Providence super middleweight Bobo “The Bull” Starnino and “Irish” Joey McCreedy (8-2-1, 5 KOs), of Lowell (MA), square-off in a 6-round rematch of a draw the two fought last August.

Also on the undercard in 4-round bouts is unbeaten Pawtucket (RI) lightweight Eddie “The Puerto Rican Sensation” Soto (9-0, 4 KOs) against 37-fight veteran Jose Angel “Lucky” Roman; Warwick (RI) super middleweight Keith Kozlin (1-0) fights Eric Clinton (0-4-1), Providence junior lightweight Omar Pena (0-0-1) meets Lindberg Freeman (0-1); Lowell junior welterweight Sean Eklund (6-2, 1 KO) makes his CES debut with his uncle in his corner as head trainer, “Irish” Micky Ward.

Tickets for “Holiday Havoc” are priced at $19.00, $40.00, $55.00 (Bronze), $75.00 (Silver), $100.00 (Gold) and limited $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), at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or any TicketMaster location.

Tickets are also on sale at Big Six Academy in Providence (401.241.3490), 401 Gym in Cranston, RI (401.261.9800), Ultimate Fitness in Bristol, RI (401.253.3539), Rivera Brother’s Gym in Lynn, MA (617.594.1166) and GQ Barbersalon in N. Providence (401.228.3380), Warwick, RI (401.823.0060) and Coventry, RI (401.615.5455).

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 “Holiday Havoc.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied at all times by an adult and they must enter through the West entrance.)

Press Conference Quotes

Jason Estrada: “This is my fifth fight at Twin River. I was on the first show there and I’ve fought there more than anybody. It’s becoming a nice trend. On the 29th, I was supposed to fight Derek Bryant, a slick southpaw, but he got cold feet and pulled out for the second time. I don’t understand it…..no pride. I’ve never turned down an opponent because I don’t think anybody can beat me. I’m flashy and confident. I retire them (opponents). After they fight me there’s nothing more. I’m going to show everybody what I can do on the 29th. Afterwards we’re going to announce a nice surprise that will shock everybody.”

Demetrius Andrade: “I really didn’t want to go to California; I want to whip some ass here. I’m glad my promoters worked it out with Jimmy (Burchfield). I’m glad about fighting at home. It’s a good card.”

Jason Pires: “I’m very excited to be coming back November 29th and doing it again. I took time off to get on the police force and I love protecting people. There’s a lot of talent on this card and I’m thankful to be on it. Training has been good. Twin River is a great place to fight.”

Joey McCreedy: “This fight speaks for itself. I fought Bobo – it was the Fight of the Night – and I have a lot of respect for him. I’m going to leave everything in the ring November 29th.”

Keith Kozlin: “I’m real excited to fight at Twin River on this card. It’s going to be a great night of fighting. I feel real strong. I want to get into the ring and start fighting.”

Omar Pena: “There are a lot of good fighters on this card. I had a rough start in my first fight, some little changes from coming up from the amateurs. I definitely going to make my Rhode Island fans happy and I want my fellow Dominicans waving flags.”

Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

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©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

“The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science” by Mike Silver With a foreword by Budd Schulberg, Book review by Robert Mladinich

If you’ve ever wondered how boxing superstars like Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Pernell Whitaker, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran would have done against their counterparts of decades past—wonder no more. Mike Silver has written the most definitive analyses of the classic “old school” vs. “new school” boxing debate I have ever read. This is a book that belongs on every fan’s bookshelf. It is an important work that reverberates with insight and wisdom, answering with startling clarity who deserves to be ranked among the greatest fighters of all time—and who does not.

Silver, a lifelong New Yorker, has carried on a love affair with the beleaguered sport since he trained as a youngster at the fabled Stillman’s Gym in the 1950s. Over the past few decades he’s been a promoter, as well as an inspector for the New York State Athletic Commission, and a renowned historian who has offered commentary on HBO, PBS and ESPN. Anyone who knows him will agree that when Silver talks boxing, you can’t help but listen.

In his new book, “The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science,” (McFarland & Company, 229 pages, 50 photos), Silver offers compelling evidence of the ongoing regression of boxing skills. He explains how—and why—the top fighters of the past 20 years are not on the same level as those who came of age during the sport’s Golden Age of talent and activity, which he defines as the 1920s to the 1950s.

When he writes that “unlike their golden age counterparts, one rarely sees today’s fighters—from rank novice to multiple belt holders—duck, parry, slip, sidestep, ride, weave or roll to avoid punches,” the reader is given a crash course in the lost arts of infighting, feinting, body punching, footwork, and counter-punching skills that used to be part and parcel of a seasoned contender’s repertoire.

Silver utilizes his own vast knowledge, as well as the insights of a respected array of panelists that includes trainers Teddy Atlas, Freddie Roach, Emanuel Steward and former lightweight champion Carlos Ortiz. In addition, over a dozen other experts, some of whom are old enough to have personally witnessed the greatest fighters of the past 70 years, offer their discerning comments. This may be the last opportunity to delve into the wealth of information and knowledge they have to offer concerning these issues.

Dozens of champs, both past and present, are scrutinized and evaluated. Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s fights with De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton are deconstructed, revealing weaknesses in Mayweather’s style that, the experts claim, would have been exploited by the top lightweight and welterweight fighters from previous decades.

“If Floyd was born 50 years earlier his athleticism and natural ability would be the foundation—not the end product—for his development into a seasoned and technically proficient fighter,” opines Silver.

Silver does not blame the modern day fighters for their inadequacies. He sees them as a product of their time. Many possess the raw talent but have no chance of reaching their full potential because fighters no longer have to “pay their dues the old fashioned way.” By fighting just 3 or 4 times a year against mediocre opposition, there is simply no opportunity to acquire the kind of extensive experience and bout-to-bout education that empowered the great fighters of the golden age.

The book reveals how the current vacuum of expert teachers/trainers has created “a fertile breeding ground for gimmickry and artifice that is of little use to a fighter.” An entire chapter is devoted to the misuse of weight training and the effects of steroid use. Even the popular and ubiquitous “punch pad” workouts are taken to task.

“Old school trainers rarely, if ever, used them,” writes Silver. “They believed that hitting the pads with the same combinations over and over had limited teaching potential and emphasized a robotic ‘bang, bang’ style of boxing. Their use did not encourage a fighter to think…everything that is taught with the pads achieved better results using the heavy bag.” The extent to which punch pad workouts are used, he adds, “is just another indication of the dumbed down quality of today’s boxing instruction.”

As Silver makes abundantly clear, today’s fighters are also impeded by the pressure to maintain an undefeated record. Promoters, managers and television executives have magnified the cost of defeat to the point that many former amateur stars are carefully navigated to maintain an unbeaten record while waiting to secure a lucrative TV appearance. This “must win syndrome” hinders the fighter’s progress. Over the past 20 years it has fostered a “mismatch culture” that minimizes the number of competitive matches because no fighter with any promise wants to take a chance on losing. When boxing was in its heyday, a defeat did not carry the same stigma that it does today. It was considered a normal part of the learning process.

Silver also places Bernard Hopkins’ decade-long dominance of the middleweight division in historical context. He gives Hopkins his due as a talented and well-rounded professional “by today’s standards,” but considers his placement among the all-time greats as unwarranted. He explains, “Great middleweight champions such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Harry Greb, Freddie Steele, Mickey Walker, Marcel Cerdan and Jake La Motta could never have defended their titles 20 times over 10 years against the kind of brutal competition that populated the middleweight division from the 1920s to the 1950s. It is even more ridiculous to think any of these fighters—no matter how great—could have been ‘dominant’ in their respective eras as they approached their 40th birthday”. The conclusion reached is that Hopkins’ dominance of a division that was once considered the toughest in boxing is not proof of his greatness— it is proof of how far boxing has regressed.

Silver believes that if Hopkins campaigned 50 or more years ago his talents would be considered just average. He believes it would even be questionable if Hopkins would have been world-rated, let alone win a world championship. “Both Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins benefited from the worst assortment of challengers ever faced by a middleweight or light heavyweight champion since the advent of boxing gloves,” he asserts. “Is it any wonder they stood out as giants in a land of pygmies?”

Silver also exposes the fallacious nature of the absurdly high KO records of today’s fighters. Another eye-opening chapter debunks the myth that today’s 250-300 pound heavyweights (he calls them “dreadful dreadnoughts”) would have been too big for the “small” 190 to 210 pound heavyweight contenders and champions from the 1920s to the 1970s. He is particularly critical of media “faux experts” who, lacking both perspective and frame of reference, too often attribute greatness to ordinary fighters, thereby obfuscating the superior achievements and skills of the truly great fighters of the past.

“It is high time for boxing’s overused words ‘dominant’ and ‘great’ to be given a rest,” writes Silver. “Since the 1990s both words have been used to wretched excess. Let’s be perfectly clear: there are no great fighters today, and under the present circumstances it is impossible to produce one.”

Last, but certainly not least, he describes what he believes to be the severe damage done to boxing and boxers by what he calls the “alphabet-promoter cartels” who he says “have had a free hand in ruining the sport for the past 30 years.”

Although it might sound like it, Silver is not a curmudgeon or a knee-jerk believer in the myth that what’s old is always better than what’s new. He, as well as his panel of experts, persuasively state their cases while speaking with great authority and insight. After reading this entertaining treasure trove of boxing “insider” knowledge I felt like I had taken a graduate course in the finer points of the “sweet science.” The book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand what happened to boxing.

“The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science” can be ordered online at Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. It is also available at bookstores.

Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine

Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com

©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved