Andre Berto returns to the ring at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino on September 3 to take on Jan Zaveck in battle for welterweight gold

(ANDRE BERTO PHOTO BY KEISHA MORRISEY)

Andre Berto returns to the ring and Beau Rivage Resort & Casino on September 3 to take on Jan Zaveck in battle for welterweight gold, airing live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing.

There will be no rest this Labor Day weekend for two of the best welterweights in the world. On September 3, reigning IBF welterweight champion Jan Zaveck comes to America to put his IBF welterweight title on the line against former WBC champion Andre Berto from the Beau Rivage Theatre at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Battle in Biloxi: Berto vs. Zaveck is presented by DiBella Entertainment in association with SES Boxing. The show will be aired live on HBO’s Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 10:45 PM ET/7:45 PM PT.

"This is one of the premier matchups that could be made in the welterweight division,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment, the promoter of Battle in Biloxi. “Andre Berto is considered one of the elite in boxing and Zaveck is a reigning world champion. Both are known as all action fighters, so you know it will be explosive with so much on the line.”

Berto (27-1, 21 KOs), 27, of Winter Haven, FL, is coming off the first loss of his career, and the loss of his WBC title, on April 17 when he dropped a razor thin 12-round decision to “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, a classic battle that saw both fighters on the canvas twice and one that is considered the front runner for 2011 Fight of the Year. Prior to that Berto, a 2004 Haitian Olympian, had defended his title five times after winning it in 2008 via seventh round knockout of Miguel Angel Rodriguez.

“I am excited to get back in the ring and get gold back around my waist,” said Berto. “Everyone who knows me knows that it wasn’t the real Andre Berto in the ring in April. I’m focused on returning to reestablishing my dominance in the welterweight division and it starts with Jan Zaveck.”

Zaveck (31-1, 18 KOs), 35, originally from Ptuj, Slovenia, but now living in Germany, captured the IBF title in December, 2009 with a shocking third round stoppage of Issac Hlatshwayo in Hlatshwayo’s native South Africa. Since then, Zaveck has defended the title three times, including a majority decision win in 2010 over Rafal Jackiewicz, the only man to have previously defeated him. His bout versus Berto will mark his first professional appearance in the United States.

“I am coming to the United States to put on a great show,” said Zaveck. “When I get on the plane back to Europe, I will have my title belt.”

“Beau Rivage is happy to be partnering with DiBella Entertainment and HBO Sports to bring world championship boxing back to Biloxi,” said George P. Corchis, Jr., President and Chief Operating Officer of MGM Resorts Regional Operations. “The headliner of Andre Berto vs. Jan Zaveck is a very competitive match with Berto seeking to regain another world title and Zaveck, who hasn’t lost since 2008, fighting his first professional bout in the United States. We look forward to putting on a world-class event.”

A full undercard will be announced shortly.

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WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WELTERWEIGHT BOUT AT BEAU RIVAGE RESORT AND CASINO IN BILOXI, MS;WBC 147 Andre Berto-Luis Collazo on HBO’s Boxing After Dark

BILOXI, Miss.– DiBella Entertainment is starting 2009 in style with a great world championship matchup, featuring hard-charging WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto making his second title defense versus number-one rated challenger and former WBA world champion Luis Collazo, to be seen on HBO’s Boxing After Dark, on Saturday, January 17 at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT, from Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss.

Andre Berto


With his dominant TKO victory over Miguel Angel Rodriguez this past June to claim the vacant WBC welterweight crown, Andre Berto (23-0, 19 KOs) established himself as one of boxings most feared champions. Just 25 years old, Winter Haven, Florida’s Berto has already defeated proven veterans such as Cosme Rivera, Michael Trabant and Steve Forbes. Berto will need to draw on all of this valuable experience when he takes on mandatory challenger Luis Collazo (29-3, 14 KOs). Crafty southpaw Collazo, from New York City, is poised to win his second world championship – having already reigned as WBA welterweight king.

“Berto-Collazo has all the makings of a spectacular match up. Andre’s punch volume and non-stop pressure combined with Collazo’s poise and big-fight pedigree, make this the first ‘can’t miss” fight of 2009. Let’s not forget Luis has already gone 24 competitive rounds with Ricky Hatton and Shane Mosley. This is a great opportunity for Andre to show the world the champion that he is,” said DBE president Lou DiBella.

"January 17 represents the hallmark of the Boxing After Dark franchise, featuring rising stars along with up and coming fighters and providing them a great showcase to demonstrate their talent,” said Luis Barragan, director of programming, HBO Sports. “Each fighter on the card is in a position to make a statement very early in 2009.”

In addition, fans in the live audience on January 17 at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino will get the opportunity to see local Light Heavyweight favorite Will McIntyre in an eight round bout, New York Heavyweight prospect Tor Hamer in a 4 round bout, undefeated Super Middleweight and top prospect Edwin Rodriguez from Worcester, MA in an eight round bout and Jonathan Nelson from Little Rock, Arkansas in a 6 round Super Middleweight bout.

Tor Hamer


“Beau Rivage is happy to be partnering with DiBella Entertainment and HBO Sports to bring world championship boxing back to Biloxi,” said George P. Corchis, Jr., president and chief operating officer of MGM MIRAGE’s Mississippi resorts, which includes Beau Rivage in Biloxi, and Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica. “The headliner of Andre Berto vs. Luis Collazo is a competitive match and the undercard bouts are bona fide prospects to watch.”

Doors open at 3 p.m. and preliminary bouts begin at 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $45, $100 and $150 plus tax and service charge and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Box Office or by calling 888.566.7469. Beau Rivage room reservations can be made by calling 888.567.6667 or visiting www.beaurivage.com.

See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.

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

DBE JUST LIKE MEATLOAF: TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD‏

Andre Berto knocks out Mikki Rodriguez to capture WBC Welterweight Crown; Ronald Hearns stays undefeated knocking out Jose Luis Gonzalez;




Chazz Witherspoon loses by confusing disqualification against top heavyweight Chris Arreola

NEW YORK– Last weekend for DiBella Entertainment can be summed up in one line, “two out of three ain’t bad”. DBE had three of its combatants fighting in separate bouts in two different locations on Friday and Saturday.



The weekend started off well in the Cayman Islands as Ronald “The Chosen One” Hearns improved his undefeated record to 19-0, 15 KO’s as he knocked out Jose Luis Gonzalez (12-4-1, 10 KO’s) in the seventh round of a highly entertaining affair. Hearns looked impressive, throwing strong jabs in a fight that appeared around the world live on ShoBox. Ronald’s improvement has been extraordinary and he is prepared for bigger and better things.

The next day in Memphis, Tennessee DBE promoted HBO’s Boxing After Dark at FedExForum.


In the night’s co-feature, DBE heavyweight Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon challenged a vicious competitor in WBC Continental Americas champ Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola. Both fighters came out swinging and looking for the knockout. Arreola caught Witherspoon, putting him on the mat twice in the third round. The second knockdown occurred as the bell rang to end the round. The referee had no idea that the bell had rung. After looking confused and deliberating with the Commission for several minutes, the referee disqualified Witherspoon as his corner came in the ring thinking the round was over. The corner was not stopped by the inspector, thus they proceeded. “This was not the way for this fight to end,” said DBE head Lou DiBella. “Chris Arreola is a true warrior and we wish him luck on his quest to win the heavyweight title. This referee was completely wrong and lost control of the fight. The corner was never stopped from coming into the ring. This fight had a right to come to a proper and conclusive finish.”

DBE got back on the winning track with an exclamation point in the main event in Memphis. Top DBE welterweight Andre Berto showed he is the future of the power packed division, when the 24-year old captured the vacant WBC welterweight title knocking out tough and rugged Mexican Mikki Rodriguez in the 7th round. “I am so proud to have promoted Andre since his pro debut and I’m thrilled to add another World Champion to DBE’s family of fighters,” said DiBella. “Andre Berto will be a star in boxing for years to come.”

All Photos By Marty Rosegarten for Ringside Photos

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 Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

Three unbeaten boxers headline FedExForum card DiBella's HBO event built to be affordable

Three unbeaten boxers headline FedExForum card DiBella's HBO event built to be affordable
By Ron Higgins

Boxing promoter Lou DiBella's head and stomach have driven him to Memphis again.

Unbeaten boxers Andre Berto, Chazz Witherspoon and Rayonta Whitfield headline an HBO "Boxing After Dark" tripleheader on June 21 in FedExForum. The eight-bout card is presented by New York-based DiBella Entertainment in association with Memphis-based Prize Fight Boxing.

Berto, the unbeaten NABF welterweight champion at 21-0 with 18 knockouts, faces Miguel Angel Rodriguez (29-2, 23 KOs) in a 12-round WBC title elimination bout between that organizations' No. 1 and No. 2 ranked contenders. In the next few weeks, it's likely the WBC will revise the fight to being an interim world title bout.



Witherspoon, an unbeaten heavyweight (23-0, 15 KO's) who's ranked third nationally by the USBA, will slug it out with Chris Areola, who's also unbeaten (23-0, 21 KOs) and ranked No. 6 in the world by the IBF. The opponent for Whitfield, 21-0 with 10 KOs as the NABO flyweight champion and ranked No. 1 in the world by the WBO, hasn't been finalized.



The complete card will be announced later this week at a press conference in
FedExForum.

DiBella originally had the fight set in New York, but staging it there was cost prohibitive. So he turned to Memphis, where he has teamed once more with tireless promoter Brian Young of Prize Fight Boxing. DiBella and Young staged FedExForum cards the last two years with former middleweight world champ Jermain Taylor of Little Rock as the main attraction.

"Memphis is a great place to do an event, and I do need my barbecue fix," DiBella said. "The Rendezvous already has my name on it for one night, and I'll be doing my circle of barbecue for a week."

The one thing DiBella learned from his previous experiences in Memphis -- besides the difference between wet and dry ribs -- is the ticket price ceiling of the Memphis sports fan.

That's why DiBella and Young have priced tickets from a mere $25 to $100 (for a ringside seat). All seats will be on the floor and the lower bowl of the arena, and Young said 70 percent of the tickets will be $50 or less. Tickets will likely go on sale Friday or Saturday.

"The economy is terrible right now," DiBella said. "But we've gotten a good deal with the FedExForum, and they've allowed us to make this a very affordable fight. I know Memphis isn't Las Vegas and isn't a casino town, but Memphis is a great place to do an event. This (fight) is a way for me to come back to Memphis and price a fight to where even the ringside seats are affordable for regular folk to see some of the best in boxing."

Four years ago, Berto, Witherspoon and Whitfield were chasing Olympic dreams at the U.S. Olympic boxing trials in Tunica. That's why it will be unique to have them on the same card in the three featured fights.

Berto last fought in September, scoring an 11th-round knockout of David Estrada in Atlantic City. The victory gave Berto the NABF welterweight championship and made him the No. 1 contender in the WBC and IBF, just ahead of Rodriguez.



June's fight against Rodriguez will be Berto's third in FedExForum. His last appearance in May 2006, on the Jermain Taylor-Cory Spinks undercard, ended with his seventh-round TKO of Martinus Clay.

"Rodriguez is a real knockout puncher, so Berto has to be careful," DiBella said.

The Areola-Witherspoon fight is scheduled for 12 rounds, but Young said it won't last that long.

"They are both headhunters, and they are the two best American heavyweights out there, America's best hopes to get the title back," Young said. "Right now, the Russians are dominating."

Young said Whitfield's bout is a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

"He's very close to fighting for a world title," said Young, who's Whitfield's promoter. "He has this one more test to pass in June, then he could get the world title fight, possibly in the fall. This is the biggest fight of his life so far."

Young is excited about the diversity of talent on the card and the ticket prices.

"We've made the tickets very affordable, so there's no excuse why people can't come out and watch world class fighters on an HBO-televised card," said Young, who is bringing a televised world title fight to Memphis for the seventh straight year.


For a live interview with Chazz Witherspoon go to 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 Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved