CONDOLEEZZA RICE An American Life: A Biography

Consent and Advise
By JACOB HEILBRUNN

CONDOLEEZZA RICE An American Life: A Biography.
By Elisabeth Bumiller
Illustrated. 400 pp. Random House. $27.95.


Condoleezza Rice is a survivor. Of the foreign policy members of the original Bush cabinet, Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld are gone. Vice President Dick Cheney is on the defensive. It’s Rice, shunted to the sidelines during President Bush’s first term, who is now in the ascendant. The signs of her new influence as secretary of state are everywhere.
Rice’s former deputy Stephen Hadley succeeded her as national security adviser. She helped ensure that her old boss Robert Gates would become defense secretary. The United States is actively pushing for a Middle East peace settlement, negotiating with North Korea and reaching out to Western Europe. And the most that hard-liners like the former United Nations ambassador John Bolton can do is complain that Rice lacks the gumption to stand up for America’s true interests and that Bush “does not supervise her enough.”
The volte-face Rice has presided over is also a very personal one. During Bush’s first term, few officials publicly championed the Iraq war more fervently than did Rice, who dressed down skeptics as though they were errant schoolchildren in need of a starchy governess. She turned on old mentors like the former national security adviser Brent Scowcroft, who in August 2002 had the temerity to cast doubt on the wisdom of attacking Baghdad. So is she simply an opportunist who subordinates herself to her superiors? Or does Rice actually stand for something beyond smoothing her own political ascent?
In “Condoleezza Rice: An American Life,” Elisabeth Bumiller offers a fine opportunity to assess her. Bumiller is well prepared for the task: a Washington reporter for The New York Times, she covered the White House from Sept. 10, 2001, to 2006. She brings a keen eye to Rice, probing not only her tenure as a policy maker and her close ties to George W. Bush, but also her personal and professional past. Bumiller has conducted many interviews, including 10 with Rice herself. Several books about Rice have already appeared, but this one is probably the most measured, insightful and comprehensive.
As Bumiller astutely notes, both Bush and Rice are the products of American elites: Bush is the descendant of Northeastern WASPs, and Rice comes from the Southern black patriciate. While both are outwardly supremely self-confident, they share lingering resentments about being underestimated and taken for granted. But there is one important difference: while Bush spent many years indulging himself before he found his vocation, Rice had a steely drive for success from the beginning, imparted by her parents, John and Angelena Rice, during her childhood in Birmingham, Ala., in the early 1960s. The pressure was intense; according to Bumiller, “John and Angelena poured their hearts into the project of their lives: the teaching, molding and polishing of Condoleezza.”
Whether it was at piano, ballet, etiquette or French, Rice was expected to excel. Her parents piled so many books by her bedside table, Bumiller writes, that “she stopped reading for pleasure, and does not to this day.” The family’s self-help philosophy extended to the civil rights movement: Rice still resents the notion that Northerners traveled to the South and “saved” the helpless locals. Though her parents tried to shield their daughter, as far as possible, from racial tensions, she could hardly avoid having had an acute sense of who really wielded power in the South, given the turmoil in what was known as “Bombingham.”
Until she went to the University of Denver, however, Rice had only a passing interest in politics. That changed in 1973 when she took an introductory course in international politics taught by Josef Korbel, a Czech refugee and the father of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Rice was spellbound by Korbel’s depiction of the scheming and betrayals that made Stalin dictator. She became a staunch realist, shunning sentiment in foreign policy, and grew fascinated by the Communist Party’s ruthless exercise of power, immune to the normal restraints that operate in a democratic society.
Rice, you might say, pursued a very realistic policy to advance her own career. At the heart of her seamless rise has been her ability to attach herself to mentors, whom she has discarded once they outlived their usefulness. It was Scowcroft who provided her entree into the traditionally clubby oak-and-port world of the Council on Foreign Relations. He had been impressed by Rice’s tenacity at a Stanford University dinner with arms control specialists in 1985, and three years later offered her a job in George H. W. Bush’s administration, as a Soviet analyst for the National Security Council. There she would watch the country she had become an expert on disappear. In 1993, Stanford’s new president, Gerhard Casper, tapped her to become provost; Rice slashed the budget and challenged proponents of affirmative action (from which she herself had benefited), earning the enmity of many students and much of the faculty for her blunt style. Rice’s credo, as she told one protégée, was that “people may oppose you, but when they realize you can hurt them, they’ll join your side.”
Rice’s biggest coup, of course, was befriending George W. Bush. She wooed him. According to Bumiller, “Bush did not know many black people well, and it made him feel good about himself that he got along so easily with Rice.” Rice, in turn, “could see that he needed her far more than his father had, and that made her feel important and vital.” One big plus in her favor was that she was an exercise maniac; her friendship with Bush was forged on the elliptical trainer.
Despite their close relationship, Bush had only a hazy notion of what role a national security adviser should play. Bumiller chides Rice for catering to him: “As had been the case with the other important men in her life — Casper, Korbel, Scowcroft, her father — Rice would do what the president wanted.” There can be little doubt that Rice was badly out of her depth. Bumiller reports that Vice President Cheney, in the first days of the administration, tried to usurp her authority to run National Security Council meetings in Bush’s absence. Rice was stunned. “Mr. President,” she said, “this is what national security advisers do.” She won this battle, but lost the war. Cheney and Rumsfeld simply performed an end run, meeting with Bush in the Oval Office to oversee foreign policy and turning Rice’s position into a ceremonial one in which she obediently parroted the administration line on spreading freedom and democracy around the globe.
With another year to go before Bush leaves office, Bumiller’s final remarks are necessarily inconclusive, but she observes: “It was obvious from Rice’s many metamorphoses that her real ideology was not idealism or realism or defending the citadels of freedom, although she displayed elements of all of them. Her real ideology was succeeding.” Rice’s shortcoming has been, more often than not, to define success in narrowly personal terms, which is why she prostrated herself before Bush. Still, her flurry of diplomatic moves indicates that she’s aware she must tote up some actual accomplishments or risk complete irrelevance. For Rice, survival is no longer enough.
Jacob Heilbrunn, a regular contributor to the Book Review, is the author of “They Knew They Were Right: The Rise of the Neocons.”

GOTHAM BOXING AND BASH BOXING PRESENT DIMITRI KIRILOV VS. CECILIO SANTOS IN AN IBF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MAIN EVENT; DMITRIY "STAR OF DAVID" SALITA

It's A Double Dose of Dimitri/Dmitriy!!! THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!


Cedric Kushner's Gotham Boxing and Bash Boxing will present it's first promotion of 2008, a star-studded world championship fight card on Thursday night, February 28, at historic Roseland Ballroom in New York City featuring the IBF Junior Bantamweight championship fight headlined by IBF champion Dimitri "The Baby" Kirilov of St. Petersburg, Russia, making his first title defense against Cecilio Santos of Mexico; the return to the ring of ever popular Dmitriy "Star of David" Salita, Odessa, Ukraine, fighting out of Brooklyn, will appear in the junior welterweight co-featured attraction.

Dmitriy "Star of David" Salita



Contacts: John Cirillo, Matt McCullough, 212 972-5337, johnnycigarpr@aol.com

SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT presents NEVER BACK DOWN; Sean Faris will be appearing at MMA fight night at the Trump Taj Mahal Fri. Jan 25

SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT presents NEVER BACK DOWN OPENS March 14, 2008

TO VIEW THE TRAILER PLEASE VISIT:
www.neverbackdownthemovie.com

Set against the action-packed world of Mixed Martial Arts, NEVER BACK DOWN is the story of Jake Tyler, a tough kid who leads with his fists, and, often, with his heart. Jake Tyler, played by Sean Faris (Yours, Mine and Ours), is the new kid in town with a troubled past. He has recently moved to Orlando, Florida with his family who has relocated to support his younger brother’s shot at a professional tennis career. Jake was a star athlete on the football team at home, but in this new city he is an outsider with a reputation for being a quick tempered brawler.
Making an attempt to fit in and at the invitation of a flirtatious classmate, Baja, played by Amber Heard (Hidden Palms, Alpha Dog), Jake goes to a party where he is unwittingly pulled into a fight with a bully named Ryan McDonald, played by Cam Gigandet (The O.C., Who’s Your Caddy). While he is defeated and humiliated in the fight, a classmate introduces himself to Jake and tells him about the sport known as Mixed Marshall Arts (MMA). He sees a star in Jake and asks that he meet with his mentor, Jean Roqua, played by Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, In America).
It is immediately apparent to Jake that MMA is not street fighting, but rather an art form he wants to master. Roqua will take Jake under his wing, but it is up to Jake to find the patience, discipline, willingness and reason within him to succeed. For Jake, there is much more at stake than mere victory. His decision will not just settle a score; it will define who he is.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 106 minutes
FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Sara Groves212.774.3685
Sara.Groves@42West.net

ProElite.com

ProElite.com Launches Largest Online Martial Arts School Locator and School Certification Program Online Directory Network Boasts More Than 50,000 Unique Searches Per Month

LOS ANGELES- ProElite.com, the social networking community for combat sports enthusiasts, announced it has launched theInternet's largest network of directories for martial arts schools. Designed to enhance the online experience for those who seek a traditional or mixed martial arts school (MMA), ProElite.com will provide an exclusive, pre screening process to offer ProElite-certified schools across all martial arts disciplines to prospective students. "We are proud to sponsor a directory that helps families and individuals pursue their dreams, instills positive values, and provides an outlet for anyone aspiring to learn martial arts," said Kelly Perdew, president of ProElite.com. "The top MMA fighters from around the world wouldn't be where they are today if it wasn't for the discipline and training they learned at martial arts schools. We also provide a suite of tools that help the school owners grow their businesses." This revolutionary school locator, http://proelite.com/locator,and its network of participating online yellow page directories boastmore than 50,000 unique searches per month, ranging from Jiu-Jitsu schools to Tae Kwon Do dojos. The database is comprised of schools certified by ProElite, a designation that requires schools to meet stringent criteria. Through keyword campaigns, email marketing, online Yellow Page directories and ProElite's martial arts community, participating schools are able to receive numerous inquiries from students interested in signing up for classes. "We are fortunate to have some of the best MMA instructors in the world, and the ProElite.com directory is helping students locate our school," said Jeremy Lappen, co-owner of Legends MMA Training Center in Hollywood, Calif. "Our certification through ProElite ensures that students will receive top-notch training in a safe environment." ProElite is currently interviewing schools for participation in the directory. To receive ProElite Certified School status, schools must be able to provide references, quality instruction and facilities, as well as demonstrate an organized and professional approach to teaching and student interaction. Albert Rosales, an instructor at Joker's Wild Jiu-Jitsu in LakeForest, Calif., said, "We are in the process of growing our school,and ProElite has provided a cost effective way to help us generate new students. I recommend applying for participation in ProElite's program." For more information about ProElite certification and listing in the ProElite Directory, please visit http://proelite.com/locator, orcall 1.866.520.7344. About ProElite, Inc. (www.proeliteinc.com) ProElite, Inc. (Pink Sheets:PELE) 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 broad band 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 mixed martial arts 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 - Empoweringthe Fight Community(TM). CONTACT: for ProElite Inc. Pondel Wilkinson Inc. Evan Pondel/David Stankunas, 310-279-5980

NO HOLDS BARRED: Fedor Emelianenko

NO HOLDS BARRED: Fedor Emelianenko
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-01-21T07_47_14-08_00
On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman plays an exclusive interview conducted Saturday, Jan. 19, in Los Angeles by Todd Hester, the publisher and editor-in-chief of Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), and our correspondent on this show, with Fedor Emelianenko, the top pound-for-pound mixed martial arts fighter in the world.
Fedor discussed his background, how and why he started training in the combat sports, the advantages of his sombo background for MMA, his thoughts on some of his past fights, the fighters he admires, his thoughts on Pride, why he didn't sign with UFC, why he did sign with M-1, and more.
To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link at the start of this message, scroll down that page, and just press the play button on the player.
You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).
Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.
The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/).

Duddy taking another bite out of Big Apple Duddy-Smichet on Feb. 23 Klitschko-Ibragimov card at MSG

NEW YORK – World middleweight title contender “Ireland’s” John Duddy is looking forward to fighting again in his adopted New York City home for the first time since last May, when he battles tough Tunisian brawler Walid “Tempete de Sable” Smichet (17-3-1, 13 KOs) in the 10-round, off-TV co-feature on the February 23rd heavyweight championship unification show headlined by IBF king Wladimir Klitschko and WBO title-holder Sultan Ibragimov at Madison Square Garden.


Presently rated No. 3 by the WBO and WBC, as well as No. 6 and No. 11 by the WBA and IBF, respectively, Duddy (23-0, 17 KOs) also is ranked No. 10 in The Ring magazine.

Duddy, who has fought 11 times in the Big Apple, including five in Madison Square Garden, is training in North Carolina with his head trainer, Don Turner. The unbeaten, charismatic Irishman is coming off of three consecutive fights in Ireland, including his most notable victory to date in December, winning a 10-round decision against former 2-time world title challenger Howard Eastman.

“It’s my homecoming,” an excited Duddy said from training camp about his NYC fight versus Smichet. “It was great fighting in Ireland the past year, but I’m really looking forward to being back where I started my pro career with all those great fans. There’s a lot of interest in my career back home now and a lot of people are flying in to watch this fight. Most importantly, though, I think I’ve shown improvement in my last three fights, although a lot was just simple things we worked on. Don has me boxing like I did before (as an amateur).

“After the Howard Eastman fight, I’m confident about getting in the ring with any middleweight in the world. It wasn’t perfect, but I showed I had a good chin – I always knew that – used my head more and never took a step backwards. I’m much more comfortable. It was a step closer to me getting to the top and I’m happy with my progress.”


Smichet, fighting out of Montreal, has a portfolio that features a win by 10th round knockout of previously unbeaten (17-0) Matt O’Brien for the Canadian Middleweight Interim Title, as well as an eight-round draw against Donny McCrary of The Contender III fame
.
Undefeated New York City middleweights “Mean” Joe Greene (17-0) and Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (15-0) are on the Klitschko-Ibragimov card. The main event is the only bout to air on HBO.

Tickets, priced at $1,000.00, $600.00, $300.00, $200.00 and $100.00, are on sale at the following locations: Manhattan: Demsey’s, 36th W. 33rd (212.629.9899); Queens: Elaine’s Deli, 65 Pl. Maspeth, Fiddlers Irish Pub, 65 Pl. Maspeth, Connelly’s Corner, Grand Ave. Maspeth, Hill Tap Bar, Grand Ave. Maspeth, Doyle’s Corner, Broadway Astoria; Woodside: Starting Gate, Sean Og’s, Saints & Sinners, Gaslight; Sunnyside: McGuinnesses, Maggie Mays; Yonkers: Bronx Heritage, McLean Ave. (914.766.7532); Brooklyn: Gleason’s Gym, 75 Front St. (718.797.2872); Pearl River: Gildea’s Bar & Restaurant (845.735.2564), South Bound Café (845.735.2903); Long Island: Poor House, Hemstead Turnpike (516.859.8780).

For more information go to http://www.irishropes.com/ or call Mark Cahoun (917.939.5199), Pat Nee (917.279.7796), Paul McLoughlin (347.219.1530), Jimmy Kaneary (718.594.0861), Paddy Phealon (516.859.8780) and Jerry Quinn (in Boston – 617.733.4535).

360 Media in association with Four Builders Foundation will be hosting the movie screening of "365 Days of Marching"

In celebration of Black History Month, 360 Media in association with Four Builders Foundation will be hosting the movie screening of "365 Days of Marching— The Amadou Diallo Story", Written, Produced and Directed, by Veronica Keitt Monday February 4, 2008 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 515 Malcolm X Boulevard (corner of 135th street) Reception 6pm – Movie Screening 7pm Join us for a Memorial March in remembrance of Amadou Diallo and all the Victims of Police Brutality. All participants are asked to gather at 5:30PM sharp on the corner of 125 Street & Malcolm X Boulevard to proceed to the Schomburg Center at 135th Street & Malcolm X Boulevard. 365 Days of Marching tells the story of how the death of a young African man—shot down by NYC Police Officers, sparked a movement which ultimately changed the shape of New York City and America's history. "No Justice, No Peace" for Amadou Diallo became the battle cry for all of the social ills that plagued New York City during that time—i.e. affordable housing, education, jobs etc. To support this documentary, we are offering Advertising &Sponsorship Opportunities to commemorate this event. • Commemorative Journal - Advertisements (Back cover-inside & out,full, 1/2,1/4,business card & booster)• 30 second Movie Ad/Trailer and/or Slide on Movie Screen prior to film• Donations For advertising information & rates, please email us @ads@365daysofmarchi ngmovie.com Deadlines for All Ads must be submitted no later thenJanuary 7, 2008 TICKETS: ON SALE NOW CALL(212) 410-1460 OR info@365daysofmarch inmovie.com MOVIE SITE:http://www.365dayso/ fmarchingmovie. comBLOG:http://365daysofmar ching.wordpress. comOFFICIAL TRAILER:http://www.youtube/. com/watch? v=FU184BYpijETRAJECTORIES CLIP 1:http://www.youtube/. com/watch? v=Drt23EJxPAoWE OWN THE NIGHT CLIP 3:http://www.youtube/. com/watch? v=xfVlOUPh- RoFILM DONATIONS:http://www.paypal/. com - info@365daysofmarch ingmovie.com

Shufford plans to get untracked against Olympian Estrada“Champions of Tomorrow” Jan. 25 at Foxwoods Resort Casino

PROVIDENCE– Former world heavyweight title challenger Charles Shufford plans to get his career untracked and him back into the heavyweight mix with an upset of 2004 U.S. Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada in their 10-round, co-main event headlining the “Champions of Tomorrow” pro boxing show, January 25 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

WBC Youth featherweight champion Manuel Perez defends his title against Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard in the other 10-round, co-feature on “Champions of Tomorrow,” promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc. it will be taped live and air on Saturday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m. on CN8 and will also stream online at http://www.cn8.tv/. Following the broadcast, the show will be available ON DEMAND to Comcast Digital Cable customers for at least one week. “Champions of Tomorrow” will also air on Cox Sports Television on February 1 at 8:30 p.m.

Las Vegas-based Shufford (20-7-1, 9 KOs) is a man of many diverse talents. He fought Wladimir Klitschko for the WBO title in 2001, extended present WBC Interim heavyweight champ Samuel Peter the full distance in 2004, holds a victory against former world champion Lamon Brewster, and fought a draw with another ex-world title holder, Kelvin Davis. Shufford has acting experience having portrayed George Foreman in the movie, “Ali,” and he’s been the bodyguard of the stars for the past four years at The Palms in Las Vegas.

“I had a lot of fun doing the movie with Will Smith,” Charles said. “I got to travel to Africa, too. I work in security at The Palms. I’ve guarded Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Koby Bryant and so many other stars. I love working for the Maloof brothers (owners of The Palms as well as the Sacramento Kings). They’re cool. They walk the floor every night. They’ve been very good to me, working around my schedule so I have time to train when I have a fight.”

Estrada (10-1, 2 KOs), the Providence native now rated No. 10 in the NABO, has vowed to knock Shufford into retirement. “The kid is quick and fast,” Shufford noted, “but I am, too. I’m taller, stronger and have a longer reach than him. I’ve learned from my recent losses that I can’t lay back. If I don’t work, he’s going to beat me, but I’ve been in with everybody and he doesn’t worry me. I need to be myself and put it all on the line. I’m looking for a big win in January and then line-up some fights to show everybody what I can really do.

“I have to stay busy so I’ll have my timing and sharpness. I had long layoffs because I’m too risky (of an opponent) in some ways. I’m not fighting for titles and I’m too good to be an opponent. I know I can fight but I’ve been rusty my last few fights. I have to put it all together because I feel I’m a good enough fighter to beat anybody on any given day.”

Manchester (CT) favorite Remillard (11-0, 7 KOs) has been inactive since suffering a wrist injury that required surgery after he won the WBC Youth super featherweight on September 23, 2006. He’s aching to fight Perez (11-3, 2 KOs), who captured the WBC Youth title in his last fight on November 10 via a unanimous 10-round decision against Victor Barela.

Unbeaten cruiserweight prodigy and 9-time U.S. amateur champion, Aaron Williams (15-0-1, 11 KOs), takes on former world kick boxing champ Manu Ntoh (17-13-1, 10 KOs) in an eight-round battle of cruiserweights.
New England fans have waited a few years for the light heavyweight showdown between Iraqi War-veteran Chris Traietti (7-0, 4 KOs) and “Irish” Joey McCreedy (5-1, 4 KOs) and it’ll finally happen Jan. 25 in a scheduled six-round bout. Throwback middleweights Richard “Bobo” Starnino (8-2-1, 1 KO), of Providence, and New Bedford’s Eric Pinarreta (1-1, 1 KO) bring an old-fashioned border war brawl into the ring.

Also on the undercard in four-round bouts are unbeaten Rhode Island super middleweight Angel Camacho, Jr. (8-0, 4 KOs) against Terrance “TJ” Jones (10-10, 6 KOs), vastly improved Hartford light welterweight Addy Irizarry (3-1, 2 KOs) meets Tonya Gallegos (4-6, 2 KOs), undefeated Brockton super middleweight Manuel Antonio Lopes (4-0, 1 KO) faces John “The Baptist” Michael Terry, and recent University of Connecticut graduate Brian Macy, a poker card dealer at Foxwoods, makes his pro debut versus Pete Guthy (1-1-1, 1 KO) in a match-up of young super middleweights. All bouts and fighters are subject to change.

Former world title contender “Sucra” Ray Oliveira will be inducted into the CES Ring of Honor in a ceremony during the “Champions of Tomorrow.” Unbeaten heavyweight contender “Baby” Joe Mesi (36-0, 29 KOs), promoted by CES, will make a special presentation to Oliveira.

Tickets for “Champions of Tomorrow” are priced at $40.00, $65.00 (Silver), $100.00 (Gold) and $150.00 (Jimmy’s Platinum Club). Two VIP Presidential Suites are also available (call CES for details as well as sponsorship opportunities). To purchase tickets or for additional information contact CES (1.401.724.2253/2254 - http://www.cesboxing.com/) or Foxwoods (1.800.200.2882/www.foxwoods.com). Doors open at 6 PM/ET, first bout at
7 PM/ET.

NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with designer, cartoonist, and entertainer Ivy Supersonic

NO HOLDS BARRED: Ivy Supersonic On this special edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with designer, cartoonist, and entertainer Ivy Supersonic (http://ivysupersonic.com/). After trying to arrange a fight between Tommy Lee and Kid Rock, Ivy is now trying to set up a bout between Chuck Zito and Benjy Bronk, the head writer for Howard Stern's show.
Chuck Zito (r)

Ivy fills us in on all the lateston the progress (or lack thereof) towards staging this important sporting spectacle. To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link below and just press theplay button on the player: http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-01-23T11_07_38-08_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 Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/). NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by: Art of War (http://www.artofwarlive.com/), the undisputed arena fighting championship, promoted by SUN Sports and Entertainment,producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information,check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com (http://www.artofwarlive.com). IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/), the world'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 locallistings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, athttp://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html. Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up themixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site,GladiatorChallenge.com (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/). BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com/), your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com(http://bjjmart.com/) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/). FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews,and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts. Thanks, Eddie Goldman No Holds Barred bloghttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com/ No Holds Barred podcasthttp://nhbnews.podomatic.com/ No Holds Barred on MySpacehttp://www.myspace.com/nhbnews

FRANK SHAMROCK TO GUEST COMMENTATE ON FRIDAY’S SHOXC TELECAST ON SHOWTIME

NEW YORK – Legendary mixed martial arts pioneer Frank Shamrock will serve as guest commentator during Friday’s 2008 premiere of ShoXC: EliteXC Challenger Series on SHOWTIME (Jan. 25 at 11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

Shamrock, who is training for his much anticipated EliteXC fight with Cung Le (Saturday, March 29, on SHOWTIME) will take time away from training to join renowned play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo and “Fight Professor” Stephen Quadros for the five-fight ShoXC telecast from Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City Hotel & Casino.

“Frank Shamrock is one of the most colorful and dynamic personalities in the sport,” said Ken Hershman, senior vice president and general manager, Sports & Event Programming, SHOWTIME. “He will add his special blend of experience and charisma to the fight call on Friday and provide his unique brand of insight to his impending match-up with Cung Le, which will be another incredible night for MMA.”

Friday’s ShoXC telecast will be highlighted by a terrific match up featuring popular Philadelphia phenom Eddie Alvarez and tough, determined Hawaiian Ross Ebanez.

“This is an exciting card and I’m glad to be part of it working with Mauro and Stephen,” Shamrock said. “I’d rather be fighting, but I also love to talk and call fights so this is one of the next best things. I can talk the talk, and I’ll definitely be walking the walk March 29.

“Cung Le is a good fighter, but he’s not good enough (to defeat me.).’’

Besides the Alvarez-Ebanez fight at 165 pounds on Friday, other televised bouts at include: Paul "Semtex'' Daley, of England, vs. Sam Morgan, of St. Paul, Minn., in a 170-pound scrap; Bobby McMaster, of Boston, Mass., vs. Bao Quach, of Huntington Beach, Calif., at 150; Kala Kolohe Hose, of Waiane, Hawaii, vs. Fred Belleton, of Stoughton, Mass., at 185; and Julie Kedzie, of Albuquerque, N.M., by way of Greenwood, Ind., vs. Tonya Evinger, of Reno, Nev., by way of Oak Grove, Mo., at 140.

The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr. Richard Gaughan is the producer of ShoXC with Rick Phillips directing.

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®.

ELITEXC SMASHES INTO 2008, BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER Friday, Jan. 25 at Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City

Alvarez-Ebanez, Daley-Morgan, McMaster-Quach, Kedzie-Evinger, Kolohe Hose-Belleton Featured As ShoXC Returns to SHOWTIME

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 22, 2008) – During its initial year, Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, made an instant impact in Mixed Martial Arts while gaining a reputation for consistently delivering competitive, thrilling and memorable events that featured the world's top fighters.

Under the expert direction of the respected Live Events President, Gary Shaw, EliteXC had a banner 2007. Among its numerous noteworthy accomplishments, EliteXC became the first and remains the only MMA organization whose fights are shown on premium television.

EliteXC’s historic premiere on SHOWTIME on Feb. 10, 2007, included a Shamrock (Frank), a Gracie (Renzo), a “Krazy Horse” (Charles Bennett) and the first women’s fight on premium television. Since an emotional, hard-fought victory over Julie Kedzie on “DESTINY,” Gina Carano has become a superstar while Kedzie now is one of the most recognizable female fighters in the world.

Stressing inclusion, not exclusion, the ensuing six SHOWTIME telecasts featured many exciting battles that included MMA standouts such as Robbie Lawler, KJ Noons, Jake Shields, Nick Diaz, Antonio Silva, Malaipet, Phil Baroni, “Ninja” Rua and Kimbo Slice, the legendary, incredibly popular backyard brawler and YouTube sensation who was smashing in his Street-To-Elite MMA debut.

There was seldom a dull moment in ’07 and fans can expect the same as EliteXC kicks off another tremendous year of live MMA events. First up, ShoXC: EliteXC Challenger Series returns to SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) on Friday, Jan. 25, at Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City Hotel & Casino.

Tickets, starting at $40, are available at the Trump Taj Mahal box office and online at www.ticketmaster.com. The live card begins at 9 p.m.; doors open at 8p.m.

“My job as a promoter is to make the best fights with the best fighters and to leave the fans in attendance or those watching on SHOWTIME with a good taste and feeling that they got their money’s worth, and I feel good about the fact we did that every show,” said Shaw, who made his mark in MMA while remaining one of the leading boxing promoters in the world.

“We’ve earned the respect of fans and media and got the attention of everybody. Fighters know now there’s more than one organization. Our track record with fighters we signed has been tremendous. Almost all the fighters we signed have re-signed with us. EliteXC is family and the fighters know that.

“With the acquisitions (ProElite obtained Hawaii-based ICON Sport, United States-based King Of The Cage, England-based Cage Rage and Korea-based Spirit MC), our talent pool is definitely as good and varied as anybody’s, and it is getting stronger all the time.

EXCELLENT MATCHUPS HIGHLIGHT 2008 PREMIERE OF SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES – JAN. 25

“Much of the credit goes to Ken Hershman and SHOWTIME. Thanks to them, EliteXC is growing and will continue to grow. I’m really looking forward to a very exciting 2008 and doing a show in Atlantic City for the first time. I expect the place to be packed.

“The incredibly popular and talented Eddie Alvarez will headline a great event against a strong, hard-hitting Hawaiian like Ross ‘Da Boss’ Ebanez on Jan. 25 and then we come right back with Kimbo-Tank (Abbott) on Feb. 16 in Miami. We are off to a tremendous start. But it’s just the beginning.’’

Friday’s ShoXC will showcase Philadelphia’s Alvarez (11-1), who is perhaps the most popular East Coast MMA fighter ever, against Ebanez (16-5), of Hilo, Hawaii, in a fight at 160 pounds.

The co-feature will match England's Paul "Semtex'' Daley (16-6-2) with Sam “The Squeeze’’ Morgan (19-9), of St. Paul, Minn., in a 170-pound scrap.

Other televised fights: Bobby McMaster (8-2), of Boston, Mass., will try to regain his winning ways against the dangerous Bao Quach (11-8-1), of Huntington Beach, Calif., at 150 pounds; “The Hawaiian Rocky Balboa,” Kala Kolohe Hose (4-1), of Honolulu, faces Fred Belleton (5-1), of Stoughton, Mass., at 185 pounds; and in a bout that further illustrates EliteXC’s unyielding commitment to women’s fighters, Kedzie (9-6), of Albuquerque, N.M., by way of Greenwood, Ind., will attempt to win her fourth straight when she battles Tonya Evinger (5-3), of Reno, Nev., by way of Oak Grove, Mo., at 140 pounds.

Scheduled non-televised undercard bouts include: Zach Makovsky (3-0), of Philadelphia, vs. Wilson Reis (2-0), of Philadelphia at 140; James “Binky’’ Jones (4-5), of Baltimore, Md., vs. Mark Getto (1-3-1), of Philadelphia, at 160; Sergio Vinagre (2-1), of New Jersey, vs. Brett Linebarger (2-1), of New Jersey, at 185; Joe Shilling (pro debut), of Los Angeles, vs. Matt Makowski (1-0), of Philadelphia, at 170; and Drew Puzon (1-1), New Jersey, vs. Charlie Brennemen (5-0), of Philadelphia, at 170 pounds.

The fights are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds with the exception of Kedzie-Evinger, which is slated for three, 3-minute rounds.

“The timing and situation of this fight couldn’t be better,’’ said the flamboyant, charismatic Alvarez (eddiealvarez.proelite.com), who will be making his EliteXC debut. “I am super excited about putting on a great show. That it is in my backyard and on SHOWTIME is as good as it gets.

“The ball is in my court. It’s my job to blow the roof off the place. Ebanez is a slugger. He brings it every time. With our styles, it is a really good main event. It can’t be anything but a tremendous fight.’’

A two-time high school All-American wrestler, Alvarez, 23, is an explosive striker who battled his way into MMA from the mean streets of Kensington, Pa., a blue-collar neighborhood near Philadelphia.

“Trouble seemed to find me and I wound up getting into fights on the street so I decided to take it a little more seriously and really learn how to fight,’’ said the former Bodog star, who signed with EliteXC a couple weeks ago.

“Like I said, the timing of signing for this fight with EliteXC couldn’t be better,’’ Alvarez said. “I was wishing an opportunity like this would come along, and it did.

EXCELLENT MATCHUPS HIGHLIGHT 2008 PREMIERE OF SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES – JAN. 25

“I’ve been looking for a fight for a couple of months. But instead of sitting around the house, I kept in the gym. I train three times a day. My weight is always good. I never have to cut a ton of weight at the end. So I can focus on becoming a better fighter and not have to worry about anything else."

Almost from the beginning, it has been a lovefest between East Coast fans and Alvarez, who not only is a top-notch wrestler who can move fast, sprawl and shoot, but a non-stop puncher with quick hands – he delivers uppercuts from every possible direction -- quick feet and excellent head movement.

“Philly is a hard town, but they like their fighters,’’ Alvarez said. “I’m a normal dude and very approachable, so that, coupled with fact I have a lot of friends make for a great support system for me.’’

It doesn’t hurt that the crowd-pleasing kid makes for extremely exciting fights. Ten of his 11 victories have ended inside the distance; the one that didn’t came in his last start when he easily outpointed Matt Lee on July 14, 2007.

Ebanez, a true ambassador to Hawaii MMA and an affable young man outside the cage, has a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu and has mixed in many other forms of martial arts.

Nicknamed “Da Boss’’ for an intimidating, aggressive style, a heavy-handed, experienced, fan-friendly fighter with solid overall skills on his feet or on the ground, Ebanez is unbeaten in his last three outings (2-0 with one no-contest) and 6-1 in his last seven (with the NC).

Ebanez, a three-round decision winner over Michael Brightman in his last fight on Sept. 28, 2007, has seldom been given any “gimmes’’ since turning pro; in fact, he seemingly always is matched tough.

“I like challenges,’’ said the BJ Penn-trained fighter, whose lone defeat since March ’06 came to Mike Pyle on the historic EliteXC “DESTINY’’ fight card on Feb. 10, 2007, on SHOWTIME. “If there's someone for me to fight, I'll fight them.’’

Growing up, Ebanez loved sports. “Two of my favorites were playing football and boxing. I did a lot of boxing when I was young,’’ he said. “I did it through high school. That's why I'm not too nervous going into fights. I don't get butterflies at all. It's from the competitions I was part of when I was young.’’

On Aug. 4, 2007, a rematch against Mark Moreno was ruled a second-round NC after Ebanez got hit during a break while he was down and could not continue.

Daley (pauldaley.proelite.com) is one of the fastest-rising stars in MMA. Nicknamed “Semtex” after an explosive that British armed forces use to demolish large structures, the exciting, sensational scrapper has won four straight – all inside two rounds -- and five of his last six.

In his most recent outing, the promising 24-year-old registered a second-round TKO over Mark Weir on Sept. 22, 2007. In his United States debut the previous June 22, Daley scored an impressive second-round TKO (strikes) over Duane Ludwig on the EliteXC-StrikeForce “Shamrock Vs. Baroni’’ undercard. Daley has also defeated notable MMA campaigners Jess Liaudin and Dave Strasser

While his style has been described as an aggressive mix of striking, striking and more striking, with the occasional bit of extra striking thrown in for good measure, the Cage Rage champion has made a conscious effort to be a well-rounded fighter.

EXCELLENT MATCHUPS HIGHLIGHT 2008 PREMIERE OF SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES – JAN. 25

“I am a striker – there is no secret about that,’’ said Daley, who rejected overtures from other organizations, including the UFC, to sign with EliteXC. “I like to knock people out aggressively and quickly. That's my game and no opponent's going to change that.

“But my wrestling is underrated because it’s something people have not seen a lot of. I constantly work to learn different things. It’s not just about stardom and fame. I want to be the best fighter in the world at all ranges. It is hard to achieve, but that’s my ultimate goal, no matter what ups and downs, wins or losses I may have. With this I will be undisputed as the greatest MMA fighter ever.’’

When he’s not fighting, Daley is involved in a project with Mothers Against Guns in London. “As well as trying to fulfill my goals, I want to set an example for the younger generation that there are other things that you can do rather than get into guns, crime, drugs, etc.,’’ he said.

Morgan (sammorgan.proelite.com) had made a career of re-inventing himself. Fans’ jaws dropped when he stopped Duane “The Bang’’ Ludwig in the first round on April 9, 2005, and now he will try and manufacture another upset one fight after losing by third-round KO to unbeaten Cung Le Nov. 16, 2007.

A competitor on “The Ultimate Fighter 2,” Morgan showed great heart against Le and caught and rocked Le a few times.

“I’ll be ready to fight,’’ said Morgan, a former welterweight. “I hope for his sake, Daley is, too. This is a great fight and an even greater opportunity for me. I am very confident. Every fight for me from now on is all or nothing.

“This should be a very good and interesting fight.’’

In his start before last, Morgan conquered Sam Jackson with ease, winning by submission (rear naked choke) in the first round on Aug. 2, 2007.

“I want to fight all the top name guys in this sport. I'm not scared of any of them. I want to take them all on,’’ said Morgan, who got into MMA “to help vent some off my life issues and I just kept doing it. Although I lost to Le, I feel I'm getting better all the time.’’

McMaster (bobbymcmaster.proelite.com) might have extended his winning streak to nine in his last start if not for a questionable (some say premature) move by a referee to stand the fighters up that led to a first-round submission (guillotine) loss at 4:59 to Mushin Corbbrey Oct. 26, 2007, on SHOWTIME.

A tough kid from South Boston, McMaster mostly dominated Corbbrey, who had created some buzz with an impressive win in his previous ShoXC fight. But McMaster took down Corbbrey almost immediately and unleashed a relentless assault of ground and pound assault. He appeared to be in total control, working a lot, throwing a lot and landing punches in bunches from the top.

But as he continued to connect with solid shots, the referee stood the fighters up with 44 seconds remaining. Once on their feet, McMaster looked to clinch, but Corbbrey did an outstanding job of getting a hip toss takedown. Moments later, McMaster found himself caught in a guillotine. A scramble ensued. McMaster picked up and slammed Corbbrey, but all that did was cinch the guillotine in tighter.

EXCELLENT MATCHUPS HIGHLIGHT 2008 PREMIERE OF SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES – JAN. 25

“I wasn’t disappointed with my last fight,’’ said McMaster, a self-described ‘’hood rat" and street fighter who spent four years in the Marine Corps, that included an eight-month tour of duty in Iraq. “It was my first fight at the master level, and I thought I beat him pretty good for the whole round. I will know next time what not to do. I’m not happy because I lost but these are the rules of the game.’’

Quach (baoquach.proelite.com), a winner of six in a row, has become an all around fighter with a strong background that includes five years of wrestling, six years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and two years of Muay Thai.

Until his career took a dramatic turn, the member of Team Oyama was lightly regarded and known as a one dimensional fighter. He was losing more than he was winning.

But since returning to action after a near 18-month layoff in February 2006 – in his comeback effort, he fought a surprising draw with one of the top featherweights in the world, Hatsu Hioki -- Bao has won five of six while significantly improving his ground and pound and striking.

The Vietnamese fighter’s biggest victory during the streak came on a three-round decision over top 10 featherweight Tenkei Fujimiya Aug. 18, 2007. In his last start, Bao registered an exciting, crowd-pleasing unanimous three-round decision over Chris David in the fight of the night on Oct. 27, 2007.

Kedzie gained instant fame after a gutsy performance against Carano in a thrilling fight that won over a live crowd (that gave them a standing ovation) and the millions more watching on SHOWTIME. That fight stole the show, and this one might too.

“It was an amazing opportunity to be part of a history-making, first women’s fight on television,’’ said Kedzie, who lost a close decision but showed incredible resiliency and took the final round.

“Going in I had hoped that the fact we were women would diminish from the minds of the fans once they saw us going at it, and it did. I think we showed that women fighters are here to stay and that we're going to be around for a long time. People really do love to see the girls fight.’’

Shortly after the memorable clash with Carano, Kedzie (juliekedzie.proelite.com) relocated to New Mexico to join a team headed by Greg Jackson and Joey Villasenor. “As difficult as it was for me to leave, I felt like I needed to go to a place that would push me to the next level,’’ she said.

The decision paid off. Kedzie, a former Hook N Shoot 135-pound champ, closed out 2007 with three victories in a row – a second-round TKO (strikes) over Julie Berezikova in Russia on April 14, a three-round decision over Kelly Kobald on Aug. 24 and a second-round TKO over Jan Finney on Sept. 29.

A victory over Evinger would give Kedzie a career-best four-fight winning streak. “It’s a pretty bold statement but I really don’t think I’m going to be losing any more fights,’’ Kedzie said. “Everybody says that before they fight, but it’s how I feel with the confidence I have now.’’

A third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do who specializes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kedzie has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Indiana University. When she is not competing, “I’m the girl that sits in the corner with a book, when the rest of the party is going strong,’’ she said.

EXCELLENT MATCHUPS HIGHLIGHT 2008 PREMIERE OF SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES – JAN. 25

If Kedzie is the girl next door, Evinger is the neighborhood bully.

A slammer and banger in the truest sense, Evinger doesn’t come to merely win, but to dominate and destroy. A nationally recognized former grappling champion who participated in the Pan American Games, she has been wrestling 13 years, training in jiu-jitsu for four years and kick-boxing for three.

The free-wheeling, tough-talking Evinger has a ton of potential because she’s rough and tough, has an amazing wrestling background and can box a little. But she knows she needs a win against Kedzie.

“I can fight better than I did the last time on SHOWTIME,’’ Evinger (tonyaevinger.proelite.com) said. “This is a big fight, an important one for both of us. I am looking forward to a great fight.’’

Evinger is coming off a submission (armbar) victory over Katrine Alendal on Dec. 9, 2007. It was her first fight since losing to Carano on EliteXC’s “Uprising” in Honolulu on Sept. 15, 2007, on SHOWTIME.

Before the Carano clash, Evinger got national notoriety for her quote, “I’d like to make out with Gina, but I’m here to knock her out.’’ Evinger didn’t come close to a KO, but she did take Carano down. But once on the ground she got reversed and lost by submission (choke-out) at 2:53 of the first.

“I made a lot of mistakes and wrestled terribly,’’ Evinger said. “Gina doesn’t hit or kick as hard as they say. I try to work on limiting my mistakes, but I just made too many.’’

Hose (kalakolohehose.proelite.com) is a Hawaii native who has won four straight inside the distance since losing his debut. His last three outings have ended by KO or TKO in the first round.

A talented, hard-fighting warrior who embodies the Hawaiian spirit, Hose has improved dramatically since trimming down to 185 pounds after debuting as a 250-pound heavyweight.

Hose, whose fights are always worth watching, is coming off a 20-second TKO (strikes) over Jeff Cox on EliteXC’s “Uprising” Sept. 15, 2007, in Honolulu, on SHOWTIME. On March 31, 2007, he recorded a 38-second KO over Ron Verdadero.

Hose was scheduled to face EliteXC/ICON Sport middleweight champion Robbie Lawler in Hawaii in December ’07, but the match was postponed after Lawler suffered a torn bicep in training. They also were supposed to fight in June ’07, but an injury to Lawler's shoulder postponed the event.

“I still want to fight Lawler,’’ Hose said. “I was heartbroken after I heard the fight was postponed again, but I have had time to regroup. Fighting on SHOWTIME is a great opportunity for me to get world-wide exposure and I hope to make the best of it, but I still look forward to the day I fight Lawler."

Belleton (fredbelleton.proelite.com) is seeking his fifth victory in a row inside the distance since losing his debut. In his last start, a kickboxing specialist produced the knockout of the night when he scored a second-round stoppage over Jerry Spiegel on Sept. 21, 2007, in Wilmington, Mass.

Although he got caught a few times on his feet in the first, Belleton, whose specialty is the “axe kick,’’ stuffed all of Spiegel’s takedown attempts and fairly dominated. A flush kick to the head of Spiegel ended matters 24 seconds into the round.

EXCELLENT MATCHUPS HIGHLIGHT 2008 PREMIERE OF SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES – JAN. 25

Belleton has an extensive background in traditional standup martial arts styles. He's decorated in traditional styles, holding black belts in Shotokan Karate, Tae Kwon Do, ISKA kickboxing, and a unique form of Kung Fu along with a silver glove in Savate, the national martial art of his native France.

While he's relatively new to competitive mixed martial arts, Belleton spent several years competing in traditional martial arts styles in Europe. He won the San Da world championship in 1992 and is also a two-time European champion in the sport.

While living in France, Belleton was a national police officer, which is the equivalent to a state police officer in the U.S., and was involved in drug raids and other high-risk assignments. While serving as a national officer, Belleton was also a member of the French National Police Force Savate team that competed around Europe.

Renowned play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo will call the action on the ShoXC telecast with the “Fight Professor” Stephen Quadros serving as color analyst. The executive producer of ShoXC is David Dinkins, Jr. with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

For more information on EliteXC and other MMA-related stories, including bios, video-on- demand, photos, stats, Fantasy Fight Game TM and more, please visit ProElite.com and EliteXC.com.

About Pro Elite, Inc.

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 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®.

Sharp Shooter” Remillard now a moving target“Champions of Tomorrow” Friday night at Foxwoods Resort Casino

“PROVIDENCE – One sure sign of respect in boxing is when a fighter calls out a potential opponent in the media. It’s rare for a boxer with only 11 pro fights to be such a target, especially one coming off of a 15-month inactive stretch due to an injury, but that’s exactly where Manchester favorite Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard (11-0, 7 KOs) finds himself.

Remillard is preparing for Friday night’s (Jan. 25) 10-round title bout against WBC Youth featherweight champion Manuel Perez (11-3, 2 KOs) in the co-main event on “Champions of Tomorrow,” promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc., at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Remillard has been out of the ring since suffering a wrist injury, twice requiring surgery, after he won the WBC Youth super featherweight (September 23, 2006) that Matt was unable to defend and relinquished because of his aforementioned injury.

Perez’ first lost was in 2006 to Rashiem Jefferson, who is now 15-0-1 (6 KOs) and reportedly has been in Denver sparring with Perez, who surprisingly chose to defend his title belt on the road. According to an Internet report, Jefferson claims that he has been trying to fight Remillard for quite some time but Matt hadn’t accepted, and that Rashiem was familiar with Remillard and would give Perez a great look at Matt’s style.

“If he (Jefferson) has been calling me out,” Remillard responded, “I don’t know who he was supposedly contacting. I’ve been out of action for 15 months. If he had called my promoter, Jimmy Burchfield, we’d probably be fighting him for his title (USNBC) this Friday night. I saw Jefferson around in the amateurs. He’s a respectable fighter, but for him to call me out and talk like I’m nobody, well, that’s a slap in my face.

“He’s helping Perez but I couldn’t care less. Jefferson doesn’t fight anything like me and if they think he can imitate me, they’re both in for a big surprise. I’m just focused on Perez right now. I’ve had the best training camp of my career preparing to fight him. Jefferson sounds like a clown.”

Jefferson and his manager plan on accompanying Team Perez to Foxwoods. “I hope they have tickets,” Remillard’s promoter, Jimmy Burchfield, remarked. “They’ve never contacted me about fighting Matt or for anything else. After Matt beats Perez we can talk about Jefferson possibly being next on Matt’s dance card.”
2004 U.S. Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada (10-1, 2 KOs) squares-off against former world heavyweight title challenger Charles Shufford (20-7, 9 KOs) in the other 10-round, co-main event on “Champions of Tomorrow.”

Two other Connecticut fighters will be in action. Hartford light welterweight Addy Irizarry (3-1, 2 KOs), a corrections officer at a Connecticut prison, faces Tonya Gallegos (4-6, 2 KOs), while recent University of Connecticut graduate Brian Macy, a poker card dealer at Foxwoods who is from Ledyard, makes his pro debut versus super middleweight Pete Guthy (1-1-1, 1 KO).

Addy Irizarry


Unbeaten cruiserweight prodigy and 9-time U.S. amateur champion, Aaron Williams (15-0-1, 11 KOs), battles former world kickboxing champ Manu Ntoh (17-13-1, 10 KOs) in an eight-round match.

New England fans have waited quite a few years for Friday’s light heavyweight showdown between Iraqi War-veteran Chris Traietti (7-0, 4 KOs) and “Irish” Joey McCreedy (5-1, 4 KOs) in a six-round bout. Throwback middleweights Richard “Bobo” Starnino (8-2-1, 1 KO), of Providence, and New Bedford’s Eric Pinarreta (1-1, 1 KO) bring an old-fashioned border war brawl into the ring for their four-rounder.

Also on the undercard in four-round bouts are undefeated Rhode Island super middleweight Angel Camacho, Jr. (8-0, 4 KOs) versus Terrence “TJ” Jones (10-10, 6 KOs) and unbeaten Brockton super middleweight Manuel Antonio Lopes (4-0, 1 KO) meets John “The Baptist” Michael Terry. All bouts and fighters are subject to change.

Former world title contender “Sucra” Ray Oliveira will be inducted into the CES Ring of Honor in a ceremony during the “Champions of Tomorrow.” Unbeaten heavyweight contender “Baby” Joe Mesi (36-0, 29 KOs), promoted by CES, will make a special presentation to Oliveira.

“Champions of Tomorrow” will be taped live and air on Saturday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m. on CN8 and will also stream online at http://www.cn8.tv/. Following the broadcast, the show will be available ON DEMAND to Comcast Digital Cable customers for at least one week. “Champions of Tomorrow” will also air on Cox Sports Television on February 1 at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets for “Champions of Tomorrow” are priced at $40.00, $65.00 (Silver), $100.00 (Gold) and $150.00 (Jimmy’s Platinum Club). Two VIP Presidential Suites are also available (call CES for details as well as sponsorship opportunities). To purchase tickets or for additional information contact CES (1.401.724.2253/2254 - http://www.cesboxing.com/) or Foxwoods (1.800.200.2882/www.foxwoods.com). Doors open at 6 PM/ET, first bout at 7 PM/ET.

CONTACT: Bob Trieger, Full Court Press,

DON KING PRODUCTIONS & SQUARE RING IN ASSOCIATION WITH MADISON SQUARE GARDEN PRESENTS: FELIX “Tito” TRINIDAD vs ROY JONES, JR., Sat. JAN. 19, 2008

Roy Jones, Jr. now (52-4, 38 KOs) of Pensacola, Florida and Eight-Time World Champion
by unanimous decision defeated Felix “Tito” Trinidad now (42-3, 35 KOs) of Cupey Alto, Puerto Rico and Five-Time World Champion, in a special Light Heavyweight attraction of 12 Rounds. The judges for the bout were; Tom Kacamarek, Julie Lederman and Nelson Vasquez, the referee in charge was Arthur Mercante, Jr..

ROY JONES JR.

“All my fans around the world said I was done. He took a lot of hard punches.
Roy Jones Jr.


Jones said to Trinidad, “I can’t believe you stayed in there 12 rounds with me. We had a great fight and everyone said we were too old.”

“I tried to put him away a few times but he slipped a lot of my good punches. I had a wonderful camp and great sparring partners.

Roy Jones Jr. after attends the Post press conference after his victory over Trinidad.


“It was a great fight. I can’t believe he stayed in there for all of those rounds for me.

Deandre and DeShawn Jones and Dyllon Burnside after their dad's victory.


“He was slipping a lot of my good punches and I felt like I was missing knocking him out by inches.

“I jammed my knuckle sometime during the fight. He’s got a pretty hard head.”

Natalynn Jones


FELIX “TITO” TRINIDAD

“I took off two years and eight months. I take nothing away from Roy but if I could have avoided the KOs, I think I would have won the fight.

Felix "Tito" Trinidad


He was very fast and strong and threw great punches. I have no excuses.


“He demonstrated speed and took my body punches. I fight for my fans and the people of Puerto Rico.


“Roy Jones was very fast and he fought a good fight. I think he won the fight but not by such a wide margin.


“I will decide if I fight again or not. I will speak to my father but I will make the decision as to whether or not I will fight again.”



Andrew Golota now (41-6-1, 33 KOs) of Warsaw, Poland, residing in Chicago, Ill. and the IBF North American Champion, by unanimous decision defeated “Merciless” Mike Mollo now (19-2, 12 KOs) of Chicago, Ill., and WBA Fedelatin Champion. The judges for the bout were; Bob Gilsm, Tim Schreck and Robin Taylor, the referee in charge of the bout was Randy Neumann.

ANDREW GOLOTA

“I hope nobody will ever call me a quitter again. I couldn’t see anything after round 8.

Andrew Golota


I had to box more by feel than what I could see. He was much faster than I thought he would and he hit me too many times. I wish I had landed more combinations.”



MIKE MOLLO

“I couldn’t believe the number of combinations he threw for an old man. I fought the best I could. I got nervous and flustered. I wish I had done better. I didn’t fight my best fight but my hat is off to him.”

Alex “The Technician” Bunemawaba now (29-5-2, 14 KOs) of Kinshasa, Zaire
now residing in Atlanta, Ga., and Former WBA Continental Americas Champion, TKO'd 1:24 of round 10, Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin now (36-3-1, 23 KOs) of St. Petersburg, Russia now residing in Los Angeles, Calif., the WBA Int. Continental Champion - Former IBF Champion. The referee in charge of the bout was Johnny Callas.

ALEX “The Technician” BUNEMA (after bursting into tears in his dressing room)

Alex “The Technician” Bunemawaba


“I knew Karmazin was in very good shape from the opening bell. I also believed that he watched a lot of tape on my fights because he changed his style for me.

“He was trying to counter-punch more. The fight was close until I knocked him into the corner in the 10th round. I knew he was in trouble then. I thought it was over when I hit him with the big right but he stayed up.

“I followed him and landed the big hook that knocked him down. I was not surprised I did what I said I was going to do. Now I want a title shot against WBA champion Joachim Alcine.”

ROMAN “Made In Hell” KARMAZIN (As told my trainer Freddie Roach)

“He told me in between rounds that he had no power and felt really weak. He got caught and after that he never really recovered.”

Devon Alexander “The Great” now (14-0, 9 KOs) of St. Louis, Mo., and former WBC Youth Champion, is now the new WBC Continental Americas Super Lightweight Champion. Devon Alexander, the winner by unanimous decision, defeated DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley now (31-8-1, 17 KOs) of Washington, D.C. the Former WBO World Champion.

Devon Alexander “The Great” attends the Post press conference for Trinidad vs. Jones.


DEVON ALEXANDER “The Great”

“It felt great to go 12 rounds with a former world champion.

Devon Alexander “The Great”


“It was hard because it was my first 12 rounder. I was pressing hard for a knockout in the early rounds but my coach told me to settle down and just do what I do.

Devon Alexander's trainer, Kevin Cunningham and Mrs Cunningham.


“I am ready to do more and I know I will do even better in the future. I want everyone in St. Louis to know that I am coming back with a win and a belt.”

DeMARCUS “Chop-Chop” CORLEY

“I felt good tonight but should have pushed him more. I wanted to pick it up around the 6th or 7th round but it didn’t really happen.


“Nothing he did really surprised me because we knew he had fast hands and a nice left hand. But nothing really surprised me. I wish I had let my hands go more but it didn’t happen.

Bernard Roach DeMarcus Corley and Guest


“I got a couple more months with Don and then I am going to hang it up. I had a great career and love my family too.”

DeMarcus Corley and son.


The Under card

LUIS COLLAZO

Luis Collazo now (28-3, 13 KOs) of Queens, N.Y., and Former WBA World Champion, improves over Edvan Dos Santos Barros now (9-5-1, 7 KOs) of Brasil, now residing in Miami, Florida, in a 10 round Welterweight attraction. The referee in charge of the bout was Eddie Claudio, the time keeper was Yvonne Williams.

“It’s my first fight back since fighting Shane Mosley and having surgery on my left hand. My hand actually feels better than it did before. I’m back and I want to re-establish myself as one of the best welterweights in the division.”

Heavyweight Emanuelle N’Wodo now (22-4, 18 KOs) of Nigeria now residing in Washington, D.C. and Former USBA & ABU Champion, in round 2 TKO'd, Ezra Sellers now (29-8, 26 KOs) of Baltimore, Md., the Former IBO Champion. The referee in charge of the contest was Jim Santa and the time keeper Yvonne Williams.

Gabe “Big G” Brown now (18-7-4, 12 KOs) of Pensacola, Florida and Paul Marinaccio now(23-3-2, 10 KOs) of Buffalo, N.Y., the Heavyweight attraction of 8 rounds ended in a majority draw. The judges for the bout were; Kevin Morgan (76-76), Carlos Ortiz (76-76) and Alan Rubenstein (78-74). The referee in charge of the contest was Eddie Claudio and the time keeper Yvonne Williams.

Angelo “La Cobra” Santana (1-0, 1KO) of Cuba in a pro debut, improved by a TKO, in 33 seconds of round 1, over Kenny Keaton (0-1) of Indianapolis, Indiana. The referee in charge of the contest was Jim Santa and the time keeper Yvonne Williams.

The Stars who attended Trinidad vs Jones.

Corbin Blue attends Trinidad vs. Jones Press conference.


Lt. Governor David A. Paterson attends the Trinidad vs. Jones.


Big John McCarthy and Eddie Goldman attends Trinidad vs. Jones.


Rick Ross and Aaron Braunstein attends Trinidad vs. Jones.


Corey Spinks and Guest attends Trinidad vs. Jones.


Pastor Troy attends Trinidad vs. Jones.


Roy Hargrove attends Trinidad vs. Jones.


Zabdiel and Joel Judah attends the Trinidad vs. Jones.


Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell Rose attends the Trinidad vs. Jones.


Mark Anthony attends Trinidad vs. Jones, and swiftly exits.