★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience©®™: Foxwoods Resort Casino

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

GOLOVKIN-MACKLIN WBA AND IBO MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2013 FOXWOODS RESORT CASINOon HBO®

The two highly-regarded middleweights will meet in their must-see showdown June 29^th at the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods ® Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The world title bout will be part of a HBO Boxing After Dark® triple-header, with the first live televised bout beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT.

GENNADY "GGG" GOLOVKIN (WBA & IBO Middleweight World Champion)

I am very happy to be here back in NYC and back on HBO. We know that this is a very difficult fight for us, and one of the biggest fights that can be made in boxing right now. Matthew is going to be the toughest challenge I have ever had. He is just as big, fast and strong as me and we are expecting a very tough fight on June 29^th.

MATTHEW MACKLIN (WBC #3, WBA #11 and & IBF #14)

I am not the kind of person to turn down world-title shots so when this fight was offered to me, it was a no-brainer. My lifelong dream has been to become world champion and now I have another shot at capturing the middleweight world title.

I take nothing away from GGG. I think that he is a great champion. On June 29^ththough, he is fighting me and I am by far the biggest puncher that he has ever fought in his life. He won't be able to just walk in on me like he has been able to against some of his past opponents.

I want to be involved in the biggest and best fights that I can be in and that's exactly what we have in our upcoming title bout. I think that GGG is going to have a great career and I have nothing bad to say about him as a fighter or a person, but he is going to lose on June 29^th.

When Bernard Hopkins fought Felix Trinidad, everyone was picking Trinidad to walk right through Hopkins and knock him out. That didn't happen though and Hopkins knocked him out, and that is exactly what is going to happen when we meet on June 29^th. I am going to knock GGG out.

TOM LOEFFLER (Managing Director of K2 Promotions)

It is always nice being up here on the podium with people you honestly call friends. This fight is one of the best in the middleweight division and the response that we have seen thus far throughout the media is a testament to that.

This fight wasn't an easy fight to make, we have all made a ton of sacrifices to make this happen.

I feel that we have the best middleweight in the world in GGG, but the only way to show that is to get those other so-called best middleweights to actually get into the ring and fight him. I have a harder time making a fight for GGG than I do for the Klitschko's. That is why I give a lot of credit to Lou and Brian and Matthew for taking the fight.

LOU DIBELLA (President of DiBella Entertainment)

I am thrilled to be standing here to announce this fight. Style-wise this fight is a can't-miss. There are few other fights in the middleweight division and boxing that are as anticipated as this matchup.

Kudos go to Peter Nelson and everyone at HBO for making it known that HBO really wanted this fight. They believe in the excellence and quality of this matchup.

I want to send a special thank you to Tom and everyone at K2. We have both made a ton of sacrifices to make this fight possible because this is a fight that everyone wants to see.

I saw GGG fight in Monaco and when you simply demolish a world-class fighter (Nobuhiro Ishida) who has never been knocked out, you have to be impressed.

You saw in the Rosado fight with GGG that he will mix it up and rumble and Matthew is unquestionably the biggest and strongest fighter that he has ever fought. Matthew is going to go right after him and that's what makes this a great fight.

PETER NELSON (Director of Programming HBO Sports)

All of us at HBO are happy that we were able to put this fight together. We have had a great string of fights recently and we expect to continue that string with this great fight on June 29^th. We don't see any loser in this event. We are expecting a spectacular performance by both GGG and Macklin. It is a great privilege and we are very proud to have these two great fighters call HBO their home

BRIAN PETERS (Brian Peters Promotions/Macklin Manager)

We are delighted to be here and want to thank everyone involved in making this great opportunity a reality. Want to thank our promoter Lou DiBella, who is easily the most passionate and interesting promoter in the world.

Hopefully GGG and Matthew can show the tenacity that Peter Nelson of HBO showed in making this fight (room erupts in laughter).

Most middleweights are scared to walk down the street with GGG let alone fight him. He is a helluva fighter, there is no doubt about that, but we are very confident in Matthew's ability and expect a great showing on June 29^th.

DANIELLE CARPENTER (Executive Director, Advt. & Brand Foxwoods)

It is always a thrill for Foxwoods to host a world-class boxing event and the opportunity to team up with DiBella Entertainment, K2 Promotions and HBO Boxing further helps solidify Foxwoods Resort Casino as the premier venue for professional boxing on the East Coast.

The Golovkin-Macklin World Championship Bout is promoted by K2 Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, in association with Foxwoods Resort Casino.

♔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.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Matthew Macklin set for World Middleweight title tilt against Gennady Golovkin in US‏

‏WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT: GENNADY "GGG" GOLOVKIN VS. MATTHEW "MACK THE KNIFE" MACKLIN - SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2013 at FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO - Live on HBO®

Foxwoods ® Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, will play host to the highly anticipated World Middleweight Championship bout between WBA (World Boxing Association) / IBO (International Boxing Organization) Champion GENNADY "GGG" GOLOVKIN and top-rated contender and former world title challenger MATTHEW "MACK THE KNIFE" MACKLIN on Saturday, June 29, 2013 in the beautiful, state of the art MGM Grand Theater. The world title bout will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 9:45 PM ET/PT.

The Golovkin-Macklin World Championship Bout is promoted by

K2 Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, in association with Foxwoods Resort Casino.

"I'm excited to return to the United States and once again fight on HBO. Matthew Macklin is a skilled, strong fighter and I look forward to the challenge of defending my titles on June 29th," said Golovkin. "I have seen a few of his fights and am very conscious of how tough of a battle this is."

"Golovkin hasn't put a foot wrong yet as a pro. He's destroyed pretty much everyone and, as a consequence, he's probably the most hyped fighter in the sport right now," said Macklin. "People have made him out to be this monster, but he bleeds red just like everyone else and, for the first time in his career, he's going to be stepping into the ring against a big, strong, proper world-class middleweight.

"When you compare my last three opponents to Golovkin's last three opponents, it's clear who the proven entity is, going into this fight. I got robbed against Felix Sturm in Germany, it was nip-and-tuck between me and Sergio Martinez until I got caught in the eleventh, and last time out, I blew away Joachim Alcine inside a round, a former world champ who was coming off a career-best win."

"Gennady is excited to return to the ring so quickly to defend his titles against a proven, top-rated middleweight in Matthew Macklin. Gennady was ringside for Macklin's fight against Sergio Martinez last March and saw firsthand how dangerous he is, as he dropped Sergio in the seventh round," said Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions. "GGG has become one of the most talked-about fighters in boxing. This fight with Macklin will be a very hot ticket. We're thankful to HBO for featuring Gennady again and also to the Foxwoods Resort Casino for hosting this event."

"Golovkin-Macklin is one of the very best fights that can be made in the middleweight division and all of boxing," said Macklin's promoter, Lou DiBella. "It figures to be a barnburner and we are thrilled that Matthew is getting another deserved opportunity at a world title."

"This is a fight fan's fight," said Kery Davis, Senior Vice President, HBO Sports. "We are thrilled that both fighters accepted the challenge and we are looking forward to a terrific night of boxing on HBO."

"Foxwoods Resort Casino is proud to be teaming up with DiBella Entertainment and K2 Promotions to bring a stellar championship match to Connecticut; proving once again that Foxwoods is the premier venue for professional boxing on the East Coast," said Scott Butera, Foxwoods' president and CEO. "The Golovkin-Macklin fight will be one for the record books."

Known for his heavy hands and brutal knockouts and sporting a perfect record of 26-0-0 with 23 knockouts, Golovkin has quickly become the most talked-about fighter in the sport. His 88% knockout ratio ranks highest among active world champions.

Based in Stuttgart, Germany, and training under the watchful eye of Abel Sanchez in Big Bear, California, Golovkin dramatically burst onto the U.S. boxing scene this past SEPTEMBER 1 with a sensational performance, dropping WBA #3-ranked challenger Grzegorz Proksa three times en route to a fifth-round stoppage in Verona, New York. He followed that up with a dominating seventh-round stoppage of Gabriel Rosado on JANUARY 19 at Madison Square Garden, "The Mecca of Boxing". Both world title defenses were televised on HBO.

Most recently, Golovkin stayed undefeated with a devastating third-round knockout of former world title challenger Nobuhiro Ishida on MARCH 30, in Monte Carlo, Monaco, his 13th consecutive victory by knockout and eighth title defense.

Irish middleweight contender Matthew "Mack the Knife" Macklin, 29-4 (20 KOs), is an intelligent boxer-puncher, who has shown that he is not afraid to engage or press the action when necessary. He is currently ranked #3 by the WBC, #11 by the WBA, and #14 by the IBF.

In his first stateside appearance since a pair of 2005 victories, Macklin challenged middleweight champion Sergio "Maravillia" Martinez at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saint Patrick's Day, March 17, 2012. Although he came up short, Macklin gave the champion all he could handle for 11 rounds, even scoring a knockdown in the seventh frame, in front of thousands of fans at the Garden and those watching on HBO.

Returning to the ring six months later, Macklin faced former junior middleweight champion Joachim Alcine in Las Vegas, destroying him inside one round, making an emphatic statement that he belongs among the best middleweights in the world.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

NELSON GOING ALL IN VS. MEDINA March 1 ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS Co-Feature at MGM Grand at Foxwoods

NELSON GOING ALL IN VS. MEDINA

March 1 ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS Co-Feature at MGM Grand at Foxwoods

North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super welterweight champion Willie "The Great" Nelson (19-1-1, 11 KOs) plans to make a major statement on March 1, against Michael "El Magnifico" Medina (26-3-2, 19 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature on ESPN Friday Night Fights, airing live from Foxwoods Resort Casino's MGM Grand Theater, in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

The ESPN Friday Night Fights card, co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and 50 Cent's SMS Promotions, will air live at 9 p.m. ET. The Nelson-Medina bout is promoted in association with Rumble Time Promotions.

The 12-round main event on ESPN Friday Night Fights features International Boxing Federation (IBF) Featherweight Champion Billy "The Kid" Dib (35-1-0-1NC, 21 KOs), who is promoted by 50 Cent, and fighting in the United States for the first time in four-and-a-half years. The Australian boxer defends his title against undefeated Russian challenger Evgeny Gradovich (15-0, 8 KOs), rated No. 11 by the IBF.

Nelson (19-1-1, 11 KOs) is coming off consecutive victories by impressive 10-round decisions over a pair of previously unbeaten Olympians - two-time Cuban National champion Yudel Jhonson (12-1), on ShoBox, and World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth champion John "Dah Rock" Jackson (13-1, 12 KOs) for the vacant NABF super welterweight title.

Another impressive win for Nelson, who is the top-ranked American in the World Boxing Council (WBC) ratings at No. 5, should move him up the ladder and closer to a world title shot.

"This fight is very important for my career because I'll be showcasing my talent on ESPN and so many people will see me fight," Nelson said. "This fight is going to get me closer to the top of my division in the WBC. Personally, though, it's just another fight that won't affect me in the ring.

"Medina comes straight forward and throws a lot of punches, but he has poor defense, throws looping punches, and doesn't move his head. He likes to throw a lot of body punches. I've fought a lot of guys like him in the amateurs and a few as a pro."

WBC No. 17-ranked Medina will be giving away three-and-a-half inches in height, as well as a nine-inch reach advantage, to the 6'4" Nelson, who has an 84" reach. Medina, whose most notable win to date is a 10-round decision in 2011 over Grady Brewer, has been stopped only once, by Saul Roman, and his only other losses as a professional have been to the undefeated Vanes Martirosyan and John Duddy.

Nelson is co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Steve Smith's Rumble Time Promotions.

The undercard, featuring some of New England's most promising prospects, will soon be announced.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Smith Jr. continues comeback March 30th‏; Nearly two months after breaking his jaw, Smith Jr. is ready to continue climb

Light heavyweight prospect Joe Smith Jr. knew something was wrong during his bout against hard-hitting Eddie Caminero in August of 2010. He just had no idea how serious it was.

“The pain just started to take over,” recalled the 22-year-old Long Island native. “I couldn’t close my mouth. I couldn’t even bite down on my mouthpiece.”

By the time Caminero finished Smith (7-1, 7 KOs) for good via technical knockout with two seconds remaining in the fourth round – the first and only loss of Smith’s career – Smith had suffered a broken jaw on both sides of his mouth, an injury that left him with his jaw wired shut for six weeks.

“They had to put in plates and screws on both sides,” he said. “It completely snapped in half.”

Determined to finish the fight, Smith battled for another round after breaking his jaw in the third, but the increasing pain was too much to overcome. Following the loss, Smith spent the next 11 months recovering before returning triumphantly in July with a win over Santos Martinez in Brooklyn.

With the rust finally gone, Smith is ready to step back into the ring Friday, March 30^th, 2012 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino’s MGM Grand Theater on the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “All In” professional boxing event, which will air live as part of ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” telecast.

Smith shook off the cobwebs in his second-round knockout win over Martinez, but talk of the injury still hits close to home. Some doubted whether he’d ever return to the ring, but Smith always believed, as evident by the fact he was back in the gym only three weeks after having his jaw wired shut.

“I wasn’t allowed to do too much because I couldn’t put strain on my body. The doctors didn’t want the wires to break,” Smith said, “but I didn’t want to quit. Once it healed up, I was back in there working as quickly as possible.”

Unable to eat solid foods for almost two months, Smith lost close to 30 pounds, dropping from his typical fight weight of 175 to 180 pounds to as low as 150 by the time his jaw was unwired.

“Luckily, it came back to me quickly,” he said. “I had to eat through a straw for six weeks, but as soon as I could eat real food again, I was so stoked to get back in the gym. I love working out. I’ve been doing it for a long time.”

Smith’s doctors gave him a nine-month window to train and rehabilitate before he would be cleared to fight again. Upon his return in July, he remained determined to finish his opponent as quickly as possible, but wanted to absorb some punishment, too, just to see how his surgically repaired jaw would react.

“To be honest, I wanted to know my jaw was good and that this wouldn’t happen again,” he said. “I wanted to test it a little bit.

“In the first round, I was little rusty, but I did what I had to do in the second round and got him out of there. That’s the plan. That’s always the plan.”

Smith now has seven wins, all by knockout, and will aim for his second consecutive victory March 30^th at Foxwoods. The setback suffered two years ago has done little to dissuade him from his ultimate goal of winning a world title. A broken jaw couldn’t derail him, so it’s hard to imagine any other roadblock standing in his way.

“If anything, this has motivated me even more,” Smith said. “It makes me want to train harder so it won’t happen again. I can’t wait for March. I’ve been in the gym training hard everyday. I’m in great shape. I’m ready to go.”

“All In” stars Philadelphia native “Hammerin’” Hank Lundy (21-1-1, 11 KOs) – ranked No. 4 in the World Boxing Council (WBC) – defending his North American Boxing Federation (NABF) lightweight title against No. 11-ranked “Dangerous” Dannie Williams (21-1, 17 KOs) in the 10-round main event. New Haven, Conn., native Elvin Ayala (24-5-1, 11 KOs), ranked No. 16 in the WBC, will defend his WBC U.S. National Boxing Council (USNBC) middleweight title against Hector Camacho Jr. (53-4-1, 28 KOs), the son of former four-time world champion Hector “Macho” Camacho Sr., in the 10-round co-feature.

The undercard features Philadelphia’s Frankie Trader (8-0, 2 KOs) facing Adrian Perez (7-4-1, 1 KO) of Sarasota, Fla., in a six-round super featherweight bout; and Shelton, Conn., super middleweight Nick Lavin (2-2, 2 KOs) battling Steven Chadwick (0-3) of Jacksonville, Fla. New London, Conn., featherweight Shelito Vincent (1-0) will face Karen Dulin (2-10, 1 KO) of Mystic, Conn., in a four-round rematch; and Josh Crespo (0-1-1) of New Haven will take on Alfredo Garcia (2-0) of Sarasota in a four-round super bantamweight bout. New Haven welterweight Christian Lao (3-1, 1 KO) and Providence, R.I., cruiserweight Donte Wiggins (1-0, 1 KO) will also be featured in separate four-round bouts.

♔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.

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