★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience©®™

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

FNF April 5th: Anthony Castrejon vs. Mohammed Lemjardine‏

Friday - April 5th

Held in our most intimate venue!

The Broad Street Ballroom

41 Broad Street, NYC

Doors open @ 7pm

The night's main event will feature a fight between two of America's best young talents as

Mohammed "The Moroccan Assassin" Lemjerdine of West Haven, Connecticut will take on Anthony "Pretty Boy" Castrejon of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lemerdine is known for his unorthodox style and unrelenting pace and Castrejon is known for his exciting and aggressive fight style.

Two great fighters from opposing coasts. Will it be the fight of the year?

In the co-main event

Villi Bello and Turan Hasanov will square off in a re-match.

Hasanov was victorious over a year and a half ago.

Will he prosper again?

NYC Fight Fans won't want to miss this re-match!

♔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.

Guerrero-Martinez Headlines “Salisbury Slugfest” April 12!‏

Jake The Snake Promotions will host their first show in Salisbury, MD when unbeaten cruiserweight Alex Guerrero headlines against hard-nosed veteran Pedro Martinez Friday, April 12 at the Wicomico Civic Center.

Fighting for the fifth time in Salisbury, Guerrero is 8-0-1 with five of those victories coming by way of knockout. The older brother of middleweight contender Fernando Guerrero, who challenges for the WBO title April 27 on Showtime, Alex scored a career best victory in his last bout by stopping famed spoiler Harvey Jolly in five rounds.

Guerrero, who trains out of Main Street Gym under the tutelage of Hal Chernoff, is no stranger to fighting tough. Only three of his nine opponents entered their bout with losing records and Guerrero’s last four foes all had more experience than him.

A 13 fight veteran, Martinez will enter the ring with a size and experience advantage. Four of the Philadelphian’s bouts came as a heavyweight and he’s battled notable fighters such as Garrett Wilson, Ahmed Samir, Andreas Gustaffsson and Elvin Sanchez. In his last bout, Martinez dropped a decision against full-fledged heavyweight William Miranda.

Guerrero-Martinez is scheduled for eight rounds

“I’m overjoyed about this event,” exclaimed Jake Smith, a member of the Maryland and D.C. Boxing Hall of Fames who’s assisted many charities in association with his events. “Salisbury is a great fight town and fans have shown up in record numbers during recent cards at the Civic Center. I am expecting a huge turnout for this card and thank the great City of Salisbury for giving Jake the Snake Promotions the opportunity to host an event there.”

Chernoff, the head trainer at the Main Street Boxing Gym and a well known member of the community, agrees.

“It’s always fun to be involved with something like this. What I enjoy most about helping promote in Salisbury is that one of my fighters gets to headline in his hometown and that's a huge thing. This is also great for the local economy. Events like this help hotels, restaurants, taxis and a lot of other area businesses. That means a lot to me and I’m proud to be a part of this.”

On the undercard, former Penn State Boxing Club captain and NCBA medalist A.J. Williams of Rehoboth Beach, DE makes his highly anticipated pro debut against an opponent to be named in a four round middleweight contest. The popular Williams trains and fights out of the Baltimore Boxing Club.

Unbeaten heavyweight knockout artist Jerry “Slug” Forrest looks to score his fifth knockout in six fights when he faces an opponent TBA. The southpaw Forrest, of Newport News, VA, is a protégé of

Seth Mitchell.

More bouts will be added shortly.

BANNER PROMOTIONS SIGNS 2012 OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDAL WINNER TARAS SHELESTYUK‏

Banner Promotions is proud to announce the signing of 2012 Olympic Bronze Medal winner Taras Shelestyuk to a promotional contract.

Shelestyuk of Sumy, Ukraine will compete as a Jr. Middleweight and won his bronze medal in London. He captured the 2011 world amateur championship in the 152 pound weight division.

He won the the Bronze medal in the 2010 European championship and is also a 3-time Ukrainian champion.

The 27 year-old stands 5’10” and had an impressive amateur record of 195-15.

“We are very excited to add Taras to our roster”, said Arthur Pelullo, CEO of Banner Promotions.

“We have big plans for Taras and we feel he will become a world champion”

Shelestyuk’s manager Vadim Kornilov says, ”We definitely have a future star. Banner Promotions is planning to move Taras very fast and get as many fights as we can get him.
Fans should keep an eye on him because he will be the next star”

Shelestyuk will make his professional debut on March 29^th on the undercard of an ESPN's Friday Night Fights event in Verona, New York

Too brutal for NY; Keep ‘ultimate fighting’ ban By MICHAEL E. BONGIORNO

In early March, the state Senate approved the legalization of professional Mixed Martial Arts bouts here, caving to lobbyists for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Let’s hope the Assembly refuses to go along: MMA is a brutal and barbaric pseudo-sport, the modern equivalent of Roman gladiatorial combat, with an audience screaming and howling at every blow and drop of blood.

Channel-surf on any night and you’re likely to come across an MMA fight, with all its kicking, punching and choking associated. I had the misfortune several years ago of briefly viewing a station carrying a match. In the 30 seconds I watched, I saw a fighter’s forehead split open with a gaping, bloody wound that extended from his scalp to his eyebrow. That was enough to convince me that this “sport” has no place in my life, and should have no place in any civilized society.

REUTERS

This doesn’t even show the blood: Daniel Sarafian (r) of Brazil fighting C.B. Dollaway of the United States in a UFC match in Sao Paulo earlier this year.

At least two professional MMA fighters have died as a result of injuries sustained in the ring/cage.

Today’s steroid-driven athletes are bigger, stronger and more dangerous than ever before. The human body can’t absorb the blows delivered by 6-foot-5, 250-pound hockey player or a 6-foot-7, 340-pound defensive tackle without suffering severe trauma. That’s why so much has been written about concussions and head trauma among former NHL and NFL players.

But in MMA, the whole objective is to pound, kick or choke an opponent into unconsciousness.

How can we teach our children that gratuitous violence has no place in society, when every day they are bombarded with violence — with the most brutal contestants lauded as victors and heroes? Evidently, the Republican Conference in the state Senate has the answer: It supports legalization because New York can make money off this misery.

According to a self-serving study cited by the UFC, a MMA event in New York City would employ 300 people and produce $11.5 million in net economic activity. In the view of the Senate Republicans, we should sell our communal soul to the devil and debase our culture for this 30 pieces of silver.

Depictions of violence are commonplace and glorified in America. Yet “experts” and pundits profess it a mystery as to why our children and so many adults resort to violence to solve their everyday grievances, frustrations and problems.

Well, it’s not a mystery to me. From rap music to violent movies to MMA beatings, one message is clear: Brutality is acceptable, especially if it is profitable.

And it has all desensitized many citizens, especially youngsters, to the horror of actual violent crime.

After more than 30 years as a prosecutor, I strive to avoid violence at every turn. I’ve too often seen the horror and damage wrought by guns, knives, bludgeons, fists and feet. It is the “real life” extension of the brutality seen in MMA contests, where fighters risk life and limb with little financial guarantee except for a “per fight” payment.

Although I’m no longer a prosecutor, I still see the faces of victims who were killed or seriously injured by senseless violence. So please forgive me if I’m not entertained by the sight of two human beings battering each other into unconsciousness — all to support a business whose revenues are close to half a billion dollars.

The senators who voted to legalize MMA have voted to degrade our society. Maintaining core cultural values and high moral standards is less important to them than a $5,000 campaign contribution and a few tax dollars.

I pray that the Assembly does the right thing and relegates this legislation to the scrap heap where it belongs. If not, I hope Gov. Cuomo has the moral sense to veto it.

Michael E. Bongiorno was Rockland County district attorney from 1995 to 2007.

♔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: 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.

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 Cotto, Luciano Cuello, Carlos 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 Rhodes, Alfonso Gomez, Kermit Cintron, Sugar 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 Lopez, Frank 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.

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 29^th 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 31^st 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.”

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.

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

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.

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.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Super-Four-fighters-off-to-Monte-Carlo.html?soid=1107899787415&aid=6HLqsgskuss

♔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.

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.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

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

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

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.

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