Chambers Gets an Old School Philly Education by Steve Kim of maxboxing.com‏

This 4th of July contest isn't the first title eliminator for Chambers on German soil. His bout versus Povetkin in January of 2008 was for the IBF version. In a bout that he controlled early, he inexplicably stopped fighting and was overtaken down the stretch by Povetkin.

“In the fight with Povetkin, Povetkin's eye was swollen, everything like this and Buddy McGirt is my dear friend and Buddy was trying to do the best he could. Buddy was brought in late in that. Nobody mentioned the eye. Certain buttons have to be pushed in an athlete," said Murray.

Chambers promises to not repeat the same mistake. He knows that Dimitrenko enjoys the home canvas advantage this weekend.

"It taught me one thing," Chambers says of lone professional defeat, "no matter how much you have something under control, especially in boxing, it's not to say you can't lose control. And for me, I've seen it. So when you get control, assume control, do not give up anything. Just because it seems like it's getting easy don't back down, don't pull off the gas. First of all, I'm NOT fighting at home, I'm not necessarily going to get a fair decision. I'm not going to say it's going to be a bad decision or anything like that, but you never know with the decisions.
“But first of all, I gotta win and win impressively anyway, just to get a draw. So that fight in itself really taught me what I really have to do and the pressure I gotta put on these guys."

Chambers, despite not being the biggest heavyweight out there, has a solid set of tools: fast hands, elusiveness and the ability to relax. But he can frustrate you at times with the way he fights. In his victory over Peter, he showed an alarming lack of urgency that made what could've been a decisive outcome into a fight he had to eke out. Chambers says that part of the reason he couldn't let his hands go as often as he wanted is because he jammed his right wrist.

But he conceded," I wasn't 100-percent happy, honestly, I felt I could've done more. I rocked him a few times, I really did some serious damage to him mentally, physically throughout the whole fight and I think I had complete control but in doing so I don't think I finished the fight the way I needed to. Maybe I could've finished it before it was supposed to be done - meaning stopping him early. I had all those opportunities, all these things could've been done but I didn't follow up and in that part I was a little disappointed. But with the victory, I was satisfied."

Perhaps one thing that also held him back was the fact that Chambers weighed in closer to 220-pounds than he did to 210.

"I'm not going to say all of that was it, the fact is, me being big or small, I can fight with anybody," he says. "But I think if I would've been smaller, lighter, I would've been able to get off more combinations, sharper shots."

Expect a much slimmer, trimmer Chambers this time around.

“I see something now at 209-pounds," says Murray, who gets excited at the mere thought of it. "I remember Holyfield at his best, 6'1, 212. When Ali was really jumping around, he was 210, 211. He slowed down as he got older and heavier." To Murray, a smaller Chambers is a better Chambers. “I've seen him heavy and I've seen him light. I like what I see lighter. In other words, if you go back to the great heavyweight fighters, champions: Jack Johnson, 6'1, 190-something pounds, maybe at 200. Joe Louis, 190-something pounds. Rocky Marciano, 195-pounds, Most of the great fighters were smaller guys. It goes back to football; your last line of defense is what? Defensive backs, they're stopping jokers and they weigh 190-195 pounds, they're not big guys."

Even in an era where world-class heavyweights look more like defensive ends than free safeties, Murray believes that less is more.

“What I'm saying is, speed is the thing that will get you through everything. Speed and talent and being able to break the defense and do all the things you can possibly do. The lighter Eddie is, the sharper he is."

Win this fight, and he gets a shot at Wladimir Klitschko.

“I gotta tell ya', we all know that Eddie's shown the ability to go out there and be a mesmerizing heavyweight. One that's fast, accurate, can take a shot, can give better than the other guy," said his promoter, Dan Goossen. "But what we've seen with that, is a lack of consistency throughout the fight. For some reason I believe that Rob Murray Sr. has got in his head and I don't know if you've seen this in some of the other interviews he's done, but he's never been so verbally aggressive in what he's going to do in a fight since we've been involved with him and I actually believe what he's saying now. That he believes and if he does, then I think we're in for a great performance and one that might shock a lot of people because I think Eddie Chambers has finally realized how good he is.
“But what he's gotta do is achieve that success."

BERRY BERRY GOOD

Those of you that know me at all know that I'm pretty set in my ways. I take pride in being pretty old-fashioned. Well, some of you may want to sit down - I turned in my beloved old Nextel flip-phone for a Blackberry. Yup, I went from 1999 to about 2005.

First Kim Jong-Ill gets nuclear weapons, now I get a Blackberry. Don't let us Koreans have too many gadgets, we can get crazy. I'm actually taking pictures and videos with my new thing-a-ma-jig and sending them to people. I even put up my own screen saver. I still can't believe it. And get this, you can even browse the internet on this thing. Seriously, when did they come up with that?!? It's amazing. What will they think of next?

I mean, now I'm even thinking of replacing my abacus for a calculator (I’m thinking of going with a Texas-Instruments model) and perhaps even replacing my Vic20 computer. Is this Apple company reputable? You know, progress ain't such a bad thing.

Now, here's the kicker, I even got my own Twitter account (stevemaxboxing) and you won’t believe this, I actually tweeted (that's what the kids call it, right?) from my new thing-a-ma-berry. On this new fangled contraption I plan on giving out whatever boxing scoops and flurries that came up throughout the day.

As for my Walkman, sorry folks, that stays. I have waaaaay too many cassette tapes of Stevie B, Lisa Lisa, Public Enemy, RUN-DMC and Billy Ocean that I still listen to while working out.

FRIDAY FLURRIES

OK, so who got the better end of the Trevor Ariza-Ron Artest swap? I think Artest will give the Lakers a lot of toughness and grit, but he has a tendency to kill ball movement at times.....So that means the Lakers will re-sign Lamar Odom and Shan-Wow Brown, right?.....Seriously, with all the questions about who really fathered Michael Jackson's kids, doesn't it give the song 'Billie Jean' a whole new meaning?...Is there a better one-man wrecking crew than the Padres’ Adrian Gonzalez?....The newest fighter training at the Wild Card Boxing Club is heavyweight Brian 'Fresh' Minto.....Get this folks, I'm also using a Jawbone earpiece....I still can't believe I'm on Twitter. The world may come to an end. Have a great 4th, everyone....

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

American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians Statement: Postpone Klitschko-Chagaev Fight "Due to Medical Safety Issues" By Eddie Goldman

It may seem incredible that they even have to do this, but the
American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians (AAPRP)
(http://aaprp.org/) issued a statement Thursday, June 18, calling for
the June 20 heavyweight title boxing match between Wladimir Klitschko
and Ruslan Chagaev to be postponed "due to medical safety issues".

Wladimir Klitschko


The reason is clear and simple, as the May 30 WBA title fight between
Ruslan Chagaev and Nikolai Valuev was cancelled because Chagaev had
tested positive for the hepatitis B antigen. That fight was scheduled
to take place in Helsinki, Finland, and most places around the world
which host major boxing events do not permit fighters with this
dangerous and infectious disease to compete.

The Klitschko-Chagaev fight, however, is scheduled to take place in
Gelsenkirchen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, and the authorities in
charge of this fight have far less comprehensive medical requirements
for fighters than those in North America, the UK, and much of the rest
of the world do.

The AAPRP statement refutes what they say has been some of the
misinformation widely circulated in the media about the dangers of
hepatitis B, and what is being proposed for the safety measures for
this fight.

While this fight is being held in Germany, boxing is an international
sport, and the fight will be telecast in the US on ESPN Classic. It is
also for a series of heavyweight belts, including that of the American-
based The Ring magazine, whose parent company, Sports and
Entertainment Publications, LLC, is a subsidiary of Golden Boy
Enterprises, whose president is the famed boxer and now promoter,
Oscar De La Hoya. So there is much interest in this fight in America,
and especially in an organization like AAPRP.

We also discussed this issue at length on my podcast, No Holds Barred,
with Dr. Joseph Estwanik, who serves on the AAPRP Board of Directors.
You can play or download that edition of No Holds Barred at
http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2009-06-16T14_28_53-07_00. You can
also download that edition of No Holds Barred at http://www.mediafire.com/?dtanmmchmyg.

The AAPRP web site is at http://aaprp.org . Here is the full text of
their statement:

As it has been reported that Mr. Ruslan Chagaev has tested positive
for the Hepatitis B Virus, the American Association of Professional
Ringside Physicians (the “AAPRP”) is recommending that the proposed
contest between Mr. Ruslan Chagaev and Mr. Vladimir Klitschko be
postponed due to medical safety issues. The AAPRP also recommends that
this fight not take place and suggests that Mr. Chagaev not be
permitted to fight (anyone) until, and unless, he can demonstrate a
"negative hepatitis status.

In several recent media accounts, it has been stated that Mr. Chagaev
has a “low hepatitis B viral load” and therefore poses “no risk” of
transmitting this dangerous virus. The AAPRP disagrees with this
assertion. Although the risk of transmission of the Hepatitis B Virus
may be minimal, the risk is not zero. Additionally, given the fact
that Hepatitis B is a very virulent virus and easily transmitted, it
is even more important to be prudent in order to not only protect Mr.
Chagaev’s opponent, but also the referee, judges, sanctioning body
officials, cornermen, ringside physicians and ringside observers who
may be at risk of contracting this dangerous virus. As boxing is
obviously considered a “blood sport”, it is very common for blood to
splatter on the individuals immediately adjacent at ringside. The
conjunctiva (eye) route of transfer for this virus is well
documented....so any person seated at ringside, who is not immunized,
may be at risk.

Furthermore, statistics suggest that if Mr. Chagaev were to share
needles with another individual, the transmission rate of Hepatitis B
could be as high as 30%. If blood from a cut on Mr. Chagaev were to
come into direct contact with a cut on another fighter, the
transmission rate could be as high as 10%. Should blood squirt from
Mr. Chagaev and hit another individual in the eye (i.e. Judge,
referee, cornerman or media) the transmission rate could be as high as
5%. Therefore, the risk is obviously greater than zero and could put
others at ringside (beside his opponent) at risk for acquiring this
virus.

Unless everyone at ringside (Judges, referees, ringside physicians,
commission members, sanctioning body officials, trainers, cornermen,
media reporters, ring girls, television technicians, spectators and of
course the fighters opponent) has documented immunity to Hepatitis B
(a three shot hepatitis immunity vaccination series given over a 6
month period with a subsequent documented blood test confirming
immunity), protection against exposure to this dangerous virus cannot
be guaranteed. Finally, if bleeding does occur, the individuals
responsible for cleaning the ring as well as those handling the gloves
must also be immune to minimize the risk as well.

The American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians considers
safety our number one priority and will work with local and
international commissions to insure that all precautions are taken to
protect all individuals involved in professional boxing.

For more information, please contact the AAPRP.

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

No Holds Barred: Wladimir Klitschko-Ruslan Chagaev Hepatitis B Controversy, with Dr. Joseph Estwanik

No Holds Barred: Wladimir Klitschko-Ruslan Chagaev Hepatitis B Controversy, with Dr. Joseph Estwanik

http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2009-06-16T14_28_53-07_00

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with noted ringside physician Dr. Joseph Estwanik about the controversy involving the June 20 fight in Germany between Wladimir Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev for several heavyweight boxing belts.

Chagaev had been scheduled to face Nikolai Valuev May 30 in Finland, but that fight was cancelled after a prefight blood test found Chagaev to be positive with the hepatitis B antigen. The next week, when David Haye pulled out of a scheduled June 20 fight with Wladimir Klitschko because of a training injury, Chagaev was chosen to replace Haye as Klitschko's opponent.

Yet, according to the standards of the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians (http://aaprp.org/), on whose Board of Directors Dr. Joseph Estwanik serves, "If a fighter is Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Positive (reactive), they have Hepatitis B and cannot fight as they are infectious." Nonetheless, the Klitschko-Chagaev fight is being permitted to proceed in Germany.

In our commentary on this fight, we discuss why it is yet another disgrace for boxing. We detail how and why most of the boxing media are once again failing to expose this disgrace and are actually trying to benefit from this fight, including The Ring, which has announced that they will recognize the Klitschko-Chagaev winner as their "heavyweight champion of the world". And we stress the need to support the independent boxing media.

In our lengthy discussion with Dr. Joseph Estwanik, the issues of what is hepatitis B and why fighters who have it should not be allowed to fight are examined in depth. This is the type of candid and thorough discussion with a leading and veteran ringside physician which you will not be able to find in almost all the other media covering boxing, but it is our pleasure and privilege to be able to present it to you right here on No Holds Barred.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.

The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/).

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

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

Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/).

American Top Team (http://americantopteam.com/). Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411 (http://wrestling411.tv), providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions (http://www.mediasportsproductions.com/), whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
http://eddiegoldman.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 rights reserved

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

WRIGHT VS. WILLIAMS

Battle-tested veteran Ronald "Winky" Wright (51-4-1, 25 KOs), the most-avoided fighter of the last decade, is a former junior middleweight champion who has scored back-to-back wins against Shane Mosley, as well as defeating Felix Trinidad. A native of St. Petersburg, Fla., he is one of boxing's elite defensive specialists, with a precise jab that picks apart opponents. Although he suffered a decision loss to future Hall-of-Famer Bernard Hopkins in 2007, the 37-year-old Wright will make younger fighters earn their spot among boxing's best.

Two time welterweight champ Paul Williams (36-1, 27 KOs) of Augusta, Ga. is one of the most-feared fighters in boxing. Now on the cusp of stardom, the 27-year-old's height, agility and raw power have made foes think twice about even entering the ring with him. Williams has defeated Antonio Margarito, among others, and now looks to raise his profile in this 12-round contest.

The opening bout features ambitious, hard-charging young Cristobal Arreola (26-0, 23 KOs) and dangerous vet Jameel McCline (39-9-3, 23 KOs) in a 12-round heavyweight clash. Arreola, of Riverside, Cal., can deliver thunderous blows and is riding a string of 13 consecutive fights in which he has sent his opponent crashing to the canvas. Next, he looks to prove himself the most serious threat to titleholders in the division.

Jameel McCline, from West Palm Beach, Fla., has fought the best the division has to offer, amassing 51 professional bouts against the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Chris Byrd and Samuel Peter. An imposing 6'5" and 270 pounds, McCline's experience, ring generalship and hard hitting should provide a formidable challenge for Arreola.


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

Newly-crowned IBF Cruiserweight Champion Tomasz “Goral” Adamek of Jersey City and Golwice, Poland returns to Newark’s Prudential Center on Friday, February 27th to make the first defense of his world title against Detroit’s undefeated Johnathon Banks when Main Events and Ziggy Promotions, in association with K2 Promotions, bring boxing back to “The Rock.” The inaugural event of Main Events’ “Brick City Boxing Series” at the Prudential Center also will be aired on Showtime as part of its ShoBox boxing series.

Just a month ago, Adamek (36-1, 24 KO’s) thrilled thousands of cheering fans as he electrified Newark’s state-of-the art arena, scoring three knockdowns over defending champion Steve Cunningham, to earn a blistering 12-round win in a fight that many boxing scribes have dubbed “The Fight of the Year.” Also the former WBC Light Heavyweight Champion, Adamek is no stranger to “Fight of the Year” consideration. Making his first-ever US appearance, the former Polish national amateur standout traveled to Chicago in May of 2005 and defeated Number One Contender Paul Briggs in a brutal 12-round slugfest hailed as a candidate for “Fight of the Year” honors.

Rated number 8 in the world by the IBF and number 1 by WBO, Banks (20-0, 14 KO’s) is a product of Detroit’s famed Kronk Gym, where he is managed by Motor City boxing legend, Emmanuel Steward. A Hall of Fame trainer/manager/color commentator, Steward has helmed the careers of numerous notable world champions, including Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns, former Heavyweight Champions Michael Moorer and Lennox Lewis and current World Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko, to name a few. Banks has had the benefit of training side by side with Lewis and Klitschko throughout his career and is associated with the Klitschko brothers’ promotional arm, K2.

Noted Boxing writer Tim Smith said of the Adamek - Cunningham battle , “Fight Of The Year: My pick is Tomasz Adamek - Steve Cunningham for the IBF Cruiserweight title….I saw it live at the Prudential Center in Newark….(The fans) were treated to a rousing display of courage and guts. Adamek had Cunningham on the canvas three times in the fight, and twice he had him down and hurt. But Cunningham kept bouncing back up and firing at Adamek, who has a granite chin….How either man stayed upright for 12 rounds is beyond me.”



“Sometimes, when a fighter with an exciting style, like Tomasz Adamek, gets the chance to perform in front of a huge, enthusiastic crowd of supporters, the level of excitement rises to the point where magic happens,” said promoter Kathy Duva of Main Events. “Tomasz’ appearance at the Prudential Center last month was one of the most exhilarating nights of boxing that I have experienced in a long time. I can’t wait to get back there on February 27th to watch Tomasz make the magic happen again with Johnathon Banks. I have no doubt that everyone who was lucky enough to be there in person last month feels the same way.”

“We are looking forward to this fight for Johnathon,” said Tom Loeffler, managing director of K2 Promotions. “Adamek is considered the #1 Cruiserweight in the world, but Emanuel has been working with Banks his entire career to get him ready for a fight like this. Johnathon has sparred numerous rounds with Wladimir over the last few years, and he hits a lot harder than Adamek. It is a tough fight, but we believe that Banks will beat Adamek to become champion and join Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko as Champions for K2 Promotions.”

“Boxing is back in Brick City and Prudential Center is proud to usher in a new era of championship fighting with Main Events”, said Brian Gale, director of marketing and booking at the arena. “We are excited to welcome back Adamek and hope to give boxing fans quality fights for years to come at Prudential Center.”

An exciting seven-bout undercard featuring local fan favorites is being finalized and will be announced shortly. The first bout starts at 8:30 p.m. and doors open at 8 p.m.

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

Wladimir Klitschko vs Hasim Rahman

IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman faced off at today’s press conference in advance of their showdown on Saturday night at the S.A.P. Arena in Mannheim, Germany. Rahman stepped in to face Klitschko after mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin was forced to pull out with a training injury.


Wladimir Klitschko: “Hasim Rahman is a real challenger. For him it’s probably his last chance at the title. He has certainly not come to lose….I’m prepared to go twelve rounds, but a clear win means an early win. It can happen in any round. I will try to win the fight as clearly as I can.”
Emanuel Steward: “Wladimir has worked very intently. He knows what Rahman can do and takes him very seriously. We have big respect for Rahman, because he’s a dangerous opponent.”
Hasim Rahman: “I’ve learned from the past and I’m very well prepared. The area here is still Klitschko-land, but on Sunday morning this will be Rahman-land. I will win the fight early.”
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 CHAMBERS: THE ONLY LOGICAL CANDIDATE TO FIGHT WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO ON DECEMBER 13TH

PHILADELPHIA- On the heels of the recent foot injury suffered to IBF #1 ranked mandatory contender, Alexander Povetkin, number-seven ranked "Fast" Eddie Chambers is ready, willing & able to step in and bring the IBF & WBO Heavyweight titles back to the City of Brotherly Love.

"I feel that I am the most deserving available Heavyweight out there. I have fought everyone and lost a close fight to Povetkin in a fight I was dominating. Since then I have comeback to score a couple knockouts so that should put me back in the thick of things."

A couple years ago, Chambers & Klitschko sparred together as the currant champion prepared for a big fight.

"Wladimir had me in camp and he knows how competitive those sessions were and I will just leave it at that."

"After Povetkin's injury,. I think everyone knows that I am the most worthy contender that is available."

"Our whole team including my promoter Goossen-Tutor, Score America & my manager Rob Murray are unilaterally behind this push for me to get this opportunity."

Murray, who is Chambers longtime manager also believes that his man is the only logical choice to be Klitschko's December 13th dance partner.

"Eddie should be the choice for a number of reasons. He is the closest thing to Povetkin as he was once the number-one contender. I know there there has been a lot of backlash from the fans since this has happened about some of the names being bandied about, but when it comes right down to it, Eddie is the only one has has not been recycled over and over."

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

Ladbrokes.com Fight Night - Press Release: Lee gearing up for Limerick

Lee pictured in training with Wladimir Klitschko and trainer Emanuel Steward


Each morning as Andy Lee steps out to begin his roadwork he peers up at the highest peaks of the Austrian Alps. The fresh, clean mountain air is the perfect setting for clearing his thoughts as he begins his daily run up the picturesque foothills of the imposing mountain range.

With each step he leaves behind the memories of the first defeat of his professional career but looming large in the foreground is the imposing figure of Willie “The Gladiator” Gibbs – the power punching American who will stand across the ring from Lee in his native Limerick on July 19th on the next Ladbrokes.com Fight Night.

Now well into a 6 week training camp in Austria where he’s training alongside and sparring with World Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko Lee’s only focus is on next month’s date at the University Sports Arena in his native city.

“It’s beautiful out here,” said Lee. “The scenery is fabulous and the facilities are terrific. It’s great going running in the mornings with the Alps as a backdrop and the fresh mountain air but ultimately I’m here on business.”

As well as getting some ring time with Klitschko Lee ha also imported some top class sparring as he bids to return to winning ways following his shock defeat to Brian Vera in March.

“I’ve been sparring with one of the top German middleweights who recently fought for the European title and we‘ve had some really good spars. That’s helped me to shed the ring rust that accumulated since the Vera fight and can really feel my timing and sharpness improving every day.”

Not for the first time in his career Lee finds himself sharing a training camp with Klitschko, courtesy of the fact that both men are coached by Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward. Klitschko is preparing for the next defence of his title against American Tony Thompson in Hamburg on July 5th and Lee says he’s benefiting from the experience.

“It’s great to see how the heavyweight champion of the world goes about his business. He’s exceptionally dedicated and focused and he’s a great influence to have around. I’ve done some sparring with him and it benefits both of us. It helps him with his speed and helps me with my strength and conditioning and of course it’s a great experience sharing the ring with the heavyweight champion of the world.”

Lee turned 24 earlier this month but the birthday celebrations are well and truly on hold until after his clash with Gibbs. In fact the Castleconnell man admits much of the last few months were spent mulling over his defeat to Vera.

“Initially it was very difficult, it still is but those first few weeks were very, very tough. I came back home to Limerick and shut myself away. I had great support from my family and people back home in Limerick and I had a couple of good conversations with Damian McCann who’s been a great help all through my career and Brian Peters.

“My confidence was badly shaken but ultimately I still believe I can go on to achieve all my goals. People say to me ‘well at least you don’t have that weight of expectation on your shoulders now’ but I still have the same expectations of myself that I’ve always had. Other people’s expectations might have changed but not mine.”

Although he admits watching reruns of the Vera fight have been difficult the Athens Olympian says he has learned from the defeat.

“I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights thinking the fight through and wondering where it all went wrong. I’ve pinpointed the reasons behind it and I’m working hard in and out of the ring to address them.

“I suppose complacency was a major factor, things were moving very quickly for me at that point and there were fights lined up beyond the Vera fight and I got caught up in that and started looking beyond him.

“With the reputation and build up I was getting and with the fight being live on ESPN across the States it was a big stage for both of us and it was only natural that he was going to come in and try and spoil all that for me. He was very hungry and determined and it was his world title fight.

“I was just treating it as another fight but he saw it as his big chance and fair play to him he took it. He was very determined and had prepared excellently and that’s one of the many lessons I’ve taken from it. You can’t overlook anyone and you have to be at your best every time you step between those ropes.”

With the benefit of hindsight Lee also accepts that he fought the wrong fight tactically against Vera. “I suppose there was a macho element involved because when he got through with some good shots I wanted to get in my reply straight away so that led me into a brawl and what has always stood to me in my career has been my boxing skills but that went out the window when the crowd started cheering and I got drawn into his fight. That was a valuable lesson.”

Lee is adamant however that he’s not going to fall back on making excuses for the defeat. “No excuses, full stop. I’ve no one to blame but myself, it’s my career and the buck stops with me so there’s no point in looking around for scapegoats or coming up with excuses.”

Now having dealt with the physical and psychological scars from the Vera defeat Lee is happy to move on and take what he’s hoping is a calculated risk in fighting the highly rated Gibbs.

“A win over Gibbs will probably put me ahead of where I’d have been even if I’d beaten Brian Vera so I’m in no doubt that Gibbs will be treating this fight against me the very same as Vera did. He sees this as his big chance to get back on top. His only defeats have been to top guys in America so he’s a very dangerous fighter and his record shows that he can punch too.”

Indeed with 16 of Gibbs 20 wins having come via knockout many believe that Lee was deserving of an easier nights work as he attempted to bounce back from a defeat. Lee though dismisses that notion.

“I could have taken an easier opponent but I don’t think that would have been right. Limerick people know their sport and I wouldn’t expect them to turn up and pay good money to see me have an easy night. They pay good money to see a good fight, and I think myself and Gibbs will certainly give them their money’s worth.

“It’s a good card because Paul Mcloskey’s in a tough fight as well and then you have guys like Stephen Haughian, John O’Donnell and Jamie Power coming through on the undercard so I think it should be a great night for Limerick and I’m really looking forward to it now.”

Lee’s professional ambitions have seen him leave Limerick for Detroit where he linked up with Emanuel Steward but he admits his thoughts are never far from home.

“The people of Limerick have always been a great support to me, but even more so when I was down after the Vera defeat. They really helped to lift me when I was back home. Everyone I met in the street never said a bad word to me or tried to put me down. People told me that they were still proud of me and that I would be back. It meant an awful lot to me to hear that and that's why I love my city.

“Limerick is the best sporting city in Ireland with the best supporters in Ireland and I hope to bring big time boxing to Limerick and to make Limerick the boxing capital of Ireland."

The 8 fight card in Limerick is packed with talent. The chief support contest will feature the undefeated and highly rated Paul McCloskey as he takes on English Champion Nigel Wright.

Also in action is welterweight prospect Stephen Haughian from Lurgan, Galway’s John O’Donnell, former Lee opponent, Jason McKay, Limerick’s own Jamie Power, Castlebar puncher Keith Cresham and the pro debut of Canadian – Irishman Logan McGuinness.

Tickets for the Ladbrokes.com Fight Night priced from €60 are available from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.

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