LONG-AWAITED FRANK SHAMROCK-CUNG LE FIGHT SET FOR MARCH 29
AT HP PAVILION IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.
Tickets Go On Sale This Saturday, Jan. 19
SAN JOSE, Calif. — After months of circling around each other, world champions and Bay Area rivals, Frank Shamrock (23-8-1) and undefeated Cung Le (21-0), will finally face off in the cage when Shamrock defends his Strikeforce World Middleweight (185-pound limit) Championship against Le in the main event of an eagerly anticipated EliteXC-Strikeforce co-promoted mixed martial arts extravaganza Saturday, March 29, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif..
Tickets for “Shamrock vs. Cung Le,” priced from $30, go on sale this Saturday, Jan. 19, at 10 a.m. PT at the HP Pavilion box office (408-287-7070) as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (408-998-TIXS), Ticketmaster online (http://www.ticketmaster.com/), EliteXC’s official website (http://www.proelite.com/) and Strikeforce’s official website (http://www.strikeforceusa.net/).
“This is absolutely a tremendous fight and an extremely dangerous fight for both fighters, but one I know they have wanted and the fans have been waiting for and can't wait to see,’’' EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw said. “I can't wait to see it either. Shamrock is a true MMA legend, but Cung Le is one of the very best fighters around, and this is his chance to prove that to the world.
“Really, I have a ton of respect for both fighters and what they have accomplished. EliteXC is really looking forward to returning to San Jose where they truly have some of the most rabid and knowledgeable fans anywhere, and working again with Scott Coker and Strikeforce.” Said Scott Coker, Strikeforce CEO: “As a martial arts promoter for 25 years and as a promoter of both of these fighters, I’ve been watching the rivalry between Frank and Cung build for quite some time, so it’s great to see this matchup finally come to fruition. “This has the potential to be one of the greatest mixed martial arts fights of all-time because of the tremendous skill level of both fighters and the way they match up. It’s an honor to be able to bring this fight to the fans along with EliteXC.”
To fans in the Bay Area, a perennial hotbed for martial arts, the right to claim the throne as the region’s undisputed champion is equally important as ownership of the world title.
“Being No. 2 isn’t such a bad thing so Cung has nothing to be ashamed of,” cracked the ever-entertaining Shamrock (frankshamrock.proelite.com). The first Strikeforce middleweight champion in history, Shamrock returned to vintage form in his last fight as he dominated knockout artist Phil “The New York Badass” Baroni en route to choking Baroni (philbaroni.proelite.com) unconscious in the second round before a raucous HP Pavilion crowd on June 22, 2007.
"But there’s a big difference between being No. 1 and No. 2,’’ Shamrock continued. “Le will find that out soon enough.
“This is a fight that has been building for years. This is where we both grew up, where we both found our paths in life as martial artists and champions of combat. It was inevitable that we would one day face each other here. I’m excited it’s finally happening.’’
At 35, Shamrock has cemented his place as a legend in the sport of mixed martial arts. After becoming the first UFC Middleweight Champion in history in 1997 by submitting 1992 Olympic Games wrestling gold medalist Kevin Jackson with an armbar in a then-record 16 seconds, Shamrock reached the pinnacle of his career by stopping “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (titortiz.proelite.com), in what is celebrated as one of the greatest martial arts battles of all-time.
Before a record crowd of 18,265 at the HP Pavilion on March 10, 2006, Shamrock ended a three-year hiatus when he faced old nemesis Cesar Gracie in the main event of Strikeforce’s inaugural mixed martial arts show. In a devastating performance, Shamrock decimated the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with a right hand followed by a series of strikes on the floored Gracie that ended the fight a mere 21 seconds after it started.
Shamrock is widely recognized as the father of modern day mixed martial arts, a pioneer of complete fighting who boasts a dangerously versatile skill set, including western boxing, kickboxing and submission wrestling.
Le (cungle.proelite.com), also 35, is attempting to follow in Shamrock’s footsteps in the cage after reeling off 16 consecutive wins in professional kickboxing, where he sealed his position as the sport’s top 185-pound fighter and, arguably, its greatest pound-for-pound competitor.
A host of Le’s conquests, which include four K-1 USA “Superfight” victories and the International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) world 185-pound title, have been showcased on ESPN.
“I want this fight. I can’t wait to get in the cage with Frank,” said the confident Le, a winner in his last start over former The Ultimate Fighter reality show contestant, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan, during a Strikeforce promotion at HP Pavilion on Nov. 16, 2007.
The talented Le’s victory, a third round TKO that he secured with a sidekick to the liver, raised his mixed martial arts record to a perfect 5-0 with five (T)KOs.
“People have been wondering when I’d take the next step in the cage and fight an established superstar and world champion,” said Le, who was sensational during a third-round TKO (strikes) over Tony Fryklund on the Shamrock-Baroni undercard. “Well, here it is. The fans are in for a great fight.”
The greatest challenge posed by Le is, perhaps, his fighting style, considered unorthodox by mixed martial arts standards. Thus far, he has been untouchable in the ring as well as the cage, frustrating and confusing his opponents with an elusiveness and bag of tricks that includes scissor kicks, hip tosses and assorted other throwing techniques that stem from his studies of San Shou kickboxing.
Born in Vietnam, Le fled the war-torn country as a baby in his mother’s arms in 1975. After immigrating to The United States, the family settled in San Jose where Le eventually became an All-American high school and, later, a California state wrestling champion at West Valley Junior College before discovering San Shou.
Le’s tale of survival and success has been the subject of documentary films aired on The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel. More recently, Le was featured on an episode of The History Channel’s smash-hit martial arts television series, The Human Weapon.
The five-round Shamrock-Le contest will highlight a SHOWTIME telecast that begins live at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). The preliminary card will begin at 5 p.m. PT.
About ProElite:ProElite Inc. [PELE.PK] delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with 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 [elitexc.com]. ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of MMA enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community TM
About Strikeforce:Strikeforce is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, Strikeforce has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” Since then, it has co-produced the first SHOWTIME PPV mixed martial arts event in history with its world championship “Shamrock vs. Baroni” card on June 22nd of this year followed by the first-ever mixed martial arts event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion on September 29th.
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 is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL®, a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. 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®.
Contacts: Mike Afromowitz, Strikeforce – (917) 566-8754 or muaythaimes@aol.com
John Beyrooty, EliteXC/BZA –
Monday, January 21, 2008
Ronica Jeffrey: "Boxing Has Been Very Good To Me"
Ronica Jeffrey: "Boxing Has Been Very Good To Me"
By Robert Mladinich
(Photo courtesy of Robert Mladinich)
Although Ronica Jeffrey has squared off in front of thousands of fans while winning three New York City Golden Gloves titles at Madison Square Garden, she admits to being a bit nervous about making her pro debut on Thursday, January 31, at the Utopia Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York.
The show, which will also feature the comeback of former light-heavyweight champion Lou Del Valle, as well as local favorites Elvir Muriqi, Efrain Joel Torres, Eddie Irizarry, Jon Schneider and Alicia Ashley is being promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.
The 24-year-old Jeffrey, a native of Grenada who resides in Brooklyn, will be facing Karen Dulin of Mystic, Connecticut, an experienced amateur who, like Jeffrey, will be making her pro debut.
“Everything is happening so fast and I’m just trying to ride the flow,” said Jeffrey, who also attends the Wood Tobe Coburn Institute in Manhattan, where she is studying to become a medical assistant and dreams of someday being a pediatrician.
“I’m very nervous and excited, all in one. Fighting professionally is a new game. I think it’s more mental than anything else, but I admit that I’m a little nervous.”
One thing you can be sure of is that Jeffrey’s jitters will dissipate once the bell rings. Her vast experience on the big stage should take her a long way.
In one New York Golden Gloves final, she soundly defeated Maureen Shea, who was the darling of the media at the time because of the recent release of the Academy Award winning film “Million Dollar Baby.”
Shea was being touted as “The Real Million Dollar Baby” for her training with Hilary Swank, the star of the film. Scores of reporters from the entertainment media were on hand for the fight, which turned out to be a disappointment for them as well as Shea.
Jeffrey was also a national amateur champion who represented USA Boxing in such faraway places as India, Argentina, Colorado and California.
“Ronica had a great amateur career,” said her manager, David Selwyn. “She faced lots of pressure and almost always came out on top. She beat Maureen Shea, who is now 12-0 as a pro. I hope to have Ronica fighting for a title before she has 12 fights. In female boxing, having 10 fights as a pro is like a man having 40. Ronica’s amateur experience will have her ready to fight for a title sooner rather than later.”
Jeffrey would love to make her living as a boxer, but is wise enough to understand the nuances and vagaries of the sport, especially as it pertains to females. She is probably the only boxer you will ever meet who discusses attending medical school as a “backup plan” in case boxing doesn’t work out.
“If boxing can create a career for me, that would be great,” she explained. “But there are so many ups and downs in the sport, I always want to have something to fall back on.”
When speaking with Jeffrey it is obvious that she is extremely intelligent and serious about all that she does. When she first entered Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn it was to maintain her fitness and lose some weight.
Within just a few months, however, she had become great friends with such female stars as Alicia Ashley, Belinda Laracuente and Melissa “Hurricane” Hernandez.
When she was encouraged to compete as an amateur by those women, as well as her trainer Mike Smith, she says that she had never even heard of the Golden Gloves tournament.
After roaring through the competition, she couldn’t believe she had made it to the finals of what is generally regarded as the most prestigious local amateur tournament in the world.
“I’m not a person who demands a lot of attention,” said Jeffrey. “Being the center of attention in a place like Madison Square Garden was tough. Even though I’ve been in the finals three times, I still got more nervous each year.”
Her family, which consists of her parents and two siblings, helps keep her grounded. She currently lives with her father Ronald, an electrician who has made many sacrifices to further her dual interests in boxing and education.
“With school and boxing, it’s hard for me to have a full-time job, so I am very grateful for the support that I receive,” said Jeffrey. “It gives me much more inspiration to be successful in everything I do.”
Jeffrey realizes that so much has happened to her in such a relatively short time. As quick a pace as her life is now, she can’t help but feed off of all the positive energy that comes from doing what she not only loves, but also excels at.
She is as goal oriented as she is fitness oriented, so she is certain that her pro debut will be the start of a wonderful year.
“Boxing has already been really good to me,” she said. “I’ve made great friends and feel like Gleason’s is my home. I probably spend more time there than anywhere else. Boxing has enabled me to see places I never would have seen, and to meet people I never would have met. I believe that it is only going to get better in the future, and I am very excited about that.”
By Robert Mladinich
(Photo courtesy of Robert Mladinich)
Although Ronica Jeffrey has squared off in front of thousands of fans while winning three New York City Golden Gloves titles at Madison Square Garden, she admits to being a bit nervous about making her pro debut on Thursday, January 31, at the Utopia Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York.
The show, which will also feature the comeback of former light-heavyweight champion Lou Del Valle, as well as local favorites Elvir Muriqi, Efrain Joel Torres, Eddie Irizarry, Jon Schneider and Alicia Ashley is being promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.
The 24-year-old Jeffrey, a native of Grenada who resides in Brooklyn, will be facing Karen Dulin of Mystic, Connecticut, an experienced amateur who, like Jeffrey, will be making her pro debut.
“Everything is happening so fast and I’m just trying to ride the flow,” said Jeffrey, who also attends the Wood Tobe Coburn Institute in Manhattan, where she is studying to become a medical assistant and dreams of someday being a pediatrician.
“I’m very nervous and excited, all in one. Fighting professionally is a new game. I think it’s more mental than anything else, but I admit that I’m a little nervous.”
One thing you can be sure of is that Jeffrey’s jitters will dissipate once the bell rings. Her vast experience on the big stage should take her a long way.
In one New York Golden Gloves final, she soundly defeated Maureen Shea, who was the darling of the media at the time because of the recent release of the Academy Award winning film “Million Dollar Baby.”
Shea was being touted as “The Real Million Dollar Baby” for her training with Hilary Swank, the star of the film. Scores of reporters from the entertainment media were on hand for the fight, which turned out to be a disappointment for them as well as Shea.
Jeffrey was also a national amateur champion who represented USA Boxing in such faraway places as India, Argentina, Colorado and California.
“Ronica had a great amateur career,” said her manager, David Selwyn. “She faced lots of pressure and almost always came out on top. She beat Maureen Shea, who is now 12-0 as a pro. I hope to have Ronica fighting for a title before she has 12 fights. In female boxing, having 10 fights as a pro is like a man having 40. Ronica’s amateur experience will have her ready to fight for a title sooner rather than later.”
Jeffrey would love to make her living as a boxer, but is wise enough to understand the nuances and vagaries of the sport, especially as it pertains to females. She is probably the only boxer you will ever meet who discusses attending medical school as a “backup plan” in case boxing doesn’t work out.
“If boxing can create a career for me, that would be great,” she explained. “But there are so many ups and downs in the sport, I always want to have something to fall back on.”
When speaking with Jeffrey it is obvious that she is extremely intelligent and serious about all that she does. When she first entered Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn it was to maintain her fitness and lose some weight.
Within just a few months, however, she had become great friends with such female stars as Alicia Ashley, Belinda Laracuente and Melissa “Hurricane” Hernandez.
When she was encouraged to compete as an amateur by those women, as well as her trainer Mike Smith, she says that she had never even heard of the Golden Gloves tournament.
After roaring through the competition, she couldn’t believe she had made it to the finals of what is generally regarded as the most prestigious local amateur tournament in the world.
“I’m not a person who demands a lot of attention,” said Jeffrey. “Being the center of attention in a place like Madison Square Garden was tough. Even though I’ve been in the finals three times, I still got more nervous each year.”
Her family, which consists of her parents and two siblings, helps keep her grounded. She currently lives with her father Ronald, an electrician who has made many sacrifices to further her dual interests in boxing and education.
“With school and boxing, it’s hard for me to have a full-time job, so I am very grateful for the support that I receive,” said Jeffrey. “It gives me much more inspiration to be successful in everything I do.”
Jeffrey realizes that so much has happened to her in such a relatively short time. As quick a pace as her life is now, she can’t help but feed off of all the positive energy that comes from doing what she not only loves, but also excels at.
She is as goal oriented as she is fitness oriented, so she is certain that her pro debut will be the start of a wonderful year.
“Boxing has already been really good to me,” she said. “I’ve made great friends and feel like Gleason’s is my home. I probably spend more time there than anywhere else. Boxing has enabled me to see places I never would have seen, and to meet people I never would have met. I believe that it is only going to get better in the future, and I am very excited about that.”
Bazooka completes the requirements; Bazooka the professional Cutman
I am pleased and proud to announce to the boxing community that Bazooka has completed the requirements in 2007 and is now considered and recognized as a professional Cut-Man. Bazooka is recognized by USA-Boxing as a Coach and Judge, New York Athletic Commision as a Second (CutMan), New Jersey Atheletic Commission as a Second (CutMan) as well as a Professional Judge and Cutman with (WPBF/USBC) World Professional Boxing Federation/ United States Boxing Council.
Bazooka and Evander Holyfield
"I have completed my training and apprenticeship under the watchful eye of the great and renowned cut man Big George Mitchell."
The legendary boxing trainer Bob Jackson was instrumental,cooperative,encouraging and a participant with my training.
Bazooka with the Irish Ropes team.
"I would like to remind everyone that Bob Jackson; a cut man himself; was the partner of the GREAT Al Gavin for 40 years and learned a lot about mending boxers. They taught the lost art to Big George Mitchell. Now I possess the secretive and magical skills of a cut-man."
The linkage is, Al Gavin Cut Man to the Stars; 40 years experience, Bob Jackson trainer and cut man 40 years experience and Big George Mitchell Boxing trainer and renowned cut man 20 years experience. A total of 100 years knowledge of the lost skill of the cut-man.
Bazooka stands proudly on the shoulders of the great ones before him and will practice the art of cut-men, as honourably as the ones before him.
"I would like to thank my friend Al Gavin posthumously, for his advice."
Bazooka and Legendary boxer Jose Torres
Bazooka hopes to be see you all @ ringside as, He administer medical help for the fighters.
Bazooka
Bazooka and Evander Holyfield
"I have completed my training and apprenticeship under the watchful eye of the great and renowned cut man Big George Mitchell."
The legendary boxing trainer Bob Jackson was instrumental,cooperative,encouraging and a participant with my training.
Bazooka with the Irish Ropes team.
"I would like to remind everyone that Bob Jackson; a cut man himself; was the partner of the GREAT Al Gavin for 40 years and learned a lot about mending boxers. They taught the lost art to Big George Mitchell. Now I possess the secretive and magical skills of a cut-man."
The linkage is, Al Gavin Cut Man to the Stars; 40 years experience, Bob Jackson trainer and cut man 40 years experience and Big George Mitchell Boxing trainer and renowned cut man 20 years experience. A total of 100 years knowledge of the lost skill of the cut-man.
Bazooka stands proudly on the shoulders of the great ones before him and will practice the art of cut-men, as honourably as the ones before him.
"I would like to thank my friend Al Gavin posthumously, for his advice."
Bazooka and Legendary boxer Jose Torres
Bazooka hopes to be see you all @ ringside as, He administer medical help for the fighters.
Bazooka
Eddie Goldman on Carson's Corner Legendary combative sports journalist Eddie Goldman is the guest thisweek on Carson's Corner. Eddie (catch his shows
Eddie Goldman on Carson's Corner Legendary combative sports journalist Eddie Goldman is the guest this week on Carson's Corner. Eddie (catch his shows at http://nhbnews.blogspot.com/) and Bob sitdown for an extended discussion and proceed to put Zuffa under the microscope. If you're a fan of MMA, you will not want to miss this show. You will hear about a side of the UFC that you might not beaware of, and certainly won't be comfortable with. You will hear about how Dana White possibly back stabbed the MMA media, how Zuffa mistreated and mishandled Pride FC, mistreated and mishandled Randy Couture and much, much, much more. You won't want to miss Goldman's commentary on the state of most MMA radio shows today (e.g., Sherdog's radio programs, etc.). It alone is worth the price of admission! Bob also answers perhaps the zaniest listener emails to date and previews the upcoming UFC 80 show. If you've been on the fence about catching an episode of Carson's Corner, this is the show to jump on board. We're backing this show up with a money-back guarantee! To listen to the show, click here: http://www.nowpublic.com/entertainment/eddie-goldman-uncensored-0 To download the show, click here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZH53QO32
Friday, January 18, 2008
The temperature heated up at the final press conference at Madison Square Garden before Felix Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr. step into the ring
The temperature heated up at the final press conference today at Madison Square Garden before Felix Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr. step into the ring on Saturday night in a match featured on HBO Pay-Per-View.
In an unusally strong display of emotion, Tito Trinidad's father, trainer and manager Felix Trinidad Sr. turned to Roy Jones Jr. and his team and said, "I am sorry, Roy, but Saturday night you will have no break against Tito Trinidad. You are going to fight against the best Tito Trinidad that any opponent has fought against.” Jones acknowledged Tito's supporters. "That’s okay you stand for what you believe in. But come Saturday night you are going to hate me more after I beat Felix Trinidad. It’s only me and Tito in the ring and, unfortunately, I have to give Tito a bad birthday present."
DON KING
“Every time you fight, you are at the height of your career. Corbin Bleu [from High School Musical] is going to sing the national anthem.”
“Thank you for your opinion but let the people be the judge. No one can kill this fight. These young men want to fight for the pride and legacy and they have trained to make a statement.
“This fight is for finding the cure for breast cancer and it’s for every women. Roy walked for them [at a walkathon in his hometown of Pensacola in October], and Tito jumped on board and we are fighting breast cancer. This event is about fighting breast cancer and all women of all color who will hope to be cured of this disease.
“Roy Jones Jr. found redemption and in his whole career, he has not been late for one thing we did [promoting this event]. He worked tirelessly for this fight. Tito Trinidad a hero from ground zero. He was here for 9/11, just two weeks before he was to fight Bernard Hopkins. He went to Ground Zero to feed the rescue workers, the disenfranchised and all the volunteers. Tito didn’t go home he stayed with the people and part of why he lost the fight was his working for 9/11 and having to fight right after that"
“Another magical moment for the Garden like Ali vs Frazier is what this is. This fight will be talked about and go down in history as another legendary night in this historic building.”
MARK TAFFET – HBO PAY-PER-VIEW
“We can only imagine how many miles they have run and rounds they have sparred to get ready for this fight. They have put themselves through very rigorous training camps. They have great teams and they are ready. They have promised the fans a great night of boxing.“We look forward to Saturday night to a great event and a great beginning to another fantastic year of boxing.”
MIKE MOLLO
“I’m from Chicago, Illinois, and I left the cold and went to Miami to train. I am so excited to fight at Madison Square Garden under two great legends like Roy Jones and Tito Trinidad.
“I called out Andrew Golota and I am glad I got this fight. Now we are in New York and it’s going to be a great fight.
”
ANDREW GOLOTA [Fifth time fighting at the Garden]
“Very nice to be in New York again and I am ready for the win. I can’t wait to get back into the Garden ring and I look forward to it.”
ROMAN KARMAZIN
“I am dedicating my first fight in Madison Square Garden to two Russian New York Police Department officers who died in the line of duty. They were immigrants like me and they sacrificed their lives for saving and helping people. I am fighting for them and our freedom.”
ALEX BUNEMA
“I have had a few chances in the past where I came up short, but I’m not going to let this opportunity get away from me on Saturday. This is it for me. I am from Zaire now called Congo.
I am excited to be fighting at the Garden. Roy is one of my boxing heroes and I am thrilled to be on this card. I have been here before and I can’t wait for Saturday night.”
DEVON ALEXANDER
“This is a big opportunity and I am only 20 years old. I am looking forward to being there Saturday.
We have been training for two months and the fact that my fight is on television is an extra bonus. Come Saturday night, ‘The Great’ is on.”
KEVIN CUNNINGHAM [Devon Alexander’s trainer and manager]:
“I feel like Devon is prepared to put on a spectacular performance. He’s ready to make a huge statement. Don King needs a new star and on Saturday night he’ll have one
DeMARCUS “CHOP CHOP” CORLEY
“Thank everyone for having me here. I am glad I can come back so soon after my last fight. You will see on Saturday night why they call me Chop Chop because I am coming back with two hands.”
FELIX “TITO” TRINIDAD
“Good afternoon to everyone. I hope all fighters on January 19 give the people a great fight. It is going to be a great night. .
“I am feeling very good with a lot of passion and January 19. I am going to get another victory for me. I trained and worked very hard and I know I am going to win. I am confident in myself and I can’t wait for Saturday night.”
DON/ FELIX TRINIDAD
“We are on the road to this big fight and I we are very comfortable about this fight. We have been training for six months—very hard—and Tito has trained more than he ever has. He has the passion. He is in the best condition of his life. We have a team of 21 people and each one has a role and that is the reason why he will be in one of the best conditions of his career. We hear Roy is in great condition too.
“In the past all of his opponents have been prepared quite well. We had the opportunity to fight other big names for Tito’s comeback.
Don King put other big names on the table. But we said we wanted the biggest name, and that was Roy Jones. “We also want one thing that he has. We want to beat our fourth Olympic gold medalist. “And the knockout can come in any rounds. This fight won’t be decided on who is weaker, one or the other. This fight is going to be won on will, patience and the desire to win. The fighter who has the better corner in the ring and that describes a victory for Tito Trinidad. I am sorry, Roy, but Saturday night you will have no break against Tito Trinidad. You are going to fight against the best Tito Trinidad that any opponent has fought against.”
ROY JONES JR.—SUPERMAN
“Thank God for being here and I appreciate the patriotism for you [Tito’s fans] booing me. That’s okay you stand for what you believe in. But come Saturday night you are going to hate me more after I beat Felix Trinidad.
It’s only me and Tito in the ring and, unfortunately, I have to give Tito a bad birthday present.
“I do know that they have trained very hard to fight me. They know I am a problem. Just like I knew I had a problem when I was going to face John Ruiz. I worked then just like they are now. I respect that they know they have a problem in me. And they say they are in shape. But you should have seen what I did in my training camp. My trainer’s been telling people about it because Roy Jones Jr. is all the way back. All I can tell you is I’m going to be raw on Saturday night. You don’t want to miss it.”
ALTON MERKERSON [Roy Jones Jr.’s longtime trainer]
“What a great night it is going to be Saturday night. This is going to be an electrifying fight. These guys are legends and have accomplished such great goals in their careers.
“But there are other challenges and this is a great challenge for Roy. I can say this. I have been training Roy since 1993 and I saw Roy do things in our training camp that he has not done in a long time. You are going to see the old Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday night and he is going to be great.”
Alan Hopper Don King Productions Fight info: http://www.donking.com/events/post24_media.htm
In an unusally strong display of emotion, Tito Trinidad's father, trainer and manager Felix Trinidad Sr. turned to Roy Jones Jr. and his team and said, "I am sorry, Roy, but Saturday night you will have no break against Tito Trinidad. You are going to fight against the best Tito Trinidad that any opponent has fought against.” Jones acknowledged Tito's supporters. "That’s okay you stand for what you believe in. But come Saturday night you are going to hate me more after I beat Felix Trinidad. It’s only me and Tito in the ring and, unfortunately, I have to give Tito a bad birthday present."
DON KING
“Every time you fight, you are at the height of your career. Corbin Bleu [from High School Musical] is going to sing the national anthem.”
“Thank you for your opinion but let the people be the judge. No one can kill this fight. These young men want to fight for the pride and legacy and they have trained to make a statement.
“This fight is for finding the cure for breast cancer and it’s for every women. Roy walked for them [at a walkathon in his hometown of Pensacola in October], and Tito jumped on board and we are fighting breast cancer. This event is about fighting breast cancer and all women of all color who will hope to be cured of this disease.
“Roy Jones Jr. found redemption and in his whole career, he has not been late for one thing we did [promoting this event]. He worked tirelessly for this fight. Tito Trinidad a hero from ground zero. He was here for 9/11, just two weeks before he was to fight Bernard Hopkins. He went to Ground Zero to feed the rescue workers, the disenfranchised and all the volunteers. Tito didn’t go home he stayed with the people and part of why he lost the fight was his working for 9/11 and having to fight right after that"
“Another magical moment for the Garden like Ali vs Frazier is what this is. This fight will be talked about and go down in history as another legendary night in this historic building.”
MARK TAFFET – HBO PAY-PER-VIEW
“We can only imagine how many miles they have run and rounds they have sparred to get ready for this fight. They have put themselves through very rigorous training camps. They have great teams and they are ready. They have promised the fans a great night of boxing.“We look forward to Saturday night to a great event and a great beginning to another fantastic year of boxing.”
MIKE MOLLO
“I’m from Chicago, Illinois, and I left the cold and went to Miami to train. I am so excited to fight at Madison Square Garden under two great legends like Roy Jones and Tito Trinidad.
“I called out Andrew Golota and I am glad I got this fight. Now we are in New York and it’s going to be a great fight.
”
ANDREW GOLOTA [Fifth time fighting at the Garden]
“Very nice to be in New York again and I am ready for the win. I can’t wait to get back into the Garden ring and I look forward to it.”
ROMAN KARMAZIN
“I am dedicating my first fight in Madison Square Garden to two Russian New York Police Department officers who died in the line of duty. They were immigrants like me and they sacrificed their lives for saving and helping people. I am fighting for them and our freedom.”
ALEX BUNEMA
“I have had a few chances in the past where I came up short, but I’m not going to let this opportunity get away from me on Saturday. This is it for me. I am from Zaire now called Congo.
I am excited to be fighting at the Garden. Roy is one of my boxing heroes and I am thrilled to be on this card. I have been here before and I can’t wait for Saturday night.”DEVON ALEXANDER
“This is a big opportunity and I am only 20 years old. I am looking forward to being there Saturday.
We have been training for two months and the fact that my fight is on television is an extra bonus. Come Saturday night, ‘The Great’ is on.”
KEVIN CUNNINGHAM [Devon Alexander’s trainer and manager]:
“I feel like Devon is prepared to put on a spectacular performance. He’s ready to make a huge statement. Don King needs a new star and on Saturday night he’ll have one
DeMARCUS “CHOP CHOP” CORLEY
“Thank everyone for having me here. I am glad I can come back so soon after my last fight. You will see on Saturday night why they call me Chop Chop because I am coming back with two hands.”
FELIX “TITO” TRINIDAD
“Good afternoon to everyone. I hope all fighters on January 19 give the people a great fight. It is going to be a great night. .
“I am feeling very good with a lot of passion and January 19. I am going to get another victory for me. I trained and worked very hard and I know I am going to win. I am confident in myself and I can’t wait for Saturday night.”DON/ FELIX TRINIDAD
“We are on the road to this big fight and I we are very comfortable about this fight. We have been training for six months—very hard—and Tito has trained more than he ever has. He has the passion. He is in the best condition of his life. We have a team of 21 people and each one has a role and that is the reason why he will be in one of the best conditions of his career. We hear Roy is in great condition too.
“In the past all of his opponents have been prepared quite well. We had the opportunity to fight other big names for Tito’s comeback.
Don King put other big names on the table. But we said we wanted the biggest name, and that was Roy Jones. “We also want one thing that he has. We want to beat our fourth Olympic gold medalist. “And the knockout can come in any rounds. This fight won’t be decided on who is weaker, one or the other. This fight is going to be won on will, patience and the desire to win. The fighter who has the better corner in the ring and that describes a victory for Tito Trinidad. I am sorry, Roy, but Saturday night you will have no break against Tito Trinidad. You are going to fight against the best Tito Trinidad that any opponent has fought against.”
ROY JONES JR.—SUPERMAN
“Thank God for being here and I appreciate the patriotism for you [Tito’s fans] booing me. That’s okay you stand for what you believe in. But come Saturday night you are going to hate me more after I beat Felix Trinidad.
It’s only me and Tito in the ring and, unfortunately, I have to give Tito a bad birthday present.
“I do know that they have trained very hard to fight me. They know I am a problem. Just like I knew I had a problem when I was going to face John Ruiz. I worked then just like they are now. I respect that they know they have a problem in me. And they say they are in shape. But you should have seen what I did in my training camp. My trainer’s been telling people about it because Roy Jones Jr. is all the way back. All I can tell you is I’m going to be raw on Saturday night. You don’t want to miss it.”
ALTON MERKERSON [Roy Jones Jr.’s longtime trainer]
“What a great night it is going to be Saturday night. This is going to be an electrifying fight. These guys are legends and have accomplished such great goals in their careers.
“But there are other challenges and this is a great challenge for Roy. I can say this. I have been training Roy since 1993 and I saw Roy do things in our training camp that he has not done in a long time. You are going to see the old Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday night and he is going to be great.”Alan Hopper Don King Productions Fight info: http://www.donking.com/events/post24_media.htm
‘HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL’ STAR CORBIN BLEU TO SING NATIONAL ANTHEM AT TRINIDAD vs. JONES BOXING MEGA-BOUT
‘HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL’ STAR CORBIN BLEU TO SING NATIONAL ANTHEM SATURDAY NIGHT AT MADISON SQ. GARDEN AT TRINIDAD vs. JONES BOXING MEGA-BOUT LIVE ON HBO PAY-PER-VIEW
NEW YORK— Teen sensation and famed Hollywood actor Corbin Blue, best known for his starring roles in High School Musical (2006), High School Musical 2 (2007), and Jump In! (2007), has been tapped to sing the national anthem at the highly anticipated boxing showdown between Felix “Tito” Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The anthem will be shown as part of the live HBO Pay-Per-View telecast.
CORBIN BLEU
ABOUT “BRING on the TITANS”
Two of the greatest boxers in history, Felix “Tito” Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr., will face each other in a battle that boxing fans have been waiting for years to see at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008, and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View. For information contact: http://www.donking.com/events/post24_media.htm
Tickets are still available at all Ticketmaster outlets.
Trinidad is a five-time world champion with a stunning career knockout ratio of 80 percent who has won titles in the welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight classes. Jones is an eight-time world champion, winning belts in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a world heavyweight crown in more than 100 years.
The domestic pay-per-view telecast will begin at 9 pm ET/6 pm 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 is being promoted by Don King Productions in association with Madison Square Garden.
NEW YORK— Teen sensation and famed Hollywood actor Corbin Blue, best known for his starring roles in High School Musical (2006), High School Musical 2 (2007), and Jump In! (2007), has been tapped to sing the national anthem at the highly anticipated boxing showdown between Felix “Tito” Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The anthem will be shown as part of the live HBO Pay-Per-View telecast.
CORBIN BLEU
ABOUT “BRING on the TITANS”
Two of the greatest boxers in history, Felix “Tito” Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr., will face each other in a battle that boxing fans have been waiting for years to see at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008, and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View. For information contact: http://www.donking.com/events/post24_media.htm
Tickets are still available at all Ticketmaster outlets.
Trinidad is a five-time world champion with a stunning career knockout ratio of 80 percent who has won titles in the welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight classes. Jones is an eight-time world champion, winning belts in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a world heavyweight crown in more than 100 years.
The domestic pay-per-view telecast will begin at 9 pm ET/6 pm 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 is being promoted by Don King Productions in association with Madison Square Garden.
NO HOLDS BARRED: Roy Jones, Don King, Tank Abbott, Kimbo Slice, GaryShaw, Devon Alexander, Zuffa-Couture Lawsuit On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED,
NO HOLDS BARRED: Roy Jones, Don King, Tank Abbott, Kimbo Slice, Gary Shaw, Devon Alexander, Zuffa-Couture Lawsuit On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing the disgraceful lawsuit filed Monday in Clark County District Court in Nevada by Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, against their most popular fighter, Randy Couture.
As usual, this commentary is no-holds-barred. We next discuss the card scheduled for this coming Saturday, January19, at Madison Square Garden in New York, headlined by the clash between boxing legends Roy Jones. Jr. (51-4, 38 KOs) and Felix "Tito"Trinidad Jr. (42-2, 35 KOs). This card will be telecast in the U.S. on HBO Pay-Per-View. We got comments from Roy Jones. Jr. about why he is so confident thathe will win this fight. We spoke with promoter Don King to get his response to criticisms by some in the media of this card. And we spoke with 20-year-old rising junior welterweight prospect Devon Alexander(13-0, 8 KOs), who has the toughest assignment of his young pro career when he faces former world champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley(31-7-1, 17 KOs). We also begin to preview the EliteXC mixed martial arts card scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Bank United Center on the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables, FL. That card will be shown live in the U.S. on Showtime. The main event of that card pits Internet streetfighter Kimbo Slice, who is now a professional MMA fighter training with Bas Rutten, against the MMA veteran David "Tank" Abbott. We spoke with both Tank Abbott and Kimbo Slice about this fight on a media teleconference call Wednesday. We also spoke with promoter Gary Shaw, the EliteXC Live Events President, about how his view on what EliteXC is and will do, and about how they treat their fighters. To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link below and just press theplay button on the player: http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-01-17T05_04_46-08_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 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, 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 of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle 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 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
Thursday, January 17, 2008
A look inside ALEX “THE TECHNICIAN” BUNEMA; Who will face Roman "Made in Hell" Karmazin on the Trinidad vs Jones Under card
ALEX “THE TECHNICIAN” BUNEMA
Former World Boxing Association Continental Americas Champion
Born in Kinshasa, Zaire, July 28, 1975
Height: 5’9” – Weight: Super Welterweight (154)
Record: 26-9-2, 14 KOs
ALEX “THE TECHNICIAN” BUNEMA
Alex Bunema was born in Kinshasa, Zaire, nine months after the city hosted the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle,” Muhammad Ali’s stunning upset knockout of George Foreman in October, 1974.
Before and long after the fight, an unprecedented boxing buzz engulfed Zaire and Alex was immediately drawn to the Sweet Science.
“The thing that really got me into boxing was the Ali-Foreman fight in ’74,” said Alex, who tallied a 39-1 amateur record before turning professional in August 1996. Growing up, everybody was talking about that fight.
“That was one of the greatest fights of all time and it happened in Zaire. For months and years, that was the only thing people were talking about. It inspired a lot of kids to pick up the gloves and pursue a career in boxing.”
While the Ali-Foreman fight pushed Alex to learn the nuances and intricacies of one of the most difficult individual sports, it was his father’s calming influence that helped him stay motivated and dedicated to the sport.
“My dad used to be a boxer,” said Alex, who stormed out of the professional gates winning his first 13 fights. “He fought as an amateur. He would tell me about his fights and that would inspire me. I started boxing when I was just eight years old.”
Alex quickly turned heads with his advanced skills and strength. He would dispatch opponents with one-part finesse and one-part power.
He would become a four-time national champion in Zaire. He did it in 1992 at 132 pounds, and from ‘93-‘95 he would terrorize the 139 pound division.
Alex’s hard work and determination led him to qualify for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga., but, through no fault of his own, Alex was unable to compete.
“I was one of the youngest fighters to make it to the national team,” Alex said. “I won the Central African tournament. I was ready to go to Atlanta, but the sports federation wanted my family to give them a certain amount of money, and they didn’t have it.”
Alex would now focus on his professional career.
At the age of 21, on Aug. 30, 1996, Alex said goodbye to the amateur world and said hello to professional boxing. Alex would knockout his first opponent, Scan Ione, in the opening stanza.
Alex Bunema attends the Press conference for Trinidad vs Jones.
Alex would face his toughest challenge only a year after turning professional. On Sept. 9, 1997, in Bay St. Louis, Miss., Alex got in the ring with former National Golden Gloves amateur champion Orlando Hollis.
Alex didn’t waste anytime as he got off to a hot start and never looked back. He scored one knockdown in the second round. He dropped Hollis a second time in the third, latter stopping him at 1:48, registering a technical knockout victory.
On March 2, 2000 in Las Vegas, Nev., Alex proved he was capable of winning a tough, close fight against a quality opponent. Alex took home a 10-round split decision victory against former world-title challenger Tony Marshall, who came into the fight with more experience and ring savvy than Alex.
Marshall kept the busier pace, but Alex was the harder puncher. He rocked Marshall in the fifth round and staggered him in the eighth. His hard-hitting style won him fans in the audience and points from the judges. Alex won a split decision where two judges favored him 96-94, and the third judge gave it to Marshall, 97-93.
By now, Alex was gaining experience and momentum. He had only two losses on his resume and a handful of quality wins against tough opposition.
His next challenge would come in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior middleweight title eliminator on Oct. 26, 2001 in Temecula, Calif. against the veteran and crafty Bronco McKart.
It was an exciting fight which earned a standing ovation from the crowd as there were many give-and-take rounds that were close and hard to score. Both fighters were exchanging leather as if it were going out of fashion.
Alex stood a great chance of winning since he applied constant pressure throughout. The judges, however, didn’t see it that way. Alex lost a hard-fought 12-round split decision with one judge favoring him 115-113 while the remaining judges saw it for McKart 116-112 and 117-111.
After the fight McKart admitted, “I almost went down in the fifth. He hit me hard with a body shot and I was very close to going to a knee. Bunema can box and punch with the best of them.”
To date, Alex’s most visible fight came against former world champion Jermain Taylor.
On March 27, 2004, Alex challenged Taylor for his World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas title in Little Rock, Ark. At the time, Taylor was an undefeated, rising contender.
Alex would come out aggressively in the early rounds in an effort to wear down the harder-hitting Taylor. Alex is known for his incredible stamina that wears out even the most conditioned athletes.
Taylor was able to keep a busy pace and consistently landed the harder punches.
Taylor scored two knockdowns in the seventh round, both coming after a series of right hands, and the referee stopped the fight without a count with 44 seconds left in the round.
After the fight, Alex said, “I’m very disappointed. I felt like the referee let me down. I take a knee and he stops the fight. I’ve been down before and have come back to win the fight.”
Alex rebounded nicely after the Taylor loss, having won four of his last five fights.
In his last appearance, Alex dispatched the 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. Alex delivered a fourth round knockout against the young and tough Farid Shahid on Sept. 21, 2007, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Alex is set to challenge former IBF 154-pound champion Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin for his World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental Super Welterweight title on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008 at Madison Square Garden on the HBO pay-per-view under card of the highly anticipated showdown between future Hall of Famers Felix “Tito” Trinidad and Roy Jones, Jr.
Alex is married and has one daughter.
Former World Boxing Association Continental Americas Champion
Born in Kinshasa, Zaire, July 28, 1975
Height: 5’9” – Weight: Super Welterweight (154)
Record: 26-9-2, 14 KOs
ALEX “THE TECHNICIAN” BUNEMA
Alex Bunema was born in Kinshasa, Zaire, nine months after the city hosted the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle,” Muhammad Ali’s stunning upset knockout of George Foreman in October, 1974.
Before and long after the fight, an unprecedented boxing buzz engulfed Zaire and Alex was immediately drawn to the Sweet Science.
“The thing that really got me into boxing was the Ali-Foreman fight in ’74,” said Alex, who tallied a 39-1 amateur record before turning professional in August 1996. Growing up, everybody was talking about that fight.
“That was one of the greatest fights of all time and it happened in Zaire. For months and years, that was the only thing people were talking about. It inspired a lot of kids to pick up the gloves and pursue a career in boxing.”
While the Ali-Foreman fight pushed Alex to learn the nuances and intricacies of one of the most difficult individual sports, it was his father’s calming influence that helped him stay motivated and dedicated to the sport.
“My dad used to be a boxer,” said Alex, who stormed out of the professional gates winning his first 13 fights. “He fought as an amateur. He would tell me about his fights and that would inspire me. I started boxing when I was just eight years old.”
Alex quickly turned heads with his advanced skills and strength. He would dispatch opponents with one-part finesse and one-part power.
He would become a four-time national champion in Zaire. He did it in 1992 at 132 pounds, and from ‘93-‘95 he would terrorize the 139 pound division.
Alex’s hard work and determination led him to qualify for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga., but, through no fault of his own, Alex was unable to compete.
“I was one of the youngest fighters to make it to the national team,” Alex said. “I won the Central African tournament. I was ready to go to Atlanta, but the sports federation wanted my family to give them a certain amount of money, and they didn’t have it.”
Alex would now focus on his professional career.
At the age of 21, on Aug. 30, 1996, Alex said goodbye to the amateur world and said hello to professional boxing. Alex would knockout his first opponent, Scan Ione, in the opening stanza.
Alex Bunema attends the Press conference for Trinidad vs Jones.
Alex would face his toughest challenge only a year after turning professional. On Sept. 9, 1997, in Bay St. Louis, Miss., Alex got in the ring with former National Golden Gloves amateur champion Orlando Hollis.
Alex didn’t waste anytime as he got off to a hot start and never looked back. He scored one knockdown in the second round. He dropped Hollis a second time in the third, latter stopping him at 1:48, registering a technical knockout victory.
On March 2, 2000 in Las Vegas, Nev., Alex proved he was capable of winning a tough, close fight against a quality opponent. Alex took home a 10-round split decision victory against former world-title challenger Tony Marshall, who came into the fight with more experience and ring savvy than Alex.
Marshall kept the busier pace, but Alex was the harder puncher. He rocked Marshall in the fifth round and staggered him in the eighth. His hard-hitting style won him fans in the audience and points from the judges. Alex won a split decision where two judges favored him 96-94, and the third judge gave it to Marshall, 97-93.
By now, Alex was gaining experience and momentum. He had only two losses on his resume and a handful of quality wins against tough opposition.
His next challenge would come in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior middleweight title eliminator on Oct. 26, 2001 in Temecula, Calif. against the veteran and crafty Bronco McKart.
It was an exciting fight which earned a standing ovation from the crowd as there were many give-and-take rounds that were close and hard to score. Both fighters were exchanging leather as if it were going out of fashion.
Alex stood a great chance of winning since he applied constant pressure throughout. The judges, however, didn’t see it that way. Alex lost a hard-fought 12-round split decision with one judge favoring him 115-113 while the remaining judges saw it for McKart 116-112 and 117-111.
After the fight McKart admitted, “I almost went down in the fifth. He hit me hard with a body shot and I was very close to going to a knee. Bunema can box and punch with the best of them.”
To date, Alex’s most visible fight came against former world champion Jermain Taylor.
On March 27, 2004, Alex challenged Taylor for his World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas title in Little Rock, Ark. At the time, Taylor was an undefeated, rising contender.
Alex would come out aggressively in the early rounds in an effort to wear down the harder-hitting Taylor. Alex is known for his incredible stamina that wears out even the most conditioned athletes.
Taylor was able to keep a busy pace and consistently landed the harder punches.
Taylor scored two knockdowns in the seventh round, both coming after a series of right hands, and the referee stopped the fight without a count with 44 seconds left in the round.
After the fight, Alex said, “I’m very disappointed. I felt like the referee let me down. I take a knee and he stops the fight. I’ve been down before and have come back to win the fight.”
Alex rebounded nicely after the Taylor loss, having won four of his last five fights.
In his last appearance, Alex dispatched the 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. Alex delivered a fourth round knockout against the young and tough Farid Shahid on Sept. 21, 2007, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Alex is set to challenge former IBF 154-pound champion Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin for his World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental Super Welterweight title on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008 at Madison Square Garden on the HBO pay-per-view under card of the highly anticipated showdown between future Hall of Famers Felix “Tito” Trinidad and Roy Jones, Jr.
Alex is married and has one daughter.
A look inside ANDREW “POWERFUL POLE” GOLOTA; Who will face Mike Mollo on the Trinidad vs Jones Under card
ANDREW “POWERFUL POLE” GOLOTA
Heavyweight Contender
Born on Jan. 5, 1968, in Warsaw, Poland, now living in Chicago, Illinois
Height 6’ 4” – Weight: Heavyweight
Record: 40-6-1, 33 KOs
ANDREW “POWERFUL POLE” GOLOTA
Andrew Golota began boxing at age 13 and captured an unprecedented seven Polish national amateur championships. He won a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Golota relocated to Chicago and turned pro in 1992, winning his first 27starts—24 by knockout.
He first garnered national attention, however, when he bit Samson Po’uha en route to a fifth-round technical knockout victory in May 1995.
In his biggest victory as a pro, Golota battered Emanuel Steward-trained Danell Nicholson en route to an eighth-round TKO in March 1996, despite nearly getting himself disqualified for a head butt.
The Warsaw native would not be so lucky facing former undisputed heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe, against whom he twice fouled out of high-profile bouts he was winning in 1996. The first meeting between the two on July 11 stands on its own as a fight that will go down in history due to the mayhem that engulfed Madison Square Garden following the proceedings.
A determined Golota performed better than most could have imagined. His combination punching looked like the best in the division, and his ability to slide to either side and deliver punches left Bowe, one of the great heavyweights then or any time, confused and covering up on the ropes. Golota was on his way to registering a shocking upset before things turned sour.
Golota was rocking Bowe in the fourth round when a low blow interrupted the action. The referee penalized Golota a point and gave Bowe time to recuperate. The same thing occurred late in the sixth round and a second point was deducted. Midway through the seventh, Golota struck below the belt for his third point deduction. Inexplicably, with 27 seconds remaining in the round, Golota was disqualified after landing his final illegal blow that left Bowe lying on his back in agony.
A wave of spectators stormed the ring, catching Madison Square Garden security off guard. As Golota returned to his corner, he was attacked by members of Bowe’s entourage and was struck on the back of the head with a portable phone.
For the rematch five months later, Golota’s handlers took extra steps to insure that their charge’s blows would stay in the legitimate target area. A pair of specially-made trunks were fixed to a rounded “body punching” bag at the gym where Golota trained. He spent many an afternoon pounding home his shots above the waistband.
The extra measures taken did not help. A battered Bowe, down twice in the fight and out on his feet in the closing rounds, won by ninth-round disqualification after Golota struck low again. This, after being docked two points for infractions earlier in the bout.
Golota had a chance to redeem himself after being disqualified in back-to-back fights. In October 1997, he got a shot at World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. In a shocking result, Lewis knocked out Golota at 95 seconds of the opening round. Golota came out tentative and went down the first time at the one-minute mark. He gave his best to be competitive, but never recovered and went down again. The referee stopped it shortly thereafter.
After the crushing first-round knockout, Golota won six consecutive bouts, including hard-fought, unanimous 10-round decision victories over Corey Sanders and “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon in July and October 1998, respectively.
The Sanders slugfest was a bloody, one-sided war. Golota dominated, but could never relax as Sanders, despite fighting with a nasty gash over his left eye from the third round on, showed plenty of spunk by continually trying to fight back. At the end, Golota, who had suffered a smaller cut in the third, won by scores of 100-90, 99-90 and 97-93.
Golota had an even easier time out-pointing Witherspoon, the former world heavyweight champion. In what figured to be a tough assignment, Golota boxed magnificently while avoiding ‘Spoon’s once-vaunted right hand to win by scores of 100-91, 99-91 and 98-93.
In January 1999, Golota won his third consecutive unanimous 10-round decision, this one over Jesse Ferguson; however, he suffered a come-from-ahead TKO 10-round loss to then-North American Boxing Federation (NABF) heavyweight champion Michael Grant on Nov. 20, 1999.
Golota had Grant down, and almost out, twice in the first round, but Grant fought on and floored Golota in round 10. Golota got up fast and appeared steady on his feet before the referee asked him if he wanted to continue. Although he appeared to be ready and able to continue, he said “no” twice and the bout was halted at the 1:31 mark of the 10th round. Golota was ahead by scores of 87-80, 86-81 and 85-83 at the time of the stoppage.
Golota registered a third-round TKO over Marcus Rhode on April 22, 2000, in China. Golota had his way with Rhode, knocking him down three times. He dropped Rhode twice in the second round, the first time with a hard right and the second with a double combination. In the third, Golota landed a hard right followed by two combinations that drove Rhode through the ropes. The bout was stopped at 2:49 of the round.
On June 16, 2000, Golota built up an early lead and withstood a late rally to win a unanimous decision over former world champion Orlin Norris. The heavyweight contender captured the contest 99-91, 98-92 and 97-94 to win for the eighth time in nine starts.
On October 20, 2000, Golota fought Mike Tyson in Auburn Hills, Mich. Golota was cut over the eye and knocked down in the first round. After not answering the bell for the third round due to injuries, the fight was declared a no-contest.
After an almost three-year hiatus, Golota fought twice in 2003. On Aug. 14, he stopped Brian Nix (TKO 7) in Dover, Del., and on Nov. 14, beat Terrance Lewis (TKO 6).
On April 17, 2004, Golota had his second chance to win a world heavyweight championship—this time Chris Byrd’s IBF crown. Byrd’s slick boxing style was the stylistic opposite of the brawling Golota.
Andrew Golota
Most boxing experts felt going in that Byrd would frustrate Golota by using his superior boxing skills to wear the big man down, but the Polish strongman gave his best performance since his 1996 heyday when he faced Bowe in those two epic clashes. He avoided fouling, kept his composure, boxed efficiently and many people thought he won the match.
The fight went the 12-round distance, but the judges could not determine a winner. Steve Weisfeld scored it 113-115 for Golota; Melvina Lathan had Byrd winning the fight 115-113; and Tony Paolillo couldn’t break the tie at 114-114.
Golota’s fine performance earned him another world title fight against WBA champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz on Don King’s huge heavyweight Rendezvous with Destiny: Battle for Supremacy card in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 13.
Golota made the most of his opportunity by taking the fight to Ruiz early. After Ruiz landed a solid shot in the second round, Golota answered with a counter punch that floored Ruiz. Still wobbly after regaining his feet, Golota dropped Ruiz again and the end seemed near. While Ruiz survived the round, he would have to overcome a round scored 10-7 by all three judges.
Ruiz fell farther behind in the fourth round when referee Randy Neumann deducted a point from him for hitting on the break. Golota showed great restraint throughout the fight avoiding any fouling tactics that would have cost him points.
Golota was clearly the more highly skilled boxer, but Ruiz’s burrowing, clenching style makes for ugly fights that are difficult to score. For instance, all three judges had Ruiz winning two of the lat three rounds although none of them had the combination.
Although Ruiz’s performed better in the middle and late rounds, many were shocked when a unanimous decision was announced in favor of Ruiz. Frank Lombardi scored it an understandably close 113-112, but the two other judges, Tom Schreck and Oscar Perez scored the fight a less comprehensible 114-111. Many thought Golota had won the fight, including Golota himself.
“I thought I won the fight,” Golota said. “He went down twice. I controlled the fight. I am confused here. I am upside down. This is very confusing to me. Maybe the judges were watching the fights outside the ring [in the arena] and not inside the ring.”
Golota was given the third chance in a row to win a world heavyweight title when he faced World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion “Relentless” Lamon Brewester at the United Center in his adopted hometown of Chicago on May 21.
More than 20,000 fans, mostly from Chicago’s huge Polish community, came to root for the hometown favorite.
Brewster stormed at Golota from the opening bell and landed a devastating left hook just 10 seconds into the fight. Golota came to his feet but staggered before regaining enough composure for referee Gino Rodriguez to allow the match to continue.
For Brewster, this feat was even greater when considering Golota had just gone 12 rounds with WBA champion John Ruiz and 12 rounds against IBF champion champion Chris Byrd without being knocked down in either contest.
Seconds later, Brewster landed another pulverizing left hook that sent Golota down and through the ropes. Golota refused to quit. He struggled and regained his feet long enough to experience the third and final left hook that caused Rodriguez to halt the action at just 53 seconds into the fight.
Golota got back on the winning track by scoring a second-round technical knockout Jeremy Bates in Katowice, Poland, on June 9, 2007.
His last ring appearance was against Mike Tyson conqueror Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride in Madison Square Garden on Oct. 6.
Andrew Golota and Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride, square off in the ring on Oct. 6.
Often a slow starter, McBride took a page out of Lamon Brewster’s and Mike Tyson’s scouting report on the Pole and rocked Golota with several shots in the opening stanza. 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 slugfest that saw the Garden crowd on its feet during much of the contest.
While both fighters exchanged power shots at will, Golota opened a nasty gash over McBride’s left eye in round five. With McBride having trouble seeing out of his eye, Golota pounded McBride in the sixth until referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stepped in and stopped the contest with 18 seconds left in the round.
“Kevin was winded,” Mercante said. “He took a lot of shots. He can fight on another day.”
Golota praised his opponent.
Andrew Golota exits the ring after his victory over Kevin McBride on Oct. 6.
“Kevin surprised me,” Golota said in the ring after the fight. “He was faster than I thought he would be and he didn’t get tired. I proved tonight that I can still fight with anyone.”
McBride thought he could have fought on but was pleased with his performance.
“No, I didn’t think the referee should have stopped it but I was having trouble seeing out of my eye,” McBride said. “He really didn’t hurt me until the end.
“I thought that I had him out in the first round. It was close. I’m okay now.”
Heavyweight Contender
Born on Jan. 5, 1968, in Warsaw, Poland, now living in Chicago, Illinois
Height 6’ 4” – Weight: Heavyweight
Record: 40-6-1, 33 KOs
ANDREW “POWERFUL POLE” GOLOTA
Andrew Golota began boxing at age 13 and captured an unprecedented seven Polish national amateur championships. He won a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Golota relocated to Chicago and turned pro in 1992, winning his first 27starts—24 by knockout.
He first garnered national attention, however, when he bit Samson Po’uha en route to a fifth-round technical knockout victory in May 1995.
In his biggest victory as a pro, Golota battered Emanuel Steward-trained Danell Nicholson en route to an eighth-round TKO in March 1996, despite nearly getting himself disqualified for a head butt.
The Warsaw native would not be so lucky facing former undisputed heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe, against whom he twice fouled out of high-profile bouts he was winning in 1996. The first meeting between the two on July 11 stands on its own as a fight that will go down in history due to the mayhem that engulfed Madison Square Garden following the proceedings.
A determined Golota performed better than most could have imagined. His combination punching looked like the best in the division, and his ability to slide to either side and deliver punches left Bowe, one of the great heavyweights then or any time, confused and covering up on the ropes. Golota was on his way to registering a shocking upset before things turned sour.
Golota was rocking Bowe in the fourth round when a low blow interrupted the action. The referee penalized Golota a point and gave Bowe time to recuperate. The same thing occurred late in the sixth round and a second point was deducted. Midway through the seventh, Golota struck below the belt for his third point deduction. Inexplicably, with 27 seconds remaining in the round, Golota was disqualified after landing his final illegal blow that left Bowe lying on his back in agony.
A wave of spectators stormed the ring, catching Madison Square Garden security off guard. As Golota returned to his corner, he was attacked by members of Bowe’s entourage and was struck on the back of the head with a portable phone.
For the rematch five months later, Golota’s handlers took extra steps to insure that their charge’s blows would stay in the legitimate target area. A pair of specially-made trunks were fixed to a rounded “body punching” bag at the gym where Golota trained. He spent many an afternoon pounding home his shots above the waistband.
The extra measures taken did not help. A battered Bowe, down twice in the fight and out on his feet in the closing rounds, won by ninth-round disqualification after Golota struck low again. This, after being docked two points for infractions earlier in the bout.
Golota had a chance to redeem himself after being disqualified in back-to-back fights. In October 1997, he got a shot at World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. In a shocking result, Lewis knocked out Golota at 95 seconds of the opening round. Golota came out tentative and went down the first time at the one-minute mark. He gave his best to be competitive, but never recovered and went down again. The referee stopped it shortly thereafter.
After the crushing first-round knockout, Golota won six consecutive bouts, including hard-fought, unanimous 10-round decision victories over Corey Sanders and “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon in July and October 1998, respectively.
The Sanders slugfest was a bloody, one-sided war. Golota dominated, but could never relax as Sanders, despite fighting with a nasty gash over his left eye from the third round on, showed plenty of spunk by continually trying to fight back. At the end, Golota, who had suffered a smaller cut in the third, won by scores of 100-90, 99-90 and 97-93.
Golota had an even easier time out-pointing Witherspoon, the former world heavyweight champion. In what figured to be a tough assignment, Golota boxed magnificently while avoiding ‘Spoon’s once-vaunted right hand to win by scores of 100-91, 99-91 and 98-93.
In January 1999, Golota won his third consecutive unanimous 10-round decision, this one over Jesse Ferguson; however, he suffered a come-from-ahead TKO 10-round loss to then-North American Boxing Federation (NABF) heavyweight champion Michael Grant on Nov. 20, 1999.
Golota had Grant down, and almost out, twice in the first round, but Grant fought on and floored Golota in round 10. Golota got up fast and appeared steady on his feet before the referee asked him if he wanted to continue. Although he appeared to be ready and able to continue, he said “no” twice and the bout was halted at the 1:31 mark of the 10th round. Golota was ahead by scores of 87-80, 86-81 and 85-83 at the time of the stoppage.
Golota registered a third-round TKO over Marcus Rhode on April 22, 2000, in China. Golota had his way with Rhode, knocking him down three times. He dropped Rhode twice in the second round, the first time with a hard right and the second with a double combination. In the third, Golota landed a hard right followed by two combinations that drove Rhode through the ropes. The bout was stopped at 2:49 of the round.
On June 16, 2000, Golota built up an early lead and withstood a late rally to win a unanimous decision over former world champion Orlin Norris. The heavyweight contender captured the contest 99-91, 98-92 and 97-94 to win for the eighth time in nine starts.
On October 20, 2000, Golota fought Mike Tyson in Auburn Hills, Mich. Golota was cut over the eye and knocked down in the first round. After not answering the bell for the third round due to injuries, the fight was declared a no-contest.
After an almost three-year hiatus, Golota fought twice in 2003. On Aug. 14, he stopped Brian Nix (TKO 7) in Dover, Del., and on Nov. 14, beat Terrance Lewis (TKO 6).
On April 17, 2004, Golota had his second chance to win a world heavyweight championship—this time Chris Byrd’s IBF crown. Byrd’s slick boxing style was the stylistic opposite of the brawling Golota.
Andrew Golota
Most boxing experts felt going in that Byrd would frustrate Golota by using his superior boxing skills to wear the big man down, but the Polish strongman gave his best performance since his 1996 heyday when he faced Bowe in those two epic clashes. He avoided fouling, kept his composure, boxed efficiently and many people thought he won the match.
The fight went the 12-round distance, but the judges could not determine a winner. Steve Weisfeld scored it 113-115 for Golota; Melvina Lathan had Byrd winning the fight 115-113; and Tony Paolillo couldn’t break the tie at 114-114.
Golota’s fine performance earned him another world title fight against WBA champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz on Don King’s huge heavyweight Rendezvous with Destiny: Battle for Supremacy card in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 13.
Golota made the most of his opportunity by taking the fight to Ruiz early. After Ruiz landed a solid shot in the second round, Golota answered with a counter punch that floored Ruiz. Still wobbly after regaining his feet, Golota dropped Ruiz again and the end seemed near. While Ruiz survived the round, he would have to overcome a round scored 10-7 by all three judges.
Ruiz fell farther behind in the fourth round when referee Randy Neumann deducted a point from him for hitting on the break. Golota showed great restraint throughout the fight avoiding any fouling tactics that would have cost him points.
Golota was clearly the more highly skilled boxer, but Ruiz’s burrowing, clenching style makes for ugly fights that are difficult to score. For instance, all three judges had Ruiz winning two of the lat three rounds although none of them had the combination.
Although Ruiz’s performed better in the middle and late rounds, many were shocked when a unanimous decision was announced in favor of Ruiz. Frank Lombardi scored it an understandably close 113-112, but the two other judges, Tom Schreck and Oscar Perez scored the fight a less comprehensible 114-111. Many thought Golota had won the fight, including Golota himself.
“I thought I won the fight,” Golota said. “He went down twice. I controlled the fight. I am confused here. I am upside down. This is very confusing to me. Maybe the judges were watching the fights outside the ring [in the arena] and not inside the ring.”
Golota was given the third chance in a row to win a world heavyweight title when he faced World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion “Relentless” Lamon Brewester at the United Center in his adopted hometown of Chicago on May 21.
More than 20,000 fans, mostly from Chicago’s huge Polish community, came to root for the hometown favorite.
Brewster stormed at Golota from the opening bell and landed a devastating left hook just 10 seconds into the fight. Golota came to his feet but staggered before regaining enough composure for referee Gino Rodriguez to allow the match to continue.
For Brewster, this feat was even greater when considering Golota had just gone 12 rounds with WBA champion John Ruiz and 12 rounds against IBF champion champion Chris Byrd without being knocked down in either contest.
Seconds later, Brewster landed another pulverizing left hook that sent Golota down and through the ropes. Golota refused to quit. He struggled and regained his feet long enough to experience the third and final left hook that caused Rodriguez to halt the action at just 53 seconds into the fight.
Golota got back on the winning track by scoring a second-round technical knockout Jeremy Bates in Katowice, Poland, on June 9, 2007.
His last ring appearance was against Mike Tyson conqueror Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride in Madison Square Garden on Oct. 6.
Andrew Golota and Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride, square off in the ring on Oct. 6.
Often a slow starter, McBride took a page out of Lamon Brewster’s and Mike Tyson’s scouting report on the Pole and rocked Golota with several shots in the opening stanza. 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 slugfest that saw the Garden crowd on its feet during much of the contest.
While both fighters exchanged power shots at will, Golota opened a nasty gash over McBride’s left eye in round five. With McBride having trouble seeing out of his eye, Golota pounded McBride in the sixth until referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stepped in and stopped the contest with 18 seconds left in the round.
“Kevin was winded,” Mercante said. “He took a lot of shots. He can fight on another day.”
Golota praised his opponent.
Andrew Golota exits the ring after his victory over Kevin McBride on Oct. 6.
“Kevin surprised me,” Golota said in the ring after the fight. “He was faster than I thought he would be and he didn’t get tired. I proved tonight that I can still fight with anyone.”
McBride thought he could have fought on but was pleased with his performance.
“No, I didn’t think the referee should have stopped it but I was having trouble seeing out of my eye,” McBride said. “He really didn’t hurt me until the end.
“I thought that I had him out in the first round. It was close. I’m okay now.”
MAIN EVENT TRAINER ROUNDTABLE; Alton Merkerson and Papa Trinidad
NEW YORK— Subtle barbs continued to fly between Roy Jones Jr. coach Alton Merkerson and Tito Trinidad trainer and father Papa Trinidad during today’s main event trainer roundtable in the media center at a hotel near Madison Square Garden.
“Tito doesn’t need any help from Roy Jones,” Papa Trinidad said. “We want to fight him at his best.”
Merkerson reached back to Monday’s trainer media conference call to launch this salvo with Papa Trinidad sitting right next to him. “I heard Trinidad Sr. say Tito is going to knock out Roy. If they come in with that strategy, it’s going to be an early night. Roy will take him out early with that game plan. I don’t see this fight going the distance.”
Felix Trinidad Sr. (Father, trainer and manager of Felix “Tito” Trinidad) “Tito had said he might be interested in fighting again even before Don King called. Roy Jones was on the list then.
“Tito did not show his skills against Winky Wright. Winky is very difficult, as you know.
“Tito has shown no difficulty moving up in weight. He brings his strength and his punch with him. Tito doesn’t need any help from Roy Jones. We want to fight him at this best. Roy has been a great champion. Tito has defeated fighters of all styles.
“I weigh 22 pounds less now. My health was not good. Now, after medical treatment, I am 100 percent well. At that time and today, my knowledge of boxing remains. Nothing has been erased. I recovered my potential, my strength and my energy, the same as it was at the beginning of Tito's career. And, thanks to God, what was in my past is to the side. I feel 100 percent and I have concentrated on preparing a technical team. Everybody has his specific duty, and so we feel prepared to defeat one of the greatest trainers of all time.”
Alton Merkerson (trainer for Roy Jones Jr.)
“Tito is normally a slow starter, but in reference to this fight, I think that Trinidad Sr. knows he has to try to start off faster than he usually does. Our strategy is not going to change that much, because I consider Tito to be somewhat one-dimensional, so we know basically what to expect.
“I heard Trinidad Sr. say Tito is going to knock out Roy. If they come in with that strategy, it’s going to be an early night. Roy will take him out early with that game plan. I don’t see this fight going the distance. What Roy does in the ring is to his advantage. But through the hype in this fight, and the darts thrown at each other, I don't think there's going to be too much boxing. It's just my philosophy, and knowing Roy, knowing his demeanor through all the years of training him, I see something in him for this fight that I haven't seen before. I relate it more to the second fight with Montell Griffin.”
Former world champion DeMarcus 'Chop Chop' Corley has stepped in to fill the void and will face Alexander
Undefeated 140-pounder Devon Alexander "The Great" was to have faced Miguel Callist, who, unfortunately, has suffered a training injury.
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.
DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley
Devon Alexander “The Great"
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.
Alan Hopper Don King Productions
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.
DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley
Devon Alexander “The Great"
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.
Alan Hopper Don King Productions
A look inside DeMARCUS “CHOP CHOP” CORLEY; Who will face Devon Alexander "The Great" on the Trinidad vs Jones Under card
DeMARCUS “CHOP CHOP” CORLEY
Former World Boxing Organization Junior Welterweight Champion
Born on June 3, 1974,
Height: 5’ 7” Weight: Junior Welterweight (140)
Record: 31-7-1, 17 KOs
If cockiness were a true measure of a boxer’s ability, DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley would have already retired as an undefeated, undisputed champion. But confidence is only a part of the mix. One must also bring boxing skills to the table, and there is also the ability of the opponents to consider.
Bernard Roach trainer, DeMarcus Corley (C) and Team Corley Member.
On all accounts, Chop Chop passes the test. He has unquestioned ring skills, fought some of the best fighters of his era, and confidence that some might call cockiness.
“If you don’t have confidence in yourself, you are in the wrong business,” Corley said. “Some people may be turned off by the way I come across sometimes, but it is all about believing in yourself.”
Corley has an outgoing personality and is a true showman. He once dreamed of becoming a model. He also is expert at fashion design, and is proud of his tailoring skills. Since learning to sew in a high school home economics class, Corley has made his own ring “outfits.”
“I swore when I left the amateurs that I would never fight in standard trunks again,” he said. For one fight, Corley entered the ring wearing a shiny red mini-skirt with six inches of white fringe and a snug little jacket to match. He had a horned, green dragon mask on his face. “It is all about entertainment and making a name for yourself,” Corley said.
Corley started boxing when he was 12. “I got into it to win trophies because win or lose, you get a trophy,” he said.
In the amateurs, he got his nickname. “We had gone out of town for the Silver Gloves in Mississippi,” Corley recalled. “I was supposed to weigh 65 pounds. When we came back from dinner, I weighed 75 pounds. My coach said to me, ‘you sure chopped up that food.’ So from that day, Chop Chop stuck with me.”
Corley turned pro in May 1996 in his hometown, Washington, D.C., and scored a first-round TKO over Aaron Smith. “I was very excited to be in there with all my friends and family cheering me on,” Corley said.
He went on to win his first 16 starts, going 6-0 in both 1996 and 1997. After winning his first four outings in 1998, he suffered the first blemish on his record when a December bout with Dillon Carew ended in a third-round technical draw.
Corley suffered his first defeat in March 1999, a shocking 10-round split decision to Daniel Lujan (13-7-2 going in). In a wildly exciting bout, Corley won four of the first five rounds. Lujan came back and floored Corley early in the ninth. Both boxers were hurt later in the session, and Lujan was all but out on his feet in the 10th and was lucky to survive the round. At the finish, Lujan got the disputed decision when two judges saw it 95-94 with the remaining scorer in favor of Corley 96-93.
DeMarcus Corley and Team Corley Cornerman
In a career-best performance three starts later, Corley won a 12-round split decision over Ener Julio to capture the United States Boxing Association junior welterweight title on Sept. 24, 1999. Performing in front of his hometown fans, Corley out-pointed Julio, who went on to become the World Boxing Organization junior welterweight champion. Two judges favored Corley 117-110 while the remaining judge gave it to Julio 115-111.
Corley won all four of his starts in 2000 by knockout. He began 2001 by exacting some revenge against Carew by winning a 10-round decision.
Corley was tapped to fight North American Boxing Organization and North American Boxing Association junior welterweight champion Felix Flores, a Puerto Rican fighting out of the Felix Trinidad stable and trained by Papa Trinidad, for the vacant WBO junior welterweight title. Flores had been scheduled to face champion Ener Julio, who was stripped of his title after cataracts were discovered in his eyes during a pre-fight medical screening the week leading up to the fight. Corley was all too happy to step in for this first world title shot.
Flores had floored the crafty veteran Sharmba “Little Big Man” Mitchell in a losing effort in 2000, so nobody expected this to be an easy fight for Corley. In actuality, it was Corley who was seen to be coming in at a disadvantage after taking the fight on just days notice.
Corley sensed early in the first round that Flores was not adjusting well to his southpaw style. He seized the opportunity and landed a crushing right uppercut that dropped Flores midway through the initial round. Corley knocked Flores down again shortly thereafter, and referee Jay Nady wisely ended the punishment at 2:49, just before Corley was about to send Flores down for the third time. Chop Chop had become a world champion.
Corley welcomed a re-match with Julio after the Colombian’s vision problems had been corrected by surgery. Julio had always claimed he was the victim of a hometown decision when the two met in Washington, D.C., in 1999. Chop Chop wanted to put an exclamation point on his first victory and earn the right to face the other 140-pound world champions. Their second meeting took place at Miami Jai Alai on Jan. 19, 2002.
Always a slick boxer, Corley stunned Julio with a powerful straight left that sent him to the canvas in round two. Corley dropped Julio again in the third round, this time with a right, but the challenger survived the round. It became apparent by the fifth round that Corley had progressed as a fighter while Julio seemed to be fading.
Julio tried to brawl with Corley for the remainder of the fight, and it became evident that Corley had increased his power-shot arsenal, appearing more comfortable than ever in their power-shot exchanges. In the end, the judges gave Corley a unanimous decision with scores of 119-105, 118-107 and 117-107.
Corley then agreed to face the top knockout artist in the sport, Randall Bailey, on Jan. 4, 2003, in Washington, D.C. All of Bailey’s 26 wins had come by knockout, and the only fighters able to best him had been Julio and the tough Cuban Diosbelys Hurtado.
Chop Chop’s boxing skills caused fits for the headhunting Bailey, and Corley walked off with a lopsided unanimous decision.
DeMarcus Corley and Yano
Never one to duck a challenge, Corley jumped at the chance to face another one of the sport’s best in Zab “Super” Judah in Las Vegas on July 12, 2003. Corley was up against one of the fastest and most fleet-of-foot boxers in the game.
While Corley displayed fine skills and landed his fair share of the punches, Judah had the edge in punching power. Judge Duane Ford favored Corley 115-113, but Michael Pernick preferred Judah 115-113 as did Chuck Giampa at 115-112.
The non-stop string of fights against top-notch competition continued when perennial pound-for-pound king ”Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr. decided to move up to the 140-pound limit to face Corley on May 22, 2004, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Corley entered the ring wearing shredded battle fatigues and a gas mask. He tested Mayweather's chin in the third round with an overhand left that staggered Mayweather.
In the fourth round, Corley appeared to receive another boost when Mayweather appeared to hurt his always-tenuous right hand.
Chop Chop stung Mayweather again in the fifth round with a big right followed by a left that buckled Mayweather's knees. For a moment, it appeared Corley was about to achieve what many felt was impossible. Mayweather appeared to be out on his feet, but Mayweather rallied and appeared to score a knockdown when Corley went to one knee following a barrage of punches. Referee Benji Estevez ruled that Corley had been pushed down by Mayweather.
Mayweather appeared to score another knockdown in the sixth round, but Estevez ruled that Corley had slipped. Pretty Boy finally got his knockdown in the eighth round with a left-right combination that was preceded by a double right uppercut that stunned Corley. He went down again in the ninth round from a blistering five-punch combination that must have taken all of two seconds to deliver.
Mayweather went on to win a unanimous decision, but Corley had earned his respect.
"Chop-Chop was tough, a solid fighter," Mayweather said after the fight.
After rebounding with a win over Darryl Tyson, Corley traveled to Bayamon, Puerto Rico, on Feb. 26, 2005, to take on the up-and-coming champion Miguel Cotto, a native of the island and the owner of Corley’s former WBO belt.
Corley surprised the heavy-handed Cotto from the outset by standing toe to toe with the young lion. Corley paid for this strategy when Cotto landed a right just 30 seconds into the fight that sent him to the canvas. Cotto unleashed a torrent of blows on his wounded foe, but the experienced Corley responded with shots that buzzed Cotto.
Round two started with Corley deploying his boxing skills to confuse Cotto, who uncharacteristically kept his hands low, causing him to be hit cleanly by the Washington D.C. native. Corley responded by throwing an unintentional low blow that caused referee Enrique Quinones Falu to forego the normal initial warning in favor of a point deduction. Cotto augmented his problems by underestimating Chop Chop’s power.
Perhaps trying to make up for lost ground, Cotto came out punching in round three where he was caught by a devastating right cross that landed squarely on his temple. The young champion was hurt badly and the hometown crowd watched in horror as their star’s legs turn to spahgetti. While Cotto’s mistakes got him into trouble, he did have the wherewithall to tie up Corley, saving himself from a knockdown or knockout.
The fight had reached a fever pitch heading into the fourth, when just after the one-minute mark, Corley landed an unintentional low blow. Cotto recovered after a few seconds and indicated to the referee that he was ready to resume. Falu suddenly decided, again without a warning, to deduct a point against Corley, apparently feeling that if hadn’t warned Cotto earlier, he couldn’t warn Corley at this point.
Cotto landed a huge left hook midway through round five that wounded Chop Chop. Cotto responded with a punching barrage that penetrated through Corley’s guard. Finding himself in dire straits, one of Corley’s gloves touched the mat precipitating a standing eight count.
Once the action resumed, Corley, still stunned from the previous assault, found himself in deep trouble. The veteran wisely chose to take a knee in an attempt to regain his strength. Falu stunned everyone by waving off the action, leaving all to wonder what would have happened had the match continued.
Corley dropped a unanimous decision to the once-beaten Brit Junior Witter in a hard-fought battle in London, England, on Sept. 15, 2006.
At the 16th edition of the WBA’s KO Drugs Festival charity event on May 12, 2007, Corley met up-and-coming Nicaraguan puncher Jose Alfaro (who became a world champion in Germany on Dec. 29, 2007) in Managua.
Chop Chop got off to a strong start, flooring Alfaro in the first round. Alfaro survived the round and was able to come back in the match and stop Corley in the eighth round.
In his last appearance, Corley met Dairo Esalas on Nov. 30 in Tampa, Fla. It was a spirited effort by both fighters in a close fight. Corley ended up on the short side of an eight-round split decision. Two judges favored Esalas 76-75 while the third judge preferred Corley by 76-75.
“I felt I had done enough to win,” Corley said after the fight. “In my heart, I know I won that fight but two of the judges didn’t see it my way. It was close.”Corley’s favorite all-time boxers are “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker.
“If I could do just half the stuff Sugar Ray could do, such as knock a person out going backwards, I would be happy,” he said. “Hagler was just an all-around great, a hard-hitting fighter who had very few losses. In addition, he took very little punishment in the ring. Whitaker, he was quick and slick and just didn’t get hit.”
Former World Boxing Organization Junior Welterweight Champion
Born on June 3, 1974,
Height: 5’ 7” Weight: Junior Welterweight (140)
Record: 31-7-1, 17 KOs
If cockiness were a true measure of a boxer’s ability, DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley would have already retired as an undefeated, undisputed champion. But confidence is only a part of the mix. One must also bring boxing skills to the table, and there is also the ability of the opponents to consider.
Bernard Roach trainer, DeMarcus Corley (C) and Team Corley Member.
On all accounts, Chop Chop passes the test. He has unquestioned ring skills, fought some of the best fighters of his era, and confidence that some might call cockiness.
“If you don’t have confidence in yourself, you are in the wrong business,” Corley said. “Some people may be turned off by the way I come across sometimes, but it is all about believing in yourself.”
Corley has an outgoing personality and is a true showman. He once dreamed of becoming a model. He also is expert at fashion design, and is proud of his tailoring skills. Since learning to sew in a high school home economics class, Corley has made his own ring “outfits.”
“I swore when I left the amateurs that I would never fight in standard trunks again,” he said. For one fight, Corley entered the ring wearing a shiny red mini-skirt with six inches of white fringe and a snug little jacket to match. He had a horned, green dragon mask on his face. “It is all about entertainment and making a name for yourself,” Corley said.
Corley started boxing when he was 12. “I got into it to win trophies because win or lose, you get a trophy,” he said.
In the amateurs, he got his nickname. “We had gone out of town for the Silver Gloves in Mississippi,” Corley recalled. “I was supposed to weigh 65 pounds. When we came back from dinner, I weighed 75 pounds. My coach said to me, ‘you sure chopped up that food.’ So from that day, Chop Chop stuck with me.”
Corley turned pro in May 1996 in his hometown, Washington, D.C., and scored a first-round TKO over Aaron Smith. “I was very excited to be in there with all my friends and family cheering me on,” Corley said.
He went on to win his first 16 starts, going 6-0 in both 1996 and 1997. After winning his first four outings in 1998, he suffered the first blemish on his record when a December bout with Dillon Carew ended in a third-round technical draw.
Corley suffered his first defeat in March 1999, a shocking 10-round split decision to Daniel Lujan (13-7-2 going in). In a wildly exciting bout, Corley won four of the first five rounds. Lujan came back and floored Corley early in the ninth. Both boxers were hurt later in the session, and Lujan was all but out on his feet in the 10th and was lucky to survive the round. At the finish, Lujan got the disputed decision when two judges saw it 95-94 with the remaining scorer in favor of Corley 96-93.
DeMarcus Corley and Team Corley Cornerman
In a career-best performance three starts later, Corley won a 12-round split decision over Ener Julio to capture the United States Boxing Association junior welterweight title on Sept. 24, 1999. Performing in front of his hometown fans, Corley out-pointed Julio, who went on to become the World Boxing Organization junior welterweight champion. Two judges favored Corley 117-110 while the remaining judge gave it to Julio 115-111.
Corley won all four of his starts in 2000 by knockout. He began 2001 by exacting some revenge against Carew by winning a 10-round decision.
Corley was tapped to fight North American Boxing Organization and North American Boxing Association junior welterweight champion Felix Flores, a Puerto Rican fighting out of the Felix Trinidad stable and trained by Papa Trinidad, for the vacant WBO junior welterweight title. Flores had been scheduled to face champion Ener Julio, who was stripped of his title after cataracts were discovered in his eyes during a pre-fight medical screening the week leading up to the fight. Corley was all too happy to step in for this first world title shot.
Flores had floored the crafty veteran Sharmba “Little Big Man” Mitchell in a losing effort in 2000, so nobody expected this to be an easy fight for Corley. In actuality, it was Corley who was seen to be coming in at a disadvantage after taking the fight on just days notice.
Corley sensed early in the first round that Flores was not adjusting well to his southpaw style. He seized the opportunity and landed a crushing right uppercut that dropped Flores midway through the initial round. Corley knocked Flores down again shortly thereafter, and referee Jay Nady wisely ended the punishment at 2:49, just before Corley was about to send Flores down for the third time. Chop Chop had become a world champion.
Corley welcomed a re-match with Julio after the Colombian’s vision problems had been corrected by surgery. Julio had always claimed he was the victim of a hometown decision when the two met in Washington, D.C., in 1999. Chop Chop wanted to put an exclamation point on his first victory and earn the right to face the other 140-pound world champions. Their second meeting took place at Miami Jai Alai on Jan. 19, 2002.
Always a slick boxer, Corley stunned Julio with a powerful straight left that sent him to the canvas in round two. Corley dropped Julio again in the third round, this time with a right, but the challenger survived the round. It became apparent by the fifth round that Corley had progressed as a fighter while Julio seemed to be fading.
Julio tried to brawl with Corley for the remainder of the fight, and it became evident that Corley had increased his power-shot arsenal, appearing more comfortable than ever in their power-shot exchanges. In the end, the judges gave Corley a unanimous decision with scores of 119-105, 118-107 and 117-107.
Corley then agreed to face the top knockout artist in the sport, Randall Bailey, on Jan. 4, 2003, in Washington, D.C. All of Bailey’s 26 wins had come by knockout, and the only fighters able to best him had been Julio and the tough Cuban Diosbelys Hurtado.
Chop Chop’s boxing skills caused fits for the headhunting Bailey, and Corley walked off with a lopsided unanimous decision.
DeMarcus Corley and Yano
Never one to duck a challenge, Corley jumped at the chance to face another one of the sport’s best in Zab “Super” Judah in Las Vegas on July 12, 2003. Corley was up against one of the fastest and most fleet-of-foot boxers in the game.
While Corley displayed fine skills and landed his fair share of the punches, Judah had the edge in punching power. Judge Duane Ford favored Corley 115-113, but Michael Pernick preferred Judah 115-113 as did Chuck Giampa at 115-112.
The non-stop string of fights against top-notch competition continued when perennial pound-for-pound king ”Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr. decided to move up to the 140-pound limit to face Corley on May 22, 2004, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Corley entered the ring wearing shredded battle fatigues and a gas mask. He tested Mayweather's chin in the third round with an overhand left that staggered Mayweather.
In the fourth round, Corley appeared to receive another boost when Mayweather appeared to hurt his always-tenuous right hand.
Chop Chop stung Mayweather again in the fifth round with a big right followed by a left that buckled Mayweather's knees. For a moment, it appeared Corley was about to achieve what many felt was impossible. Mayweather appeared to be out on his feet, but Mayweather rallied and appeared to score a knockdown when Corley went to one knee following a barrage of punches. Referee Benji Estevez ruled that Corley had been pushed down by Mayweather.
Mayweather appeared to score another knockdown in the sixth round, but Estevez ruled that Corley had slipped. Pretty Boy finally got his knockdown in the eighth round with a left-right combination that was preceded by a double right uppercut that stunned Corley. He went down again in the ninth round from a blistering five-punch combination that must have taken all of two seconds to deliver.
Mayweather went on to win a unanimous decision, but Corley had earned his respect.
"Chop-Chop was tough, a solid fighter," Mayweather said after the fight.
After rebounding with a win over Darryl Tyson, Corley traveled to Bayamon, Puerto Rico, on Feb. 26, 2005, to take on the up-and-coming champion Miguel Cotto, a native of the island and the owner of Corley’s former WBO belt.
Corley surprised the heavy-handed Cotto from the outset by standing toe to toe with the young lion. Corley paid for this strategy when Cotto landed a right just 30 seconds into the fight that sent him to the canvas. Cotto unleashed a torrent of blows on his wounded foe, but the experienced Corley responded with shots that buzzed Cotto.
Round two started with Corley deploying his boxing skills to confuse Cotto, who uncharacteristically kept his hands low, causing him to be hit cleanly by the Washington D.C. native. Corley responded by throwing an unintentional low blow that caused referee Enrique Quinones Falu to forego the normal initial warning in favor of a point deduction. Cotto augmented his problems by underestimating Chop Chop’s power.
Perhaps trying to make up for lost ground, Cotto came out punching in round three where he was caught by a devastating right cross that landed squarely on his temple. The young champion was hurt badly and the hometown crowd watched in horror as their star’s legs turn to spahgetti. While Cotto’s mistakes got him into trouble, he did have the wherewithall to tie up Corley, saving himself from a knockdown or knockout.
The fight had reached a fever pitch heading into the fourth, when just after the one-minute mark, Corley landed an unintentional low blow. Cotto recovered after a few seconds and indicated to the referee that he was ready to resume. Falu suddenly decided, again without a warning, to deduct a point against Corley, apparently feeling that if hadn’t warned Cotto earlier, he couldn’t warn Corley at this point.
Cotto landed a huge left hook midway through round five that wounded Chop Chop. Cotto responded with a punching barrage that penetrated through Corley’s guard. Finding himself in dire straits, one of Corley’s gloves touched the mat precipitating a standing eight count.
Once the action resumed, Corley, still stunned from the previous assault, found himself in deep trouble. The veteran wisely chose to take a knee in an attempt to regain his strength. Falu stunned everyone by waving off the action, leaving all to wonder what would have happened had the match continued.
Corley dropped a unanimous decision to the once-beaten Brit Junior Witter in a hard-fought battle in London, England, on Sept. 15, 2006.
At the 16th edition of the WBA’s KO Drugs Festival charity event on May 12, 2007, Corley met up-and-coming Nicaraguan puncher Jose Alfaro (who became a world champion in Germany on Dec. 29, 2007) in Managua.
Chop Chop got off to a strong start, flooring Alfaro in the first round. Alfaro survived the round and was able to come back in the match and stop Corley in the eighth round.
In his last appearance, Corley met Dairo Esalas on Nov. 30 in Tampa, Fla. It was a spirited effort by both fighters in a close fight. Corley ended up on the short side of an eight-round split decision. Two judges favored Esalas 76-75 while the third judge preferred Corley by 76-75.
“I felt I had done enough to win,” Corley said after the fight. “In my heart, I know I won that fight but two of the judges didn’t see it my way. It was close.”Corley’s favorite all-time boxers are “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker.
“If I could do just half the stuff Sugar Ray could do, such as knock a person out going backwards, I would be happy,” he said. “Hagler was just an all-around great, a hard-hitting fighter who had very few losses. In addition, he took very little punishment in the ring. Whitaker, he was quick and slick and just didn’t get hit.”
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