China's Wang Ya Nan lasted a spirited last round attack by USA's Janaya Davis to win by unaminous points decision the WBC Female Middleweight World Title in Macao.The vocally partisan Chinese crowd roared as Wang Ya Nan built up a solid lead with strong accurate punches that kept Davis away, but as she began to tire in the last three rounds Davis found something extra and applied extreme pressure on the local favourite.
Exercise your right to use your Mouse:
http://wbcboxing.com/WBCboxing/Portal/cfpages/contentmgr.cfm?docId=1893&docTipo=1&orderby=docid&sortby=ASCJill Diamond WBC Championship Committee NABF Women's Division, Chair World Boxing Cares, Chair
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Alicia " Slick" Ashley; The New NABF Super Bantamweight Champ
On January 31, 2008, Paradise Theatre in the Bronx, Alicia "Slick" Ashley faced Brooke "No Mercy" Dierdorff for a scheduled eight rounds and the NABF Bantamweight Title.
By:David Pambianchi
Former dancer with scholarships to Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham dance schools, Alicia carries ballroom elegance into the ring. A southpaw coupled with an unusual style, hands often down, Alicia still managed to dodge Karen's punches for the first two rounds through a fluid body movement that kept her opponent off balance.
Brooke, a younger fighter of 26, still comes with some tough fighting experience and a lot of heart. But the veteran bloodied her nose in the third round and started to step up the pace. Progressively, Alicia scored higher in the fourth, then slipped in notable hard lefts in the fifth and sixth. Whenever Karen fired back with a flurry, Alicia returned with her own combinations more accurate and connected.
Photo: David Pambianchi
During the final two rounds, a valiant, but frustrated Brooke would rush in attempting to capitalize on her adversary's openings, only to walk into a solid left, and then discover that Alicia had disappeared. Hands up now, Alicia scored heavily with right hooks and lefts. Karen held tough and fought back, however, still unable to do any serious damage.
As Star Boxing Public Relation's Queen Rachel Charles notes, "Getting Old is Not for Sissies." While 40 might be a middle age reminder to some, one determined competitor not only feels, but also glows young and vibrant. Almost to the day of her 8th year in Professional boxing, smooth, smart, educated and savvy, Alicia showed little sign of slowing down and captured the NABF title.
By:David Pambianchi
Former dancer with scholarships to Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham dance schools, Alicia carries ballroom elegance into the ring. A southpaw coupled with an unusual style, hands often down, Alicia still managed to dodge Karen's punches for the first two rounds through a fluid body movement that kept her opponent off balance.
Brooke, a younger fighter of 26, still comes with some tough fighting experience and a lot of heart. But the veteran bloodied her nose in the third round and started to step up the pace. Progressively, Alicia scored higher in the fourth, then slipped in notable hard lefts in the fifth and sixth. Whenever Karen fired back with a flurry, Alicia returned with her own combinations more accurate and connected.
Photo: David Pambianchi
During the final two rounds, a valiant, but frustrated Brooke would rush in attempting to capitalize on her adversary's openings, only to walk into a solid left, and then discover that Alicia had disappeared. Hands up now, Alicia scored heavily with right hooks and lefts. Karen held tough and fought back, however, still unable to do any serious damage.
As Star Boxing Public Relation's Queen Rachel Charles notes, "Getting Old is Not for Sissies." While 40 might be a middle age reminder to some, one determined competitor not only feels, but also glows young and vibrant. Almost to the day of her 8th year in Professional boxing, smooth, smart, educated and savvy, Alicia showed little sign of slowing down and captured the NABF title.
Ronica Jeffrey: First Taste of Bronx Paradise
Ronica Jeffrey: First Taste of Bronx Paradise
by David Pambianchi
Photo: David Pambianchi
At the Paradise Theatre in the Bronx, January 31, 2008, Ronica Jeffrey collided with Karen Dulin for a scheduled 4 round Professional Featherweight Boxing Debut.
For the first two rounds, a faster Ronica scored better in general with especially heavy punches to Karen's body. But make no mistake, tough and solid to the core, she took the blows and keep fighting. During the third round, Ronica, again using her speed advantage, started landing some head shots that took a toll. Karen sometimes looked away to protect her face, when she might have blocked and countered instead of losing precious focus. Never-the-less, during the round four slug fest, Karen fought well despite falling pray to Ronica's single combinations, a left to the body then right to the head.
Photo: David Pambianchi
New Yorkers witnessed a dynamic bout of heart and fury, physical conditioning and grit that did boxing proud. Karen fought with courage and earned her right into Professional boxing. And an equally brave and determined Ronica earned and started her Professional boxing career with a win.
Marcus Cederqvist Gearing Up for the Big Countdown
Marcus Cederqvist
By ROBIN FINN
A DEFINITE contender for the title of Most Precocious Republican in New York City, Marcus Cederqvist, at 37 the baby-faced new executive director of the Board of Elections, is gearing up for his debut as the city’s chief vote counter for Tuesday’s New York presidential primary.
James Estrin/photo- New York Times
Super Duper Tuesday, as it has been called, could be a challenge, particularly if the Giants win the Super Bowl on Sunday and Lower Broadway, where the board, with its inventory of backup voting machines, has its headquarters, is taken over by a victory parade on Primary Day.
Mr. Cederqvist apologizes for the Duper thing’s being over the top. Can’t help himself: This is a big deal with big national stakes, and he is, in a sense, running the show. Keeping tabs on it, anyway. He is, he promises, highly conversant with spreadsheets. And with contingency plans should the local football team prevail. “I want the Giants to win, but...”
Mr. Cederqvist is responsible for monitoring the city’s 1,363 polling stations on Tuesday and supplying them with some 6,300 voting machines — yes, the clunky but dependable Shoup lever machines that must all be replaced by modern, voter-friendly machines in time for the 2009 mayoral election.
He is so new in his role (his predecessor and mentor, John A. Ravitz, resigned in October, but Mr. Cederqvist was not appointed until Jan. 15) that his name isn’t yet etched on the office door.
But public service is old hat. He got his start while a student at the University of Rochester by volunteering for Charles Millard’s 1991 campaign for the New York City Council. He then had a summer internship with State Senator Roy M. Goodman in 1992, after which he coordinated the successful City Council campaign of Andrew S. Eristoff in 1993. By age 25, he was elected Republican leader of the 65th District on the East Side, and he went on to serve as Mr. Eristoff’s chief of staff until 1999.
“Granted, this is a partisan agency,” he says about the board of 10 commissioners: a Democrat and a Republican from each borough, a recipe that he is convinced ensures checks and balances. He is a true-blue Republican — “Better make that true red,” he corrects, with a rare giggle — whose fascination with the party began as a Manhattan teenager improbably attuned to the oratory of Ronald Reagan. But the board’s deputy director and its administrative manager are both Democrats. Hurrah for partisan parity.
“What everyone here is interested in, and what everyone truly wants, is a fair election,” he insists, waving a yellow pencil like a baton. “There isn’t really a Republican or a Democratic way to run an election; there’s just a right way. No, really! Here in this role, my job is very specifically to count votes, not influence them. That’s the only game I’m involved in now. The Board of Elections is kind of like the boiler in your house: It’s something you don’t think about much, but as long as it chugs along and keeps you warm, it’s doing its job.” He frets that the analogy sounds dumb.
But forgive Mr. Cederqvist — who will also celebrate his 38th birthday and first wedding anniversary in this pivotal primary month — for his giddiness. He’s young to the point of idealistic, or at the very least earnestness, even if he happens to be wearing, somewhat baggily, a nondescript old man’s suit in an unbecoming shade of charcoal and a green tie from his father’s wardrobe castoffs. His father, a retired obstetrician and gynecologist, accumulated ties from four generations of happy parents of offspring he delivered.
Mr. Cederqvist is, by his own admission, a diligent former Republican operative, not a clotheshorse, which explains why he says he forgot to wear his most photogenic, and partisan, tie: the blue one decorated with itsy-bitsy elephants, a Christmas present from his father. He does wear a shiny black pair of penny loafers, a post-preppy nod to his alma mater, the Browning School on the Upper East Side, and he vows to purchase some snappier suits. After the primary.
“Being that this is a presidential primary and a contested presidential primary at that, we’re anticipating a high voter turnout, something approaching what you would expect for a general election,” he says, flicking the elephant-themed light switch in his otherwise impersonal office (he has had no time to unpack his family photos or posters).
“I’VE been unbelievably busy,” he reiterates. He has even, because protocol demanded it, already voted (he won’t say for whom, but his palpable disappointment, and fleeting pout, at the news of Rudolph W. Giuliani’s withdrawal is a telltale sign). Mr. Cederqvist, before being named to this post, spent six years as executive director of the New York Republican County Committee. Making it a computer-savvy and candidate-rich organization was his mission.
Being a young Republican activist in New York City, where Democrats prevail nearly six to one and where even his wife is registered with the enemy, has often been alienating. Take, for instance, the collection of petition signatures. “If you’re a Democrat, getting signatures on the Upper West Side is like shooting fish in a barrel,” he says. “For a Republican, it is a horrible, horrible experience. I’ve been called a fascist repeatedly. People are just vitriolic in general.” Then there was the time that, at First Avenue and 79th Street, an older woman spit at him when he asked if she was a Republican.
“Thank God she had bad aim and missed.”
By ROBIN FINN
A DEFINITE contender for the title of Most Precocious Republican in New York City, Marcus Cederqvist, at 37 the baby-faced new executive director of the Board of Elections, is gearing up for his debut as the city’s chief vote counter for Tuesday’s New York presidential primary.
James Estrin/photo- New York Times
Super Duper Tuesday, as it has been called, could be a challenge, particularly if the Giants win the Super Bowl on Sunday and Lower Broadway, where the board, with its inventory of backup voting machines, has its headquarters, is taken over by a victory parade on Primary Day.
Mr. Cederqvist apologizes for the Duper thing’s being over the top. Can’t help himself: This is a big deal with big national stakes, and he is, in a sense, running the show. Keeping tabs on it, anyway. He is, he promises, highly conversant with spreadsheets. And with contingency plans should the local football team prevail. “I want the Giants to win, but...”
Mr. Cederqvist is responsible for monitoring the city’s 1,363 polling stations on Tuesday and supplying them with some 6,300 voting machines — yes, the clunky but dependable Shoup lever machines that must all be replaced by modern, voter-friendly machines in time for the 2009 mayoral election.
He is so new in his role (his predecessor and mentor, John A. Ravitz, resigned in October, but Mr. Cederqvist was not appointed until Jan. 15) that his name isn’t yet etched on the office door.
But public service is old hat. He got his start while a student at the University of Rochester by volunteering for Charles Millard’s 1991 campaign for the New York City Council. He then had a summer internship with State Senator Roy M. Goodman in 1992, after which he coordinated the successful City Council campaign of Andrew S. Eristoff in 1993. By age 25, he was elected Republican leader of the 65th District on the East Side, and he went on to serve as Mr. Eristoff’s chief of staff until 1999.
“Granted, this is a partisan agency,” he says about the board of 10 commissioners: a Democrat and a Republican from each borough, a recipe that he is convinced ensures checks and balances. He is a true-blue Republican — “Better make that true red,” he corrects, with a rare giggle — whose fascination with the party began as a Manhattan teenager improbably attuned to the oratory of Ronald Reagan. But the board’s deputy director and its administrative manager are both Democrats. Hurrah for partisan parity.
“What everyone here is interested in, and what everyone truly wants, is a fair election,” he insists, waving a yellow pencil like a baton. “There isn’t really a Republican or a Democratic way to run an election; there’s just a right way. No, really! Here in this role, my job is very specifically to count votes, not influence them. That’s the only game I’m involved in now. The Board of Elections is kind of like the boiler in your house: It’s something you don’t think about much, but as long as it chugs along and keeps you warm, it’s doing its job.” He frets that the analogy sounds dumb.
But forgive Mr. Cederqvist — who will also celebrate his 38th birthday and first wedding anniversary in this pivotal primary month — for his giddiness. He’s young to the point of idealistic, or at the very least earnestness, even if he happens to be wearing, somewhat baggily, a nondescript old man’s suit in an unbecoming shade of charcoal and a green tie from his father’s wardrobe castoffs. His father, a retired obstetrician and gynecologist, accumulated ties from four generations of happy parents of offspring he delivered.
Mr. Cederqvist is, by his own admission, a diligent former Republican operative, not a clotheshorse, which explains why he says he forgot to wear his most photogenic, and partisan, tie: the blue one decorated with itsy-bitsy elephants, a Christmas present from his father. He does wear a shiny black pair of penny loafers, a post-preppy nod to his alma mater, the Browning School on the Upper East Side, and he vows to purchase some snappier suits. After the primary.
“Being that this is a presidential primary and a contested presidential primary at that, we’re anticipating a high voter turnout, something approaching what you would expect for a general election,” he says, flicking the elephant-themed light switch in his otherwise impersonal office (he has had no time to unpack his family photos or posters).
“I’VE been unbelievably busy,” he reiterates. He has even, because protocol demanded it, already voted (he won’t say for whom, but his palpable disappointment, and fleeting pout, at the news of Rudolph W. Giuliani’s withdrawal is a telltale sign). Mr. Cederqvist, before being named to this post, spent six years as executive director of the New York Republican County Committee. Making it a computer-savvy and candidate-rich organization was his mission.
Being a young Republican activist in New York City, where Democrats prevail nearly six to one and where even his wife is registered with the enemy, has often been alienating. Take, for instance, the collection of petition signatures. “If you’re a Democrat, getting signatures on the Upper West Side is like shooting fish in a barrel,” he says. “For a Republican, it is a horrible, horrible experience. I’ve been called a fascist repeatedly. People are just vitriolic in general.” Then there was the time that, at First Avenue and 79th Street, an older woman spit at him when he asked if she was a Republican.
“Thank God she had bad aim and missed.”
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Ken Norton "KNOCKOUT" Birthday Bash Celebrating 65years on August 8-9, 2008, in his hometown of Jacksonville, Illinois
Ken Norton Enterprises, Inc., request the pleasure of your company for the Ken Norton “Knockout” Birthday Bash. Ken Norton, Former WBC World Heavyweight Boxing Champion will be Celebrating 65years on August 8-9, 2008, in his hometown of Jacksonville, Illinois. 
Our event fundraiser and activities for the weekend will include a Black Tie Dinner and Entertainment Concert and a Parade downtown Jacksonville, Illinois. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Pathway Services Unlimited, Inc. Pathway Services Unlimited, Inc. provides services for the developmentally disabled ranging in ages 0-adult. Also Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Jacksonville, Illinois. Our celebrity friends and confirmed guest include: Howard Davis Jr., Gumersindo Vidot (RBF), Jill Diamond (WBC), Alex Ramos (President RBF) Scott LeDoux, Tim Witherspoon, Hector "Macho" Camacho, Gary Stretch, Chuck Zito.
For More information or to R.S.V.P. contact
Ken Norton Enterprises, Inc.
Donald Hennessey Jr.,Corporate Manager,
Direct Line: 217.245.2420
FAX TO: 217.245.2420
E-mail: kne1978@aol.com
Website www.kennorton.com
Our event fundraiser and activities for the weekend will include a Black Tie Dinner and Entertainment Concert and a Parade downtown Jacksonville, Illinois. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Pathway Services Unlimited, Inc. Pathway Services Unlimited, Inc. provides services for the developmentally disabled ranging in ages 0-adult. Also Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Jacksonville, Illinois. Our celebrity friends and confirmed guest include: Howard Davis Jr., Gumersindo Vidot (RBF), Jill Diamond (WBC), Alex Ramos (President RBF) Scott LeDoux, Tim Witherspoon, Hector "Macho" Camacho, Gary Stretch, Chuck Zito.
For More information or to R.S.V.P. contact
Ken Norton Enterprises, Inc.
Donald Hennessey Jr.,Corporate Manager,
Direct Line: 217.245.2420
FAX TO: 217.245.2420
E-mail: kne1978@aol.com
Website www.kennorton.com
A Book Signing Event with Hip Hop's First Photographer Joe Conzo; Born In The Bronx
FYI: We have an item up on Ebay: Tommy Boy presents Hip Hop Essentials: 1979-1991. Retails at $100 but bidding begins at $49.99: - check it out!
Selling Tommy Boy 12 Vol. CD Set: Hip Hop Essentials .
By the way: Send your Videos to 88HipHop.com!
Get Your Hip-Hop Videos Played!
88HIPHOP is showcasing the best videos from Hip-Hop artists worldwide
via the 88HIPHOP Video Network
http://www.88HIPHOP.com/submit
myspace.com/ToolsofWar
Peace!
Christie
Ladbrokes.com Fight Night at the University Sports Arena in Limerick; Andy Lee vs. Alejandro Gustavo Falliga and Paul McCloskey vs. Manuel Garnica
(Brian Peters Promotions Photos)
Andy Lee (right) and Alejandro Gustavo Falliga (left) pose for the cameras after weighing in at the George Boutique Hotel in Limerick. Also pictured is fight promoter Brian Peters and Lee's manager and trainer Emanuel Steward. Both Lee and Falliga weighed just under the middleweight limit with each tipping the scales at 11 stone 5 lbs (159 lbs) ahead of tomorrow nights first ever pro fight night in Lee's native Limerick.
Paul McCloskey (right) and Manuel Garnica (left) square off after weighing in for their scheduled 10 round bout. Also pictured is fight promoter Brian Peters. Both men weighed exactly the same at 10 stone 2 lbs (142 lbs).
Unfortunately the Matthew Macklin – Christophe Karagoz fight was cancelled late last night as Karagoz was unable to travel from France due to a family emergency and an opponent of sufficient calibre for Macklin could not be confirmed at such short notice.
The full line up for the Ladbrokes.com Fight Night is as follows:
Andy Lee V Alejandro Gustavo Falliga - Middleweight (10 Rounds)
Paul McCloskey V Manuel Garnica - Light Welterweight (10 Rounds)
Jason McKay V Martins Kukuls - Middleweight (6 Rounds)
Ciaran Healy V Pavel Lotah - Light Middleweight (6 Rounds)
Michael Perez V Sandor Baloghs - Heavyweight (4 Rounds)
Michael Sweeney V Remigijus Ziausys - Cruiserweight (4 Rounds)
Doors open at the University Sports Arena at 6pm on Saturday with the first contest at 7.20pm.
RTÉ TWO's live coverage of the event begins at 9pm with the McCloskey - Garnica battle. Andy Lee is expected in the ring after 10pm. Worldwide coverage is also available online via http://www.rte.ie
Melba Moore Celebrates 40 years in Entertainment Jan 25, 2008
Melba Moore Celebrates 40 years in Entertainment Jan 25, 2008
Thank You ! Thank You ! Thank You !
I'm Stil Here!
"My Heart Belongs To You"
Love
Melba Moore
Thank You ! Thank You ! Thank You !
I'm Stil Here!
"My Heart Belongs To You"
Love
Melba Moore
"Mr Its Just Comedy" TALENT HEADLINING LIVE @ CAROLINES ON BROADWAY
Host: TALENT "Mr Its Just Comedy"
Friday Feb 08, 2008 at 10:30 PM
CAROLINES ON BROADWAY
1526 Broadway btw 49th & 50th street
Manhattan, NY 10019 United States
Please pray for singer Houston Summers
Please pray for singer Houston Summers he's going threw really serious issues in his life right now, and the only way he's going to escape his problems (that we all may have) is with the strength of GOD. He's only 24yrs old.
Just think about the time when you needed help...and you didn't know what you we're going to do....That's the position this young man is in...Please pray for Houston that he gets well...Thank you God bless you all in Jesus name.
"Hello Saints, My name is Houstina Summers Sister of Capitol recording artist Houston Summers. I’m screaming out for prayer on behalf of my Brother who is too wounded to pray for himself. My Brother who is 24yrs old has had an album released in 2005 called, "Its Already Written”. Just a couple of months after that he suffered a nervous break down and gauged out his left eye. He prayed for healing for himself and I watched as God took heed and began to heal my Brother. However, in late 2007 the storm grew worst. At the time my Mother and fifteen year old Sister was living with my Brother. My mother was in between Jobs and Houston’s royalty checks grew slim. Eventually they were evicted. So, my Step dad took them in only to be rushed to the hospital a couple of days later. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer and they two were evicted. It was too much for my Brother and now he is sleeping on the streets of Los Angeles. He has turned to drinking and smoking as his comfort. I believe that God has a plan for him and will bring all of us out into victory. Yesterday my Mom and I scanned the inner Streets of Los Angeles to find a broken Houston leaping down the rainy streets. We found him cold, hungry and dirty. He didn’t want to come with us because he is afraid we are going to admit him to a mental hospital. He ran away from us and has been missing for two day. Please Pray, PLEASE!! Houston is a very special person and we can’t give up on him. Thank You"
Just think about the time when you needed help...and you didn't know what you we're going to do....That's the position this young man is in...Please pray for Houston that he gets well...Thank you God bless you all in Jesus name.
"Hello Saints, My name is Houstina Summers Sister of Capitol recording artist Houston Summers. I’m screaming out for prayer on behalf of my Brother who is too wounded to pray for himself. My Brother who is 24yrs old has had an album released in 2005 called, "Its Already Written”. Just a couple of months after that he suffered a nervous break down and gauged out his left eye. He prayed for healing for himself and I watched as God took heed and began to heal my Brother. However, in late 2007 the storm grew worst. At the time my Mother and fifteen year old Sister was living with my Brother. My mother was in between Jobs and Houston’s royalty checks grew slim. Eventually they were evicted. So, my Step dad took them in only to be rushed to the hospital a couple of days later. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer and they two were evicted. It was too much for my Brother and now he is sleeping on the streets of Los Angeles. He has turned to drinking and smoking as his comfort. I believe that God has a plan for him and will bring all of us out into victory. Yesterday my Mom and I scanned the inner Streets of Los Angeles to find a broken Houston leaping down the rainy streets. We found him cold, hungry and dirty. He didn’t want to come with us because he is afraid we are going to admit him to a mental hospital. He ran away from us and has been missing for two day. Please Pray, PLEASE!! Houston is a very special person and we can’t give up on him. Thank You"
BROADWAY BOXING BACK MARCH 5; ***Edgar Santana and Gary Stark to Headline DBE Boxing Series at Manhattan Center***
New York— DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing returns to New York City on Wednesday night March 5 at the Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center. Staten Island featherweight Gary “Kid” Stark (20-2, 8 KO’s) and Spanish Harlem welterweight Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana (22-3, 14 KO’s) will headline the night of exciting boxing action in the heart of Manhattan.
Andre Berto and Gary "Kid" Starks
Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana
Tickets for Broadway Boxing are priced at $150, $100, $80, $60, and $40 and will go on sale in early February. They will be available through DiBella Entertainment by calling (212) 947-2577. For more information on Broadway Boxing, please visit DiBella entertainment on the web at www.dbe1.com.
Contact: Mike Moriarty; DiBella Entertainment (212) 947-2577 mikem@dbe1.com
Malignaggi jump starts 2008; Team Malignaggi media release about IBF junior welterweight Paulie Malignaggi's 2008 start to the 'Year of the Magic Man'
NEW YORK– International Boxing Federation junior welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi has started off the new year in grand fashion, appropriate for one befitting a young world champion with his flamboyant personality and crossover appeal.
First, The Ring magazine selected Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KOs) as its 2007 Comeback of the Year fighter, and then the movie premiere of his life story, “Magic Man: The Paulie Malignaggi Story,” that drew rave reviews on SHOWTIME. Paulie followed that with his first title defense, winning a 12-round unanimous decision January 5 against mandatory challenger Herman “The Black Panther” Ngoudjo on Showtime Championship Boxing at Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City.
The outspoken Brooklyn boxer, rated No. 2 by The Ring, was then the subject of a full page spread (Jan. 10 issue) in the trendy Time Out New York magazine (http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/shopping/25510/rummaging-with). Columnist Kristina Dechter’s “Rummaging with:” column included sidebar pieces on Paulie’s gloves (Everlast), his flex terry headband and Smooth ‘n Shine hair gel, Gleason’s Gym where he trains, his L-R-G Manimal hoodie and favorite pizza (Portobello’s).
The column’s sub-title read: We go to the ropes with a Brooklyn-bred boxer on how to dress, eat and train like a champ. “Known for his smack-spouting mouth and his dramatic entrances, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi brings panache along with jaw-crunching punches in the ring……The photogenic brawler (Malignaggi modeled streetwear for a Playboy fashion shoot last summer) has earned a reputation for his flashy ensembles.”
Then, “The Magic Man” joined New Jersey Governor John S. Corzine for the official ribbon-cutting festivities reopening the Union City Boxing Club.
Malignaggi, an avid soccer fan whose father Nello played pro soccer in Sicily, was honorary captain for the New Jersey Ironmen professional indoor soccer team, participating in the opening kick-off ceremony on Jan. 25.
“It’s been exciting so far,” Malignaggi said. “I’ve started the year off with a bang. We’re on our way to a big year in 2008. We’re going to continue this momentum and have a very successful year. Paulie Malignaggi is on the right path to becoming a household name – always the intent right from the start – in and out of boxing in 2008.”
CONTACT:Bob Trieger, Full Court Press
First, The Ring magazine selected Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KOs) as its 2007 Comeback of the Year fighter, and then the movie premiere of his life story, “Magic Man: The Paulie Malignaggi Story,” that drew rave reviews on SHOWTIME. Paulie followed that with his first title defense, winning a 12-round unanimous decision January 5 against mandatory challenger Herman “The Black Panther” Ngoudjo on Showtime Championship Boxing at Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City.
The outspoken Brooklyn boxer, rated No. 2 by The Ring, was then the subject of a full page spread (Jan. 10 issue) in the trendy Time Out New York magazine (http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/shopping/25510/rummaging-with). Columnist Kristina Dechter’s “Rummaging with:” column included sidebar pieces on Paulie’s gloves (Everlast), his flex terry headband and Smooth ‘n Shine hair gel, Gleason’s Gym where he trains, his L-R-G Manimal hoodie and favorite pizza (Portobello’s).
The column’s sub-title read: We go to the ropes with a Brooklyn-bred boxer on how to dress, eat and train like a champ. “Known for his smack-spouting mouth and his dramatic entrances, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi brings panache along with jaw-crunching punches in the ring……The photogenic brawler (Malignaggi modeled streetwear for a Playboy fashion shoot last summer) has earned a reputation for his flashy ensembles.”
Then, “The Magic Man” joined New Jersey Governor John S. Corzine for the official ribbon-cutting festivities reopening the Union City Boxing Club.
Malignaggi, an avid soccer fan whose father Nello played pro soccer in Sicily, was honorary captain for the New Jersey Ironmen professional indoor soccer team, participating in the opening kick-off ceremony on Jan. 25.
“It’s been exciting so far,” Malignaggi said. “I’ve started the year off with a bang. We’re on our way to a big year in 2008. We’re going to continue this momentum and have a very successful year. Paulie Malignaggi is on the right path to becoming a household name – always the intent right from the start – in and out of boxing in 2008.”
CONTACT:Bob Trieger, Full Court Press
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tank Abbott and Jake Shields will appear on the premiere episode of Inside MMA on HD.net, this Friday, Feb. 1, at 9:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. PT
EliteXC standouts Tank Abbott (tankabbott.proelite.com) and Jake Shields (jakeshields.proelite.com) will appear on the premiere episode of Inside MMA on HD.net, this Friday, Feb. 1, at 9:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. PT.
Tank, a true MMA icon and Hall of Fame talker, will discuss his upcoming, long-awaited showdown with Kimbo Slice (kimboslice.proelite.com) on Saturday, Feb. 16 in Miami on SHOWTIME, while the talented, personable Shields, a streaking, world-ranked welterweight, will talk about his future plans.
Kimbo Slice
The show, which is devoted to strictly Mixed Martial Arts news and events, will air several times. Please go to HD.net (schedules/programs) for replay times.
Tank, a true MMA icon and Hall of Fame talker, will discuss his upcoming, long-awaited showdown with Kimbo Slice (kimboslice.proelite.com) on Saturday, Feb. 16 in Miami on SHOWTIME, while the talented, personable Shields, a streaking, world-ranked welterweight, will talk about his future plans.
Kimbo Slice
The show, which is devoted to strictly Mixed Martial Arts news and events, will air several times. Please go to HD.net (schedules/programs) for replay times.
McGirts chasing history; Team McGirt unbeaten super middleweight prospect James McGirt, Jr. and his father-trainer, James 'Buddy' McGirt
VERO BEACH, Florida– Unbeaten super middleweight prospect James McGirt, Jr. (18-0, 9 KOs) and his father/trainer, James “Buddy” McGirt (73-6-1, 48 KOs), former two-time world champion and 2002 Trainer of the Year, are on a special mission together.
James “Buddy” McGirt (73-6-1, 48 KOs), former two-time world champion and 2002 Trainer of the Year
The McGirts, born and raised in Brentwood (NY) but now living and training in Vero Beach (FL), are trying to become what is believed to be the first family in boxing to feature father-son world champions with the former working his “blood” son’s corner as head trainer when the latter captures a major world title.
Two-time world heavyweight title-holder (1956-59, 1960-62) Floyd Patterson was the head trainer of his adopted son, Tracy Harris Patterson, who won the world super bantamweight (1992-94) and super featherweight champ (1995).
“That’s our mission,” James explained. “Even though we train everyday for my next fight, becoming world champion has never left my side. We’re working hard to make history. Without a doubt I’m preparing to be world champion. My father was a world champion and I’ve sparred with many world champions. Those experiences have helped me so much; I feed off of it. I haven’t won a world title but being around the sport for so long, I’ve been surrounded by world champions and top contenders. I’ve loved boxing since I was a little kid.”
McGirt has gradually moved up in the ratings, currently No. 26 in the WBC, as well as No. 8 by the USBA, No. 9 by the NABF, No. 14 by the NABO and No. 15 by the NABA.
“I’m in the gym sparring with world champions and, even though I know sparring isn’t like fighting, I hold my own,” James added. “I’m strong, calm and relaxed. Making 168 (pounds) is so much easier than fighting as a middleweight. The extra 5-8 pounds makes it so much easier on my body. I’ll be fighting 10-rounders this year and I should get a title shot next year. My father and I are going to make history.”
McGirt’s manager, Dennis Witherow, believes James will make history. “If you watch these two (James and Buddy) in the training and spend time with them in the gym,” Witherow remarked,” you can feel something special. “We have put together Team McGirt like a
business plan. We’ve found the best chemistry for all facets of this business. It started with us find the right promoter, Lou DiBella, who has been great helping us guide us to where we need to be. We have the right chemistry in our corner for each and every fight. As part of our plan, we now have James working with a strength-and-conditioning coach.
“Then, of course, you have Buddy as James’ head trainer. I want to repeat that – Buddy is James’ trainer. Yes, he is his father, but in the gym and in this sport, Buddy knows his job is to train his fighters to the best of their ability. That is exactly what he does with James. In this sport there is a tremendous value when a trainer can identify the natural talents of his fighter and then expand as well as build those talents. Buddy has done that with James, who is a very talented boxer. He has great boxing skills and also the ability to identify the weaknesses of his opponents. James didn’t enter this sport with those abilities; he learned them from his trainer, Buddy McGirt. Our team realizes what each of our jobs is and the rest is up to James. Do I believe James and Buddy will make boxing history? Yes, without a doubt.”
McGirt, who feels that his next fight will be in mid-March on national television, plans on making boxing history with his dad, Buddy.
CONTACT: Bob Trieger, Full Court Press
James “Buddy” McGirt (73-6-1, 48 KOs), former two-time world champion and 2002 Trainer of the Year
The McGirts, born and raised in Brentwood (NY) but now living and training in Vero Beach (FL), are trying to become what is believed to be the first family in boxing to feature father-son world champions with the former working his “blood” son’s corner as head trainer when the latter captures a major world title.
Two-time world heavyweight title-holder (1956-59, 1960-62) Floyd Patterson was the head trainer of his adopted son, Tracy Harris Patterson, who won the world super bantamweight (1992-94) and super featherweight champ (1995).
“That’s our mission,” James explained. “Even though we train everyday for my next fight, becoming world champion has never left my side. We’re working hard to make history. Without a doubt I’m preparing to be world champion. My father was a world champion and I’ve sparred with many world champions. Those experiences have helped me so much; I feed off of it. I haven’t won a world title but being around the sport for so long, I’ve been surrounded by world champions and top contenders. I’ve loved boxing since I was a little kid.”
McGirt has gradually moved up in the ratings, currently No. 26 in the WBC, as well as No. 8 by the USBA, No. 9 by the NABF, No. 14 by the NABO and No. 15 by the NABA.
“I’m in the gym sparring with world champions and, even though I know sparring isn’t like fighting, I hold my own,” James added. “I’m strong, calm and relaxed. Making 168 (pounds) is so much easier than fighting as a middleweight. The extra 5-8 pounds makes it so much easier on my body. I’ll be fighting 10-rounders this year and I should get a title shot next year. My father and I are going to make history.”
McGirt’s manager, Dennis Witherow, believes James will make history. “If you watch these two (James and Buddy) in the training and spend time with them in the gym,” Witherow remarked,” you can feel something special. “We have put together Team McGirt like a
business plan. We’ve found the best chemistry for all facets of this business. It started with us find the right promoter, Lou DiBella, who has been great helping us guide us to where we need to be. We have the right chemistry in our corner for each and every fight. As part of our plan, we now have James working with a strength-and-conditioning coach.
“Then, of course, you have Buddy as James’ head trainer. I want to repeat that – Buddy is James’ trainer. Yes, he is his father, but in the gym and in this sport, Buddy knows his job is to train his fighters to the best of their ability. That is exactly what he does with James. In this sport there is a tremendous value when a trainer can identify the natural talents of his fighter and then expand as well as build those talents. Buddy has done that with James, who is a very talented boxer. He has great boxing skills and also the ability to identify the weaknesses of his opponents. James didn’t enter this sport with those abilities; he learned them from his trainer, Buddy McGirt. Our team realizes what each of our jobs is and the rest is up to James. Do I believe James and Buddy will make boxing history? Yes, without a doubt.”
McGirt, who feels that his next fight will be in mid-March on national television, plans on making boxing history with his dad, Buddy.
CONTACT: Bob Trieger, Full Court Press
NO HOLDS BARRED: Frank Shamrock
NO HOLDS BARRED: Frank Shamrock
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-01-29T13_41_51-08_00
On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on the announcement Tuesday that Bob Meyrowitz, the former CEO of Semaphore Entertainment Group, which produced the original, classic UFC events from 1993 to 2001, is returning to mixed martial arts. His new league is called YAMMA Pit Fighting (YPF), and will be debuting Friday, April 11, 2008, at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a pay-per-view show (http://adcombat.com/Article.asp?Article_ID=14768).
In the main part of this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, we speak with mixed martial arts legend Frank Shamrock (http://frankshamrock.com/).
In a lengthy interview, Frank discusses why he has not signed and will not sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC); the need for fighters to defend their rights, embrace their own brands, and be built as stars; how mixed martial arts is regressing in technique; art and professional athleticism in MMA; how good a fighter he believes he is today; his upcoming fight with Cung Le March 29; the likelihood of a fight with his older brother, Ken Shamrock; the future of the latest wave of MMA companies; the possibility of a rematch with Tito Ortiz once his contract with UFC is over; Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Willie Nelson, and country music; 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/).
Make sure to check out my regular weekly boxing show SecondsOut Radio. On this week's edition, we begin by discussing some of the social implications of the rise to prominence of fighters from the countries of the former Soviet Union. Two of those fighters, IBF junior bantamweight champion Dimitri Kirilov (29-3, 9 KOs) of St. Petersburg, Russia, and unbeaten junior welterweight Dmitriy Salita (27-0-1, 15 KOs), originally from Odessa, Ukraine, will be headlining a card Thursday, February 28, at the Roseland Ballroom in New York. In the main event, Kirilov will be making the first defense of his title, facing Mexican fighter Cecilio Santos (22-8-2, 12 KOs). In the co-feature, Salita will be fighting an opponent yet to be named. We spoke with both Dimitri Kirilov and Dmitriy Salita at a news conference in New York this past week about their upcoming fights and their careers. It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register to gain access to it. Just click here, http://www.secondsout.com/radio/, and listen, learn, and enjoy.
Make sure to check out my regular articles on the ADCC News at http://www.adcombat.com and on FightBeat.com at http://fightbeat.com.
NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Art of War (http://www.artofwarlive.com), the undisputed arena fighting championship, promoted by SUN Sports and Entertainment, producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information, check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com (http://www.artofwarlive.com).
IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/), the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/1636002) in the U.S., and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, at http://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html.
Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/).
BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/).
FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred blog
http://nhbnews.blogspot.com/
No Holds Barred podcast
http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/
No Holds Barred on MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/nhbnews
Enjoy!
Monday, January 28, 2008
John 'The Quietman' Ruiz' next fight against Jameel McCline on March 8 in Cancun
LAS VEGAS– Two-time WBA heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz (42-7-1, 29 KOs), rated No. 3 by the WBA and No. 6 by the WBC, returns to the ring March 8 against Jameel “Big Time” McCline on the Oleg Maskaev-Samuel Peter card in Cancun, Mexico.
Jameel “Big Time” McCline
“I’m getting ready to clean-up the heavyweight division, starting March 8 with McCline, and then I want the Maskaev-Peter winner,” Ruiz said from his Las Vegas training camp with head trainer Manny Siaca, Sr. “McCline almost beat Peter in his last fight and he’s a lot better than some people give him credit for. He floored Peter three times but we’ll see how tough he is on March 8.
In his last fight, Ruiz stopped Otis Tisdale in the second round of their October 13 bout in Chicago, which marked the first time since 1999 that “The Quietman” fought an opponent who wasn’t a world champion, former title-holder, or rated in the top 10.
“I’ve always wanted to fight in Puerto Rico,” the first and only Hispanic heavyweight champion remarked. “We just haven’t had the right opportunity, yet. But I’m looking forward to fighting in front of all the Latinos at this fight in Cancun.”
Ruiz, who has fought in 11 world championship fights (including one interim and one eliminator), has beaten three world heavyweight champions -- Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman and Tony Tucker – as well as top contenders Andrew Golota, Fres Oquendo and Kirk Johnson during his 15-year pro career.
McCline (38-8-3, 23 KOs) is a three-time world title challenger, currently rated No. 9 by the WBC and No. 14 by the WBO, who has defeated former world champion Shannon Briggs.
CONTACT: Bob Trieger, Full Court Press
Jameel “Big Time” McCline
“I’m getting ready to clean-up the heavyweight division, starting March 8 with McCline, and then I want the Maskaev-Peter winner,” Ruiz said from his Las Vegas training camp with head trainer Manny Siaca, Sr. “McCline almost beat Peter in his last fight and he’s a lot better than some people give him credit for. He floored Peter three times but we’ll see how tough he is on March 8.
In his last fight, Ruiz stopped Otis Tisdale in the second round of their October 13 bout in Chicago, which marked the first time since 1999 that “The Quietman” fought an opponent who wasn’t a world champion, former title-holder, or rated in the top 10.
“I’ve always wanted to fight in Puerto Rico,” the first and only Hispanic heavyweight champion remarked. “We just haven’t had the right opportunity, yet. But I’m looking forward to fighting in front of all the Latinos at this fight in Cancun.”
Ruiz, who has fought in 11 world championship fights (including one interim and one eliminator), has beaten three world heavyweight champions -- Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman and Tony Tucker – as well as top contenders Andrew Golota, Fres Oquendo and Kirk Johnson during his 15-year pro career.
McCline (38-8-3, 23 KOs) is a three-time world title challenger, currently rated No. 9 by the WBC and No. 14 by the WBO, who has defeated former world champion Shannon Briggs.
CONTACT: Bob Trieger, Full Court Press
Bernard Fernandez: Olympic Education Center KO'd by budget cuts
Bernard Fernandez: Olympic Education Center KO'd by budget cuts
Philadelphia Daily News
IN THE END, it came down to a matter of dollars and cents. Doesn't it always?
The 20-year-old boxing program at Northern Michigan University's U.S. Olympic Education Center more or less ended on Jan. 14, when budget cuts prevented the continued enrollment of 14 student-boxers whose scholarships no longer would be funded. But the official end of a grand experiment that produced 12 Olympians, 97 U.S. national amateur champions and numerous out-of-the-ring success stories doesn't come until Thursday, when head coach Al Mitchell and assistant coach David Reid, America's only gold medalist in boxing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, go off salary.
"The program is about boxing, of course, but it's about more than that," said Mitchell, the 1996 U.S. Olympic boxing coach and a native of North Philadelphia as is his most famous pupil, Reid, who went on to win the WBA super welterweight championship. "These are inner-city kids we're talking about. Numerous guys got their degrees here. Almost 100 percent at least graduated from high school. Three or four of our athletes became teachers. One is a principal. Several others are coaches. We've had athletes go on to own their own businesses, or learn a trade."
Mitchell, 64, and Reid, 34, intend to remain in Marquette, Mich., training amateur boxers at the new Ringside Gym that is being funded in large part by Ringside, a Lenexa, Kan.-based boxing equipment company. One of Ringside's executives is Dave Lubs, who founded the boxing program at NMU in 1987 and served as its first director.
But Mitchell can't say for sure how many of his amateurs from the recently ended semester can afford to remain in the area without subsidies, or how many more from around the nation will arrive minus the inducement of paid educational benefits.
"I keep hearing that they might bring the program back in September, but I don't know if it'll happen," Mitchell said. "The handwriting had been on the wall for a few years now.
"I've got four kids who borrowed money so they could stay up here. I'm still training them. But I suppose if it came to that, I could go back to training pros."
Lubs is more optimistic that the program can be salvaged.
"I refuse to believe it's gone forever," he said. "I'm optimistic that everything will be back in place by next semester.
"The whole idea when we started this thing was to prepare these kids for life after boxing. We knew we'd have an opportunity to build better boxers, but a lot of these kids graduated from high school and went further with their education.
"What irks me is that local review committees all around the country have made recommendations that there should be more of these programs. So what happens? The first thing they do when there's a financial crunch is to shut down the one they have. It just doesn't make sense."
The Olympic Education Center is the result of a partnership between NMU and the U.S. Olympic Committee. In addition to boxing, Olympic sports whose participant-athletes' costs are picked up in part by the university are men's Greco-Roman wrestling, women's freestyle wrestling, men's and women's short-track speedskating and men's and women's weightlifting.
But NMU annually shells out just $20,000 for coaches in those other sports (everything above that is paid by the respective sport's national governing body), as opposed to $110,000 for boxing. And with appropriations for educational institutions in Michigan shrinking yearly since 2003, it became increasingly evident that funding for some programs would be slashed or eliminated altogether.
"The outlay for boxing was significant - 5 1/2 times what it was for our other sports," said Jeff Kleinschmidt, the director of the Olympic Training Center. "We went to USA Boxing and said that we no longer could continue to pay the coaches' salaries at that level. We asked USA Boxing to pick up the difference so that we could be consistent with our other sports. Their response was that they supported the program and wanted to see it continue, but they were unable to furnish the funds needed within the specified time frame.
"Since the coaches are actually employees of Northern Michigan, and the university has rules regarding layoffs, we had to proceed with notifying the coaches of their layoffs in a timely manner."
No coaches, of course, meant the end of subsidies for boxers and the suspension, if not termination, of the program.
Kleinschmidt, like Mitchell and Lubs, is hopeful boxing at NMU can be revived, for altruistic as well as for practical reasons.
"Four members of the 2000 U.S. Olympic boxing team, fully one-third of the squad, came from here," he noted. "But the program was never just about producing Olympians. The educational aspects are just as important."
You don't have to tell that to Ron Aurit, a Philadelphia boxing coach and referee whose Boxing Scholarship Foundation had hoped to place two promising amateurs at NMU.
"That program was their chance for a better life," Aurit said. *
Send e-mail to fernanb@phillynews.com
Philadelphia Daily News
IN THE END, it came down to a matter of dollars and cents. Doesn't it always?
The 20-year-old boxing program at Northern Michigan University's U.S. Olympic Education Center more or less ended on Jan. 14, when budget cuts prevented the continued enrollment of 14 student-boxers whose scholarships no longer would be funded. But the official end of a grand experiment that produced 12 Olympians, 97 U.S. national amateur champions and numerous out-of-the-ring success stories doesn't come until Thursday, when head coach Al Mitchell and assistant coach David Reid, America's only gold medalist in boxing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, go off salary.
"The program is about boxing, of course, but it's about more than that," said Mitchell, the 1996 U.S. Olympic boxing coach and a native of North Philadelphia as is his most famous pupil, Reid, who went on to win the WBA super welterweight championship. "These are inner-city kids we're talking about. Numerous guys got their degrees here. Almost 100 percent at least graduated from high school. Three or four of our athletes became teachers. One is a principal. Several others are coaches. We've had athletes go on to own their own businesses, or learn a trade."
Mitchell, 64, and Reid, 34, intend to remain in Marquette, Mich., training amateur boxers at the new Ringside Gym that is being funded in large part by Ringside, a Lenexa, Kan.-based boxing equipment company. One of Ringside's executives is Dave Lubs, who founded the boxing program at NMU in 1987 and served as its first director.
But Mitchell can't say for sure how many of his amateurs from the recently ended semester can afford to remain in the area without subsidies, or how many more from around the nation will arrive minus the inducement of paid educational benefits.
"I keep hearing that they might bring the program back in September, but I don't know if it'll happen," Mitchell said. "The handwriting had been on the wall for a few years now.
"I've got four kids who borrowed money so they could stay up here. I'm still training them. But I suppose if it came to that, I could go back to training pros."
Lubs is more optimistic that the program can be salvaged.
"I refuse to believe it's gone forever," he said. "I'm optimistic that everything will be back in place by next semester.
"The whole idea when we started this thing was to prepare these kids for life after boxing. We knew we'd have an opportunity to build better boxers, but a lot of these kids graduated from high school and went further with their education.
"What irks me is that local review committees all around the country have made recommendations that there should be more of these programs. So what happens? The first thing they do when there's a financial crunch is to shut down the one they have. It just doesn't make sense."
The Olympic Education Center is the result of a partnership between NMU and the U.S. Olympic Committee. In addition to boxing, Olympic sports whose participant-athletes' costs are picked up in part by the university are men's Greco-Roman wrestling, women's freestyle wrestling, men's and women's short-track speedskating and men's and women's weightlifting.
But NMU annually shells out just $20,000 for coaches in those other sports (everything above that is paid by the respective sport's national governing body), as opposed to $110,000 for boxing. And with appropriations for educational institutions in Michigan shrinking yearly since 2003, it became increasingly evident that funding for some programs would be slashed or eliminated altogether.
"The outlay for boxing was significant - 5 1/2 times what it was for our other sports," said Jeff Kleinschmidt, the director of the Olympic Training Center. "We went to USA Boxing and said that we no longer could continue to pay the coaches' salaries at that level. We asked USA Boxing to pick up the difference so that we could be consistent with our other sports. Their response was that they supported the program and wanted to see it continue, but they were unable to furnish the funds needed within the specified time frame.
"Since the coaches are actually employees of Northern Michigan, and the university has rules regarding layoffs, we had to proceed with notifying the coaches of their layoffs in a timely manner."
No coaches, of course, meant the end of subsidies for boxers and the suspension, if not termination, of the program.
Kleinschmidt, like Mitchell and Lubs, is hopeful boxing at NMU can be revived, for altruistic as well as for practical reasons.
"Four members of the 2000 U.S. Olympic boxing team, fully one-third of the squad, came from here," he noted. "But the program was never just about producing Olympians. The educational aspects are just as important."
You don't have to tell that to Ron Aurit, a Philadelphia boxing coach and referee whose Boxing Scholarship Foundation had hoped to place two promising amateurs at NMU.
"That program was their chance for a better life," Aurit said. *
Send e-mail to fernanb@phillynews.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)