Save the Date!!
The 6th Annual Happily Natural Day Saturday - Sunday August 30-31st Richmond Virginia Theme: Hip Hop For Social Change
Happily Natural Day is THE summer festival dedicated to holistic health, cultural awareness and social change. Accept no substitutes, Happily Natural Day is about substance over image, loving ourselves as African people, and changing our community as a result of that love. Happily Natural Day is a african centered business expo, a cultural arts and craft trade show, an all day lecture & workshop seminar, a conscious hip hop, soul and spoken word showcase, a fashion and natural hair exhibition and holistic health fair all rolled in one. Visit our website, Happily Natural Day Dot Com for more information.Exhibitor ApplicationExhibitor Order Form
Happily Natural Day Overview Happily Natural Day specifically focuses on natural hair because women of afrikan descent throughout the globe have been taught to straighten their hair in order to conform to a european standard of beauty. To this phenomenon, HND responds "Black is Beautiful" and encourages all afrikans to "Love Thyself" with the overstanding that a nation can only rise as high as its women primarily and that aesthetic plays a major part in the development of a people's positive self perception.
Think Conscious dot ComThe Myspace, You Tube & webblog explosion has generated a serious shift in how we as a people communicate, network and interact. As a result it is our effort to use the technology at our disposal to futher close the gaps we allow to keep us disconnected. At Think Conscious dot Com users can register as new members, post blogs, announce events and you tube clips. New Happily Natural Day Mailing List When you visit this link http://happilynaturalday.com/hndlist you will be provided the option to suscribe or unsubscribe to the mailing list. What do we send on the Happily Natural Day Mailing list?
Events happening in the Conscious Community
Articles and Information the Black Community Needs to Know
Updates on Happily Natural Day
If you have an announcement please send an email to brothermanifest at gmail.com and we will post it as soon as possible.
Monday, June 30, 2008
ANDREI “The Pitbull” ARLOVSKI vs. “Big” BEN ROTHWELL; The Tale of The Pitbull and The Giant
SIGNAL HILL, California– There are a number of reasons not to miss the mega mixed martial arts extravaganza, “Affliction Banned,” this July 19th at Honda Center in Anaheim, California — not least of which is the unbelievable main event — a dream match-up between heavyweight champs Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia. But the list of transcendent fight talent doesn’t end there. In one of the biggest cards in the history of the sport, the inaugural fight event of Affliction Entertainment will feature an unprecedented line-up of the best MMA combatants competing against each other, including a brutal, full contact bout between the two heavyweight powerhouses, Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski and “Big” Ben Rothwell.
Former UFC® Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski is a 6’ 4”, 240-pound former cop from Belarus with dangerous stand up skills, a brutal right punch, and deft mobility and striking accuracy. Arlovski tears into his opponents, often dealing out devastating damage before the other fighter even has time to recover. Considered one of the top ten ranked heavyweight fighters in the world, “The Pitbull” is one of the world’s most complete MMA fighters, as well as one of its most fearsome. This dreaded competitor gets high marks in grappling ability and massive striking power. He has won notable victories over Tim Sylvia, Paul Buentello, Vladimir Matyushenko, Fabricio Werdum and Wesley “Cabbage” Correira, among others. For his upcoming fight with Rothwell, Arlovski has been training with legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach, who has trained many boxing champions such as Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Manny Pacquiao. Arlovski’s hard work combined with sheer talent and strong mental preparedness give his opponents plenty to worry about in the ring.
Arlovski will face-off with former IFL® heavyweight standout Ben Rothwell, who is riding an impressive 13-fight winning streak and is currently ranked as the number 10best heavyweight fighter in the world. At 6'5' and 265 pounds, this gritty, determined Wisconsin native is a force to reckon with in the ring—just ask anyone who has squared off against him. A young fighter full of zest and energy and a personality as big as his frame, Rothwell is one of the most entertaining athletes in MMA—Rothwell never fails to deliver. And he has an impeccable record, rattling off 11 knockouts among his first 17 MMA victories with a flair that crowds eat up. A wicked combination of aggression, power and style drives Rothwell’s numerous victories. The sheer force with which this giant strikes his opponents leads to the frequent knockouts he is famous for. But his brute strength is tempered by a good measure of agility, allowing him to inflict accurate and precise punishment. “Big” Ben’s fierce ring presence and heavy-handedness often has opponents voluntarily choosing to leave the ring to avoid serious injury.
Ben "Big Ben" Rothwell
The brawl between the ferocious “Pitbull” and giant “Big” Ben is sure to please sports fans hungry for a truly ballistic competition and a performance full of charisma. These two magnetic, world-class fighters always put on a great show. With their collective striking power and bigger-than-life personalities, these well-matched opponents combine powerful fighting techniques with a spark of showmanship that electrifies their audience. Both fighters are known for their tremendous hard-hitting styles and numerous victories. Their bouts often end in knockouts — explosive, expedient, and purely exciting. On July 19th in Anaheim, fans will bear witness to a dynamic exhibition of prowess, as these two crowd-pleasing and accomplished warriors deal out a gallon of pain for guts and glory for “Affliction Banned.”
“Affliction Banned,” headlined by the WAMMA heavyweight title bout between Russian superstar Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia, is stacked with so much world-class talent that it had to be separated into two live shows produced for broadcast. The night’s activities will kick off with “Affliction Live,” a one-hour, free live telecast on FSN (Fox Sports Net) starting at 5 PM Pacific (8 PM/ET) and setting the stage for “Affliction Banned” – five super fights on pay-per-view starting at 6 PM/PT (9 PM/ET) via iN DEMAND, TVN, Shaw Communications, Viewers Choice Canada, DirecTV, DISH Network, Bell ExpressVue and Star Choice in the United States and Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95.
The heavy metal band Megadeth, led by frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Dave Mustaine, will be performing live at the event.
Tickets for “Affliction Banned” range between $50.00 and $1,000.00, and are on sale at Honda Center’s Box Office and also online at Ticketmaster.com.
To download all video, photos and PR-related media go to: http://www.afflictionbanned.com/media.html
Affliction
Already a mainstay for the most elite athletes, heaviest bands, A-listers and the fashion conscious, Affliction Clothing’s ability to set the bar high in fashion is evident in its collection’s indulgence of style and design, focus on quality, and its trademark series of divinely executed, dark and powerful themes. (www.afflictionclothing.com)
The Trump Organization
The Trump Organization encompasses global real estate development and global licensing, sales and marketing, property management, golf course development, entertainment, entertainment and product licensing, brand development as well as restaurants and event planning. Donald J. Trump is the Chairman and President of the Trump Organization, a privately held company in New York. (www.Trump.com)
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
RICARDO TORRES & KENDALL HOLT, PROMOTER BOB ARUM, Monday, June 30, 2008
Ten months after a wildly controversial ending to their first fight, Ricardo Torres will risk his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight title against No. 1contender Kendall Holt in a rematch on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation this Saturday, July 5, live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
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
In a 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 (IBA) champion Rogelio Castaneda.
Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Inc., will promote the doubleheader from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.
Question:Bob, Ricardo and Kendall, can you provide some closing comments?
Arum:We're very pleased that we're able to present this event on SHOWTIME because the fight which took place a number of months ago was considered to be very controversial. When things are controversial in boxing, very often lawsuits start.
All of this is going to be settled in the ring at the beautiful new Planet Hollywood hotel in Las Vegas. We're pleased that the fights will be held at the beautiful Planet Hollywood hotel and that SHOWTIME is televising the event for the entire country.
SHOWTIME has made great strides, not only in boxing, but in original programming. The number of new subscribers to SHOWTIME is growing by leaps and bounds. This is just another example of SHOWTIME putting on a very competitive match. The champion, Ricardo Torres, is one of the hardest punchers in boxing today. The challenger, Kendall Holt, is an extremely poised and experienced fighter who wants to add the title champion before his name.
Question:Ricardo, what are your thoughts about fighting Holt again, and what do you remember about the first controversial fight?
Torres:I don't remember the first fight being controversial at all. I beat Holt fair and square, and I moved on. Now, this is the next fight and I believe it should be even better. We know each other better. We should be able to know what each other can do. That's what gives me the confidence that I have.
I'm very well prepared for this rematch.
Question:Kendall, what are your thoughts on fighting Torres again? What do you remember most about the first fight?
Holt:I just remember me not doing enough. I just remember me not being active enough. I believe I was winning the fight. I believe the fight was stopped early. I believe that in this rematch I prepared myself better than I did before. I believe I'm going to be a lot more active in this fight, and I believe this time I'll walk away with a WBO championship.
Question:Were you prepared for all the conditions you faced in the ring in the first fight?
Holt:Actually, I was prepared. I didn't think anything controversial was going to happen. I was just prepared to face Torres. I didn't prepare to face the hostile crowd. I didn't prepare to face a referee who was making a lot of mistakes. I was just prepared to face Torres.
Question:Are you going to press the pace a little bit more in the rematch, or are you going to get the same Torres in the ring?
Holt:At times I will pick up action, I will go forward. I'm a sleek counter puncher, so I will follow the game plan, which is to box. I will press the action when I feel it's time.
Question:Ricardo, what made it important for you to accept this rematch beyond money? What made you accept this rematch when you did not have to after the WBO rule against making an immediate rematch?
Torres:As far as I'm concerned, I'm a champion. I'm out here to face the best fighters out there. They say Holt is that right now. I accept that. I'll fight Holt and move on, and I'll fight even bigger and better fights.
The opportunity was brought up to fight Holt again. I have no problem with that. If that's what needs to be done right now, that's what needs to be done.
Question:Did all the controversy motivate you to take the fight to kind of prove that you were the better fighter in the rematch?
Torres:I never felt like that. I know the first fight was controversial. I know that Holt didn't get hit with anything. The only thing he got hit with was my punches. That's why he went down. As far as I'm concerned, obviously the WBO, it was a fair win. But like I said, I'm willing to fight whoever is out there when the opportunity is here and we'll do it again.
Question:Can you talk about coming to the United States for the rematch, and what made you accept the fight in the U.S.?
Torres:I'm very confident. I have an open mind. I came to do my job. Hopefully, they'll do their job, everybody will see a great fight and everybody will be happy. As far as I'm concerned, I'm very confident about what I'm able to do in the ring.
Question:Have you watched the first fight against Holt?
Torres:I have seen the first fight a few times, and obviously we knew what was happening that night. We knew we were down on points. We knew we had to pick it up. I was down in the sixth round. I got up, and knew I had to do something special. I knew I had to take Holt out, and I did. I took him out in the 11th. The referee did the right thing by stopping it. He was hurt.
Question:Bob, what is your opinion of the stoppage in the first Torres-Holt fight?
Arum:You remember I'm watching it from a tape after the event. I thought the referee stoppage was justified. I thought that Holt was really hurt. It was very, very difficult for me to see on that tape what the fans were carrying on in the arena. I did see stuff being thrown, but you couldn't get the impact unless you were there.
So, it's very, very hard for me to say. But I think the stoppage was justified.
Question:Why do you think Torres eventually took the rematch?
Arum:Torres has a lot of pride. Money, as you say, was a factor. When we (Top Rank) got into the picture, we figured that the way to solve it was to get everybody together, pay everybody, and put the fight on in Las Vegas or in Connecticut.
In boxing, disputes should be settled in the ring. I think it certainly was a terrific fight last time. SHOWTIME viewers and the people coming to watch the fight here in Las Vegas want to see a tremendously competitive and interesting fight.
It will be even better this time. Tickets are priced very, very reasonably. They're $50, $100 and $150. Every seat's a good seat. So, we'll have 4,000 or 5,000 people there on Saturday. It's great for boxing and great for SHOWTIME. It's great for Planet Hollywood and great for the fighters.
Question:Do you know who the referee is going to be for the rematch?
Lee Samuels: The referee is Jay Nady. The judges are Duane Ford, Robert Hoyle and
Bert Clements. Everyone is from Nevada.
Question:Kendall, if you stay after it this time, do you open yourself up somewhere else in your fight plan?
Holt:I'm going to try not to. But, when you go forward and press the action, at times you will leave yourself open. So, that's a risk I'm going to have to take. I'm going to take that chance. I'm going to be smart about it. I'm not going to go out there and lose my head. But, I will take chances in the fight.
Question:How do you feel going into this fight? Do you worry about getting gassed if you go too hard early on?
Holt:I'm a professional fighter. I'm trained to go 12 hard rounds. But I've prepared very well. I've changed some things about myself, and I broke down some mental barriers that were hindering me a little bit in the fight game.
So, hopefully in this fight, all that will shine through.
Question:What did you learn about Torres from the first meeting?
Holt:What I learned about Torres is that I underestimated him the first time. I was a firm believer that he didn't earn his chance to be a world champion. He shouldn't have had a chance to fight Miguel Cotto. After the fight, I realized I didn't think he earned his chance. He shouldn't have been in the fight for the championship. He shouldn't have won the championship, but now I understand that he's here. So, I have to deal with him being here.
Question:Will you be able to put all the emotions of the first fight behind you on fight night and just focus on the battle at hand?
Holt:I'm sure I will be able to put the emotions behind me, but, at times, they might come back into play during the fight. So, I'm not absolutely sure that they won't. But I'm a professional, so I should be able to prepare.
Question:When your hand is raised this time around, will it be sweeter because of all that's taken place previously?
Holt:It will be sweeter because all the controversy has actually made me a bigger star. It made me a more recognizable name. Hopefully, winning this fight will make me a more recognizable face.
Question:Is bringing the title back home to New Jersey important to you?
Holt:It's extremely important to bring the title back home because Arturo Gatti was the last champion from New Jersey. Before him, it was a lot of years that New Jersey didn't have a champion. So, it is extremely important that I bring the title back to New Jersey, especially after the New York Giants just won the Super Bowl.
Question:How do you avoid some of the problems from the first fight in the rematch?
Holt:Well, the biggest controversy was that the stoppage was premature. If we have premature stoppages like that, then there will be no such thing as the Arturo Gatti wars and fights like that. Even if a guy is stunned or hurt, it doesn't mean he shouldn't be allowed to fight because some of the best fights we've in boxing history were fought when guys were hurt.
You stop a fight when a guy can't defend himself anymore, not because he's hurt. How I'm going to stop the controversy is by limiting myself being wide open, by making mental errors and dropping my hands. I know I'm going to get hit with those big punches, and I should treat it as if I’m in there fighting every single second of the fight.
Question:How many times have you watched the tape of that first fight to come up with these kinds of lessons?
Holt:I have watched the first fight two or three times. Each time I've watched it, I've just watched it more. I've never one time sat and watched it in its entirety. The main thing was that I wasn't active enough. The second thing was that when I was active, Torres caught me with a good punch and I was on the ropes, and my hand was slightly down a little bit.
But, other than that, the fight was fought to near perfection on my behalf.
Question:Ricardo, can you comment on the controversy in the fight and also your view on the time of the stoppage?
Torres:I was hitting Holt with a lot of punches at the end of the fight. I was just after him. He was throwing maybe a couple of slap punches at me. But, the referee did the right thing. His job is to protect the fighters at all times, and I think he was doing that.
Question:Based on what happened in the first fight, what do you expect to do differently in the rematch now that you've seen each other already?
Torres:As far as I'm concerned, we did make some mistakes in that fight. We had never seen Holt before. Now, we have a lot rounds facing each other. That will be the difference because I know him better. I know what I can do against Holt, and I will be prepared to go the 12 rounds.
Question:Do you think that Holt's going to do anything differently against you?
Torres:I always expect different things from fights. Fights are always different. We know each other very well. I don't think Holt can change that much. But, I'm sure he'll try to do some things differently.
Question:What do you think about Holt saying that any place is better to fight the rematch than Barranquilla, Colombia?
Torres:Holt should be grateful for the way he was treated in Barranquilla. He was treated as a very nice guest. He got everything he needed and needed while he was there. He got treated better than I do in my own country.
In the ring, there are just two of us. It doesn't matter where we fight. It's just going to be me and him.
Question:What's your opinion about being the betting underdog in this fight?
Torres:The guy that made the odds is not getting in the ring. The people that are betting on the fight are not getting in the ring. I'm going to prove everybody wrong. I'm prepared mentally and physically for this fight. There's nothing written about it here. There are no favorites. There's nothing. We still have to fight.
Question:Is this personal for you at all?
Torres:As far as I'm concerned, boxing is still a sport. I love to compete against the best. Competition is what makes this great. I come in here to fight the best and to do the best that I can. I don't want anybody getting hurt or getting injured.
I just want to put on a great performance. I hope my opponent does the same thing, and we both move on and get on to bigger fights and other performances down the road.
Question:Kendall, can you address the fact that you are the favorite in the rematch after losing the first fight against Torres?
Holt:Being a favorite doesn't really do anything for me or my confidence. It really doesn't bother me. Like Torres said, the people making the odds don't have to fight. They don't have to train. They don't have to work hard. They don't have to do anything but guess who they think should win or who they think might win.
I appreciate that the odds makers think I'm going to win. At the end of the day, we still have to get in there and fight.
Question:What do you think of Torres saying that he thought the conclusion to the first fight was controversy‑free?
Holt:If I were in Torres’ shoes, I would have said the same thing. But you can't deny what happened. It happened. What happened was unfortunate. But the biggest controversy was that the fight shouldn't have been stopped.
If the fight was stopped, it should have been stopped to clean the debris out of the ring. But, to be stopped and to declare Torres the winner was preposterous you don’t stop the fight just because a fighter is hurt. If that's the case, we wouldn't have the Arturo Gatti fight, the Micky Wards, the people that come back to win the fight in the last second of the last round.
If those fights were stopped when a guy was hurt for the first time, we wouldn't have those wars. You stop the fight when the fighter is unable to defend himself. You stop it when he's unable to continue to go on.
I was willing and able to continue. Was I hurt? No. Was I unable to defend myself? No. Was my head snapping back? No. Was I wobbly? No. So, the fight was prematurely stopped.
Question:Bob, what kind of crowd are you expecting for the fight?
Arum:The venue can be made to hold 6,000. We expect between 4,000 and 5,000. They do a marvelous job promoting at Planet Hollywood. They put everything into it. It's been a pleasure for us to work with them. There's a love there for boxing with Robert Earl and Mike Mecca. They haven't become jaded like some of the places that put on a lot of these big fights.
They're very enthusiastic, and it's been a pleasure for all of us at Top Rank to work with them. I know the fighters are really thrilled with the treatment they've received at Planet Hollywood.
Question:Kendall, what happened in the first Torres fight, and what transpired in the ring? How long did it take for you to get over it and to lose a fight for the reasons that you just said?
Holt:The first Torres fight did not linger. I got over it after the appeals were denied. When the new ranking came out, I moved down only one notch lower than I was before. So, I was the No. 2 contender in the world. My thinking was that I will have two good fights and I will be right back to being a mandatory challenger. So, at that point, I wasn't worried about it anymore. I wasn't worried about fighting for the rematch.
I just knew the rematch would happen. It was just a matter of time.
Question:Once that fight ended and you were in the dressing room, what was your mind set?
Holt:I cried. That fight shouldn't have been stopped. I was stunned. I wasn't unable to defend myself. I could have gone on. I was just completely stunned. Up until the sixth round when I was struck in the face with a beer can, Torres was laid out on the ground recovering, so he didn't see it. But there are still shots of me being hit in the face with a can.
From that moment on, I was not there mentally. I was just concerned about me, my entourage, my trainers and everyone from America making it out of there if I did go after Torres and knock him out. Up until that point, I had only seen one security guard.
So, all of that went through my mind.
Question:Bob, have you ever been involved in a fight that one of the participants got nailed with some kind of object thrown in a ring from a fan?
Arum:Read George Kimball's great book that's coming out called “Four Kings.” When Marvin Hagler won the world title in England against Minter, I have never seen so many cans rain on a ring. It was like a rainstorm of beer cans. I didn't know there were that many cans in all of England. So, yeah, I've seen it.
Question:That was after the fight, though, right?
Arum:It was pretty scary.
Question:Even though we know there's a lot of subjectivity in boxing, what do you think should be done to prevent such craziness from continuing to go on all the time?
Arum:I don't know if it's all the time. You take whatever steps you can to prevent controversies from happening. Mistakes will happen.
There are egregious calls in baseball and football, even with instant replay. In any athletic endeavor, there will be mistakes made, controversies and calls. You try to eliminate them to the extent possible. But I'm not aware that they're occurring at any greater number than at times past.
When you have a controversy like what happened in Barranquilla, the way you handle it is everybody works together to do a rematch so the playing field is leveled.
Question:Kendall, in your first bout against Torres, were you hurt by fatigue or his punches?
Holt:Torres caught me with a good shot in the fourth round and a good shot in the 11th round. Other than that, I was fine.
Question:Ricardo, will you change your approach in this fight considering you gave Holt a demanding lead early in the fight by fighting too passively?
Torres:Without a doubt, I know him better. I know what to expect. I think you'll see me more sure of what I'm trying to do and with the things I need to do. I come more prepared. We're going to go 12 hard rounds, and I know what I need to do. My mentality is there. I'm physically fit. I'm ready to go.
Question:Bob, Ricardo and Kendall, can you provide some closing comments?
Arum:It's going to be a terrific fight, and a great night of boxing. The fights start at 5 p.m. at the arena. SHOWTIME telecast goes on at 8 p.m. pacific time, and it will be delayed on the west coast.
If you really love the sport of boxing and want to see another great fight, this is the fight that you'll enjoy. It will make your July fourth weekend complete.
Torres:I want to invite everybody to come out and see the fight. It will be a great fight, and even better than the first one.
Holt:I'd like to thank Bob Arum for helping to secure a rematch. I would like to thank Ricardo Torres for being a stand‑up person and a stand‑up champion for granting me the rematch.
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
SHO Sports Presents” Airs Every Weeknight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME® 2
NEW YORK– SHO Sports Presents, a nightly series featuring replays of thrilling SHOWTIME Sports telecasts from the network’s vast arsenal, will feature an incredible month of fistic fireworks in July (see full schedule attached).
SHO Sports Presents airs every weeknight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME® 2 and includes event telecasts from the flagship franchise SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, the newest sports television phenomenon EliteXC, as well as both prospect-oriented series ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series and the acclaimed ShoBox: The New Generation.
SHO Sports Presents highlights for July include
Kendall Holt – Holt has developed from unknown prospect, to contender, to championship challenger in three consecutive ShoBox fights. The Holt-ShoBox replays—vs. Diaz; vs. Hlatswayo; and vs. Arnaoutis—will air on July 1, 2 and 3 respectively in advance of his live WBO Jr. Welterweight Championship rematch against Ricardo Torres on Saturday, July 5, on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
On July 11, relive The Contender Sergio Mora’s dramatic upset win over veteran Vernon Forrest to capture his first world title. In the co-main event of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast from June 7, 2008, Paul Williams recaptured his WBO Welterweight belt with a blistering first-round KO of Carlos Quintana.
On July 14, the late Diego Corrales can be seen in his final fight against Joshua Clottey (from August 7, 2007).
The following evening, July 15, don’t miss the action-packed heavyweight throw down between Lamon Brewster and Sergei Liakhovich (from April 1, 2006).
July 21 kicks off a full week of thrilling EliteXC telecasts including a full night dedicated to the pop-culture phenomenon Kimbo Slice (Thursday) and “The Legend” Frank Shamrock in one of the toughest fights of his career against Cung Le.
On July 29, it’s the fight that started it all: Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez I, a scintillating battle that began one of the most talked about trilogies in boxing history.
Don’t blink on July 30, watch Nonito Donaire and his one punch knockout of the “Raging Bull” Vic Darchinyan (from July 7, 2007)
SHOWTIME® 2 is the network’s primary multiplex channel.
SHO Sports Presents has been airing weeknights since November 3, 2007 when it premiered with a replay of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: Rocky Juarez vs. Jason Pires from February 1, 2003.
About SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
In March 1986, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING was born when “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler defeated John “The Beast” Mugabi in a spectacular and unforgettable 11th-round knockout in Las Vegas. Since that time, the network has aired some of the most historic and significant events in the sport’s long history.
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, Rick Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero and Kelly Pavlik.
About EliteXC
ProElite Inc., the parent company of EliteXC, delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, network television programming on CBS Television Network, cable television programming on Showtime Networks Inc., and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA on the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem, all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters.
For the complete July schedule of SHO Sports Presents see attached. For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video, photo galleries and complete telecast information, please visit http://www.SHO.com/Sports.
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
SHO Sports Presents airs every weeknight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME® 2 and includes event telecasts from the flagship franchise SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, the newest sports television phenomenon EliteXC, as well as both prospect-oriented series ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series and the acclaimed ShoBox: The New Generation.
SHO Sports Presents highlights for July include
Kendall Holt – Holt has developed from unknown prospect, to contender, to championship challenger in three consecutive ShoBox fights. The Holt-ShoBox replays—vs. Diaz; vs. Hlatswayo; and vs. Arnaoutis—will air on July 1, 2 and 3 respectively in advance of his live WBO Jr. Welterweight Championship rematch against Ricardo Torres on Saturday, July 5, on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
On July 11, relive The Contender Sergio Mora’s dramatic upset win over veteran Vernon Forrest to capture his first world title. In the co-main event of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast from June 7, 2008, Paul Williams recaptured his WBO Welterweight belt with a blistering first-round KO of Carlos Quintana.
On July 14, the late Diego Corrales can be seen in his final fight against Joshua Clottey (from August 7, 2007).
The following evening, July 15, don’t miss the action-packed heavyweight throw down between Lamon Brewster and Sergei Liakhovich (from April 1, 2006).
July 21 kicks off a full week of thrilling EliteXC telecasts including a full night dedicated to the pop-culture phenomenon Kimbo Slice (Thursday) and “The Legend” Frank Shamrock in one of the toughest fights of his career against Cung Le.
On July 29, it’s the fight that started it all: Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez I, a scintillating battle that began one of the most talked about trilogies in boxing history.
Don’t blink on July 30, watch Nonito Donaire and his one punch knockout of the “Raging Bull” Vic Darchinyan (from July 7, 2007)
SHOWTIME® 2 is the network’s primary multiplex channel.
SHO Sports Presents has been airing weeknights since November 3, 2007 when it premiered with a replay of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: Rocky Juarez vs. Jason Pires from February 1, 2003.
About SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
In March 1986, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING was born when “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler defeated John “The Beast” Mugabi in a spectacular and unforgettable 11th-round knockout in Las Vegas. Since that time, the network has aired some of the most historic and significant events in the sport’s long history.
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, Rick Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero and Kelly Pavlik.
About EliteXC
ProElite Inc., the parent company of EliteXC, delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, network television programming on CBS Television Network, cable television programming on Showtime Networks Inc., and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA on the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem, all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters.
For the complete July schedule of SHO Sports Presents see attached. For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video, photo galleries and complete telecast information, please visit http://www.SHO.com/Sports.
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
RESULTS FROM BOSTON June 28, 2008 – “Hassle In The Castle”
(winners listed on top)
CRUISERWEIGHTS
Mark Clancy (8-0-1), Boston, MA via Clare, Ireland
WDEC6 (60-54,60-54, 60-54)
Salah Zabian (6-10, 4 KOs), Lee, MA
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
John Duddy (25-0, 17 KOs), Queens, NY via Derry, N. Ireland
WDEC10 (100-90, 100-90, 100-90)
Charlie Howe (17-4-2, 9 KOs), Grelton, OH
Donny Orr (13-0, 5 KOs), South Boston, MA via Canada
WDEC8 (80-71, 80-71, 80-71)
Roberto Valenzuela (44-38-2, 37 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico
Edwin Rodriquez (7-0, 5 KOs), Worcester, MA
WDEC6 (60-54, 60-54, 59-55)
Hector Hernandez (10-2-2, 4 KOs)
JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Anthony Accardi (2-0, 1 KO), Howard Beach, NY
WDEC4 (39-37, 39-37, 37-39)
Broderick Antoine (2-6-1, 1 KO), Troy, NY
Promoter: Irish Ropes Promotions
Matchmaker: Jim Borzell
John Duddy: “I made a point that I don’t have to be brave all of the time. Jut cause I can take a punch doesn’t mean I have to. I had trouble convincing my self. I proved that I can move my head a lot more. I caught him with some beautiful shots and I thought that he was ready to go, but Charlie has a great chin. I have big plans and I’m still undefeated. I used my jab a lot tonight. I’m hoping to get a shot at a world title.”
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
CRUISERWEIGHTS
Mark Clancy (8-0-1), Boston, MA via Clare, Ireland
WDEC6 (60-54,60-54, 60-54)
Salah Zabian (6-10, 4 KOs), Lee, MA
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
John Duddy (25-0, 17 KOs), Queens, NY via Derry, N. Ireland
WDEC10 (100-90, 100-90, 100-90)
Charlie Howe (17-4-2, 9 KOs), Grelton, OH
Donny Orr (13-0, 5 KOs), South Boston, MA via Canada
WDEC8 (80-71, 80-71, 80-71)
Roberto Valenzuela (44-38-2, 37 KOs), Aqua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico
Edwin Rodriquez (7-0, 5 KOs), Worcester, MA
WDEC6 (60-54, 60-54, 59-55)
Hector Hernandez (10-2-2, 4 KOs)
JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Anthony Accardi (2-0, 1 KO), Howard Beach, NY
WDEC4 (39-37, 39-37, 37-39)
Broderick Antoine (2-6-1, 1 KO), Troy, NY
Promoter: Irish Ropes Promotions
Matchmaker: Jim Borzell
John Duddy: “I made a point that I don’t have to be brave all of the time. Jut cause I can take a punch doesn’t mean I have to. I had trouble convincing my self. I proved that I can move my head a lot more. I caught him with some beautiful shots and I thought that he was ready to go, but Charlie has a great chin. I have big plans and I’m still undefeated. I used my jab a lot tonight. I’m hoping to get a shot at a world title.”
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
CHICAGO'S PRIDE, JULY 25 AT THE ARAGON
CHICAGO, IL- Tickets are now on sale for an evening of world class professional boxing as Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, presents CHICAGO’S PRIDE on Friday, July 25th at the Aragon Ballroom headlined by local fan favorite Francisco “EL NINO AZTECA” Rodriguez squaring off against El Paso slugger Alex “EL DIABLO” Becerra in a ten round bantamweight bout.
Tickets, starting at $30, for CHICAGO’S PRIDE can be purchased in advance through the 8 Count Productions Office at 312-226-5800 or through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com , 312-559-1212). The Aragon Ballroom is located at 1106 W. Lawrence Ave., adjacent to the corner of Broadway and Lawrence. Doors will open at 7pm, with the first bell at 8pm.
The 24 year old Rodriguez, 12-2 (8KO’s) is looking to add to his win column following his devastating three round destruction of Columbian veteran Angel Priolo on May 9th at Cicero Stadium. Rodriguez dropped Priolo in each of the first three rounds before referee Gerald Scott called a halt to the battle at the 2:23 mark of the third.
Ciudad Juarez, Mexico native Becerra sports a record of 19-6 (9KO’s) over his nine year career including ten round battles with Valentin Leon (W-MD10) and David Martinez (L-MD10). This will be Becerra’s Chicago debut.
In the co-main event, popular Chicago featherweight Jose Hernandez will return to the ring after a one year absence to face Mexico City’s Jose Navarrete over eight rounds.
The heavy handed Hernandez, 22-4 (14KO’s) was last seen losing a very close twelve round decision to three time world title challenger Rocky Juarez in the co-main event on the massive Oscar De La Hoya/Floyd Mayweather PPV card on May 5, 2007 in Las Vegas.
A native of Mexico City now living in Chicago, Navarrete holds a slightly misleading record of 9-15 with three knockouts. Most recently he battled highly regarded unbeaten prospect Argenis Mendez over six rounds before dropping a six round split decision in a bout televised by SOLO BOXEO from Reading, PA on June 6, 2008.
In a six round featherweight special feature attraction at CHICAGO’S PRIDE, Puerto Rico native Ivan “THE BABY BOY ASSASSIN” Rodriguez, 8-4-1 (3KO’s) currently residing in Waukegan, IL, returns to the ring in a six round bout against San Luis Potosi, Mexico born, Barbaro Zepeda.
Also appearing at CHICAGO’S PRIDE will be popular Chicago light heavyweight Mike “THE HAMMER” Nevitt, 14-1 (5KO’s) in a six round bout and unbeaten Puerto Rican sensation Gadiel Andaluz, 3-0 (2KO’s) in a four round lightweight bout
Much more information on CHICAGO’S PRIDE will be announced shortly.
Along with Dominic Pesoli's 8 Count Productions, CHICAGO’S PRIDE is presented by TCF Bank and Miller Lite.
The Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be nationally known professional sports announcer, Thomas Treiber.
8 Count Productions was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland. In 2003, Pesoli along with former featherweight contender Mike Garcia opened JABB Boxing Gym, a 6,000 square foot venue dedicated to the finest Chicagoland boxers of all talent levels.
To view the seating chart and poster for this event or for more information on 8 Count Productions and JABB Boxing Gym, please visit www.8countproductions.com and www.jabbboxinggym.com
CREATING CONTENDERS SINCE 1998
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
No Holds Barred: Thomas Hauser on UFC and MMA
No Holds Barred: Thomas Hauser on UFC and MMA On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with theaward-winning boxing writer and author, Thomas Hauser ofSecondsOut.com (http://www.secondsout.com), about his views on UFC andmixed martial arts. In a lengthy discussion, Thomas Hauser explains why he does not like mixed martial arts, why he finds it debasing, why he thinks that society should not be encouraging it, and why he thinks New York State should not legalize and sanction it. This is a must-hear interview, for both supporters and opponents of UFC and mixed martial arts. To listen to No Holds Barred, click on one of the links below and justpress the play button on the player: http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/2008-06-30T07_48_41-07_00 http://www.mediafire.com/?oxnbmivfmv1 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 IanCarpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/). No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by: IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/). Make sure tocheck out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/1636002) in the U.S., and to check your locallistings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, athttp://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html. Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up themixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year.For more news and info, check out their web site,GladiatorChallenge.com (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/). BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for allBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage ofBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well aslifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. GladiatorMagazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com(http://bjjmart.com) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/). FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews,and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martialarts.
Thanks, Eddie Goldmanhttp://eddiegoldman.com
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
Thanks, Eddie Goldmanhttp://eddiegoldman.com
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
Pre-Sale Continues For a Fantastic MMA Card That Includes Lawler-Smith Rematch, Shields-Thompson EliteXC Title Fight, Diaz-Denny, ‘Big Foot’ Silva
LOS ANGELES– Fans seeking to participate in the most significant sporting event in the recent history of Stockton, Calif. -- an exciting evening of mixed martial arts, which includes two EliteXC world title fights -- have the opportunity to reserve their seats now.
Tickets, starting at $35 for the Saturday, July 26 fight card at the Stockton Arena go on sale tomorrow/this Friday, June 27. The pre-sale for tickets continued today/Thursday, June 26. The fight card is presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC.
Tickets can be purchased at the Stockton Arena Box Office (Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.) and Saturday (noon-4 p.m.), by phone at (209) 373-1700 and (866) 373-7088 (toll free) or online at www.stocktontickets.com. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. PT. The first live fight is at 3:15.
“We’re looking forward to staging this tremendous event at the beautiful Stockton Arena,’’ said Douglas DeLuca, Executive Chairman, ProElite, Inc. “Local fans not only will get a chance to watch some of the best fighters in EliteXC, but some of the best in the world.
“With so many fighters from the area -- Nick Diaz (Stockton), Scott Smith (Elk Grove) and Jake Shield (San Francisco) -- Stockton is a perfect fit. We’ll rock the arena and sell it out. This show will appeal to new and established fans, whether they’re in attendance or watching on television.
“The record-breaking numbers for the history-making May 31 CBS telecast said it all. There definitely is a place and a primetime audience for mixed martial arts on network TV. May 31 was a ratings success and Saturday, July 26, on CBS -- and SHOWTIME -- will be one too. We're all excited about our lineup for Stockton and working with CBS and SHOWTIME again.’’
EliteXC was the first to present mixed martial arts on a premium network (SHOWTIME) and in primetime on network television (CBS). On Saturday, July 26, EliteXC will offer back-to-back CBS and SHOWTIME telecasts.
The second half of the televised card will be the second mixed martial arts event shown live in primetime on network television.
CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS will air live on the CBS Television Network at 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. The inaugural May 31 broadcast was a ratings success, peaking at 6.51 million viewers.
A four-fight, two-hour CBS broadcast will be preceded by a three-fight, one-hour telecast live on SHOWTIME (8 p.m. ET/PT), which has televised MMA since February 2007. A fight featuring promising heavyweight Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (10-1) will highlight the show.
EliteXC middleweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4, 1 NC) of Granite City, Ill., via St. Louis, by way of Davenport, Iowa, and Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (13-4, 1 NC) will clash in an eagerly awaited rematch in the main event of “Saturday Night Fights: Lawler-Smith II’’ on CBS.
In a second world title fight, Jake Shields (20-4-1) and Nick Thompson (36-9-1) will collide for the vacant EliteXC 170-pound belt. Both fighters are on a roll. Shields has won nine in a row. Thompson, of Minneapolis, has won 12 straight and 21 of 22. Shields hasn’t lost in more than three years, Thompson in more than two. The world title fights are scheduled for five, five-minute rounds.
With a likely grudge rematch with EliteXC lightweight champion KJ Noons hanging in the balance, hometown hero Nick Diaz will seek his third victory in three months when he faces Thomas “Wildman’’ Denny (26-16) in one of the two, three-round, five-minute scraps on CBS.
Other matchups will be announced in the near future. Fans can watch pre- and post-fight interviews at ProElite.com (see Fighter Pages below).
The crowd-pleasing Lawler and the hard-hitting Smith fought May 31 on CBS in Newark, N.J. To the dismay of the fighters and some fans, a hotly contested, dead even fight seemingly on its way to becoming an instant classic ended in a controversial No Contest.
A thriller in which both had won a round was halted, some insist prematurely, at 3:26 of the third round after Smith was accidentally poked in the eye and deemed unable to continue. Despite his pleas to the contrary, the fight was called by cage-side doctors.
A disappointing, unsatisfactory conclusion made an immediate rematch almost automatic. Lawler and Smith do indeed have unfinished business.
“I’m looking forward to fighting him again,’’ said the soft-spoken, serious-minded Lawler, who captured the EliteXC 185-pound belt with a dramatic, convincing third-round TKO (strikes) over defending champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua on Sept. 15, 2007, in Honolulu on SHOWTIME.
“Smith is a tough guy, but I felt pretty good out there and thought I was winning. It’s too bad it ended that way.’’
Said Smith, who owns a gym in Sacramento: “Neither one of us wanted the fight to end that way, so we definitely have some unfinished business we need to take care of. I wanted to continue fighting. I’m more confident going into this rematch than I was going into the first fight. It will be exciting fighting so close to home. Elk Grove is literally just a few minutes from Stockton.’’
Fighting twice in seven weeks will not be a factor for Lawler. “Timing-wise, it is fine for me,’’ said a determined, dedicated, always dangerous southpaw who is known for aggressiveness and a swing-for-the-fences style, but has performed with intelligence and poise in recent outings.
“I was good for the last one, but I’ll be great for this one,” Lawler added. “I’ll be faster and stronger. I’ve been in the gym almost every day since the first fight. Every fight for me is equal to the other. They are all big, at the time. I’m ready to go.’’
Smith is a “freestyle” fighter and knockout artist who comes out throwing bombs with an abandon that’s made him a huge fan favorite. Aptly nicknamed “Hands Of Steel’’ -- he’s a union field foreman in his family’s steel business – Smith has won 13 of his 15 fights by KO or TKO.
But one of the most dangerous strikers in the business also owns a strong wrestling background and possesses terrific cardio. “I train hard in all aspects of the game,’’ Smith said.
Smith, who says the foot he injured against Lawler is “100 percent,’’ detests fights that go the distance. So one only can imagine what he may have been thinking when the fight with Lawler ended like it did. “Not once did I ever say, ‘I want to stop this fight’ ’’ Smith said.
“I’m too smart and experienced for that. I was just blown away when it was stopped.’’
The Shields-Thompson matchup to decide the first EliteXC welterweight belt-holder should be a fantastic technical fight between two of the best all-around fighters in the world at 170. Those tuning in to CBS will see a different-type style matchup than they saw on May 31.
For Shields, a life-long vegetarian who was raised in a remote area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California, the shot at the EliteXC crown has been a long time coming.
“This is my dream come true. I’m really excited,’’ said Shields, a former college wrestler at San Francisco State and now a Cesar Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Shields has notable triumphs over Yushin Okami, Dave Menne, Hayato Sakurai and Carlos Condit.
“This is really a great fight. Nick’s definitely a great opponent. I respect him. He’s experienced, game and very tough. It’ll be exciting fighting so close to home in Stockton in front of friends and family, but I know I will have my work cut out.’’
Due to a couple of postponements and a back injury, Shields will be making his first start since he defeated Mike Pyle at EliteXC’s event on Nov. 10, 2007 on SHOWTIME.
“There will be no excuses. My back is 100 percent,” said Shields, who’s unbeaten since December 2004. “I struggled with it a lot longer than I wanted, but I knew if I was patient and did the right things my time would come. In a way it was a blessing. Now, I am more motivated than ever.”
Thompson is the third fighter from Minneapolis to appear on CBS, joining Brett Rogers and Kaitlin Young, who fought on the historic May 31 event.
The last Bodog welterweight belt-holder, Thompson is experienced and certainly no easy mark. For sure, his work rate can’t be faulted. Amazingly, this will be his 47th fight since he turned pro less than five and half years ago. He hasn’t been defeated since April 2006. In his last start, he scored a second-round submission (kimura) over Michael Costa on June 8, 2008.
“A fight with Jake has been my No. 1 choice for a long time,” said Thompson, who owns a victory over highly regarded Eddie Alvarez and also has whipped the likes of Chris Wilson, Josh Neer and Brian Gassaway. “I think we both wanted this fight. That the fight is on CBS is a huge opportunity exposure-wise and an added bonus.’’
Diaz is a true hard-core MMA fighter who’s willing to “fight anybody who thinks they’re better than me.’’ On June 14, he scored a third-round TKO over Muhsin Corbbrey one fight before Noons retained his crown by demolishing Yves Edwards in 48 seconds on SHOWTIME.
After the Noons’ fight, Diaz was invited inside the cage to discuss a rematch but heated words were exchanged and a scuffle between the fighters’ camps ensued. “I'm not a punk. I did not start it,’’ Diaz said. “Noons is a poser. His side started it. I was just doing my job.’’
Diaz wants desperately to settle the score with Noons, who won their first fight and the EliteXC title by TKO (cuts) on Nov. 10, 2007, on SHOWTIME. It was a result that did not sit well with Diaz or some fans and the smack talk has escalated ever since.
“Everybody knows the deal with Noons and the kind of guy he is,’’ Diaz said. “But my focus is only on this fight. KJ knows his days are numbered. He can’t run from me forever.’’
A colorful fighter known for wild and crazy hairstyles, Denny, of Victorville, Calif., via Huntington Beach, Calif., is a crowd-pleasing, crafty veteran who has won four of his last five.
Denny, who likes to keep it on the ground, specializes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling and Muay Thai kickboxing. His self-proclaimed signature moves are “knees and elbows.’’ But, mostly, Denny likes to “give pain. I like to make my opponent suffer.’’
A former King of the Cage champion, Denny is coming off a first-round disqualification victory over Malaipet on March 21, 2008, on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series. Denny had mostly totally dominated until Malaipet was DQ’d for illegal elbows to the back of the head.
The outspoken, oft-misunderstood Diaz has drawn both criticism and praise for his “tough guy’’ tirades, but Denny does not seem to mind. “I think his antics are entertaining, but it will be more entertaining when I punch him in the face,’’ he said.
Silva is coming off a hard-fought, three-round split decision victory over former champion Ricco Rodriguez on Feb. 16, 2008, on SHOWTIME. Silva, whose initial nine victories had come in the first round, won by the scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29.
“I know I can fight better than I did the last time,’’ said Silva, who possesses excellent striking and grappling skills and moves extremely well for a fighter his size. “My goal is to prove I’m the No. 1 heavyweight in the world. I want that heavyweight title belt.”
For more information on EliteXC and other MMA-related stories, including bios, video-on-demand, photos, stats, Fantasy Fight Game TM and more, please visit ProElite.com and EliteXC.com. For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video, photo galleries and complete telecast information, please visit http://www.SHO.com/Sports.
Fighter pages: Lawler (http://robbielawler.proelite.com), Smith (http://scottsmith.proelite.com), Shields (http://jakeshields.proelite.com), Thompson (http://nickthompson.proelite.com), Diaz (http://nickdiaz.proelite.com), Denny (http://thomasdenny.proelite.com), Silva (http://antoniosilva.proelite.com)
About ProElite, Inc.
ProElite Inc., the parent company of EliteXC, delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, network television programming on CBS Television Network, cable television programming on Showtime Networks Inc., and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA on the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem, all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters.
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®.
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
Tickets, starting at $35 for the Saturday, July 26 fight card at the Stockton Arena go on sale tomorrow/this Friday, June 27. The pre-sale for tickets continued today/Thursday, June 26. The fight card is presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC.
Tickets can be purchased at the Stockton Arena Box Office (Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.) and Saturday (noon-4 p.m.), by phone at (209) 373-1700 and (866) 373-7088 (toll free) or online at www.stocktontickets.com. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. PT. The first live fight is at 3:15.
“We’re looking forward to staging this tremendous event at the beautiful Stockton Arena,’’ said Douglas DeLuca, Executive Chairman, ProElite, Inc. “Local fans not only will get a chance to watch some of the best fighters in EliteXC, but some of the best in the world.
“With so many fighters from the area -- Nick Diaz (Stockton), Scott Smith (Elk Grove) and Jake Shield (San Francisco) -- Stockton is a perfect fit. We’ll rock the arena and sell it out. This show will appeal to new and established fans, whether they’re in attendance or watching on television.
“The record-breaking numbers for the history-making May 31 CBS telecast said it all. There definitely is a place and a primetime audience for mixed martial arts on network TV. May 31 was a ratings success and Saturday, July 26, on CBS -- and SHOWTIME -- will be one too. We're all excited about our lineup for Stockton and working with CBS and SHOWTIME again.’’
EliteXC was the first to present mixed martial arts on a premium network (SHOWTIME) and in primetime on network television (CBS). On Saturday, July 26, EliteXC will offer back-to-back CBS and SHOWTIME telecasts.
The second half of the televised card will be the second mixed martial arts event shown live in primetime on network television.
CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS will air live on the CBS Television Network at 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. The inaugural May 31 broadcast was a ratings success, peaking at 6.51 million viewers.
A four-fight, two-hour CBS broadcast will be preceded by a three-fight, one-hour telecast live on SHOWTIME (8 p.m. ET/PT), which has televised MMA since February 2007. A fight featuring promising heavyweight Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (10-1) will highlight the show.
EliteXC middleweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4, 1 NC) of Granite City, Ill., via St. Louis, by way of Davenport, Iowa, and Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (13-4, 1 NC) will clash in an eagerly awaited rematch in the main event of “Saturday Night Fights: Lawler-Smith II’’ on CBS.
In a second world title fight, Jake Shields (20-4-1) and Nick Thompson (36-9-1) will collide for the vacant EliteXC 170-pound belt. Both fighters are on a roll. Shields has won nine in a row. Thompson, of Minneapolis, has won 12 straight and 21 of 22. Shields hasn’t lost in more than three years, Thompson in more than two. The world title fights are scheduled for five, five-minute rounds.
With a likely grudge rematch with EliteXC lightweight champion KJ Noons hanging in the balance, hometown hero Nick Diaz will seek his third victory in three months when he faces Thomas “Wildman’’ Denny (26-16) in one of the two, three-round, five-minute scraps on CBS.
Other matchups will be announced in the near future. Fans can watch pre- and post-fight interviews at ProElite.com (see Fighter Pages below).
The crowd-pleasing Lawler and the hard-hitting Smith fought May 31 on CBS in Newark, N.J. To the dismay of the fighters and some fans, a hotly contested, dead even fight seemingly on its way to becoming an instant classic ended in a controversial No Contest.
A thriller in which both had won a round was halted, some insist prematurely, at 3:26 of the third round after Smith was accidentally poked in the eye and deemed unable to continue. Despite his pleas to the contrary, the fight was called by cage-side doctors.
A disappointing, unsatisfactory conclusion made an immediate rematch almost automatic. Lawler and Smith do indeed have unfinished business.
“I’m looking forward to fighting him again,’’ said the soft-spoken, serious-minded Lawler, who captured the EliteXC 185-pound belt with a dramatic, convincing third-round TKO (strikes) over defending champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua on Sept. 15, 2007, in Honolulu on SHOWTIME.
“Smith is a tough guy, but I felt pretty good out there and thought I was winning. It’s too bad it ended that way.’’
Said Smith, who owns a gym in Sacramento: “Neither one of us wanted the fight to end that way, so we definitely have some unfinished business we need to take care of. I wanted to continue fighting. I’m more confident going into this rematch than I was going into the first fight. It will be exciting fighting so close to home. Elk Grove is literally just a few minutes from Stockton.’’
Fighting twice in seven weeks will not be a factor for Lawler. “Timing-wise, it is fine for me,’’ said a determined, dedicated, always dangerous southpaw who is known for aggressiveness and a swing-for-the-fences style, but has performed with intelligence and poise in recent outings.
“I was good for the last one, but I’ll be great for this one,” Lawler added. “I’ll be faster and stronger. I’ve been in the gym almost every day since the first fight. Every fight for me is equal to the other. They are all big, at the time. I’m ready to go.’’
Smith is a “freestyle” fighter and knockout artist who comes out throwing bombs with an abandon that’s made him a huge fan favorite. Aptly nicknamed “Hands Of Steel’’ -- he’s a union field foreman in his family’s steel business – Smith has won 13 of his 15 fights by KO or TKO.
But one of the most dangerous strikers in the business also owns a strong wrestling background and possesses terrific cardio. “I train hard in all aspects of the game,’’ Smith said.
Smith, who says the foot he injured against Lawler is “100 percent,’’ detests fights that go the distance. So one only can imagine what he may have been thinking when the fight with Lawler ended like it did. “Not once did I ever say, ‘I want to stop this fight’ ’’ Smith said.
“I’m too smart and experienced for that. I was just blown away when it was stopped.’’
The Shields-Thompson matchup to decide the first EliteXC welterweight belt-holder should be a fantastic technical fight between two of the best all-around fighters in the world at 170. Those tuning in to CBS will see a different-type style matchup than they saw on May 31.
For Shields, a life-long vegetarian who was raised in a remote area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California, the shot at the EliteXC crown has been a long time coming.
“This is my dream come true. I’m really excited,’’ said Shields, a former college wrestler at San Francisco State and now a Cesar Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Shields has notable triumphs over Yushin Okami, Dave Menne, Hayato Sakurai and Carlos Condit.
“This is really a great fight. Nick’s definitely a great opponent. I respect him. He’s experienced, game and very tough. It’ll be exciting fighting so close to home in Stockton in front of friends and family, but I know I will have my work cut out.’’
Due to a couple of postponements and a back injury, Shields will be making his first start since he defeated Mike Pyle at EliteXC’s event on Nov. 10, 2007 on SHOWTIME.
“There will be no excuses. My back is 100 percent,” said Shields, who’s unbeaten since December 2004. “I struggled with it a lot longer than I wanted, but I knew if I was patient and did the right things my time would come. In a way it was a blessing. Now, I am more motivated than ever.”
Thompson is the third fighter from Minneapolis to appear on CBS, joining Brett Rogers and Kaitlin Young, who fought on the historic May 31 event.
The last Bodog welterweight belt-holder, Thompson is experienced and certainly no easy mark. For sure, his work rate can’t be faulted. Amazingly, this will be his 47th fight since he turned pro less than five and half years ago. He hasn’t been defeated since April 2006. In his last start, he scored a second-round submission (kimura) over Michael Costa on June 8, 2008.
“A fight with Jake has been my No. 1 choice for a long time,” said Thompson, who owns a victory over highly regarded Eddie Alvarez and also has whipped the likes of Chris Wilson, Josh Neer and Brian Gassaway. “I think we both wanted this fight. That the fight is on CBS is a huge opportunity exposure-wise and an added bonus.’’
Diaz is a true hard-core MMA fighter who’s willing to “fight anybody who thinks they’re better than me.’’ On June 14, he scored a third-round TKO over Muhsin Corbbrey one fight before Noons retained his crown by demolishing Yves Edwards in 48 seconds on SHOWTIME.
After the Noons’ fight, Diaz was invited inside the cage to discuss a rematch but heated words were exchanged and a scuffle between the fighters’ camps ensued. “I'm not a punk. I did not start it,’’ Diaz said. “Noons is a poser. His side started it. I was just doing my job.’’
Diaz wants desperately to settle the score with Noons, who won their first fight and the EliteXC title by TKO (cuts) on Nov. 10, 2007, on SHOWTIME. It was a result that did not sit well with Diaz or some fans and the smack talk has escalated ever since.
“Everybody knows the deal with Noons and the kind of guy he is,’’ Diaz said. “But my focus is only on this fight. KJ knows his days are numbered. He can’t run from me forever.’’
A colorful fighter known for wild and crazy hairstyles, Denny, of Victorville, Calif., via Huntington Beach, Calif., is a crowd-pleasing, crafty veteran who has won four of his last five.
Denny, who likes to keep it on the ground, specializes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling and Muay Thai kickboxing. His self-proclaimed signature moves are “knees and elbows.’’ But, mostly, Denny likes to “give pain. I like to make my opponent suffer.’’
A former King of the Cage champion, Denny is coming off a first-round disqualification victory over Malaipet on March 21, 2008, on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series. Denny had mostly totally dominated until Malaipet was DQ’d for illegal elbows to the back of the head.
The outspoken, oft-misunderstood Diaz has drawn both criticism and praise for his “tough guy’’ tirades, but Denny does not seem to mind. “I think his antics are entertaining, but it will be more entertaining when I punch him in the face,’’ he said.
Silva is coming off a hard-fought, three-round split decision victory over former champion Ricco Rodriguez on Feb. 16, 2008, on SHOWTIME. Silva, whose initial nine victories had come in the first round, won by the scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29.
“I know I can fight better than I did the last time,’’ said Silva, who possesses excellent striking and grappling skills and moves extremely well for a fighter his size. “My goal is to prove I’m the No. 1 heavyweight in the world. I want that heavyweight title belt.”
For more information on EliteXC and other MMA-related stories, including bios, video-on-demand, photos, stats, Fantasy Fight Game TM and more, please visit ProElite.com and EliteXC.com. For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video, photo galleries and complete telecast information, please visit http://www.SHO.com/Sports.
Fighter pages: Lawler (http://robbielawler.proelite.com), Smith (http://scottsmith.proelite.com), Shields (http://jakeshields.proelite.com), Thompson (http://nickthompson.proelite.com), Diaz (http://nickdiaz.proelite.com), Denny (http://thomasdenny.proelite.com), Silva (http://antoniosilva.proelite.com)
About ProElite, Inc.
ProElite Inc., the parent company of EliteXC, delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, network television programming on CBS Television Network, cable television programming on Showtime Networks Inc., and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA on the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem, all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters.
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®.
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
Heavyweight Terrorizes Fields with Vicious First Round TKO; Barrett Calling out top British Heavyweight David Haye
MONTE BARRETT ANNIHILATES TYE FIELDS; WANTS DAVID HAYE NEXT
NEW YORK– Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett (34-6, 20 KO’s) was supposed to be just a step up fight for gigantic six-foot-eight heavyweight Tye “Big Sky” Fields (41-2, 37 KO’s) on Fields’ way to heavyweight success. The 37-year old Barrett had other ideas Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Fields’ hometown.
Barrett was coming into this fight confident; knowing he trained hard and knowing he had a great opportunity to knock off a giant heavyweight. Barrett did just that. The Bronx native walked into the ring, was introduced, and heard the bell ring to start round one. Fifty seven seconds later, Barrett was standing over Fields, victorious by savage first round knockout.
Barrett threw vicious combinations and according to Compubox, he landed all of the six power punches he threw. “I was a desperate fighter and desperate fighters do desperate things," said Barrett. “This win will serve notice that Monte Barrett still has some gas left in his tank and will do anything to get to that top level of the division.”
“I want David Haye next. I just sleighed one giant in Tye Fields and now I’m ready to go across the pond and beat that big Brit. I know I am better than him and will knock him flat on his back. Haye is a David Telesco look-alike and we’re ready to Roy Jones him.”
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
NEW YORK– Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett (34-6, 20 KO’s) was supposed to be just a step up fight for gigantic six-foot-eight heavyweight Tye “Big Sky” Fields (41-2, 37 KO’s) on Fields’ way to heavyweight success. The 37-year old Barrett had other ideas Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Fields’ hometown.
Barrett was coming into this fight confident; knowing he trained hard and knowing he had a great opportunity to knock off a giant heavyweight. Barrett did just that. The Bronx native walked into the ring, was introduced, and heard the bell ring to start round one. Fifty seven seconds later, Barrett was standing over Fields, victorious by savage first round knockout.
Barrett threw vicious combinations and according to Compubox, he landed all of the six power punches he threw. “I was a desperate fighter and desperate fighters do desperate things," said Barrett. “This win will serve notice that Monte Barrett still has some gas left in his tank and will do anything to get to that top level of the division.”
“I want David Haye next. I just sleighed one giant in Tye Fields and now I’m ready to go across the pond and beat that big Brit. I know I am better than him and will knock him flat on his back. Haye is a David Telesco look-alike and we’re ready to Roy Jones him.”
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, June 28, 2008
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.
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
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.
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
Open Letter to Chris Arreola From U.S. Olympian Jason Estrada
Open Letter to Chris Arreola From U.S. Olympian Jason Estrada
Dear Chris,
Congratulations on your win last weekend against Chazz Whitherspoon. I honestly didn’t agree with the referee’s decision to disqualify Chazz. Hell, I really wasn’t impressed by anything you did.
I think it’s time for us to determine who America’s top heavyweight prospect is. There’s been a lot of hype about you being the “Nightmare,” but you’ve never fought anybody quite like “Big Six.”
Chris, I had an understanding that if Chazz had beaten you, he was going to fight me next. I am going to be world heavyweight champion and I’m willing and able to fight anybody who is in my way, including you, Chris. I’m calling you out, brother. I know you want to be heavyweight champ, too, so try and go through me instead of taking the easy way out.
I’ve been minding my business, fighting anybody my promoter Jimmy Burchfield has put in front of me. None of them have had a losing record and the combined record of my opponents when they fought me is 203-73-9. Nine of your 24 opponents had losing records, 256-180-21 overall. There are a lot of cupcakes and tomato cans on your resume. My opponents had a winning percentage of 71-percent, yours is only 56-percent. Can you spell PROTECTED?
I’ve sat back and watched other so-called prospects like you fighting stiff after stiff. And somehow the media has bought into you being the “Nightmare” because you’ve knocked out so many of these guys. You’re a strong club-fighter, that’s it, at least until you beat somebody like me, a boxer whose skills you’ve never been in against.
I have one loss on my record because I was willing to fight in the other guy’s (Travis Walker) hometown. He had 20 pro fights, I only had six, and I hurt my shoulder early in the fight. Yet, I still almost pulled off a victory.
I’m ready to fight you to prove I’m America’s No. 1 heavyweight hope. Chris, let’s make it happen. All of the top rated heavyweights are tied up for months, anyway. Who’s out there for you other than more ready-made opponents?
Styles make fights and fans always love to watch a puncher like you fight a boxer like me. Supposedly, I can’t punch, so just get into the ring with me and find out what I have -- great whiskers and the fastest hands in our division.
You’re supposed to be the “Nightmare.” Try and scare me; I dare you, Chris.
Sincerely,
Jason “Big Six” Estrada
2004 U.S. Olympian
Future World Heavyweight Champion
-JE-
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
Dear Chris,
Congratulations on your win last weekend against Chazz Whitherspoon. I honestly didn’t agree with the referee’s decision to disqualify Chazz. Hell, I really wasn’t impressed by anything you did.
I think it’s time for us to determine who America’s top heavyweight prospect is. There’s been a lot of hype about you being the “Nightmare,” but you’ve never fought anybody quite like “Big Six.”
Chris, I had an understanding that if Chazz had beaten you, he was going to fight me next. I am going to be world heavyweight champion and I’m willing and able to fight anybody who is in my way, including you, Chris. I’m calling you out, brother. I know you want to be heavyweight champ, too, so try and go through me instead of taking the easy way out.
I’ve been minding my business, fighting anybody my promoter Jimmy Burchfield has put in front of me. None of them have had a losing record and the combined record of my opponents when they fought me is 203-73-9. Nine of your 24 opponents had losing records, 256-180-21 overall. There are a lot of cupcakes and tomato cans on your resume. My opponents had a winning percentage of 71-percent, yours is only 56-percent. Can you spell PROTECTED?
I’ve sat back and watched other so-called prospects like you fighting stiff after stiff. And somehow the media has bought into you being the “Nightmare” because you’ve knocked out so many of these guys. You’re a strong club-fighter, that’s it, at least until you beat somebody like me, a boxer whose skills you’ve never been in against.
I have one loss on my record because I was willing to fight in the other guy’s (Travis Walker) hometown. He had 20 pro fights, I only had six, and I hurt my shoulder early in the fight. Yet, I still almost pulled off a victory.
I’m ready to fight you to prove I’m America’s No. 1 heavyweight hope. Chris, let’s make it happen. All of the top rated heavyweights are tied up for months, anyway. Who’s out there for you other than more ready-made opponents?
Styles make fights and fans always love to watch a puncher like you fight a boxer like me. Supposedly, I can’t punch, so just get into the ring with me and find out what I have -- great whiskers and the fastest hands in our division.
You’re supposed to be the “Nightmare.” Try and scare me; I dare you, Chris.
Sincerely,
Jason “Big Six” Estrada
2004 U.S. Olympian
Future World Heavyweight Champion
-JE-
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
BJ FLORES SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT GODFREY "OFFER"
PHOENIX, AZ- World ranked and undefeated cruiserweight BJ Flores wanted to set the record straight regarding media reports that he rejected an “offer” to fight CES promoted Matt Godfrey next month on ESPN2.
Speaking following a training session with former heavyweight world champion Hasim Rahman in Phoenix, Arizona, Flores said, “Let me set the record straight. CES has Aaron Williams and Matt Godfrey. Williams had wanted to fight me after my win over Darnell Wilson in February. I was fine with that at the time, but I was okay with waiting until after his fight with Jose Luis Herrera.”
“Williams got knocked out by Herrera so we said let’s fight Herrera. We went back and for with Jimmy Burchfield from CES for a while about terms. I don’t think CES wanted us to fight Herrera and we get asked if we’re interested in fighting Godfrey. No date, no money offer, no location. Just if we’re interested.
“We needed to know much more about the deal, especially the money, date, network and location. And that’s what we asked for and they never provided that specific information let alone showed us a contract. A request for more information does not constitute a rejection.”
“The bottom line is that Matt’s a gent; he was down here in Phoenix with me training with Hasim. We get along fine but I don’t think he wants to fight me for short end money, like $15,000, on ESPN, when the fight is worth much more. Nothing against ESPN, they’ve been great to me, but the purses should be bigger for us to fight, especially if I have to go to CES’s backyard to do it.”
"We’ve both worked hard in our careers to get to this point; this would be a SHOBOX or HBO Boxing After Dark type bout. It’s perfect for them and in keeping with what they’re trying to. Bottom line is make us a true offer and we’ll make a decision. If I had no fear of the biggest puncher in the division, I have no fear of anyone else."
Said longtime manager of Flores, Lou Mesorano, “All due respect to Jimmy Burchfield, this fight doesn’t make sense for ESPN money. It’s worth much more than that. We’re willing to fight anyone and proved that in our last bout with Wilson.”
“These are the two best American cruisers. This is the pros, not the amateurs.”
Flores, 21-0-1 (13KO’s) is currently ranked # 2 by the IBF, # 5 by the WBO and # 8 by the WBA.
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
Ruiz-Valuev rematch for WBA championship
LAS VEGAS– Soon after it was announced that WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev had pulled out of his July 5 mandatory title defense against former WBA title-holder and No. 1 contender, Nikolai Valuev, due to another injury, John Ruiz, through his advisor and attorney, Tony Cardinale, contacted World Boxing Association officials demanding that, in accordance with WBA rules and regulations, the championship be vacated and negotiations ordered to begin for a title fight between Valuev and former 2-time world heavyweight champion, WBA No. 2-rated John “The Quietman” Ruiz (43-7-1, 29 KOs).
Chagaev, who won the WBA belt on April 4, 2007 by winning a 12-round majority decision against Valuev, hasn’t made a mandatory title defense (due by April 4, 2008) because of a series of injuries, fighting one voluntary defense (WDEC12 vs. Matt Skelton, Jan. 19, 2008).
“We know that the WBA will follow its rules and regulations,” Ruiz said. “It’s already well past the time he’s had to make a mandatory defense and the WBA heavyweight title belt is being held hostage. We don’t need a hostage negotiator to take politics out of the heavyweight division. The WBA just has to do the right thing to move forward and give boxing fans what they deserve. The heavyweight division has been at a standstill in the WBA and it should follow its rules and order the top two rated contenders to fight for the title.”
In its last correspondence to the WBA, Team Ruiz anticipated Chagev being physically unable to defend his title against Valuev and informed the WBA that it would demand that the WBA follow its regulations if Chagaev sought a second postponement of his mandatory title defense.
Team Ruiz’ demand is pursuant to the following WBA Championship Regulations:
5.- DEFENSE OF THE TITLE
5.1 WBA TITLE DEFENSE
5.1.12 If a World Champion recognized by the World Boxing Association fails to comply with his obligation to defend the title on the date indicated by the Regulations, or fails to comply with his obligation for a World Championship fight, duly approved by the World Championships Committee, or fails to comply with any rule of the World Boxing Association, the Committee shall recommend the President and the Directory of the Association that his title be declared vacant.
8.- PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW WHEN A TITLE IS DECLARED VACANT
8.1 A World Championship may be lost because a of breach of the contract for a World Championship fight, or because of inability to fight, or because the period given by the World Championships Committee is over, or by failure to comply with the required weight at the weighting time, according to what is established in article 12.1 of the Regulations that Govern the World Championship Matches, however a World Championship can only be obtained as a result of a fight duly authorized by the World Championships Committee.
8.2 In the event that a World Championship is declared vacant, the two (2) Official Contenders shall fight for the vacant title, and for this, they shall be granted a period of no more that THIRTY (30) days to negotiate an agreement under the best possible conditions, with a duly qualified promoter. If they fail to negotiate the agreement within the time indicated, the Director of the World Championships Committee shall call a Purse bid. The World Championships Committee can open the fight to Purse Bid before the period given is over, as long as the parties (Champion or Challenger) state his unwillingness to negotiate an agreement for a world title fight.
The Puerto Rican-American Ruiz is the first and only Latino heavyweight champion of the world. He has fought in 10 world championship fights, defeating three world heavyweight champions -- Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman and Tony Tucker – in addition to beating top contenders such as Andrew Golota, Fres Oquendo, Kirk Johnson and Jameel McCline during his 15-year pro career.
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
Chagaev, who won the WBA belt on April 4, 2007 by winning a 12-round majority decision against Valuev, hasn’t made a mandatory title defense (due by April 4, 2008) because of a series of injuries, fighting one voluntary defense (WDEC12 vs. Matt Skelton, Jan. 19, 2008).
“We know that the WBA will follow its rules and regulations,” Ruiz said. “It’s already well past the time he’s had to make a mandatory defense and the WBA heavyweight title belt is being held hostage. We don’t need a hostage negotiator to take politics out of the heavyweight division. The WBA just has to do the right thing to move forward and give boxing fans what they deserve. The heavyweight division has been at a standstill in the WBA and it should follow its rules and order the top two rated contenders to fight for the title.”
In its last correspondence to the WBA, Team Ruiz anticipated Chagev being physically unable to defend his title against Valuev and informed the WBA that it would demand that the WBA follow its regulations if Chagaev sought a second postponement of his mandatory title defense.
Team Ruiz’ demand is pursuant to the following WBA Championship Regulations:
5.- DEFENSE OF THE TITLE
5.1 WBA TITLE DEFENSE
5.1.12 If a World Champion recognized by the World Boxing Association fails to comply with his obligation to defend the title on the date indicated by the Regulations, or fails to comply with his obligation for a World Championship fight, duly approved by the World Championships Committee, or fails to comply with any rule of the World Boxing Association, the Committee shall recommend the President and the Directory of the Association that his title be declared vacant.
8.- PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW WHEN A TITLE IS DECLARED VACANT
8.1 A World Championship may be lost because a of breach of the contract for a World Championship fight, or because of inability to fight, or because the period given by the World Championships Committee is over, or by failure to comply with the required weight at the weighting time, according to what is established in article 12.1 of the Regulations that Govern the World Championship Matches, however a World Championship can only be obtained as a result of a fight duly authorized by the World Championships Committee.
8.2 In the event that a World Championship is declared vacant, the two (2) Official Contenders shall fight for the vacant title, and for this, they shall be granted a period of no more that THIRTY (30) days to negotiate an agreement under the best possible conditions, with a duly qualified promoter. If they fail to negotiate the agreement within the time indicated, the Director of the World Championships Committee shall call a Purse bid. The World Championships Committee can open the fight to Purse Bid before the period given is over, as long as the parties (Champion or Challenger) state his unwillingness to negotiate an agreement for a world title fight.
The Puerto Rican-American Ruiz is the first and only Latino heavyweight champion of the world. He has fought in 10 world championship fights, defeating three world heavyweight champions -- Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman and Tony Tucker – in addition to beating top contenders such as Andrew Golota, Fres Oquendo, Kirk Johnson and Jameel McCline during his 15-year pro career.
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
Russia’s Last Emperor vs. The American Maine-iac Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia in “Affliction Banned”
SIGNAL HILL, California– The Cold War might be over, but old rivalries die hard. On July 19th at Honda Center in Anaheim, California, two of the world’s greatest MMA super powers will collide when Russia’s Fedor Emelianenko faces off with America’s Tim Sylvia for the WAMMA heavyweight championship.
These two formidable heavyweight champions finally make it into the ring together, in an event as impressive as the two athletes heading the bill — “Affliction Banned.” These two heavy hitters are so accomplished it’s a challenge for them to find competitive opponents. The two are almost perfectly matched in number of professional bouts they’ve fought in, with Sylvia compiling 24 wins and only 4 losses, and Fedor recording 28 wins and 1 loss. It’s hard to imagine what it will be like in the ring with these two monsters of MMA go head-to-head.
Fedor is a powerful, intelligent fighter and technician who doesn’t outwardly show much emotion, but fights (and trains) with a lot of heart. This astounding fighter never retreats, has great takedown and ground control skills, and is the most devastating fighter that MMA has ever seen when he’s on the inside. And Fedor hits very hard, with amazing knockout power in both hands. Unlike most fighters, Fedor is also a master game planner who follows through on the plan, and simply doesn't wilt under pressure, no matter what the circumstances. Fedor’s record is impeccable, losing only once when a referee decided to end a fight early when he sustained a bad cut from an elbow. All in all, Fedor seems virtually unbeatable.
Although Fedor is the top-ranking heavyweight in the world, there’s no doubt that Tim Sylvia is a force to be reckoned with. With a full 8 inches and 30 pounds over Fedor, Sylvia is a monster with an impressive record, surprisingly quick hands and a long reach that many opponents find hard to escape. His size and striking power, coupled with a rock-em sock-em attitude and stamina are a dangerous combination every time he steps in front of an opponent. Trying to regain the championship title in a fight in 2004, Sylvia wouldn’t tap out when Frank Mir locked him in an armbar, even after his arm was snapped. The ref had to put an end the fight, because Sylvia, broken arm and all wouldn’t give up.
Fedor, who has already proved himself in the ring, is looking to earn a different kind of reputation with the American people. “As far as American fans, I'd like them to get to know me personally…not just as a fighter — as a human being as well.' And Sylvia, who has suffered from some criticism and controversy, has a personal, as well as professional, agenda as well — he’s just looking for a little respect. A win against the current world heavyweight champion just might quiet the chatter and earn him the respect he yearns for. In Sylvia’s own words, “It’s time to see if Fedor still has what it takes to be #1.”
On the evening of July 19th at Honda Center in Anaheim, the MMA mega-event of all times —“Affliction Banned”— promises to bear this out.
“Affliction Banned” is stacked with so much world-class talent that it had to be separated into two live shows produced for broadcast. The night’s activities will kick off with “Affliction Live,” a one-hour, free live telecast on FSN (Fox Sports Net) starting at 5 PM Pacific (8 PM/ET) and setting the stage for “Affliction Banned” – five super fights on pay-per-view starting at 6 PM/PT (9 PM/ET) via iN DEMAND, TVN, Shaw Communications, Viewers Choice Canada, DirecTV, DISH Network, Bell ExpressVue and Star Choice in the United States and Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95.
The heavy metal band Megadeth, led by frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Dave Mustaine, will be performing live at the event.
Tickets for “Affliction Banned” range between $50.00 and $1,000.00, and are on sale at Honda Center’s Box Office and also online at Ticketmaster.com.
To download all video, photos and PR-related media go to: http://www.afflictionbanned.com/media.html
Affliction
Already a mainstay for the most elite athletes, heaviest bands, A-listers and the fashion conscious, Affliction Clothing’s ability to set the bar high in fashion is evident in its collection’s indulgence of style and design, focus on quality, and its trademark series of divinely executed, dark and powerful themes. (www.afflictionclothing.com)
The Trump Organization
The Trump Organization encompasses global real estate development and global licensing, sales and marketing, property management, golf course development, entertainment, entertainment and product licensing, brand development as well as restaurants and event planning. Donald J. Trump is the Chairman and President of the Trump Organization, a privately held company in New York. (www.Trump.com)
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
Duddy returns June 28th in Boston; Headlining “Hassle In The Castle”
Duddy returns June 28th in Boston
Headlining “Hassle In The Castle”
NEW YORK – Undefeated world middleweight contender “Ireland’s” John Duddy returns to the ring June 28 with a new head trainer in his corner, Pat Burns, in the 10-round main event against Charles Howe, headlining “Hassle In The Castle” at The Castle in Boston.
Duddy (24-0, 17 KOs), a native of County Derry in N. Ireland, lives and fights out of Queens, New York. He is rated No. 2 by the WBC and No. 3 by the WBO, as well as No. 5 by the WBA and No. 10 by the IBF. Burns trained Jermain Taylor to the world middleweight title. Howe (17-4-2, 9 KOs), fighting out of Ohio, is coming off of the only loss in his last 14 fights, dating back nearly eight years, to WBC USNBC champion Joey Gilbert in their title fight last September.
“We’re returning to Boston out of appreciation to all of his fans there,” Irish Ropes Promotions president Eddie McLoughlin said. “John has a lot of friends in Boston and he sold out The Castle 2 ½ years ago when he beat Julio Jean. There are a lot of Irish and Irish-Americans living there and we’ve received countless requests to return. We’re excited to be coming back on June 28 and John will be fighting for the first time with Pat Burns as his head trainer.”
South Boston middleweight Donald Orr (12-0, 5 KOs), 2000 Canadian Olympian, is scheduled to fight in the 8-round co-feature. On the undercard against opponents to be determined are Worcester (MA) middleweight prospect Edwin Rodriguez (6-0, 5 KOs), 2-time U.S. National amateur champion, faces his stiffest test to date in Marcus Upshaw (8-1, 3 KOs); Boston by way of Clare, Ireland cruiserweight Mark Clancy (7-0-1, 1 KO), 4-time Irish National amateur finalist; Lynn (MA) junior welterweight Simeon Dunwell (7-0, 2 KOs) and Philadelphia super featherweight Frank Trader (1-0, 0 KOs). All bouts and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets are priced at $50.00 $75.00 and $100.00 and are available at The Kells (Jerry Quinn – 617.733.4535) in Allston, Porter Belly’s (Sean McCormack and Past O’Sullivan – 617.254.3300) in Brighton, Shenanigans Bar & Grill (Shay Harris – 617.269.9509) in South Boston, and The Banshee Pub (617.436.9747). Tickets are also available at the usual Irish Ropes outlets in New York City and by going on line at www.irishropes.com. Doors open at 6:30 PM/ET, first bout at 7:30 PM/ET.
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
Headlining “Hassle In The Castle”
NEW YORK – Undefeated world middleweight contender “Ireland’s” John Duddy returns to the ring June 28 with a new head trainer in his corner, Pat Burns, in the 10-round main event against Charles Howe, headlining “Hassle In The Castle” at The Castle in Boston.
Duddy (24-0, 17 KOs), a native of County Derry in N. Ireland, lives and fights out of Queens, New York. He is rated No. 2 by the WBC and No. 3 by the WBO, as well as No. 5 by the WBA and No. 10 by the IBF. Burns trained Jermain Taylor to the world middleweight title. Howe (17-4-2, 9 KOs), fighting out of Ohio, is coming off of the only loss in his last 14 fights, dating back nearly eight years, to WBC USNBC champion Joey Gilbert in their title fight last September.
“We’re returning to Boston out of appreciation to all of his fans there,” Irish Ropes Promotions president Eddie McLoughlin said. “John has a lot of friends in Boston and he sold out The Castle 2 ½ years ago when he beat Julio Jean. There are a lot of Irish and Irish-Americans living there and we’ve received countless requests to return. We’re excited to be coming back on June 28 and John will be fighting for the first time with Pat Burns as his head trainer.”
South Boston middleweight Donald Orr (12-0, 5 KOs), 2000 Canadian Olympian, is scheduled to fight in the 8-round co-feature. On the undercard against opponents to be determined are Worcester (MA) middleweight prospect Edwin Rodriguez (6-0, 5 KOs), 2-time U.S. National amateur champion, faces his stiffest test to date in Marcus Upshaw (8-1, 3 KOs); Boston by way of Clare, Ireland cruiserweight Mark Clancy (7-0-1, 1 KO), 4-time Irish National amateur finalist; Lynn (MA) junior welterweight Simeon Dunwell (7-0, 2 KOs) and Philadelphia super featherweight Frank Trader (1-0, 0 KOs). All bouts and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets are priced at $50.00 $75.00 and $100.00 and are available at The Kells (Jerry Quinn – 617.733.4535) in Allston, Porter Belly’s (Sean McCormack and Past O’Sullivan – 617.254.3300) in Brighton, Shenanigans Bar & Grill (Shay Harris – 617.269.9509) in South Boston, and The Banshee Pub (617.436.9747). Tickets are also available at the usual Irish Ropes outlets in New York City and by going on line at www.irishropes.com. Doors open at 6:30 PM/ET, first bout at 7:30 PM/ET.
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
DUDDY-HOWE WEIGHTS FROM BOSTON
“HASSLE IN THE CASTLE”
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Castle, Boston, MA
WEIGHTS FROM BOSTON
JOHN DUDDY 158 ½ LBS.
CHARLIE HOWE 160 LBS.
DONNY ORR 162 LBS.
ROBERTO VALENZUELA TOMORROW
EDWIN RODRIGUEZ 162 LBS.
HECTOR HERNANDEZ 161 ½ LBS.
MARK CLANCY 191 LBS.
SALAH ZABIAN TOMORROW
BRODERICK ANTOINE 141 LBS.
ANTONY ACCARDI 140 LBS.
Promoter: Irish Ropes Promotions
Matchmaker: Jim Borzell
Tickets: Limited $50.00 $75.00 and $100.00 at door
Information: www.irishropes.com
Doors open at 6 PM/ET, first bout 7 PM/ET.
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, June 25, 2008
Megadeth To Perform At Affliction Banned July 19 PPV in Anaheim
SIGNAL HILL, California– Affliction Entertainment, scheduled to make MMA history on July 19th at Honda Center in Anaheim with the greatest line-up of mixed-martial-arts fights ever presented in one night, keeps building this event with the latest news—heavy metal band Megadeth, led by frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Dave Mustaine, will be performing live at the event.
The platinum selling band, Megadeth has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and will electrify the audience with a special highlight performance. Known for their distinctive, in-your-face guitar solos, snarling vocal style and dark lyrical themes, Megadeth is sure to resonate with the “Affliction Banned” fan base and intensify the already action-packed event.
“Affliction Banned”, a mixed-martial-arts pay-per-view event in association with Roy Englebrecht Events, features the much-anticipated return of Russian heavyweight superstar Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko, in association with M-1, and supported by an star studded undercard, July 19th at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Fedor (27-1), the former undisputed PRIDE® heavyweight champion and Russian M-1 legend, has been universally recognized for the past five years as the most dominating heavyweight in the world. He faces former two-time UFC® heavyweight title-holder Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia (24-4), fighting out of Iowa by way of his native Maine.
An impressive four-fight undercard will be loaded with Josh “The Baby Faced Assassin” Barnett (21-5) of Seattle facing off stateside for the first time in two years in a grudge match against the only opponent to ever knock him out—Brazilian strongman Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo (16-7).
Three-time All-American wrestler Mike Whitehead (20-5), of Salt Lake City will battle Brazilian sensation Renato “Babalu” Sobral (29-7) of Costa Mesa, California. 2000 Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland (20-5) of Oregon City faces Brazilian favorite Fabio “Negao” Nascimento (8-3). Former IFL® titlist “Big” Ben Rothwell (29-5) of Kenosha, Wisconsin is scheduled to fight Andre “The Pitbull” Arlovski in this groundbreaking event.
Tickets for “Affliction Banned” range between $50.00 and $1,000.00 and are on sale at the Honda Center Box Office and also online at Ticketmaster.com.
To download all video, photos and PR-related media go to: http://www.afflictionbanned.com/media.html
Affliction
Already a mainstay for the most elite athletes, heaviest bands, A-listers and the fashion conscious, Affliction Clothing’s ability to set the bar high in fashion is evident in its collection’s indulgence of style and design, focus on quality, and its trademark series of divinely executed, dark and powerful themes. (www.afflictionclothing.com)
The Trump Organization
The Trump Organization encompasses global real estate development and global licensing, sales and marketing, property management, golf course development, entertainment, entertainment and product licensing, brand development as well as restaurants and event planning. Donald J. Trump is the Chairman and President of the Trump Organization, a privately held company in New York. (www.Trump.com)
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)