'Finally'; Fresquez Productions presents Holly Holm and Mary Jo Sanders fighting for Pound-for-Pound Supremacy, June 13th

Holm-Sanders Press Conference

ALBUQUERQUE– A Fresquez Productions, Inc. press conference was held today at the Isleta Casino & Resort to formally announce “Finally,” the pay-per-view event (10PM/ET-8 PM/MT), headlined by Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm and Mary Jo Sanders – “The Battle for Pound-for-Pound Supremacy” -- on June 13th live from Isleta Casino & Resort in Albuquerque, New Mexico.(Photo By: Chris Cozzone/Fightwire Images)

“Finally,” produced and distributed by Integrated Sports, will be available for live viewing on cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, TVN and DirecTV for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.

Holm (21-1-2, 6 KOs), fighting out of Albuquerque, faces Detroit icon Sanders (25-0, 8 KOs) in the 10 round main event for the vacant International Female Boxers Association (IFBA) junior middleweight title.

The three other scheduled PPV bouts include two more IFBA title fights: Chevelle “Fists of Steel” Hallback (26-5-2, 11 KOs), fighting out of Tampa (FL), against Jeannine “G9” Garside (7-0-1, 3 KOs), representing Ontario (Canada); Wendy Rodriguez (18-4, 3 KOs), of Los Angeles, versus Hollie “Hot Stuff” Dunaway (21-6, 10 KOs), from Van Buren, Arkansas. Eileen “The Hawaiian Mongoose” Olszewski (5-0), fighting out of New York City by way of Honolulu, will be featured in the fourth PPV bout.

Eileen “The Hawaiian Mongoose” Olszewski

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $50.00, $100.00, $150.00, $200.00, $350.00 and $500.00, go on sale March 18 at the Isleta Casino and Resort box office, www.tickets.com or at Fresquez Productions,

Inc. (508.884.7484). For more information go to www.fresquezproductions.com or www.holmvssanders.com. Doors open at 5:30 PM/MT, first bout 7:00 PM/MT, first televised bout 8:00 PM/MT.

Holm-Sanders Albuquerque Presser Quotes


Holly Holm: “I’m going to train harder than I’ve ever trained before. I’ll be ready for whatever Mary Jo brings.”

Mary Jo Sanders: “I don’t want to talk crap. Our records and fights should speak for themselves. I’m not only happy about my fight with Holly, but the undercard is so good, I’m so happy to headline a card of this magnitude with the other girls in order to show the world that women can fight and not just look pretty.”

Mike Winkeljohn (Holm’s manager/trainer): “Holly is by far No. 1 pound-for-pound and that’s why she was named the 2007 WBAN Fighter of the Year and Ring magazine’s 2005 and 2006 Fighter of the Year, along with the IFBA 2007 Fighter of the Year. Mary Jo’s team recognizes Mary Jo, but the organizations are what count. I think she may pull out of the fight with an injury once she realizes what she is in for.”

Jimmy Mallo (Sanders’ manager/trainer): “This fight will not go the distance. Mary Jo is just too strong for Holly. She’s never been in the ring with someone with Mary Jo’s type of power.”

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SecondsOut Radio: James Moore, Pawel Wolak, Joey Reynolds, Pacquiao-Marquez 2‏

SecondsOut Radio: James Moore, Pawel Wolak, Joey Reynolds, Pacquiao-Marquez 2 On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio/,host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing his failed attempt to orderthe Pacquiao-Marquez 2 pay-per-view on Time Warner Cable in New York,and what happened next. This past Saturday night, March 15, at the same time as Pacquiao-Marquez 2 in Las Vegas, the annual tradition of a major boxing show atMadison Square Garden on St. Patrick's Day weekend continued. In themain event, unbeaten junior middleweight James Moore (15-0, 10 KOs) ofQueens, NY, via County Wicklow, Ireland, faced the toughest opponentof his pro career, veteran former title challenger J.C. Candelo(27-10-4, 18 KOs). Moore won by a ten-round unanimous decision. In theco-feature, unbeaten junior middleweight Pawel Wolak, 20-0 (14 KOs)scored a second-round knockout over Dupre Strickland (18-3-1, 7 KOs). Right after their fights, we spoke with James Moore and Pawel Wolak.We also spoke with legendary radio host Joey Reynolds of WOR 710 AM inNew York, who attended this fight and covers boxing regularly on hisMonday-through-Friday overnight general interest talk show (http://wor710.com/pages/46370.php?contentType=4&contentId=157588/). It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register togain access to it. Just click here, http://www.secondsout.com/radio/,and listen, learn, and enjoy. 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/nhbnewsboxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide

IFL will honor the state champion wrestlers from N.Y. and N.J. high schools at the April 4 IFL event at Izod Center in E. Rutherford, N.J.

NEW YORK– The connection between the sports of wrestling and mixed martial arts is a strong and growing one। In recognition of the achievement of New York and New Jersey high school wrestlers this season, the International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI) will honor the champions of both states and their coaches at the first major MMA competition on the East Coast in 2008, April 4 at the IZOD Center in E. Rutherford, N.J., beginning at 7:30 p.m. The league will recognize champions recently crowned in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) and New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) for their athletic excellence “More than two-thirds of our professional mixed martial arts athletes come from the high school and collegiate wrestling ranks,” said IFL CEO Jay Larkin. “We are proud to be able to highlight the success and hard work that these state champions have demonstrated and wish them success as they move forward in their academic and athletic careers.” Last year, the IFL and USA Wrestling, the national governing body of the sport of wrestling, began a partnership to help promote the relationship between the sports. The IFL has held clinics with USA Wrestling around the country, using IFL elite athletes with a strong wrestling background to show younger athletes how to improve technique. Numerous IFL athletes, including current champions Jay Hieron, Roy Nelson, Vladimir Matyushenko, Ryan Schultz and Ryan McGivern, have an accomplished wrestling background. In addition, former middleweight champion Matt Horwich earned a silver medal at the World Grappling Games in the summer of 2007 and his coach Matt Lindland is an Olympic Silver Medalist. Some of the elite wrestlers competing on the April 4 MMA card at the Meadowlands will include Hieron (Nassau C.C.), Matyushenko (Lassen J.C.), Shad Lierley (New York Univ.), L.C. Davis (Missouri Valley College) and Mike Ciesnolevicz (Lock Haven Univ.) The event will feature nine bouts, including the IFL featherweight, middleweight and light heavyweight belts, and will be seen live on HDNet and Fox Sports Canada, as well as on tape delay on FSN. About the IFLInternational Fight League™ (IFL) has its headquarters in New York and offices in Las Vegas. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv. ---"St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic."- Adrienne Cook Catch the IFL on FSN Sundays at 5 p.m. and LIVE on HDNet on April 4 and May 16 boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide

NO HOLDS BARRED: Bob Meyrowitz

NO HOLDS BARRED: Bob Meyrowitz

http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-03-15T03_27_39-07_00

On this special edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bob Meyrowitz, whose new mixed martial arts league, YAMMA Pit Fighting (http://yammapitfighting.com), will be debuting Friday, April 11, 2008, at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a pay-per-view show. Bob is the former CEO of Semaphore Entertainment Group, which produced the original, classic UFC events from 1993 to 2001.

We were joined in our discussion, held Tuesday, March 11, at the New York offices of YAMMA Pit Fighting, by Internet radio host Bob Carson of Carson's Corner (http://carsonscorner.podomatic.com/).

Among the topics discussed in this lengthy roundtable interview were the media, radio, and the Internet; what to expect at the debut show of YAMMA Pit Fighting April 11; their running a one-night heavyweight tournament; their Super Fight competitors Oleg Taktarov, Don Frye, Gary Goodridge, and Butterbean; and much more.

To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link at the start of this message, scroll down that page, and just press the play button on the player.

You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).

Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.

The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/).

Make sure to check out my regular weekly boxing show SecondsOut Radio, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio/. On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, we begin by discussing the WBC heavyweight title fight won by Samuel Peter (30-1, 23 KOs) over Oleg Maskaev (34-6, 26 KOs) by a sixth-round stoppage, and the lightweight title fight won by Nate Campbell (32-5-1, 25 KOs) over Juan Diaz (33-1, 17 KOs) by a split decision in Cancun, Mexico. The comments of the announcers on HBO, which telecast these fights in the U.S., are particularly criticized here. We also review the cruiserweight unification bout won by David Haye (21-1, 20 KOs) over Enzo Maccarinelli (28-2, 21 KOs) by a second-round TKO in London, UK, telecast in the U.S. on Showtime and in the UK on Setanta. This coming Saturday, March 15, the long-awaited rematch between WBC super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (48-3-1, 35 KOs) and Manny Pacquiao (45-3-2, 34 KOs) finally is set to take place. In their first bout, held at featherweight on May 8, 2004, Pacquiao dropped Marquez thrice in the first round, but Marquez recovered and was able to outbox Pacquiao for much of the remainder of the fight. The result was a controversial split draw. Now they will meet again in a bout in Las Vegas which will be shown in the U.S. on HBO Pay-Per-View. We spoke with Manny Pacquiao and his trainer and confidant Freddie Roach about what to expect March 15 on a media teleconference call this past week, and have that discussion for you here. It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register to gain access to it. Just click here, http://www.secondsout.com/radio/, and listen, learn, and enjoy.

Make sure to check out my regular articles on the ADCC News at http://www.adcombat.com and on FightBeat.com at http://fightbeat.com.

NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

YAMMA Pit Fighting (http://yammapitfighting.com). The producers of the original UFC and Live Nation (http://livenation.com/), worldwide leaders in live entertainment, present YAMMA Pit Fighting mixed martial arts. On the streets, it's against the law. In the pit, it IS the law.

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

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Holm-Sanders Female PPV Super Fight June 13 at Isleta Casino & Resort in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE– The long awaited, much anticipated showdown between two of boxing’s best, exciting and most popular females, Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm and Mary Jo Sanders, will headline the June 13th “Finally” pay-per-view event (10 PM/ET-8PM/MT), presented by Fresquez Productions, Inc., live from Isleta Casino & Resort in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“Finally,” produced and distributed by Integrated Sports, will be available for live viewing on cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, TVN and DirecTV for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.
Holm (21-1-2, 6 KOs), fighting out of Albuquerque, meets Detroit icon Sanders (25-0, 8 KOs) in the 10 round main event for the vacant International Female Boxers Association (IFBA) junior middleweight title.

“This is a fight between two supreme athletes in their prime battling for pound-for-pound supremacy,” promoter Lenny Fresquez said. “Holly is a natural junior welterweight who is fighting three divisions higher against the best middleweight in the world, Mary Jo, at 154 pounds (junior middleweight). The winner will be recognized as the top pound-for-pound active fighter in female boxing today.”

Holm, 2007 WBAN & IFBA Fighter of the Year, is the reigning IFBA welterweight champion and 7-time world title-holder in three different weight classes. She is 10-0(3 KOs) in world title fights and has defeated seven world champions including Christy Martin, Mia St. John, Jane Couch, Ann Saccurato, and Chevelle Hallback.
IBA middleweight title-holder Sanders, 4-time world champion in four divisions, is the daughter of Football Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Sanders, former Detroit Lions tight end star.

Mary Jo, 5-0 (2 KOs) in world championship bouts, has beaten nine world champions, including Valerie Mahfood, Melissa Del Valle, Eliza Olson, Tricia Turton, and Hallback.

IBA junior lightweight champion Chevelle “Fists of Steel” Hallback (26-5-2, 11 KOs), fighting out of Tampa (FL), takes on IBA featherweight title-holder Jeannine “G9” Garside (7-0-1, 3 KOs), representing Ontario (Canada), in the 10-round co-feature for the IFBA lightweight title.

Two other exciting 10-round pay-per-view fights are on tap, IBA junior featherweight champion Wendy Rodriguez (18-4, 3 KOs), of Los Angeles, versus WIBF-GBU/WIBC minimumweight title-holder Hollie “Hot Stuff” Dunaway (21-6, 10 KOs), from Van Buren, Arkansas, for the vacant IFBA junior flyweight championship.

Newly crowned WIBA flyweight title-holder Eileen “The Hawaiian Mongoose” Olszewski (5-0), fighting out of New York City by way of Honolulu, will be fighting an opponent to be determined. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $50.00, $100.00, $150.00, $200.00, $350.00 and $500.00, go on sale March 18 at the Isleta Casino and Resort box office, www.tickets.com or at Fresquez Productions, Inc. (508.884.7484). For more information go to www.fresquezproductions.com or www.holmvssanders.com. Doors open at 5:30 PM/MT, first bout 7:00 PM/MT, first televised bout 8:00 PM/MT.

Holm-Sanders Detroit Presser Quotes

The Holm-Sanders media tour kicked-off today in Detroit at the Andiamo Restaurant, continues tomorrow (Thursday, March 13 – 2 PM/MT) at the Isleta Casino & Resort (Bingo Showroom), and concludes Saturday morning (11 AM/PT) with a breakfast/press conference at the Luxor Hotel & Casino (Nile Chambers Room A & B) in Las Vegas.

Holly Holm: “Mary Joe is 25-0 and I feel that she’s been put in with the right girls. In 2 ½ more months everyone will know I’m the best in boxing. I don’t make predictions. We’ve all seen Mary Jo. I’ll train for 10 rounds and take it one round at a time. Anything can happen.”

Mary Joe Sanders: “I made a prediction once and my dad got made at me. I asked him to wait until after the fight. I predicted the third round and got her in the first. But that’s not the point. There’s no need for predictions. I don’t want to be focusing on that (round prediction). I know it’ll be a great fight.”

Mike Winkeljohn (Holm’s manager/trainer): “Mary Jo is undefeated. I hope they enjoy the last 2 ½ months being undefeated. Mary Jo is all those things (what Mallo said) but Holly is hard to hit. She’s as slippery as Jimmy’s (Mallo) hair. They must be nervous to have already started training. Holly’s going to start at the right time and not get burned out. I encourage them to do that (continue training).”

Jimmy Mallo (Sanders’ manager/trainer): “Mary Joe is by far the best female fighter in boxing. Holly Holm hops around like a bunny. She better not bring her dancing shoes that night. We train everyday; six days a week. So, I don’t think Mary Joe will peak too soon. I hope Vegas takes bets on this fight. Holly Holm can’t win this fight. Mary Joe is too good and too strong. It doesn’t matter what game plan, she can’t win. Mary Jo goes against the grain. She’s never thrown off by quickness. It really doesn’t matter. Mary Jo is a true fighter; Holly Holm is a bunny, hopping in and out, fighting like she’s doing the Cha-Cha. She better change her game plan for this fight. Whatever she does in this fight, Mary Jo is going to punch her harder than she’s ever been hit in her life.”

Lenny Fresquez (promoter of the show and for Holm): “The ring is only going to be 18 feet, so they shouldn’t think Holly will be dancing. The referee and judges will be neutral.”

CONTACTS: Bob Trieger, Full Court Press
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Le Reve Play 4 Parkinsons, a 1920's starr-studded casino gala to benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation‏, Aprl 22

Le Reve Play 4 Parkinsons, a 1920's starr-studded casino gala to benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation‏ Aprl 22

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APRIL 19 IN KATOWICE, POLAND ADAMEK-BELL IN IBF CRUISERWEIGHT ELIMINATOR

TOTOWA, NJ– Two of the world’s top cruiserweights will vie for the IBF’s #1 mandatory position on April 19, 2008, when Tomasz Adamek (IBF #3) and O’ Neil Bell (IBF #7) battle in a 12 round IBF eliminator, it was jointly announced today by Main Events, Ziggy Promotions, Warriors Boxing, and KnockOut Promotion.

Adamek (33-1, 22 KO’s) has stopped 15 opponents within the first three rounds. The 31-year-old Zywiec, Poland native captured the vacant WBC light heavyweight championship on May 21, 2005, when he decisioned Paul Briggs (W 12). He defended the title twice before losing to Chad Dawson on Feb 3, 2007 (L 12). Since moving to cruiserweight he is 2-0, 1 KO. Adamek is also recognized as the IBO Cruiserweight Champion.

Bell (26-2, 24 KO’s) is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion. The 33-year-old Atlanta, Georgian by way of Jamaica captured the undisputed crown on January 7, 2006, when he stopped defending champion Jean-Marc Mormeck (KO 10). Bell surrendered the undisputed title in his last bout on March 17, 2007, when he lost a decision in the rematch against Mormeck (L 12). Prior to the loss Bell had won 25 consecutive bouts.

“I am very excited about returning to my Polish homeland for this fight against Bell,” said Adamek. “Bell is a very good fighter, but I need to win this bout to get another title shot. I won’t let anyone stand in my way.”

““I look forward to this fight being the first step for me in recapturing the belts that rightfully are mine,” said Bell.

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TWO WORLD TITLES AT STAKE…MIGUEL COTTO vs. ALFONSO GOMEZ and KERMIT CINTRON vs. ANTONIO MARGARITO ON APRIL 12 AT BOARDWALK HALL ON HBO

Undefeated world champion Miguel Cotto defends his WBA welterweight belt on April 12 against Contenders’ star Alfonso Gomez.

Miguel Cotto


Miguel Cotto (31-0, 25 KOs) of Caguas, Puerto Rico, has beaten a quartet of former world champions in his last five fights – Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Paulie Malignaggi and Carlos Quintana – which has made him the most dangerous welterweight in the world. Gomez, in the biggest fight of his career on July 14, 2007, stopped Arturo Gatti in the seventh round and ultimately sent him into retirement.

Alfonso Gomez




Also featured on the card is IBF Welterweight Champion Kermit Cintron (29-1, 27 KOs) of Carolina, Puerto Rico, defending his IBF Welterweight title against former world champion Antonio Margarito.

Antonio Margarito

This will be Cintron’s chance to avenge his only professional loss which took place against Margarito at Caesars Palace on April 23, 2005.Kermit Cintron

Dunne goes “Into the West”; Dunne’s clash with former World Champion Felix Machado

Former European Champion Bernard Dunne will head “Into the West” for his return to the ring on the Hunky Dorys Fight Night at the International Events Arena, Breaffy House Resort in Castlebar, Co. Mayo on April 12th.


Dunne goes “Into the West”; Dunne’s clash with former World Champion Felix Machado, will mark his return to the ring following last August’s shock European title defeat against Kiko Martinez and the Dubliner is itching to step back between the ropes.

“I just can’t wait and it’s great to have a date to work towards now,” revealed Dunne who celebrated the birth of his second child in December. “I’ve had a good break and I got to spend a lot of time with the latest addition to the family. I missed that when Caoimhe was born because I had to go into training camp not long after so it was nice to be able to spend so much time with Pamela and the kids but I’m ready to go now again.”

The 28-year-old is determined to put the sole blemish on his pro career behind him and get back to winning ways against Machado. The Venezuelan southpaw held the world super flyweight title from 2000 to 2003 and holds wins over world champions Martin Castillo, Mauricio Pastrana and Julio Gamboa.

“To be honest I don’t care who’s in the other corner,” said Dunne. “I just want to get back in there and get back on track starting with this fight on April 12th.” Dunne insists he will continue to campaign at super bantamweight and is hopeful of a rematch with Martinez.

“I’d like to get Mr. Martinez in the ring again as soon as possible for obvious reasons. There are other factors to consider though with Kiko fighting under a different promotional banner so I don’t know if the fight can be made but if it comes along I’ll be ready for it. Hopefully it will but myself, Brian Peters and Harry Hawkins have sat down and established our own plan if that doesn’t come off.”

Looking back on his defeat to Martinez Dunne insists that he has no excuses. “I said immediately afterwards that I had no excuses and I’m not going to start making excuses now. It happened and that’s boxing. I was 100% mentally and physically ready for that fight but I just got caught by a shot I didn’t see coming. In sport there’s always a winner and a loser so when you come out of a fight on the wrong side you just have to deal with it and bounce back.”

Dunne has dismissed any notion that he will be out to prove the critics wrong on his return to the ring. “I don’t take any notice of things like that. I don’t need to prove myself to anybody other than myself. I don’t need any critics to motivate me, ultimately the motivation needs to come from within yourself and I have that more than ever now.”

Dunne’s contest with Machado will take place at the International Events Arena, Breaffy House Resort in Castlebar allowing Mayo fight fans to sample the excitement of professional boxing and Dunne is looking forward to heading west. “Brian has had the idea of bringing the show on the road for quite a while now and it’s something new so hopefully the atmosphere that the fights used to generate at the Stadium and The Point will travel to Mayo.”

Promoter Brian Peters believes that the Mayo venue will prove an excellent venue for Dunne’s return. “The facilities in the Breaffy House Resort are top class. We had a very successful show in Limerick with Andy Lee in February and we have Paul McCloskey headlining in Letterkenny next month so there’s a huge appetite around the country now for professional boxing and it’s great to see.”

Reflecting on Dunne’s fight with Kiko Martinez Peters said, “I suppose that night just showed the drama, the excitement and even the tragedy of professional boxing all rolled into one. It’s probably the only sport where you are always a split second away from glory or disaster and I suppose that’s what makes it so appealing to people.

“I believe boxing is very much a battle of wills and I’ve no doubt that Bernard still has the will to succeed at the highest level in the sport. A good fighter does not become a bad fighter overnight. The greatest of champions have been beaten and I think that to be a great fighter you have to tasted defeat and come back from it. It’s how you deal with defeat and adversity that really defines you and I believe Bernard will return a better fighter for the experience.”

Peters admits however that Machado is a huge test for Dunne on his return to the ring. “Certainly we can’t afford to look past someone with the quality of Machado. He’s a seasoned, durable opponent and has been to the very highest level. He’s competed in 8 world title fights and won the majority of them so Bernard certainly can’t be accused of taking on a soft touch.”

Trainer Harry Hawkins has backed Dunne to beat Machado in style having taken on board the lessons of the Martinez defeat. The Belfast based trainer said, “The mark of a great fighter is how they react after a defeat and I think he'll be back a better fighter for the experience. It was a harsh and costly lesson but Bernard will learn from it and bounce back, I’ve no doubt about that.”

The Hunky Dorys Fight Night on April 12th will feature an undercard with plenty of local interest as Mayo’s own fighting me take to the ring. Undefeated cruiserweight prospect Michael “The Storm” Sweeney will look to extend his unbeaten record while Castlebar’s very own Keith Cresham will make his pro debut at light heavyweight.

Also on the card is London based Galwegian John O’Donnell, a skilled welterweight operator who has long been tipped as one of Europe’s hottest prospects by leading U.K. promoter Mick Hennessy. The fighting trio from Connaught will be joined on the card by Cuban heavyweight sensation Mike “The Rebel” Perez in what will be his third scheduled professional fight in just 4 weeks.

Also on the card is Omagh’s unbeaten light middleweight Damian Taggart who is being mentored by All-Ireland winning manager Mickey Harte.

Tickets for the Hunky Dorys Fight Night priced from €60 go on sale from 9am tomorrow morning (Friday, February 29th) from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.

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YAMMA Pit Fighting’s upcoming pay-per-view event in Atlantic City on April 11; Don Frye, Oleg Taktarov, Marcelo “Pato” Pereira, Sherman Pendergarst...

YAMMA Pit Fighting’s upcoming pay-per-view event in Atlantic City on April 11; Don Frye, Oleg Taktarov, Marcelo “Pato” Pereira, Sherman Pendergarst, Rex Richards, Tony Sylvester, Chris Tuscherer and Travis “The Diesel” Wiuff.
YAMMA PIT FIGHTING UNVEILS INITIAL FIGHT CARD INFO FOR PAY-PER-VIEW ON APRIL 11

Don Frye to Fight Oleg Taktarov and Gold Medal Olympian Jeff Blatnick to Serve as Commentator for Inaugural YAMMA Pit Fighting Pay-Per-View Event

Los Angeles– Today YAMMA Pit Fighting (YPF), a new mixed martial arts (MMA) organization created by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) founder Bob Meyrowitz, announced that their first matchup will pit Russia vs. U.S.A, as Oleg “The Russian Bear” Taktarov and Don “The Predator” Frye will go toe-to-toe in the organization’s first live pay-per-view event.

The event will air live from the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on April 11, 2008. Tickets for the event will go on sale March 8, and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

This first matchup will witness two MMA legends battle in a totally new and unique arena. The veteran fighters will face off in one of the ‘Masters Superfights’, one-on-one matches that feature some of MMA’s most illustrious and legendary fighters. In addition to the Superfights, the April 11th event will showcase the skill and endurance of eight fearsome competitors in a tournament match for the title of YAMMA Heavyweight Champion. Tournament fighters include: Marcelo “Pato” Pereira, Sherman Pendergarst, Rex Richards, Tony Sylvester, Chris Tuscherer and Travis “The Diesel” Wiuff.

“Don Frye needs to do only two things: fly to Russia and stay there for ten years to study Sambo. Then, maybe he’ll be ready,” said Oleg Taktarov about his upcoming face off with Frye.

Jeff Blatnick will serve as a commentator for both the Heavyweight Tournament and “Masters Superfights.” Blatnick, a retired athlete and cancer survivor, has won ten national wrestling titles and various international awards. He was a member of both the 1980 and 1984 United States Olympic Teams, and is famous for his awe-inspiring underdog win at the 1984 Olympics, after having his spleen and appendix removed due to Hodgkin’s disease. This win made him only the second U. S. Greco-Roman wrestler in history to win a gold medal. Since retiring, Jeff has become a successful television sportscaster and has appeared as an expert analyst on NBC, ABC and ESPN.

Don "The Predator" Frye is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter, actor, and professional wrestler who has fought in UFC, PRIDE and K-1. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 2 tournaments. He is widely considered one of the first "cross trained" MMA fighters, having a background in multiple disciplines including: extensive collegiate wrestling, a 2nd degree black belt in Judo and a professional boxing record. Frye stands 6ft 1in and weighs 220lbs and has a MMA record of 19-6-1.

Sambo and Judo expert Oleg “The Russian Bear” Taktarov is a PRIDE, UFC and Bodog Fights veteran known for calmness during battle and acrobatic takedowns. Taktarov's MMA record is 13-5-2 and he has never been submitted in a MMA match. He stands 6ft tall and weighs 220lb and recently returned to the MMA ring, winning a decisive victory over challenger John Marsh in November 2007.

YAMMA Pit Fighting will return to the popular origins of MMA by reviving the tournament format, in which fighters will participate in multiple fights on their way to claiming the ultimate YAMMA victory, the title of YAMMA Heavyweight Champion. This format will push fighters to the limits of skill and endurance, as victory in each round is rewarded not with extended rest, but with another fight. Some of MMA’s newest and best emerging fighters will be featured in the Heavyweight Tournament fight card and will include:

· Marcelo “Pato” Pereira - a multiple world and Brazil BJJ champion known for this strong chin and very heavy hands with an MMA record of 5-0-0

· Sherman Pendergarst - a 6'1 230 pound former Collegiate wrestler and State High School wrestling champion with a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing and Kick boxing with an MMA record of 10-8-0
· Rex Richards – a former lineman for the Indianapolis Colts and Machado BJJ brown belt. Richards is a veteran of Strike Force and Art of War with a professional mixed martial arts record of 4-1-0
· Tony Sylvester – a boxing/wrestling expert who is considered to be one of the top up-and-coming heavyweights in the nation with a MMA record of 10-1-0

· Travis “The Diesel” Wiuff - a UFC, Pride and IFL veteran, and current IFO World Champion with a Mixed Martial Arts record of 47-11-0. He is known for his well rounded fighting style with vicious elbows on the ground

The additional three tournament fighters will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster’s extensive network of 81 ticket centers throughout the Delaware Valley including Boscov’s, Marshalls, Tower Records, and select West Coast Video and Gallery of Sound locations or call Ticketmaster’s convenient Charge-by-Phone service at 1-800-736-1420. For Online Information: www.ticketmaster.com

About Rope Partners
Rope Partners, formed by Bob Meyrowitz and Peter Kauff, have over a 20 year track record of pioneering successful ventures in the music, broadcasting and sports industries. As illustrated by their successes in building the largest independent radio syndication company, DIR Broadcasting, The College Television Network, the largest private television network in the United States, and Semaphore Entertainment Group the originator and founder of the UFC.

FIGHTER LINKS
Sherman Pendergarst http://www.shermanpendergarst.com/aboutme.htm

Rex Richards
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=43399007

JEREMY “HALF MAN, HALF AMAZING” WILLIAMS TO TAKE ON ZACK PAGE AT THE LEGENDARY BLUE HORIZON ON APRIL 11TH

PHILADELPHIA— On Friday night, April 11th, Jeremy “Half Man, Half Amazing” Williams will continue on the road to a shot at the cruiserweight title when he takes on Zack Page in a scheduled eight round bout when Vernoca L. Michael and Blue Horizon Boxing Inc. presents a huge night of boxing at The Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia.
Williams, of Long Beach, California is plain and simple a power puncher. The former Heavyweight world title contender sports an impressive record of 42-5-1 with thirty-five knockouts.

Williams turned pro in 1992 and won his first fifteen fights, which included twelve by knockout. That put him in position to take on fellow undefeated heavyweight and 1992 U.S. Olympian, Larry Donald.

Williams lost a close majority decision but wasn’t deterred as he was back in the ring just seven weeks later. That led to an eleven fight winning streak where Williams stopped ten of those foes which led to a shot at the vacant WBO Heavyweight title.

Unfortunately Williams was stopped by Henry Akinwande in three rounds in Indio, California. Williams then went on another streak of eight straight knockouts before coming up short in a bout with perennial contender Maurice Harris.

Williams has gone 7-2-1 since which included victories over Attila Levin (29-1) and Andre Purlette (35-1) and only losing to Brian Neilson (56-1) and currant WBC Heavyweight champion Samuel Peter.

In the time between 2005 and mid-2007, Williams was involved in various acting opportunities and was one of the lead trainers on the second season of The Contender.

August 18th, 2007, Williams started out his Cruiserweight career with a split decision over Gary Gomez (18-8-1) in Sandy, Utah.

Page, Of Warren, Ohio has a record 14-18-1 with five wins by knockouts. Page is a tough veteran who has been in with a plethora of top prospects and ranked fighters from the Heavyweight & Cruiserweight division. Page will fight anyone at a moments notice no matter what the record or size is. He has given up as much as 50 lbs to opponents.

Some of the name opponents Page has fought has been Mike Marrone, Aaron Williams, Alonzo Butler, Lou Del Valle, Dominick Guinn, Mike Mollo, Jason Estrada, Guillermo Jones & Derrick Rossy.

Despite that stiff competition, Page has only been stopped twice which will make Williams work extra hard if he wants to put Page on his list of knockout victims.

One of the co-feature bouts will be an eight round middleweight affair between Blue Horizon fan favorite, Gee Cullmer and Anthony Little.

Cullmer of Philadelphia has a record of 13-1 with three knockouts and has fought his last eight bouts at The Legendary Blue Horizon which includes his last outing where he scored a six round unanimous decision over John Michael Terry.

Little of Akron, Ohio has a record of 7-10-1 with one knockout has fought solid opposition such Andre Berto, Pawel Wolak and James McGirt Jr. He is coming off a draw with George Klinesmith (23-13-3) on February 16th.

Steve Upsher Chambers makes his return to The Legendary Blue Horizon when he takes on the straight forward style of Jaime Morales in a six round Jr. Welterweight affair.

Chambers of Philadelphia is coming off a seven month layoff where he got some quality training in Vero Beach, Florida. He has a record of 15-1-1 (1 NC, 4 KO’s) and has fought every one of his fights at The Legendary Blue Horizon except for one fight.

In his last bout, last September 7th at The Legendary Blue Horizon, Chambers scored a six round unanimous decision over Jason Jordan.

Morales of Philadelphia is a come forward fighter who always is involved in action packed affairs. He has a record of 4-6 with two knockouts and is looking to get back in the win column after being stopped in one round by Daniel Sostre last November in New York.

In a much anticipated four round bout, Simon “One Punch” Carr will be making his long awaited Legendary Blue Horizon Debut. Carr will be battling Jason Quick in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Carr of Philadelphia has built up a big fan base and has had to overcome a lot in his life to get to a record of 4-1-1 with three knockouts. Carr is coming off an eight month layoff after he had a draw with Andre Hemphill last August in a much talked about rematch.

Quick, of New York has a record of 4-3-1 with three knockouts and is itching to get back in the ring after nearly a two year layoff.

Quick won his first four bouts, which includes a fight in 2004 when he had to get off the deck twice to stop William Scales at The Legendary Blue Horizon. Quick, is coming off a six round unanimous decision loss to Anthony Russell of May of 2006.

This will be Quick’s third appearance at The Legendary Blue Horizon.

Ticket prices for this great night of boxing are $200 for Queen Seating, $125 for Presidential seats, $65 for VIP, $55 for Ringside, and $45 for General Admission and can be purchased by calling The Legendary Blue Horizon at 1-215-763-0500 or by logging on to comcasttix.com. Doors open at 6:30 PM / 1st bout begins at 7:30 PM

The Legendary Blue Horizon is located at 1314 North Broad Street in Philadelphia, PA

For more information, log on to www.legendarybluehorizon.com

Contact Marc Abrams; mabrams@15rounds.com

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WBA WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE CHAMPION - FELIX STURM (GERMANY) VS CHALLANGER – JAMIE PITTMAN (AUSTRALIA) 5th April 2008, Dusseldorf, Germany

Australian boxing has a long and rich history on the world stage, none-more-so than in the middleweight division.Champions of the past include the legendary Les Darcy, Dave Sands and Tony Mundine, however, as great as these fighters were, no Australian has ever won the World Middleweight Title – fast forward to 2008 and one young Aussie fighter has the chance create history – his name?

Jamie “Mr Business” Pittman.

On the 5th April in Dusseldorf, Germany, Jamie “Mr Business” Pittman challenges WBA World Middleweight Champion, Felix Sturm of Germany.

On the line will be a chance at boxing immortality and the ‘riches’ that go along with the ultimate success.

The 29-year-old Sturm comes to the ring as a three-time world title winner. As an amateur he represented Germany at the 2000 Sydney Olympics before turning pro and winning the WBO Middleweight title in 2003. Sturm lost the belt in a hotly disputed bout against all time great Oscar De La Hoya in the US.

Sturm then fought for and won the coveted WBA World Middleweight Title before losing the belt to Spaniard Javier Castillejo in 2006 – Sturm then showed his class by avenging this defeat against Castillejo in a rematch in April 2007 to reclaim the WBA World Title. Sturm’s last bout against the American Randy Griffin in October 2007 ended in a drawn contest, with the Germans record now standing at 31 fights, 28 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw with 12 KO’s.

In short, the German won't be giving away title without one heck of a fight – however, the Australian camp is confident that Pittman can cause an upset and write his name into the boxing history books.

A 2004 Athens Olympian and captain of the Australian boxing squad, Pittman’s amateur credentials are impressive winning the NSW title 8 times, 5 Australian titles and the Oceania championships on 3 occasions. He has represented Australia in over 40 countries around the world, amassing an amateur record of 137 fights for 111 wins. “Mr Business” now brings a perfect professional record into the world championship bout with 16 fights, 16 wins with 7 KO’s. Along the way he was won the Australian Super Middleweight title, WBF World Super Middleweight title, PABA Middleweight title, WBO Asia Pacific Middleweight title and the WBA Pan African title – with the Southern Hemisphere now successfully conquered “Mr Business” has his sights now set on world boxing domination.

The bout on the 5th April will be held at the Burg-Waechter Castello Stadium in Dusseldorf, Germany with a crowd of over 10,000 fans to be on hand to cheer on the German World Champion, however, Pittman will have plenty of Australian support amongst the pro-Sturm crowd with a tour group of around 100 down under fight fans taking the long flight to Europe to cheer on “Mr Business”.

To find out more on Jamie “Mr Business” Pittman log onto http://www.jamiepittman.com/

Thank you for your continued support.

For further information contact Sheldon Kidd of DSP Events on 0428 447 191
DSP EVENTS
mycoast@terrigal.net.au

MATYUSHENKO, HIERON, FABIANO TO DEFEND TITLES AS INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE RETURNS TO NEW JERSEY ON APRIL 4 Miletich Fighting Systems

MATYUSHENKO, HIERON, FABIANO TO DEFEND TITLES AS INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE RETURNS TO NEW JERSEY ON APRIL 4 Miletich Fighting Systems, American Top Team and Renzo Gracie Academy, Midwest Combat Battle In Camp Matchups At Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

NEW YORK– IFL titleholders Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko (Belarus), Jay “The Thorobred” Hieron (Freeport, N.Y./Las Vegas) and Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) will defend their belts when the International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI) returns to the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., with a nine-bout card on Friday, April 4. In addition to the three Championship bouts, competition between camps will feature athletes from Renzo Gracie Academy.

Renzo Gracie


Midwest Combat, Miletich Fighting Systems, and American Top Team. Tickets will go on sale on Monday, Feb. 25, and will be available at the IZOD Center Box Office (located at the Meadowlands), www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (201) 507-8900. Of particular interest is the addition of Florida-based American Top Team, which is “outside” of the core IFL camps to compete under the new IFL format which encourages challenges from the top MMA camps across the world. Matyushenko, who defected to the U.S. while a member of the Belarus national wrestling team in the early 1990’s, was the IFL’s first individual champion, capping an unbeaten 2007 by winning the light heavyweight title by defeating Alex Schoenauer last November in Chicago. On April 4.

Jamal “The Suit” Patterson


Matyushenko will battle Jamal “The Suit” Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.), a Colgate Univ. graduate who now serves as regional sales manager for an orthodontics company in addition to his MMA career. Hieron, a Long Island native who will be fighting in front of a decidedly hometown crowd, knocked out Delson “Pe de Chumbo” Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in Connecticut in December to claim the welterweight crown. His opponent in New Jersey will be Mark Miller (Chicago), a former machine gunner in the U.S. Marines who was one of the big surprises at 170-lbs. last year in the IFL. Fabiano is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert who used that skill to record five submissions, four of them in the first round, in a perfect 2007, culminating in a win over LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) in the featherweight championship in December. He takes on Shad Lierley (Seattle), a former collegiate conference wrestling champion at New York University who moves to 145-lbs. after impressing with two victories and a well-documented thrilling battle with Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (London, Ontario) last year.

Bas Rutten, IFL Vice President talks with Eddie Goldman.

“I like the local feel of this card,” said Bas Rutten, IFL Vice President, Fighter Operations. “In addition to three outstanding championship matchups, featuring fighters from New York and New Jersey, you have Renzo Gracie’s camp, which was the champion last year, Midwest Combat, which features our top fighters from the Chicago area, and great battles with the Miletich camp and American Top Team, which we are very excited to have on board.” Among the intriguing matchups in the Miletich-ATT pairing are those between welterweights Rory Markham (Chicago) and Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and light heavyweights Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) and Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.). L.C. Davis will also compete against a yet-to-be-determined featherweight opponent. The Gracie-Midwest bouts include a rematch of last year’s exciting Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) vs. Bart “Bartimus” Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) matchup. Delson Heleno will also fight at 170 lbs; his opponent is TBD. Outside of the camp matchups, Chris Horodecki will battle a yet unnamed lightweight for a planned minimum nine-bout card. IFL East Rutherford, N.J.Friday, April 4, 2008(order TBD) Additional Bouts155 lbs.: Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario) (7-1 IFL, 11-1 overall MMA) vs. TBD American Top Team vs. Miletich Fighting Systems145 lbs.: TBD vs. LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) (2-0, 9-1)170 lbs.: Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (0-0, 10-5) vs. Rory Markham (Chicago) (6-2, 12-3)205 lbs.: Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (0-0, 6-0) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) (5-3, 13-3) Midwest Combat vs. Renzo Gracie Academy155 lbs.: Bart Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) (8-3, 29-10) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) (3-0, 9-2)170 lbs.: TBD vs. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (6-3, 13-4)*205 lbs.: **Vladimir Matyushenko (Belarus) (5-0, 20-3) vs. Jamal Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.) (4-1, 4-1) Additional Championship Bouts*170 lbs.: **Jay Hieron (Freeport, N.Y.) (6-2, 14-4) vs. Mark Miller (Chicago) (2-1, 8-2)*145 lbs.: **Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (5-0, 9-1) vs. Shad Lierley (Seattle) (2-1, 2-1) *Championship Bout**Current Title holder 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. ---"You got your passion, you got your prideBut don't you know only fools are satisfied?Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true When will you realize Vienna waits for you"-- Billy Joel, 'Vienna,' 1977

Hannah Rivera and Friends 10, 000 miles, with Christina Santanmaria, Sophi Russek and Charles Johnson and special guest Andrea Scannell, March 30th

Hannah Rivera and Friends 10, 000 miles, with Christina Santanmaria, Sophi Russek and Charles Johnson and special guest Andrea Scannell, 3 PM Sunday March 30th, at the Reprise Room, in New York City.
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Playhouse Saturdays at Strata; Hip-Hop, Rock, House, Old School, Etc. as well as a Latin Room

RSVP: SATURDAYS@ERICANDLUCK.COM

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Macklin and Campas Ready for War; Put the house on it – the next Ladbrokes.com Fight Night, Candidate for the 2008 “Fight of the Year”

Put the house on it – the next Ladbrokes.com Fight Night looks set to be a sure fire candidate for the 2008 “Fight of the Year” with Irish middleweight champ Matthew Macklin set to do battle with former World Champion Yori Boy Campas at the National Stadium, Dublin on March 22nd.


In 2006 both men were involved in two of the best, if not the best fights of that year – and on the same night. The 29th of September, 2006 is a date neither Macklin or Campas (or indeed any boxing fan) will forget in a hurry.

In Manchester Macklin lost a brave bid for the British light middleweight title against Jamie Moore after 10 torrid rounds of phone booth warfare while just a few hours later on the other side of the Atlantic Campas gave John Duddy the fright of his life losing on a close decision after 12 back and forth rounds of action.

For Macklin this fight represents a major step up in class having moved up a weight in 2007 and successfully recovered from the Moore loss with 3 straight stoppage victories. Campas has shared the ring with some of the modern greats including Oscar De La Hoya and Felix “Tito” Trinidad.

Incredibly his fight with Macklin will be his 103rd outing as a professional with the Mexican warrior having turned pro at the age of 15. In his 20 year pro career he’s compiled an amazing record of 91 wins (73 of them by KO) and just 11 defeats and picked up the World light middleweight title along the way.

Now 36 Campas is determined to prove that he still belongs at the highest level but Macklin who will have new trainer and former two weight world champ Buddy McGirt in his corner in Dublin believes that an impressive win will bring his title ambitions into sharper focus.



“It’s a real step up in class for me and just what I need,” said the Birmingham based Irishman. “Campas is a very seasoned pro, you only need to look at the names on his record to see that.”



It will be the Arizona based Mexican’s second successive trip to Europe and having been beaten by former European champion and world rated Amin Asikainen in Helsinki he’ll be hoping for better luck in Dublin. Macklin has already studied that bout and believes that the seventh round defeat for Campas was not a true reflection of the fight.



“I thought the stoppage was very premature. Campas was still on his feet and firing back and he looked disgusted that it had been stopped. Up until then the last guy to legitimately stop him was Oscar De La Hoya and there was certainly no disgrace in that.



“I won’t really be looking to stop him because when you look for the stoppage it never comes. You have to be patient and anyway I want to get back to boxing a bit more as that side of things was neglected a bit when I was with Billy Graham. People forget that I was a very good amateur boxer and I need to get back to using those boxing skills.



“To be honest it will be difficult to do that with this fight because with the style Campas fights there’s nearly always fireworks and if it does become that kind of fight I won’t be found wanting.”



Macklin flies out to McGirt’s gym in Vero Beach, Florida this weekend to begin a month long training camp in the Sunshine State. “Part of the reasoning behind linking up with Buddy was to get me boxing more again,” explained Macklin.



“Obviously Buddy was a tremendous fighter himself and I’ve been really impressed with him as a trainer. You only have to look at how he turned Arturo Gatti from a brawler to a boxer to see the kind of influence he can have on a fighter so I’ll be hoping for a similar transformation.”



McGirt says he’s excited about working with Macklin. “I’m really looking forward to working with Matthew. I’m currently working with Paul Smith who I took on after working with him on the Contender T.V. series. He trained and sparred with Matthew when they were both in Billy Graham’s gym and Paul highly recommended Matthew to me so I’m excited about it.



“I know all about Campas, he’s a tough, tough veteran who’s been in with everybody and he is still a dangerous guy so it’s a good challenge for Matthew.”



Campas says he won’t be drawn into any trash talking or bold predictions ahead of the fight but promised, “I can only tell the people that they will see a real fight, I can guarantee that.”



His manager Joe Diaz added, “Yori is an incredible guy. He turned pro when he was just 15 and 20 years later he’s still competing at the highest level. He’s ageless and if people think he’s slipping because he got stopped by Asikainen they’re very much mistaken. The fight’s available to watch on YouTube for all to see and anyone can see that It should never have been stopped.



“Yori Boy wasn’t hurt, what happened was that the sponsors logo on the ring came loose and Yori’s feet got caught up in it. He got tagged with a few shots as he was trying to untangle himself and then the referee jumped in and stopped it. It was a crazy decision.




“I don’t make any excuses but in this case people can make their own minds up. After the fight Yori Boy didn’t even have a bruise but the other guy had 28 stitches over his eye and a broken hand. Anyway that’s behind us now. You have to move on and we plan on doing that in Dublin.”



The undercard for the Ladbrokes.com Fight Night is headed by an eagerly anticipated Irish Light Welterweight title rematch between Cavan’s Andrew Murray and Belfast’s James Gorman. The two first met last December at the Kings Hall in Belfast with Murray winning on a technical decision after an accidental clash of heads in the fourth round left Murray unable to continue.



Under Boxing Union of Ireland rules the fight went to the referee’s scorecard and Murray kept his unbeaten record intact courtesy of the early lead he had taken. However even the new champion admitted that the outcome was unsatisfactory and both men are keen to do it all over again and settle affairs more conclusively.



The card will also feature Cuban heavyweight sensation Mike “The Rebel” Perez. Despite only having arrived in his adopted hometown of Cork in mid January the 22-year-old former world Amateur Champion has already racked up two quick fire wins in the pro ranks.



Perez’s manager Gary Hyde believes that with his amateur pedigree the power punching Cuban will bring the world heavyweight title back to Cork.



Another unbeaten heavyweight on the card is unbeaten Belfast banger Martin Rogan. The former Irish Amateur Champion is closing in on a shot at the Irish Professional heavyweight title and will have his first scheduled 8 round contest on next months card.



Irish professional’s Aidan Mooney and Leon Senior will also be in action.



Tickets for the Ladrokes.com Fight Night priced from €60 go on sale from 9am tomorrow morning (Friday, February 15th) from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.

Thursday at Room Service‏

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Marquez-Pacquiao II Live on Pay-Per-View Saturday, 3/15‏

JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ vs. MANNY PACQUIAO II


Check out all the articles, photos and more from fight week in Vegas as we build up to the epic rematch between two of boxing's best fighters.


Also, watch the official weigh-in live on HBO.com, today at 5:30 PM ET/2:30 PM PT.

And don't miss Marquez vs. Pacquiao II, this Saturday night on Pay-Per-View at 9PM ET/6 PM PT.



COUNTDOWN TO MARQUEZ-PACQUIAO II & CLASSIC REPLAYS

Another installment in the classic Countdown series, Countdown To Marquez-Pacquiao II features profiles, analysis and forecasts for the second battle.


Plus, watch Pacquiao vs. Marquez I: Pacquiao knocked Marquez down three times in the first round, Marquez orchestrated one of the most impressive comebacks in boxing history, ending the bout in a draw. Check the site for all the ways you can watch, HBO.com!

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SecondsOut Live Broadcast March 14 - Markus Beyer v Murat Mahmudov‏

Three Time WBC Super Middleweight Champion Markus Beyer v Murat Mahmudov
plus undercard action

Three-time WBC super middleweight champion Markus Beyer scaled in at 170 lbs, while his opponent Murat Mahmudov weighed 167.5 lbs for tonights Live SecondsOut TV broadcast.
Mahmudov showed up with a full beard but the German Boxing Commission allowed the practising Muslim to fight with the full beard, which is usually prohibited due to higher risk of cuts.

Cuban Olympic gold medallist Odlanier Solis, who is looking to score his eighth win in as many fights,scaled 246 lbs. which is his best weight since turning pro one year ago. Solis' opponent Cisse Salif weighed in at 265 lbs.

WBC Mediterranean heavyweight champion Sinan Samil Sam,29-4-0-(15)., 257 lbs. defends his title against Ratko Draskovic,27-6-2-(15), 240 lbs from Montenegro.

The other weights and undercard:
Konstantin Airich (8-0-0, 8 k.o.) 227.5 vs. Alex Mazikin (12-2-0, 3 k.o.) 253.5
Selcuk Aydin (13-0-0, 12 k.o.) 147 vs. Farkhad Bakirov (24-2-2, 14 k.o.) 149
Edmund Gerber (3-0-0, 1 k.o.) 235.5 vs. Ergin Solmaz (3-17-2, 2 k.o.) 255
Kai Kurzawa (22-3-0, 15 k.o.) 196 vs. Armin Dollinger (18-0-0, 7 k.o.) 182
Michael Schubov (11-2-0, 4 k.o.) 146.5 vs. Alexander Lykov (1-3-1) 147

Please note geo-restrictions apply.
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide