PAULIE "The Magic Man" MALIGNAGGI; No Disappearing Act....And Still The IBF Junior Welterweight Champion

Atlantic City, N.J., Bally's Main Ballroom,“ SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING set the stage for another fantastic year of world-class boxing when flashy, charismatic Paulie "The Magic Man" Malignaggi defended his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior welterweight title against mandatory challenger against IBF No. 1 contender, Herman "The Black Panther" Ngoudjo, on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008, live on SHOWTIME. Saturday's world title fight is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Groupe Yvon Michel Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment, said "Malignaggi and Ngoudjo will come out swinging in the first big fight of 2008."

Lou DiBella


The 12-round bout took place one night after the SHOWTIME boxing 2008 season officially begins with a ShoBox: The New Generation doubleheader (11 p.m. ET/PT) featuring the undefeated Peterson brothers, Anthony (25-0, 18 KOs) and Lamont (23-0, 11 KOs). With just two losses between them, the boxer versus puncher matchup between Malignaggi (23-1, 5 KOs) and Ngoudjo (16-1, 9 KOs) figures to be an exciting and competitive opener to the 2008 season.

Malignaggi last fought at Mohegan Sun on June 16 where he scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Lovemore Ndou to win the IBF Junior Welterweight Title.


The colorful, crowd-pleasing Malignaggi, of Brooklyn, N.Y., made the first defense of the 140-pound belt he won with a lopsided 12-round decision over Lovemore N'dou on June 16, 2007.

Paul Malignaggi in the ring.


Paulie Malignaggi after the win.


Pre- fight Press conference quotes.

"I am looking to start the New Year off right with a win over a tough competitor in Ngoudjo," Malignaggi said. I want to fight the best competition and prove that there is no one better than Paulie Malignaggi in the junior welterweight division."

"I know I have to train through the holidays and that's always tough, but I plan on making up for it by making Herman Ngoudjo my own personal Christmas tree and lighting him up on Jan. 5, the speedy, slick-boxing Malignaggi said."

The once-beaten champio's only blemish came on a hard-fought 12-round decision to undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) titleholder Miguel Cotto on June 10, 2006. One year later, the Italian-American got his next title shot and impressively outpointed N'dou. While Malignaggi, who is known for possessing one of the finest jabs in the business, is confident of retaining his title, Ngoudjo plans on dropping him like the New Year's ball in Times Square.

Paulie Malignaggi retains the IBF Junior Welterweight belt.


Herman Ngoudjo now (16-2, 9 KO’s) most recently defeated Randall Bailey (35-6, 32 KO’s) to earn the mandatory shot against Malignaggi. The Montreal resident lost an extremely controversial split decision to Jose Luis Castillo in January 2007.
Ngoudjo (pronounced "En-Goo-Joâ"), who represented Cameroon at the 2000 Olympic Games, has fought a series of elimination fights to earn his first world title shot.

Herman Ngoudjo exits the ring after his loss to Paulie Malignaggi.

Ngoudjo suffered his lone loss on a controversial 12-round split decision on Jan. 20, 2007 to Jose Luis Castillo in what many figured would be a keep-busy fight for the former world champion. It was anything but, however, and Castillo was fortunate to come away the narrow win by scores of 115-113 twice and 113-115.In his last outing, Ngoudjo came up on the right side of a divided decision, outpointing hard-hitting former world champion Randall Bailey in an IBF eliminator by the scores of 115-112, 114-112 and 112-115 on June 8, 2007.

"On Jan. 5, I will fulfill my dream to become the first world champion ever born in Cameroon," said the determined Ngoudjo, now a Canadian citizen fighting out of Montreal. "Malignaggi can run all over the ring, but he can't hide. He has no respect for me, but after our fight he will be begging me for a rematch."

Pre- fight Press conference quotes.

"I have done everything asked," Ngoudjo said. "I have dealt with adversity and I have been patient, but my time is now. I am very hungry. ˜The Magic Man" is going to disappear."

"The people know who the real winner of that fight was," Ngoudjo said.

The Under card

Light Heavyweight Glen Johnson now (47-11-2, 32 KO's) of Miami Florida, TKO'd, Hugo Pineda now (39-4-28 KO's) of Barranquilla, Columbia, in round 8, of a scheduled 10 round bout. The referee for the bout was David Fields.
Glen Johnson after the fight.


Chazz Witherspoon now (21-0, 14 KO's) of Philadelphia PA., by unanimous decision defeated Kendrick Releford now((15-10-2, 6KO's) of Ft. Worth Texas.
Chazz Witherspoon and Kendrick Releford after the fight.


Lovemore Ndou now (46-9-1, 30 KO's) of Sidney Australia, KO'd Rafeal Ortiz now (15-12-2, 13 KO's)of Lebanon, Oregon.
Lovemore Ndou after the fight.


Alberto Amaro now (2-1) of Cantano Puerto Rico by decision defeated Nicky DeMarco now (2-2-2 KO's)


Celebrity sitings
Former "Contenders" the series, star Jerson Ravello, professional fighter, Henry Crawford and Nassir Nettles, trainer


SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING announcers Steve Albert and Al Bernstein will call the action from ringside with Jim Gray serving as roving reporter. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports telecasts is David Dinkins Jr., with Bob Dunphy directing.

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video, photo galleries and complete telecast information, please visit our website http://www.SHO.com/Sports.

About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME, THE MOVIE CHANNEL and FLIX, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME TOO, SHOWTIME SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME, SHOWTIME BEYOND, SHOWTIME NEXT, SHOWTIME WOMEN, SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE and TMC XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL, a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. In addition, SNI manages and is the principal owner of Smithsonian Networks, a venture with the Smithsonian Institution, which was formed to create networks showcasing scientific, cultural and historical programming. SNI is also the principal owner of On Broadband Networks LLC, a broadband game service provider, and OurChart.com LLC, provider of OurChart.com, a social networking website featuring elements from the SHOWTIME hit series "The L Word". SNI also markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV and is an equity investor in ProElite Inc., a Mixed Martial Arts event promotion company.

NO HOLDS BARRED: Larry Hazzard On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks विथ Larry Hazzard

NO HOLDS BARRED: Larry Hazzard On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Larry Hazzard, who had been the commissioner of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board. For almost 22 years, he had headed this commission, which regulates combat sports in that state.
In November 2007, however, with no warning or even any reason being given, he was dismissed from that position. In October 2007, his attorney, James Binns, acting on his behalf, hadsubmitted a letter (http://adcombat.com/Article.asp?Article_ID=14295)to New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine outlining a series of major chargesof alleged "malfeasance" against officials on the State Athletic Control Board. No response was provided to that letter - except to fire Larry Hazzard a few short weeks later. Now he is fighting back. A lawsuit was filed this past Friday, Jan. 4,2008, in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey against New Jerseystate officials alleging, in essence, that he was fired for speakingup and exposing this alleged "malfeasance" on the New Jersey commission. Right before the fight card at Bally's Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City this past Saturday, January 5, headlined by the Paulie Malignaggi-Herman Ngoudjo bout, Larry Hazzard, along with attorneys James Binns and Sidney Gold, held a press conference. We bring you that press conference in full, plus a follow-up discussion immediately afterwards with Larry Hazzard and a few members of the media. To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link below and just press the play button on the player: http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-01-07T19_36_21-08_00 You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking onthe download link (right-click to save it). You can also listen to it through the NO HOLDS BARRED blog, athttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com/, and MySpace page, at http://www.myspace.com/nhbnews,also by pressing the play button on the player. Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes athttp://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download. The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician IanCarpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/). NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by: Art of War (http://www.artofwarlive.com/), the undisputed arenafighting championship, promoted by SUN Sports and Entertainment,producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information,check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com (http://www.artofwarlive.com). IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/), the world'sfirst professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check outtheir 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 Goldman No Holds Barred bloghttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com/ No Holds Barred podcasthttp://nhbnews.podomatic.com/ No Holds Barred on MySpacehttp://www.myspace.com/nhbnews

NO HOLDS BARRED: Paulie Malignaggi, Herman Ngoudjo, Lou DiBella, YvonMichel On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman

NO HOLDS BARRED: Paulie Malignaggi, Herman Ngoudjo, Lou DiBella, Yvon Michel On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman previews the IBF junior welterweight title fight between champion Paulie Malignaggi(http://www.paulmalignaggi.com/) (23-1, 5 KOs) and challenger Herman Ngoudjo (http://www.groupeyvonmichel.ca/ANG/Boxeurs/Ngoudjo.html)(16-1, 9 KOs).

This fight will be held Saturday,January 5, 2008, at Bally's Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and shown live on Showtime (http://www.sho.com/) in the U.S.and on Radio-Canada Television (http://www.radio-canada.ca/television/) in Canada. We spoke with both Paulie Malignaggi and Herman Ngoudjo at the pre fight news conference Wednesday in New York.
We also spoke with Malignaggi's promoter, Lou DiBella of DiBella Entertainment (http://www.dbe1.com/), and Ngoudjo's promoter, Yvon Michel of GYM (Groupe Yvon Michel) (http://www.groupeyvonmichel.ca/), about what to expectin this fight. To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link below and just press the play button on the player: http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-01-03T09_07_47-08_00 You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking onthe download link (right-click to save it). You can also listen to it through the NO HOLDS BARRED blog, athttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com, and MySpace page, at http://www.myspace.com/nhbnews,also by pressing the play button on the player. Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes athttp://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download. If you want to leave a comment on the show, you can do so at the NOHOLDS BARRED blog, at http://nhbnews.blogspot.com. The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/). NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by: Art of War (http://www.artofwarlive.com), the undisputed arena fighting championship, promoted by SUN Sports and Entertainment, producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information,check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com (http://www.artofwarlive.com). IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/), the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check 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 the mixed 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 of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com(http://bjjmart.com) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/). FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews,and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts. Thanks, Eddie Goldman No Holds Barred bloghttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com/ No Holds Barred podcasthttp://nhbnews.podomatic.com/ No Holds Barred on MySpacehttp://www.myspace.com/nhbnews

COUNTDOWN TO JONES-TRINIDAD PREMIERES THURSDAY, JAN. 10 ON HBO AT 9:00 P.M. ET/PT

COUNTDOWN TO JONES-TRINIDAD PREMIERES THURSDAY, JAN. 10 ON HBO AT 9:00 P.M. ET/PT

HBO Sports is presenting a thirty- minute special analyzing the upcoming HBO Pay-Per-View showdown fight between future Hall of Fame prizefighters Roy Jones Jr. and Felix Trinidad. The intriguing 170-pound bout between two of boxing’s most compelling superstars of the past decade is set for Saturday, Jan. 19 New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The special 'COUNTDOWN TO JONES-TRINIDAD, ' which will feature fighter profiles, expert analysis and forecasts for the showdown in New York, will premiere on Thursday, Jan. 10 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.



Felix Trinidad of Puerto Rico brings a 42-2, 35 KOs record in the meeting with Roy Jones, who sports a 51-4, 38 KOs mark. The two have compiled a staggering list of accomplishments in their ring careers winning world titles in a host of weight classes and have been two of the sport’s most popular figures outside the ring.


The countdown special will also be available to HBO ON DEMAND subscribers 24 hours a day from Friday, January 11 through Monday, January 21.


Additional HBO replay dates:

Friday, January 11 @ 7:30 am

Saturday, January 12 @ 5:30 am, 10:30 am and 12:40 pm

Sunday, January 13 @ 7:30 am

Tuesday, January 15 @ 10am and 11pm

Thursday, January 17 @ 7:30 pm

Friday, January 18 @ 1:30 pm and 10:30 pm


Additional HBO2 replay dates:

Monday, January 14 @11am and 6pm

Thursday, January 17@11:30pm

Saturday, January 19 @10:30am

All times are ET/PT.
Alan Hopper
Don King Productions

LAMONT AND ANTHONY PETERSON WIN EASILY TO REMAIN UNBEATEN on SHOWTIME at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi

BILOXI, Miss.– Brothers Lamont and Anthony Peterson of Washington, D.C., kept their undefeated records and hopes for a world title shot in 2008 in tact with convincing victories Friday in the co-featured bouts on ShoBox: The New Generation at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

A doubleheader promoted by Prize Fight Boxing aired on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Lamont Peterson, 23, and 14 months older than Anthony, improved to 24-0 with 11 knockouts with a unanimous 10-round decision over previously undefeated Brazilian Antonio Mesquita. Peterson outboxed and outpunched Mesquita (34-1, 27 KOs) to triumph by the scores of 100-89, 99-90 and 98-93.
Lamont Peterson outboxed and outfought previously undefeated Antonio Mesquita to capture a unanimous 10-round decision Friday on SHOWTIME.
Photos: Scott Foster/For SHOWTIME




Anthony Peterson upped his record to 26-0 with 19 knockouts with an eighth-round stoppage of Cuba’s Jose Izquierdo. He dropped Izquierdo (16-2-1, 13 KOs), a late substitute for Guadalupe Rosales, three times – once in the seventh and twice in the eighth. The bout was stopped at 2:54, shortly after the last knockdown.

Anthony Peterson overcame a fast start by late substitute Jose Izquierdo to register three knockdowns en route to an eighth-round knockout Friday on SHOWTIME.
Photos: Scott Foster/For SHOWTIME




“I thought I executed my game plan to perfection and managed to keep my poise and remain patient even though it was obvious that Mesquita was doing everything he could to get me to exchange and fight his fight,’’ said Lamont Peterson, a junior welterweight who is ranked No. 3 in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and No. 6 in the World Boxing Association (WBA).

“Honestly, I don’t think I lost a round. He did a lot of complaining but I think he was frustrated because he could never catch me.’’

Mesquita, of Las Vegas, Nev., by way of Guaruja, Brazil, had a point deducted in the final round for hitting after the break.

“He was faster than I thought and I could never really catch him like I wanted,’’ said Mesquita, who was unable to connect with his vaunted right hand with any consistency. “But the scoring was way out of line. I know I won some more rounds.

“The ref took a point from me at the end but he should have been taking points from Peterson for all the head butts. I kept trying to tell the ref to watch for his head coming in, but he never did a thing.’’

A lightweight who is ranked No. 1 in the WBO, No. 4 in the World Boxing Council (WBC) and No. 12 in the International Boxing Federation, Anthony Peterson was well ahead on the judges’ scorecards entering the eighth round of his fight.

Peterson did not appear to be dominating, however, particularly in the opening four or five frames.

“It was a good victory for me. I always felt I was in charge,’’ Peterson said. “The guy was determined and a little awkward, but I made the adjustments I had to make. Fighting a last-minute sub, I didn’t really know what to expect. But I got the job done, which is what counts. I am ready to fight next whoever they put in front of me.’’

Izquierdo, a Cuban who lives in Chihuahua, Mexico, took the match on a few days’ notice after Rosales became ill. Izquierdo came out determinedly and was competitive during the first five rounds.

“I felt good,’’ he said, “but I am very disappointed. I felt I was fighting two guys in there – my opponent and the referee. I must have been hit at least six times in the back of the head, but the ref never did anything. That is what made me go down. I was off balance. I was never really hurt by his punches.’’

Popular play-by-play announcer Nick Charles and expert analyst/boxing historian Steve Farhood called the action from ringside. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

Friday’s bouts will re-air this week as follows:

DAY CHANNEL

Saturday, Jan. 5, at Midnight ET/PT SHOTOO

Monday, Jan. 7, at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Tuesday, Jan. 8, at Midnight ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Thursday, Jan. 10, at 11 p.m. ET/PT SHOTOO

Tonight/Saturday, Jan. 5, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi defends his IBF junior welterweight title against No. 1 ranked contender and mandatory challenger Herman “The Black Panther’’ Ngoudjo on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

ShoBox returns Friday, Feb. 1, at Grand Casino Hinckley, in Hinckley, Minn. In the main event, undefeated junior middleweight Alfredo Angulo (11-0, 8 KOs) faces Ricardo Cortes (22-1, 15 KOs). In a battle of unbeatens in the co-feature of the Gary Shaw Productions, LLC-promoted event, Mickey Bey Jr. (9-0, 6 KOs) meets Juan Castaneda (12-0, 9 KOs) in an eight-round super featherweight bout.

For information on Showtime Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and EliteXC mixed martial arts telecasts, please go www.SHO.com/sports.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

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

OBAMA TSUNAMI

OBAMA TSUNAMI

“The political earthquake on January 3, 2008 in Iowa, America’s Buck-Eye state resulting from the Democratic Party Caucus may have generated an Obama Tsunami.” These were the words of Keisha Morrisey a life long Harlem resident and former candidate for the New York State Assembly in 2002 and New York City Council in 2003.

Former candidate Morrisey, now a boxing and fighting sports reporter and public relation professional popularly referred to in the boxing game as El Boxing Empress” predicts that an Obama Tidal Wave will overtake the walls of the Black political gate keepers and drown conventional wisdom.


Ms. Morrisey was among a group of her hip-hop generation peers who watched the unfolding Iowa caucus results in a private venue. Morrisey said, “Well I guess that the results in Iowa answers the question about the impact of the Oprah factor and also settles the question as to the prospect of new young voters turning out at the polls.”

The decisiveness of Senator Obama’s victory over Senator Clinton and the rest of the field of impressive Democratic Party political timber in all demographic categories suggest that a paradigm shift may have occurred. Moreover, there is an emerging sensibility in virtually all segments of society that a Black America can in fact be elected. Accordingly, many analogies are being advanced to rationalize, justify and predict the probability of Obama’s ultimate victory.

Author and political analyst Gary James said, “Presidential candidate Barack Obama is a Black Swan.” James was referencing a recently published book entitled “A Black Swan” written by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. A Black Swan as defined in the book is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was. For example, the astonishing success of Google was a black swan; so was 9/11.


James said, “The profundity of black swans is that they change the way people look at the world. Black swans underlie almost everything about the world from the rise of religions to current events. The Obama Black Swan analogy is an unfolding phenomenon that may ultimately and substantially settle some outstanding social and political questions relative to race in America.”

James continued, “It is often posited by some Black folk that white America refuses to deal with the ‘race question’ or white America would never elect a Black man to be President of the United States. However, as a practical political matter the results of the Iowa
Democratic Caucus, with its 96 percent white population may have spoken without equivocation for white America at large.”

What appears to be emerging is an Obama national intergenerational grassroots political movement with far reaching impact particularly as it relates to the future of conventional Black political leadership and civil rights orthodoxy. Should Obama win in New Hampshire and Michigan his campaign would have transcended the realm of political probability and entered the dimension of political quantum physics which may potentially transform America and the world.

The formidable Clinton political machine may be outmatched by the new political mathematics heralded by the ubiquitous Barack Obama organic movement. Should the Obama political phenomenon continue to crescendo until Super-Tuesday on February 5, when New York and other big states hold their primaries, a new political dispensation may merge with the unfolding first decade of the 21st century.

Whatever the outcome of the titanic battle for the Democratic Party’s Presidential nomination between the forces of the Clinton and Obama political machines, Americans and in deed the world are riveted to the process and any conceivable end result is at this point mathematically possible.

In any scenario, New York politics particularly relative to the Black community will forever be changed following the February 5 ‘Super Tuesday’ primary election. While most prominent Black elected officials and the civil right leadership have lined up behind the Clinton political machine, there is an emerging groundswell of Obama support being crystallized by a list of elected officials lead by New York State Senator Bill Perkins and the grassroots community inspired by Rev. Conrad Tillard.


Longtime political activist Alton Chase said, “Current anecdotal information suggests that the New York Democratic primary election is a dead heat between Clinton and Obama. Should Obama win decisively in New Hampshire as his 10 point lead in the New Hampshire poll indicates that New York may be the last stand for the Clinton political magic.

James concluded, “The Obama 21st century campaign strategy is based on an eyes and ears approach, while the Clinton strategy is organized around the traditional mouth and hands campaign style… Now will the real first Black American President of the United States please step forward.”
CONTACT: Gary James
ConsultingGary@netscape.net

Trinidad-Jones Featured Pay-Per-View Matches Destined to Produce Slugfests

Trinidad-Jones Featured Pay-Per-View Matches Destined to Produce Slugfests


NEW YORK—Two of the greatest boxers in history, Felix “Tito” Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr., will face each other in a battle boxing fans have been waiting for years to see at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008. The event has been dubbed “Bring on the Titans” and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

But before Trinidad and Jones square off, there will also be three bouts featured at the Garden and live on the pay-per-view telecast including heavyweight Andrew Golota taking on the emerging Chicago heavyweight “Merciless” Mike Mollo; former 154-pound champion Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin squaring of with Alex “The Technician” Bunema; and undefeated super lightweight Devon Alexander “The Great”—Don King’s top young prospect—will face his toughest opponent yet in former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley.


In a match where two titles will be on the line, Golota (40-6-1, 33 KOs) of Chicago by way of Warsaw, Poland, the current International Boxing Federation (IBF) North American champion will face the young and hungry World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedelatin titlist Mollo (19-1, 12 KOs) in a Chicagoland showdown.

Preceding Golota-Mollo, Karmazin (36-2-1, 23 KOs), from St. Petersburg, Russia, now living in Los Angeles, will defend his WBA Intercontinental super welterweight title against Bunema (26-9-2, 14 KOs), from Kinshasa, Zaire, now living in Atlanta.

The opening of the telecast will showcase the 20-year-old phenom Alexander (13-0, 9 KOs), from St. Louis, Mo., taking on Washington, D.C., veteran and former World Boxing Organization (WBO) 140-pound titlist Corley, who has stepped into the ring with the likes of “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, Zab “Super” Judah, Miguel Cotto, Junior Witter and Jose Alfaro.

Golota, the greatest Polish heavyweight ever and one of the best heavyweights to have never won a world title, has won his last two contests via technical knockout and continues on his quest to win an elusive world crown. His most memorable fights came against some of the best heavyweights of his era including former world champions Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Chris Byrd and John Ruiz.

His last ring appearance was against Mike Tyson conqueror Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride at the Garden on Oct. 6, 2007. Golota can often be a slow starter, so McBride took a page out of Lamon Brewster’s and Tyson’s scouting report on the Pole and rocked him early in the match.

Golota used his veteran skills to weather the storm and maintain his composure, buying time to establish a rhythm in what turned to be a highly entertaining brawl that saw the Garden crowd on its feet during much of the contest.

Golota opened a nasty gash over McBride’s left eye in round five and finished him off with just 18 seconds to go in the sixth when referee Arthur Mercante Jr. halted the contest.

Mollo, 27, is still building his reputation as a legitimate heavyweight contender. A win over Golota would help catapult him into the upper echelons of heavyweight contenders seeking a world-title shot.

Mollo needed only two rounds to knock out Art “The Polish Warrior” Binkowski in his last outing on Oct. 13, 2007, in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Mollo turned in a dominating performance, battering the former Canadian Olympian from pillar to post. He dropped Binkowski three times in the second round before the referee stopped the carnage.

When asked how he felt after the fight, Mollo exclaimed, “Unbelievable, super-aggressive like a pit bull. Now I want Golota.”

Look for the young Mollo to come out swinging early, and the proverbial chips—or possibly the fighters in this case—will fall where they may.

Karmazin is coming off a sterling third-round knockout over former two-time 154-pound world champion Alejandro “Terra” Garcia on Friday, Nov. 23, 2007, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Karmazin, 35, proved why he has always been considered one of the best junior middleweights in the world in an absolute destruction of Garcia where the Russian looked fantastic.

He lived up to his Made in Hell moniker when he dropped Garcia with a devastating body shot in the opening round. The assault continued until Karmazin disposed of the Mexican with a four-punch combination punctuated by a stinging left hook to the body in the third round that earned him a knockout.

“I knew the fight was going to end early after the first round,” Karmazin said. “I’m a boxer, I’m a thinking fighter, and I knew I was faster and punched harder.”

Bunema is also coming into this fight with plenty of momentum. In his last appearance, the 32-year-old dispatched veteran Steve Walker with a second round TKO on Nov. 10, 2007, in Ridgefield, Wash.

The Zaire native managed another nifty victory nearly two months earlier. Bunema delivered a fourth-round knockout against the young and tough Farid Shahid on Sept. 21, 2007, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Alexander is scorching hot, having scored an opening-round TKO over Cory Peterson on Oct. 13, 2007, at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

Fighting out of the Cory Spinks camp under the tutelage of trainer Kevin Cunningham, his promoter Don King thinks it’s time to show Alexander’s skills to a wider audience.

“I insisted on putting Alexander The Great on the Jones-Trinidad pay-per-view because he is emerging and ready to become the top welterweight in the world,” King said. “Now is Devon’s time and I want everyone to see this young talent display his skills.”

Standing in the way of Alexander’s quest for glory is the always dangerous Corley. Now 33, Corley has a vast experience advantage over his young opponent and would like nothing more than to spoil Alexander’s first appearance in a televised pay-per-view match.

The Trinidad vs. Jones domestic pay-per-view telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is being produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View, available in more than 61 million pay-per-view homes.

This domestic telecast will be available in HDTV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For your Trinidad vs. Jones fight week updates, log on to http://www.hbo.com/.

The event will be distributed internationally by KingVision, available through DK International Sales, a division of Don King Productions, Inc.

The event is being promoted by Don King Productions in association with Madison Square Garden.

JERMAIN TAYLOR KICKS OFF NEW YEAR WITH TRAINING CAMP IN LAS VEGAS FOR REMATCH

JERMAIN TAYLOR KICKS OFF NEW YEAR WITH TRAINING CAMP IN LAS VEGAS FOR REMATCH AGAINST
KELLY PAVLIK THE EPIC BATTLE CONTINUES SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH AT MGM GRAND / LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW


LAS VEGAS– During every New Years celebration, the saying goes, “Out with the old, in with the new,” as well as “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Neither could be more true concerning the mindset of Jermain Taylor as he starts the New Year with training camp in Las Vegas for his rematch with Kelly Pavlik, billed as "The Epic Battle Continues."

"Actually training camp started in December in Little Rock, but officially it started with the New Year in Las Vegas. Ozell Nelson put me through a mini-training camp prior to coming to Las Vegas and we have gone back to the basics working on better conditioning and technique", said Taylor.

Much has changed for Taylor over the last 12 months- a new daughter, personnel changes within his camp. Out is trainer Emanuel Steward who is being replaced with "new" head trainer and his original coach Ozell Nelson who has been with Jermain since he was 13 years old. “Nothing against Emanuel, he's a Hall of Fame trainer and a friend of mine, but what was clicking in training, wasn't clicking in the ring come fight time. Sometimes chemistry works that way", said Taylor.


The Kelly Pavlik vs. Jermain Taylor rematch (The Epic Battle Continues) will be promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Top Rank Inc. The 12-round rumble will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View on Saturday, February 16th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas beginning at 9p.m. (EST) / 6p.m. (PST). The bout will take place at a catch weight of 166 lbs. as Taylor exercises the rematch clause in his contract from the original Pavlik fight.


“No excuses, Kelly beat me fair and square last time, but I know what I have to do this time around, and I promise you things will be different", said Taylor. Admittedly, a win at super Middleweight will not regain Taylor his belts. “But it will gain me revenge,” quips Taylor. “Any fighter will tell you that they can't look past their upcoming opponent, this case is no different. I will definitely campaign as a Super Middleweight from here on, but I can't even think about that until I get Pavlik out of the way. I'm expecting a lot of fireworks in the rematch, just like the first fight between us."

Tickets are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100 are on sale at MGM Grand Arena Box Office. Tickets will also be sold at all Las Vegas Ticketmasters locations (select Smith's Food
and Drug Centers, Macy's West at the Fashion Show Mall, and Ritmo Latino.) Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at
702-474-4000 or MGM Grand 800-929-1111. Tickets are also available for purchase at http://www.mgmgrand.com/ or http://www.ticketmaster.com/

Last Two Chances to See “Magic Man” Documentary before Malignaggi/Ngoudjo Fight Saturday Night on SHOWTIME

***Documentary depicts life of DBE Junior Welterweight Champion***
NEW YORK, – Film fans and fight fans only have two more opportunities to see “Magic Man” before the subject of the film defends his title Saturday night. The film’s last two showings will be on Thursday January 3 at 10:00PM ET SHOWTIME 2® and on Friday January 4 at 11:40PM ET on SHO Extreme®.
The documentary film chronicles the ascent of perpetual underdog Paulie the “Magic Man” Malignaggi, a scrawny kid from a broken home who, in quest to prove his life was worth something, defeated all odds to arrive at the Mecca of boxing one big upset away from proving everyone wrong. It’s a story of disappointment, determination, of stamina and salvation.(Photo courtesy of Eddie Goldman)

The film produced by Lou DiBella and Brave St. Productions, traces Malignaggi’s difficult upbringing as the child of Italian immigrants struggling to find his path in life in America.
The story follows his start in amateur boxing from his time at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn and chronicles the trials and tribulations of his first world championship bout against Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden and the ecstasy of winning his first title one year later.
The film provides an original and poignant illustration of the literal blood, sweat and tears in the life of a boxer.
“Magic Man” first premiered at the Hoboken International Film Festival in New Jersey, where a rough cut of the film won the 2007 Audience Award. The documentary will give fans a good lead up to Malignaggi’s next title fight, which will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Jan. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
REMAINING SCHEDULE FOR “MAGIC MAN” ON SHOWTIME
SHO 2 January 3 10:00PM

SHO Extreme January 4 11:40PM

Contact: Mike Moriarty, DiBella Entertainment

Shaun George Wants Adrian Diaconu Showdow

Shaun George Wants Adrian Diaconu Showdow

Light-Heavyweight contender Shaun George wants what every self-respecting pugilist craves: The most challenging assignments available. With Chad Dawson preoccupied with Glen Johnson, Adrian Diaconu has no engagements booked in the meantime. Shaun George says, "Why not give the people something to remember?"
George, 16-2-2 (7 KO), wants to fight Diaconu to show who the best young light-heavyweight fighter is. "He has nothing coming up, so let's make it happen. He doesn't dodge anyone and neither do I. I believe I am the best young light heavyweight and I want to show it to the world. I know I can beat him."

The Brooklyn-native, who is promoted by Hall of Fame Promotions, is coming off of a dominant decision victory over late-replacement Thomas Reid. Reid stepped in when Eric Harding pulled out a week before the fight, disappointing the peaking George. "It was a fight that I didn't want. It was a big letdown after Eric Harding pulled out, but I did what I had to do to get the job done." George won every round, but was denied the opportunity to show the fans what he was really about.

Diaconu, an undefeated, fan-friendly banger from Canada, hasn't made a big splash in America despite his number one ranking by the WBC. "Nobody knows who he is. Why sit around and wait to fight Chad Dawson? That could be in 2009. If you really believe you are the best, then you should test yourself."

A Diaconu-George fight is the kind of style clash that would answer all of the questions of these two young warriors in a definitive manner. Shaun George wants to satisfy all of those inquiries. "Let's fight, let's make it happen. We're both in the hurt business. This fight is made for TV. This style match up is beautiful for boxing."

George believes that top ten-ranked fighters ducking dangerous challenges while waiting for title shots is ruining boxing. "(Undefeated contender) Chris Henry's manager said, 'We don't want to fight anyone like Shaun, we want to take easy fights and wait for our title shot.' That is the kind of mindset that deprives the fans of what makes boxing special. The best need to fight the best, end of story."

ANY PRESS OR INTERVIEW INQUIRIES (Photo courtesy of Knockout Publicity)
CONTACT KNOCKOUT PUBLICITY
knockoutpublicity@yahoo.com

Women’s World Title Fight Headlines “The Ultimate Showdown II” Pro-Am Boxing Show

Women’s World Title Fight Headlines “The Ultimate Showdown II” Pro-Am Boxing Show Jan. 26 at Mansfield SportsPlex

MANSFIELD, Mass.- A female world title match featuring two-time champion Missy “The Fury” Fiorentino headlines “The Ultimate Showdown II” pro-am boxing show, presented by Peter Manfredo, Sr., in association with Bash For Cash, at the Mansfield SportsPlex in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Fiorentino (16-1, 6 KOs), reigning NABF super featherweight title-holder, takes on rugged Ela “Bam Bam” Nunez (5-2, 1 KO) in the 10-round main event for the vacant IWBF super featherweight title. Fiorentino, a graduate of Roger Williams College in law enforcement, is a Rhode Island Sheriff. The non-stop action fighter from Cranston (RI) is a former IWBF champion in two divisions, lightweight and featherweight. Puerto Rico-native Nunez, fighting out of Jamestown (NY), is a single mother of four who works fulltime to support her family.

Three of New England’s brightest pro prospects are also on the card: New Hampshire cruiserweight Rich Gingras, Whitman (MA) super middleweight Mark “The Italian Bazooka” DeLuca (3-0, 2 KOs), and Worcester (MA) middleweight Edwin Rodriguez making his pro debut.

“We’re going to have real fights on this card, competitive matches that will more than just satisfy the paying public,” promoter Peter Manfredo, Sr. said. “We’re into putting on the best fights possible, not building up fighters against weak opponents. We’re not interested in signing fighters or getting fighters into position to fight for belts. Our goal is to have fans asking when our next show is going to be as they leave the Mansfield SportsPlex on January 26.

“It’s going to be great for Mansfield to host a world championship fight. Missy Fiorentino is one of New England’s most exciting fighters – male or female – because of the way she attacks her opponent. Nothing can stop her from coming forward. She’s going to get hit and probably will get cut and bruised, but nobody’s going to stop her. She always gives fans what they want – real fights! Her opponent, Ela Nunez, is tough, too. It’s going to be an all out brawl. We also have some of the top New England prospects in action – Gingras, DeLuca and Rodriguez – and six entertaining amateur matches.”

Gingras (7-0, 4 KOs), of Claremont (NH), was the 2006 Ringside World heavyweight championship before turning professional a year ago. DeLuca (3-0, 2 KOs) was a much-decorated amateur, including top honors in the 2004 National Silver Gloves Championship as part of his pugilistic portfolio.

The 22-year old Rodriguez, born in the Dominican Republic, is making his much-anticipated pro debut after winning 89 of 93 amateur matches, highlighted by gold-medal performances in the 2006 National Golden Gloves Championships and 2005 United States Championship.

Seven amateur matches also are on tap, featuring a battle between Foxboro police officer David Fascaldo vs. Mass. Department of Corrections officer Eric Flaherty. Three other Master boxers in action include “Easy” Ed Nelson, of Brockton; Retired U.S. Navy Seals Captain Tony “The Tiger” O’Brien, of Brockton; Foxboro police officer Frank Acevedo. Other amateurs on the card are Pawtucket 20-year-old heavyweight Maurice Cole, as well as 15-year-olds James Perella, of Mansfield, and Toka Kahn, of Pawtucket.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project assisting U.S. armed forces men and women severely injured during conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places around the world.

Tickets priced at $25.00 (general admission), $50.00 (open seating), $75.00 (ringside) and $175.00 (pre and post fight private parties including an open bar and food). Call 401.723.1359, 508.509.3236 or go to www.bashforcashllc.com to purchase tickets or for additional information.

-PM-

CONTACT:
Bob Trieger
Full Court Press

Lou DelValle, Elvir Muriqi returns and Female fighter Ronica Jeffrey's pro-debut as Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing kicks off Punchin' at the Paradise"

Bronx, NY; The fists will be flying once again in New York as Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing kicks off the New Year with a bang with the 8th installment of the phenomenal boxing series "Punchin' at the Paradise" on Thursday, January 31st 7:30pm at the Utopia Paradise Theatre in the Bronx, NY. Star Boxing has made a commitment to provide a high level of entertainment and excitement whenever they bring fights to the Paradise Theatre, and this year promises to be no exception.

Those in attendance on the 31st will be treated to a classic New York intra- borough rivalry when Bronx's former World Champion Lou "Honey Boy" DelValle (35- 5-1, 22KO's) squares off against fellow Bronx resident Newton "The Butcher" Kidd (6-6-1, 4KO's) in a 10-round co-featured main event. DelValle, the former light heavyweight champion of the world is credited with being the first fighter to knock down the legendary Roy Jones Jr, and like Roy Jones, is promising that he will regain his title in 2008 . His opponent, Newton Kidd is a 2-time Golden Gloves champion who brings it every time he steps in the ring stopping most of his victims in fewer than four rounds.

"The Kosovo Kid" Elvir Muriqi (34-4, 21 KO's) returns fresh off his inspiring performance with light heavyweight champ Antonio Tarver, in a co-featured10-round bout that is certain to excite his enthusiastic fans.

"The Kosovo Kid" Elvir Muriqi attends Antonio Tarvers last fight at Foxwoods.

(Hear more from Elvir Muriqi at Antonio Tarver's last fight by going to Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience TV-video at http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1)

Also scheduled to let their leather fly is Puerto Rican light welterweight Joel Torres (8-0, 5KO's), making their pro-debuts are featherweights Ronica Jeffrey and Eddie Irizarry.

Ronica Jeffrey attends stablemate, Keisher "Fire" McLeod-Wells wedding at Gleasons Gym.


Returning to the Paradise Theater for a fourth time is fan favorite cruiserweight Jon "The Fighting Marine" Schneider (6-1, 4KO's).

Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing extends an invitation to its valued loyal fans to purchase exclusive VIP tables for what promises to be a night of electrifying fights. The VIP tables are the always the talk of the night; and provide complimentary food and beverages.

Consistent with Star Boxing's commitment to providing our loyal fans with the best seats in the house, we have reserved the best seats in every price category ($100, $50 and $30) for our mailing list members. Star Boxing is holding these prime seats exclusively for our mailing list members until December 28, 2007 before we release them to the general public. Do not wait to reserve your seats!!!!

Tickets are at the fan friendly price of $100, $50 and $30, and can be purchased at Utopia's Paradise Theater box office (718) 220-6143, 6143, all Ticketmaster outlets ticketmaster.com, and by calling Star Boxing 718- 823-2000 or visiting our web site www.starboxing.com.

Star Boxing

About Star Boxing
Star Boxing has been in operation since 1992. Star Boxing's stable features world- class athletes and has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry.

To Read More About Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing Visit: http://www.starboxing.com

NO HOLDS BARRED: Randy Couture, Ken Shamrock, Guy Mezger, Ryan Schultz, Wagnney Fabiano, Jay Hieron, Matt Horwich, Vladimir Matyushenko, Tim Kennedy,

NO HOLDS BARRED: Randy Couture, Ken Shamrock, Guy Mezger, Ryan Schultz, Wagnney Fabiano, Jay Hieron, Matt Horwich, Vladimir Matyushenko, Tim Kennedy, Trace Adkins, Leo Khorolinsky, IFL Grand Prix
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-12-31T06_14_38-08_00
On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman reviews the Dec. 29 IFL Grand Prix Finals, which was held Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
We spoke with five of the IFL individual champions about their victorious fights and what their plans are: lightweight (155 lbs.) champion Ryan Schultz, featherweight (145 lbs.) champion Wagnney Fabiano, welterweight (170 lbs.) champion Jay Hieron, middleweight (185 lbs.) champion Matt Horwich, and light heavyweight (205 lbs.) champion Vladimir Matyushenko (http://vladthejanitor.com/). We also spoke with middleweight Tim Kennedy (http://rangerup.com/timkennedy.html), who was victorious on this card.
At this event, we once again spoke with "The Natural," Randy Couture (http://thenatural.tv/), the now-former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion who recently resigned from that promotion. Randy told us which former wrestling champion has said that he would like to compete against him in a grappling match. He also updated us on what his other plans were and the latest in his dispute with the UFC promoters.
We spoke with mixed martial arts legend Ken Shamrock (http://kenshamrock.com/) at this event. He discussed his plans for next year as a coach in the IFL, commented on the historical role of the original Lion’s Den in MMA, told us about his coaching a victorious MMA team in Manila, revealed whom he may fight next in MMA, and explained the need for non-exclusive contracts and a fighters' union in MMA.
We also spoke with Guy Mezger, president and matchmaker for the HDNet Fights promotion (http://hdnetfights.com/). HDNet telecast the IFL Grand Prix live in the U.S. on their television network. We discussed with Guy when and where the next HDNet Fights show is likely to take place, who might fight on it, how HDNet Fights is working with other promotions as partners, how HDNet Fights has become the primary sporting event on HDNet, and how HDNet Fights differs from the UFC.
In addition, we spoke with country music star Trace Adkins (http://www.traceadkins.com/), who attended this event. And we spoke with Leo Khorolinsky, the manager of former UFC heavyweight champion and current top contender Andrei Arlovski (http://arlovski.tv/) about what is next for his fighter.
To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link at the start of this message, scroll down that page, and just press the play button on the player.
You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).
Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.
The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/).
Make sure to check out my regular articles on the ADCC News at http://www.adcombat.com/ and on FightBeat.com at http://fightbeat.com/.
NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Art of War (http://www.artofwarlive.com/), the undisputed arena fighting championship, promoted by SUN Sports and Entertainment, producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information, check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com (http://www.artofwarlive.com/).
IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/), the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/1636002) in the U.S., and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, at http://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html.
Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up the mixed 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 all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com/) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/).
FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred blog http://nhbnews.blogspot.com/
No Holds Barred podcast http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/
No Holds Barred on MySpace http://www.myspace.com/nhbnews


Enjoy!

“Magic Man” Starring Boxing Champion Paulie Malignaggi to Air Exclusively on SHOWTIME Dec. 30 – Jan. 4

***Documentary depicts life of DBE Junior Welterweight Champion***

NEW YORK, – DiBella Entertainment and Brave St. Productions are proud to announce the television premiere of “Magic Man” as it will air exclusively on SHOWTIME, Dec. 30 – Jan. 4. The documentary film chronicles the ascent of perpetual underdog Paulie the “Magic Man” Malignaggi, a scrawny kid from a broken home who, in quest to prove his life was worth something, defeated all odds to arrive at the Mecca of boxing (where is this) one big upset away from proving everyone wrong. It’s a story of disappointment, determination, of stamina and salvation.

The film produced by Lou DiBella and Brave St. Productions, traces Malignaggi’s difficult upbringing as the child of Italian immigrants struggling to find his path in life in America. The story follows his start in amateur boxing from his time at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn and chronicles the trials and tribulations of his first world championship bout against Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden and the ecstasy of winning his first title one year later. The film provides an original and poignant illustration of the literal blood, sweat and tears in the life of a boxer.

“Magic Man” first premiered at the Hoboken International Film Festival in New Jersey, where a rough cut of the film won the 2007 Audience Award. The film will be televised for the first time when it airs at 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, December 30 on SHOWTIME 2®. The documentary will continue to air leading up to Malignaggi’s next title fight, which will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Jan. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Paulie Malignaggi


“I am very happy SHOWTIME will be airing ‘Magic Man’ as it will allow fight and movie fans to see the type or person Paulie is both inside and outside the ring,” said Lou DiBella. “The multiple airings throughout the first week of the year will be the perfect lead-in for Paulie’s title defense on Saturday night, January 5.”

Lou DiBella


Russell Best, partner and executive producer of Brave St. Productions adds, “I’m so proud that Showtime thought enough of our freshman feature doc to air it and allow everyone everywhere to be able to see this fascinating person, this beautiful and poignant "real life Rocky" story unfold.” “Anyone who watches Magic Man will have a new perspective on Paulie and realize the sheer and brutal tenacity that it took for him to overcome major life obstacles and fulfill his dreams of becoming a champion,” said Tammy Leech, partner and executive producer of Brave St. Productions.

Malignaggi (23-1, 5 KO’s) will defend his title against Herman Ngoudjo (16-1, 9 KO’s) at Bally’s Main Ballroom in Atlantic City on January 5. The fight is presented by DiBella Entertainment in association with Groupe Yvon Michel. Tickets priced at $250 and $125 are now on sale and can be purchased at the Bally’s Box Office, by calling DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577, Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

SCHEDULE FOR “MAGIC MAN” ON SHOWTIME
SHO 2 December 30 8:15 PM
SHO Extreme December 31 10:00PM
SHO Extreme January 1 10:00PM
SHO 2 January 2 11:00PM
SHO 2 January 3 10:00PM
SHO Extreme January 4 11:40PM

Paulie Malignaggi and fellow fighters Curtis Jackson and Jamie Kang


Paulie talks to the press.


Contact: Mike Moriarty, DiBella Entertainment

Roy Jones Jr. attends New York Knicks Practice at Madison Square Garden Training Center

TARRYTOWN, N.Y.— Eight-time boxing world champion Roy Jones Jr. planned to visit with New York Knicks players after they finished practice at the Madison Square Garden Training Center in Tarrytown, N.Y., today but was surprised when Knicks head coach Isiah Thomas waved him over to take part in a full-court, three-man weave drill with the team.



“It was a dream come true for me to get on the court and shoot around and do some drills with the Knicks,” Jones, who once played in the professional United States Basketball League, said. “I was a little rusty but I wasn’t going to say no to coach Isiah. What a thrill it was to be on the court with the Knicks to see up close and personal how good they really are.”

Thomas joked that his players may have avoided contact with Jones.

“The shot was a little suspect but nobody got close enough to him,” Thomas said. “I don’t think anybody wanted to challenge him for fear that he may punch him.”

Knicks guard and fan-favorite Nate Robinson was chided by fellow players when Jones donned a Knicks practice jersey sporting Robinson’s number. They further antagonized their teammate by suggesting that gloves Jones was planning to autograph were really there for sparring between Jones and Robinson.

Jones assured him it was only a message to his Jan. 19 opponent at Madison Square Garden, Felix “Tito” Trinidad. Jones reiterated his oft-repeated slogan, “Tito must go in fo’. That’s why I’ve got the number four on my jersey.”



Robinson declared, “There’s no way I’m stepping into the ring with that man. He can wear whatever number he wants.”

After practice Robinson commented on what it meant to him to have Jones at the Knicks practice.

“Roy Jones is a boxing great and it was fun to have him practice with us. That shows a lot of love on his part to join us today. It provided us with some inspiration. He didn’t have to come out here with us but that just goes to show what kind of guy he is.”

Robinson quipped, “He may be one of the smaller guys out here today, but I’ll bet he could beat up all of us.”

Jones was gratified to have the opportunity to play with the team.

“It was inspiring for me too,” Jones said. “I’ve had my ups and downs over the last three years so I came out here today to let coach Thomas and the Knicks know they just need to hang in there, do the best they can, and their time will come. I know it will.”

Full Quotes and Camp Notes from Roy Jones Jr.



“It was a dream come true for me to get on the court and shoot around and do some drills with the Knicks. I was a little rusty but I wasn’t going to say no to coach Isiah. What a thrill it was to be on the court with the Knicks to see up close and personal how good they really are.

“It was inspiring for me too. I’ve had my ups and downs over the last three years so I came out here today to let coach Thomas and the Knicks know they just need to hang in there, do the best they can, and their time will come. I know it will.”

Jones was told by a friend about a training facility near Pittsburgh, in California, Penn. He has been training there since the beginning of December with longtime trainer Alton Merkerson. His six-day-a-week training schedule often starts with a three-to-five mile run around 6 a.m.,“depending on how I feel each day,” followed by breakfast usually consisting of only fruit. After a nap, Jones is up at noon followed by a three-hour gym workout around 4 p.m.

“It’s working out really well at the training camp. I need to be focused for this fight and this camp out in the country is a good place to be focused.

“The rooster is back in Roy Jones. I used to strut and entertain people. Somehow I lost that for a time. I started to focus more on my opponents than on simply going out and entertaining my fans. Now I’m back to doing what I do best.

“Tito and his people think it’s going to hurt me to have to go all the way down to 170 pounds—and it is a smart move on their part—but it’s nothing I haven’t been through before. I’ve had more than enough time to get down to weight so I’m not going to have to kill myself getting there.

“The big question is can Tito bring his punch and take my punches at 170 pounds. Tito must go in fo’. That’s what everybody’s waiting to see on January 19.”