★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience©®™: Mar 4, 2013

Monday, March 4, 2013

First #MMA fight in Marietta, Ga. in about 5 years!

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Is This the Year For Mixed Martial Arts in New York?

The annual debate over New York's ban on professional mixed martial arts started anew this week, with a state Senate committee moving a bill to overturn it one step closer to a vote Thursday.

Officials from Ultimate Fighting Championship, the combat sport's largest promoter, are again optimistic that this is their year, buoyed by a number of fresh faces in the state Assembly and the retirement of their fiercest legislative critic, Albany-area Assemblyman Bob Reilly.

Lorenzo Fertitta, CEO and chairman of UFC parent company Zuffa LLC, said he's "optimistic" the ban may be lifted after several years of lobbying New York lawmakers to no avail. The Senate has voted each of the last two years to rescind the ban and allow the state Athletic Commission to regulate the sport, but Assembly Democrats have kept it from a floor vote.

Fertitta is scheduled to travel to Albany next week to make his case in person.

"We've spent the last five years educating legislators," Fertitta said in an interview Wednesday with Gannett's Albany Bureau. "We're hopeful that we have momentum because we put in a lot of time and energy and there's a lot of new, younger members as part of this legislative group."

But opponents of mixed-martial arts appear to be bolstering their efforts, as well. A letter signed by labor-backed organizations and faith groups was sent Wednesday to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, urging him to reject the sport they refer to as "cage fighting."

The letter -- signed by Working Families Party executive director Dan Cantor and Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition executive director Michael Feinberg, among others -- cited the Newtown school shooting as a reason to reject mixed martial arts.

"In the wake of the tragic mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, it is unthinkable that lawmakers in any jurisdiction would risk exposing our children to an activity that involves extreme violence and brutality," the letter reads.

The letter was distributed to the media by a research analyst for the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, a Las Vegas labor group that has unsuccessfully pushed for unionized workers at Station Casinos, a chain of casinos majority-owned by Fertitta and his brother.

UFC officials have suggested the labor dispute has led the union and its umbrella organization -- UNITE HERE -- to lobby against mixed martial arts in New York. UNITE HERE, which also signed onto the letter to Silver, has said their concerns are rooted in how UFC treats its fighters.

"It's frustrating," Fertitta said. "They're taking a Las Vegas issue and they're bringing it into New York state politics, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

The Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation voted 11-3 early Thursday to move the bill to the Finance Committee. From there, it would head to the Rules Committee, its final stop before a full Senate vote.

Roy Jones Jr./TNT Present Professional Boxing at The Harv

Roy Jones Jr. and TNT Promotions present LIVE PROFESSIONAL BOXING on April 6th at Mountaineer Casino's The Harv! The night will be action packed featuring many fighters from Tom Yankello's World Class Boxing Gym. Fight card will be announced soon.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

No Holds Barred: Bernard Hopkins, Tavoris Cloud, Don King, and Reflections on Real Steel‏

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the fight between the unbeaten IBF champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KOs) and the 48-year-old legend Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins (52-6, 32 KOs), and discusses its significance in the context of the lessons of the 2011 science fiction film "Real Steel".

The Cloud-Hopkins fight takes place Saturday, March 9, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and will be televised live in the U.S. on HBO.

In "Real Steel", set in the year 2020, robot boxing has replaced human boxing and, apparently, MMA. This film was just repeated on Showtime in the U.S. on Saturday, March 2 -- right before the live Showtime boxing card headlined by the wild Abril-Bogere fight.

The film "Real Steel" is loosely based on the 1956 short story "Steel" by Richard Matheson, which was made into a 1963 episode of "The Twilight Zone" TV series starring Lee Marvin. In both the short story and the TV show, boxing had been banned; the movie is more ambiguous about the future legal status of the human fighting sports. In the U.S., the debut show of the Robot Combat League on the Syfy network last Tuesday, February 26, featuring 12 eight-foot robot boxers in a tournament format, drew over 1.35 million viewers, with a total of nine weekly episodes already filmed.

Even before all this buzz about robot fighting, boxing has long been a largely tragic sport. It is a slowly dying sport that is killing its own people, but which we still sometimes love. Therein lies the degree of sadness with which we approach it, especially when a 48-year-old fighter is involved.

We spoke with Bernard Hopkins, Tavoris Cloud, Cloud's new trainer Abel Sanchez, and Cloud's promoter, the one and only Don King, about this fight on a media conference call this past Wednesday.

"It's going to be a barnburner on March the 9th," promised Don King on this conference call. "Get ready. We coming. We coming to Brooklyn. And no one could be prouder. And if you cannot hear us, we'll say it a little louder."

We shall see whose barn burns down Saturday night.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Floyd Mayweather vs Robert The Ghost Guerrero May 4th

The first of many faceoffs between Floyd Mayweather & Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero May 4th
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Kendall Holt moves up to welterweight

Former junior welterweight world titlist Kendall Holt will be moving up to 147lbs after spending the majority at or around the 140lb weight limit. The move to welterweight is coming at a time in Holt’s career where he is in search for the biggest fights he can possibly get. With a division like welterweight filled with named opponents and the name Holt recognized in boxing circles across the world, it is fitting that the move be made now.

Holt will prepare his body for the change and he believes that it should come more naturally than most, he feels that his body and boxing desires are directly synced up at this stage in his career.

“The time is right for me to make this transition to welterweight, I feel like I’ve still got a lot of fight in me and what better way to exercise it than to be in a division with so many interesting match ups. It isn’t just what I want, it’s also what my body is telling me to do and my body is telling me that I’m going to be a physically better fighter in the move up,” Holt explained.

There won’t be a shortage of opponents at welterweight with names like Victor Ortiz, Andre Berto, and Timothy Bradley to name a few. Holt is anxious to start mixing it up and ruffling up the welterweight feathers.

“I’m trying to get as far as I can and I’m looking to make this welterweight run count. I’m not some kid coming into the division, I am a proven fighter with a recognized name and I’m looking to land some of the most interesting fights that can be made. The good thing is I the division is stacked 1-10 and I’m looking to knock one of those guys out of their spot.”

James DeGale MBE to defend WBC Silver title against Alexander Brand‏

Hennessy Sports have today announced a replacement opponent for James DeGales MBE after complications with the Pablo Oscar Natalio Farias fight, the Olympic Gold Medallist and WBC number 4 contender will now defend his WBC Silver super middleweight title against Alexander Brand on March 23rd at Glow, Bluewater.

The former WBC Latino champion from Bogota, Colombia is ranked number 10 by the WBC he is also the longest tenured fighter in the history of the Colombian Olympic team and is the only fighter from Colombia with 437 amateur fights. In these 437 amateur fights, he only lost 20 times.

Mick Hennessy said “To cover ourselves opponent wise my agent in North America has been talking to Team Brand for the last few weeks and we’re delighted we have now got a top 10 fighter for James to prove once again that he is a top world class fighter on the march to world honours.”

“Brand is a World class fighter that not only had a brilliant amateur career but also he holds a professional record of 19-1.” Said James DeGale “But that could have been 20-0 as his only loss was a split decision over 8 rounds and I know the feeling losing on a split decision.”

“Once I’ve got passed this Colombian puncher who has 15 knockouts in his 20 fights, I will be sitting down with my promoter Mick Hennessy and looking to the big fights later this year maybe against the winner of Kessler vs. Froch or a rematch against Groves before going after Andre Ward.”

Supporting James DeGale MBE at Glow will be the son of the legend, middleweight sensation Chris Eubank Jnr in his 10th pro fight.

The undercard will also feature Tyson’s cousin Phill Fury, Peter McDonagh from Bermondsey, Swanley’s Martin Welsh, Dani Davis from Croydon and Jordon Gill from Chatteris.

March 16th “CFC Fight Night” pro boxing show, presented by Chicago Fight Clubs Promotion, at Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell

Joe McCreedy vs. TBA, 10 rounds, light heavyweights; Osumanu Adama vs. Grady Brewer, 10 rounds, middleweights; Vivian Harris vs. Shakha Moore, 8 rounds, welterweights; Chris Traietti vs. Tyler Seever, 8 rounds, light heavyweights; Eddie Caminero vs. Robert Stockwell, 8 rounds, junior middleweights; Alex Santos vs. TBA, 8 rounds, heavyweights; Agustine Mauras vs. TBA, 8 rounds, lightweights; Boban Simic vs. TBA, 4 rounds, heavyweights; Bernie Ongewe vs. Joshua Rivera, 4 rounds, middleweights; Mike Martin vs. Josh Crespo, 4 rounds, bantamweights

WHAT: “CFC Fight Night” Open Workout (Open to Public)

WHO: “Irish” JOEY McCREEDY (13-6-2, 6 KOs), Lowell, MA

DICKY EKLUND, Head Trainer, McCreedy, Lowell, MA

EDDIE “Thunder” CAMINERO (7-7, 7 KOs), Lawrence, MA

MIKE MARTIN (pro debut), Lowell, MA

WHEN: Saturday, March 9, 2013 2:00 p.m. ET start

WHERE: Forever Fitness (Ward’s Gym)

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