Sunday, July 15, 2012
Judah Brothers Boxing Club Fighting to Stay Open
Biosse preps for Canadien slugger; All in a day’s work, Biosse continues preparation for July 19th return despite last-minute opponent swap
The opponent has changed, but Vladine Biosse’s preparation for his highly-anticipated return to the ring next Thursday remains as diligent as ever.
Fresh off his dominant win over Joey Spina in May, Biosse (13-1-1, 6 KOs) will face Saskatchewan, Canada super middleweight Mike Walchuk (9-5, 2 KOs) on Thursday, July 19th, 2012 in the eight-round main event of “Built To Last,” presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.
“To me, being in the gym is like breathing, so if I’m not in the gym, I’m not breathing,” Biosse said. “I never stop training, whether I have a fight coming up or I’m just looking to get in the gym. That’s what I do. That’s what I love doing.
“I don’t believe in not training. Some guys take two or three weeks off after a fight. I don’t believe in that at all. I took a week off [after the win over Spina] to enjoy myself and my family, and then I got right back in the gym.”
After winning just one of his previous three fights, Biosse burst back onto the scene with a dynamic performance against Spina six weeks ago at Twin River. Now he’s looking to take another step forward against Walchuk, who has fought at various weights his entire career, ranging from middleweight (160 pounds) to as high as light heavyweight (175). Next Thursday’s clash against Biosse will be Walchuck’s first fight since October.
“Obviously, you want to have the right opponent at the right time, so the more time you have the more you learn about how to break him down so you can plan your strategy,” Biosse said, “but I’m a fighter, and that’s the name of the game.
“Sometimes, these things happen, and that’s what we’re dealing with right now. It is what it is. I’ll take this next step forward and do what I have to do. I’m a fighter; it’s my job to be prepared.”
Though he hasn’t had the luxury of preparing for the same opponent throughout the duration of his training camp as he did prior to the Spina fight, Biosse is treating next week’s fight the same way he treats all the rest. The goal, regardless of the opponent, is to win in dominant fashion and prepare for the next step.
“Every fight is a big fight. I don’t take any opponent lightly,” he said. “I made that mistake in the past and it cost me. Whether you’re losing a lot or you’re winning, you go to camp with the same mentality as if you were fighting for a world title.
“In my camp, I’m glad I have the right guys around me who really push me to be on that level, even on days when I just don’t feel right. From my manager, Quint Dow, to coach [Orlondo] Valles and Ray Oliveira, and all my teammates, they help me keep that edge. We don’t train as if we’re going into an easy fight. Every fight is a hard fight. That’s the way we train.”
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.Find A Dream’s Stars Invited As VIP Guests To ESPN’s Friday Night Fights
Find A Dream’s Stars Invited As VIP Guests To ESPN’s Friday Night Fights
It was announced today that former boxing champions Ray Mercer and Bobby Czyz—Board Members of Find A Dream—have been invited as VIP guests to ESPN’s Friday Night Fights at Resorts Hotel Casino on July 27.
The renowned Resorts will be hosting ESPN’s acclaimed boxing series featuring the NABF Lightweight Title fight between Hank Lundy and Raymundo Beltran. Last month Resorts was all over the boxing map as they held the All Star Boxing Legends Gala Tribute Dinner, and continue to be recognized as the premier venue for fight sports in the Northeast.
Mercer and Czyz represented Find A Dream at the gala, and continue to remain active with their efforts of promoting awareness about the organization. Find A Dream is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that reaches out to community children and provides them a healthy channel to find and work towards fulfilling a dream.
“Resorts is a beautiful hotel and casino and is quickly establishing themselves as one of the most prevalent locations for boxing and MMA in Atlantic City,” said Rod Ricciardi, Founder of Find A Dream. “They go out of their way to help support Find A Dream and working towards achieving our mission, and we are honored to have our Board Members invited as VIP guests to ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.”
The full fight card is as follows:
· NABF Lightweight Title Fight- Henry Lundy vs. Raymundo Beltran (10)
· Super Middleweight- Richard Pierson vs. Farah Ennis (10)
· Bantamweight- Miguel Cartagena vs. Jose Rivera (6)
· Light Heavyweight- Frankie Filippone vs. TBA (6)
· Light Middleweight- Decarlo Perez vs. TBA (6)
· Super Middleweight- Derrick Webster vs. TBA (6)
· Light Middleweight- Thomas Lamann vs. TBA (6)
· Welterweight- Juan Rodriguez Jr. vs. TBA (4)
· Light Welterweight- Josh Mercado vs. Korey Sloane (4)
· Super Middleweight- Antowyan Aikens vs. TBA (4)
· Light Heavyweight- Joe Smith Jr. vs. TBA (4)
· Welterweight- Anthony Young vs. TBA (4)Derrick Webster Returns to Action on July 27th
DERRICK WEBSTER RETURNING TO RING ON JULY 27TH"My trainer, Denny Brown, tells me that if I just am who I am supposed to be in that ring, it doesn't matter who I'm fighting," Webster stated. "We train for the pressure, we train for the boxers, we train for awkwardness, and we train for the long haul.
Undefeated Super Middleweight to Fight at Resorts in Atlantic City Undefeated super middleweight Derrick "Take it to the Bank" Webster (13-0, 7 KOs) will look for his 14th professional victory later this month, returning to the ring on July 27th at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City as part of an ESPN Friday Night Fights card. Fresh off a trip to Las Vegas where he joined trainer Freddie Roach and the camp of WBC Middleweight Champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., Webster reflected on the past few months of his life as he waits to hear who he will face in his next bout.
Webster is the current BAM Middleweight Champion "The past few months have been interesting and educational," Webster remarked. "I wouldn't change any of it for the world. It has given me a lot more fire and has made me want to train a whole lot harder. I'm a person who has always had a lot of will, but this has given me even more will to want to win more excitingly."
Something that has been a regular occurrence throughout the career of Webster is not getting much time to train for specific opponents. Dates are booked weeks and often months before he knows who he will be fighting, and various challengers are brought to the table before someone signs the deal to scrap.
Godfrey set for long-awaited return; Gettin’ back to basics, Cruiserweight Godfrey starting from scratch as he aims for another shot at a title
Matt Godfrey’s body might not heal as quickly as it used to after 23 professional fights, and certain injuries might linger longer than normal, but there’s no reason why the Providence, R.I., cruiserweight can’t contend for another shot at a world title.
“I’m 31 years young,” said Godfrey, who’ll fight in front of his hometown fans for the first time in five years on Thursday, July 19th, 2012 at Twin River Casino. “I still feel like a kid in this game even though I’ve been around for a while.”
Godfrey’s journey back to the top of the cruiserweight division begins next Thursday when he faces sturdy veteran Jesse Oltmans (10-3, 7 KOs) of Bartonsville, Pa., in the six-round co-feature of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Built To Last” show at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.
Not only has Godfrey (20-3, 10 KOs) not fought in Rhode Island since 2007, he hasn’t fought at all in 13 months since losing to Lateef Kayode in California for the North American Boxing Association (NABA) and North American Boxing Federation (NABF) cruiserweight titles – the second of back-to-back losses for Godfrey, who also suffered a brutal, knockout loss to World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Marco Huck 10 months prior to the fight against Kayode.
As Godfrey climbed higher and higher in the cruiserweight rankings, the layoff between fights became much longer as he and his camp plotted each step carefully in hopes of bringing the cruiserweight world title to Providence. Now it’s back to the drawing board, which means Godfrey simply wants to stay active before he makes his next run at championship glory.
“I got myself to the highest point where I fought for a world title, but I came up short,” Godfrey said. “Now I’m at a point where it’s do-or-die. I have to rebuild again and almost start from scratch. Over the past five years, I’ve been fighting nothing but iron once or twice a year, training for the best fighters in the world.
“To be honest, it’s a little humbling to be at a point where I have to start over again.”
Being back home might help ease the sting; it’s been five years since Godfrey last fought in Providence, defending his NABF cruiserweight title in a 10-round unanimous-decision win over Derrick Brown. At the time, he was undefeated at 16-0 and ranked No. 2 among cruiserweights by the World Boxing Council (WBC).
Over the next five years, Godfrey fought everywhere from North Dakota to Germany, successfully defending the title two more times before losing to Huck in 2010. The goal now is to get back to where he was that night in August of 2007, and the good news is he has time to make the right choices along the way considering his age and his health are still on his side.
“I can’t wait to feel the energy from the hometown fans,” he said. “I’m so used to being here as a spectator. I always hoped it would be me in that ring, and now it finally will be.
“I’m real happy. I can still run with the young guys and bang a few of them out in sparring. I work harder than all of them, so I don’t think it’s the last run for me. Boxing is in my blood. I’ve been doing this my whole life.
“I’ve been in situations recently where I’ve turned down fights because they weren’t right for me. Coming off back-to-back losses, I could’ve taken fights where one win would’ve put me right back in the hunt, but I’m a realist. I need to get back to basics.”
Perhaps the most pressing need is for Godfrey is to stick to the game plan once the bell rings. The Providence native admits he’s guilty of overthinking at times, particularly in his fights in Germany against Rudolf Kraj (2008) and Huck.
“All you have to do is be who you are and get in there and punch,” he said. “In some of these fights, I think too much. I wasn’t doing what I did to get to that point. I’d get to the big fight and be thinking things like, ‘Did that punch land? Did the judge see it?’ Guys would be throwing bombs and missing them, but the crowd is going wild, so I’m wondering if the judges thought it landed, so now I’m thinking, ‘Oh, man, I have to get that one back!’
“I was just overthinking.”
Fighting at Twin River, Godfrey should be more relaxed on July 19th, which will allow him to focus squarely on his step-by-step journey back to the top of the cruiserweight division. No timetable has been set – he’s playing it by ear, which helps alleviate some of the pressure.
“I don’t want to just win – I want to be dominant and look great,” Godfrey said. “In my eyes, I haven’t looked very, very good in a fight in almost two years.
“The lack of fights hasn’t helped, either. I haven’t had enough fights to work on some of the things I need to work on. It’s difficult to get better when you have such a long layoff. I’ve been knocked down so many notches that I don’t look at other fighters and say, ‘This is the guy I’m going to fight next.’ I know I’m a few fights away from even sniffing the Top 5 or Top 10 right now, so I’m just taking it one step at a time, one fight at a time.”
The road back to the top begins next Thursday in a familiar setting at Twin River, one Godfrey hopes will provide a much-needed boost against a dangerous puncher.
“You can always feed off that hometown crowd,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.
In search of a winner; Kozlin, Rodriguez clash again; Kozlin, Rodriguez lace ‘em up again in hopes of settling the score from previous fight
Keith Kozlin says there’s no way he didn’t beat Reynaldo Rodriguez the first time they fought last summer. His opponent disagrees.
The only logical solution is to fight again, which these two super middleweights will do Thursday, July 19th, 2012 when they face off in a six-round intrastate showdown on the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Built To Last” professional boxing event at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.
Their first fight in July of 2011 – a four-rounder – ended in a draw with both fighters trading knockdowns in the final round. Two of the judges scored it even at 38-38 while the other judge favored Kozlin by a score of 40-36. Now they’ll square off again, this time in a six-rounder, which could be the deciding factor.
“With two extra rounds the first time around, I would’ve at least won or knocked him out. I need those rounds,” said Rodriguez (6-4-1, 3 KOs), a Woonsocket, R.I., native. “I’m definitely in way better shape this time. I’m going to win. With the way I’m training, I don’t think it’ll even go six rounds.”
“[Six rounds] favors me in the long run,” countered Kozlin. “I wouldn’t say I’m a slow starter, but I pick up the pace as I go along. I have a work rate and love to stay busy. I throw a lot of punches. Whatever he brings, I’ll be ready for.”
Both fighters could use a win. After knocking out local favorite Richard “Bobo” Starnino in October, Rodriguez stepped outside of New England and lost back-to-back fights in Washington and California, while Kozlin (6-3-1, 4 KOs), a West Warwick native, hasn’t won since July of 2010 and is 0-2-1 in his last three fights, which includes a loss to Woonsocket’s Joe Gardner in November of 2010, a loss he had hoped to avenge on next week’s card.
“That’s the fight I wanted,” Kozlin said, “but I’ve kind of come to terms with the fact it won’t happen. He’s scared. I know that now. I just need a win. It would do a lot for me. Nobody wants to keep seeing me fight if I lose or get draws. They want to see wins, and they want to see knockouts.”
Kozlin’s confident he’ll come out on top based primarily on his workload over the past 11 weeks, which he admits was a problem prior to his first fight against Rodriguez.
“I saw he had gotten knocked out [against Greg McCoy] before he fought me, so I thought, ‘I can do that! I don’t have to train hard,’” Kozlin said. “I didn’t think it’d be a hard fight.
“I learned my lesson. I learned not to take anyone lightly. I wasn’t anywhere near my peak conditioning for that fight, but I am now and it’ll show.”
Yet regardless of his lack of training, Kozlin still thinks he won the first fight, especially since one of the three judges had him winning all four rounds despite the knockdown.
“He definitely did not win that fight. No way,” Kozlin said. “I got robbed real bad. The one upside he had was a flash knockdown, and then I knocked him down. I outworked him. He was running a lot, so I cut the ring off. I was the aggressor. All in all, it was a good fight, but I overlooked him. I won’t make that mistake again.”
“I thought I slipped, but they called it a knockdown,” Rodriguez said. “It was a good fight, and he’s a good fighter. I have nothing bad to say about him. Hopefully, this fight will be better and I’ll win this time, but, yeah, I think I won the first one. I put more pressure on him in the last 10 to 20 seconds of each round. I basically out-boxed him. I thought I won, but they called it a draw.”
Like Kozlin, Rodriguez is hoping a victory can launch the next stage of his career. The only catch is someone must win, otherwise we could be talking trilogy in the near future.
“This can open a lot of doors. That’s the way I look at it,” he said. “We’ll see on the 19th.”
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.Reigning WBC USNBC middleweight champion Elvin Ayala will face John Mackey in the 10-round main event next Saturday at Mohegan Sun
Lettin’ it all out!; Vincent breaking out of her shell; With three fights under her belt, Vincent looking to take her career to the next level
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Preview of Amir Khan vs Danny Garcia: Tonight at 11PM on HBO
AMIR KHAN VS. DANNY GARCIA live on HBO World Championship Boxing
Khan vs. Garcia, a 12-round unification fight for Khan's WBA Super Lightweight Super World Championship, Garcia's WBC Super Lightweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Khan Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. Doors open on fight night at 3:00 p.m. PT and the first bell rings at 3:30 p.m. Khan vs. Garcia will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT in the United States and live on Sky Sports 1HD in the United Kingdom at 2:00 a.m. BST Sunday, July 15.
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.
David Haye vs. Dereck Chisora Saturday July 14 2012 @ Upton Park, West Ham, London, UK TV: EPIXHD.com Time: 6pm ET
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.
Mike Tyson in Mexico, By Gabriel F. Cordero
Mike Tyson in Mexico
By Gabriel F. Cordero
Former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson has arrived Mexico City as a guest of the Mexico Tourism Board and the WBC. Iron Mike will attend a gala dinner and be an honorary tourism ambassador as part of a campaign to promote tourism to Mexico. His Broadway debut in MIKE TYSON: UNDISPUTED TRUTH, directed by Academy Award nominee Spike Lee, starts July 31 at the Longacre Theatre.CageSport XX: Loaded from end to end
STRIKEFORCE®: ROCKHOLD vs. KENNEDY, World Championship Doubleheader tomorrow/Saturday, July 14, live on SHOWTIME®
Luke Rockhold will defend his STRIKEFORCE® middleweight title against Tim Kennedy in the main event of a World Championship Doubleheader this Saturday, July 14, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the Rose Garden.
In the co-feature scheduled for five rounds, Tyron Woodley and Nate Marquardt will clash for the vacant STRIKEFORCE Welterweight crown. Other matches on the SHOWTIME telecast: Lorenz Larkin vs. Robbie Lawler (middleweights) and Roger Gracie vs. Keith Jardine (middleweights).
The live undercard fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME® begin at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The fights: Jorge Masvidal vs. Justin Wilcox (lightweights), Pat Healy vs. Mizuto Hirota (lightweights), Ryan Couture vs. Joe Duarte (lightweights), Jordan Mein vs. Tyler Stinson (welterweights) and Jason High vs. Nate Moore (welterweights).
What STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker and the world championship competitors said Thursday:
SCOTT COKER
“When I look at this fight card from top to bottom this is an amazing card. Like I’ve said, look at the fights that are on SHOWTIME EXTREME; those fights could really be on the championship part of the card. So from top to bottom STRIKEFORCE is going to deliver another world class match up.’’
(Regarding the vacant welterweight title) “Nate Marquardt is an amazing fighter. If you’ve never seen him fight, he is a dangerous fighter. T-Wood (Woodley) is somebody who came up through the STRIKEFORCE organization on SHOWTIME. This is going to be his toughest test to date.”
LUKE ROCKHOLD
(On being a fighter in STRIKEFORCE and the fan’s reaction) “I’m fighting to legitimize myself and keep bettering myself and to prove to everyone that I am one of the best in the world. They need to realize how good we (STRIKEFORCE fighters) are and if they haven’t seen that then they don’t know what they are missing. STRIKEFORCE guys are going over to the UFC and they are killing guys over there.’’
TIM KENNEDY
“We both want to demonstrate that we are the best fighter in our division. We are going to step in there and go 25 minutes to prove that. What we say before we step in there is irrelevant.
“I think the best way for me to represent the military community is for me to win this fight.”
TYRON WOODLEY
“I think Nate has been around the block for a while. I think he brings a lot to the table. I think he is a well-rounded fighter. I think in this weight class he brings the most name recognition and more skills than the other guys. Most of the guys in the division I’ve already beat or I’ve beat someone who has beat them. I have no issue with him coming over and getting the title shot. ’’
NATE MARQUARDT
(About Tyron’s style) “As a fighter I respect his skills. He is a great wrestler and that’s what he does and that’s what he should be using in his fights. The thing is, we’re there to fight. So when you’re a wrestler your job is to fight. And if you are going to use wrestling that’s great and can be super exciting for the fans. If you can get that guy down and ground and pound that’s great, but if you are going take that guy down and hold him and wait for the decision, that’s a different thing.”
(Regarding what kind of a fight he is expecting on Saturday) “I am expecting to knock him out. This layoff has rejuvenated me and I’m ready to go. ’’
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.
QUOTES FROM TODAY'S AMIR KHAN VS. DANNY GARCIA FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE
AMIR KHAN, WBA Super Lightweight Super World Champion
"Training camp has been brilliant. It was a long camp, but we paced it well. We were very professional and smart with the way we did things. It was a 15-week camp and I enjoyed every second of it.
"I did make a lot of mistakes in my last fight [against Lamont Peterson], but it was a wakeup call. I learned a lot from that fight.
"We will win the title. We will take the WBC belt home to the U.K. It is a title I have always wanted.
"I have fans all over who have traveled to Las Vegas for this fight. A lot of them came over for my fight against Peterson too and it means a lot to me. The U.K. press shows me so much support as well and I am grateful.
"I will knock Danny Garcia out. I will take the world titles home. I know Danny didn't train as hard as me. I promise I will knock him out. That is the only way.
"[To Angel Garcia] I cannot wait until after the fight when we stand here and I have knocked your son out. He is going to see what a Pakistani British fighter can do. I cannot wait to get in there."
DANNY GARCIA, WBC Super Lightweight World Champion
"We had a great camp and great sparring partners. I am just ready to showcase my skills on July 14.
"My dad talked sh*t 23 times, and I backed it up 23 times. I am 23 and 0. Come Saturday, he will have talked sh* 24 times and I am going to back it up for the twenty-fourth time.
"It means the most when your team always supports you."
FREDDIE ROACH, Khan's Trainer
"We have had a great training camp. We are ready for this fight. We had to switch gears in opponents a little bit, but there were no major setbacks. Amir is in the best shape of his life.
"[To Garcia] Danny, I wish you luck, but I am not so sure about your dad!"
ASIF VALI, Khan Promotions
"Amir has worked hard, the team has been fantastic. He is ready to go. I have never ever seen Amir in this kind of shape.
"Whatever happened with Peterson is behind us. Now we have an opportunity to unify those belts.
"Amir Khan won a medal in the 2004 Olympics and in order to do something like that you have to go out and earn it. You have to make sacrifices, which is what Amir has done his whole career.
"We are very proud to say that the U.S.A. Boxing Team will be training in our gym in Bolton. As soon as Amir gets back from this fight he will be hosting them. Boxing in the Olympics is a big thing.
"It's going to be a fantastic fight. Tune in and watch because we are going to have the belts on the line and Amir is going to win.
"We wish the very best to team Garcia."
ANGEL GARCIA, Danny Garcia's Father/ Trainer
"This fight right here is going to be a spiritual fight. Spiritually, mentally and physically; it is going to come down to who is a greater spirit.
"Danny is on weight right now without struggling.
"Everybody on this team has been here from the beginning. We don't have changes. There's no place like home. When you move to another state you are doing yourself a disservice. If you are disciplined and you give your soul to this sport anything is possible.
"Khan is a superstar, but that's all he has. If he were American, nobody would care.
"This fight is going to show the world who is the boss. Danny is the boss.
"Khan has never faced a Latino like Danny. This is Latino blood. A nation. We are going to show the world who is the boss."
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President of Golden Boy Promotions
"This matchup [between Amir Khan and Danny Garcia] is a matchup that we don't see every day. We have two young champions who are at their peak. This is what really drives me, when you have two young fighters who are willing to fight anybody, when you are willing to fight the best, which is what boxing is all about.
"The fact that this is a unification is great, but these two fighters that we have here are fighting because they want to be great. They want to leave a legacy.
"Personally I am very proud and thrilled that Amir Khan is willing and able to go up against Danny and that Danny Garcia is willing and able to go up against Amir Khan. It has been a while since we have seen two young, strong fighters [fight each other] at their peak and I want to say thank you to them.
"I believe this fight is going to bring out the very best of Danny Garcia and the same goes for Amir Khan."
RICHARD STURM, President of Entertainment, MGM Resorts
"Mandalay Bay would like to welcome our partners at Golden Boy Promotions, HBO and the media and of course the fighters.
"Khan, who's known for his exceptional speed and skills showcased that talent perhaps his most accomplished victory - a knockout over Zab Judah nearly one year ago to date here at Mandalay Bay.
"Danny Garcia returns to Mandalay Bay for the first time in almost three years. With a win over Khan, he will extend his undefeated record to 24-0 in what will be an exciting bout Saturday night."
AMIR KHAN vs. DANNY GARCIA UNDERCARD FIGHTERS
FERNANDO GUERRERO, Rising Super Middleweight Star
"I think boxing is one of the hardest sports. Before we even get in the ring, I want to say to Amir, Danny and everyone else, good luck because I know how hard it is.
"It has been a long journey for me and I am loving it. I used to just work hard, but now I am learning how to work hard and love life.
"I want to prove to the world that there is no difference between me and the other talent on HBO and I am going to show it. I want everyone to be there to witness an electrifying card because I know it is going to be an electrifying show."
PHIL LO GRECO, Undefeated Welterweight Contender
"It is an honor and a thrill for me to be here.
"I am an Italian guy from Canada. Ever since I was a kid, it was my dream to fight in Las Vegas. It's a big responsibility to fight in Las Vegas.
"I fight for the Italian people, the Canadian people and now I am fighting for all of the hard core American boxing fans. I want to give them a good show and prove myself Saturday night."
J LEON LOVE, Undefeated Middleweight Prospect
"It is a pleasure to be on this card. We worked hard and this is going to be a great night of boxing."
JAMIE KAVANAUGH, Undefeated Lightweight Prospect
"This Saturday is going to be a great night of boxing.
"I have been sparring with Amir Khan and training with Freddie. I can't wait for Saturday night."
ABNER COTTO, Undefeated Lightweight Prospect
"I want you to know that I am a strong prospect. It is a pleasure to be on this card and pretty soon Puerto Rico will have another world champion."
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Friday, July 13, 2012
Anthony Mundine vs. Bronco McKart IBF North American Middleweight Championship Dmitry Sukhotsky vs Cornelius White IBF International Light Heavyweight
Three-time world champion Anthony Mundine makes US debut Saturday night on WealthTV PPV Australian targeting Mayweather.
Three-time world champion Anthony "The Man" Mundine (43-4, 25 KOs) makes his United States debut Saturday night (July 14), headlining the "When Worlds Collide" pay-per-view event, live from Pearl Theater at Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas.
Mundine takes on tough veteran Bronco "Superman" McKart (54-9-1, 32 KOs), a two-time world champion, in the 10-round main event for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) North American Middleweight Championship.
The WealthTV PPV co-feature matches a pair of world-rated light heavyweights, Russian invader Dmitry Surkhotsky (18-1, 13 KOs) and Cornelius "Da Beast" White (19-1, 16 KOs), in a entertaining 12-round bout for the vacant IBF International title.
The "When Worlds Collide" PPV, presented by Millennium Events, Inc. in association with WealthTV, for live viewing at 9:00 PM/ET - 6:00 PM/PT on both cable andsatellite pay-per-view via Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T U-Verse, Cox Communications, Verizon FiOS TV, Charter Communications, DirecTV, and many other carriers for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.
The Mundine vs. McKart fight started from a simple question asked earlier this year, in-house by WealthTV's boxing staff, regarding a viable opponent who could defeat Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
"After much debate with boxing experts and insiders," explained Charles Herring, president of WealthTV, "Mundine's name kept coming up. In late March, we aggressively pursued the WBA purse bid for the Mundine vs. Trout fight. Our representative went to Panama City with a substantial check in hand but the bid never went through. Our second attempt, however, was successful and we're pleased to be the network that is bringing this three-time world champion to the boxing capital of the world, Las Vegas, for his United States boxing debut.
"Mundine has to get past a highly-skilled boxer and proven veteran, Bronco McKart, before he starts thinking about a fight with Mayweather. McKart's in the best shape of his life and ready to take on Mundine. McKart's skills and legendary work ethic are quite impressive and we believe this has all the makings to be a Fight of the Year candidate. It's going to be war in the ring Saturday night as both fighters try to make strong statements."
Demonstrating its commitment to becoming a powerhouse in world-class, live professional boxing, the Mundine vs. McKart card represents WealthTV's fifth major live boxing event in the last nine months and its first pay-per-view event in the U.S.
"We're committed to providing top quality championship boxing to our viewers," WealthTV CEO Robert Herring commented. "We'll air exciting cards live on the network for free, yet when the purses get too large, we'll feature pay-per-view events. Our staff is quickly gaining boxing expertise and is focused on showcasing a major boxing event about once a month."
Mundine vs. McKart on WealthTV PPV
Fighting out of his native Australia, Mundine first captured the World Boxing Association 168-pound title in 2003, taking a unanimous 12-round decision fromAntwun Echols. The dangerous Australian recaptured the WBA super middleweight title in 2007, stopping in-country rival Sam Soliman in the ninth round. In his last fight on October 19, 2011, Mundine became the Interim WBA light middleweight champion by way of a 12-round unanimous decision over Rigoberto Alvarez.
Mundine's impressive resume includes victories against other even more notable opponents such as bitter arch-rival Danny Green, a former WBA light heavyweight champion, and current IBF middleweight world title-holder Daniel Geale. Three of Mundine's four career losses have been to world champions Mikkel Kessler, Manny Siaca and Sven Ottke.
McKart, fighting out of Munroe, Illinois, won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight crown in 1996, registering a ninth-round technical knockout of Santos Cardona. McKart added the International Boxing Association (IBA) title belt to his collection in 1997. The battle-tested McKart has defeated world champions Raul Marquez and Aaron Davis, as well as world title challengers Enrique Ornelas andAlex Bunema during the course of his 20-year professional career.