17TH ANNUAL SPORTS LEGENDS AWARDS, PRESENTED BY THE PARALYSIS PROJECT OF AMERICA

LOS ANGELES – Basketball’s Kevin Johnson, boxing’s Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, hockey’s Luc Robitaille and thoroughbred racing’s Jose Santos returned to the limelight on Saturday, Feb. 23, when these memorable sports superstars were honored and their spectacular careers celebrated at the 17th Annual Sports Legends Awards at The Omni Hotel in Los Angeles.

Pictured (from left): Kevin Johnson (basketball, 2008 John R. Wooden Lifetime Achievement Award), Luc Robitaille (hockey), David Bailey (2008 Bill Shoemaker Award for Media Awareness), Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini (boxing) and Jose Santos (thoroughbred racing).



Also being honored will be Hall of Fame motocross champion and ESPN Supercross analyst David Bailey, who received the 2008 Bill Shoemaker Award for media awareness of the spinal cord injured and for his public advocacy for a revolutionary new safety device to be worn by motocross racers – the Leatt Brace.

2008 Sports Legends Awards honoree Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini .


Johnson was presented with the annual John R. Wooden Lifetime Achievement Award. The Paralysis Project of America’s annual awards ceremony, benefiting spinal cord research, was hosted by veteran sportscaster and sportswriter Diana Nyad, a Hall of Fame distance swimming standout in her own right, who was an honoree in 2007.

2008 Sports Legends Awards honoree Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini .

Fight and Film; Love Ranch

Vazquez-Marquez III; The scheduled 12-round slugfest will air live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at 9 p.m. ET/PT this Saturday, March 1

Vazquez-Marquez III; Will take place this Saturday, March 1, live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at 9 p.m. ET/PT(delayed on the west coast).
Photos: JORGE GARCIA

Vazquez-Marquez III, promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, in association with Sycuan Ringside Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Romanza Boxing Productions, will take place this Saturday, March 1, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Doors open at 4 o’clock. The first fight is at 4:15. Vazquez-Marquez goes live at 6 p.m. PT.

The scheduled 12-round slugfest will air live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at 9 p.m. ET/PT Vazquez-Marquez I and II produced the most exciting, bloody, give-and-take slugfests of 2007, with the second bout winning Fight of the Year and Round of the Year honors. Now the Mexican warriors face each other in the final battle for honor, pride and 122-pound supremacy on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT delayed on the west coast).

Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez participated in a public open media workout Monday as they continue to wind down preparations for their highly anticipated rubber match, “Final Confrontation” for the WBC/The Ring Magazine super bantamweight title this Saturday, March 1, at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

ISRAEL VAZQUEZ



“This is a fight the fans have been waiting for and the press has been waiting for and one I know I have been waiting for. Saturday is going to be a great night for boxing.

“I have faced other great fighters in my career. I have had some rough fights against Jhonny Gonzalez and Oscar Larios, but because of the intensity of the two matches against Marquez and the way our fighting styles are, this is an all time classic.

“It is very exciting for me to think of this trilogy and to think that a victory will carry me to the next level as a fighter.

“If he wants to beat me he has to fight me blow-by-blow. No other way around it. But I will not give him that opportunity.

“If I had revenge on my mind the second time around, you can bet that now I want to make sure that everybody knows that I am the best of the two.



“Honestly, I never expected to lose to Marquez (in the first fight). No disrespect to him, but the idea never crossed my mind. I never imagined he could beat me.

“I remember that early on he caught me with a right hand shot that made it impossible for me to breathe through my nose. As the rounds progressed, I felt like I was boxing inside a swimming pool, without any air coming in.

“I sat on my stool and thought about continuing but I realized that this is a sport and that I could have a better day some other time.

“Some of my fans understood my decision; others did not. Some media members said I was a quitter and that I could have continued. I wanted to prove to all of those who doubted me that I was more than capable to beat Marquez.

“(But) I did not put any pressure on myself to beat him the second time around. The only feeling I had was the need for revenge.



“I really wanted to show the world I was stronger and better than Marquez; that my strategy and conditioning would be too much for over him. I was so excited when the referee stopped the fight and I won. I was screaming like crazy because everything worked out that night.

“(Trainer) Rudy Perez became a part of my team before the second fight against Marquez and we only had a few weeks to know each other and work together.

“But now we have adjusted and jelled very well. He is a great tactician and I am learning a lot of different things from him that have helped me.

“His strategy for Saturday will be a very good one. But it will be up to me to carry it out.’’

“Marquez is going to have to fight me, but I will push him around. I will put pressure on him to get him off his rhythm, to make him change his strategy.

With much of their serious training concluded, the always gracious and classy Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez took part in a light open media workout Monday in South El Monte, Calif. Both world-class boxers were confident, relaxed and in good spirits as they met the media.

RAFAEL MARQUEZ

“I am at my best ever and feel really great. I am coming off an excellent training camp. I am really anxious for Saturday to get here and ready to give a better performance than I did in my last fight against Vazquez.

"I feel different for this fight. I know this.is something special that we are doing and because of that I trained even harder. "I am always confident but since losing I changed things around so I would feel more focused.

“I never make excuses or blame anybody for what happens to me in the ring. But I lost focus during the last fight. I know I did not underestimate Vazquez.
“But I made mistakes I don’t usually make. I never leave myself open with my hands down the way I did in our rematch. I had to review the tape to realize the mistakes I made. I didn’t do what I had to do in the ring. It was many things.



“Of course, it was a tough loss. Nobody wants to lose, especially in a world title fight. But I have moved past that fight and am ready to do it one more time.
“One thing’s for sure: If either of us makes a mistake on Saturday, it will be very costly and the other will make him pay for it.

“I know the last time that I had him hurt in the second and third rounds. (But) when I saw that he was hurt, I got anxious for the win. I became careless.
“Still, I was very surprised that the referee let the fight keep going when he was hurt. I knew Israel was hurt and I kept throwing punches, but the referee didn’t do anything about it.



“When the referee finally did stop the fight, I thought he was stopping it to save Vazquez from more punches. I didn’t think he was stopping it for me.
“The referee’s decision to stop the fight when he did bothered me. I was still throwing punches.

“(But) I did learn something from the loss. I learned that for this fight, I need to box intelligently in order to win.

“This fight definitely has the possibility of being better than the last two.’’
The showdown is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, in association with Sycuan Ringside Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Romanza Boxing Productions.

Tickets, priced at $300, $150, $75, $50 and $25, may be purchased at The Home Depot Center Box Office, open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, at all Ticketmaster retail ticket locations, as well as http://www.ticketmaster.com/ and Ticketmaster-Charge-by-Phone, by calling 213-480-3232. Doors open at 4 o’clock. The first fight is at 4:15. Vazquez-Marquez goes live at 6 p.m. PT.

Premiere of The Truth of Petey Greene, w Don Cheadle, Chuck Brown, Mario‏

The "Sweet" Resurrection of Reggie Johnson‏; By Michael J. Campbell

By Michael J. Campbell
Photos Compliments of J and P

Reggie Johnson 2008 IBA Champ! THROWBACKS VS YOUNGBLOODS (JOHNSON VS GONZALEZ)‏

“Sweet” Reggie Johnson of Houston, Texas, said he wasn’t on a “comeback,” but rather was in need of some “get back” and returned to the ring for some unfinished business. Titles at middleweight and light heavyweight and 25 world title contests couldn’t satiate his desire to fight and after long contract disputes and wanting to “do things his way,” he finally got another big fight after a two and a half year layoff.

This was a hard fight...almost brutal at times...It appeared that Gonzalez had under-estimated Johnson, as I saw surprise and pain in his face from the start of the first bell...



A scheduled contest with top ranked “Gentleman” Glen Johnson was cancelled last November due to and arm injury suffered by Reggie during preparations. Three months later, Glen is scheduled to fight WBC champ Chad Dawson, and former WBO champion Mexican Julio Gonzalez, of Huntington Beach, California, stepped in to battle for the IBA Light Heavyweight Title.

Johnson came in via an extended ring walk, circling the arena, wearing a plain grey sweatshirt and knit cap, giving a very working man impression. When the bell sounded to begin action, Johnson charged across the ring scoring combinations and attacking the body from his southpaw stance. Rope burns and evidence of body punches were already apparent on Gonzalez’s back by the end of the first round.

OUCH! One heck-of-a head-butt in round 2...


The forty-one year old former champion demonstrated that his skills were still sharp in making Gonzalez miss many of his punches with superior speed and head movement. Gonzalez came forward constantly though and never lessened his work rate, which began to turn the bout his way as Johnson’s body attack disappeared. “I tweaked my left shoulder in the fourth or fifth round and I couldn’t utilize my left hand as much,” Johnson revealed after the bout.

The middle rounds saw Gonzalez outwork Johnson, whose elusiveness became less effective. Other than a good shot to the ear which staggered Gonzalez momentarily in the seventh round, rounds five thru nine were mostly Julio pushing Reggie into the ropes and landing the bigger punches.

In the tenth, Johnson had his biggest round of the evening landing multiple series of 1-2 combinations which went unanswered from Gonzalez and control of the bout’s pace had turned. The remainder of the contest saw Gonzalez wanting to engage in toe to toe action, while Johnson preferred to evade the initial attempts and draw his foe in for counterpunches, loading up for big power shots seeming to desire a knockdown or even stoppage.

In the end, it was a very tightly scored bout from which the judges had to decide between Gonzalez’s superior aggressiveness and high workrate which controlled the action and pace of the bout, or prefer Johnson’s great head movement, defense, and slicker boxing.

The referee for the bout was Rick Exe. Judge Mickey Lofton scored the bout 116-112 for Johnson, while judge Ray Clarey scored it 116-112 for Gonzalez, and judge Kenny Saintes scored it 115-113 for Johnson, resulting in a Split Decision victory for Reggie Johnson.

Julio Gonzalez commiserated, “I felt I won the fight. He won four rounds at most. It was completely obvious. I’m not afraid to go into anyone’s hometown to fight, but I just want a fair decision. Reggie, you said you’d give me a rematch, but let’s do it in California!”

Jesse Reid, James Green, and Bobby Benton worked Johnson’s corner.
Always one who gave back to his community, Johnson utilized local sparring in Houston and brought young prospects from Houston area gyms to fill out the undercard.
In the co-main event, Houston’s Maurenzo “T-Diddy” Smith engaged in a six round contest with comebacking veteran James “Machine Gun” Gatlin of Atlanta. After a long period of inactivity, Gatlin seemed ill-prepared to go the distance. Smith was able to have his will with him and land any shots he so desired. Gatlin was gassed and relied on the strategy of trying to draw Smith in and load up with one big shot. He didn’t land many and when they did, they did little damage. The referee called an end to the one sided affair midway through the final round. Smith now looks to contend for the Texas cruiserweight title in a bout which would complete his trilogy with rival “Crazy” Robbie McClimmans of Conroe.

“Mean” Eugene Hill of Dickinson, Texas, moved to 10-0 disposing of Rozell Traylor in the first round. Last year Traylor dropped his pro debut to Hill by second round TKO. With three more fights under his belt and coming off a victory, Traylor attempted to avenge his loss. Hill wanted to top his previous performance and did just that, knocking out his foe just before the end of the first round. He demonstrated his maturation as a fighter in remaining patient and focused during the bout. He cornered Traylor on the ropes and put him down twice with well placed combinations. The first time he bounced back up, but the on the second occasion, the referee counted him out.

Lafayette, Lousiana’s, Wilford Sypion, Jr. remained perfect in gaining his fourth knockout victory in as many tries. He is the son of the legendary middleweight who had memorable bouts with Marvin Hagler, Iran Barkley, Mustafa Hamsho, & Frankie Fletcher. With his opponent putting up little resistance, Sypion landed combinations and attacked the body, resulting in scored knockdowns in rounds one and three before referee Kenny Saintes had seen enough.



2007 Texas Golden Gloves champion Justin Jones of Houston, picked up his second victory scoring a shutout over Kirby Gillespie of Dallas. Jones boxed well, breaking through Gillespie’s jabs and clutching tactics to land flurries and body shots.

Houston heavyweight Herman “Skip” Scott received his 2nd victory by way of TKO when referee Rick Exe decided that Charles Scott’s activity level wasn’t at a high enough level for the bout to continue. Skip held a huge height and reach advantage over Charles.

Mike Martinez made quick work of Jerrick Stephens winning via first round stoppage.
The bouts will be delay broadcast online from the website http://www.greenplanetmobile.com/ .

HAYNES TO REPLACE RADACH FOR XTREME COUTURE CAMP AT IFL EVENT IN ORLEANS ARENA IN LAS VEGAS Neck Injury Sidelines Middleweight Star

UFC Veteran Haynes To Battle IFL Newcomer Serao at 185 lbs. on Feb. 29 NEW YORK and LAS VEGAS, February 12, 2008 – MMA veteran Josh “Bring the Pain” Haynes (Las Vegas), who has competed for a dozen professional mixed martial arts organizations, including the UFC, will compete at 185-lb. against Leopoldo Serao (San Francisco) at the International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI) event at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, February 29.

Haynes replaces popular IFL star Benji Radach (Deerfield Beach, Fla.), who suffered a neck injury in training and will be out of action indefinitely. Haynes, who has competed on the pro MMA circuit since 2002, is perhaps best known for his time on “The Ultimate Fighter 3” television program in 2006, in which he advanced to the finals. On Feb. 29, he will compete for his camp, Xtreme Couture, against World Class Fight Center’s Serao. “It’s a fantastic opportunity.

I’ve wanted to fight for the IFL for a little while,” said Haynes. “Ever since I left the UFC it’s been something I’ve wanted to do, and I think the matchup is fantastic. I love the opportunity to represent my gym. I’ve got a great camp and I think this guy is going to be unpleasantly surprised.”

The Xtreme Couture-World Class Fight Center matchup also features bouts between Lew Polley and Alexandre Ferreira, as well as Rafael Dias and Santino DeFranco. Also on the card, Team Quest, coached by Matt Lindland, faces Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den, with title fights between lightweight champ Ryan Schultz and John Gunderson, heavyweight title holder Roy Nelson taking on Fabiano Scherner, and middleweight belt holder Matt Horwich facing Miletich fighter Ryan McGivern.

Tickets are available at www.orleansarena.com, all Coast Casino box offices, The Galleria at Sunset, by calling 702-284-7777 or by visiting www.ifl.tv. IFL Las VegasFriday, February 29, 2008 Preliminary Bout145 lbs.: Ian Loveland (Portland, Ore.) (0-2 IFL, 8-7 overall MMA) vs. Dennis Davis (Las Vegas) (0-0, 13-6) Team Xtreme Couture vs. MMA Top Team (Mario Sperry)145 lbs.: Santino Defranco (Tempe, Ariz.) (0-0, 10-3) vs. Rafael Dias (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (0-0, 8-3-1)185 lbs.: Josh Haynes (Las Vegas) (0-0, 8-9) vs. Leopoldo Serao (San Francisco) (0-0, 11-6)205 lbs.: Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (0-0, 6-0) vs. Alexandre Ferreira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (0-0, 15-5) Team Quest (Matt Lindland) vs. Lions Den (Ken Shamrock)170 lbs.: Jake Ellenberger (Omaha, Neb.) (2-2, 16-3) vs. Pat Healy (St. Louis) (2-1, 18-12)*155 lbs.: **Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) (5-2, 18-9-1) vs. John Gunderson (Medford, Ore.) (2-2, 15-5)*265 lbs.: **Roy Nelson (Las Vegas) (4-1, 11-2) vs. Fabiano Scherner (Portland, Ore.) (0-0, 7-5) Championship Bout*185 lbs.: Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) (5-4, 11-5) vs. **Matt Horwich (Portland, Ore.) (6-3, 21-9-1) *Championship Bout**Current Titleholder About the IFL International Fight League™ (IFL) has its headquarters in New York and offices in Las Vegas. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv.

BROADWAY BOXING BACK MARCH 5; Gary Stark and Edgar Santana to Headline DBE Boxing Series at Manhattan Center

BROADWAY BOXING BACK MARCH 5; Gary Stark and Edgar Santana to Headline DBE Boxing Series at Manhattan Center



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.

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

"Johnson vs. Gonzalez"; Tickets Moving Fast in Lake Charles!

Ticket for Saturday’s “Johnson vs. Gonzalez” Fight Night for Climate Change at the Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana, are selling quickly, as anticipation builds for the all-action light heavyweight shootout.

“Most of the premium seating is gone,” revealed event co-promoter Kerry Daigle. “We’ve got a very limited number of ringside seats left; most of the front rows are gone. But the real surprise has been the number of blue collar boxing fans bringing their families out for a night at the fights. We’ve sold an amazing number of $50, $30 and $15 seats for this fight.”

Boxing maintains a high level of popularity in “The Pelican State” and now that national promoters have begun teaming with local promotional outfits and bringing in world-class fighters, Louisiana has suddenly become a very viable option for top-level professional boxing.

Add in that former light heavyweight champion and main event participant Reggie “Sweet” Johnson has moved his base of operations and become a local celebrity and the recipe is there for a hugely successful event.

“The last thing we want to see is some kid going to his first live boxing event get turned away at the door,” concludes Daigle. “We’re advising everyone to get their tickets in advance to be certain they’ll get a seat.”

Tickets for the February 23 "Johnson vs. Gonzalez" Fight Night for Climate Change are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets and the Lake Charles Civic Center Box Office (call 337.491.1432) and are priced at $200 (Limited Ringside Seats); $125 (Floor Seats); $48.50 (Floor Riser Seats); $48.50 (Gold 100 Level Seats); $32.50 (Silver 200 Level Seats); and $15 (Bronze 300 Level, General Admission Seats). For more information, go to
http://www.keeppunching.com/

Klitschko-Ibragimov

ESPN2 FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS TRAVELS TO LOUISIANA; TOP CONTENDERS POWELL AND GREEN IN ACTION IN DOUBLEHEADER ON FEBRUARY 29TH

TOP CONTENDERS POWELL AND GREEN IN ACTION IN DOUBLEHEADER ON FEBRUARY 29TH
HOLLYWOOD, FL.– When boxing’s premier promotional companies join forces, fight fans become the true winners when it comes to action-packed nights of fistic fury. On Friday, February 29th Seminole Warriors Boxing and Keep Punching Entertainment will team up once again, along with Tony Holden Productions, for another great night of fights at the Paragon Casino & Resort in Marksville, Louisiana, featuring a double main event to be televised live on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights.

In the first half of this doubleheader, number one IBF junior middleweight contender Sechew ‘Iron Horse’ Powell will look to keep his 2008 title shot intact when he takes on unbeaten banger Kevin Finley. But that’s not all, as highly regarded super middleweight standout Allan Green puts his three fight winning streak on the line against exciting Colombian Samuel Miller in the co-featured main event bout.
Both fights are scheduled for 10 rounds. The ESPN2 broadcast is scheduled to begin at 9pm ET / 6pm PT.

“We’ve always lived up to our philosophy of doing whatever it takes to put on the best fight cards for the fans, and that means teaming up with similar-minded promoters like Keep Punching Entertainment and Tony Holden Productions,” said Leon Margules, Executive Director of Seminole Warriors Boxing. “February 29th is no exception and we should be in for a great night when two of boxing’s brightest stars, Sechew Powell and Allan Green, take on tough competition on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights.”

“Allan Green and Sechew Powell are top contenders in their weight classes, but to their credit, they’re not taking on any easy marks in Kevin Finley and Samuel Miller,” said Kerry Daigle, Director of boxing for Keep Punching Entertainment. “Both guys are in tough, and the fans are going to love this show from start to finish because we’ve worked overtime with Seminole Warriors Boxing and Tony Holden Productions to bring the best of the fight game to the Paragon Casino & Resort.”

A National Golden Gloves Champion in 2000 and a United States Amateur Champion in 2001, Brooklyn’s Sechew ‘The Iron Horse’ Powell (22-1, 13 KOs) has been destined to achieve great things in the fight game. Winner of 22 out of 23 pro bouts, with his only loss coming at the hands of former world champion Kassim Ouma in 2006, Powell owns wins over Grady Brewer, Cornelius Bundrage, Robert Frazier, Ishe Smith, and most recently, Terrance Cauthen, making him one of the brightest young stars in the game today.

28 year old Kevin Finley (12-0-1, 1 no contest, 9 KOs) has been chomping at the bit for his shot at the big time, and on February 29th, he gets his chance against number one 154-pound contender Sechew Powell. Fresh off a first round win over John Huskey last December, the Kansas City native would live nothing better than to make Powell his seventh opening round knockout victim.

A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, respected super middleweight Allan Green (26-1, 18 KOs) has thrilled the boxing world not only with his ability to outbox his opponents, but with his tendency to knock them out as well. Talented and confident, Green scored the knockout of the year in 2005 when he took out highly-touted Jaidon Codrington in just 18 seconds, and he’s gone 8-1 since, including wins over tough veterans Rubin Williams, Anthony Bonsante, Emmett Linton, and Jerson Ravelo. On February 29th, ‘Sweetness’ plans on making a statement against Miller.

Hailing from Colombia, the same country that spawned Juan Urango and Edison Miranda, hard-hitting middleweight prospect Samuel Miller (18-2, 15 KOs) is rapidly making a name for himself in the fight game, and in the coming months the native of Arboletes hopes to join his world-class stablemates at the top of the boxing world. Fresh off an exciting fourth round TKO over Alexis Munoz on January 19, Miller continues to show improvement with each successive fight as he moves up the ranks.

For tickets, priced at $100 (ringside) and $40 (reserved cushioned stadium seats), please call the Paragon Casino & Resort at 1-800-WIN1WIN, or visit ticketmaster.com.For more information on Warriors Boxing, please visit our website at http://www.warriorsboxing.com/.

CONTACT INFO:Seminole Warriors Boxing Leon Margules 954.985.1155
REDLINE Media Group Cima Georgevich - Media
954.989.5600
The Keeppunching Media, Publishing, and Promotional Companies, LLC Kerry Daigle, President/CEO (337) 288.8510
kerry@keeppunching.com
http://www.keeppunching.com/

“Rumble at the River,”;“The Pride of Providence” PETER MANFREDO, JR., & 3-Time World Champion JAIME CLAMPITT March 14

Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc. next pro boxing show, “Rumble at the River,” on March 14 at Twin River. Contact CES (1.401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or Twin River (1.401.723.3200/www.twinriver.com) to purchase tickets or for more information.

PETER MANFREDO; Former World Title Challenger & The Contender 1 Star
(Photo of Jaime Clampitt, promoter Jimmy Burchfield and Peter Manfredo, Jr. by Emily Harney).


CONTACT: Bob Trieger, Full Court Press

Former Champs Clash for IBA Title; Reggie "Sweet" Johnson vs. Julio Gonzalez on February 23 at the Lake Charles Civic Center, in Louisiana

Former Champs Clash for IBA Title
by Ken Hissner

Not often do two former world champions agree to fight one another.On February 23 at the Lake Charles Civic Center, in Louisiana, Reggie "Sweet" Johnson (43-7-1, 25 KOs) from Houston, Texas, will face Julio Gonzalez (41-4, 25 KOs) from Huntington Beach, California. At stake is the vacant IBA Light Heavyweight title.

The clash of former world champions will be entitled, Fight Night for Climate Change and will be promoted by Trinity World Boxing Promotions in association with Green Planet Mobile, Goossen Tutor Promotions LLC, Keeppunching Entertainment, and Impact Marketing.



Johnson is a former WBA middleweight and IBF light heavyweight champion who is always in the gym preparing for a fight. Only due to an injury was his fight with former champion Glen Johnson postponed. In a conversation with the former champion I questioned why such a tough opponent first time back after a lay-off. He told me "I want to fight the best in order to fight for a world title again." Adding, "I know Gonzalez has beaten Johnson so to me it's a step up in opponents. We sparred together in the past in California, so we know each other well." A most likeable person and one you don't have to ask too many questions, Johnson summed it up in saying "I'm a throwback."

Johnson's opponent, Gonzalez, is what you call a working man's fighter. He always gives you an honest night's work in the ring. He will have several inches of height on Johnson whose southpaw style may give him problems. His trainer Doug Huntley said "Julio has been working with two southpaw sparring partners and is in good shape." I asked him about Gonzalez last fight, a rematch with IBF champion Clint Woods. He said "the first time we fought Woods (2005) I thought we won that fight, but the second time (2007) I thought was a fair decision." Gonzalez is most known for defeating Dariusz Michalczewski who was (48-0) at the time in Germany back in 2003 for the WBO title.



Both fighters have a common opponent in Roy Jones, Jr. to whom both lost decisions. In Johnson's next to last fight he lost a split decision to former world champion Antonio Tarver. Both fighters are true professionals and crowd pleasers. This should an action-packed fight from start to finish and the winner will be in line for any of the other organizations champions.

"Dempsey in Nevada", by Guy Clifton

Guy Clifton has penned a tremendous new book, "Dempsey in Nevada." Bert Sugar read the book and said, "Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about Jack Dempsey, along comes Guy Clifton with his "Dempsey in Nevada" book giving you a rare look at the man who was the most famous sports personality of the early 20th century--in an extremely interesting and never-before-seen read. It's a new way of looking at an old legend." See interesting book-cover notes at link below: http://www.jackbacon.com/products/details.asp?PDID=112 The book is also available at http://www.amazon.com/,
http://www.sundancebookstore.com/ or http://www.jackbacon.com/

Jack Dempsey’s first trip to Nevada came as he clung to the underbelly of a train, a dangerous practice known as “riding the rods” and utilized by those too poor to purchase a ticket for one of the passenger cars. In later years, Dempsey, the heavyweight boxing champion from 1919 to 1926, returned to a hero’s welcome with newspapermen, children and divorcees following his every move.

Many people are surprised to learn that Dempsey once called Nevada home. Little remains to commemorate that time other than the yellowed archives of Nevada newspapers and the memories of a handful of old-timers. The fact is, Dempsey left footprints all over the Silver State.

Dempsey In Nevada is an untold chapter in Nevada’s history and an untold story in the life of one of the great sports figures of the 20th Century.

Dempsey helped usher in the era referred to as “The Golden Age of Sport.” Along with baseball’s Babe Ruth, football’s Red Grange, golf’s Bobby Jones and tennis’ Bill Tilden, Dempsey was a giant of the era and made more money in a single fight than all the others combined. Babe Ruth’s largest salary with the Yankees was $85,000. Dempsey made $717,000 for his first fight with Gene Tunney. He lost his fortune in the stock market crash of 1929 and set about reclaiming it with Reno as his base in the early 1930s, first as a fight promoter and then, once again, as a fighter as he set out to reclaim the heavyweight championship.

“Guy Clifton’s meticulously researched and wonderfully illustrated volume captures virtually everything you wanted to know about boxing great Jack Dempsey in Nevada,” said Nevada State Archivist Guy Rocha.

Guy Clifton, a third generation Nevadan, has been a sportswriter since 1982, receiving state, regional and national awards for his writing. He is currently a senior reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Dempsey in Nevada is his fourth book. He has also written “Reno Rodeo: A History,” and two volumes of “You Know You’re A Nevadan If …”

NO HOLDS BARRED: Wladimir Klitschko, Sultan Ibragimov, EmanuelSteward, Jeff Mayweather, John Duddy, Don Turner, Pete Quillin

NO HOLDS BARRED: Wladimir Klitschko, Sultan Ibragimov, EmanuelSteward, Jeff Mayweather, John Duddy, Don Turner, Pete Quillin On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman previews the most important heavyweight fight in years, the title unification bout between IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (49-3, 44 KOs),generally regarded as the best in that weight class today, and WBO heavyweight champion Sultan Ibragimov (22-0-1, 17 KOs). This takesplace Saturday, February 23, at Madison Square Garden in New York, andwill be televised on HBO in the U.S., RTL in Germany, and in about 100 countries. We spoke with Wladimir Klitschko, his trainer Emanuel Steward, Sultan Ibragimov, and his trainer Jeff Mayweather, at prefight media events this week. We also spoke with middleweight prospect John Duddy (23-0, 17 KOs),his trainer Don Turner, and super middleweight prospect Pete "Kid Chocolate" Quillin (16-0, 13 KOs). Duddy and Quillin fight on the undercard in separate bouts. To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link below and just press the play button on the player: http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-02-20T22_03_51-08_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 local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, athttp://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html. Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/). BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com/), your premier source for allBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. GladiatorMagazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com(http://bjjmart.com/) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/). FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews,and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts. Thanks, Eddie Goldman No Holds Barred bloghttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com/ No Holds Barred podcasthttp://nhbnews.podomatic.com/ The Boxing Standardhttp://boxingstandard.com/ No Holds Barred on MySpacehttp://www.myspace.com/nhbnews

HOME SWEET HOME -- KIMBO BLOWS UP TANK ABBOTT IN 43 SECONDS BEFORE SELLOUT CROWD IN MIAMI; SILVA, SMITH, EDWARDS AND ROGERS ALSO TRIUMPH

MIAMI – Surfs up, beach boy, and tanks for the memories.

Before a sellout crowd of 6,187 that produced the single largest gate in the history of the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami, Kimbo Slice registered a spectacular 43-second, first-round knockout over David “Tank” Abbott Saturday on SHOWTIME.

The exciting event, which was presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s EliteXC, aired on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). It will be replayed a few times in the next several days, including Wednesday on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (full replay schedule below).

As far as homecomings go, it doesn’t get better than this, as the incredibly popular Pride of Perrine, Fla, gave the raucous but well-behaved fans what they came to see: a devastating knockout win.

A YouTube legend and legitimate Mixed Martial Arts superstar, Kimbo’s performance put an exclamation point on what was an excellent night of MMA action.

Photos: TOM CASINO/EliteXC

Kimbo sliced and diced Tank Abbott en route to knocking him out at 0:43 of the first round in the main event of an exceptional EliteXC fight card Saturday on SHOWTIME.







“We promised the fans a good, classy show and we delivered a great one,’’ said “EliteXC Live Events President and University of Miami alum, Gary Shaw. “EliteXC showed tonight, once again, what MMA is all about. There were great fights with dramatic finishes, a little bit of everything for everybody.

“As a promoter, you want the fans to leave with a good taste, and I truly believe that each and every person in attendance here tonight left the venue happy and completely satisfied.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the athletes, who acted like world champions before, during and afterward, or the fans, who turned out in record numbers. We look forward to returning to Miami again.

“This was just a tremendously exciting night from start to finish. Honestly, I don’t think any organization puts on better, more competitive fights that we do.’’

Kimbo (2-0), who may indeed be more popular than sliced bread, wowed the crowd en route to demolishing Abbott, an MMA icon who entered the cage to win. But Tank spent more time on the ground than on his feet, going down three times from legitimate punches and a couple other times from slips.

“I wanted him to get up, I wanted to bang,’’ Kimbo (http://kimboslice.proelite.com/) said. “I had to push him off because we were too close. Then I just knocked him down. It was great fighting in front of the hometown fans. I’d be lying if I told you they didn’t jack me up. Miami, you are my home.

“I have a lot of respect for Tank. This was one of my dream fights, along with Mike Tyson. But I am ready to fight anybody and ready to fight again really soon.

“I want to thank SHOWTIME and EliteXC for making this night possible for me and my family.”

Abbott (9-14), of Huntington Beach, Calif., gave it his all, as expected. “I tried to take it to him at the start and take him to the ground, but then I just said, the heck with that and started to fight,’’ Tank (http://tankabbott.proelite.com/) said. “But I ran into one and that was it. I was just getting started.

“It is still too early to know how good or great Kimbo will be. But what I do know is that I absolutely want to keep fighting. Maybe I will go after Ken Shamrock.’’

In other SHOWTIME fights Saturday, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (10-1), a highly touted Brazilian who lives in Coconut Creek, Fla., recorded a hard-fought three-round split decision over former champion Ricco Rodriguez (27-8), of Staten Island, N.Y., unbeaten Brett Rogers (8-0), of St. Paul, Minn., blasted out England's James “The Colossus” Thompson (16-8) in the first round, Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith (15-4), of Sacramento, Calif., knocked out Australian Kyle “The Ozzie” Noke (14-4-1), the bodyguard of the late Steve “Crocodile Hunter’’ Irwin, in the second round and Yves Edwards (33-13-1), of Conroe, Tex., stopped Edson “Little Tiger” Berto (14-5-1), of Tampa, Fla., in the opening session.

Antonio "Big Foot" Silva registered a hard-fought three-round split decision over former world champion Ricco Rodriguez.


Brett Rogers remained unbeaten with a first-round knockout over James Thompson.

Scott Smith scored a devastating second-round knockout over Kyle Noke.


Rejuvenated Yves Edwards stopped Edson Berto in the first round.


In non-televised undercard fights that aired for free on the leading MMA internet site, ProElite.com: Moyses Gabin (2-0), of Miami, registered a 2:32, first-round knockout over Jirka Hlavaty (1-2), of Miami, Lorenzo Borgameo (3-0), of Miami, won by submission (triangle) at 4:11 of the second round over Mike Bernhard (3-1), of Miami; Eric Bradley (3-1), of Las Vegas, Nev., took a unanimous decision over Mikey Gomez (6-4), of Orlando, Fla.; Dave Herman (10-0), of Indiana, scored a third-round TKO over Mario Rinaldi (6-3), of Miami, Yosmany Cabezas (5-0), of Tampa, Fla., won by second-round submission (rear naked choke) over Jon Kirk (10-3), of Houston, and Rafael Feijao (4-1), of Brazil, knocked out John Doyle (6-2), of Allentown, Pa., at 2:17 of the first round. (Fighter pages below).
All the fights were scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds.

Silva (http://antoniosilva.proelite.com/), whose initial nine victories had come in the first round, got the nod on two of the judges’ cards by the scores of 30-27 and 29-28. The third judge had it for Rodriguez, 29-28.

“Ricco is a dangerous fighter,’’ said Silva, who was making his second start since dropping down after competing as a 300-pound super heavyweight. “I knew it was going to be a tough fight. I fought hard and came out with a victory, but it was a difficult fight for me.

“I want that belt. I am sorry that this was not the best night of fighting for me, but I promise I will deliver in my next bout. I want that heavyweight title.”

Rodriguez (http://riccorodriguez.proelite.com/) entered the cage with a vast advantage in experience, having fought and defeated some of the biggest names in MMA, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria, Tim Sylvia, Jeff Monson, Andrei Arlovski, Pete Wilson and Randy Couture.

“The reality is, I didn’t train as long for this fight as I needed to, but I think I showed that I am still dedicated and can fight,’’ Rodriguez said. “I am in this for the long haul and appreciate the opportunity EliteXC is giving me. I wouldn’t be surprised if we fought a rematch. I would love to fight Silva again.’’

Smith (http://scottmith.proelite.com/), who has won all 16 of his fights inside the distance, knocked out Noke in devastating fashion. After losing the first round, he came out blazing in the second. Two brutal right hands did all the damage. The referee halted matters at 0:07 of the round.

“I’m sorry for that first round, that’s not the way I fight,” Smith said. “I didn’t start to get comfortable until toward the end of the round.

“When I got to my corner between rounds, I told my trainer that I had found my range. I came out pumped and made up for it. I was fighting way too much on the outside, but once I got inside -- bam, I knocked him down.”

Noke (http://kyle-noke.proelite.com/) had a four-fight unbeaten streak (3-0-1) end. “This is a different feeling for me,’’ he said. “I’ve never been knocked out by a punch before. I felt good after the first round, but I got caught in the second. Scott is a good, strong fighter.”
Edwards (http://yvesedwards.proelite.com/) earned his fourth consecutive victory by knocking out Berto with a knee and punch combination at 4:56 of the first round. Berto (http://edsonberto.proelite.com/) had a three-fight winning streak snapped.

“I am back and ready to fight anybody,’’ Edwards said. “I’d love to fight (EliteXC lightweight champion KJ) Noons. He’s the guy with the gold. If you’re not doing this to be a world champion, you better do something else.’’

In an upset in the first SHOWTIME fight, the hard-hitting Rogers (http://brettrogers.proelite.com/) spoiled the United States debut of Thompson, bringing “Colossus” down to size with a flurry of powerful combinations at 2:24 of the first round.

“I don’t think I have to say anything; it showed for itself,” Rogers said. “He’s got a weak chin and I knew it was going to happen.

“All he kept trying to do was wrestle me to the ground. I got back up and I knocked him out. When I touch him, he’s going down. There’s going to be more of Brett Rogers on EliteXC.”

Thompson (http://jamesthompson.proelite.com/) offered no excuses. “He caught me with good punches,” he said. “He hits a lot harder than I thought. I’m very disappointed. My confidence isn’t where it should be or where I would like it to be since after my last fight. I would fight him again in a rematch.’’
Fighter pages for non-televised bouts: Gabin (http://moysesgabin.proelite.com/), Hlavaty (http://jirkahlavaty.proelite.com/), Borgameo (http://lorenzoborgame.proelite.com/), Bernhard (http://mikebernhard.proelite.com/), Bradley (http://ericbradley.proelite.com/), Gomez (http://mikeygomez.proelite.com/), Rinaldi (http://mariorinaldi.proelite.com/), Herman (http://daveherman.proelite.com/), Kirk (http://jonkirk.proelite.com/), Cabezas (http://yosmanycabezas.proelite.com/), Feijao (http://rafaelfeijao.proelite.com/), Doyle (http://johndoyle.proelite.com/).
SHOWTIME announcer Mauro Ranallo handled play-by-play Saturday with world wrestling star Bill Goldberg and The Fight Professor, Stephen Quadros, serving as color analysts. The executive producer was David Dinkins, Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing.

Saturday’s sensational card will re-air as follows:

DAY CHANNEL
Monday, Feb. 18, Midnight, ET/PT SHO EXTREME
Tuesday, Feb. 19, 9:30 p.m. ET/PT SHO 2
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 11 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME

Mixed Martial Arts returns to SHOWTIME on Saturday, March 8, when the legendary Ken Shamrock returns to the cage in EliteXC Presents: Cage Rage 25 at Wembley Arena in London.

The four-bout telecast, headlined by Shamrock’s fight against Robert “Buzz’’ Berry, will cap an unprecedented night of unarmed combat action with back-to-back sports telecasts featuring world championship boxing and MMA.

The evening will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT with live world championship boxing – World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Enzo Maccarinelli faces World Boxing Association/World Boxing Council (WBA/WBC) kingpin David Haye in a highly anticipated cruiserweight world title unification bout that also will emanate from London (O2 Arena).

EliteXC Presents: Cage Rage 25 will air on a same-day delay immediately after the boxing match. Besides the fight with Shamrock and Berry, other MMA bouts that night will include a featherweight title clash between Jean Silva and Masakazu Imanari, UK heavyweight contender Gary Turner versus Mustapha Alturk and Pierre Guillet against Tom “Kong” Watson in a middleweight match.

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

About ProElite, 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®.

EliteXC Weigh-In: Kimbo, Tank And More‏

EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw, and Tank Abbott pose after Friday's weigh-in at the Holiday Inn at Coral Gables, Fla. Kimbo takes on Tank in EliteXC's eagerly anticipated main event Saturday at the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami.

Photos: TOM CASINO/EliteXC


Tickets for a spectacular 11-bout event start at $35 and are available at Ticketmaster locations, online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/ and at the BankUnited Box Office at the University of Miami. Doors open at 7 p.m. The first fight is 7:30.

Antonio "Big Foot" Silva (left), Shaw and Ricco Rodriguez pose after the weigh-in.

Scott Smith (left) and Kyle Noke square off Friday.


With Shaw the man in the middle, Edson Berto (left) squares off with Yves Edwards after the weigh-in on Friday.


James Thompson (left) and Brett Rogers face off after the weigh-in.


SHOWTIME will televise five fights including the long-awaited, highly anticipated, must-see Kimbo-Tank confrontation live at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), while six non-televised undercard bouts will be streamed live on the leading MMA internet site, ProElite.com.

In addition to Kimbo-Tank, the SHOWTIME telecast will include: Silva vs. Rodriguez; Thompson vs. Brett Rogers; Noke vs. Smith; and Berto vs. Edwards.
A non-televised undercard streamed live at ProElite.com will include: Rafael Feijao vs. John Doyle; Mike Bernhard vs. Lorenzo Borgameo; Eric Bradley vs. Mikey Gomez; Mario Rinaldi vs. Dave Herman; Jon Kirk vs. Yosmany Cabezas; and Moyses Gabin vs. Jirka Hlavaty.


In addition to the fights being streamed live, fans can watch pre- and post-fight interviews on ProElite.com. The 11 contests are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds.
(BOUT SHEET WITH WEIGHTS AND PHOTOS ATTACHED)
Fighter pages (televised bouts): Kimbo (http://kimboslice.proelite.com/), Tank (http://tankabbott.proelite.com/), Silva (http://antoniosilva.proelite.com/), Rodriguez (http://riccorodriguez.proelite.com/), Thompson (http://jamesthompson.proelite.com/), Rogers (http://brettrogers.proelite.com/), Noke (http://kylenoke.proelite.com/), Smith (http://scottsmith.proelite.com/), Berto (http://edsonberto.proelite.com/), Edwards (http://yvesedwards.proelite.com/).

Fighter pages (non-televised bouts): Gabin (http://moysesgabin.proelite.com/), Hlavaty (http://jirkahlavaty.proelite.com/), Borgameo (http://lorenzoborgame.proelite.com/), Bernhard (http://mikebernhard.proelite.com/), Bradley (http://ericbradley.proelite.com/), Gomez (http://mikeygomez.proelite.com/), Rinaldi (http://mariorinaldi.proelite.com/), Herman (http://daveherman.proelite.com/), Kirk (http://jonkirk.proelite.com/), Cabezas (http://yosmanycabezas.proelite.com/), Feijao (http://rafaelfeijao.proelite.com/), Doyle (http://johndoyle.proelite.com/).

Mike Martinez: Fighting Mad!

Mike Martinez: Fighting Mad!
By Andre Courtemanche

You wouldn't like him when he's angry.

"They used to call me 'The Incredible Hulk' in the Marine Corps," laughs easy-going junior middleweight Mike Martinez. "Sometimes I get mad in there."

In much the same way they say "everyone has a plan until they get hit," Martinez is the most unassuming and sociable person you'd ever meet -- until he gets hit.

"It's an amazing thing to watch the transformation," says Martinez's promoter, Kerry Daigle of Keeppunching Entertainment. "Mike is so well-liked and friendly and then when he gets in that ring, it's like he's trying to punch through his opponents."

Martinez will be seen turning green on February 23, as he is scheduled to appear on the "Johnson vs. Gonzalez" Fight Night for Climate Change at the Civic Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana.



"I'm pretty comfortable," relates the 26 year old about possibly fighting on pay-per-view. "In the ring, it's just me and him and there is nothing outside of it, so I'll be fine."

Martinez waited until his stint in the armed forces had finished before turning professional. By that time, he had racked up some impressive credentials. "I won the National PAL in 2002 and the National Ringside in 2003. I had about 250 amateur fights and was ranked #2 in the country. For a while I was on the USA Team. And then in the Marine Corps, I won five All-Marine championships and was nominated for Athlete of the Year one time."

He also holds an amateur victory over current undefeated welterweight prospect Andre Berto. "He was a year or two younger than me," explains Martinez in his typically humble manner. "Everybody told me that was an absolute war, but I just out-hustled him. He got tired and I didn't."

Despite his habit of getting angry once the leather starts flying, Martinez retains much of his wits in the ring. He describes his style as "smart aggression," and, like the dogged reporter Mr. McGee from the TV version of "The Incredible Hulk," says he can use constant pressure to make an opponent break down.

However, fighting as a professional started out in a maddening way for the West Texas native. He lost his pro debut via split decision in the other fighter's home state and dropped a split decision in his third fight as well.

After seven fights, Martinez's record stands at a modest 5-2, 2 KOs -- a fact that doesn't seem to make him angry. "I was trying to manage myself and taking fights on one day's notice and it really showed. I would go and give the guys hell and I couldn't seem to pull out the decision. You know how that goes. Now that I have Kerry, I'm going undefeated and hopefully it stays that way."

Martinez came to meet promoter Daigle through best friend Blake Prevost, a 10-1 light heavyweight, also fighting under the Keeppunching banner. With Daigle's help, the affable Martinez has put his career back on track.

"I get along with everybody. My biggest thing is do to people what I want done to me. I try to treat everybody pretty equal. Everybody is real nice when I fight in Louisiana. I feel like the crowd is mine. I stand on the ropes and they cheer me on. It's a good feeling. Plus there are a lot of good looking girls in Louisiana."

We all react differently under fire. Some run, some hide, and some fight. Mike Martinez gets fighting mad. With a new promoter making sure he takes the right fights at the right time, it could be a whole new episode for "The Hulk."

He hopes he'll be getting mad at world champions some day soon.

Tickets for the February 23 "Johnson vs. Gonzalez" Fight Night for Climate Change are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets and the Lake Charles Civic Center Box Office (call 337.491.1432) and are priced at $200 (Limited Ringside Seats); $125 (Floor Seats); $48.50 (Floor Riser Seats); $48.50 (Gold 100 Level Seats); $32.50 (Silver 200 Level Seats); and $15 (Bronze 300 Level, General Admission Seats).

HBO Sports would like to invite you and your readers to a screening of "JOE LOUIS America's Hero...Betrayed."

HBO Sports would like to invite you and your readers to a screening of "JOE LOUIS America's Hero...Betrayed." HBO Sports, Everlast, and the Harlem Police Athletic League will be presenting this screening on Thursday February 21 at the Harlem PAL located at 441 Manhattan Avenue (119th Street), New York, NY 10026. The screening will be held at 2:00 pm (doors opening at 1:30 pm).The event is free and open to the public. There will be free t-shirts, keychains and movie snacks! The screening will be held in the main gymnasium on the first floor of the center to commemorate the newly renovated JOE LOUIS BOXING GYM by HBO Sports with new equipment donated by EVERLAST. Please join us Thursday February 21st for this exciting event!

About the film: Born May 12, 1914, in LaFayette, Alabama, Joseph Louis Barrow - who became known as the "Brown Bomber" - was America's first true cross over athlete. He was the first black sports star worshipped by both black and white fans, he was respected not only for his boxing talents, but also for showing the world what a person of color could do if given the opportunity. When he fought, the world stood still. The film under scores his importance during a critical time in America'shistory. From the Great Depression through World War II and into the 1950's, Joe Louis was the poster boy for the American way of life. In 1938, when Louis defeated Germany's Max Schmeling, his victory was interpreted as democracy's defeat of Nazism, boosting public morale and transforming him into a true American hero. "HE WAS A CREDIT TO HIS RACE - THE HUMAN RACE" - Jimmy Cannon

http://www.hbo.com/events/joelouis/

NO HOLDS BARRED: Introducing The Boxing Standard

NO HOLDS BARRED: Introducing The Boxing Standard
http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-02-18T22_32_56-08_00
On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman is joined by our correspondent Charles Farrell to introduce the new online journal of boxing, The Boxing Standard (http://boxingstandard.com/).
Eddie and Charles are also the editors of The Boxing Standard.
In a lengthy discussion, we explain why we aim to stir up the highly mediocre world of boxing journalism. Among the many topics raised is how the boxing media is missing the real story of the most important heavyweight fight in years, the title unification bout between IBF champ Wladimir Klitschko and WBO champ Sultan Ibragimov this Saturday, Feb. 23, at Madison Square Garden in New York.
To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link at the start of this message, scroll down that page, and just press the play button on the player.
You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).
Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.
The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/).
Make sure to check out my regular articles on the ADCC News at http://www.adcombat.com/ and on FightBeat.com at http://fightbeat.com/.
NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Art of War (http://www.artofwarlive.com/), the undisputed arena fighting championship, promoted by SUN Sports and Entertainment, producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information, check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com (http://www.artofwarlive.com/).
IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/), the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/1636002) in the U.S., and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, at http://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html.
Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/).
BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com/), your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com/) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/).
FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred blog http://nhbnews.blogspot.com/
No Holds Barred podcast http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/
No Holds Barred on MySpace http://www.myspace.com/nhbnews
Enjoy!
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