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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

WBC SUPER WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION CANELO ALVAREZ AND WBA SUPER WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION AUSTIN "NO DOUBT" TROUT OFFICIALLY SET TO UNIFY 154-POUND DIVISION ON SATURDAY, APRIL 20 AT THE ALAMODOME IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

Unbeaten Mexican superstar and WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez and undefeated WBA Super Welterweight Champion Austin "No Doubt" Trout are set to square off in a 12-round,WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Championship Unification fight on Saturday, April 20 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas in a fight which will be televised live on
 
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®(10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT).

Canelo vs. Trout, a 12-round WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Championship Unification fight, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo Promotions and Leija & Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona andAT&T.  The fight will air live on SHOWTIME and is presented in association with Greg Cohen Promotions.
 Canelo, who started training for the fight in his hometown of Guadalajara before moving camp to Santa Monica, Calif., is already familiar his opponent's fighting style and abilities as he was ringside for Trout's December 1, 2012 victory over Miguel Cotto in New York and also watched Trout defeat his older brother Rigoberto Alvarez in Guadalajara in February of 2011. 

"Austin Trout impressed me with his win over Miguel Cotto and my brother," said Canelo, who will be making his sixth title defense against Trout.  "But I feel that in boxing, it's my time now, and I will show Trout why I am the best in the division.  Champions should fight each other because that's what true champions do.  I know he will be a tough challenge, but I'm confident I will be the unified champion at the end of the night.  Beating him will make a statement, and in so doing, I plan to avenge my brother's loss to him and bring victory home to Mexico too."
The WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Trout, whose performance over Miguel Cotto in December helped further establish him as a force to be reckoned with, is ready for his next contest against Canelo. 
"I'm absolutely ready to face Canelo and all of his fans who will be out in full force in San Antonio that night," said Trout, the 27-year old southpaw from Las Cruces, New Mexico who will be making his fifth title defense.  "Although he is a true champion, I don't believe he has had the ring experience or has faced the competition he should have in order to be able to handle the skills that I will show him when we fight April 20.  I have already defeated his brother and taken his belt, and I plan on making it two for two against the Alvarez's in my in my quest to be the best.  I have no doubt that I will retain my title and takes his with me too.  I can't wait."
"Canelo has proven with each challenge he has faced that he is getting better and has fast become a superstar in the sport not only because of his talent, but also because of his unbelievable fan base that continues to grow every time he fights," said Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. "Austin Trout is an incredible fighter with superb boxing skills and a great champion in his own right.  I'm very excited to see what happens when these two fighters meet in the ring on April 20.  Golden Boy is going back to Texas in true Texas fashion with a huge fight at the Alamodome in San Antonio, the home of great boxing fans who love and appreciate the sport.  It's going to be a great night for everyone involved."
"We are very excited to work with Oscar de la Hoya, the entire Golden Boy Promotions team, Canelo Promotions and SHOWTIME on this sensational event," said Texas boxing legend and former World Champion Jesse James Leija of Leija and Battah Promotions.  "Boxing fans in Texas have a terrific opportunity to be part of a memorable evening headlined by two of the sports finest competitors."
"At just 22 years of age, Canelo's appeal is undeniable and still growing," said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager for SHOWTIME Sports.  "His first appearance on SHOWTIME last fall resulted in record ratings for SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.  We are thrilled to have him headlining once again when he will face the toughest opponent of his career.  Austin Trout, likewise, helped set a ratings record on our network last December when he upset future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto with an impressive, coming-of-age performance.  Canelo vs. Trout is exactly the type of fight that SHOWTIME has become known for - a match-up between two of boxing's brightest stars in which the outcome is impossible to predict.  Naturally, as a programmer, I am thrilled to deliver this world championship unification to SHOWTIME subscribers.  As a fight fan, I can't wait to be ringside at a raucous Alamodome."
"We are pleased to join Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo Promotions and Leijah & Battah Promotions in bringing this highly coveted match-up to our city," said Michael Sawaya, Convention, Sports, & Entertainment Facilities Director of the Alamodome.  "San Antonio has long been a host for many championship events and this world title bout continues our long tradition."
The pride of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, 22-year-old Canelo Alvarez (41-0-1, 30 KO's) has proven himself worthy of standing side by side with his country's modern day boxing greats, both in the ring and outside of it.  A fighting phenom who has been a pro since 2005, Canelo ran through all comers on the local circuit before winning the NABF welterweight title in 2009, before beginning his attack on the international boxing scene.  In 2010, Canelo had a breakout year with wins over Jose Miguel CottoLuciano CuelloCarlos Baldomir and Lovemore N'dou, and by 2011 he was a world champion, defeating Matthew Hatton for the WBC Super Welterweight World Championship.  Canelo, who has truly become a superstar in Mexico with millions tuning in every time he fights, has since defended his title successfully five times, defeatingRyan RhodesAlfonso GomezKermit CintronSugar Shane Mosley and Josesito Lopez.  On April 20, he will look to unify the division against Austin Trout in front of an adoring crowd as he fights in Texas for the first time.
Long considered one of boxing's most underrated gems, Las Cruces, New Mexico'sAustin "No Doubt" Trout (26-0, 14 KO's) took the long road to recognition in his pro career after a successful run as an amateur.  Willing to go anywhere to fight anyone, the talented Trout built up win after win while waiting for his shot at the gold.  That shot came in February of 2011 when he faced Canelo's older brother Rigoberto for the WBA Super Welterweight World Championship.  Despite fighting in Alvarez's backyard in Guadalajara, Trout's boxing skills prevailed as he won a 12-round decision and the title.  Still looking to convince the boxing world that he was the real deal, Trout successfully defended his title with wins against David LopezFrank LoPorto and Delvin Rodriguez, setting up a December 2012 showdown with Puerto Rican icon Miguel Cotto.  Again, Trout stepped up when the pressure was highest, winning a 12 round unanimous decision over Cotto in a career best performance that he hopes to top on April 20.

♔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.

Banner Promotions signs Welterweight Cornelius Whitlock‏

Arthur Pelullo’s Banner Promotions is pleased to announce the signing of Welterweight Cornelius Whitlock to a promotional contract.  Whitlock will make his Banner Promotions debut on March 29th as part of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights undercard at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. Whitlock of Landover, Maryland has a record of 1-0-1 with his victory coming by vicious knockout of former amateur standout Shakur Jackson in the third round on January 31st in Staten Island, New York.The twenty-nine year old Whitlock turned pro on December 19th, 2012 with a draw with Mikkel Lespierre in Lespierre’s hometown of New York.
Whitlock competed in over 30 amateur fights and won Golden Gloves titles and in the world championships.Whitlock has a slick and elusive style with quick hands and footwork and he displayed his explosive power in the win over Jackson.“I am happy to sign with Banner Promotions”, said Whitlock. “This is the first time someone has been behind me in my career so this is pretty big.” Whitlock is trained by Malcolm Lowery and sees big things for his pupil.
“He is a great kid, fights hard and is a gym rat”, said Lowery.
“He has a lot of tools as he is a very slick boxer-puncher with great punching power in both hands.”
“We are very excited about this signing”, said Banner Promotions CEO Arthur Pelullo.
“We got to see Cornelius in person and we came away very impressed after he stopped Jackson and we know he has talent to become a terrific fighter.”
♔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.

No Holds Barred: Jessica Aguilar Returns

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with American Top Team MMA fighter Jessica Aguilar (http://jessicaaguilar.com).
Widely regarded as the number one fighter in the world in the women's 115-pound division, Jessica Aguilar will be returning to action this Thursday, March 28, after a ten-month layoff. She will be facing Patricia Vidonic on a Bellator MMA card at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. Right now this fight will just be streamed live on the Bellator web site, and may be shown on tape-delay on Spike TV.
This fight will be a rematch between Jessica Aguilar and Patricia Vidonic. They first fought on the Fight Time Promotions 8 card on February 17, 2012, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with Jessica Aguilar winning by unanimous decision. After that fight, Jessica Aguilar next faced Japanese star Megumi Fujii on the Bellator 69 card on May 18, 2012, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with Jessica Aguilar again winning by unanimous decision.
We spoke with Jessica Aguilar by phone Sunday about her upcoming fight and her career as a fighter.
Speaking of the state of women's MMA, she said, "This is the best it's ever been." She noted, "It's taken off so much since I started. I remember that there only used to be one female fight on a card. Now there's a whole card of females."
We discussed her long layoff, what to expect in this fight with Patricia Vidonic, her desire to compete this year in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in late May (she is a purple belt), where she would like to fight, and her work in the anti-bullying organization Sweethearts and Heroes (http://sweetheartsandheroes.org). She also requested that we mention her shoutouts to: Sweethearts and Heroes, Garden of Life, Jawzz, Everlast, Donkeeboy, Boca Tanning Club, Mma2TheMax, Pro Fight, Onnit, Big Boys Moving, Jugular Energy Drink, Perfecting Athletes, American Top Team, and Paradigm Sports Management.

♔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.

Undefeated Frank Galarza signs with Elite Boxing Enterprises‏

Professional boxing manager A.J. Galante, founder and President of Elite Boxing Enterprises, is excited to announce the signing of fast rising Junior Middleweight prospect Frank ‘Notorious’ Galarza. With very little amateur experience, Galarza captured the 2010 New York Golden Gloves in the 165 pound novice division. Six months after the Golden Gloves, Galarza turned pro and since then has compiled a record of 9(5)-0-1.
“I have had my eye on Frank for some time now” stated Galante. “He has it all. An exciting fan friendly boxing style, toughness, the looks, an inspiring life story, a great personality and most of all, he is a winner. I am honored that he has put his faith in me to help guide his career to the next level. I’m excited to watching him grow as a professional, and I believe we haven’t even scratched the surface of his boxing abilities and he surely will become a force to be reckoned with. My philosophy as a boxing manager is to stay active, and take on the toughest available competition, and Frank fits that mold, he has done it his whole career on his own thus far.”
Galarza, 27, will join forces with Galante, 26, to form one of the younger Boxer-Manager duos in the sport, but the energy between the two will surely make the up and coming management group Elite Boxing Enterprises team even stronger. “To be elite is to be the best or most skilled member of a group, so it only makes sense to sign with Elite Boxing Enterprises” stated Galarza. ”Elite Boxing is a true team and we are establishing a group of elite boxers with a chip on their shoulder. This upcoming year and into the future, fans will continue to hear my name, and I want to spread my reputation further as a fighter who will work harder than anybody and accomplish what many think is impossible”
‘Notorious’ last saw action on March 9, 2013 at the Barclays Center in his hometown of Brooklyn, NY. He dominated tough Mexican Guillermo Ibarra, stopping him in the second round. Galarza is promoted by New Legend Boxing along with Old World Boxing and W.O.N. Promotions.
Elite Boxing Enterprises is a professional boxing management group founded by A.J. Galante in 2011. Also signed to Elite Boxing Enterprises is popular, Top-10 World Ranked Junior Middleweight Delvin Rodriguez.
♔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.

On April 4th Tommy Gallagher’s prize fighter, Gabriel “Tito” Bracero will be boxing at the Roseland Ballroom in the Main Event.

♔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.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

No Holds Barred: David Rowe on the Lamentable State of Sports Journalism‏



On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with David Rowe, a professor of cultural research at the University of Western Sydney in Australia (http://www.uws.edu.au/ics/people/researchers/david_rowe).
In February, he wrote an article, first for The Conversation and then republished by Play the Game, which has gained much attention around the world: "On scandal after scandal, sports journalists drop the ball" (http://www.playthegame.org/news/detailed/on-scandal-after-scandal-sports-journalists-drop-the-ball-5558.html).
In this article, he noted that while sport is rocked by numerous scandals, those who are supposed to be covering them, the sports journalists, "are looking more than a little dishevelled", and that most good investigative sports journalism "happens outside the mainstream institutional media". This should certainly be understood by those who are familiar with what tries to pass as "journalism" in the combat sports.
We spoke with David Rowe by Skype Wednesday (Tuesday New York time) about the many issues facing sports journalists and journalism.
He discussed in this interview what he called "a very basic question".
"What is a sports journalist? What is sports journalists for? What do they do? Now, I have a kind of old-fashioned idea of journalism as being about the Fourth Estate, that is, a watchdog on behalf of the citizenry, speaks truth to power, etc. That's what we expect of people who call themselves journalists. Now I guess if they want to call themselves something else, then that's OK, as long as they don't, I suppose, pretend to be journalists."
We discussed how sports journalists have dealt with such issues as the Lance Armstrong doping scandal and match-fixing. He said about their coverage, "Generally I'd have to say, that it's been pretty lamentable, but on the whole, with some distinguished exceptions", with many of these journalists acting like fans and getting too close to the sports organizations than they should.
We also discussed the many types of difficulties facing freelance sports journalists who do aspire to act as watchdogs on behalf of the public, how the main target of bad sports journalism has to be the big media companies which too often act as unofficial public relations agencies, the training of sports journalists, what fans can do to pressure the media, some positive signs with the emergence of a new generation of sports journalists, and much more.

♔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, March 23, 2013

Super Four fighters off to Monte Carlo‏



The event in Monaco is headlined by red-hot WBA middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (25-0, 22KO's) defending his title against former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida (24-8-2, 9KO's).  The opening round of the Super 4 tournament matches Edwin Rodriguez (22-0, 15KO's) against Argentinean Olympian Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna (19-0, 13KO's) and former two-division world champion Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18KO's) squaring off against Denis Grachev (12-1-1, 8KO's).  The card will be distributed in the United States and Canada on PPV by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite Pay-Per-View.
EDWIN RODRIGUEZ 
"This has been an amazing training camp," said Rodriguez.  "Ronnie Shields and the guys at Peak Performance in Houston have me in amazing shape.  I am ready to get into the ring and show the world who I am and what I am made of.  I want to thank Golden Gloves, my promoter DiBella Entertainment and my manager Larry Army Jr. for this opportunity. I encourage everyone to tune in on March 30 to see me at the top of my game in the biggest fight of my career."
EZEQUIEL OSVALDO MADERNA
"I have had a great training camp and I am excited to finally be departing for Monaco for what is going to be the most important challenge of my life," said Maderna.  "We have wrapped up the final stages of training camp, and, come March 30, I will be ready for a war against Edwin Rodriguez." 
  ZSOLT ERDEI TRAINING W/ FUTURE HALL-OF-FAME  TRAINER FRITZ SDUNEK
"I am very happy that the Hungarian fans will have a chance to once again see me fight live and in person.  It just multiplies my strength and will to win," said the former two-division champion Zsolt Erdei, regarding the large number of Hungarian fans making the trip to Monaco. 
Erdei continued, "I want to prove that the old man is not an old man. So far everything is going well.  I have had no problem with my weight, the shape I am in is almost disturbingly good. The bumps are there, of course, over the many years of fighting, but I know that above anything else, my power is still there, and Grachev will find that out on March 30. I'm going to prove that I am still one of the top fighters in the world."
 DENIS GRACHEV
"This has been the hardest training camp that I have ever had.  I have already made my plans to be back in Monaco in July," stated a determined Grachev.
Excitement is building ahead of the international boxing spectacular, the Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4, which takes place in the famous Mediterranean city next weekend.
The boxers begin arriving from all over the world early next week and will come face to face for the first time at a media conference at the Casino de Monte-Carlo on Tuesday evening.  The press conference will include Gennady Golovkin, the WBA and IBO middleweight champion, challenger Nobuhiro Ishida, plus Super 4 contestants Edwin Rodriguez, Ezequiel Maderna, Denis Grachev and Zsolt Erdei. Sergei Rabchenko and Adriano Nicchi, contestants for the European junior middleweight title bout, will also appear, plus undercard fighters Junior Makabu and Jean Marc Monrose.  All together, nine separate countries will be represented at the gigantic international final presser.
 "I'm very excited, the phone hasn't stopped ringing," said promoter Rodney Berman, of Golden Gloves. "We have broadcasters from all over the world taking the fight and we're expecting many fans from the boxers' countries to attend. This event has really struck a chord."
The "Monte-Carlo Million Dollar Super 4" and Golovkin's middleweight title defense will be distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite Pay-Per-View via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH and Avail-TVN in the United States and in Canada via Bell TV for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.  In addition, the event will be available via online Pay-Per-View at:  

 To order the "Super Four" PPV, headlined by WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin defending against former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida, go to your cable company's PPV listings for Saturday afternoon (starting at 3 p.m. ET; event telecast starting at 3:30 pm ET ) and look under boxing for Golovkin vs. Ishida.
The event is promoted by Rodney Berman's Golden Gloves.  The Golovkin-Ishida bout is promoted in association with K2 Promotions, while the Rodriguez-Maderna and Erdei-Grachev bouts are promoted in association with DiBella Entertainment.



♔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.

No Holds Barred: Fallon Fox‏

On this edition of  IOC, speaks with MMA fighter Fallon Fox (http://twitter.com/FallonFox).
After winning her second pro fight by first-round knockout on March 2 on a Championship Fighting Alliance card in Coral Gables, Florida, Fallon Fox then gave interviews where she came out as a transsexual female. Born a male, she had gender reassignment surgery back in 2006, and the associated hormone therapy. Now 37, she is physically, mentally, socially, and legally a woman, and happy to be one.
A decade ago the International Olympic Committee devised guidelines for transgender athletes, and were followed by the NCAA for college sports in the U.S. The medical committee of the Association of Boxing Commissions in North America also developed a policy last year based on that of the IOC, although it is up to each individual commission to implement it.
Despite this seemingly being a settled issue in international sports, including the combat sports, her revelation of her status has been met with heated reactions, both from her many supporters as well as those opponents who have provided public displays of bigotry and ignorance.
We spoke with Fallon Fox by phone Friday about the ensuing controversy about her and her career.
"I really don't see why there should be a lot of hoopla about past gender status, but this is what it turned into," she said in this interview.
"It's frustrating, but I realize that in the end, I'm going to win."
She also patiently tried to explain her position to those who just are not educated on this issue.
Discussing her transition to becoming a woman, she said, "I did this to save my sanity."
As for the bigots and haters, "The people who have bigotry or hatred for me just don't know me. And if they knew me - if they really, really, really, really knew me - then they wouldn't fear and they wouldn't hate."
We also discussed her licensing situation with the Florida and California commissions. She explained that contrary to some reports, she does have a license to fight, and as a woman, in Florida. She also posted on her Facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/FallonFoxofficial) a copy of what looks like a license which was sent to her by the California commission. You can judge for yourself if she is in the right in believing that this was actually a license and not simply a receipt, as a California official has claimed. That commission is currently reviewing, once again, her application, and is expected to grant her a fighter's license shortly.
She thus is entirely justified when she said, "I've done nothing wrong."
We also discussed her training and background since her transition, including her earning a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and competing in IBJJF and NAGA grappling events, and the ADCC Trials. She has been training since 2008 in MMA, mainly at the Midwest Training Center, in all the disciplines needed for MMA.
Also to answer her critics and to educate those who remain uneducated, she explained how she has much lower testosterone than those who were born with a full female anatomy, as well as less bone density and muscle mass than she had previously.
And we discussed when her next fight might take place, what she needs to work on in her young MMA career, for which organizations she would like to fight, a new documentary film called "Game Face" about her and other LGBT athletes being made by filmmaker Michiel Thomas, and much more.

♔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.

No Holds Barred: An Hour With Lenne Hardt

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with the legendary and iconic world champion of ring announcers, Lenne Hardt (http://www.lennehardt.com).
Living in Tokyo, and an announcer for many years with both the Pride and Dream MMA promotions, Lenne will be racking up a lot of frequent flyer miles as she heads to two shows in two different countries.
On Saturday, March 23, she will be plying her trade at the Glory 5 kickboxing show in London, England, headlined by the Remy Bonjasky-Tyrone Spong fight. This will be the first kickboxing card at which she is an announcer.
Then, on Friday, April 5, it's back to Asia for the ONE FC: KINGS AND CHAMPIONS MMA show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, headlined by ONE FC lightweight champion Kotetsu Boku defending his title against Shinya Aoki.
We spoke with Lenne Hardt by Skype Wednesday (Tuesday New York time) about these upcoming events.
Speaking about the tremendous growth of ONE FC, the largest MMA promotion in Asia, she said in this interview, "They are the new Pride. They're the new Dream."
We discussed how she approaches preparing for her role as an announcer, her careers as an announcer and as an entertainer, what she has learned about cultural differences between people around the world, how sport brings many diverse people together, a comparison of the outfits worn by ring girls in different eras and countries, and much more.

♔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.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Has Paulie Malignaggi Plateaued? By Chris Cella



(Photo By; Keisha Morrisey)
Through his 36-fight career, now going on his 13 year as a professional boxer, Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi has thrown hands with some of the best fighters in the world, and has worked his way to retaining the current WBA World Welterweight Title.
Since getting stopped by Amir Khan back in 2011, Malignaggi has since won his last five fights, and recently has been looking to return back to action to defend his belt.
There was some noise made about him battling an aging, yet former champion in Shane Mosley, but it fell through.  Then the talk surfaced about Malignaggi fighting Diego Chaves in Abu Dhabi, and yet again, nothing has materialized.
For the 32-year old technical boxer, one has to wonder, is there anywhere else to go in boxing?  The Magic Man from Brooklyn has been working as an analyst for Showtime Boxing as of recent, and has been more exciting wearing a suit and tie than he has appeared in his last few trips to the ring. 
Malignaggi has kept his name around the top of the welterweight list over the last few years due to his ability to pick apart less than formidable opponents utilizing his fast hands and elusiveness, while doing just enough to hang with the big dogs in the few chances he has gotten to exchange leather with the champs.
But despite his record of 32-4, 7 KO, each time Malignaggi stepped up and fought an opponent with any name, he got knocked back down to reality.  He got stopped by Khan and Ricky Hatton, and lost a UD to Miguel Cotto and Juan Diaz.
Malignaggi’s career can be summed up with one phrase…good, but far from great.
He can be compared to a baseball player with a strong enough skill set to be a standout all-star in the minor leagues, but a small fish in the major leagues.
As time is against him, proving in his last outing when he was awarded a hometown split decision over Pablo Cesar Cano when he clearly got outworked by the younger, stronger fighter, fans and critics must begin to wonder what is next for the Paulie?
So now, this past week, there has been mention of a possible matchup against lightweight champion Adrien Broner.  Why?  So Malignaggi can add another big name to his list of losses?  It would be a lose-lose fight for both fighters as well as fans.  Outside of providing pre-fight hype and trash talk that WWE and UFC fans would ROTFL over, the fight itself would be a big time mismatch and disappointment.  Broner is at a point where he needs to step up the competition to show he is the real deal, and Paulie Malignaggi is not the avenue to explore.
Malignaggi’s career is stagnant; there’s no healthy medium for him.  If he steps up to real competition and big name fighters again, he will be outclassed; and on the flip side, nobody wants to see him beating (or for that matter winning garbage decisions over) second rate fighters.
But don’t worry Paulie Malignaggi fans.  If the Showtime Boxing gig doesn’t work out, and he steps away from the squared circle, he can always find work as an eyebrow model or audition for the next casting call of Jersey Shore.
 ♔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.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Senator Lee Zeldin speaks on Mixed Martial Arts Legislation in Senate Session



♔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.

Bam Bam Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado II Saturday, March 30, 2013 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino

♔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 Has Heavyweight Tax Problems

AccountingWeb |

(Photo By: Keisha Morrisey)
♔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.

Mosley Vs Cano Set For Cancun




Cancun based promoter Pepe Gomez has announced that former multi weight world champ Shane Mosley (46-8-1, 39 KOs) will face Pablo Cesar Cano (26-2-1, 20 KOs) at the Hotel Grand Oasis in Cancun, Mexico on May 18.

The welterweight bout will take place in a giant tent and the promoter expects a 10,000 turn out. Also featured on the card will be WBC #1 super featherweight Sergio Thompson against Ricardo Juárez.

Mosley has not won a fight for four years, this must surely be his last opportunity to end his career with a win.


♔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.

Donaire vs Rigondeaux on April 13 at Radio City Music Hall, NYC


World Championship Boxing returns to Radio City Music Hall with just the second fight in its 82-year history on Saturday, April 13th when 2012 Fighter of the Year Nonito "Filipino Flash" Donaire takes on two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist and WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo "El Chacal" Rigondeaux.

The only other fight in Radio City Music Hall's storied history was the 2000 Roy Jones Jr. vs. David Telesco light heavyweight world championship bout.


Saturday April 13, 2013
Radio City Music Hall

Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KOs)
Talibon, Bohol, Philippines

Vs.

Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KOs)
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
 

♔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.

SHOWTIME SPORTS® SETS EXPANSIVE PROGRAMMING LINE UP ACROSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS IN SUPPORT OF MAY DAY: FLOYD MAYWEATHER vs. ROBERT GUERRERO BOXING’S EVENT OF THE YEAR—SATURDAY, MAY 4 on SHOWTIME PPV®


Documentary Films, Classic Fights, Live Events and More Scheduled For Broadcast,
Cable and Premium Television, Digital and ON DEMAND Platforms
“This is an aggressive and varied lineup of content, each element aimed at raising the anticipation for boxing’s marquee event of the year,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports.“The Mayweather appeal is unmistakable and warrants this type of unprecedented exposure.  What viewers will find during this promotion, however, is that Robert Guerrero is one of the most compelling, interesting and talented fighters ever to step into the ring opposite Mayweather. 
“I thank my colleagues at SHOWTIME and CBS for their support and enthusiasm since our agreement with Mayweather was announced.  Our collective aim in the next seven weeks is to serve the insatiable appetite of the staunchest boxing fans as well as to expose a broad audience to the drama and the intensity that is sure to come on May 4th.” 
The programming blitz begins on Wednesday, April 3 with the premiere of an exclusive documentary film titled “30 DAYS IN MAY” (10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME), a one-hour film which chronicles Mayweather’s 2012 stint in prison.  Created exclusively from never-before-seen footage, “30 DAYS IN MAY” features the only interviews Mayweather conducted about what he has called “a life-changing experience.” 
On Wednesday, April 10, SHOWTIME Sports will debut the latest chapter of its original documentary series ALL ACCESS (10 p.m. ET/PT, SHOWTIME).  Greenburg will serve as an executive producer on ALL ACCESS: MAYWEATHER vs GUERRERO as the series takes viewers into the dramatic and unpredictable world of prize fighting.  From gritty backstories to the sport’s biggest stage, ALL ACCESS has a unique approach that allows its subjects to guide the narrative on real life terms.  New episodes will debut every Wednesday through May 1 on SHOWTIME, with encore presentations airing on CBS SPORTS NETWORK.  ALL ACCESS Epilogue, which will spotlight the intensity of fight week, taking viewers inside the ropes on fight night and into the rarely seen, uncelebrated aftermath of world championship boxing, will premiere on SHOWTIME on Saturday, May 18 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.  



LIVE PROGRAMMING
On the two Saturdays preceding the May 4 SHOWTIME PPV event, SHOWTIME will present two high profile world championship boxing events live on the premium network’s acclaimed SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING series.
 On Saturday, April 20, from the 30,000+ seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarezwill return to SHOWTIME to headline against Austin Trout in a super welterweight world championship unification bout.  In separate fights in 2012, both men set ratings records for boxing on SHOWTIME.  Now, they collide in what is by far the most significant and challenging fight in both of their careers. 
 On Saturday, April 27, live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., undefeated rising star Danny Garcia of Philadelphia risks his unified super lightweight world championship against former Two-Division and Four-Time World Champion Zab Judah of Brooklyn. 
VIEW COMBO EVENT TRAILER:  http://s.sho.com/ZVF7nN
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS
SHOWTIME will televise the official weigh-in live on Friday, May 3 and a pre-fight show on Saturday, May 4, immediately preceding the pay-per-view telecast.  Each telecast will include live interviews, ALL ACCESS behind-the-scenes features from fight week and, on Saturday’s program, live undercard fights. 
MAY DAY FIGHT WEEK LINEUP
A fight week blitz will begin on Monday, April 29, with daily programming on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME EXTREME and CBS SPORTS NETWORK leading up to May 4.  Included in the lineup will be ALL ACCESS marathons, classic Mayweather and Guerrero fights, as well as the aforementioned live programming from Las Vegas. 
CLASSIC FIGHTS
Encore presentations of classic bouts featuring Mayweather and Guerrero will air on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME EXTREME and CBS SPORTS NETWORK.  Fights, airing in their entirety, are Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya, the most watched pay-per-view event in history; the controversial fight between Mayweather and Victor Ortiz; Mayweather vs. Ricky Hatton; Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley and Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez. 
Full fights from the Guerrero archive include the southpaw’s gutsy, breakthrough performances against Selcuk Aydin, Michael Katsidis, Gamaliel Diaz (rematch) as well as his first fight after learning of his wife’s diagnosis of Leukemia in 2007, a first-round knockout win over Martin Honorio.  

♔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.

Jack Dempsey & Bob Arum lead 2013 Class Inductees into New York State Boxing Hall of Fame Sunday, April 28

Golden-era heavyweight champion of the world, Jack Dempsey, and legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum lead a star-studded cast of 20 inductees into the second-year New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF).
The second annual NYSBHOF induction dinner will be held Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:30 p.n. ET), April 28, at Russo's On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York.
"This is an exceptional group of inductees," NYSBHOF and Ring 8 president Bob Duffy said. "We are inducting legitimate New Yorkers in the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame. All of these inductees have a significant impact on New York State boxing during their respective times. There are many other potential inductees but this is only our second year. We're confident that any deserving people who haven't been inducted yet will be inducted in due time. There's a process we're following. New York State was the driving force in boxing for more than a half-century and remains a major player in the sport, so we'll have many, many great boxing people to choose from over the years." 
Posthumous participants being inducted along with Dempsey (61-6-9, 50 KOs) are the first great Italian boxer based in America, featherweight Johnny Dundee (83-32-20, 17 KOs); two-time world featherweight champion Sandy Saddler (144-16-2, 103 KOs) Sandy Saddler, who is best known for his epic rivalry with Willie Pep; and world light heavyweight champion Maxie Rosenbloom (207-39-26 (19 KOs).
Living boxers heading into the NYSBHOF are Bronx middleweight Joey Archer (61-6-9, 50 KOs), three-division world champion from the Bronx, Iran Barkley (43-19-1 (27 KOs); Brooklyn's Mark Breland (35-3-1, 25 KOs),1984 Olympic gold medalist and two-time world welterweight titlist, Levittown light heavyweight Bobby Cassidy (59-16-3, 27 KOs); world heavyweight challenger Doug Jones (30-10-1, 20 KOs), Brooklyn's world bantamweight and super bantamweight champion Junior Jones (50-6, 28 KOs), Brentwood's light welterweight and welterweight champion James "Buddy" McGirt (73-6-1, 48 KOs), Brooklyn's world light heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (50-8-1, 39 KOs).
Non-participants heading into the NYSBHOF with Arum (Top Rank) are Shelly Finkel, manager of a NYSBHOF inductee from last year, Mike McCallum, as well as Evander Holyfield and Pernell Whitaker; Tony Graziano, who managed last year's NYSBHOF inductee, Carmen Basilio, and world welterweight champion Billy Backus; Brooklyn's Larry Merchant, arguably television's greatest boxing analyst; posthumously: Teddy Brenner, longtime matchmaker for Madison Square Garden (1959-1973), boxing's premier blow-by-blow announcer on television and radio, Don Dunphy; powerful promoter Mike Jacobs, and Dempsey's promoter, Tex Rickard.
Each inductee will receive a custom-designed belt signifying his induction into the NYSBHOF. Plaques are on display at the New York State Athletic Commission and Waterfront Crabhouse. Duffy also has revealed that Ring 8's plan calls for a monument to be built in Long Island City with every NYSBHOF inductee's name inscribed.
The inductees were selected by NYSBHOF nominating committee members, including Jack Hirsch, Steve Farhood, Don Majeski, Henry Hascup, Ron McNair and Neil Terens.
"I believe the people on our nominating committee are second to none for any nominating committee in boxing," Duffy added. "They're all very knowledgeable and passionate about boxing in New York State."
All boxers needed to be inactive for at least three years, in order to be eligible for NYSBHOF induction, and all inductees must have resided in New York State for a significant portion of their boxing careers.
 Last year's Inaugural Class included Basilio and McCallum, Mike Tyson, Jake LaMotta, Riddick Bowe, Carlos Ortiz, Vito Antuofermo, and Emile Griffith, as well as the late "Sugar" Ray Robinson, Gene Tunney, Benny Leonard and Tony Canzoneri.
Non-participant inductees from the Class of 2012 included judge/HBO analyst Harold Lederman, coach/instructor Steve Acunto, trainer/cut-man Jimmy Glenn and, posthumously, trainers Gil Clancy and Ray Arcel, Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer, New York Daily News boxing reporter/cartoonist Bill Gallo, and referee Arthur Mercante, Sr.
 ♔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.

ROAD TO GLORY USA HITS NEW YORK CITY WITH ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN WELTERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT WINNER OF DEVELOPMENT SERIES TOURNAMENT RECEIVES $20,000 GRAND PRIZE, CONTRACT WITH WORLD’S NEW PREMIERE KICKBOXING LEAGUE

Glory Sports International (GSI), the parent company of the world’s new premiere kickboxing league, announced today that it will bring it’s ROAD TO GLORY USA development fight series designed to identify America’s next great kickboxing superstars, to Capitale in New York, N.Y., on Friday, March 22.
The winner of the eight-man,! single-elimination welterweight (170 pounds/77 kilograms) tournament featuring a host of prolific, up-and-coming competitors, will be awarded a $20,000 grand prize and a multi-year contract with GLORY, home of the world’s elite kickboxing champions and superstars. 

“We are thrilled to bring our all-new ROAD TO GLORY development tournament series to fight fans in New York City, one of the world’s greatest sports and entertainment epicenters,” said GLORY CEO Andrew Whitaker
“With the two ROAD TO GLORY tournaments we’ve held in the U.S. thus far,” continued Whitaker, “we’ve been able to discover treme! ndously bright and promising young kickboxers who could be developed to one day compete on GLORY’s championship stage, which is exactly what ROAD TO GLORY was created for.  We are confident that we will continue to unearth all kinds of new talent across the country, beginning with the upcoming event in New York.”
Undefeated rising stars Ryan Parker (14-0, 3 KOs) of Rochester, N.Y. and Brett Hlavacek (6-0, 2 KOs) of New York will be joined in the tournament draw by KO artists Anthony Nieves (10-4, 8 KOs) of Atlanta, Ga. and Jeremy Carper (5-1, 5 KOs) of Martinsburg, W. Va., battle-tested star Tarek Rached (24-3, 11 KOs) of New York, road warrior Marcus Fisher (16-9, 3 KOs) of Pittsburg, Pa. and promising upstarts Eric Utsch (5-1, 1 KO) of Breinigsville, Pa. and Francois Ambang (6-2, 2 KOs) of Mechanicsville, Va.
Tae Kwon Do black belt and Muay Thai champion! Cyrus Washington (52-21-1, 48 KOs) of Macallen, Texas will square off with Chris Clodfelter (7-3-1, 3 KOs) of King, N.C. in a tournament “reserve” bout on the card.  Should any of the tournament’s quarterfinal round fight winners be unable to return to the ring for semifinal round action due to injury sustained en route to victory, the winner of the matchup between Washington and Clodfelter will take the injured fighter’s place in the tournament.
A draw to determine the ROAD TO GLORY USA welterweight tournament’s quarterfinal round matchups will take place on a date and at a location to be announced soon. 

♔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.