 | Boxing Is Dead? " |
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Boxing Is Dead?
Monday, February 12, 2007
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI, SECHEW POWELL AND ANDRE BERTO ON SATURDAY NIGHT, FEBRUARY 17
“TRIPLE PLAY AT THE HAMMERSTEIN” FEATURING PAULIE MALIGNAGGI, SECHEW POWELL AND ANDRE BERTO ON SATURDAY NIGHT, FEBRUARY 17
***HBO Boxing After Dark to televise Tripleheader from Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center in NYC***
Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (21-1, 5 KO’s); Sechew “Iron
Horse” Powell (20-1, 12 KO’s), both from Brooklyn, New York, undefeated
welterweight and former Olympian Andre Berto (16-0, 14 KO’s), from Winter
Haven, FL, and promoter Lou DiBella, president, DiBella Entertainment
New York—Boxing fans will get the opportunity to see three of the most exciting young faces in the fight game when DiBella Entertainment presents a tripleheader featuring lightweight Paulie Malignaggi (vs. Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry, 21-4-2,10 KO’s); junior middleweight Sechew Powell (vs. Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith 18-1, 8 KO’s); and welterweight Andre Berto (vs. Ben “Wonder” Tackie, 29-6-1, 17 KO’s) on Saturday night, February 17, 2007, at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center. HBO Sports will televise all three fights on its popular Boxing After Dark series beginning at 9:45 PM/ET.
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi vs. Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry
Brooklyn, NY Wauchula, FL
21-1 (5 KO’s) 21-4-2 (10 KO’s)
JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Sechew “The Iron Horse” Powell vs. Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith
Brooklyn, NY Las Vegas, NV
20-1 (12 KO’s) 18-1 (8 KO’s)
WELTERWEIGHTS
Andre Berto vs. Ben “Wonder”Tackie
Winter Haven, FL Las Vegas, NV
16-0 (14 KO’s) 29-6-1 (17 KO’s)
Monday, February 5, 2007
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Laura "The Lady Ram" Ramsey speaks with Fight News Unlimited Golden Child Danny Jacobs; An Amateure Worth Watching and Olympic hopeful
| Laura "The Lady Ram" Ramsey speaks with Fight News Unlimited
|
| Golden Child Danny Jacobs; An Amateur Worth Watching and Olympic hopeful
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Thursday, February 1, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Maureen "The real million dollar baby" Shea, talks about her boxing career
Monday, January 22, 2007
Laura "The Ram' Ramsey's "Miss Motherland" TKO- Victory
By: Keishadivine El Empress
Laura "The Ram" Ramsey is the new GBU Middleweight Champion title winner, defeating Conjestina Achieng in the 6th round by TKO, in Africa, January 20 2007. "Queen" Laura "The Ram" Ramsey is fresh off a crowning, opening round- three knockdown, TKO of Ijeoma Egbunine early this month. "Fight Lady" Laura's manager said, "we are so honored to be here in Mombasa and for Laura to be bringing the title home. Look for more from Lady Ram..
See more at www.WBAN.com
SecondsOut Radio: Bernard Hopkins
On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the top light heavyweight boxer in the world, Bernard Hopkins (47-4-1, 32 KOs), about his plans to unretire and fight once again. As usual, the champ had quite a lot to say.
It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register to gain access to it. Just click here, and listen, learn, and enjoy.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred blog
No Holds Barred podcast
No Holds Barred on MySpace
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Jackie Kallen: A Boxing Pioneer
Jackie Kallen: A Boxing Pioneer Jackie Kallen found a love for the sport of boxing late in her career as a newspaper reporter, and she used that initial spark to create a bonfire in her heart. All it took was her attendance at one four-round fight to inspire the legendary "First Lady of Boxing" to shift gears and become a publicist for fighters. That led her to take a few more steps up the ladder until she became one of the first women to break the ranks of tradition in the male-dominated management side of the sport.Watching that one fight (featuring Tommy "The Hit Man" Hearns at the beginning of what would be an incredible professional career) would lead Kallen to eventually leave the reporting behind. Instead of trying to win herself a Pulitzer Prize, she wound up guiding one of the most prolific fighters of the modern era: James "Lights Out" Toney through the prime of his championship career. It wasn't long until a Hollywood movie starring Meg Ryan chronicled her life and struggles to be accepted and then finally revered by her peers in the fight game.As a child she never had dreams of being so intricately involved in the sport of boxing, but she did have the right attitude about life from an early age."I have always tried to live a spiritual life and do as much for the world (and the people who inhabit it with me) as possible. I always wanted to make a mark on the world so that after I'm gone people would know that I have been here," she said in a recent Fight News Unlimited interview. "I have never been a drinker, a smoker or a drug-user and I try to do something every day to make someone else's life better. I believe in the 'pay it forward' theory. I try to set a good example by my deeds—not just my words."Growing up she learned how to be an independent, free-spirited woman from her mother, who set a wonderful example for her to follow. "She was a very progressive, free-thinking woman who was compassionate as well as brilliant," said Kallen. She also looked up to Barbara Walters. She admired the famous journalist because Walters was "successful at the career I aspired to."Her unique, positive outlook paid huge dividends when Kallen finally managed to help elevate Toney to new, incredible heights. "After James Toney beat Michael Nunn in 1991, I realized that I was making a mark on the sport," she said. "I was being taken seriously and people were respectful of the hard work I put in day after day."The James Toney she knew and helped bring to glory was a much different man than they guy who Samuel Peter knocked all over the ring recently. "I managed James for six years and he was like a member of my family during those years. It saddened me the other night to see him get badly beaten and then to hear him sound so pathetically arrogant and delusional after the fight," she said like a disappointed mom admonishing her insolent child. "I wish he would have had the grace and class to congratulate Peter on the win and admit that it just wasn't his night. A gracious James Toney is something I've always wanted the public to see because when James wants to be nice—he can be a real sweetheart."There is so much about her career choice that she thoroughly enjoys despite the difficulties she faced to get where she is today. "I think I have always loved and respected the one-on-one aspect of the sport. Unlike a team sport, it is one combatant against another. It is a matter of who wants it more mentally, who is in better shape and who is more focused. I equate it to life in general," she said. "I am a very nurturing person and I find that managing a boxer involves being part mother, part babysitter, part psychologist and part business advisor. It is a very challenging role."She saw that Hearns fight in 1978 for one of her assignments as a newspaper writer. She even interviewed the young future-champion at the Detroit event. "That night changed my life," she said. "I saw my first 'live' fight and I fell in love with the sport. I soon approached Emanuel Steward about working for him as a publicist. I did that for over 10 years."Looking back she recalls a "very exciting" time for her as a woman making inroads in the sport that didn't normally invite females into the fold with open arms. "I always saw it as an honor to be able to blaze a new trail and be a role model for other women," she said. "I believe it shows people that they can succeed at anything they make their minds up to do."Though she did open the door for other women to follow, not many dared to even dip their toe in the foreign waters. The line behind her is not long enough in her eyes, even in the somewhat more accepting climate that exists today. "Interestingly, there are still very few successful female managers," she said. "There are female judges, female writers and, of course, female fighters. It astounds me that almost 20 years after I entered the sport, it is still a primarily male-dominated bastion."Kallen pays no mind to being a minority and expertly helps steer the careers of a small stable of prospects she hopes to take to the same heights she once took Toney to. "I currently manage Matt Remillard, an 11-0 Junior Lightweight who won the WBC Youth belt; Jeannine Garside, 6-0-1, who is the WIBA Featherweight Champion; Reggie LaCrete, a 2-0 light heavyweight and Michael Peralta, a 1-1 lightweight," she reported. "I am about to turn two other boxers pro within the next couple of months. I also opened a gym in South Central LA in connection with the Sheriff's Department. This is a facility open to kids-at-risk. I hope to open more in other similar areas."She started writing as a teenager, interviewing celebrities who passed through her hometown of Detroit. "As I said, Barbara Walters was a hero of mine and I always wanted a career as a celebrity journalist," she said. "I ended up doing it for over 25 years."She is grateful for the accomplishments she's made both inside and outside the ring. "I would have to say that taking a 19-year old then-unknown James Toney to the top was something I am quite proud of," she said. "On the personal side I am most proud of my two grown sons who are such amazing people. And my two grandsons, who are developing into superb athletes, specifically in their chosen sport: Hockey."Like anyone else, she has moments she would rather forget, too. "Career-wise my worst moment was when James lost to Roy Jones and the sordid aftermath of that event," she recalled. "On the personal side, when my husband walked out after 30 years of marriage, that totally devastated me."If she could go back and make one major alteration in her career she said she "would not have moved to Los Angeles after my divorce and given up my Galaxy Boxing Gym. I still miss that place and all the boxers who trained there."As far as the state of the sport, she's concerned most about the "lack of marquee names." Like many who can remember better days when there were fewer alphabet organizations and more recognizable legends populating the public art of pugilism, she is nostalgic for when almost every major champion in the sport was a household name. "The average person cannot name one champion, and since boxing is primarily on cable, not network television, the audience is smaller than ever before," she said. "Bad decisions have tainted the sport and MMA is taking over with the younger fight fans."She sees the rising popularity of MMA as a "major problem" threatening to absorb younger fans who might normally turn to boxing if MMA was not as prominent as it is today. "The older fans still enjoy boxing, but as they fade away the younger fans are growing up on MMA," she said. "They look at boxing as too boring, one-dimensional and 'old school.'"Still, she is not immune to MMA fever herself and said she would "absolutely" get involved in promoting it if she had the chance. "I have my California promoter's license and have already done one MMA show," she reported. Kallen also stays busy outside her career responsibilities and helps to counsel abused women. "I have been working with battered women for the past eight years, and it has become a passion of mine," she said. "I enjoy helping these women re-invent themselves and work toward re-entering the job force and society as confident, viable women. It is very fulfilling and satisfying."Demi Nguyen, a female fighter we chronicled in an earlier interview, considers Kallen a true inspiration and said she speaks with her mentor every night. "She contacted me before she turned pro and I went to the gym to meet her and watch her train," said Kallen about Nguyen. "She is a beautiful person—inside and out—and I really want to see her succeed. She is an excellent mother and would make a terrific role model for young women. I don't manage Demi, but as a close friend I hope to see her build her record up, beat as many girls in her weight class as possible and go out there and capture a world title. I think she will be a positive influence on a lot of people."She has a few of her own ideas about how to make women's boxing more appealing to the general public. She maintains that "more girls with star-power" are needed and "more exposure" would also help elevate female fighters. "Few female bouts are televised, so the public hasn't really seen the best that sport has to offer," she contends. "We also need really feminine women to showcase the sport. I have often heard it said that, when two women fight who basically look like men, the fans might just as well be watching male fighters. "Kallen was inaugurated as "The First Lady of Boxing" in an article in RING MAGAZINE back in the early 90s. The moniker stuck, and she even appeared in The Contender reality series as part of the support team for the contestants. "I frankly wish I had been MORE involved. A lot of my scenes were cut out of the final edit and I thought it would have added a lot to have a more visible female presence," she said about the experience. "With that being said, I think the show gave a lot of boxers the chance to be seen, and it put more money in their pockets than they would have had without the show. It's a great concept and I hope the show continues."As far as culling her own talented fighters from the vast field of multiple contenders out there, she has a simple formula. "I look for three main things: Natural ability (which you are either born with or you're not), good training and living habits (which amounts to "conditioning") and that intangible factor: heart," she explained. "The most talented and well-trained boxer will never get to the top without heart."Although she has done so many incredible things already, she still has some important goals she hopes to reach. "I hope to have more world champions in the future, and I'd like to open up more gyms in bad neighborhoods where kids need a safe haven and a good diversion," she said. "And I'd like to go into color commentating. As for life in general, I just hope to continue doing the things I love and remain healthy."Though she often points out that Meg Ryan's portrayal of her story in the movie "Against The Ropes" is inaccurate, she still maintains it is "very flattering!" The movie features Kallen as a single women with no kids when she was actually married with children. "I really don't know why," she said about the producers changing reality for the screen, "But the true story is far more interesting that the script they came up with."Kallen has also written a book: Hit Me With Your Best Shot: A Fight Plan For Dealing With All of Life's Hard Knocks. "The book was written as a way to help people live their life as if it were a championship fight. I find a lot of metaphors in boxing that apply to life," she explained. "I try to fight a winning fight every day. I am now writing a memoir, which is a very personal look at my life and what has driven me all these years."She has some poignant words of wisdom for any woman out there who dreams of trying to tread where few women have gone before. "Develop a thick skin. Don't listen to other people's ideas of what you should be doing," she suggests. "Always take the high road. Just because you swim in a tank with sharks doesn't mean you have to become one. Retain your dignity at all times, don't resort to talking like a truck-driver just to be 'one of the boys,' and believe in yourself. Most people don't really want to see you succeed. They may cheer you on at the beginning, but once you reach a certain point, their jealousies and resentments take over and they try to pull you down. You can't trust everyone. I learned that there are just some people who are out to get you and you can't change that."As far as what lies ahead for her, she's ready for whatever comes along. "I am always open to new challenges," she said.
Monday, January 8, 2007
Peter vs Toney Redemption 2, Simms vs Rivera and Ramsey vs Egbunine
The Trilogy by Keishadivine El Empress
Peter vs Toney Redemption 2, Simms vs Rivera and Ramsey vs Egbunine @ Hardrock Live on Showtime
Samuel "The Nigerian Nightmare" Peter (28 wins 1 loss 22Ko's), ranked the ..1 heavyweight and WBC contender gracefully accepted and sang a sweet sciences victory last night, literally singing the words, "I am saying Thank You Jesus, Jesus My Lord", upon the decision of the highly controversial ramification redemption rematch thus, throning Samuel "The Nightmare Nigerian" Peter, the WBC heavyweight elimination bout winner against, James "Lights Out" Toney (69 wins, 6 losses, 3 draws, 1 no decision, 43Ko's).
Samuel Peter a native of Akwaibom, Nigerian, residing in Las Vegas said, " I want to take the belts and win the world championship". Samuel Peter who ruled the steel-like James "Lights Out" Toney's dapper green hulk ring style and suave technique, the entire evening.
James "Lights Out" Toney as usual landed superb right hands and projected excellent skill and a slick style of training due to Billy Blank, celebrity fitness guru and Tao Bo instructor and Coach Roach. James "Lights Out" Toney, of Sherman Oaks California, touts " I was sticking and moving and throwing the jab, he couldn't knock me out, I think, I threw more aggressive shots, nobody can knock me out, I won, I trust nobody".
Keisha and James Toney trainer extraordinare Vic Roundtree)
Travis "Tremendous" Simms (25 wins 0 loss 19 Ko's) of Norwalk Connecticut, a WBA champion in recess and Undefeated, became the WBA super welterweight champion of the world, stopping Jose Antonio Rivera (38 wins 4 loss 1 draw 24 Ko's) of Worcester Mass, by TKO in the 9th round of a scheduled 12 round fight. Jose Antonio Rivera, a New England Golden Glove winner, two time world champion and current super welterweight champion of the world attempted, before the ten count, to recover courageously but, the referee Frank Santore Jr. stopped the bout. Tremendous Travis Simms after a two year layoff stated, "I won the title through preservation and power punches".
Tremendous Travis Simms aspires to be the Mayor of Norwalk Connecticut one day, even if while actively pursuing a career in boxing. Travis Simms manager and wife Sandra Stokes Simms, is on his team and got involved with the sport, she didn't even like the sport boxing, she hated it, but she felt he needed help and now wants to manage other professional fighters. The sport of boxing is emerging with females in general and the numbers of professional woman in boxing is on the rise, as you can see.
(Keisha and brothers, Travis and Tarvis Simms )
The under card featured female fighter Laura "The Ram" Ramsey's (8 wins 2 loss 4 KO's) of Florida, three- knock downs and TKO-Victory in the first round in a super middleweight bout with, Ijeoma "The Praise" Egbunine (12 wins 2 loss 9 KO's) of Atlanta, scheduled for six rounds, the referee stopped the fight. Ijeoma "The Praise" Egbunine's controversial defeat is major news, officially the prophet is quiet, about the crowning win of Laura "The Ram" Ramsey. "The Ram" is the boxing-talk of the town since the Queen reigned supreme and won.
(Keisha Roberto Duran and Ijeoma Egbunine
"EL Gato" Frankie Figueroa, Jr, was scheduled to fight on the under card as well, EL'Gato's Promoter and Team, pulled out, speaking technically of training.
(Keisha and Frankie Figueroa)
(Keisha and Luis Rivera of the Seeno Group, Promoter of "El Gato")
There were celebrities and luminaries at the live boxing event, in Hollywood Florida including Anna Nicole Smith, Bernard Hopkins, Fat Joe, and Hulk Hogan- Wrestling legend, Louis Collazo, Reverend Al Sharpton, Shannon Briggs and Shaquille O'Neal. The "Soul Generals", legendary band of the late James "Godfather of Soul" Brown, played the National Anthem. This was a great night of boxing entertainment sponsored by Don King Productions and the Seminole Hard Rock Live Hotel and Casino, Duva Boxing, Goossen Tutor Promotions and Seminole Warrior Boxing. What a way to start a New Year and it would not be complete without my monthly star studded professional thank you's, Amy, Brian, DJ, Eddie, Emily, Fran, Janis and Patricia, Princess, Jackie, Jill, Rich, Ryan, Sue and Wanda for promoting boxing- sports and woman in boxing worldwide.
(Keisha and John Scully, authur of an up and coming boxing memoir, supporter of Rivera))
(Keisha and Legendary Singer at Press Conference in New York City's Rainbow room)
El Boxing Empress Keishadivine- El Empress
Sunday, January 7, 2007
NO HOLDS BARRED: Eddie Goldman Speaks w/ the IFL's Gracie Newton Miletich also Keisha Morrisey
Eddie Goldman
# NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic
NO HOLDS BARRED: Part 1 -- Renzo Gracie, Carlos Newton, Pat Miletich, Matt Lindland, IFL World Team Championship Report
NO HOLDS BARRED: Part 2 -- Ben Rothwell, Andre Gusmao, Erik Owings, Keisha Morrisey, IFL World Team Championship Report
On this week's special two-part edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman reviews the International Fight League (IFL) World Team Championship Final held December 29, 2006, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
In part one, we begin by recapping the fights on that show.
On the card's main event superfight, Renzo Gracie won a controversial split decision victory over Carlos Newton. We speak with both Renzo Gracie and Carlos Newton right after their fight.
The IFL World Team Championship title was won by the Quad Cities Silverbacks, coached by Pat Miletich, who won four of five fights over the Portland Wolfpack, coached by Matt Lindland. We speak with both Pat Miletich and Matt Lindland about their teams as well as their own plans for the future.
In part two, we speak with Big Ben Rothwell, the heavyweight for the Silverbacks who is undefeated in IFL competition. He scored a first-round TKO over Devin Cole of the Wolfpack. We speak with two fighters from Renzo Gracie's New York Pitbulls, Andre Gusmao and Erik Owings, who each won their superfights on this card. And we speak with boxing and entertainment publicist Keisha Morrisey, who gives us her evaluation of this event.
To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, just click here:
http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/
Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes.
The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.
NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S., and Rogers Sportsnet in Canada, and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred blog
No Holds Barred podcast
No Holds Barred on MySpace
Friday, January 5, 2007
South Carolina Boxing Report by the Professor
Date: Jan 5 2007 12:21 PM
TRAVIS SIMMS, DOWN SOUTH GETTING RIGHT FOR WBA 154lb CHAMPION JOSE ANTONIO RIVERA
Travis Simms and WBA ..1 Middleweight Contender Randy Griffin have been in Columbia, South Carolina, training for their upcoming fights. Simms has strong ties to South Carolina having fought here several times over the years.
WBA Champion "In Recess" "Tremendous" Travis Simms takes on the current WBA Super Welterweight Champion Jose Antonio Rivera in a much anticipated fight on the undercard of the James Toney vs. Sam Peter heavyweight rematch.
Simms is anxious to reclaim the title he won from Alex Garcia and Rivera is eager to prove himself to be the true champion. Both fighters are from the New England area and are familiar with each others style. This should make for an emotional and exciting fight for the fans.
Travis Simms is hoping that this fight will put him back on track after being out of action for over two and a half years due to legal and personal issues. Jose Rivera is coming off one of the most impressive performances of 2006 against Alex Garcia, after moving up from the welterweight division.
According to all reports, both fighters are in excellent shape for this fight. With so much on the line for Simms, expect him to be at the top of his game and give the performance of his life.
Both Travis and Randy Griffin have considered coming back to train in South Carolina again. With access to two great boxing gyms, White Rock Boxing Gym and Palmetto Boxing and Fitness, Simms and company have been able to get in some great work.
The recent influx of top professional boxers training in South Carolina could be the spark that takes boxing to another level here and hopefully lead to bigger fights in these parts.
The fights take place on January 6th, 2007 at The Seminole Hard Rock Arena in Miami,Florida.
Francisco "El Gato" Figueroa, Roman Karmazin, Guillermo Jones, Laura Ramsey and Ijeoma Egbunine are also fighting on the card.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Ijeoma "The Praise" Egbunine and Torrence "Dynamite" Daniels: Interview w/ Fightnews Unlimited w/ Keishadivine El- Empress
| Ijeoma "The Praise" Egbunine and Torrence "Dynamite" Daniels: Interview w/ Fightnews Unlimited w/ Keishadivine El- Empress / From: FIGHT NEWS UNLIMITED |
Monday, January 1, 2007
NO HOLDS BARRED: Eddie Goldman Speaks w/ the IFL's Gracie Newton Miletich and Keisha Morrisey
Date: Jan 1 2007 6:48 PM
NO HOLDS BARRED: Part 1 -- Renzo Gracie, Carlos Newton, Pat Miletich, Matt Lindland, IFL World Team Championship Report
NO HOLDS BARRED: Part 2 -- Ben Rothwell, Andre Gusmao, Erik Owings, Keisha Morrisey, IFL World Team Championship Report
On this week's special two-part edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman reviews the International Fight League (IFL) World Team Championship Final held December 29, 2006, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
In part one, we begin by recapping the fights on that show.
On the card's main event superfight, Renzo Gracie won a controversial split decision victory over Carlos Newton. We speak with both Renzo Gracie and Carlos Newton right after their fight.
The IFL World Team Championship title was won by the Quad Cities Silverbacks, coached by Pat Miletich, who won four of five fights over the Portland Wolfpack, coached by Matt Lindland. We speak with both Pat Miletich and Matt Lindland about their teams as well as their own plans for the future.
In part two, we speak with Big Ben Rothwell, the heavyweight for the Silverbacks who is undefeated in IFL competition. He scored a first-round TKO over Devin Cole of the Wolfpack. We speak with two fighters from Renzo Gracie's New York Pitbulls, Andre Gusmao and Erik Owings, who each won their superfights on this card. And we speak with boxing and entertainment publicist Keisha Morrisey, who gives us her evaluation of this event.
To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, just click here:
http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/
Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes.
The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.
NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S., and Rogers Sportsnet in Canada, and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman
No Holds Barred blog
No Holds Barred podcast
No Holds Barred on MySpace
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Hands Down International Fight League (IFL) World Championship Finals Rocked
by Keishadivine El Empress
Headlining the IFL World Team Championship Finals Friday December 29th 2006 at the Mohegan Sun Arena Hotel and Casino, were the Silver back- Wolf pack match-ups and Gracie-Newton Super fight in addition to Eight IFL Athletes competing in four Intra-league Super fights on a 10 fight card, that included, Erik Owings unanimously defeating Ed West, Brent Beauparlant being defeated by Andre Gusmao, Jamal Patterson being TKO'd by Reese Andy, and Krzysztof Soszynski being defeated by "Iron" Mike Whithead in a controversial decision. In addition legends Renzo Gracie of the Pit bulls and Carlos "The Ronin" Newton of the Dragons, squared off in a middleweight Superfight with, Renzo Gracie becoming the Victor in a controversial decision, and Win.
(Keisha Gracie and Eddie Goldman)
(Keisha and Carlos Newton of the Dragons)
The pairing of the Silver backs, coached by Pat Miletich and the Wolfpack, coached by Matt Lindland, both teams advanced to the finals. The team to reign Supreme for the IFL World Team Championship finals was the Silver backs of Moline, Illinois, who's head coach, Pat Miletich is a former MMA welterweight champ himself. The Silver backs swept 4 of the 5 competitions, with the one lost coming from Rory Markham who was TKO'd by Chris Wilson of the Wolf packs.
(Chris Wilson of the Wolfpacks)
The Silverbacks winning team consisted of Bart Palaszewski who TKO'd Ryan Schultz, giving the Silverbacks the championship, 3 wins of the 5, Ryan McGivern defeated Matt Horwich in an unanimous decision, Mike Ciesnolevic defeated Aaron Starks and Ben Rothwell defeated Devin Cole by TKO.
(Keisha and Team Silverbacks after winning championship)
The Silver backs head coach stated at the post Press conference " I am extremely proud of of the team", while head coach of the Wolf packs stated "Its about making sacrifices, we came up short, they fought hard, we should have stuck to our game plan, when we deviated away, that's why they lost".
The IFL also awarded the Silver back team members, Mike Ciesnolevicz with the Best submission of the night, Ben Rothwell with the best knockout of the night, Bart Palaszewski with the Best fight of the night, in which he received an all expense paid trip and a X-box 360, and the Wolf packs Chris Wilson received the best finish of the night. The Silver back team in addition all received IFL world championship rings for their Win. It all came down to this....Mixed Martial Arts like no other one night, two legends, two teams and two great performances, Miss Maine, belted the National Anthem and Jodi K in her New England debut kept the sold out crowd entertained. Eddie Goldman Chris Thomas myself and other media representatives, headed over to the after- party, at the convention arena banquet hall, full to capacity, the event had great food and a host of celebrities, current fighters and legends of the game, IFL executives production staff and VIP's making my first time attending an event of this magnitude and nature, more memorable and the networking opportunity, well worth the trip.The event sponsors were Dale & Thomas, IFL.TV, Fairtex fight gear, FSN (Fox Sports Network), Mad, Mohegan Sun Arena, National Guard, Sandals, X-Box 360.
The event will air Sunday December 31st 2006 @9PM, if you were not there live, watch all of the explosive action on FSN, You won't want to miss this IFL World Team Championship Final Showdown.
Monday, December 18, 2006
"IN THE SEASON OF GIVING, HELP ANN WOLFE HELP OTHERS
By Dan Horgan
When an individual is at the very forefront of his or her field, pursuing other interests is certainly not uncommon. Peter Gammons, perhaps the world's best baseball analyst, has made his own indie rock album. Steve Kim, one of the world's best boxing writers, has an obsession with college football. And Floyd Mayweather, pound for pound one the best fighters in boxing today, is the owner of Philthy Rich Records. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with taking up these outside interests. A creative outlet can be healthy and, let's face it, everyone has hobbies, right? Not Ann Wolfe. Ann Wolfe just may be the most selfless individual in the world today. Despite amassing a 24-1 record (with the one loss avenged twice) and winning world titles in three weight classes, Wolfe does not take any time to pursue fun activities. Instead, she takes the much more noble route, spending every single day in the Ann Wolfe Boxing Gym, helping to turn lives around. When I asked Wolfe what was left for her to accomplish at the age of thirty-five, I was hoping to get an answer that revolved around her boxing career, maybe something like "Laila Ali needs to stop ducking me and fight me before I retire." However, the answer I did get was the epitome of why Wolfe should be praised, honored, and loved by everyone in the boxing world. "I want to be the first woman to guide a male fighter to a world championship," she said. "Training means more to me right now than fighting, because in addition to helping the fighter to box better, I am helping them to change as a person. Here at the Ann Wolfe Boxing Gym, we help people of all types. We have boys and girls from ages five to seventy-five who all train here, and we judge no one. No matter what race, what criminal background, if you come in here, you will be welcomed." Uplifting, right? Well here comes the sad part. Because of the lack of outside funding, the Ann Wolfe Boxing Gym is close to being shut down. Right now, a man named Brian Pardo sacrifices his own salary to pay the gym's monthly rent, but the financial strain is beginning to become too much. This strong and happy family could be torn apart. "If this gym closes, then many kids who have nowhere else to go will end up suffering," said Wolfe. "This gym is a place where they can be safe from all home troubles, where they won't be beaten or raped. A lot of the kids that come here look at the gym as a place to get something to eat! You should see the way some of the kids look at me -- it's as if I'm their sister. And I deny no kids to the gym, no matter what their financial constraints. This gym is the only place they have to go, and without it, their only safe outlet will have been taken away." Imagine that. A positive, safe refuge for troubled kids being snatched away simply because of monetary reasons. Wolfe has the power to help these kids -- after all, nearly every tournament fighters trained by Wolfe enter, they win -- but she does not have the financial backing to do so. It doesn't get much worse than that. While Wolfe says she does not like to beg, she is willing to swallow her pride, and encourages everyone to help out in any possible way.
"If you are in the Austin area, get a membership to the gym. In addition to helping us out, you can get a good workout in and learn a lot about the sport. For those who aren't in the Austin area, donations are welcome, but what would really help is to sponsor a fighter. By sponsoring a fighter you can change his or her life. Every time I see someone go to prison, I get sad because I know they could have been helped. If you sponsor one kid, then you could be the one who ends up preventing them from going to prison one day." To all Dog House readers: WE CAN HELP PREVENT THIS AWFUL TRAGEDY FROM HAPPENING!!! If we all chip in, we can help save the gym, and ultimately change the lives of many people. If you are interested in helping to continue the only outlet of hope for many individuals, send all donations to 720 Bastrop HWY, Suite 109 Austin TX, 78741. Anything you can give will be greatly appreciated by Wolfe, and the people who treat the gym as their sanctuary. "To show how much we appreciate donations, we send donors a letter back describing to them what we do here at the Ann Wolfe Boxing Gym. We make sure to show our gratitude." It is the holiday season, and there's no better way to spread the holiday spirit then to donate money. Just think: You could save a young boxer's life. At one point in time, Ann Wolfe herself was a young refugee who was in desperate need of guidance, and she found that guidance through boxing. Imagine if the gym she went to was not open! Nothing but positive results can possibly come out of keeping this gym open. Who knows? The next heavyweight champion of the world could end up walking through its doors tomorrow, and if the gym does get shut down, he could end up choosing the wrong path in life. Ann Wolfe has the power to save lives. We have the power to help her.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
El Boxing Empress Keisha C. Morrissey reflects on her illustrious political and boxing career
KEISHA MORRISSEY: AN INTERVIEW WITH BOXING ROYALTY
KEISHA MORRISEY: AN INTERVIEW WITH BOXING ROYALTY
By: Rich Bergeron
Utilizing her savvy business sense and vast resources culled from her career in politics and the music and entertainment industry, Keisha Morrisey aspires to be the next Don King of the boxing world. She is already more than halfway there. She can make any rock look like a diamond, and she can move mountains with a simple phone call. It is no wonder she calls herself a boxing empress.
“I’m trying and I will succeed,” she said about her foray into the boxing world where she is drawn from an old family connection to the sport. “My background is in the arts entertainment and sports industry overall, doing management, marketing, production and publicity. That’s what I decided I want to do. Entertainment and Music is a part of all of our lives, and that’s where all my background lies. As far as the boxing game, my grandfather was a fighter, and I attended fights and since I was a little girl, so it’s in my blood. Baseball player, Dave Parker, formerly of the Pittsburgh Pirates is also a distant relative, so my siblings and I also went to those games often. I am a hip- hop pioneer as well. I booked acts for dj’s, emcees, and other talent, and I promoted shows at a local nightclub here in Harlem as a teenager. I am hip- hop. I did a lot in the music business, left that alone, then I got into the film industry, and I left that alone and then went into politics, and I did that for five years. I pretty much finished this year, and now I’m back into the entertainment field, not necessarily in music. I’ve been moving into the boxing game and going to Golden Gloves fights. The bottom line is I know I should have been doing it all along. It’s like my grandfather’s guiding me spiritually toward it, like he’s telling me, ‘Hello, boxing is in your blood, this is where you should be.”
For a few years she was even a personal assistant to “Iron” Mike Tyson, after she met him at a Run DMC concert when he was still just a prospect and had not yet made his incredible leap to stardom. Their friendship and business relationship blossomed, and she was at his side during some of his best and worst moments in the sport. She still considers him a dear friend and still the heavyweight champ. Her background helps her see the big picture of the boxing world and how much it needs her help and experience. “I began learning this game in ‘89,” she said. ” I foresaw that there was something missing in the boxing game, and I was involved in entertainment at the time, and in the music business.”
It’s all about making connections for Morrisey. “I always had a good relationship with people,” she said. “All industries are missing that right now.” She works with a handful of clients who are authors, playwrights, comedians, models, politicians, singers, and businesses. “I do business management, event planning, promotions, and strategizing business plans,” she said. “I decided that I probably wanna do that in the boxing business, too. My family has an event planning company and they do weddings, parties, and sporting events. We book different clients or acts to come in and sing anthems, wedding songs, whatever a client wants. The company is based out of Virginia, and I’m here in New York by myself. I do some event planning through a family run restaurant here, in Harlem. I also manage my niece and nephews in their modeling work.”
Outside of her job she said she is primarily a mother who always puts family first. “Yes, that’s it,” she explained. “My son comes first, and everything else comes second.” She also pointed out that her niece and nephews are also training in swimming. “I see them going to the Olympics, they were born in the water,” she said.
Despite her many accomplishments, she’s surprisingly humble about her talents. “It’s second nature for me, and it’s not really a lot to me,” she said. “Publicity is easy for me. Sports writing would be a lot for me right now, and that I’ve realized. I can write movie scripts, books, and for my autobiography I have a lot to go. I am working on a book about my political experience here in Harlem. My campaign manager and publicist will be releasing a book in 2007. The last chapter is about my candidacy work. It’s just about my personal experiences in running for local offices. As a strategic move, I’ll allow his book to come out first, and that will be the perfect segue into my book. I haven’t had a long political career, but I just hope somehow to inspire other young people and tell them, ‘You can run.’”
How she first got into politics is an interesting story about identity and wanting to set herself apart from the rusted wheels of the political machine in her neighborhood that always seemed stuck in park. Nothing ever seemed to go forward, and if anything, the wheels sometimes moved in reverse. “I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and as a Muslim. Politics wasn’t necessarily discussed at our dinner table,” she said. “I chose the Republican Party, because there was a Democratic club across the street from our housing development. I asked my grandma what that club was, trying to figure out what club I’m gonna go to someday. I said, ‘Grandma, what is that?’ She told me, ‘That’s the politic of the community.’ When I turned 18, the voter registration age, I decided that if to be a Democrat is to be of this community, then I don’t want to be associated with that party. In my 18 years on this earth, the community has gone backwards. I want to be a part of the other team and help bring it back up, because this team right now, that ain’t workin’.”
She maintains that her alignment with the Grand Old Party has nothing to do with George W. Bush or Condoleeza Rice. “It’s first and foremost grassroots,” she said. “There should always be a balance in the community where both parties should be heard on any level. Under Republican leadership, there has been more economic development here in the community, so that’s what I identify with more so. Plus, Madame C.J. Walker and other black entrepreneurs in the 1900s were all Republican, independent, and wealthy. That’s the part of the game I identify with.”
As for the boxing world, Morrisey works primarily with Light Welterweight Francisco “El Gato” Figueroa (14-2, 10 KO’s), a rising star in the division who is coming off an impressive victory against Joey Rios (14-1, 6 KO’s). The bout decided the New York State Light Welterweight Title, and the next step for Figueroa is a bout on the under card of James Toney and Samuel Peter’s rematch on January 6th. “I’m just an advisor and publicist. We’re still in the process of doing a lot of strategizing, and I don’t want to take him too far away from training,” she said. “I pretty much talk to him, not wanting to take focus away from his training, but after Jan 6th it will be full speed ahead. As far as the marketing media and public relations aspect, we want to work along with his promoter and strategize a game plan as to how I would like to bring him to more of a professional level.”
Morrissey sees three levels of promotion and marketing. They are elite, middle, and grassroots. “We just wanna come up with a great marketing strategy and get him involved with product placement and sponsorships,” she said. “Frankie is an exciting fighter, and he wants to see nothing less than excitement at his fights, win or lose. He’s a great guy. He’s very focused, very involved with his career. He was managing himself for a while, and he had a promoter who believed in him as well. He’s working with a group who can see his vision and together we will take him to another level. He knows he can’t be a professional fighter forever.”
As far as expanding her empire, she is still taking baby steps in the boxing world. “I just have Frankie for right now,” she said. “Nothing is set in stone. Frankie’s the first. I kinda wanna work with him first. I don’t want too many boxers anyway. I’m a close adviser and publicist to Ijeoma “The Praise” Egbunine (12-1, 8 KO’s), and I am actively beginning to learn more about female boxers such as female boxing prospect Demi Nguyen (2-1).” She plans to eventually add more boxers to her small stable. She also works with Undefeated Female Light Welterweight Chika Nakamura (4-0, 1 KO) by managing her site on MySpace. “I see women in boxing getting really big in the next five years,” she said. DiBella Entertainment’s MySpace site is also the result of her handiwork.
“I’m also learning a little about Mixed Martial Arts, and I have a background in karate. Moses Powell and Fred Hamilton trained me, and I made it all the way up to a brown belt, but I didn’t like the competitive fighting aspect, so I didn’t pursue it. But, the discipline was great for me. As far as MMA catching up with boxing, one of my mentors and colleagues Eddie Goldman, is teaching me more about it. I’ll see. I have some Japanese friends who introduced myself and my son to the Pride Fighting Championships, and I have a couple tapes around. I was kinda amazed, but at the same time I liked it. It’s definitely different. They kick and hit and punch people till they start bleeding. I’m not sure I prefer it over boxing. Boxing is my favorite sport. If it is becoming pretty much equal, now I know I need to get into the boxing game to bring it out more. Particularly on a grassroots level as well.”
She made particular mention of boxing’s lack of marketing to the African American and Latin communities. “Somewhere along the way, we’re not being included in marketing strategies and the African American and Latin communities have to know more, and it’s important that we know who the fighters are first,” she said. “That’s why I say Don King is the master at promoting, and right now probably what the African American community relates to is Don King. Unless you’re a Don King fighter, I guess we’re just missing the message. What Don King brings to the table is excitement. He is boxing; I don’t think anyone will ever be able to take his place, except me. I respect Bob Arum and Cedric Kushner, and I like what De La Hoya’s doing, but nobody can do it like Don King. He’s the master.”
The best part of her work is the freedom she enjoys. “That I can have fun and I make my own rules,” she noted about what she loves most about working as her own boss with important people. “More importantly, it’s not stressful. It’s very time consuming, and I have to sacrifice a lot, but it keeps me young.”
The Fresh Air Fund is something she and Figueroa both have in common. “Unlike a lot of kids from the inner city, we both identify with a lot of travel, and we were both very blessed to be out of New York City,” she said. “I understand this may be our home, but you have to travel to promote yourself.”
She is excited to work with Figueroa to help him promote the program that provides city kids host families to allow them to spend time in the country and get off the busy, and sometimes dangerous urban streets.
“He has a big vision for such a little person,” she said about Figueroa. “He’s gonna stop at nothing short of fulfilling it. He’s very humbled. He wants to give back, and he reached out to The Fresh Air Fund to ask what he can do. We’re coming up with something to do for them. I just want to make sure we package it the right way.”
She credits the program for helping her understand a different culture. “For me, The Fresh Air Fund introduced me to a lot of things I wouldn’t be able to do in the city,” she said. “My grandmother was teaching me a little about the old-fashioned perspective. I hardly ever played outside. I cooked, I sewed, and I read everything. There was no real hardcore domestic work, but I was always very intelligent for my age, and even traveled at an early age to school by myself. With my host family I learned how to build a barn, garden and pick fresh fruit, drive a tractor trailer, feed the animals, groom horses and milk cows. I even met Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.” She explained that a member of her host family handled all of the entertainment security that came to the Cheshire Fair, and she was ecstatic to get that first early brush with a couple stars of the music industry.
“Even that experience was great for me, and in one of our first conversations we were talking about our experiences in The Fresh Air Fund,” she said about that connection she shares with her fighter. “We keep it real with each other, and we encourage open communication. It lets me know what’s on his mind, and I listen very well. It helps me to package him to make him a greater fighter than what he already is. That comes along with a great training team and good people around you.”
“My ultimate goal is probably to become a promoter and real estate tycoon. I either want to become the first female congresswoman in Harlem or a promoter in boxing entertainment and a business woman,” she said. “However, as long as our current Congressman Charlie Rangel is alive, and as long as Don King is alive, I will continue to learn from them, and hopefully get their blessings, and then they can pass the torch to me and I will keep that torch lit.”
Though she is somewhat uncertain of exactly where the future will lead her, she does have definitive plans. “I do have that mapped out, in the long-term as well as for right now. I just want to be an event planner and publicist to the stars,” she said for now. “Then eventually, I’ll either parlay that back into a political career, or maybe as a promoter. Politics being the last option. I made a great mark, and my name is already out there. No matter how much I manage to stray from it, I always end up right back there. I’ve been working with the luminaries, too. It’s all the same thing. It’s big business.”
Though she has dreams of influencing the boxing world in a big way, she has already made quite a difference in the music business. “That’s where people would really recognize me from,” she reported. “I am the founder of Mobb Deep, that’s my pet project. That’s my baby. They have yet to reach their potential as rap artists. They are still babies in the game.” She’s also worked with Melba Moore, a Tony Award winning singer and actress, just to name a few. She runs her own company, Harlem Entertainment, too. There isn’t much Keisha Morrissey hasn’t done in her business life.
A couple hours after the questions were done, I figured out why she is so good with people. She is a natural born talker with countless tales about her colorful life, and it’s easy to get locked into a long conversation with her. What makes it even easier is realizing that she truly does have the characteristics of an empress, but in her case her power lies in the sheer volume of her class and confidence. She doesn’t need any army to give her clout. All she needs to do is pick up the phone and make a call, and she can sweet-talk anyone into working with her. That soft, understanding voice has unlimited potential to reshape the boxing world as we know it.
Watch out, Don King, for this empress may soon claim your throne. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KEISHA MORRISEY VISIT:
http://www.myspace.com/keishad
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Demi Nguyen Interview
By: Rich Bergeron
"You walk in, and it just has this old time feel," she said about the gym. "I just feel like Muhammad Ali is in the gym, the ghost of him, even though he's still alive. When I get tired, I look up at the wall, and I see him smiling."
Ali's daughter Laila also trains at Broadway, and Nguyen has even sparred with that big name she aspires to be one day. Lamon Brewster, and a few other famous fighters also used Broadway Gym to further their careers.
Nguyen first found herself in a boxing ring by sheer coincidence. "I wanted to learn self defense, and I wasn't a Martial Arts type person, but I thought, 'If I wanna fight, I need to learn how to box.' I'm not from the city, so I got a phone book out, and I went into the city." She traveled to LA Boxing where a trainer showed her around and showed her the boxing ring. "I fell in love, and I've been in love ever since," she said.
"He asked me to do a couple things in the ring, and at that time I didn't even know any terminology," she said. "I had watched Ali on tape, and I knew how a boxer was supposed to look, but I didn't know any other terminology. He said, 'Throw a jab,' and I said, 'What's that?' I spent two hours there. He showed me a jab, and I threw it, he asked me to try some footwork, and I did it easily. He asked if I was tired, and I told him no. They kept giving me different movements, and I did it all. Once the session was over, I went to the restroom, and when I came out Kevin Morgan, who was my trainer for the first three months and also Laila Ali's trainer, stopped me. He asked if I was there for exercise or to be a boxer. I said, 'No, I'm just here to exercise and learn boxing moves for self-defense. He asked, 'Do you wanna box?" I said, 'What do you mean, be a real boxer? What does that entail?"
He told her boxers have to jump rope and run, and work on conditioning and sparring. She was back the next day to start her training. Morgan told her to go to www.Womensboxing.com, and she got her first glimpse at the world of female boxing she said she "knew nothing about" at the time. She researched a few major fighters and became intrigued. "I heard of Laila Ali, but I never seen her fight, and I found her online, and I was fascinated," she said.
She calls her support team The Knights of The Round Table. On her Myspace site, she explains why:
"My good friend is Jackie Kallen (who the movie Against the Ropes is based on) and she is an advisor to me. She is the person I can talk to about anything in the world. She also has a unique ability to relax and focus me. She can make the rest of the world go away when I need to work. My manager is Steve Foss. He specializes in working with top female athletes. He is widely known and respected in the track and field industry. My head trainer/chief second is Dub Huntley. He is in the Hall of Fame. The book Million Dollar Baby was dedicated to him. He was also a middleweight champion during his amateur career and he fought professionally. He trained Laila Ali (who is the champ of our weight division) and Julio Gonzales who was the former light heavyweight champion. My cut man is Cassius Green. He keeps us all looking good! He protects us from swelling and bad cuts. He handles cuts for Laila Ali, Sugar Shane Mosley, and a lot of well-known boxers."
She added that she gave them the unique nickname because all of them are much older than she is. "They all come together to help me out on my quest for the WBC super middleweight Championship," she said. "Jackie's been with me the longest."
After emailing Jackie while training before her first match, she began corresponding daily with the living legend. "She came down to the gym, and we clicked. She's been with me ever since," said Nguyen. "She gave me advice on how to market myself, how to deal with promoters and how to deal with all the negativity that goes on, and the jealousy. Not just for women, but in the sport itself. She helped me sidestep all that and still remain focused. I really learned that lesson in my first fight. I lost, but not because I was in trouble in the ring. It had nothing to do with my opponent. It was because of the business end of boxing. Now that I know that, and I don't want that repeated, I just came up with a better way of dealing with that side, and I haven't had any trouble since."
Kallen, who has made a name for herself in all kinds of boxing circles, also works with battered women in addition to managing fighters. She has been a pioneering force over the years, and Nguyen treasures her experience. "It is fabulous. I call her mom. Because we email each other every day, and talk on the phone," she said about her mentor. "I communicate with her more than I communicate with anybody. When a fight comes on, she watches, and I watch it, and my trainer and manager, too. We all watch and ask each other, 'What do you think, what did they do wrong, what do you think that fighter needs to do differently?' I watch the fights for excitement, but I also have to study. It's constant teaching. Jackie has just been an angel for me. From the business end to training, to just my overall progress. How I adjust with having to sign autographs and be a role model and have kids asking questions, and looking up to me. She makes sure that I do it the right way, and my image stays as a champion."
When Nguyen's fans kept asking for a MySpace page, Kallen got the ball rolling. "Right now, I've been on two months, and I have over 1,600 friends. They've left comments saying they are happy to be my friend and thanking me, telling me good luck on my career, and asking me to let them know where the fights are," she said. "My friends there are from all over the country as well as in California. I have 3,600 profile views already. People have responded in tremendous fashion. They message me, and I try to answer back."
People are constantly asking her where the closest gyms are to them. She said that the lack of knowledge out there is part of a systematic problem in the sport. "It's not on our minds every day, it's not advertised every day. You don't hear it on the radio. It goes in one ear and out the other," she said. She points to La Habra Boxing Gym and says that more youth centers are cropping up like Oscar De La Hoya's, which she's been to and calls it "beautiful."
Getting more kids, and in particular more women involved in boxing, is going to take a huge effort, she reported. "Exposure, simply just exposure to the sport," she said about the real answer to the problem. "When I speak to kids and when I interact with fans, it's almost like I'm the first female boxer that they've ever met, which is exciting for them. One observation that I've made is that the people who control boxing, the boxing promoters, it's almost like they have tunnel vision when it comes to the fans. We think outside the box. We direct our attention to the fans, put me in front of the fans, and the fans are always like, 'When's the fight, we're going. Let me know when the fight is!' Promoters believe women won't buy tickets to fights, but that's absolutely not true."
Since first stepping into the ring to learn how to defend herself, she's become a dedicated fighter who trains six days a week and spars with professional male and female boxers. Trainer Dub Huntley took her under his wing after her professional debut in October, 2005 against Trudy Mayes. She lost the bout, but it didn't discourage her from participating in the sport. Huntley has worked with her to improve every aspect of her game, and she is currently in negotiating stages for her next professional fight, which she expects to happen in February.
Although she said she had no real role models growing up in the sport, she always loved Muhammad Ali. "I just love watching top athletes perform, whether it's in the NBA, WNBA, or the NFL," she said.
As for which weapon she enjoys using most in the ring, she reported that it is her jab she cherishes above all other punches. "It's a physical chess match, and the jab is the queen," she said. "The jab sets up everything. Done right and effectively, the jab will win you the fight."
Fight night is like another holiday for her. "I love fight night. It's like Christmas. It comes one day a year, and I train, train, train, train, and in my mind, it's all for fight night."
Asked what she would change about the sport, she points to the inequality that plagues boxing. "Sexism that is controlled by the promoters," she said. "Not just in boxing. Racism or sexism happens in all sports. All discrimination sucks."
Her ultimate goal is "to become the new face of women's boxing, a household name." She values her support team for "working very hard to get me that."
She has weathered the ups and downs well. "The best moment for me was actually being in a professional fight," she said. "My worst moment was realizing the dog eat dog world that truly exists within the sport. I have a bachelor's degree in Economics, and I had a traditional, orthodox way of thinking, but when I entered the sport and found out how it's run on the business end, I was very disappointed. It's kind of like a shady way of doing business. I didn't expect that. Now that I know, I've adjusted my thinking, and I'll still get to the top."
Outside the ring she calls herself a "proud parent." She has two daughters, aged 13 and 11. She also cross trains in soccer and has a bunch of soccer friends. "I spend time with my family and friends, I have a husband, and I live a full life," she said. "Lately I've done some speaking at Boys and Girls clubs, and at a few elementary schools. I love that, and I'm going to be doing some more work. Jill Diamond is organizing that for me, and one of her functions is going to be happening soon. I love giving my time, and it's fun when the kids see me, and I sign autographs and take pictures with them. I love that part, and it's totally exciting." Jill Diamond is the Chairwoman of the NABF women's division and holds a position on the WBC female championship committee. She's been working with Nguyen to get her name out there and further her career.
"The fans have really responded well to me, and I appreciate that immensely," said Nguyen. "I don't take that for granted. Even with male boxers, we'll be out somewhere, and people won't shake their hands or take their pictures. With me, they all want to take a picture or get my autograph. It's nice to be a celebrity so early in my career, and I appreciate that, and I work even harder for it."
Though there are only 16 middleweight fighters listed in the www.boxrec.com rankings, Nguyen said there are a lot more women in the division. "I fight middleweight and super middleweight," she said. "I fought my first three professional fights at 159, although I'm a true super middleweight fighter. My manager was brought in so we could address the issue of finding more possibilities. Now that I'm flying in my opponents, we no longer have to pull just from the women in California. Now we're scouring the country, whether it's me going there or them coming here. When you get that opportunity, doors open up, and I'll be a lot more productive."
The details are still being hammered out for her next contract, but she knows her next opponent won't be a local. "She won't be from California, but we don't know who it is yet," she said. "I know her record is going to be slightly above mine, and I want to fight girls that will give me a challenge. I understand that especially with men, they give them easy fights to build their records, but we are not trying to do that with me. I know who my competition is, at the top. We're not trying to get me in the ring to give me something less than a sparring session. I need to improve myself, and I definitely wanna do that. I'll hopefully be fighting someone that has been training and is good. Number one, that's the person I wanna fight."
Asked if she wanted to add anything else, Nguyen was gracious. "Thank you, Rich for the interview, and the opportunity for even more people to know who I am and listen to what I have to say. Thanks to all of my fans who come see my fights. I train hard every day for them, and I can't wait to see you, so bring cameras. I love taking pictures and giving out shirts, and I appreciate my fans. I wanna thank them from the bottom of my heart.
Sunday, December 3, 2006
Battle at the Boardwalk; Cotto vs Quintana Margarita vs Clottey
(Keisha, Atlantic City's, Boardwalk Hall Cotto vs Quintana Magarita vs Clottey)
(Keisha, Miguel Cotto after his defeat of Malignaggi earlier this year at MSG)
(Keisha and Carlos Quintana)
(Keisha, Antonio Margarita)
(Keisha and Joshua Clottey)
The Undercard
Yuri Foreman (22-2-8 Ko's) of Brooklyn, New York advances defeating Donny McCrary (20-5-2-12 Ko's) of St Joseph Missouri, in a 10 rounds junior welterweight bout.
Undefeated Chuck "The Professor" Mussachio (8-0-3 Ko's) of Wildwood New Jersey by TKO'd Tony Pope (15-13-1-11-Ko's) of Norfolk Virginia, in the 3 round, 53 seconds
Referee David Fields stopped the scheduled 6 round Light Heavyweight bout.
Jesus Rojas (5-0-5 Ko's) of Caguas, Puerto Rico advances with a TKO because Ubaldo Olivencia (5-10-2-3 Ko's) of Brooklyn New York was unable to continue in the 2 minutes into the 2nd round of a scheduled 4 rounds. The power of Jesus Rojas's powerful punch, straight body punches this is a Super Bantamweight to be watched. Jesus Rojas remains undefeated, rightfully so, his trainers are Evangelista Cotto and Miguel Diaz.
Wayne "Lights Out" Johnson (14-1-8 Ko's) of Newark, New Jersey by decision defeated Delray Raines (8-1-5 Ko's) of Purcell Oklahoma blemishing his record in a 6 round Middleweight bout.
Alex Perez (7-0-5 Ko's) of Newark, New Jersey defeats Troy Wilson (6-5-1-3 Ko's) of Atlanta Georgia, to begin the evening in a 6 round Welterweight opening bout.
(Henry Crawford fight card was canceled, however Crawford was ready)
(Keisha, Nasir Nettles, trainer and boxer Henry Crawford)
