★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience©®™

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Kasuto and Drenovak highlight benefits of the AIBA Road to London Program‏

Several AIBA Road to London boxers took to the ring at the ExCeL during the first day of competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games and there were some scintillating performances that showcased once again why this initiative is so highly regarded.

Tajikistan's 21-year-old AIBA Asian Olympic Qualifying Event bronze medallist Sobirdzhon Nazarov and Namibia's Beijing Olympian Mujandjae Kasuto put on anexcellent battle in their Middleweight (75kg) contest. Both boxers were in great condition it showed as they each threw lots of punches throughout their bout. It was the African boxer who with his previous Olympic experience defeated the strong Central Asian boxer 11:8.

Syria's Asian Games bronze medallist Wessam Slamana was also in Cardiff for the three week training camp but unfortuinatly came up against the fleet-footed WSB season one Individual Championships winner Kanat Abutalipov. The final score read 15:7 to the Kazak but Slamana declared after his defeat, "the AIBA Road to London program has made me a much better fighter, I am proud of my performance at these Olympic Games".

26-year-old Namibian Jonas Nghilandemwenyo Matheus defied expectations by taking a quota place for London at the AIBA African Olympic Qualifying Event and put Italy's Jahyn Vittorio Parrinello, who has been in tremendous form of late, under a lot of pressure in their encounter. Parrinello was the winner but he will remember Matheus for years to come.

Gabon's 32-year-old Braexir Romeo Lemboumba qualified for the Olympic Games for the very first time and as a result took part in AIBA Road to London Program. He came up against Dominican Republic's Independence Cup winner William Encarnacion Alcantara at the ExCeL and was eager to impress and although his fitness could not be faulted, Lemboumba's lack of experience in the ring against top class opponents told as he lost his contest.

Ghana's 18-year-old AIBA African Olympic Qualifying Event silver medallist Isaac Zion Kojo Dogboe looked on course for victory against Japan's Beijing Olympian Satoshi Shimizu, however let a two point advantage slip in the final round. He will have learnt a lot from that fight but was said to be already looking forward to joining up once again with the AIBA Road to Dream program.

Turkmenistan's rising star, 19-year-old Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Nursahat Pazziyev qualified to the Games after a hard-fought silver medal at the AIBA Asian Olympic Qualifying Event and was another who impressed the coaches during the gruelling training camp in the Welsh capital. The Central Asian teenager fought valiantly against Turkey's classy European Championships silver medallist Adem Kilicci but was eventually defeated 14:7.

Serbian veteran Aleksandar Drenovak, who was a quarter-finalist at the AIBA World Boxing Championships Baku 2011, also joined up with the boxers at the AIBA Road to London in Cardiff and will have been delighted with his 13:12 triumph over Ecuador's 19-year-old Marlo Javier Delgado Suarez. Drenovak overturned a first round deficit in the Middleweight (75kg) contest to notch up another win for the AIBA Road to London program members.

Tomorrow, several more athletes from the initiative will be taking to the ring looking to progress.
♔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.

Middleweight Terrell Gausha Wins Last Second Stoppage Victory in Olympic Debut‏

Middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) has proven that he has a flare for the dramatic in the ring and he showcased that trait in explosive fashion with a last second stoppage win over Armenia’s Andranik Hakobyan in his Olympic opener. The bout went into the final minute in doubt and Gausha refused to leave it to the judges, putting Hakobyan down twice in the final seven seconds before the referee called a halt to the contest in the last second.

The middleweight preliminary round bout was highly contested through all nine minutes of action with each of the boxers enjoying their moments of success. Both boxers were busy in the first round, landing sharp punches and looking for openings and it was Hakobyan taking the 4-3 lead after one. The punch output dropped in the second as the contest became more tactical and the third round began with Hakobyan holding a one-point lead.

Gausha came out firing in the third, but as the contest moved into the final 30 seconds, the outcome was still in doubt. Yet the American refused to leave it in the judges hands, he landed a double jab, right hand combination flush to the Armenian’s chin with less than 10 seconds remaining, sending Hakobyan to the canvas. The Armenian managed to get up but Gausha stayed on the offensive, dropping him once again with a left hook in the final second. The referee stopped the bout as the clock hit triple zeros and Gausha won his first bout of the 2012 Olympic Games in thrilling fashion.

“Going into the third round, I knew I had to leave it all in the ring. I didn’t want to have any excuses or wish that I had done something. I just wanted to leave it all out there,” Gausha said. “I threw a double jab and a right hand (for the first knockdown) and it caught him right on the chin. I dropped him twice and the referee stopped the fight.”

“This is definitely a confidence booster but I’m still taking it one day at a time. This is just the first fight, I still have a ways to go,” he said. Gausha will return to action on Thursday in a second round match-up with India’s Vijender.

Due to fundraising efforts by his local community, Gausha’s mother and sister were able to travel to London and cheered him on to victory in Saturday night’s bout.

Two American boxers will compete in preliminary action on Sunday as lightweight Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.) takes on France’s Rachid Azzedine and welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) faces Brazil’s Myke Carvalho de Ribeiro. Both boxers will compete in Sunday’s evening action with Ramirez competing at 9:30 p.m. London time (4:30 p.m. ET) and Spence boxing at 10 p.m. London time (5 p.m. ET).

U.S. Result

165 lbs: Terrell Gausha, Cleveland, Ohio/USA stopped Andranik Hakobyan, RSC-3

Terrell Gausha quotes

“I didn’t know the exact time (when he knocked him down), but I have a mental clock in my head. I’ve been around for the game for awhile so I knew I was cutting it close.”

“I felt it was a close fight, I wasn’t sure if I was winning (before the knockdowns). It was too close for comfort so I had to go for it.”

“He was bigger but it’s all about the heart.”

“I had a little nerves going into the fight because it was the first one but I was confident that I was going to pull the win off.”

“I always try to gain a little bit from every fight so I took some things from this fight. I always get better as I progress in the tournament.”

“I heard my family. I heard my team cheering but I was kind of focused on the fight. I heard the crowd cheering Armenia and I used it as motivation for me.”

♔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.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

NATASHA JONAS, FEMALE OLYMPIC BOXER

Natasha Jonas, known as Tasha to her friends, is a talented female amateur boxer who was born and raised in Liverpool (England). Her focus for the last few years has been to compete in the London 2012 Olympics.

Natasha was a Gold medallist at the EU Championship in 2011 and 2009. She has won the ABAE (Amateur Boxing Association of England) Championship four times (2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007) and won the GB Championship in 2010. Her ambition of winning a Gold Medal at the 2012 Olympics is within reach.

Natasha's ability and past achievements have brought her to the attention of many, locally and nationally. She is a great ambassador to her sport and a role model to young kids in her local community. ♔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.

US swimmers Lia Neal, Amanda Weir, Natalie Coughlin and Allison Schmitt won the swimming event at the Bronze medal in the Olympic Games on in London

Congratulations to Daily Lia Neal for winning a Bronze Medal in the Women’s Swimming 4x100m Freestyle Relay! :)

AIBA launches London 2012 dedicated website as the competition gets underway today

With the London 2012 Olympic Games a historic moment for the sport of boxing, it is with great pleasure that the International Boxing Association (AIBA) launches its new website dedicated to the greatest show on earth.

With Women's Boxing gracing the competition for the very first time, we will bring you the most up to date and in-depth reports as the athletes battle it out for those career defining gold medals.

250 Men across ten weight categories and 36 Women across three will be taking to the ring at the ExCeL London from 28 July to 12 August in what promises to be one of the most competitive tournaments the World has ever witnessed.

With comprehensive coverage, boxers bios, schedules and results and all things boxing, do not miss any of the action on www.aiba-london2012.com.

The competition begins today with the Men's Bantamweight (56kg) and Middleweight (75kg) preliminaries. The afternoon session starts at 13.30 whilst the evening one gets underway at 20.30 with twelve mouth-watering bouts in each.

Team USA’s Joseph Diaz, Jr., Opens the 2012 Olympic Games with a Double Digit Win Over Ukraine‏

American bantamweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (S. El Monte, Calif.) claimed the first win of the Olympic Games on Saturday afternoon with a convincing 19-9 win over Pavlo Ischenko of Ukraine in first round action. The pair faced off in the first bout of the entire tournament with Diaz enjoying the distinction of the throwing the first punch of the 2012 Olympic Games. Diaz set the perfect tone for his American teammates, winning a 19-9 decision over his Ukrainian opponent in the U.S. opener.

Diaz took the ring first, decked out in his red USA uniform and American flag bandana in front of a packed house at the ExCel Centre. Both boxers looked for momentum early in the contest with Diaz staying busy early in the bout. He began to find his rhythm late in the round, landing several straight left hands to close the round, and held a 4-3 lead after the first.

Diaz continued his strong and effective boxing in the second stanza, staying aggressive and landing strong, accurate shots to outscore Ischenko by a 5-3 margin in the middle round. The 19-year-old held a 9-6 lead with one round remaining, but he refused to sit on his advantage in the final stanza. Diaz pounded Ischenko in the third, landing a wide array of upper cuts and straight left hands that stung his opponent. “I felt like he got a little tired (in the third round) and I felt like I was just getting started,” Diaz said. “The first round I ended up winning but I wasn’t really throwing as much. In the second round, I picked it up and in the third round, and I picked it up even more and that gave me the W.”

He kept the pressure on until the final bell rang and was named the victory by a 19-9 final margin. Diaz’s efforts earned him the first victory of the 2012 Olympic Games and got his American team off to a great start.

“It felt great just being in there. The environment is amazing. I just knew that I had to do what I needed to do and I prayed to God,” Diaz said. “I just realized that this guy is human just like me. He sweats and bleeds, he’s nervous just like me so I’ve got to do what I do and that’s what I did.”

Diaz now moves onto second round action and a rematch with Cuban world champion XXX on Wednesday, August 1. He dropped his quarterfinal contest at the 2011 World Championships to XXX, but believes that their Olympic match-up could feature a different outcome. “I lost by a few points the first time we fought and I feel like I could have done a little more and that’s what I’m going to do Wednesday. On Wednesday, I’m going to give everyone a good show,” Diaz said.

The 19-year-old California native enjoyed great support from both his teammates and five family members in the crowd, which included his parents and two sisters. His father and trainer, Joseph Diaz, Sr., could be heard yelling words of support throughout the three round contest and his son gave his father what he wanted on day one, a strong victory. “It really means a lot to have my family here. They’re out there in the crowd cheering me on and I feel that momentum, Diaz said. “I feel that extra boost that it’s giving me so I can give them that extra strength and that extra conditioning. My family means everything and I hope I can bring back a medal for them and help them out financially even more.”

Diaz faced a stressful arrival to the ExCel Centre after the bus got lost en route to the venue and arrived much later than originally planned, but he refused to allow that to impact his focus, putting on a great performance in his Olympic debut.

Middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) will take the ring in tonight’s evening action, battling Armenia’s Andranik Hakobyan at approximately 10:15 p.m. London time (5:15 ET).

U.S. Result

123 lbs: Joseph Diaz, Jr., S. El Monte, Calif./USA dec. Pavlo Ischenko, UKR, 19-9

Diaz quotes

“I have a really tough draw and I knew that the Ukrainian was a really good fighter and the Cuban is the number one seed but I fought him already and I have a different game plan so we’ll see what happens on Wednesday.”

“My game plan was just to maintain my composure and stay in on him. I knew that he had a very good hook. I watched his fights on you tube and I know that he was going to be really strong and his punches felt really hard but I know that I’m in really great shape. I had a great training camp and have a great strength and conditioning coach and I came and did what I did and I pulled it off.”

“I think I lost by like seven points (to the Cuban) but I know that this time around, I’m going to give him a good fight and hopefully pick up that W.”

“I believe it was just my speed. He probably thought I was a little slower than usual but I was kind of fast and I was just picking my left hand because I know he was just looking for my body shots. I was just picking my straight left hand and it was landing every time and I just thank God for this blessing.”

“The uppercuts on the inside were working. I know that I was picking my body shots well and I was following it with the upper cuts and I just kept doing it throughout the fight.”

It feels really great (to be the first winner of the 2012 Olympic Games). I’m giving the whole Team USA a boost right now. They’re all motivated already. Everyone was already motivated because they want to get that medal but I feel like I motivated them even more. I feel that now they’ve seen the environment so they’re not going to be that anxious and nervous. They’re gonna be ready.”

“I knew I was going to be the first bout today after my weigh in so I was kind of nervous, but I knew that no matter if I’m the first bout or the ninth bout, I’m going to do what I have to do.”

“Ah man, the environment is intense, it’s crazy, I really love it. Everyone cheering us on and everyone saying ooh when the punches land, its great.”

Boxing Tonite!! July 28th

Don King pontificates on state of pro boxing, women in the sport

Don King pontificates on state of pro boxing, women in the sport

Legendary Boxing Promoter Don King in San Jose with Jerry Hoffman for Selcuk Aydin vs. Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero for World Welterweight title on Showtime.

Photo of the Day; Here’s your Team USA, London 2012. Let the #Olympic Games begin!

The London 2012 Olympic Games are here!!!: Olympic Spirit

Below is a video link featuring footage of a scuffle between the Guerrero and Aydin camps on stage during Friday’s weigh-in

Below is a video link featuring footage of a scuffle between the Guerrero and Aydin camps on stage during Friday’s weigh-in. See Robert Guerrero and Selcuk Aydin get into a little scrap after today's weigh-in in San Jose, CA. Check out the real fight, tomorrow (Saturday, July 28) at 10p on SHOWTIME!

Robert Guerrero vs. Selcuk Aydin & Shawn Porter vs. Alfonso Gomez Final Weights

Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Selcuk Aydin met with members of the media at a final press conference at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 just three days before their 12-round showdown for the vacant WBC Interim Welterweight World Championship on Saturday, July 28 from HP Pavilion at San Jose which will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In Saturday’s co-feature, top-rated welterweight prospect “Showtime” Shawn Porter steps into the ring against his toughest foe to date, two-time world title challenger Alfonso Gomez for the vacant NABO Welterweight Title.

The event is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arena-Box Promotion and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. Preliminary bouts, featuring unbeaten junior middleweight Hugo "The Boss" Centeno vs. Ayi Bruce and undefeated super middleweight George Groves vs. hard-hitting Francisco Sierra, will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

FINAL WEIGHTS:

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING:

ROBERT GUERRERO: 145 ¾ Pounds

SELCUK AYDIN: 146 ½ Pounds

SHAWN PORTER: 146 ¼ Pounds

ALFONSO GOMEZ: 146 ½ Pounds

SHOWTIME EXTREME:

HUGO CENTENO: 152 Pounds

AYI BRUCE: 151 ½ Pounds

GEORGE GROVES: 169 ½ Pounds

FRANCISCO SIERRA: 170 Pounds

Time Permitting:

MANUEL AVILA: 122 ½ Pounds

RAYMOND CHACON: 121 ½ Pounds

Golovkin-Proksa Set for September 1 HBO After Dark

After the recent back injury suffered to former WBO Middleweight champion Dmitry Pirog (20-0, 15 KOs), WBA Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (23-0, 20 KOs) will now defend his title against highly regarded Grzegorz Proksa (28-1, 21 KOs) on Saturday night September 1, 2012 as the main event headlining HBO Boxing After Dark.

The 12-round co-feature will showcase former WBO Jr. Middleweight champion, Sergiy “Razor” Dzinziruk (37-1, 23 KOs) of Kiev, Ukraine versus, undefeated heavy handed Puerto Rican contender, Jonathan Gonzalez (15-0, 13 KOs), the current NABO and WBA FEDELATIN Jr. Middleweight champion. The combined record of all four fighters is an astonishing (103-2, 77 KOs).

The doubleheader promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, Arthur Pelullo/Banner Promotions, K2 Promotions, Greg Cohen Promotions, Matchroom Sport, Warrior’s Boxing and Universal Promotions, will take place at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York and will be televised live on HBO BOXING AFTER DARK® beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Golovkin of Kazakhstan and now residing in Stuttgart, Germany, won the silver medal in the 2004 Olympics and had amateur wins over Lucian Bute, Andre Dirrell, Matt Korobov, and Andy Lee. He’s perfect as a professional compiling an astonishing record of 23-0 with twenty coming by way of knockout. He won the WBA Interim Middleweight title with a first round destruction over Milton Nunez (24-4-1, 22 KOs) and captured the full WBA title in this following bout with a third round stoppage over Nilson Tapia (15-3-1, 11 KOs). Golovkin has made three defenses which include wins over former world champion Kassim Ouma (27-8-1, 17 KOs), highly regarded contender LaJuan Simon (23-4-2, 12 KOs), and in his last defense on May 12, 2012, he pounded Makoto Fuchigami (19-7, 10 KOs), stopping him in the third round. Golovkin will be making his highly anticipated debut in the United States.

Said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions, “Gennady trains in America and is committed to fighting here where there have been so many middleweight legends; we’re grateful to HBO for this opportunity to showcase his skills. We strongly feel that he is the BEST middleweight in the world right now and we’re anxious for the world to see that.”

“I’m very excited to face Grzegorz Proksa on September 1st,” said Golovkin. Proksa has never been in the ring with a puncher like me and I’m here to show the world what I’m made of. I’ve wanted to fight in the United States for a long time and look forward to fighting the best middleweights in the world in the near future.”

Proksa of Poland and now residing in Redhill, United Kingdom, has an impressive record of 28-1 with twenty-one knockouts. Proksa exploded onto the world scene when he stopped former IBF Middleweight boss Sebastian Sylvester (34-5-1, 16 KOs) in three rounds. Unfortunately in his next bout, Proksa lost a controversial majority decision to Kerry Hope (17-4, 1 KO). Like a true warrior, Proksa emphatically avenged that defeat to Hope in his last bout, stopping him in round eight of their July 7th bout.

Said Matchroom Sport’s Barry Hearn, “Proksa has waited all his professional life for this opportunity and respects Golovkin for his achievements in the ring. He knows this will be a tough fight for both fighters and is convinced he can emerge victorious in an entertaining contest. Proksa has one loss on his record when he lost his European title in a controversial points decision in a fight where he suffered a terrible cut via an accidental clash of heads. That loss has been avenged via a knockout victory to regain his European crown and he does not intend to suffer a loss in this fight. The fight features the two biggest punchers in the middleweight division and I am convinced that fight will not go the distance. It’s an honor for Proksa to be part of an HBO show and he is excited about winning in the USA on the biggest network for boxing in the world.”

“I have no doubt in my mind that I have the ability to knockout Golovkin,” said Proksa. “My opportunity to showcase my talents to the world has arrived and I’m not going to let it slip away. This will be a difficult fight but I believe in myself to come out victorious and I’m going to bring an aggressive game plan for the fans. I’m coming to the US to impress and take home the title.”

“This is a terrific bout and I believe a new star of the Middleweight division will be born on September 1st”, said Banner Promotions CEO Artie Pelullo. “There are three big Middleweight bouts in a span of a couple of weeks and this fight involves two of the best Middleweights in the world so the stakes could be very big for the winner”

“Pirog will be anxiously awaiting the results of this fight, as he wants his opportunity to fight the winner on HBO. There are many worthy opponents at 160, including Daniel Geale, Sergio Martinez, and Chavez Jr, and he is willing to fight anyone of them, as we believe that he might be the best, and is the biggest puncher at 160.”

Sergiy Dzinziruk has never lost a bout at 154 pounds. At Jr. Middleweight, Dzinziruk defended his WBO world title seven times. Sergiy, a boxer-puncher, will look to end the hype on Gonzalez, and regain his claim as one of the best 154 pound fighters in boxing.

“It’s a fact, that I am unbeatable at Jr. Middleweight, Dzinziruk said. “Gonzalez is a big puncher, but he’s never been in the ring with a superior boxer like me. I will end his unbeaten record and move toward another world title. I will be champion once again real soon.”

Art Pellulo, Dzinziruk’s co-promoter stated, “This will be a classic boxer versus puncher matchup and as we all know, a boxer always beats a puncher. Dzinziruk will be too slick for Gonzalez. Once he wins this fight, we will work to get him another world title shot.” Dziniruk is also co-promoted by Gary Shaw Productions.

Hard-punching knockout artist, Puerto Rican sensation, Jonathan Gonzalez, brings a crowd-pleasing style into the ring. He was a Puerto Rican Olympian, amassing 147 wins as an amateur with only 18 defeats.

Gonzalez is jointly promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, Warriors Boxing and Universal Promotions. He is undefeated as a professional, knocking out his first 13 opponents, and had amassed and amazing amateur record of (132W-18L). Highly ranked Gonzalez will attempt to do what no other fighter has done, beat Sergiy Dzinziruk at Jr. Middleweight.

“Fighting on HBO is a big opportunity for me and my team,” stated Gonzalez. “Gary Shaw has come through on his promise to get me on a worldwide stage to showcase my talent. I always bring excitement to the ring and it won’t be any different when I face Dzinziruk. My goal is to become champion.”

Said Gary Shaw, “Jonathan is highly ranked in all sanctioning organizations, and I’m sure after this fight, he will be considered by all, for a shot at a world title.”

“Gonzalez is another great talent from Puerto Rico that we can all be excited about,” mentioned Warriors Boxing Promotion’s Leon Margules. “Dzinziruk better be ready for a war.”

“Jonathan Gonzalez has something to prove in this fight,” said Javier Bustillo of Universal Promotions. “This is his big opportunity to show the world what he is all about. I expect him to leave everything in the ring on fight night.”

“I want to give a very special thank you to HBO and Ken Hershman for giving us the opportunity to present this great night of boxing in two very important weight divisions,” continued promoter Gary Shaw. “ I believe the real winner of this show will be the fans in attendance and the millions watching on HBO.”

“GCP is thrilled to be a part of this world class event. Bringing a World Championship Boxing event televised by HBO to a World Class venue like Turning Stone is going to be a terrific experience for everyone involved.”

Friday, July 27, 2012

Corrected draw release with Michael Hunter and Jose Ramirez opponent‏; The Path to Gold is Set for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team in London

The path to gold was set on Friday for the 12 members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team at the official event draw on Friday at the ExCel Centre in London. The brackets in the 13 Olympic weight classes were drawn in front of representatives from all of the participating nations. Three U.S. boxers received first round byes with the remaining nine American athletes learning the identity of their opening day opponents.

The women’s draw was done first and both flyweight Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) and middleweight Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) received byes in their opening round bouts. Lightweight Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) will face home nation boxer Natasha Jones of Great Britain in her Olympic Games opener on August 5. Esparza will take on the winner of a first round contest between Brazil and Venezuela when she takes the ring for quarterfinal action on August 6 while Shields battles the victor of a showdown between Australia and Sweden on the same date.

Three-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) was the lone U.S. boxer to be seeded in the 2012 Olympic Games and as the number three seed, he received a first round bye as well. Warren will take the ring for the third time in Olympic action in a second round bout against the winner of France and Afghanistan on August 3.

Bantamweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (S. El Monte, Calif.) and middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) open action for Team USA on Saturday with Diaz taking on on Ukraine’s Pavlo Ishchenko and Gausha battling Armenia’s Andranik Hakobyan.

Lightweight Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.) and welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) will compete on Sunday in their first round contests. Ramirez will face France’s Rachid Azzedine on Sunday while Spence takes on Brazil’s Myke Carvalho de Ribeiro.

Light heavyweight Marcus Browne (Staten Island, N.Y.) will be the lone U.S. boxer in Monday’s action, challenging Australia’s Damien Hooper in his Olympic debut.

There will only be one U.S. boxer competing on Tuesday as well with light welterweight Jamel Herring (Coram, N.Y.) facing off with Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Yeleussinov in the first round.

The two heavyweights will be the final male boxers to compete and both will challenge Russian opponents when they take the ring on Wednesday, August 1. Heavyweight Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) will battle Russia’s Tervel Pulev while super heavyweight Dominic Breazeale (Alhambra, Calif.) facesMagomed Omarov.

The 2012 Olympic Games are a single elimination tournament and all of the 2012 Olympic Games brackets can be found on www.aiba.org.

Lundy's time is now‏; ‘Stay in your lane!’ ‘Hammerin’’ Hank finalizes game plan for Beltran; offers stern warning to Broner

“Hammerin’” Hank Lundy is as relaxed as ever, feeling no pressure whatsoever as he prepares to defend his title and world No. 1 ranking Friday, July 27^th, 2012 against Raymundo Beltran at Resorts Hotel Casino.

“I’m feeling excellent,” said Lundy, the reigning North American Boxing Federation (NABF) lightweight champion and top-ranked lightweight in the World Boxing Council (WBC).

“I know what I have to go in there and do. I know what my job is. I’ve just got to go out there and be ‘Hammerin’’ Hank. I appreciate Beltran giving me this opportunity, but I’ve got to handle my business at the end of the day.”

Friday’s show, promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports and appropriately named “Title Wave,” features the 10-round main event between Lundy (22-1-1, 11 KOs) and Beltran (25-6, 17 KOs) in addition to a 10-round super middleweight co-feature between fellow Philadelphia native Farah Ennis (19-1, 12 KOs) and New Jersey’s Richard Patterson (11-2, 8 KOs). Beginning at 10 p.m. (EST), the show will air on ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPN Deportes as part of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.

After reaching the No. 1 spot in the WBC, Lundy could’ve held out for a shot at the world title, currently held by Antonio DeMarco, but instead chose to return to ESPN for the seventh time since 2010 and face the dangerous Beltran, a hard-hitting Mexican and former sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao who’s looking to rewrite the script on his own tumultuous career.

Standing toe-to-toe with Beltran is a risk, one that most fighters in Lundy’s shoes wouldn’t take, but so, too, was facing unknown challenger Dannie Williams in March, a fight Lundy won handedly despite getting knocked down in the first round.

As he prepares for Friday’s fight, Lundy is also keeping a close eye on the rest of the 135-pound division, particularly DeMarco, who will defend his title against John Molina in September, with, perhaps, the winner facing Lundy next. Molina is still the only fighter who’s beaten Lundy, so, deep down, Lundy is rooting for Molina in hopes of facing him a in a rematch for the world title.

Lundy also has another potential challenger on his radar, former World Boxing Organization (WBO) super featherweight championAdrien Broner, who was forced to vacate his title prior to last weekend’s fight against Vicente Escobedo because he failed to make weight. The undefeated Broner won the fight regardless, and afterward promised more world titles in his future as he plans to move up to 135 pounds, irking the outspoken Lundy, who called Broner “unprofessional” for failing to make weight.

“I run this weight class,” Lundy said. “If you think you can just move up and jump over me, it ain’t happening. Don’t run. You could’ve mentioned my name on HBO. Instead, you took the easy way out. Just go on and keep fighting who you’re fighting. If he fought half the competition I’ve faced, he’d be dead in his tracks.

“Until I unify these titles, I rule this division, and I’m going to be here for a long time.”

The undercard also features a six-round light middleweight bout between Thomas Lamanna (8-0, 5 KOs) of Millville, N.J., and William Brown (5-3) of Akron, Ohio, in addition to a four-round welterweight bout between Anthony Young (4-0, 2 KOs) of Atlantic City and Richie Andrews (3-1-3, 1 KO) of Stuarts Draft, Va. Josh Mercado (5-1, 2 KOs) of Cape May, N.J., will battle Korey Sloane (2-4-1) of Philadelphia in a four-round bout and Atlantic City’s Antowyan Aikens (5-0, 1 KO) will face Jimmy Ellis (3-5-1, 2 KOs) in a four-round super middleweight bout.

Also on the undercard, Kenneth Moody (2-3-2, 1 KO) of Virginia Beach, Va., will face Ismael Garcia (3-0) of Millville, N.J., in a four-round middleweight bout and super middleweight Isaiah Seldon of Somers Point, N.J., will face Steven Tyner (3-5-2, 2 KOs) of Akron in a four-round bout. All fights and fighters subject to change. Bantamweight Miguel Cartagena (5-0, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia will put his unbeaten record on the line against Jose Rivera in a six-round bout.

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