MIKKEL KESSLER RETURNS JUNE 4 ON SHOWTIME BEFORE LIVE SUPER SIX SEMIFINAL BETWEEN FROCH & JOHNSON‏

FORMER CHAMPION MIKKEL KESSLER RETURNS AGAINST WORLD-RANKED MEHDI BOUADLA SATURDAY, JUNE 4, ON SHOWTIME® Fight From Denmark With Be Televised On Same-Day Delay

Before Carl Froch-Glen Johnson Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinal Airs LIVE on SHOWTIME (Delayed on the West Coast)

Looking to regain his status as one of the premier super middleweights in the world, former World Boxing Council/World Boxing Association (WBC/WBA) 168-pound champion Mikkel “The Viking Warrior’’ Kessler will return to the ring for the first time in 14 months when he faces Mehdi Bouadla on Saturday, June 4, on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, same-day delay) at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The 12-rounder between Kessler (43-2, 32 KOs), of Denmark, and Bouadla (23-3, 11 KOs), of France, will be shown before the LIVE Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinal on SHOWTIME (delayed on the West Coast) between defending WBC titlist Carl Froch (27-1, 20 KOs) and former world champion Glen Johnson (51-14-2, 35 KOs) of Miami, Fla., at Adrian Philipps Ballroom of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.

The Super Six announce team of Gus Johnson, Al Bernstein and Antonio Tarver will call the Kessler-Bouadla match from Atlantic City. Steve Farhood will serve as ringside reporter from Denmark.

For Kessler, it will be his first start since a potentially career-ending eye injury forced him to withdraw from the Super Six shortly after he won an exciting 12-round unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Froch on April 24, 2010. A victory puts Kessler, 32, back in the thick of things in the talent-rich 168-pound division. Kessler’s only defeats came against future Hall of Famer, Joe Calzaghe, in November 2007, and to Andre Ward in Group Stage 1 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic on Nov. 21, 2009.

The 29-year-old Bouadla has won 11 in a row dating to February 2008. The No. 5-ranked super middle in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and 10th-rated contender in the International Boxing Federation (IBF), Bouadla earned a decision over Pavels Lotahs in his most recent start last Jan. 29. Bouadla was slated to challenge defending champion Sebastian Sylvester last Jan. 22 for the IBF middleweight championship, but the fight was postponed after Sylvester suffered a viral infection.

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Andre Ward vs. Arthur Abraham: The Super Six Semifinals featuring Ward vs. Abraham fight will air LIVE Saturday May 14th on SHOWTIME® @10 p.m

The Super Six Middleweight Tournament continues this weekend with a featured matchup between 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Andre Ward and the German, hard-punching Arthur Abraham.

Ward (23-0, 13 KO) defeated Mikkel Kessler and Allan Green to earn a spot in the semifinals of the Showtime tournament. Abraham (32-2, 26 KO) rebounded from his two-fight losing streak to Carl Froch and Andre Dirrell to earn a win against an overmatched opponent earlier this year. His knockout win over Jermain Taylor in 2009 is his lone tournament victory.

The winner of this fight will face the winner of June's bout between Carl Froch and Glen Johnson.
EL Boxing Empress 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" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

Ward vs. Abraham Presser Ward’s Trainer To Abraham: “Your promoters have lost confidence in you.” Abraham To Ward’s Camp: “Talk Doesn’t Matter – I’m

The final press conference for the kickoff of the Semifinals of the Super Six World Boxing Classic turned tense on Wednesday at Arnie Morton’s The Steakhouse in Burbank, Calif., just three days before tournament favorite Andre Ward defends his WBA super middleweight title against former world champion Arthur Abraham, LIVE on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

In a detailed and lengthy speech, Ward’s trainer, Virgil Hunter, told Abraham that his trainer and promoters are displaying a lack of confidence in him to win on Saturday by demanding neutral judges and officials for the Semifinal showdown. Abraham’s promoter responded that they were trying to protect their fighter and claimed that the referee in the Ward-Mikkel Kessler Group Stage 1 bout did not fairly officiate the match.

The Ward-Abraham winner advances to the tournament Final against the winner of the Carl Froch-Glen Johnson Semifinals showdown. The tournament champion earns the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup and global recognition as the world’s No. 1 168-pound fighter.

The 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, Ward (23-0, 13 KOs), of Oakland, Calif., has emerged as the tournament favorite after impressive triumphs in Group Stage bouts over Kessler and Allan Green, as well as Sakio Bika.

Abraham (32-2, 26 KOs) entered the Super Six as a favorite alongside Kessler. But after emerging from Group Stage 1 as the points leader with a knockout over Jermain Taylor, he is now trying to bounce back from consecutive tournament losses to Andre Dirrell and Froch in Group Stages 2 and 3, respectively.

ANDRE WARD:

“I’m born and raised here in America and I don’t talk that much. I think everyone in this room understands that. There’s not much else to say. I’ve prepared the way I’m supposed to prepare, the way a champion is supposed to prepare.

“I respect Arthur Abraham, it’s going to be a tough fight. I want to be a great fighter, but I’m not there yet. These are the kind of fights that you have to take and you have to win to be a great fighter.

“I won’t hear the crowd, I won’t hear anybody on Saturday night. I’m locked in. I’m here to defend my belt and to keep my belt right here in America.”

“My first goal is to win and I know winning in this sport takes care of a lot of problems.

“Sugar Ray Leonard came from a totally different time. Fighting on the network that he fought on, having Howard Cosell, it was just a totally different ballgame. Oscar De La Hoya had the Hispanic community and different things like that, so you have to look at those situations because I’m in a different time. It might be a little bit harder to get the exposure and the just due.”

“At the end of the day, the way my father raised me was to put my nose down to the grindstone and keep working and allow God to open those doors in due season. So I’ve never begged for it and I’ve never demanded it. I just have to understand that I have to keep working and it will come. ”

“I appreciate everyone who attends the fights, but it comes down to going home and kissing my wife and kids, keeping my title and moving on with my career. But with that being said, I think I take the risks I’m supposed to take. I think I do what I’m supposed to, but if you get enough people saying one thing, people start to believe it. I think my fight with Kessler was a very entertaining fight but it’s not me taking punishment so people think it’s not entertaining. From a little boy, I was never taught to get the best bout trophy, I was always taught to get the best fighter of the night. That’s the way it is because whoever I am when my career is said and done, nobody’s going home with me.”

“My coach has always taught me from day one, he’s always wanted me to be a master and masters are able to fight into their late 30s and early 40s like Bernard Hopkins and Glen Johnson. I’m just going to continue to naturally evolve and I hope everyone enjoys my fights. But, ultimately, it’s about winning in this sport. “

ARTHUR ABRAHAM:

“I don’t have to speak much. We just want to perform in the ring and we don’t have to do much talking. We’re here to win in the ring.

“Of course my trainer and my promoter respect me. There’s no question of that. In Europe, we don’t talk very much. I’m here to win.

“I have a lot of respect for Andre Ward. He’s a technically sound boxer. But that talk doesn’t matter when we get in the ring on Saturday. I’m here to win and I’m here to destroy him.

“I’m very happy to be part of this tournament. This tournament started well for me and it will end well.

“I had to make some adjustments to my style for moving from middleweight to super middleweight and then we had to make some more after the losses. We have made the necessary adjustments.”

VIRGIL HUNTER, Ward’s Trainer:

“I’ve been appalled as some of the things that have happened to this point. If Andre wasn’t perceived as a threat, I don’t believe we would have ever heard complaints about the referees like we have. Andre Ward still to this point has not gotten the recognition that he deserves.

“Arthur, this is to you: By complaining about the officials, your promoters are saying they have lost confidence in you. Don’t let anyone speak to you about the officials. Your promoters have lost confidence in you. It’s as simple as that.”


JAMES PRINCE, Ward’s Manager:

“We have respect for Arthur Abraham and his accomplishments in boxing, but come Saturday it’s going to get real hot in the ring. You were a great fighter at 160 pounds but I feel like your advisors have tricked you into placing you into a different weight division where you don’t belong. I want to extend my warmest hospitality and welcome you to the States, but that’s where it ends.”

EL Boxing Empress See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.

Photos: Tom Casino / SHOWTIME

EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

SUPER SIX FIGHTERS SEE BRIGHT FUTURE IN FRIDAY’S SHOBOX CARD ShoBox: The New Generation Friday, April 30, 2010, Live at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIM

So what do several of the world’s best super middleweights think of the up-and-coming crop of fighters in boxing’s best and deepest division?

“The future of the super middleweight division is very bright, especially here in the U.S.,” said Andre Dirrell, who trails Arthur Abraham in the Super Six World Boxing Classic™ standings with two points. “European fighters have controlled the division recently, but all that has changed with what has happened in the Super Six.

“There are a lot of young, talented American fighters coming up the ranks who can make some noise in the division.”

Those talented 168-pound fighters will be on display come Friday night as unbeaten Marcus “Too Much” Johnson (18-0, 14 KOs) battles Derek “The Black Lion” Edwards (25-0, 13 KOs) in a 10-round main event live on ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME ® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

The exciting tripleheader being billed “The Next Generation of Super Middleweights” will take place at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago with Don “Da Bomb” George (19-0-1, 17 KOs) facing Osumanu Adama (14-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round co-feature tilt and Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (14-0, 10 KOs) tangling with Kevin Engel (17-2, 14 KOs) in an eight-round affair to open the telecast.

Back in November of 2009, Johnson made his SHOWTIME ShoBox: The New Generation debut on the Allan Green-Tarvis Simms undercard in Newkirk, Okla., remaining undefeated with a unanimous decision over Victor Villereal.

Fast forward six months and now Green finds himself as one of the elite fighters in the SHOWTIME Super Six World Boxing Classic and will meet Andre Ward June 19 in a Group Stage 2 matchup.

Green said he went back to watch Johnson on tape and was impressed with what he saw. “I think he’s a good fighter,” said Green. “The Super Six is all about proclaiming who is the best super middleweight on the planet and it looks like these guys are getting a chance to make a name for themselves on SHOWTIME.”

Johnson is a former U.S. National Amateur champion who lost to Ward by decision in the finals of the 2004 Olympic Trials. He was also a gold medalist at the 2003 U.S. Under 19 National Championships at 178 pounds and won the National Silver Gold Gloves title at 165 pounds in 2001.

“Marcus is definitely a fighter to look out for in the future,” Ward said. “Anyone with that type of amateur background is on the right track toward a professional world title. I look forward to great things from him in the future."

Both Johnson and Edwards are impressed with what they’ve seen from the American fighters, Ward and Dirrell, in the Super Six Tournament.

“Andre Ward is one of the smartest people in the ring,” said Johnson. “He taught me a lot. I have so much respect for Andre. He made me change my style. I’ve been really impressed with both Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell. I think Ward is going to win the tournament hands down.”

Said Edwards: “Andre Ward has been the most impressive. I had the opportunity to be in Andre Ward’s camp but it didn’t work out because we might meet each other [in the ring] some day.”

Presented by DiBella Entertainment, Warriors Boxing and Chicago’s 8 Count Productions, advance tickets for “The Next Generation of Super Middleweights” starting at $31 can be purchased through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com), by phone (800) 745-3000 and the 8 Count Productions Office, (312-226-5800). Doors will open at 7 p.m. with the first bell at 7:30 p.m.

Nick Charles will call the action from ringside with Steve Farhood and Antonio Tarver serving as expert analysts. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

For information on SHOWTIME Sports Programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. The growing list of fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Leonard Dorin, Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Malignaggi, Kendall Holt, Timothy Bradley, Bernard Dunne, Yonnhy Perez, Yuri Foreman and Andre Ward.

See you at the Fights. Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey
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©®™2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 All rights reserved

No Holds Barred: World Boxing Classic Preview with Froch, Kessler, Abraham, Dirrell, Hershman, Farhood, DiBella, Goossen‏

No Holds Barred: World Boxing Classic Preview with Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Andre Dirrell, Ken Hershman, Steve Farhood, Lou DiBella, Dan Goossen

http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-07-15T23_46_24-07_00

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews one of the most innovative and welcome developments in boxing, the Super Six World Boxing Classic, a round-robin, six-fighter tournament in the super middleweight division featuring the best fighters in the world at that weight.

Competing in this tournament are the unbeaten WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (25-0, 20 KOs) of England, the WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (41-1, 31 KOs) of Denmark, the former undisputed middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs) of Little Rock, Ark., the now-former and still-unbeaten IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (30-0, 24 KOs) of Germany, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist and unbeaten WBC number one contender Andre Ward (19-0, 12 KOs) of Oakland, Calif., and the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist and unbeaten WBC number two contender Andre Dirrell (18-0, 13 KOs) of Flint, Mich.

The winner of this tournament is certain to be regarded as the true super middleweight champion of the world.

The opening round will have three fights, beginning this fall, on dates and at locations to be announced. Carl Froch will face Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler will face Andre Ward, and Arthur Abraham will face Jermain Taylor.

At the kickoff news conference at Madison Square Garden in New York this Monday for this history-making event, we had a chance to speak with fighters Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, and Andre Dirrell about this tournament and their fights. We also spoke with promoters Lou DiBella and Dan Goossen, with boxing writer and television analyst Steve Farhood, and with Ken Hershman, senior vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, which is the key force behind this tournament and will televise it in the U.S.

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 visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum, at http://groups.myspace.com/boxing.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

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Thanks, Eddie Goldman
http://eddiegoldman.comSee you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.

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JOE CALZAGHE WINS DECISION OVER BERNARD HOPKINS

BERNARD HOPKINS VS. JOE CALZAGHE

HBO Sports presented Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe a light heavyweight fight live SATURDAY, APRIL 19(9:45 PM ET/6:45 PM PT) from The Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Six years after unsuccessfully seeking a matchup with Hopkins, Joe Calzaghe now (45-0, 32 KOs), from Newbridge, Wales, finally gets his wish. Known as "The Pride of Wales," the 35-year-old will be fighting at light heavyweight for the first time following a record-tying 21 consecutive world title defenses at super middleweight. In his most recent bout on Nov. 4, Calzaghe unified a host of world titles by taking the belts from Mikkel Kessler in front of a raucous home crowd at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The Hopkins fight will be Calzaghe's first in the United States and only his third outside the United Kingdom, as well as his third HBO appearance.


Over the course of his 20-year career, Philadelphia's Bernard Hopkins now (48-5-1, 32 KOs) has established himself as one of the premier fighters of his era and one of the greatest middleweight champions of all time. After building a reputation on stellar performances against premium competition like Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya, Hopkins cemented his legacy with a stunning victory over reigning champion Antonio Tarver in June 2006 in his first fight at light heavyweight. Following a short retirement, Hopkins returned to the ring last July, scoring a convincing victory over former 154-pound champion Ronald "Winky" Wright in his second light heavyweight bout. This bout marks the 43-year-old Hopkins' 16th appearance on HBO.