★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience©®™

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Kasuto and Drenovak highlight benefits of the AIBA Road to London Program‏

Several AIBA Road to London boxers took to the ring at the ExCeL during the first day of competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games and there were some scintillating performances that showcased once again why this initiative is so highly regarded.

Tajikistan's 21-year-old AIBA Asian Olympic Qualifying Event bronze medallist Sobirdzhon Nazarov and Namibia's Beijing Olympian Mujandjae Kasuto put on anexcellent battle in their Middleweight (75kg) contest. Both boxers were in great condition it showed as they each threw lots of punches throughout their bout. It was the African boxer who with his previous Olympic experience defeated the strong Central Asian boxer 11:8.

Syria's Asian Games bronze medallist Wessam Slamana was also in Cardiff for the three week training camp but unfortuinatly came up against the fleet-footed WSB season one Individual Championships winner Kanat Abutalipov. The final score read 15:7 to the Kazak but Slamana declared after his defeat, "the AIBA Road to London program has made me a much better fighter, I am proud of my performance at these Olympic Games".

26-year-old Namibian Jonas Nghilandemwenyo Matheus defied expectations by taking a quota place for London at the AIBA African Olympic Qualifying Event and put Italy's Jahyn Vittorio Parrinello, who has been in tremendous form of late, under a lot of pressure in their encounter. Parrinello was the winner but he will remember Matheus for years to come.

Gabon's 32-year-old Braexir Romeo Lemboumba qualified for the Olympic Games for the very first time and as a result took part in AIBA Road to London Program. He came up against Dominican Republic's Independence Cup winner William Encarnacion Alcantara at the ExCeL and was eager to impress and although his fitness could not be faulted, Lemboumba's lack of experience in the ring against top class opponents told as he lost his contest.

Ghana's 18-year-old AIBA African Olympic Qualifying Event silver medallist Isaac Zion Kojo Dogboe looked on course for victory against Japan's Beijing Olympian Satoshi Shimizu, however let a two point advantage slip in the final round. He will have learnt a lot from that fight but was said to be already looking forward to joining up once again with the AIBA Road to Dream program.

Turkmenistan's rising star, 19-year-old Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Nursahat Pazziyev qualified to the Games after a hard-fought silver medal at the AIBA Asian Olympic Qualifying Event and was another who impressed the coaches during the gruelling training camp in the Welsh capital. The Central Asian teenager fought valiantly against Turkey's classy European Championships silver medallist Adem Kilicci but was eventually defeated 14:7.

Serbian veteran Aleksandar Drenovak, who was a quarter-finalist at the AIBA World Boxing Championships Baku 2011, also joined up with the boxers at the AIBA Road to London in Cardiff and will have been delighted with his 13:12 triumph over Ecuador's 19-year-old Marlo Javier Delgado Suarez. Drenovak overturned a first round deficit in the Middleweight (75kg) contest to notch up another win for the AIBA Road to London program members.

Tomorrow, several more athletes from the initiative will be taking to the ring looking to progress.
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Middleweight Terrell Gausha Wins Last Second Stoppage Victory in Olympic Debut‏

Middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) has proven that he has a flare for the dramatic in the ring and he showcased that trait in explosive fashion with a last second stoppage win over Armenia’s Andranik Hakobyan in his Olympic opener. The bout went into the final minute in doubt and Gausha refused to leave it to the judges, putting Hakobyan down twice in the final seven seconds before the referee called a halt to the contest in the last second.

The middleweight preliminary round bout was highly contested through all nine minutes of action with each of the boxers enjoying their moments of success. Both boxers were busy in the first round, landing sharp punches and looking for openings and it was Hakobyan taking the 4-3 lead after one. The punch output dropped in the second as the contest became more tactical and the third round began with Hakobyan holding a one-point lead.

Gausha came out firing in the third, but as the contest moved into the final 30 seconds, the outcome was still in doubt. Yet the American refused to leave it in the judges hands, he landed a double jab, right hand combination flush to the Armenian’s chin with less than 10 seconds remaining, sending Hakobyan to the canvas. The Armenian managed to get up but Gausha stayed on the offensive, dropping him once again with a left hook in the final second. The referee stopped the bout as the clock hit triple zeros and Gausha won his first bout of the 2012 Olympic Games in thrilling fashion.

“Going into the third round, I knew I had to leave it all in the ring. I didn’t want to have any excuses or wish that I had done something. I just wanted to leave it all out there,” Gausha said. “I threw a double jab and a right hand (for the first knockdown) and it caught him right on the chin. I dropped him twice and the referee stopped the fight.”

“This is definitely a confidence booster but I’m still taking it one day at a time. This is just the first fight, I still have a ways to go,” he said. Gausha will return to action on Thursday in a second round match-up with India’s Vijender.

Due to fundraising efforts by his local community, Gausha’s mother and sister were able to travel to London and cheered him on to victory in Saturday night’s bout.

Two American boxers will compete in preliminary action on Sunday as lightweight Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.) takes on France’s Rachid Azzedine and welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) faces Brazil’s Myke Carvalho de Ribeiro. Both boxers will compete in Sunday’s evening action with Ramirez competing at 9:30 p.m. London time (4:30 p.m. ET) and Spence boxing at 10 p.m. London time (5 p.m. ET).

U.S. Result

165 lbs: Terrell Gausha, Cleveland, Ohio/USA stopped Andranik Hakobyan, RSC-3

Terrell Gausha quotes

“I didn’t know the exact time (when he knocked him down), but I have a mental clock in my head. I’ve been around for the game for awhile so I knew I was cutting it close.”

“I felt it was a close fight, I wasn’t sure if I was winning (before the knockdowns). It was too close for comfort so I had to go for it.”

“He was bigger but it’s all about the heart.”

“I had a little nerves going into the fight because it was the first one but I was confident that I was going to pull the win off.”

“I always try to gain a little bit from every fight so I took some things from this fight. I always get better as I progress in the tournament.”

“I heard my family. I heard my team cheering but I was kind of focused on the fight. I heard the crowd cheering Armenia and I used it as motivation for me.”

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

NATASHA JONAS, FEMALE OLYMPIC BOXER

Natasha Jonas, known as Tasha to her friends, is a talented female amateur boxer who was born and raised in Liverpool (England). Her focus for the last few years has been to compete in the London 2012 Olympics.

Natasha was a Gold medallist at the EU Championship in 2011 and 2009. She has won the ABAE (Amateur Boxing Association of England) Championship four times (2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007) and won the GB Championship in 2010. Her ambition of winning a Gold Medal at the 2012 Olympics is within reach.

Natasha's ability and past achievements have brought her to the attention of many, locally and nationally. She is a great ambassador to her sport and a role model to young kids in her local community. ♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

US swimmers Lia Neal, Amanda Weir, Natalie Coughlin and Allison Schmitt won the swimming event at the Bronze medal in the Olympic Games on in London

Congratulations to Daily Lia Neal for winning a Bronze Medal in the Women’s Swimming 4x100m Freestyle Relay! :)

AIBA launches London 2012 dedicated website as the competition gets underway today

With the London 2012 Olympic Games a historic moment for the sport of boxing, it is with great pleasure that the International Boxing Association (AIBA) launches its new website dedicated to the greatest show on earth.

With Women's Boxing gracing the competition for the very first time, we will bring you the most up to date and in-depth reports as the athletes battle it out for those career defining gold medals.

250 Men across ten weight categories and 36 Women across three will be taking to the ring at the ExCeL London from 28 July to 12 August in what promises to be one of the most competitive tournaments the World has ever witnessed.

With comprehensive coverage, boxers bios, schedules and results and all things boxing, do not miss any of the action on www.aiba-london2012.com.

The competition begins today with the Men's Bantamweight (56kg) and Middleweight (75kg) preliminaries. The afternoon session starts at 13.30 whilst the evening one gets underway at 20.30 with twelve mouth-watering bouts in each.

Team USA’s Joseph Diaz, Jr., Opens the 2012 Olympic Games with a Double Digit Win Over Ukraine‏

American bantamweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (S. El Monte, Calif.) claimed the first win of the Olympic Games on Saturday afternoon with a convincing 19-9 win over Pavlo Ischenko of Ukraine in first round action. The pair faced off in the first bout of the entire tournament with Diaz enjoying the distinction of the throwing the first punch of the 2012 Olympic Games. Diaz set the perfect tone for his American teammates, winning a 19-9 decision over his Ukrainian opponent in the U.S. opener.

Diaz took the ring first, decked out in his red USA uniform and American flag bandana in front of a packed house at the ExCel Centre. Both boxers looked for momentum early in the contest with Diaz staying busy early in the bout. He began to find his rhythm late in the round, landing several straight left hands to close the round, and held a 4-3 lead after the first.

Diaz continued his strong and effective boxing in the second stanza, staying aggressive and landing strong, accurate shots to outscore Ischenko by a 5-3 margin in the middle round. The 19-year-old held a 9-6 lead with one round remaining, but he refused to sit on his advantage in the final stanza. Diaz pounded Ischenko in the third, landing a wide array of upper cuts and straight left hands that stung his opponent. “I felt like he got a little tired (in the third round) and I felt like I was just getting started,” Diaz said. “The first round I ended up winning but I wasn’t really throwing as much. In the second round, I picked it up and in the third round, and I picked it up even more and that gave me the W.”

He kept the pressure on until the final bell rang and was named the victory by a 19-9 final margin. Diaz’s efforts earned him the first victory of the 2012 Olympic Games and got his American team off to a great start.

“It felt great just being in there. The environment is amazing. I just knew that I had to do what I needed to do and I prayed to God,” Diaz said. “I just realized that this guy is human just like me. He sweats and bleeds, he’s nervous just like me so I’ve got to do what I do and that’s what I did.”

Diaz now moves onto second round action and a rematch with Cuban world champion XXX on Wednesday, August 1. He dropped his quarterfinal contest at the 2011 World Championships to XXX, but believes that their Olympic match-up could feature a different outcome. “I lost by a few points the first time we fought and I feel like I could have done a little more and that’s what I’m going to do Wednesday. On Wednesday, I’m going to give everyone a good show,” Diaz said.

The 19-year-old California native enjoyed great support from both his teammates and five family members in the crowd, which included his parents and two sisters. His father and trainer, Joseph Diaz, Sr., could be heard yelling words of support throughout the three round contest and his son gave his father what he wanted on day one, a strong victory. “It really means a lot to have my family here. They’re out there in the crowd cheering me on and I feel that momentum, Diaz said. “I feel that extra boost that it’s giving me so I can give them that extra strength and that extra conditioning. My family means everything and I hope I can bring back a medal for them and help them out financially even more.”

Diaz faced a stressful arrival to the ExCel Centre after the bus got lost en route to the venue and arrived much later than originally planned, but he refused to allow that to impact his focus, putting on a great performance in his Olympic debut.

Middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) will take the ring in tonight’s evening action, battling Armenia’s Andranik Hakobyan at approximately 10:15 p.m. London time (5:15 ET).

U.S. Result

123 lbs: Joseph Diaz, Jr., S. El Monte, Calif./USA dec. Pavlo Ischenko, UKR, 19-9

Diaz quotes

“I have a really tough draw and I knew that the Ukrainian was a really good fighter and the Cuban is the number one seed but I fought him already and I have a different game plan so we’ll see what happens on Wednesday.”

“My game plan was just to maintain my composure and stay in on him. I knew that he had a very good hook. I watched his fights on you tube and I know that he was going to be really strong and his punches felt really hard but I know that I’m in really great shape. I had a great training camp and have a great strength and conditioning coach and I came and did what I did and I pulled it off.”

“I think I lost by like seven points (to the Cuban) but I know that this time around, I’m going to give him a good fight and hopefully pick up that W.”

“I believe it was just my speed. He probably thought I was a little slower than usual but I was kind of fast and I was just picking my left hand because I know he was just looking for my body shots. I was just picking my straight left hand and it was landing every time and I just thank God for this blessing.”

“The uppercuts on the inside were working. I know that I was picking my body shots well and I was following it with the upper cuts and I just kept doing it throughout the fight.”

It feels really great (to be the first winner of the 2012 Olympic Games). I’m giving the whole Team USA a boost right now. They’re all motivated already. Everyone was already motivated because they want to get that medal but I feel like I motivated them even more. I feel that now they’ve seen the environment so they’re not going to be that anxious and nervous. They’re gonna be ready.”

“I knew I was going to be the first bout today after my weigh in so I was kind of nervous, but I knew that no matter if I’m the first bout or the ninth bout, I’m going to do what I have to do.”

“Ah man, the environment is intense, it’s crazy, I really love it. Everyone cheering us on and everyone saying ooh when the punches land, its great.”

Boxing Tonite!! July 28th

Don King pontificates on state of pro boxing, women in the sport

Don King pontificates on state of pro boxing, women in the sport

Legendary Boxing Promoter Don King in San Jose with Jerry Hoffman for Selcuk Aydin vs. Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero for World Welterweight title on Showtime.

Photo of the Day; Here’s your Team USA, London 2012. Let the #Olympic Games begin!

The London 2012 Olympic Games are here!!!: Olympic Spirit

Below is a video link featuring footage of a scuffle between the Guerrero and Aydin camps on stage during Friday’s weigh-in

Below is a video link featuring footage of a scuffle between the Guerrero and Aydin camps on stage during Friday’s weigh-in. See Robert Guerrero and Selcuk Aydin get into a little scrap after today's weigh-in in San Jose, CA. Check out the real fight, tomorrow (Saturday, July 28) at 10p on SHOWTIME!

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Sunday, July 29, 2012

Saturday, July 28, 2012