Ricky Hatton is backing British Middleweight Champion Matthew Macklin to conquer Europe and the World over the next 12 months. The Birmingham man is the latest addition to Hatton’s new promotional outfit and “The Hitman” has moved quickly to secure a European title shot for his newest signing.
Macklin will contest the vacant European Middleweight title with World ranked Finn, Amin Asikainen at the Manchester Velodrome on September 25th as he looks to move within touching distance of a World title fight. Having won 5 World titles himself Hatton knows exactly what it takes to get to the very top and he believes that Macklin has all the right ingredients.
Hatton, who has yet to make a decision on his own ring career said, “I’ve had my fair share of success with World titles in the ring but now I want to start producing World Champions as a promoter and I firmly believe that Matthew Macklin will be one of them.
“I’ve known Matthew for a long time, we’ve trained together, sparred together and worked each others corners over the years and I’ve always believed that he has the ability to go all the way. He won the British title in very impressive fashion last time out and I think he has the ability to step straight up to European title level and I’m delighted to be able to give him that opportunity on one of my shows.”
However Hatton believes that Asikainen represents a huge challenge for Macklin. “Matthew’s facing a very tough challenge because Asikainen is a vastly experienced operator and he’s been European Champion before but I believe that it’s a fight Matthew can win and use as a spring board to a World title fight next year.”
Macklin says he’d delighted to be linking up with long time friend Hatton and he’s already looking ahead to September 25th. “It’s fitting that I’m working with Ricky as my promoter now because we’ve been good friends for so long. We’ve probably sparred over a hundred rounds together and we’ve always supported each other throughout our careers.
“Ricky promised that he would deliver me the big fights and in my very first fight with him I’ll be fighting for the European title so it’s a huge opportunity for me. I’ve seen quite a bit of Asikainen and I’ve got a lot of respect for him because he’s been campaigning at European title level for the last three years. He’s a big puncher and brings all that experience to the table but he has frailties as well and I believe I’ll be able to set a pace that he can’t cope with.”
Macklin believes he can use the European title as a launch pad to a World title shot next year. “I really feel that things are starting to come together for me now since winning the British title. To be honest I had planned on winning the British title a lot earlier in my career. I’m 27 now so the next few years are going to the most important so when the chance at the European title came along I knew I had to grab it.
“The European middleweight scene is red hot right now and particularly in Germany where they seem to be dominating the division even on the World stage. Obviously Arthur Abraham has just moved up to super middleweight and you have Sebastian Zbik who just won the interim WBC title while Felix Sturm has held the WBA title for the last 3 years.
“Another German, Sebastian Sylvester is fighting for the vacant IBF title in September and Asikainen is rated number 4 with the IBF so a win over him would leave me knocking on the door of a World title shot.”
Asikainen however has World title ambitions of his own and is also targeting a rubber match with old foe Sylvester, the two rivals currently have one win apiece in European title fights.
“Winning the European title for the second time would be great,” said Asikainen. “The European title is the most meaningful belt in boxing after the World title. Of course I dream of winning the World title too some day but right now I am totally focused on Matthew Macklin.”
The flying Finn says that fighting on away ground holds no fears for him. “Coming to Manchester to fight is not a problem for me. As an amateur I fought several times outside Finland and as a pro I have won 3 of my 4 fights abroad including a knockout win over Sebastian Sylvester in Germany. Actually I think that fighting away from home kind of suits me better as it takes some of the pressure off.
“I have power in both hands. I knocked out Sylvester with my left hand and I stopped Yori Boy Campas with my right hand so I am armed and dangerous. I am known as a knockout artist, but I never come looking for the knockout. If it happens, it happens but I will prepare for twelve hard rounds and I believe I can win either on points or by KO.”
Asikainen’s promoter Pekka Maki is equally bullish about his fighter’s chances. “Macklin is not a bad fighter, he has heart and skills but I see some big weaknesses as well. He makes a lot of mistakes in the ring and if you make mistakes against Amin Asikainen you will get knocked out.
“I believe that Macklin has been kept away from powerful punchers and there is a reason for that. Amin Asikainen is a big puncher and I can see a lot of scenarios for Asikainen to beat Macklin. Amin can outbox him, he can overpower him or he can knock Macklin out with a single counterpunch. Overall I just think that Macklin makes too many mistakes to go the distance with Asikainen.”
Despite the confidence within Team Asikainen Macklin believes that he can join British boxing legends like Randy Turpin, Alan Minter, Herol Graham and Richie Woodhall in lifting the European Middleweight title.
“Asikainen is someone I’ve had my eye on for quite some time now and I’ve always believed I have the right attributes to beat him,” said Macklin. “It won’t be easy because he is a quality fighter but I’m determined to prove that I belong up there with the best in the World and I can make a real statement in this fight.”
Macklin’s one regret with moving on to European level is that he won’t get to halt the unbeaten run of Commonwealth Champion Darren Barker. “I had been looking forward to the Barker fight because I firmly believe that I would have got him out of there early but the opportunity to get my hands on the European title was just too good to pass up. If Barker’s honest with himself he would have done exactly the same thing in my position.
“This is an opportunity for me to step up another level and I believe it’s a far tougher fight than Barker anyway. Asikainen is a proven operator at European level and he’s a World ranked fighter. There’s been a lot of hype around Darren but in reality he’s yet to prove himself at British level. I’ve beaten the likes of Yory Boy Campas, Wayne Elcock and highly rated European’s like Geard Ajetovic and Alexey Chirkov. Who has Barker beaten?”See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.
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 rights reserved
Showing posts with label Ricky Hatton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ricky Hatton. Show all posts
Monday, August 3, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Eddie Goldman and Ian Carpenter on Joey Reynolds Show
Eddie Goldman and Ian Carpenter on Joey Reynolds Show
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-05-05T12_03_39-07_00
Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred and videographer, musician, and teacher Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/) were guests on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" late Monday night/early Tuesday morning, May 4/5. Eddie Goldman is also the boxing correspondent for the "Joey Reynolds Show".
We had another fast-paced and lively discussion with Joey covering numerous topics. We discussed and critiqued the new documentary film on Mike Tyson, and the "One World Champion" video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXNd09YflhQ) produced by Eddie and Ian. Ian spoke about his own background. Also among the topics we touched on were the movie business; why so much media today is so short; the Art of War Fighting Championship mixed martial arts event coming up May 23 in Beijing, China; boxer John Duddy; the wonderful Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight of May 2; boxing and martial arts; the continuing appeal of Muhammad Ali; and, of course, roller derby.
The "Joey Reynolds Show" is a national radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 other stations via the WOR Network. The show airs live beginning at midnight ET and runs to 5 AM ET. For more information on the "Joey Reynolds Show," go to http://www.wor710.com/pages/3600691.
For more information on show producer Myra Chanin, go to http://motherwonderful.com/.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman
http://eddiegoldman.com
Enjoy!
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/badge.gifSee you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.
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, Khris Kirkpatrick Morrisey for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-05-05T12_03_39-07_00
Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred and videographer, musician, and teacher Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/) were guests on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" late Monday night/early Tuesday morning, May 4/5. Eddie Goldman is also the boxing correspondent for the "Joey Reynolds Show".
We had another fast-paced and lively discussion with Joey covering numerous topics. We discussed and critiqued the new documentary film on Mike Tyson, and the "One World Champion" video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXNd09YflhQ) produced by Eddie and Ian. Ian spoke about his own background. Also among the topics we touched on were the movie business; why so much media today is so short; the Art of War Fighting Championship mixed martial arts event coming up May 23 in Beijing, China; boxer John Duddy; the wonderful Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight of May 2; boxing and martial arts; the continuing appeal of Muhammad Ali; and, of course, roller derby.
The "Joey Reynolds Show" is a national radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 other stations via the WOR Network. The show airs live beginning at midnight ET and runs to 5 AM ET. For more information on the "Joey Reynolds Show," go to http://www.wor710.com/pages/3600691.
For more information on show producer Myra Chanin, go to http://motherwonderful.com/.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman
http://eddiegoldman.com
Enjoy!
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/badge.gifSee you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.
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, Khris Kirkpatrick Morrisey for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved
Monday, April 27, 2009
DANIEL JACOBS ADDED TO MAY 2ND PACQUIAO VS. HATTON UNDERCARD
LOS ANGELES- Rising middleweight star and one of boxing's hottest prospects, Daniel "The Golden Child" Jacobs, has been added to the much anticipated May 2nd pay-per-view undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton: "The Battle of East and West" at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The highly touted prospect will be featured in the third of four pay-per-view undercard bouts against former two-time world amateur champion Mike Walker.Danny Jacobs
After an impressive second round knockout victory over Jose Varela this past weekend on ESPN's Friday Night Fights, which garnered a Sports Center Top Ten (#6) for all of Friday's sports action, Jacobs quickly accepted the opportunity to fight on back-to-back weekends and showcase his talents for the sold out May 2nd crowd while also appearing on live television around the world."I'm very excited that I have the opportunity to fight again this week," said Jacobs. "I'm in shape and coming off a big knockout win, so I'm ready for the fight with Walker. It's an honor for me to get this type of exposure on the under card of the year's biggest card. I promise that no one will be disappointed with my performance on May 2nd."
"Daniel Jacobs is one of the most impressive young fighters I have seen and we are extremely happy to have him on the May 2nd undercard," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "He is young, hungry and showing early signs being a championship caliber fighter. Fans already have a great line up with the May 2nd pay-per-view, but the addition of Daniel Jacobs makes this card even more exciting."
Brooklyn native Daniel Jacobs, (15-0, 14 KO's) is arguably the most exciting prospect climbing the ranks in boxing today. He has impressed the boxing world with his speed and his sensational knockout power, ending 12 of his 15 professional bouts in two rounds or less. The former Two-Time National Golden Gloves Champion and U.S. Amateur Champion turned pro in December of 2007 and has not skipped a beat since.
HBO Sports' all-access reality series "PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7" will premiere episode #4 in HD on Friday, May 1 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes #1, 2 & 3 will be replayed consecutively prior to the finale, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO on Friday night. The first three episodes are also available on HBO ON DEMAND.
See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.
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, Khris Kirkpatrick Morrisey for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved
Saturday, April 25, 2009
SecondsOut Radio: Ricky Hatton, David Haye, Future of British Boxing
SecondsOut Radio: Ricky Hatton, David Haye, Future of British Boxing
On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman focuses
on the top fighters in boxing in the UK today. We compare where the
careers of Joe Calzaghe, Junior Witter, Amir Khan, Ricky Hatton, David
Haye, and Carl Froch were one year ago with where they are today. And
we comment on the thrilling come-from-behind 12th-round TKO victory
Carl Froch scored over Jermain Taylor this past Saturday night, April
25.
Ricky Hatton, of course, will be facing Manny Pacquiao, regarded by
most as the current pound-for-pound king, this coming Saturday night,
May 2, in Las Vegas. This fight will take place at 140 pounds, where
Hatton is presently regarded as the best fighter in the world. We
spoke with a confident Ricky Hatton on a media conference call this
past week to get his take on this fight.
David Haye, the former cruiserweight champion who relinquished his
belts in that division to move up to heavyweight, will get his wish
for a crack at a heavyweight title when he faces the top fighter in
that weight class, Wladimir Klitschko, June 20 in Germany. David Haye
was in New York this past week for a news conference, and we caught up
with him there for some very poignant comments.
It is free to listen to or download SecondsOut Radio, but you must
register to gain access to it. Just click here, http://www.secondsout.com/radio/,
and listen, learn, and enjoy.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman
http://eddiegoldman.comSee you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.
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, Khris Kirkpatrick Morrisey for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved
Friday, April 17, 2009
HUMBERTO SOTO, JAMES KIRKLAND, MATT KOROBOV and ERISLANDY LARA HEADLINE PACQUIAO-HATTON PAY-PER-VIEW UNDERCARD
LAS VEGAS, NEV.- A world championship battle between north and south will highlight the May 2 pay-per-view undercard for Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton: "The Battle of East and West." World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Featherweight Champion HUMBERTO SOTO of Mexico will defend his title against Canadian contender BENOIT GAUDET. The pay-per-view broadcast will also feature undefeated top-rated junior middleweight contender JAMES KIRKLAND, risking his rating and record when he takes on MIKE WALKER, former two-time world amateur champion and Russian Olympian MATT KOROBOV facing RODRIGO AGUIAR and former world amateur champion, Cuban southpaw ERISLANDY LARA against CHRIS GRAY. Combined, these eight gladiators have a combined record of 135-20-4 (84 KOs), an 85% winning percentage.See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.
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, Khris Kirkpatrick Morrisey for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved
PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7 Episode Two, This Saturday Night At 10 PM ET/PT
On the next Pacquaio-Hatton 24/7, the new influence of assistant trainer and former heavyweight champ Michael Moorer becomes more apparent in Manny Pacquiao's Los Angeles training camp. Meanwhile, Ricky Hatton continues to train in Las Vegas and spends a relaxing night with friends downtown.See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.
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 rights reserved
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Barrera faces Wrath of Khan; Mar. 14 PPV show also features Maccarinelli-Afolabi & Cook-Martinez title fights
HOBOKEN, N.J.– The hype surrounding 22-year-old lightweight prospect Amir Khan may not be the same since his stunning first-round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott last September, but the 2004 Olympic silver medallist has the full confidence of his head trainer, Freddie Roach, as they prepare in Los Angeles for Khan’s showdown with multiple world champion “The Baby Faced Assassin” Marco Antonio Barrera, Saturday, March 14 at The M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom.
Integrated Sports is distributing three 12-round championship bouts featured on the “Khan-Barrera” pay-per-view card, presented by Frank Warren, in North America for live viewing at 4 PM/ET – 1 PM/PT on cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, TVN, DirecTV and Dish Network in the United States, as well as Viewer’s Choice and Bell TV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. Veteran blow-by-blow announcer Ian Darke and color analyst, former WBC lightweight champion Jim Watt, will be calling the action from ringside for Sky Box Office and Integrated Sports PPV.
Khan (19-1, 15 KOs), training at Roach’s famed Wild Card Gym, defends his WBA International lightweight title against seven-time world champion Barrera (65-6, 42 KOs) in the 12-round main event. The two other PPV fights will be former WBO cruiserweight title-holder Enzo Maccarinelli (29-2, 22 KOs) against NABO champ Ola “Kryptonite” Afolabi (13-1-3, 5 KOs) for the WBO cruiserweight championship, while WBO super middleweight champion Nicky “Cookie” Cook (29-1, 16 KOs) defends his title belt against undefeated No. 1 contender Roman “Rocky” Martinez (21-0-1, 12 KOs).
Khan, coming off of a win by second-round TKO of Oisin Fagan for the WBA International title last December, is rated No. 9 by the WBO and No. 13 by the IBF. Roach favourably compares his prospect, Khan, with his ace, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
“Athleticism, speed.....everything,” Roach explained why he believes Amir will emerge victoriously. “Barrera’s best was at 122 and 126; Amir is a big 135-pounder. It’s the perfect time – 22-year-old kid against a 35-year-old veteran. We respect Barrera and there’s a lot we have to lookout from him. Barrera can set-up guys with his experience but we’ve really prepared for that.
“Amir reminds me a lot of Manny Pacquiao. They’re both very athletic and Amir is the only guy who can run with Manny. I remember Manny getting knocked out early in his career (by Rustico Torrecampo in 1996) and everybody writing him off. Amir came in on a bigger stage from the Olympics, but I believe he’ll rebound and become world champion. I brought Amir here (Wild Card) to camp to be with Manny and sparring together built Amir’s confidence. If he can do as well as he did with Manny, he can do as well against anybody. He just made a young man’s mistake against Prescott, going for the knockout, and he got caught. Anybody can get caught and Amir is perfecting his defense. He has come along well since his first fight (vs. Fagan) with me.”
Barrera, who has held world titles in three different weight classes during his 19-year pro career, holds wins against a Who’s Who of contemporary world champions and/or challengers such as Erik Morales (twice), Paulie Ayala, Prince Naseem Hamed, Kevin Kelly, Johnny Tapia, Robbie Peden, Mzonke Fana, and Rocky Juarez (twice).
WBO No. 1 rated Maccarinelli, ranked No. 6 by The Ring, defeated Mohamed Azzaoui, Wayne Braithwite, Bobby Gunn, Marcelo Fabian Dominguez and Mark Hobson (twice) during his WBO title reign (2006-2008). The WBO No. 2 rated London-born Afolabi, now living in California, captured the NABO crown last April, stopping previously unbeaten Eric Fields in the 10th round.
Cook won the WBO super featherweight title in his last fight, taking a 12-round unanimous decision from Alex Arthur (26-1) last September in The M.E.N. Arena. The former European champion is rated No. 6 by The Ring. Puerto Rican star on the rise, NABO super featherweight title-holder Martinez, in addition to being the WBC’s top contender, is also rated No. 4 by the WBA No. 9 by The Ring.
Integrated Sports: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events is Integrated Sports. Among the many events brought to North American viewers by Integrated Sports include World Championship boxing matches featuring Ricky Hatton, Christian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Nicolai Valuev and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports has distributed numerous International soccer matches showcasing teams like Club America of Mexico and the National Team of Argentina. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com.
See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.
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, Khris Kirkpatrick Morrisey for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved
Integrated Sports is distributing three 12-round championship bouts featured on the “Khan-Barrera” pay-per-view card, presented by Frank Warren, in North America for live viewing at 4 PM/ET – 1 PM/PT on cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, TVN, DirecTV and Dish Network in the United States, as well as Viewer’s Choice and Bell TV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. Veteran blow-by-blow announcer Ian Darke and color analyst, former WBC lightweight champion Jim Watt, will be calling the action from ringside for Sky Box Office and Integrated Sports PPV.
Khan (19-1, 15 KOs), training at Roach’s famed Wild Card Gym, defends his WBA International lightweight title against seven-time world champion Barrera (65-6, 42 KOs) in the 12-round main event. The two other PPV fights will be former WBO cruiserweight title-holder Enzo Maccarinelli (29-2, 22 KOs) against NABO champ Ola “Kryptonite” Afolabi (13-1-3, 5 KOs) for the WBO cruiserweight championship, while WBO super middleweight champion Nicky “Cookie” Cook (29-1, 16 KOs) defends his title belt against undefeated No. 1 contender Roman “Rocky” Martinez (21-0-1, 12 KOs).
Khan, coming off of a win by second-round TKO of Oisin Fagan for the WBA International title last December, is rated No. 9 by the WBO and No. 13 by the IBF. Roach favourably compares his prospect, Khan, with his ace, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
“Athleticism, speed.....everything,” Roach explained why he believes Amir will emerge victoriously. “Barrera’s best was at 122 and 126; Amir is a big 135-pounder. It’s the perfect time – 22-year-old kid against a 35-year-old veteran. We respect Barrera and there’s a lot we have to lookout from him. Barrera can set-up guys with his experience but we’ve really prepared for that.
“Amir reminds me a lot of Manny Pacquiao. They’re both very athletic and Amir is the only guy who can run with Manny. I remember Manny getting knocked out early in his career (by Rustico Torrecampo in 1996) and everybody writing him off. Amir came in on a bigger stage from the Olympics, but I believe he’ll rebound and become world champion. I brought Amir here (Wild Card) to camp to be with Manny and sparring together built Amir’s confidence. If he can do as well as he did with Manny, he can do as well against anybody. He just made a young man’s mistake against Prescott, going for the knockout, and he got caught. Anybody can get caught and Amir is perfecting his defense. He has come along well since his first fight (vs. Fagan) with me.”
Barrera, who has held world titles in three different weight classes during his 19-year pro career, holds wins against a Who’s Who of contemporary world champions and/or challengers such as Erik Morales (twice), Paulie Ayala, Prince Naseem Hamed, Kevin Kelly, Johnny Tapia, Robbie Peden, Mzonke Fana, and Rocky Juarez (twice).
WBO No. 1 rated Maccarinelli, ranked No. 6 by The Ring, defeated Mohamed Azzaoui, Wayne Braithwite, Bobby Gunn, Marcelo Fabian Dominguez and Mark Hobson (twice) during his WBO title reign (2006-2008). The WBO No. 2 rated London-born Afolabi, now living in California, captured the NABO crown last April, stopping previously unbeaten Eric Fields in the 10th round.
Cook won the WBO super featherweight title in his last fight, taking a 12-round unanimous decision from Alex Arthur (26-1) last September in The M.E.N. Arena. The former European champion is rated No. 6 by The Ring. Puerto Rican star on the rise, NABO super featherweight title-holder Martinez, in addition to being the WBC’s top contender, is also rated No. 4 by the WBA No. 9 by The Ring.
Integrated Sports: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events is Integrated Sports. Among the many events brought to North American viewers by Integrated Sports include World Championship boxing matches featuring Ricky Hatton, Christian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Nicolai Valuev and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports has distributed numerous International soccer matches showcasing teams like Club America of Mexico and the National Team of Argentina. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com.
See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.
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, Khris Kirkpatrick Morrisey for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved
Monday, November 24, 2008
SecondsOut Radio: Joseph Agbeko, Jorge Teron, More on the Decline of American Boxing
SecondsOut Radio: Joseph Agbeko, Jorge Teron, More on the Decline of American Boxing On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing the unfortunately recurrent theme of the decline of American boxing. This decline was most recently written about by veteran UK sports writer Kevin Mitchell in a piece on the sports blogs of the Guardian of the UK entitled "US boxing is in danger of being consumed by its own bastard children" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/nov/23/boxing). We comment on that article, and also discusswhy having top 140-pound fighter Ricky Hatton, victorious this past Saturday night over Paulie Malignaggi, fight the Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao winner is also not good for boxing.
Eddie Goldman and Joseph "King Kong' Agbeko
One champion fighter who has been absent from action for over a yearis IBF bantamweight champ Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko (25-1, 22 KOs). Originally from Ghana and now fighting out of the Bronx, New York, Agbeko is now finally supposed to be defending his belt December 11 in Newark, New Jersey, against challenger William Gonzalez (21-2, 19KOs). Before this December 11 fight was announced, we caught up with Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko at a New York news conference to discuss the reasons for his absence from the ring, and his plans to defend his title.
Jorge "The Truth" Teron
Another fighter having difficulty securing a date is lightweight prospect Jorge "The Truth" Teron (22-0-1, 15 KOs). The 23-year-old Teron, also from the Bronx, New York, had been scheduled to face journeyman Aldo Valtierra (24-10, 13 KOs) on November 21, but thatentire card was cancelled. However, Teron will now be facing Valtierraon a card on Thursday, December 4, at Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan,New York, promoted by Bob Duffy's Ring Promotions. Again, before the November 21 show was cancelled, we had a chance at aNew York news conference to speak with Jorge Teron about his plans andhis career. Last but not least, the subject of the serious problems facing boxingwas also discussed this past week on the "Joey Reynolds Show", anational radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 otherstations via the WOR Network, and also available online (http://wor710.com/pages/46370.php?contentType=4&contentId=157588). The guestsin this segment were myself, Eddie Goldman, and comedian Jackie "TheJoke Man" Martling, who is also a boxing fan. In a discussion led by Joey Reynolds, also a big supporter of boxing,we focused upon the continuing problems with the treatment of themedia at the Nov. 8 fight between Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones Jr. at Madison Square Garden, as well as other problems plaguing the sport. It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register togain access to it. Just click here, http://www.secondsout.com/radio/,and listen, learn, and enjoy.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman http://eddiegoldman.com
See you at the Fights and Thanks for your time.
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
Eddie Goldman and Joseph "King Kong' Agbeko
One champion fighter who has been absent from action for over a yearis IBF bantamweight champ Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko (25-1, 22 KOs). Originally from Ghana and now fighting out of the Bronx, New York, Agbeko is now finally supposed to be defending his belt December 11 in Newark, New Jersey, against challenger William Gonzalez (21-2, 19KOs). Before this December 11 fight was announced, we caught up with Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko at a New York news conference to discuss the reasons for his absence from the ring, and his plans to defend his title.
Jorge "The Truth" Teron
Another fighter having difficulty securing a date is lightweight prospect Jorge "The Truth" Teron (22-0-1, 15 KOs). The 23-year-old Teron, also from the Bronx, New York, had been scheduled to face journeyman Aldo Valtierra (24-10, 13 KOs) on November 21, but thatentire card was cancelled. However, Teron will now be facing Valtierraon a card on Thursday, December 4, at Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan,New York, promoted by Bob Duffy's Ring Promotions. Again, before the November 21 show was cancelled, we had a chance at aNew York news conference to speak with Jorge Teron about his plans andhis career. Last but not least, the subject of the serious problems facing boxingwas also discussed this past week on the "Joey Reynolds Show", anational radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 otherstations via the WOR Network, and also available online (http://wor710.com/pages/46370.php?contentType=4&contentId=157588). The guestsin this segment were myself, Eddie Goldman, and comedian Jackie "TheJoke Man" Martling, who is also a boxing fan. In a discussion led by Joey Reynolds, also a big supporter of boxing,we focused upon the continuing problems with the treatment of themedia at the Nov. 8 fight between Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones Jr. at Madison Square Garden, as well as other problems plaguing the sport. It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register togain access to it. Just click here, http://www.secondsout.com/radio/,and listen, learn, and enjoy.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman http://eddiegoldman.com
See you at the Fights and Thanks for your time.
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
Friday, November 21, 2008
New York-based Irishman James Moore is pulling for good pal Paul Malignaggi against Ricky Hatton
James Moore, 16-1 (10 KOS), a native of County Wicklow, Ireland, who fights out of Queens, New York, has been training hard at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles for his December 13 challenge of NABF junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman, 26-0 (8 KOS), at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
He is looking forward to a much-needed respite on November 22, when he and trainer Lennox Blackmoore will watch the highly-anticipated Ricky Hatton-Paul “Magic Man” Malignaggi junior welterweight fight on HBO.
Moore, who has sparred many rounds with Malignaggi at Gleason’s Gym in New York, and even traveled to Sicily to spar with the Magic Man when he trained for his last IBF title defense against Lovemore N’dou, will be cheering him on.
“Paulie and I are good friends, and we have worked well together on many occasions,” said the 30-year-old Moore. “Fighting Hatton isn’t easy for anyone because he is so relentless, but Paulie has the speed and movement to beat him. It’s pretty hard to out-finesse Paulie because he is such a good boxer. I am really looking forward to watching the fight, and will be cheering Paulie on all the way. I expect him to win a convincing decision.”
Moore’s bout against Foreman is being promoted by Top Rank, as part of a show headlined by the rubber match between WBO junior welterweight champion Kendall Holt, 24-2 (13 KOS), of Paterson, New Jersey, and former titlist Ricardo Torres, 32-2 (28 KOS), of Colombia.
A large contingent of the enormously popular Moore’s enthusiastic fans is expected to make the trek to see the fight live. Tickets can be purchased in the New York area at Bar 43, 43-06 43rd Street, Sunnyside, NY 11104, phone 718-361-3090; the Fiddlers Pub, 52-75 65th Street, Maspeth, NY 11378; or through Moore’s adviser Barney Moore (no relation), phone 917-559-8467.
Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 1-800-736-1420. They can also be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall box office, which is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
See you at the Fights and Thanks for your time.
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
BOXER VS. BRAWLER: A Pleasing Combo?: Hatton vs. Malignaggi, This Saturday November 22nd at 10:00PM ET/7:00 PM PT, on HBO
On November 22 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the two most extreme exponents of each genre will meet when light-hitting but lightning quick Paul Malignaggi (25-1, 5 KO) meets rugged mauler Ricky "The Hit Man" Hatton (44-1, 31 KO) in a junior welterweight showdown.
When the UK's Ricky Hatton climbs into the ring Saturday, he's staring down his defeat at the hands of Floyd Mayweather last December. His opponent, the affable and engaging Paulie Malignaggi is banking that a fight with a star like Hatton could propel him toward bigger things. Can he afford to let Hatton stand in his way?
Paulie Malignaggi has undergone multiple surgeries on his right hand and realizes he might be fighting on borrowed time. A victory over Ricky Hatton would be the biggest of his career, but could also be his last. Hatton is in a must-win situation. A loss could jeopardize his chances for a fight with Oscar De La Hoya. Are the sands of time running out for both of them?
RICKY HATTON'S GREATEST HITS
One of the biggest fan following in boxing, with some hard-hitting challengers: Luis Collazo. Juan Urango. Jose Luis Castillo. And the unforgetable defeat at the gloves of Floyd Mayweather. Whatever you say about Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton, Hatton's pugnacious style is always engaging.
See you at the Fights and Thanks for your time.
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
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
HATTON vs MALIGNAGGI; November 22, 2008 in a Junior Welterweight World title bout for Hatton's Ring Magazine and IBO Junior Welterweight titles
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI
"ALL I KNOW IS SATURDAY NIGHT, I AM GOING TO BEAT HIS ASS!"
"EVERYONE HAS A PLAN UNTIL THEY GET PUNCHED IN THE FACE. HE'LL USE HIS PLAN UNTIL I PUNCH HIM IN HIS!"
"LOOK AT HIS RESUME. OTHER THAN MAYWEATHER AND COLLAZO, THE REST OF THE GUYS HE FOUGHT WERE AT LEAST 100 YEARS OLD."
RICKY HATTON
"I SHOULD BEAT HIM AND IF I DON'T BEAT HIM I'LL HAVE TO START LOOKING AT THINGS A LITTLE CLOSER!"
"SURE, MY FANS ARE COMING OVER-8,000 TO 10,000 OF THEM WILL BE HERE EVEN WITH THE CREDIT CRUNCH WE'RE HAVING OVER IN ENGLAND!"
Ring Magazine & IBO World Junior Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton and former World Junior Welterweight Champion Paulie Malignaggi will meet this Saturday, November 22, in a Junior Welterweight World title bout for Hatton's Ring Magazine and IBO Junior Welterweight titles. The bout, presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Punch Promotions and DiBella Entertainment and sponsored by Affliction Clothing and Cerveza Tecate, will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and air live on HBO's World Championship Boxing at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
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
"ALL I KNOW IS SATURDAY NIGHT, I AM GOING TO BEAT HIS ASS!"
"EVERYONE HAS A PLAN UNTIL THEY GET PUNCHED IN THE FACE. HE'LL USE HIS PLAN UNTIL I PUNCH HIM IN HIS!"
"LOOK AT HIS RESUME. OTHER THAN MAYWEATHER AND COLLAZO, THE REST OF THE GUYS HE FOUGHT WERE AT LEAST 100 YEARS OLD."
RICKY HATTON
"I SHOULD BEAT HIM AND IF I DON'T BEAT HIM I'LL HAVE TO START LOOKING AT THINGS A LITTLE CLOSER!"
"SURE, MY FANS ARE COMING OVER-8,000 TO 10,000 OF THEM WILL BE HERE EVEN WITH THE CREDIT CRUNCH WE'RE HAVING OVER IN ENGLAND!"
Ring Magazine & IBO World Junior Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton and former World Junior Welterweight Champion Paulie Malignaggi will meet this Saturday, November 22, in a Junior Welterweight World title bout for Hatton's Ring Magazine and IBO Junior Welterweight titles. The bout, presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Punch Promotions and DiBella Entertainment and sponsored by Affliction Clothing and Cerveza Tecate, will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and air live on HBO's World Championship Boxing at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
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
Friday, November 14, 2008
HATTON vs. MALIGNAGGI; Saturday, Nov. 22, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev
Ring Magazine & IBO World Junior Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton and Former World Junior Welterweight Champion Paulie Malignaggi upcoming world title bout on Saturday, Nov. 22, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
The 12-round Junior Welterweight World title bout for Hatton's Ring Magazine and IBO Junior Welterweight World Championships is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Punch Promotions and DiBella Entertainment and sponsored by Affliction Clothing and Cerveza Tecate. The event will air live on HBO's World Championship Boxing at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
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
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
BUTE’S POPULARITY IN CANADA IS SIMPLY OFF THE CHARTS; IBF Super Middleweight Champ Will Defend Against Librado Andrade, Friday, Oct. 24, 2008,
NEW YORK– Lucian Bute’s popularity in Canada has quickly reached Gretzky-like proportions with the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight champion ready to defend his title once again in Montreal on Friday, Oct. 24, in a special championship fight on ShoBox: The New Generation.
“In his last two fights, only the Montreal Canadiens playoffs games have been more popular sporting events on television,” said David Messier, the director of communication for InterBox, which promotes Bute’s fights in Montreal, the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec.
Since March 2006, Lucian has been the main attraction of every InterBox event at the Bell Centre, home of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. His boxing abilities and his style have made him popular among sports fans. His charisma, kindness and generosity have made him a national hero.
America’s neighbors to the north are all abuzz about Bute. With only one previously televised fight in the U.S., America’s boxing fans will get their second look at Bute (22-0, 18 KOs) when he takes on once-beaten, No.1 ranked challenger Librado Andrade (27-1, 21 KOs) of La Habra, Calif., on SHOWTIME on Friday at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
“He is among the most sound, technically proficient fighters in the game,” said ShoBox analyst Steve Farhood. “Although he doesn’t have a flashy style or early-round knockout power, he is refreshing to watch because he's never off-balance, he doesn't fall in after punching, and he fights with calm and poise. Something tells me he would really have prospered going the old championship distance of 15 rounds.
He continued: “For the past few years, the super middleweight division has been all about Joe Calzaghe and then Mikkel Kessler. Bute has to begin to close the gap of recognition. He's already won a title. Now he is looking to establish himself as the best 168-pounder in the world. That's a tough assignment because Kessler is still around, but a win over Andrade will be a big step because Andrade is not only a universally respected challenger, but also the toughest opponent of Bute's career to date.
In a country where hockey has always been king, Bute has garnered interest from sports and non-sports fans alike in Quebec and throughout the entire country. A native of Galat, Romania, Bute moved to Canada in October 2003 when he was 23 years old.
His last nine fights have headlined at the Bell Centre and drawn huge crowds with his most recent fight drawing a capacity crowd estimated at 14,000. Of his 22 professional fights, 16 have been fought in Montreal.
A capacity crowd of 16,000 is expected for Friday night’s fight. Last October, Bute won the IBF 168-pound title with an 11th round TKO against Alejandro Berrio with 1.1 million viewers, according to InterBox. On Feb. 29, in a title defense against William Joppy, a 10-round TKO, there were 1.25 million viewers, according to Messier.
Bute’s trainer Stephane Larouche said the crowd goes wild when he enters the ring. “As of right now, Lucian is the biggest attraction in Montreal,” he said. “When he did his first main event, we sold like, 7,000 seats, then 9,000 seats, then 10,000 seats. It always gets higher and higher. He’s got that charisma in the ring. So far, he’s the talk of the town in Montreal. I think that boxing has never been this popular in Montreal, and Lucian is one of the keys in that right now.”
Messier said there are three big reasons for Bute’s immense popularity: He simply wins, he gives back and he has embraced the French-Canadian culture.
“The main reason he is so popular is because he learned the French language,” he said. “He made the effort to learn French and the people are recognizing him for it.”
Bute is also the foundation president at InterBox. This foundation was created two years ago for young children with difficulties at school and for kids with behavior problems. Last summer, the foundation conducted a youth boxing training camp for 16 children between the ages of 11 and 17. They lived and trained for a week as a boxer would prepare for a fight. A second camp is planned next year.
Bute said signing with InterBox to promote his fights will only continue his love-affair with the Canadian people. “I relied on the support of Quebec boxing fans and they did not let me down,” he said. “The ambiance during my fights at the Bell Centre is extraordinary. I was adopted by the people here, and I have adopted Quebec.”
“On top of all this,” said ShoBox host and play-by-play announcer Nick Charles, “we’ve got a fight fans fight on Friday night. Two tough, determined and talented men will be squaring off. We’ll have the home-crowd hysteria and Bute’s title on the line. It’s a wonderful testament to the fortitude shown by both Bute and Andrade to get to this point.
“I can't wait to see who will control the range, pace and dynamics of this fight. Because whoever does will go home with the title Friday night in Montreal.”
In the co-feature, top prospect and No. 11 ranked World Boxing Council (WBC) contender Ronald Hearns (19-0, 15 KOs) will take on Paul Clavette (14-1-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.
Charles will call the action from ringside with Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, 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 Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talented fighters matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise crowd-pleasing and competitive fights 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 and Kendall Holt.
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
“In his last two fights, only the Montreal Canadiens playoffs games have been more popular sporting events on television,” said David Messier, the director of communication for InterBox, which promotes Bute’s fights in Montreal, the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec.
Since March 2006, Lucian has been the main attraction of every InterBox event at the Bell Centre, home of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. His boxing abilities and his style have made him popular among sports fans. His charisma, kindness and generosity have made him a national hero.
America’s neighbors to the north are all abuzz about Bute. With only one previously televised fight in the U.S., America’s boxing fans will get their second look at Bute (22-0, 18 KOs) when he takes on once-beaten, No.1 ranked challenger Librado Andrade (27-1, 21 KOs) of La Habra, Calif., on SHOWTIME on Friday at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
“He is among the most sound, technically proficient fighters in the game,” said ShoBox analyst Steve Farhood. “Although he doesn’t have a flashy style or early-round knockout power, he is refreshing to watch because he's never off-balance, he doesn't fall in after punching, and he fights with calm and poise. Something tells me he would really have prospered going the old championship distance of 15 rounds.
He continued: “For the past few years, the super middleweight division has been all about Joe Calzaghe and then Mikkel Kessler. Bute has to begin to close the gap of recognition. He's already won a title. Now he is looking to establish himself as the best 168-pounder in the world. That's a tough assignment because Kessler is still around, but a win over Andrade will be a big step because Andrade is not only a universally respected challenger, but also the toughest opponent of Bute's career to date.
In a country where hockey has always been king, Bute has garnered interest from sports and non-sports fans alike in Quebec and throughout the entire country. A native of Galat, Romania, Bute moved to Canada in October 2003 when he was 23 years old.
His last nine fights have headlined at the Bell Centre and drawn huge crowds with his most recent fight drawing a capacity crowd estimated at 14,000. Of his 22 professional fights, 16 have been fought in Montreal.
A capacity crowd of 16,000 is expected for Friday night’s fight. Last October, Bute won the IBF 168-pound title with an 11th round TKO against Alejandro Berrio with 1.1 million viewers, according to InterBox. On Feb. 29, in a title defense against William Joppy, a 10-round TKO, there were 1.25 million viewers, according to Messier.
Bute’s trainer Stephane Larouche said the crowd goes wild when he enters the ring. “As of right now, Lucian is the biggest attraction in Montreal,” he said. “When he did his first main event, we sold like, 7,000 seats, then 9,000 seats, then 10,000 seats. It always gets higher and higher. He’s got that charisma in the ring. So far, he’s the talk of the town in Montreal. I think that boxing has never been this popular in Montreal, and Lucian is one of the keys in that right now.”
Messier said there are three big reasons for Bute’s immense popularity: He simply wins, he gives back and he has embraced the French-Canadian culture.
“The main reason he is so popular is because he learned the French language,” he said. “He made the effort to learn French and the people are recognizing him for it.”
Bute is also the foundation president at InterBox. This foundation was created two years ago for young children with difficulties at school and for kids with behavior problems. Last summer, the foundation conducted a youth boxing training camp for 16 children between the ages of 11 and 17. They lived and trained for a week as a boxer would prepare for a fight. A second camp is planned next year.
Bute said signing with InterBox to promote his fights will only continue his love-affair with the Canadian people. “I relied on the support of Quebec boxing fans and they did not let me down,” he said. “The ambiance during my fights at the Bell Centre is extraordinary. I was adopted by the people here, and I have adopted Quebec.”
“On top of all this,” said ShoBox host and play-by-play announcer Nick Charles, “we’ve got a fight fans fight on Friday night. Two tough, determined and talented men will be squaring off. We’ll have the home-crowd hysteria and Bute’s title on the line. It’s a wonderful testament to the fortitude shown by both Bute and Andrade to get to this point.
“I can't wait to see who will control the range, pace and dynamics of this fight. Because whoever does will go home with the title Friday night in Montreal.”
In the co-feature, top prospect and No. 11 ranked World Boxing Council (WBC) contender Ronald Hearns (19-0, 15 KOs) will take on Paul Clavette (14-1-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.
Charles will call the action from ringside with Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, 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 Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talented fighters matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise crowd-pleasing and competitive fights 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 and Kendall Holt.
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
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Lucien Bute Defends IBF Super Middleweight Title Against Librado Andrade on SHOBOX
NEW YORK– Undefeated International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight champion Lucien Bute (22-0, 18 KOs) will make the second defense of his title against once-beaten, No.1 ranked challenger Librado Andrade (27-1, 21 KOs) in a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation, Friday, Oct. 24 live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
In the co-feature, top prospect and No. 11 ranked World Boxing Council (WBC) contender Ronald Hearns (19-0, 15 KOs) will take on Paul Clavette (14-1-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.
The fights, which feature four boxers with a combined total of 56 KOs and only two loses, will be promoted by Interbox Corporation of Montreal, Canada from the Bell Centre in Montreal.
A southpaw with true knockout power, Bute, of Montreal, is confident in making another defense in his hometown, where he has fought 18 of his 22 professional bouts.
“I’m thrilled to be making another title defense in my backyard,” Bute said. “I worked so hard to get this title that I’m not going to let anybody take it away from me.”
The 6’2’’ brawler may have knockout power, but Bute is going to need more than that to stop Andrade, also 6’2’’, who has never been knocked out.
“I know he (Andrade) is a tough fighter,” Bute said. “But I’m just as tough as he is. I’ve never lost a fight, let alone been knocked out. I’d love to knock him out, but a victory is a victory. As long as I walk out of that ring still a champion I’m happy.”
A hard-hitting Mexican warrior, Andrade is no stranger to world title fights. His sole loss came in a unanimous decision against then World Boxing Association (WBA) and WBC 168-pound champion Mikkel Kessler on March 24, 2007. Andrade bounced back from that loss with three consecutive knockouts in his last three bouts.
In his last fight on March 22, 2008, Andrade registered an eighth round KO over Robert Stieglitz in an IBF eliminator bout to earn a shot at Bute.
“I’m back to the top of my game,” Andrade said. “You only get so many shots at a title in your career, so you better believe that I’m coming prepared. This is what’s it’s all about. This is what I train for.”
Andrade will be traveling to hostile territory to take on Bute. In his only other fight in Canada, on April 8, 2006, Andrade knocked out Otis Grant in the seventh round in a WBC eliminator bout.
“I’m not worried about traveling to his backyard,” said Andrade. “I’m not traveling all the way up there to get beat. I’ll fight him anywhere for that title.”
The co-feature should be as action packed as the main event as it pits two rising prospects with opposing styles. Hearns uses his explosive power to dominate his opponents, while Clavette relies on his polished boxing skills to outpoint his opponents.
Hearns, who has knocked out 80 percent of his challengers, is one of the top prospects in the junior middleweight division. The WBC No. 11 and WBA No. 13 challenger uses strong combinations and devastating right hooks to plow through his opponents.
“My goal is to get to the top, but I have to get though Clavette first,” said Hearns, of Southfield, Mich. “This is a tough fight and I’m not looking past it. I’m confident I’ll win, but for me the only thing I’m worried about is Oct. 24.”
The son of eight time world champion Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns, Hearns may need to adjust his style against the crafty Clavette, who has never fallen to the canvas in his 16 professional bouts. The 6’3’’ brawler has a height advantage over the 5’10’’ Clavette, who possesses blazing speed and great footwork.
“Style-wise, it’s going to be a different match up,” Hearns said. “But that has never stopped me before. I’ve fought a lot of different style fighters and I’m still progressing as a boxer. I learn something in all of my fights, but the important thing is that I walk out with a victory.”
Clavette, of Quebec, Canada, only has one loss on his record, a split decision against David Banks on May 24, 2006. The prospect knows that he needs a victory over Hearns to stay relevant in the junior middleweight division.
“Oct. 24 is my shot to prove myself on SHOWTIME,” Clavette said. “I know Hearns is coming ready to fight, but I need this win more than he does. This is my big shot and I’m ready.”
Nick Charles will call the action from ringside with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing. ShoBox recently celebrated seven outstanding years on the air.
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 Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talented fighters matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise crowd-pleasing and competitive fights 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 and, now, Kendall Holt.
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
In the co-feature, top prospect and No. 11 ranked World Boxing Council (WBC) contender Ronald Hearns (19-0, 15 KOs) will take on Paul Clavette (14-1-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.
The fights, which feature four boxers with a combined total of 56 KOs and only two loses, will be promoted by Interbox Corporation of Montreal, Canada from the Bell Centre in Montreal.
A southpaw with true knockout power, Bute, of Montreal, is confident in making another defense in his hometown, where he has fought 18 of his 22 professional bouts.
“I’m thrilled to be making another title defense in my backyard,” Bute said. “I worked so hard to get this title that I’m not going to let anybody take it away from me.”
The 6’2’’ brawler may have knockout power, but Bute is going to need more than that to stop Andrade, also 6’2’’, who has never been knocked out.
“I know he (Andrade) is a tough fighter,” Bute said. “But I’m just as tough as he is. I’ve never lost a fight, let alone been knocked out. I’d love to knock him out, but a victory is a victory. As long as I walk out of that ring still a champion I’m happy.”
A hard-hitting Mexican warrior, Andrade is no stranger to world title fights. His sole loss came in a unanimous decision against then World Boxing Association (WBA) and WBC 168-pound champion Mikkel Kessler on March 24, 2007. Andrade bounced back from that loss with three consecutive knockouts in his last three bouts.
In his last fight on March 22, 2008, Andrade registered an eighth round KO over Robert Stieglitz in an IBF eliminator bout to earn a shot at Bute.
“I’m back to the top of my game,” Andrade said. “You only get so many shots at a title in your career, so you better believe that I’m coming prepared. This is what’s it’s all about. This is what I train for.”
Andrade will be traveling to hostile territory to take on Bute. In his only other fight in Canada, on April 8, 2006, Andrade knocked out Otis Grant in the seventh round in a WBC eliminator bout.
“I’m not worried about traveling to his backyard,” said Andrade. “I’m not traveling all the way up there to get beat. I’ll fight him anywhere for that title.”
The co-feature should be as action packed as the main event as it pits two rising prospects with opposing styles. Hearns uses his explosive power to dominate his opponents, while Clavette relies on his polished boxing skills to outpoint his opponents.
Hearns, who has knocked out 80 percent of his challengers, is one of the top prospects in the junior middleweight division. The WBC No. 11 and WBA No. 13 challenger uses strong combinations and devastating right hooks to plow through his opponents.
“My goal is to get to the top, but I have to get though Clavette first,” said Hearns, of Southfield, Mich. “This is a tough fight and I’m not looking past it. I’m confident I’ll win, but for me the only thing I’m worried about is Oct. 24.”
The son of eight time world champion Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns, Hearns may need to adjust his style against the crafty Clavette, who has never fallen to the canvas in his 16 professional bouts. The 6’3’’ brawler has a height advantage over the 5’10’’ Clavette, who possesses blazing speed and great footwork.
“Style-wise, it’s going to be a different match up,” Hearns said. “But that has never stopped me before. I’ve fought a lot of different style fighters and I’m still progressing as a boxer. I learn something in all of my fights, but the important thing is that I walk out with a victory.”
Clavette, of Quebec, Canada, only has one loss on his record, a split decision against David Banks on May 24, 2006. The prospect knows that he needs a victory over Hearns to stay relevant in the junior middleweight division.
“Oct. 24 is my shot to prove myself on SHOWTIME,” Clavette said. “I know Hearns is coming ready to fight, but I need this win more than he does. This is my big shot and I’m ready.”
Nick Charles will call the action from ringside with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing. ShoBox recently celebrated seven outstanding years on the air.
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 Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talented fighters matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise crowd-pleasing and competitive fights 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 and, now, Kendall Holt.
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
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Paulie Malignaggi speaks; The world according to Paulie
LAS VEGAS – World-class junior welterweight Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (25-1, 5 KOs) took some time off from his Las Vegas TRAINING CAMP to offer his views on subject ranging from his November 22nd showdown against Ricky Hatton to abdicating his IBF title and a lot in between.
His IBF Title
“I’m very disappointed to give up my title. I did my best to win it and was very proud to wear it. I’ve never heard of the same boxer being the mandatory twice within the same year. I worked hard to get that title, but I was committed to fighting Hatton. Me and Ricky are the top two 140-pounders and we’re fighting to see who is No. 1. We could have asked for an exception requiring the winner to fight Ngoudjo next, but neither of us (Malignaggi and Hatton) would agree, so we let the IBF title go and allowed two guys we’ve already beaten fight for it while we take care of our business. We did Ngoudjo and Urango a favor by not asking for the exception and making them wait another six months to fight. I wish them the best of luck. This is the biggest fight of my career, IBF title or no title. I’m going to show the world that Paulie Malignaggi is the No. 1 light welterweight in the world.”
Hatton’s New Trainer
“Floyd Mayweather, Sr. is putting himself in a tough situation and putting a lot of pressure on Hatton. You can’t teach dogs new tricks. He can teach him a few things in two months, but Hatton doesn’t have the talent – natural speed and defensive ability. Mayweather’s been opening his mouth and when I beat Hatton, everybody is going to say he shouldn’t have gotten rid of his trainer (Billy Graham) and blame Mayweather. When they lose it’s going to cost Mayweather a lot of jobs.”
Training Camp
“I trained in the Poconos for a while. In between the press conferences (Las Vegas and London) I worked at Gleason’s (in Brooklyn). We moved camp last week to Las Vegas for a lot of reasons. I wanted to get used to West Coast time and there are plenty of good fighters in Vegas for sparring. I spar against different styles of fighters to stay sharp. I started sparring in the Poconos and everything has been good.”
His Right Hand
“It’s fine. I’ve been hitting hard. Everybody’s going to find out how good my hand is, especially Ricky Hatton.”
Ricky Hatton
“I’m confident in myself with the experience I’ve gained. I don’t worry about Hatton, his personal life or his change in trainers. I concentrate on being the best Paulie Malignaggi as possible.”
The Fight
“I’m focused on Ricky Hatton, not (Oscar) De La Hoya or (Manny) Pacquiao (Hatton has talked about fighting the De La Hoya-Pacquiao winner after Malignaggi). It’s going to be a very frustrating night for Ricky Hatton. He’ll be catching a lot. I’ll prove that Paulie Malignaggi is the No. 1 140-pounder in the world.”
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
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Malignaggi Recovery Ahead of Schedule
NEW YORK CITY – IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (25-1, 5 KOs) is significantly ahead of schedule in terms of full recovery from his May 28th surgery to repair a fractured metacarpal bone of the middle finger on his right hand.
Malignaggi already is preparing for his November 22nd mega-showdown against Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas, lightly working out in Brooklyn’s famed Gleason’s Gym as well as running three days a week.
“I can start punching in a few weeks,” an ecstatic Malignaggi said after last week’s evaluation by renowned boxing hand specialist, Dr. Steven Margles, at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts. “I’m building a base now and excited about soon starting training camp (with head trainer Buddy McGirt in Vero Beach, Florida). After I beat Hatton I will be universally recognized as the top junior welterweight in the world.”
Dr. Margles reported, “I’m impressed with how the bone has healed. It looks great and is way ahead of normal healing schedules. Paulie will be able to punch the light bag (probably by the end of next week) and two weeks later punch with more resistance.”
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
Malignaggi already is preparing for his November 22nd mega-showdown against Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas, lightly working out in Brooklyn’s famed Gleason’s Gym as well as running three days a week.
“I can start punching in a few weeks,” an ecstatic Malignaggi said after last week’s evaluation by renowned boxing hand specialist, Dr. Steven Margles, at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts. “I’m building a base now and excited about soon starting training camp (with head trainer Buddy McGirt in Vero Beach, Florida). After I beat Hatton I will be universally recognized as the top junior welterweight in the world.”
Dr. Margles reported, “I’m impressed with how the bone has healed. It looks great and is way ahead of normal healing schedules. Paulie will be able to punch the light bag (probably by the end of next week) and two weeks later punch with more resistance.”
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
Saturday, July 5, 2008
FINAL QUOTES AND THOUGHTS AND WEIGHTS RICARDO TORRES vs. KENDALL HOLT AND LAMONT PETERSON-ROGELIO CASTANEDA; Friday, July 4th,
NOTE: WEIGHTS – Ricardo Torres and Kendall Holt each weighed in at 139 pounds during Friday’s weigh-in. Lamont Peterson and Rogelio Castaneda each tipped the scales at 141 pounds.
Both talented fighters weighed 139 pounds, one under the division limit. The fight card is promoted by Bob Arum's Top Rank, Inc.
Ten months after a wildly controversial ending to their first fight, Ricardo Torres will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight title against No. 2 contender Kendall Holt in a rematch on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation on Saturday, July 5, 2008, live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
Holt hopes to show his true colors again, and leave Torres seeing stars on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow/Saturday on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) when he challenges defending champion Torres for the WBO junior welterweight title in a highly anticipated main event of a controversial fight that took place 10 months ago.
Photos: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
In the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA)/WBO No. 5 140-pound contender Lamont Peterson (24-0, 11 KOs) will put his undefeated record on the line against former International Boxing Association champion Rogelio Castaneda. Top Rank will promote both contests from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.
Torres (32-1, 28 KOs), who will defend his WBO crown for a third time, rallied to score a hotly debated 11th-round TKO over Holt (23-2, 12 KOs) on Sept. 1, 2007, in the champion’s hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia.
RICARDO TORRES
“Holt’s style bothered me the first few rounds of our first fight, and it took me a while to figure him out. He is not an easy guy to fight.
“Holt kept running away from me and he wouldn’t stand still. He wasn’t really doing anything except running.
“I made some mistakes in the first fight. Now, I know how to resolve some mistakes I made and take advantage of Holt’s mistakes. I will pressure him and make him do things that he is not ready to do.
“I don’t think Holt is going to change how he fights. He is going to run and stay away from me. We plan to cut off the ring and keep him off of the ropes.
“I had some personal problems to take care off before taking this fight against Holt. This was the best opportunity for me. They talked about me fighting Ricky Hatton at one time, but it didn’t happen.
“Holt is a great boxer. His hand speed bothered me in the first fight. I have to get close to him and not let him dictate the rhythm of this fight.”
Stars and stripes forever: Getting into the spirit of the day, Kendall Holt (left) of Paterson, N.J., dons a red, white and blue hat while posing with Ricardo Torres (wearing a hat from his native Colombia) after Friday's weigh-in at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.
KENDALL HOLT
“If it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense. No one else would have made Torres this kind of money except for me. That is why he took the fight.
“Torres hits really hard, but I will stand my ground and box at my leisure.
“I got caught in an exchange against Torres and the referee prematurely stopped the first fight. The referee stopped the fight because he said I was hurt, but so what? You stop the fight when a fighter can’t defend himself. Arturo Gatti wouldn’t be who he is if they had stopped his fights.
“After looking at the tape of the first Torres fight, I should have been circling and sticking the jab. Torres caught me at a good time and in an exchange when my hands were down. The referee prematurely stopped the fight. I was still able to defend myself. I wasn’t incoherent.
“I fought after the Torres fight and was able to get past our first fight mentally, emotionally and physically.
“Torres fought pretty passively against me. This fight,
I will focus on keeping the action alive and strategically weakening him. I am going to be as active as Marvin Hagler. I am going to make Torres pay for his mistakes.
“Torres is not going to come in there and just try to take my head off. If he said that, he is lying. He is worried about getting hit. When you are a knockout puncher, why would you be asking for smaller gloves?
“This whole week I have been thinking about hitting Torres and watching him fall. When I start to calm down, this fight is in the bag for me. If I box Torres’ ears off, I box his ears off. If I knock him out, I knock him out.
LAMONT PETERSON
“If Castaneda gets too aggressive, I am going to have to let him know that he cannot charge me.
“I can’t look past Castaneda. If I don’t do my job and do what I am supposed to do against him, I won’t be able to have the bigger fights.
“I match up with any of the guys with the 140-pound belts, and I know I can beat them. I would out-skill Timothy Bradley. I can show everyone that I can box against Ricky Hatton. I would track Paulie Malignaggi down.
“This has been the longest time for me between fights. I am ready to hit and be hit. I am ready to work.
“How I win and how I look is important tomorrow night. The better I look, the more demand there will be for me.”
Rogelio Castaneda (left) and Lamont Peterson square off after the weigh in. Both weighed 141 pounds. The unbeaten, world-ranked Peterson and Castaneda will collide in the ShoBox 10-round junior welterweight co-feature at Planet Hollywood.
ROGELIO CASTANEDA
“Peterson is a good boxer, but can’t fight. I want to do whatever is necessary to take him out of this fight. I want to fight inside and come in behind my jab.
“I want to give Peterson his first defeat. I know that I have to knock him out to defeat him. I am not going to win a decision.
“I don’t really know my fighting style. They tell me I’m a boxer and an aggressively strong fighter. I want to run through Peterson.
“I have had problems with cuts. I always get cut in my fights.”
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
Both talented fighters weighed 139 pounds, one under the division limit. The fight card is promoted by Bob Arum's Top Rank, Inc.
Ten months after a wildly controversial ending to their first fight, Ricardo Torres will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight title against No. 2 contender Kendall Holt in a rematch on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation on Saturday, July 5, 2008, live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
Holt hopes to show his true colors again, and leave Torres seeing stars on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow/Saturday on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) when he challenges defending champion Torres for the WBO junior welterweight title in a highly anticipated main event of a controversial fight that took place 10 months ago.
Photos: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
In the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA)/WBO No. 5 140-pound contender Lamont Peterson (24-0, 11 KOs) will put his undefeated record on the line against former International Boxing Association champion Rogelio Castaneda. Top Rank will promote both contests from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.
Torres (32-1, 28 KOs), who will defend his WBO crown for a third time, rallied to score a hotly debated 11th-round TKO over Holt (23-2, 12 KOs) on Sept. 1, 2007, in the champion’s hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia.
RICARDO TORRES
“Holt’s style bothered me the first few rounds of our first fight, and it took me a while to figure him out. He is not an easy guy to fight.
“Holt kept running away from me and he wouldn’t stand still. He wasn’t really doing anything except running.
“I made some mistakes in the first fight. Now, I know how to resolve some mistakes I made and take advantage of Holt’s mistakes. I will pressure him and make him do things that he is not ready to do.
“I don’t think Holt is going to change how he fights. He is going to run and stay away from me. We plan to cut off the ring and keep him off of the ropes.
“I had some personal problems to take care off before taking this fight against Holt. This was the best opportunity for me. They talked about me fighting Ricky Hatton at one time, but it didn’t happen.
“Holt is a great boxer. His hand speed bothered me in the first fight. I have to get close to him and not let him dictate the rhythm of this fight.”
Stars and stripes forever: Getting into the spirit of the day, Kendall Holt (left) of Paterson, N.J., dons a red, white and blue hat while posing with Ricardo Torres (wearing a hat from his native Colombia) after Friday's weigh-in at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.
KENDALL HOLT
“If it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense. No one else would have made Torres this kind of money except for me. That is why he took the fight.
“Torres hits really hard, but I will stand my ground and box at my leisure.
“I got caught in an exchange against Torres and the referee prematurely stopped the first fight. The referee stopped the fight because he said I was hurt, but so what? You stop the fight when a fighter can’t defend himself. Arturo Gatti wouldn’t be who he is if they had stopped his fights.
“After looking at the tape of the first Torres fight, I should have been circling and sticking the jab. Torres caught me at a good time and in an exchange when my hands were down. The referee prematurely stopped the fight. I was still able to defend myself. I wasn’t incoherent.
“I fought after the Torres fight and was able to get past our first fight mentally, emotionally and physically.
“Torres fought pretty passively against me. This fight,
I will focus on keeping the action alive and strategically weakening him. I am going to be as active as Marvin Hagler. I am going to make Torres pay for his mistakes.
“Torres is not going to come in there and just try to take my head off. If he said that, he is lying. He is worried about getting hit. When you are a knockout puncher, why would you be asking for smaller gloves?
“This whole week I have been thinking about hitting Torres and watching him fall. When I start to calm down, this fight is in the bag for me. If I box Torres’ ears off, I box his ears off. If I knock him out, I knock him out.
LAMONT PETERSON
“If Castaneda gets too aggressive, I am going to have to let him know that he cannot charge me.
“I can’t look past Castaneda. If I don’t do my job and do what I am supposed to do against him, I won’t be able to have the bigger fights.
“I match up with any of the guys with the 140-pound belts, and I know I can beat them. I would out-skill Timothy Bradley. I can show everyone that I can box against Ricky Hatton. I would track Paulie Malignaggi down.
“This has been the longest time for me between fights. I am ready to hit and be hit. I am ready to work.
“How I win and how I look is important tomorrow night. The better I look, the more demand there will be for me.”
Rogelio Castaneda (left) and Lamont Peterson square off after the weigh in. Both weighed 141 pounds. The unbeaten, world-ranked Peterson and Castaneda will collide in the ShoBox 10-round junior welterweight co-feature at Planet Hollywood.
ROGELIO CASTANEDA
“Peterson is a good boxer, but can’t fight. I want to do whatever is necessary to take him out of this fight. I want to fight inside and come in behind my jab.
“I want to give Peterson his first defeat. I know that I have to knock him out to defeat him. I am not going to win a decision.
“I don’t really know my fighting style. They tell me I’m a boxer and an aggressively strong fighter. I want to run through Peterson.
“I have had problems with cuts. I always get cut in my fights.”
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
Monday, May 26, 2008
Malignaggi’s hand fractured, Hatton fight not in jeopardy
BOSTON– IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (25-1, 5 KOs) was examined today by his hand specialist, Dr. Steven Margles, at the Lahey Hospital in Burlington, Massachusetts. Dr. Margles confirmed that Malignaggi fractured his right hand during his win by 12-round decision against Lovemore N’dou last Saturday in Manchester, England.
Malignaggi will stay in the Boston area with Dr. Margles to pursue appropriate treatment. “I spoke with Dr. Margles after he examined Paulie and the prognosis is good,” Malignaggi’s promoter Lou DiBella said. “This should not affect Paulie’s big fight this fall against Ricky Hatton in any way.”
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©®™ 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
Malignaggi will stay in the Boston area with Dr. Margles to pursue appropriate treatment. “I spoke with Dr. Margles after he examined Paulie and the prognosis is good,” Malignaggi’s promoter Lou DiBella said. “This should not affect Paulie’s big fight this fall against Ricky Hatton in any way.”
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
Thursday, May 1, 2008
IBF junior welterweight champion 'Paulie 'The Magic Man' Malignaggi training in Sicily for his May 24 rematch against Lovemore N'dou in England
N’dou strictly business for champ Malignaggi
Paul Malignaggi talks about up and coming fight with Lovemore N'Dou May 24th in England
Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1
SIRACUSA, Sicily– IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi has shifted training camp from Vero Beach (Florida) to Sicily in preparation for his May 24 rematch with Lovemore N’dou on the Ricky Hatton-Juan Lazcano card in Manchester, England.
Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KOs) captured the IBF title last June by defeating champion N’dou (46-9-1, 31 KOs) by unanimous 12-round decision.
Paulie successfully defended his belt this past January with a 12-round decision against No. 1 contender Herman Ngoudjo (16-1).
Fighting an opponent he thoroughly outclassed (120-106, 120-106, 118-108) less than a year ago, flooring him in the process, has all the makings of a potential trap fight for Malignaggi, especially with a potential mega-deal on the table to fight Ricky Hatton this fall in New York City, pending wins May 24 by both fighters.
“I’m just working on getting the job done May 24th,” Malignaggi explained. “I’m focused on doing my job on this card, not looking any deeper than I have to. I’m training in Sicily to get acclimated to the time change (like England, 6 hours difference from the East Coast of the U.S.). I have connections here and everything was set-up for me, including my sparring partners. I trained two weeks in Vero Beach with Buddy (McGirt, head trainer) and he’ll catch up with us in Sicily.
“N’dou is a pressure fighter who fights at a high pace. I just have to stay consistent and fight like I did our first fight. I’ll force him into making adjustments. He has to try and get to me, come to me, not stay on the outside. He’s been the same fighter for a long time and I don’t expect anything much different this fight.”
Malignaggi was born in Brooklyn but his Italian immigrant parents moved back to Siracuse, Sicily when Paulie was only a few months old. Six years later, the family decided to move back to the United States, but Paulie’s professional soccer playing father, Nello, stayed only a few weeks before returning to live in Siracuse.
McGirt predicts Malignaggi will be ready for N’dou once again. “N’dou brought in Boza Edwards to train him and I know they’ll be concentrating more on a body attack,” Buddy said. “They’ll judge Paulie off of his last fight (against Ngoudjo) and try to do a couple of things differently. Once things don’t go his way, hopefully, N’dou will go back to fighting the way he always does.
Buddy McGirt
“Paulie won’t be looking ahead to Hatton. He never mentioned Hatton’s name in the two weeks he trained here (Vero Beach). Paulie learned a tough lesson against Ngoudjo, looking ahead to talks about fighting Hatton. There’s no Hatton fight unless he wins this fight. Paulie will be ready.”
Hatton
CONTACT:Bob Trieger Full Court Press
©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "El Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience all rights reserved
Paul Malignaggi talks about up and coming fight with Lovemore N'Dou May 24th in England
Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1
SIRACUSA, Sicily– IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi has shifted training camp from Vero Beach (Florida) to Sicily in preparation for his May 24 rematch with Lovemore N’dou on the Ricky Hatton-Juan Lazcano card in Manchester, England.
Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KOs) captured the IBF title last June by defeating champion N’dou (46-9-1, 31 KOs) by unanimous 12-round decision.
Paulie successfully defended his belt this past January with a 12-round decision against No. 1 contender Herman Ngoudjo (16-1).
Fighting an opponent he thoroughly outclassed (120-106, 120-106, 118-108) less than a year ago, flooring him in the process, has all the makings of a potential trap fight for Malignaggi, especially with a potential mega-deal on the table to fight Ricky Hatton this fall in New York City, pending wins May 24 by both fighters.
“I’m just working on getting the job done May 24th,” Malignaggi explained. “I’m focused on doing my job on this card, not looking any deeper than I have to. I’m training in Sicily to get acclimated to the time change (like England, 6 hours difference from the East Coast of the U.S.). I have connections here and everything was set-up for me, including my sparring partners. I trained two weeks in Vero Beach with Buddy (McGirt, head trainer) and he’ll catch up with us in Sicily.
“N’dou is a pressure fighter who fights at a high pace. I just have to stay consistent and fight like I did our first fight. I’ll force him into making adjustments. He has to try and get to me, come to me, not stay on the outside. He’s been the same fighter for a long time and I don’t expect anything much different this fight.”
Malignaggi was born in Brooklyn but his Italian immigrant parents moved back to Siracuse, Sicily when Paulie was only a few months old. Six years later, the family decided to move back to the United States, but Paulie’s professional soccer playing father, Nello, stayed only a few weeks before returning to live in Siracuse.
McGirt predicts Malignaggi will be ready for N’dou once again. “N’dou brought in Boza Edwards to train him and I know they’ll be concentrating more on a body attack,” Buddy said. “They’ll judge Paulie off of his last fight (against Ngoudjo) and try to do a couple of things differently. Once things don’t go his way, hopefully, N’dou will go back to fighting the way he always does.
Buddy McGirt
“Paulie won’t be looking ahead to Hatton. He never mentioned Hatton’s name in the two weeks he trained here (Vero Beach). Paulie learned a tough lesson against Ngoudjo, looking ahead to talks about fighting Hatton. There’s no Hatton fight unless he wins this fight. Paulie will be ready.”
Hatton
CONTACT:Bob Trieger Full Court Press
©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "El Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience all rights reserved
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
2004 U.S. OLYMPIAN ANDRE DIRRELL TO TAKE ON ONCE-BEATEN ANTHONY HANSHAW ON SHOBOX
NEW YORK– In a match-up of top super middleweight prospects, undefeated 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Andre Dirrell (14-0, 9 KOs) will take on once-beaten Anthony Hanshaw (21-1-1, 14 KOs) in a 10-round showdown Friday, May 2, live on SHOWTIME (ShoBox: The New Generation, 11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
Andre Dirrell
In the co-feature, the promising and once-beaten Antonio DeMarco (18-1-1, 13 KOs) will take on undefeated Juan Castaneda (12-0, 9 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout.
The SHOWTIME event will be promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC and originate from the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif.
Dirrell, who won the bronze medal at the Athens Olympic Games, will continue his recent step-up in opposition. The hard-hitting southpaw is coming off of a third-round TKO over Shannon Miller on Feb. 1, 2008.
According to Dirrell’s trainer and grandfather, Leon Lawson, the former Olympian and 24-year-old Flint, Mich., native is ready for the next step.
“Andre has looked good with everyone he steps in the ring with,” said Lawson, who also trains Andre’s brother and fellow undefeated super middleweight prospect, Anthony. “He has been sparring with the best, and I know he can fight with the best.”
In June 2007, Dirrell faced his toughest opponent to date when he scored a 10-round unanimous decision over fellow prospect Curtis Stevens on national television. The fans and many at ringside voiced their displeasure at the lack of action throughout the contest.
“A lot of the fans know that wasn’t me, but people are going to criticize,” Dirrell said. “I can understand how everybody felt about the fight, but that wasn’t me that night. They will see a lot better performance from me this time.”
Dirrell has studied Hanshaw’s fights on tape in preparation for their upcoming bout.
“I am just going to keep Hanshaw on the outside and put my punches together,” Dirrell said. “I will come away with a good outcome and a really good, crowd-pleasing performance. Just look out for a new Andre.”
Currently training at the Police Athletic League Gym in Winter Haven, Fla., Dirrell praised his upcoming opponent.
“Hanshaw is a good fighter. I have known him since the amateurs, and remember that he won five or six Ohio State Fair championships. Nobody else had done that. He is going to be my toughest opponent yet. There is no doubt about it.”
Hanshaw, a once-beaten legitimate prospect of Warren, Ohio, has an impressive training regimen of his own. He has been training in Houston, Texas, with 2003 World Boxing Hall of Fame Trainer of the Year Ronnie Shields.
Despite the fact that his upcoming opponent won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics, Hanshaw said that his resume is more impressive.
“Dirrell is up and coming, but he is going to be a little bit too small,” Hanshaw said. “I am going to be too strong for him, especially with me coming back down from light heavyweight to my natural weight.
“Dirrell is a runner, but I’m going to be right on him. He still fights like an amateur. After I slow him down with the body shots, I’ll knock him out in the sixth or seventh round.”
Under the tutelage of Shields, the 30-year-old Hanshaw is in good company. The former three-time light welterweight Golden Glove Champion has trained Mike Tyson, Vernon Forrest, Pernell Whitaker and Evander Holyfield.
“Shields and I have been working on what we are going to do, and I’m going to be right there in Dirrell’s face,” Hanshaw said. “It is going to be a hell of a fight. I am going to take him out of there.
“Being trained by a guy like Ronnie gives me extra motivation. Knowing that he was worked with some of the best fighters in history makes me push it even harder. He is a hell of a trainer.”
A good judge of talent, Shields knows that Hanshaw has the skills to move to the next level.
“Hanshaw has a lot of potential, he always has,” said the renowned trainer. “The thing is you have to bring it out of him. That’s what we are trying to do now.
“Of course I’m confident that he has the abilities to beat Dirrell. Andre moves a lot and is a sneaky counter puncher, but I think Hanshaw is the bigger stronger guy and he should be able to impose his will. Dirrell wants to move, but Hanshaw will make him exchange punches.”
The sole blemish on Hanshaw’s record is a decision loss to future Boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones, Jr., on July 14, 2007. Hanshaw was impressive in the bout, which was fought at 175 pounds.
Shields knows that this is an important fight for Hanshaw, especially coming off of the loss to Jones, Jr.
“Dirrell is a good fighter and this is a big step up,” Shields said. “Outside of Roy Jones, this is the biggest fight of his career. Hanshaw is focused and ready to prove that he has what it takes to become a champion.”
Play-by-play announcer Nick Charles and expert analyst/boxing historian Steve Farhood will call the action from ringside. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
For information on Showtime Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and EliteXC mixed martial arts telecasts, please go 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, talented fighters matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise crowd-pleasing and competitive fights while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. To date, 24 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox have advanced to garner world titles includes Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Kelly Pavlik, Paulie Malignaggi and Paul Williams.
©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "El Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience all rights reserved
Andre Dirrell
In the co-feature, the promising and once-beaten Antonio DeMarco (18-1-1, 13 KOs) will take on undefeated Juan Castaneda (12-0, 9 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout.
The SHOWTIME event will be promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC and originate from the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif.
Dirrell, who won the bronze medal at the Athens Olympic Games, will continue his recent step-up in opposition. The hard-hitting southpaw is coming off of a third-round TKO over Shannon Miller on Feb. 1, 2008.
According to Dirrell’s trainer and grandfather, Leon Lawson, the former Olympian and 24-year-old Flint, Mich., native is ready for the next step.
“Andre has looked good with everyone he steps in the ring with,” said Lawson, who also trains Andre’s brother and fellow undefeated super middleweight prospect, Anthony. “He has been sparring with the best, and I know he can fight with the best.”
In June 2007, Dirrell faced his toughest opponent to date when he scored a 10-round unanimous decision over fellow prospect Curtis Stevens on national television. The fans and many at ringside voiced their displeasure at the lack of action throughout the contest.
“A lot of the fans know that wasn’t me, but people are going to criticize,” Dirrell said. “I can understand how everybody felt about the fight, but that wasn’t me that night. They will see a lot better performance from me this time.”
Dirrell has studied Hanshaw’s fights on tape in preparation for their upcoming bout.
“I am just going to keep Hanshaw on the outside and put my punches together,” Dirrell said. “I will come away with a good outcome and a really good, crowd-pleasing performance. Just look out for a new Andre.”
Currently training at the Police Athletic League Gym in Winter Haven, Fla., Dirrell praised his upcoming opponent.
“Hanshaw is a good fighter. I have known him since the amateurs, and remember that he won five or six Ohio State Fair championships. Nobody else had done that. He is going to be my toughest opponent yet. There is no doubt about it.”
Hanshaw, a once-beaten legitimate prospect of Warren, Ohio, has an impressive training regimen of his own. He has been training in Houston, Texas, with 2003 World Boxing Hall of Fame Trainer of the Year Ronnie Shields.
Despite the fact that his upcoming opponent won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics, Hanshaw said that his resume is more impressive.
“Dirrell is up and coming, but he is going to be a little bit too small,” Hanshaw said. “I am going to be too strong for him, especially with me coming back down from light heavyweight to my natural weight.
“Dirrell is a runner, but I’m going to be right on him. He still fights like an amateur. After I slow him down with the body shots, I’ll knock him out in the sixth or seventh round.”
Under the tutelage of Shields, the 30-year-old Hanshaw is in good company. The former three-time light welterweight Golden Glove Champion has trained Mike Tyson, Vernon Forrest, Pernell Whitaker and Evander Holyfield.
“Shields and I have been working on what we are going to do, and I’m going to be right there in Dirrell’s face,” Hanshaw said. “It is going to be a hell of a fight. I am going to take him out of there.
“Being trained by a guy like Ronnie gives me extra motivation. Knowing that he was worked with some of the best fighters in history makes me push it even harder. He is a hell of a trainer.”
A good judge of talent, Shields knows that Hanshaw has the skills to move to the next level.
“Hanshaw has a lot of potential, he always has,” said the renowned trainer. “The thing is you have to bring it out of him. That’s what we are trying to do now.
“Of course I’m confident that he has the abilities to beat Dirrell. Andre moves a lot and is a sneaky counter puncher, but I think Hanshaw is the bigger stronger guy and he should be able to impose his will. Dirrell wants to move, but Hanshaw will make him exchange punches.”
The sole blemish on Hanshaw’s record is a decision loss to future Boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones, Jr., on July 14, 2007. Hanshaw was impressive in the bout, which was fought at 175 pounds.
Shields knows that this is an important fight for Hanshaw, especially coming off of the loss to Jones, Jr.
“Dirrell is a good fighter and this is a big step up,” Shields said. “Outside of Roy Jones, this is the biggest fight of his career. Hanshaw is focused and ready to prove that he has what it takes to become a champion.”
Play-by-play announcer Nick Charles and expert analyst/boxing historian Steve Farhood will call the action from ringside. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
For information on Showtime Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and EliteXC mixed martial arts telecasts, please go 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, talented fighters matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise crowd-pleasing and competitive fights while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. To date, 24 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox have advanced to garner world titles includes Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Kelly Pavlik, Paulie Malignaggi and Paul Williams.
©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "El Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience all rights reserved
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