Samuel Peter, Oleg Maskaev, Nate Campbell

Samuel Peter, Oleg Maskaev, Nate Campbell


It was a raucous crowd that filled the 7,000-seat Plaza de Toros bull ring in Cancun for the first world heavyweight championship ever decided in Mexico on Saturday.

Samuel Peter: “I hit him [Maskaev] with one and I him with another. Then I crack him up. My jab was good and then I him in the head and break off his head. I knew he was strong so I was careful. I feel great. I could fight again tomorrow. I’m ready for anyone.”


Oleg Maskaev: “He [Peter] didn’t knock me out. He shook me and knocked me back and the referee did the right thing. He was hitting me with two many punches. I hurt him a few times, yes, but I wasn’t able to finish him.

“I can’t blame anybody. It was my fault. My trainers did a good job and I failed tonight.

“I will be back. My team and I will talk and if they want to make a few more fights we can do it.”

Nate Campbell: “I knew he couldn’t take it. I knew I was the bigger puncher. I could out-box him or out-punch him. My team and I said all along we saw a lot of hype with
Juan Diaz but we didn’t see the substance. I said I was going to take him out into the deep water and drown him and that’s what I did.

I better have won, I won the last five or six rounds. I won this for Don King. I will never disrespect him the way Juan Diaz did. There’s a tattoo on my back that simply says, ‘fighter’ and that’s what I am and what I proved tonight.

Alan Hopper
Don King Productions

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MEDIA HEAVYWEIGHTS WEIGH IN ON MARCH 15TH “A FISTFUL OF SHAMROCKS” MULTI-ETHNIC BOXING CARD AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN’S WaMu THEATER

MEDIA HEAVYWEIGHTS WEIGH IN ON MARCH 15TH “A FISTFUL OF SHAMROCKS” MULTI-ETHNIC BOXING CARD AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN’S WaMu THEATER; PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOcjT2cWi7w

Although the show is being called “A Fistful of Shamrocks” because of the 4 Irish born boxers on the show, fighters from the United States, Poland, Korea, Ukraine, Mexico and Puerto Rico will also be squaring off at Madison Square Garden’s WaMu Theater on Saturday, March 15, 2008.

Fans and media from around the globe will be in attendance for this sensational night of boxing, which will be broadcast live on the Internet at: GOFIGHTLIVE.COM
Tickets are still available for the sensational “A Fistful of Shamrocks” boxing show at Madison Square Garden’s WaMu Theater on Saturday, March 15, 2008.

Celtic Gloves Promotions (www.celticgloves.com) will present pro fighters from around the globe in “A Fistful of Shamrocks” the pre-St. Patrick’s Day boxing extravaganza at Madison Square Garden’s WaMu Theater on Saturday, March 15th. Doors open at 6:30 P.M. Live Irish music from the band “Big Girl’s Blouse” will also be featured.

The 12 bout card, which is being promoted by Celtic Gloves Promotions, is headlined by undefeated junior middleweight James Moore, 14-0, (10 KOS), a native of County Wicklow, Ireland, who fights out of Queens. He is facing the seasoned veteran and former world title challenger J.C. Candelo, 27-9-4 (18 KOS), of Colombia in the 10 round main event.

The co-feature pits New York’s other undefeated junior middleweight sensation Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak, 19-0 (13 KOS), a native of Debica, Poland, who resides in Arlington, New Jersey, against Dupre “Total Package” Strickland, 18-2-1 (7 KOS), of Shreveport, Louisiana.

Also featured will be lightweight Oisin Fagan, 20-5 (15 KOS), of Oklahoma City via Dublin; super middleweight Simon “Slick Fighting Irish” O’Donnell, 5-1 (2 KOS) of County Galway, Ireland; London junior welterweight Steve O’Meara, who will be making his pro debut; featherweight Jae Sung Lee, 8-1 (5 KOS), of Hanam, Korea; bantamweight Khabir Suleymanov, 2-0 (1 KO), of Ukraine; featherweight Joe Rosa, 1-2-1, of Puerto Rico; welterweight Luis Ruiz, 2-0, of Puebla, Mexico; welterweight Martin Wright, 4-0-1, of Brooklyn; and middleweight Bryant Pappas, 5-0 (5 KOS), a hard-punching Yonkers, New York, police officer.

A special junior middleweight female attraction features Cristy “Code Red” Nickel, 7-5 (4 KOS), of New York, vs. Oliva Fonseca, 1-1-2 (1 KO) of Philadelphia. Nickel, who counts Katie Couric among her A-list of clients, was recently named one of the top personal trainers in New York by Allure magazine.

A host of boxing notables, including Moore and Wolak, weighed-in on just how appealing this pre-St. Patrick’s Day boxing extravaganza is from both sporting and social standpoints.

James Moore: “I’m feeling really good and just looking forward to the fight. The six weeks of training in the Pocono Mountains went quickly. By the end of the camp, I knocked 4-5 minutes off of my 6 mile runs. I was doing the run in less than 50 minutes. I’ve never been more ready for a fight in my life.”

Pawel Wolak: “I feel great and am already at weight. Today I’ll do a quick workout just to sweat and keep the body active. I have prepared very well. All that is left to do is fight. I’m getting a lot of feedback from the Polish community. There are going to be lots of Polish people at MSG, and they’ll all be going nuts.”

Lou Duva, longtime promoter, manager and trainer: “This card is how boxing used to be in the old days. Putting fighters together from all these different countries shows how strong the sport is all over the world. This is going to be a great show, with lots of excitement.”

Harold Lederman, HBO’s unofficial official: “James Moore can punch, plus he’s young, aggressive and very exciting. The Irish resurgence is sensational. There are a lot of Irish prospects these days, mostly around the middleweight division. It reminds me of the old days, shades of (the enormously popular) Billy Graham.”

Tim Smith: boxing writer, New York Daily News: “The Irish resurgence of boxing has given people something to feel very excited about. Irish boxers are not always safety-first fighters, so that makes them very popular. Nationalistic pride will take you a long way, but you also have to be able to fight. Irish boxers always give all they have, even if it works against them in the long run. That’s why their fans are so loyal to them.”

Bernard Fernandez, Philadelphia Daily News: “The great thing about New York is you can walk five blocks in any direction and eat any ethnic food you desire. On a boxing card like this, it is the same thing. Different rooting interests are built right into the audience. This is what I love most about covering fights in New York. This, especially, is a United Nations type of show.”

Nick Charles, commentator, ShoBox: The New Generation: “I can’t think of anything more exciting than fighting at MSG on St. Patrick’s Day weekend. I would love to experience the electricity in the arena that night, but won’t be able to be there. I’d love to be in the thick of things and feel the fervor. It’s going to be a great night.”

Steve Farhood: commentator, ShoBox: The New Generation: “The amount of energy in the arena on these (pre-St. Patrick’s Day) shows has been tremendous. Everyone is having a good time, everyone’s happy. The ethnic formula has worked in New York City for 80 years because boxing fans love rooting for their own.”

Jill Diamond, WBC female boxing chairperson: “It’s amazing that in a city as big and diverse as New York, so many athletes will be brought together in one place on one night to celebrate such a great sport.”

Peter Wood, onetime New York City Golden Gloves finalist and author of “Confessions of a Fighter: Battling Through the Golden Gloves” and “A Clenched Fist: The Makings of a Golden Gloves Champion”: “This is a very unique card, even by New York and MSG standards. I’m looking forward to it because there is such an array of hungry fighters from around the globe. These bouts are all like little bullion cubes, with lots of flavor and taste. I haven’t been as excited over a fight card in a very long time.”

David Selwyn, manager of female boxers Cristy “Code Red” Nickel, who is fighting on the show, as well as Ronica Jeffrey and flyweight champion Eileen Olszewski: “This is the way boxing was way back when. New York is the melting pot of the world, so this is a fitting tribute to so many ethnic groups. I’m going as the manager of Cristy Nickel, but my heart will also be there as a fan.”

In addition to boxing, live Irish music will be performed by the band “Big Girl’s Blouse.”

“A FISTFUL OF SHAMROCKS” March 15 Event at MSG, will be televised live on the Internet on GOFIGHTLIVE.COM

James Moore, 14-0 (10 KOS), Queens, NY via County Wicklow, Ireland vs. J.C. Candelo, 27-9-4 (18 KOS), Colombia, former title challenger

CO-FEATURE: 10 round junior middleweight bout

Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak, 19-0 (13 KOS), New Jersey via Debica, Poland
vs. Dupre “Total Package” Strickland, 18-2-1 (7 KOS), Shreveport, Louisiana

Also:

Lightweight Oisin Fagan, 20-5 (15 KOS), Oklahoma City via Dublin

Super middleweight Simon “Slick Fighting Irish” O’Donnell, 5-1 (2 KOS), County
Galway, Ireland

Junior welterweight Steve O’Meara, pro debut, Ireland

Featherweight Jae Sung Lee, 8-1 (5 KOS), Hanam, Korea

Bantamweight Khabir Suleymanov, 2-0 (1 KO), Ukraine

Junior middleweight Cristy “Code Red” Nickel, 7-5 (4 KOS), New York

Welterweight Martin Wright, 4-0-1 (2 KOS), Brooklyn

Featherweight Joe Rosa, 1-2-1, Puerto Rico

Welterweight Luis Ruiz, 2-0, Puebla, Mexico

Middleweight Bryant Pappas, 5-0 (5 KOS), hard-punching Yonkers, NY police officer

Door open at 6:30 P.M. and the fights will begin at 7:00 P.M. Tickets, which range from $400 to $50, can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 866-448-7849 or by calling Celtic Gloves at 917-559-8467 or Gleason’s Gym at 718-797-2872.

For sponsorship and advertising opportunities, contact Mike O’Sullivan at 516-242-0428.

Check out Celtic Gloves Promotions on the web at: www.celticgloves.com

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BOXING-MMA COMBINED RESULTS; HAYE LANDS THE HAYEMAKER; STOPS MACCARINELLI IN SECOND; Ken Shamrock Suffers First KO Loss at EliteXC Presents Cage Rage

LONDON– South London native David Haye disposed of Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli in less than two rounds to unify the cruiserweight division. Haye entered London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night with the WBA and WBC belts and collected Maccarinelli’s WBO strap after a brilliant show of speed and power.



The fight began shortly after 2 a.m. local time with a delirious, sold out crowd of 20,000 rocking the O2. Maccarinelli vs. Haye was a promotion of Frank Warren’s Sports Network.

It was a special night on SHOWTIME Sports as the premium network aired a boxing and MMA doubleheader for the first time in history. Immediately following the live boxing telecast, SHOWTIME aired EliteXC presents Cage Rage 25 from Wembley Arena via tape delay from earlier in the night.



In a battle of big punching British champions, Haye landed the first big punch early in the second round staggering Maccarinelli. Haye stalked him into the corner and followed up with a barrage of lefts and rights. Haye, aptly nicknamed “The Hayemaker,” landed another big right hand to send Maccarinelli down. Although he was able to get to his feet, Maccarinelli was on unsteady legs as referee John Keane began to count. Keane waived off the fight before completing his count at 2:04 of the second.



“‘The Hayemaker’ doesn’t lie,” said the jubilant and fresh unified champion. “It is nice to know that the cruiserweight division is now cleaned up. It is time to move up to heavyweight and fix that disgraceful division.”

Haye improves his record to 21-1 with 20 knockouts.

“Ever since I was a boy, I’ve said I would be the heavyweight champion of the world,’’ Haye said. “Against my speed, my athleticism, my amateur pedigree, there’s nothing those heavyweights out there can do.”



“I didn’t box the plan,” said Maccarinelli, who drops to 28-2, 21 KOs. “Take nothing away from David Haye. It was a crackin’ shot and I just got caught. Enzo (Trainer, Enzo Calzaghe) will crucify me for this.”

The renowned tandem of Steve Albert and Al Bernstein called the action for SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING with Bob Dunphy directing. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.



Across town, before an equally excitable crowd of 8,000-plus at Wembley Arena, MMA pioneer Ken Shamrock of the USA was handed his first knockout loss by English powerhouse Robert “Buzz” Berry.

Berry landed a series of strikes to the head of Shamrock and sent him down. The referee waved off the fight at 3:26 of the first round as the 240-pound Berry prepared to pounce on his fallen opponent.

In other televised fights, Cage Rage featherweight champion Masakazu Imanari of Japan applied a text book reverse heel hook to destroy the knee of formidable Brazilian adversary Jean Silva. Silva tapped out at 2:35 of round one, and appeared to be in tremendous pain.

In a battle of big men, heavyweights Rob Broughton of England won a majority decision over fellow countryman Neil Grove by scores of 29-28 twice and 28-29. The two men entered the cage at a combined 250-plus pounds and fought an entertaining scrape for three full rounds.

And local favorite Tommy “Kong” Watson thrilled his adoring fans with a knockout of American Pierre Guillet. With Watson on his back during first-round action, Guillet dove in to attack, but Watson struck first by landing a devastating upward heel strike to Guillet’s head. Watson quickly pounced on top of the fallen Guillet and finished him with fist strikes to the head.

SHOWTIME announcers Mauro Ranallo and Stephen Quadros called the action at Wembley Arena. The producer of the EliteXC telecast was Richard Gaughan with Rick Phillips directing. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.

Catch an encore of Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast:

Monday, March 10 8 p.m. SHO Extreme

Tuesday, March 11 10 p.m. SHO2

Wednesday, March 12 10:30 p.m. SHOWTIME

And on SHOWTIME On Demand (where available) beginning March 11.

Catch an encore of Saturday’s EliteXC telecast:

Monday, March 10 9:30 p.m. SHO Extreme

Tuesday, March 11 Midnight SHOWTIME

boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide

Herbie Hide vs. Rudiger May; WBC International Cruiserweight Title plus undercard action

SecondsOut's latest live event features former WBO heavyweight champion Herbie Hide headlines an excellent Arena Box promoted fight card from the Maritim Hotel in Halle,Germany on March 11.

The 36 year-old British fighter will make the first defence of his WBC international cruiserweight title against the classy German Rudiger May, and all the big fight action will be broadcast LIVE on SecondsOut.tv

An excellent international undercard is headlined by Russian Sergey Sorokin,who faces Kanat Kartenbaev from Kazakhstan for the WBC International junior welterweight title and Steffen Kretschmann against Alek Kosobokovs in a 10 round heavyweight bout.

In other action Yakup Saglam faces Alex Mileiko, Tino Gross takes on Tomas Mrazek, Seb Sonntag is matched with Harri Okkonen and Fatih Yildiz goes up against Aleh Dubiaha.

SecondsOut will also be broadcastingRatko Draskovic v Sinan Samil Sam and undercard action from Germany on 14th March.

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BOOK SIGNING‏; Join George C. Fraser, author of the newly released book, “Click: Ten Truths for Building Extraordinary Relationships at the ”Hue-Man

Join George C. Fraser, author of the newly released book, “Click: Ten Truths for Building Extraordinary Relationships” -- this evening, Tuesday, March 11, 2008
at the ”Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe at 6:00 PM-7:30 PM


BOOK SIGNING LOCATION: Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe
2319 Frederick Douglass Blvd
Between 124th and 125th Streets
New York, NY 10027

Tel: 212-665-7400

Fax: 212-665-1071
CONTACT: Harlem HueMan -
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide

DAVID DIAZ ACES OPEN TRYOUT WITH CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS‏

CHICAGO, IL- In front of an overflow standing room only crowd of 21, 908, the largest of the season for the Chicago Blackhawks and a national TV audience, World Boxing Council Lightweight Champion David Diaz aced his “open tryout” with the team by scoring in the evening’s Shoot the Puck Contest between periods of the game featuring the Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks at the United Center.

From the blue line, Diaz was a little wide of the small hole on the United Airlines barrier in front of the net on his first two tries, but on his third attempt he drilled a wrist shot through the hole into the netting.

Said Diaz afterwards, “Being a diehard Blackhawks fan it truly was a thrill to be out on the ice. It felt good leaving my stick, I guess the minutes of practice I put in paid off” joked the Chicago native. Diaz was mobbed by well wishers and fans for pictures and autographs as he returned to his seat.

Diaz was on hand to promote his non-title ten-rounder against Ramon Montano, which will open the HBO Pay-Per View telecast of Marquez-Pacquiao II - UNFINISHED BUSINESS on March 15th.


Promoted by Top Rank Inc. and Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Romanza Boxing Productions and MP Promotions, Marquez-Pacquiao II will take place Saturday, March 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Marquez-Pacquiao II, priced at $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100, are on sale at the Mandalay Bay box office and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers, Macy's West at the Fashion Show Mall, and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000 or Mandalay Bay (702) 632-7580. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com

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NO HOLDS BARRED: Mike Chapman on Frank Gotch Day and When Pro Wrestling Was Real‏

NO HOLDS BARRED: Mike Chapman on Frank Gotch Day and When ProWrestling Was Real On this special edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with noted wrestling historian and author Mike Chapman, who is the executive director of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa (http://wrestlingmuseum.org/). April 3 marks the one hundredth anniversary of the world heavyweight wrestling championship match between Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt in Chicago. This match, won by Gotch, took place in anera when professional wrestling was still a real sport. To commemorate this anniversary, April 3, 2008, is being celebrated asFrank Gotch Day in Gotch's hometown of Humboldt, Iowa, and in Waterlooand at the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum(http://wrestlingmuseum.org/gotchday.htm). The Governor of Iowa, ChetCulver, has also declared April 3, 2008, as Frank Gotch Day statewide. In an in-depth discussion, we speak with Mike Chapman about the legendof Frank Gotch, how pro wrestling was largely real in Gotch's day and why it changed, what lessons can be learned for wrestling from this, the celebration planned for Frank Gotch Day, the Museum's co-sponsoring the annual WIN Magazine Memorabilia Show at the 2008 NCAADiv. I Wrestling Championship March 20-22 in St. Louis, and more. 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/2008-03-08T04_42_16-08_00 You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it). You can also listen to it through the NO HOLDS BARRED blog, athttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com, and MySpace page, at http://www.myspace.com/nhbnews, also by pressing the play button on the player. Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes athttp://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download. The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician IanCarpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/). NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by: YAMMA Pit Fighting (http://yammapitfighting.com). The producers of theoriginal UFC and Live Nation (http://livenation.com/), worldwideleaders in live entertainment, present YAMMA Pit Fighting mixedmartial arts. On the streets, it's against the law. In the pit, it ISthe law. IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/), the world'sfirst professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check outtheir regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/1636002) in the U.S., and to check your locallistings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, athttp://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html. Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up themixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year.For more news and info, check out their web site,GladiatorChallenge.com (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/). BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for allBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage ofBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well aslifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. GladiatorMagazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com(http://bjjmart.com) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/). FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews,and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martialarts. Thanks, Eddie Goldman No Holds Barred bloghttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com/ No Holds Barred podcasthttp://nhbnews.podomatic.com/ The Boxing Standardhttp://boxingstandard.com/ No Holds Barred on MySpacehttp://www.myspace.com/nhbnews
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide

Cage Rage 25, March 8: Shamrock-Berry and Haye-Maccarinelli, live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) in London

The legendary Ken Shamrock and Robert "Buzz" Berry will fight in the main event of "EliteXC Presents Cage Rage 25" tomorrow/Saturday, March 8, on SHOWTIME, in London.
The four-bout mixed martial arts event will be televised immediately following the world cruiserweight title unification fight between champions David Haye (WBC/WBA) and Enzo Maccarinelli (WBC/WBA) live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) in London.

CAPTION: Friday, in London, the legendary Shamrock weighed 216 pounds. Berry weighed 240 pounds (quotes below).

Weights for other SHOWTIME televised fights:

Jean Silva (144 pounds) vs. Masakazu Imanari (144 pounds)

Pierre Guillet (184 pounds) vs. Tom Watson (185 pounds)

Rob Broughton (282 pounds) vs. Neil Grove (273 pounds)

KEN SHAMROCK QUOTES:

"Competition. The minute you stop, your whole life changes and it's the thrill of competition that has kept me going. When you're done as an athlete, you have to know it, and I don't know it yet.

"There were a couple of times when I had injuries -- one to my knee, one to my shoulder -- when I thought I would be forced to quit. But rehab got me stronger and stronger every time. I have never imagined myself retiring.

"It's an honor to be considered a pioneer in this sport. And it is inspiring to see these young guys coming up to carry the torch.''

"I have a lot of respect for Ken Shamrock, but when it is fight time and the first bell rings, it's time to explode. I have to stay within myself; my strength is that I am an all around fighter and my power is my (main) strength."

boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide

COUNTDOWN TO MARQUEZ-PACQUIAO II: Immediately following Maskaev vs. Peter

Another installment in the classic countdown series, Countdown To Marquez-Pacquiao II will feature profiles, analysis and forecasts for the second battle between two of the best fighters in boxing leading up to thier March 15th rematch in Las Vegas.


Airs after Maskaev vs. Peter on HBO. Check the schedule for details.

boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide

Undefeated WBC No. 1-ranked super lightweight contender Timothy 'Desert Storm' Bradley made weight at 139 pounds for his off-TV elimination bout, but

The non-heavyweights weighed in today on the Mayan Riviera at an outdoor amphitheater at the Cancun Palace Hotel leading up to Saturday night's "History in Cancun" event (HBO 9:30 p.m./6:30 p.m.) being promoted by Don King Productions in association with Duva Boxing, One Punch Productions and Pepe Gomez Promotions.

Undefeated WBC No. 1-ranked super lightweight contender Timothy 'Desert Storm' Bradley made weight at 139 pounds for his off-TV elimination bout, but his opponent Jose Luis Castillo did not, so the match was scratched.

Alan Hopper
Don King Productions
Event Page: http://www.kevincalero.com/donking/event%5F3808/


boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide

HEAVY - WEIGHTS - CANCUN‏; Oleg Maskaev vs. WBC interim heavyweight champion Samuel 'The Nigerian Nightmare' Peter

The heavyweights stepped to the scales for a ceremonial heavyweight weigh in at the beautiful Royal Hotel in Cancun tonight in preparation for the first heavyweight championship ever in Mexico on Saturday pitting WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev vs. WBC interim heavyweight champion Samuel 'The Nigerian Nightmare' Peter.



The fight will be televised live in the United States in an HBO World Championship Boxing doubleheader (9:30 ET/6:30 p.m. PT) that also includes undefeated WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight champion Juan 'Baby Bull' Diaz taking on IBF No. 1-ranked mandatory challenger Nate 'Galaxxy Warrior' Campbell.

In an unusual occurrence, Jose Luis Castillo was invited by WBC President Jose Sulaiman to step to the scales after the heavyweights in advance of Friday's official weigh in for the lower-weight fighters.

He tipped the Toledos at 147 1/2 pounds and will need to make 140 pounds by Friday's weigh in to qualify for the scheduled WBC super lightweight eliminator against undefeated WBC No. 1-ranked contender Timothy 'Desert Storm' Bradley.

See weights attached.

Alan Hopper
Don King Productions
Event Page: http://www.kevincalero.com/donking/event%5F3808/

boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide

NO HOLDS BARRED: David Haye, Enzo Maccarinelli, Big 12 Wrestling Coaches‏

NO HOLDS BARRED: David Haye, Enzo Maccarinelli, Big
12 Wrestling Coaches

http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-03-06T20_50_22-08_00

On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman previews what is happening in boxing and college wrestling this weekend, in particular focusing on the fight between David Haye and Enzo Maccarinelli, and the 2008 Big 12 Wrestling Championship (http://www.big12sports.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/big12-wrestl-championship.html).

The top cruiserweight boxer in the world David Haye (20-1, 19 KOs) will have a title unification bout with Enzo Maccarinelli (28-1, 21 KOs) Saturday, March 8, at the O2 Arena in London, UK. It will be shown live both in the U.S. on Showtime and in the UK on Setanta.

We spoke with both David Haye and Enzo Maccarinelli this week on a media teleconference call about this fight.

This weekend, many of the conference championships in college wrestling will take place. These are qualifiers for the 2008 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championship (http://www.stlouissports.org/wrestling/), which will be held March 20-22 in St. Louis, Missouri.

The 2008 Big 12 Wrestling Championship, featuring five of the top teams in the U.S., will be held Saturday, March 8, at the Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.

We spoke with all five Big 12 wrestling coaches on a media teleconference call about the Big 12 Championship and the upcoming NCAA tournament. They are Mark Manning of Nebraska, Cael Sanderson of Iowa State, Jack Spates of Oklahoma, Brian Smith of Missouri, and John Smith of Oklahoma State.

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, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio/. On this week's edition, we begin by reviewing the third, classic battle between WBC super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez (43-4, 31 KOs) and former world champion Rafael Marquez (37-5, 33 KOs), which took place Saturday, March 1, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. After splitting the first two fights, Vazquez won the rubber match by split decision in an early Fight of the Year frontrunner. Next, we preview another fight which will also take place at the Home Depot Center. On May 3, Oscar De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KOs), in what he says will be the first of the final three fights in his career, will take on Steve Forbes (33-5, 9 KOs) at a catch-weight of 150 pounds. Both De La Hoya and Forbes were on a national media tour last week, and we caught up with them when they were in New York. 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.

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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/).

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Don't Miss The Battle of Britain This Saturday Night - only on Setanta‏

Last autumn, Setanta broadcast what was arguably the best fight on British soil when Joe Calzaghe defeated the Dane, Mikkel Kessler.

This weekend, Setanta, which is fast emerging as the new home of boxing will be broadcasting the Battle of Britain as Calzaghe gym-mate, Enzo Maccarinelli takes on David Haye in a Cruiserweight Unification bout at The O2 in London.

Bermondsey-born Haye has boasted that he will knock Maccarinelli out however the Swansea-fighter has said that he would prefer his fists to do the talking on Saturday night.

You will only be able to watch this fight Exclusively Live on Setanta and you won't miss a minute of all the build-up, the pre-fight hype as well as the best post-fight analysis.

The fight will not be available on pay-per-view so sign up now for just £9.99 a month.*

SIGN UP NOW FOR THE BEST FIGHTS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC

Setanta is not just boxing - it's the new home of the best live sport on TV including 46 Exclusively Live Barclays Premier League games, 60 Clydesdale Bank Premier League games, Exclusively Live UFC and coming soon, Capello's first competitive matches in charge of England, the Community Shield and the FA Cup.
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World Boxing Council Lightweight Champion David Diaz willhave an open tryout for the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, March 7

CHICAGO, IL- World Boxing Council Lightweight Champion David Diaz will take a break from preparing for his showdown with Ramon Montano to have an open tryout for the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night, March 7th at the United Center.

Diaz will test his shooting skills for the Blackhawks between the second and third periods of their contest against the San Jose Sharks.

Said Diaz, “This season the Blackhawks have been playing a terrific, physical brand of hockey. They called and invited me to the game this Friday and then we started talking about my chances of suiting up for the team down the stretch towards the playoffs. So Friday night is my opportunity to see if I can help them out a little bit” joked the passionate Chicago sports fan.

Diaz also hoped to address the team prior to the game to offer some fighting tips which should come in handy with the Blackhawks growing reputation as amongst the most aggressive teams in the league.

Diaz was taking in the hometown Chicago Bulls game on Thursday night as they squared off with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center. Earlier in the day he hosted an open media workout at Chicago’s JABB Boxing Gym.

Diaz’s non title ten round bout against Montano will open the HBO Pay-Per View broadcast of Marquez-Pacquiao II – UNFINISHED BUSINESS—on Saturday, March 15th at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

Promoted by Top Rank Inc. and Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Romanza Boxing Productions and MP Promotions, Marquez-Pacquiao II will take place Saturday, March 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Marquez-Pacquiao II, priced at $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100, are on sale at the Mandalay Bay box office and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers, Macy's West at the Fashion Show Mall, and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000 or Mandalay Bay (702) 632-7580. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com

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Hunky Dorys Fight Night - No Olympic regrets for McCloskey‏

It might be Olympic year but Paul McCloskey says he has no regrets about making the decision to switch to the professional code. Unbeaten in his 3 year pro career McCloskey headlines the Hunky Dorys Fight Night at the Letterkenny Leisure Complex on March 29th when he takes on former World Champion, Cesar Bazan.

The Dungiven southpaw just missed out on qualification for the last Olympics losing out on a contentious points decision when victory would have qualified him for Athens.

On that occasion Andy Lee was Ireland’s sole Olympic representative but 4 years on Ireland will have at least two boxers at this summer’s games in Beijing with both Paddy Barnes and John Joe Nevin having already secured Olympic berths. There is still one further qualifying tournament left giving Ireland’s amateur one last chance at securing their plane ticket to China.

McCloskey knows all about the pressure of Olympic qualification having just missed out in 2004. In an interview with the soon to be relaunched Irish-Boxing.com McCloskey said, “It’s disappointing that I never got the opportunity to go to the Olympics but I could have hung about in the amateur game for another 4 years and still not have qualified for this years games. There’s lot of politics in amateur boxing and I felt I won those qualifying bouts but the decisions didn’t go my way.”

McCloskey, 28 continued, “If I’d have waited until after Beijing to turn pro I would have been another 4 years older and the chances of turning pro and doing well would have been reasonably slim because obviously the older you are the harder it gets. It had been an ambition of mine to fight in the Olympics and I didn’t get it but that’s water under the bridge and you can’t dwell on the past.”

The Derryman’s sights are firmly focused on the future now and after a slow burning start to his pro career he’s relishing the opportunity of headlining his first ever-professional fight night later this month.

McCloskey, who turned pro in March 0f 2003 said, “For those first couple of years I was slightly inactive through no fault of our own. But in the last year things have really picked up thanks to Brian Peters and he’s really got the ball rolling for me.

“This time last year in Letterkenny I was fighting a journeyman and now I’m getting ready to fight a former world champion so I’ve come on quite a bit. But I’ve always felt I was ready for these kind of fights and it was just a matter of getting the opportunity.”

McCloskey will not have it easy though against former WBC lightweight kingpin Bazan who has twice as many knockout wins as McCloskey has had fight.

“I’ve looked at his record and it’s one hell of record with 46 fights, 9 losses and one draw,” said McCloskey. “Of the loses two of them were to Miguel Cotto and Jose Luis Castillo and they’re the only 2 guys to have stopped him. A lot of his other defeats were on split decisions and he’s knocked out 30 people so he clearly carries a bit of power in his hands. I’m going to be treating him with all the respect in the world and I’m training as if I’m fighting for a world title.”

The undercard for the Hunky Dorys Fight Night in Letterkenny features former World title challenger and British champion, Neil Sinclair, rising welterweight Stephen Haughian and Cuban heavyweight sensation Mike “The Rebel” Perez.

Another bout sees Irish Light Middleweight champion Ciaran Healy in a 10 round clash with former British title challenger Steve Conway.

Tyrone professional Damian Taggart also features alongside top amateur Luke Wilton from Belfast who will be making his pro debut.

Tickets for the Hunky Dorys Fight Night priced from €60 are on sale now from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.

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TAVORIS CLOUD STORMS BACK TO CHICAGO ON MARCH 28TH‏

World ranked light heavyweight prospect Tavoris Cloud returns to Chicago on Friday, March 28th as he takes on Mike Wood in the twelve round main event at UNDISPUTED, an evening of world class professional boxing at the Aragon Ballroom presented by Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING and A-TEAM Boxing along with Miller Lite.

The Aragon Ballroom is located at 1106 W. Lawrence Ave., adjacent to the corner of Broadway and Lawrence on the north side of Chicago. Tickets can be obtained in advance through Ticketmaster at 312-559-1212 or www.ticketmaster.com or by calling the 8 Count Productions’ office at 312-226-5800. Doors for this event will open at 7pm with the first bell scheduled for 8pm.

Tallahassee, Florida native Cloud, amongst the fastest rising stars in boxing, has impressively run his undefeated record to 17-0 with sixteen knockouts. Cloud ended 2007 with two of his most impressive performances, a fifth round knockout of Jose Luis Herrera on August 24th at the Congress Theatre and a third round stoppage of Jake Rodriguez on December 14th at Cicero Stadium, both of which can be viewed at Youtube.com

Cloud is currently world ranked # 12 by the WBA, #9 by the IBF and # 9 by the WBO.

Wood of St. Louis, Missouri brings a record of 19-6-1 (11KO’s) into the battle with Cloud and is riding a three bout winning streak. The scheduled twelve round bout will be for the USBA light heavyweight title.

Said Pesoli, “Tavoris is on the fast track to a world title bout in 2008. The Chicago fight fans have been very supportive of him and we’re very excited to bring him back on March 28th.”

The co-main event at UNDISPUTED features former Chicago Golden Gloves champion Louis “KNOCK” Turner, 11-1 (7KO’s), battling heavy handed Mexican veteran Jesus Valverde, 21-14-1 with sixteen knockouts, in a scheduled eight round middleweight bout.

In a special feature attraction Chicago based heavyweight Carl “IRON FIST” Davis will take on Rochester, New York’s Jermell Barnes in an eight round bout. Davis brings a record of 10-2 with eight knockouts into the bout with Barnes, 18-15-2 (4KO’s).

Also featured at UNDISPUTED is Chicago’s world ranked female boxing sensation, Rita “LA GUERA” Figueroa. The undefeated junior welterweight Figueroa, 10-0 with three knockouts, is scheduled in a six round bout.

More information on this card will be announced shortly.

Along with Dominic Pesoli's 8 Count Productions and A TEAM Boxing, UNDISPUTED is presented by Miller Lite and AeroMexico, Mexico’s premier airline travel headquarters.

The Master of Ceremonies for UNDISPUTED will be ring announcer Thomas Treiber.

8 Count Productions was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland. In 2003, Pesoli along with former featherweight contender Mike Garcia opened JABB Boxing Gym, a 6,000 square foot venue dedicated to the finest Chicagoland boxers of all talent levels.

To view the seating chart and poster for this event or for more information on 8 Count Productions and JABB Boxing Gym, please visit www.8countproductions.com and www.jabbboxinggym.com

CREATING CONTENDERS SINCE 1998

Bernie Bahrmasel
Publicist/8 Count Productions
www.8countproductions.com

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Ladbrokes.com Fight Night - Tims set for Pro Debut

Ladbrokes.com Fight Night - Tims set for Pro Debut


Four time Irish amateur champion Ian Tims is ready to make his mark in the pro ranks. The hard hitting Dubliner will make his paid debut on the Ladrokes.com Fight Night at the National Stadium on March 22nd.

Headlining the bill is the much-anticipated middleweight clash between Irish middleweight champ Matthew Macklin and former World Champion Yori Boy Campas. However Tims debut will create a stir of it’s own as one of Ireland’s leading amateurs in recent years looks to make the switch to the professional code.

The Clondalkin native won back-to-back Irish senior heavyweight titles in 2006 and 2007 having successfully made the transition from light heavyweight. Now he’s hoping for further success as a pro.

“I think the professional game will suit me even more than the amateurs because of the longer distance,” said Tims. “Often when the final bell went in my fights I felt like I was only just getting my second wind.

“I’m the kind of boxer that likes to fight on the inside and the computer doesn’t really reward that in the amateurs. I’d sooner slug it out with someone then get on my toes and box and that probably cost me in the amateurs.

“I felt the time was right now to give the pro’s a shot. I’d achieved what I wanted to as an amateur and I just want to fight as often as possible in the pro’s and see where it takes me.”

Tims should have plenty of support for his debut having boxed out of the St. Matthews club in Dublin where he was trained by Bernard Dunne’s father, Brendan.

“Bernard has brought a real buzz back into boxing in Dublin and that’s part of the reason I decided to go pro because the opportunity is there now where as a few years ago it was that much harder to go professional in Ireland.”

Tims will be trained in the paid ranks by two time European Bronze medallist Phil Sutcliffe. The Dubliner has been sharpening up for his pro debut by sparring with Cuban heavyweight sensation Mike “The Rebel” Perez.

Perez, a World Junior champion as an amateur is based in Cork and his two fights to date have seen him rack up a pair of first round knockouts. Perez will also feature on the March 22nd card as well as having two further contests scheduled for March 29th (Letterkenny) and April 12th (Castlebar).

The March 22nd event also features a rematch between Andrew Murray and James Gorman for the Irish Light Welterweight title.

Tickets for the Ladrokes.com Fight Night at the National Stadium on March 22nd are priced from €60 and are on sale from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.

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David Diaz; Undercard of "UNFINISHED BUSINESS", featuring the rematch of the epic battle almost four years ago between Pacquiao and Marquez

Chicago, IL- Chicago based World Boxing Council Lightweight Champion David Diaz is busy preparing to battle Ramon Montano on Saturday, March 15th at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

The Diaz/Montano bout will be broadcast on HBO Pay-Per-View on the undercard of "UNFINISHED BUSINESS", featuring the rematch of the epic battle almost four years ago between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.

However, the collision course has been set for Diaz by his promoter, Top Rank Inc., to square off with boxing’s “Mexicutioner,” Manny Pacquiao later this year.

“I know the deal, if I beat Montano and Manny beats Marquez he’s going to move up to 135 to try and take my title. Good for him, I like the fact that he wants to fight for my title. If we both win on March 15th, I’ll be the first one to meet him at the post fight press conference to welcome him to 135. As far as I’m concerned they can officially announce the fight right then and there.”

“He wants to move up and try to continue collecting belts and I want to test myself against the very best and that’s what they call him. He beat Barrera twice, Morales twice, already has the draw with Marquez, beat Velasquez, Larios and Solis. He’s been on quite a run, if he beats Marquez on March 15th, maybe he’s the best fighter in boxing.”

Speaking about his bout with Montano, Diaz called it a priority first and foremost for him. “I’m sure Montano is preparing for the fight of his life, it’s his opportunity of a lifetime. As for me, when we touch gloves before the fight we’re going to do what we do and see who’s the better fighter. Bottom line is I know I must beat Montano to get a shot at Pacquiao.”

In regards to having the last seven months off since his win over Morales last August, Diaz said “The rest has been good, but I’m chomping at the bit here in Chicago. The cold weather and the snow we’ve had recently is both aggravating me and keeping me focused on Montano and March 15th.”

About his beloved Chicago Cubs who are in training camp in Mesa, Arizona, Diaz added, “I know a few of them want to come in for the fight. They were there when I beat Morales and at my other fights in Chicago. We’re in this together and they’re always welcome.”

The fistic debate about which fighter is the best finally will be settled when World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ defends his title against three-division world champion MANNY PACQUIAO in a 12-round battle for pound-for-pound supremacy. Promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Romanza Boxing Productions and MP Promotions, Marquez-Pacquiao II will take place Saturday, March 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Marquez-Pacquiao II,priced at $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100, are on sale at the Mandalay Bay box office and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers, Macy's West at the Fashion Show Mall, and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000 or Mandalay Bay (702) 632-7580. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com

All-women’s pro boxing “Finally” pay-per-view event, featuring Holm vs. Sanders, June 13th live from the Isleta Casino & Resort in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE- Fresquez Productions, Inc. has scheduled a media tour to announce and promote its pay-per view event, “Finally,” featuring Holly Holm and Mary Joe Sanders fighting for the vacant IFBA junior middleweight championship, as well as Pound-For-Pound Supremacy, on June 13 at the Isleta Casino & Resort in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The media tour will kick-off with a press conference March 12 in Detroit, continue the following day in Albuquerque, and conclude March 15 in Las Vegas. “Finally” will be produced and distributed by Integrated Sports.

HOLLY HOLM; 6-Time World Champion, 3 Divisions, IFBA, IBA, WBC, WBA, & GBU Welterweight Title-Holder Albuquerque, New Mexico 21-1-2 (6 KOs)

MARY JO SANDERS 4-Time World Champion, 4 Divisions, IBA Middleweight Title-Holder
Auburn Hills, Michigan25-0 (8 KOs)