Friday, July 22, 2011
OFFICIAL BOUT SHEET FOR KHAN VS. JUDAH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP UNIFICATION BOUT
AMIR KHAN ALL SET FOR ZAB JUDAH WAKENING
AMIR KHAN ALL SET FOR ZAB JUDAH WAKENINGZab Judah fights Amir Khan on Saturday July 23rd
By John Dillon
ON the ghetto streets of Brooklyn, Zab Judah learned the same uncompromising motto that fuelled the infamous rage of Mike Tyson.
“Brownsville. Never Ran Never Will,” is the mantra of the tough sons of the murderous neighbourhood of that name, across New York’s East River from the sparkling skyscrapers of Manhattan.
Zab Judah, who fights Amir Khan here on Saturday, once emulated Tyson in creating ring outrages too.
But now he has found God and a whole new meaning to life so that, 11 years after he won his first world title, his renaissance has given him back the first belt he won, the IBF light-welterweight strap.
It will be on the line against Khan’s prized WBA version in a much-anticipated unification battle at Mandalay Bay here on The Strip on Saturday.
Although Judah, 33, says he is a changed man, Khan’s trainer, Freddie Roach, says he is prepared for anything because he knows the back story. Once, back in his wild life, Judah hurled a stool across a Las Vegas ring when he was stopped by Kostya Tszyu in 2001 and lost the IBF belt he had defended successfully five times.
Zab Judah sparked a near-riot when he struck a devastating low blow and followed it with a right hand to the back of his opponent’s neck
At the same fight, he jabbed his fist into the neck of the referee who halted the fight, Jay Nady. He was fined £50,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and was suspended for six months.
In an equally notorious meeting with Floyd Mayweather jnr in 2006, Judah sparked a near-riot when he struck a devastating low blow and followed it with a right hand to the back of his opponent’s neck. Mayweather’s uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, leaped into the ring and confronted Judah, whose brother Yoel did the same to Floyd’s cornerman and then threw a punch.
A pile-in from both sides followed and it took 15 police and security officers to restore order, before Mayweather went on to secure a unanimous points win.
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.
“The Big Brawl” IT'S TYSON TIME! Tyson Fury vs Dereck Chisora; Tyson set to unleash Fury on Chisora; Chisora-Fury Grudge Match Causes Security Fear
All of the smack talking is just about done and much more apparently is now on the line for Saturday’s United Kingdom showdown between British and Commonwealth heavyweight Champion Dereck “Del Boy” Chisora (14-0, 9 KOs) and undefeated challenger Tyson Fury (14-0, 10 KOs) who headline “The Big Brawl: To Settle It All” Pay-per-View event live from Wembley Arena in London.The scheduled Chisora-Fury 12-round main event has a much more serious world title shot implication for the winner as world champion Wladimir Klitschko recently told The Mirror, “There are tons of guys who could be my next challenger who are young and undefeated. Chisora and Fury are two such fighters and they are going to fight soon. They may not be big names yet in world terms, but I had not heard about David Haye two years ago.”
Fury is a 6’ 9” 260-pound Irishman born in Manchester, England. Named after “Iron” Mike Tyson, the World Boxing Council’s No 21-rated Fury is the cousin of world middleweight contender Andy Lee. In his last action this past February, the physically imposing 261-pound Fury knocked out previously unbeaten Narcelo Luiz Nascimento (13-0) in the fifth round. Other notable United Kingdom heavyweights defeated by Tyson include John McDermott and Scott Belshaw. Fury, only 22, has dedicated his fight against Chisora to the memory of former world heavyweight title challenger and European champion, Sir Henry Cooper.
Fury has served as Klitschko’s sparring partner. “He’s (Fury) tall and he’s almost seven feet,” Klitschko was quoted in The Mirror. “For his size he is flexible and he floats around the ring. He could be a real good boxer if he stays focused because he has talent. I don’t know what he’s like inside, but he definitely has a talent for boxing.”
Klitschko’s famed trainer, Hall of Famer Emanuel Steward, who has worked with Tyson, recently said in a radio interview (On The Ropes), “I think that unlike most people’s expectations, that Tyson Fury’s a very talented guy. We look at him as a big, oversized, very cocky kid. He’s only 22, but he has skills. Just the fact that both of these guys have the mindset of winners, I think this is going to be one of the heavyweight fights. This is the heavyweight fight I want to see myself. I know both guys personally. They’re both strong-willed guys much in the same make-up of Ali and Frazier.
“I think it’s going to be an extremely good fight. I know most people are picking Chisora and probably because of his more professional preparation. Tyson’s sheer physical size; he’s got a good chin, good stamina, and good punch output, also. I think those factors, and being at 6’ 9” compared to 6’ 1” is going to be a big problem for Dereck to overcome. I may be a little crazy, but I give a slight edge to Tyson in this fight, mainly because of the physical size and he has good stamina.”
Mick Hennessy, the promoter of the show as well as Fury’s, had invited Klitschko to attend Chisora-Fury as a special guest, prior to the recent passing of Wladimir’s father. “I want to express my condolences to the Klitschko brothers and their entire family,” Tyson said.
Zimbabwe-native Chisora (14-0, 9 KOs), rated No. 12 by the World Boxing Organization, fights out of London. He has twice had scheduled World Boxing Organization (“WBO”) title fights cancelled against champion Klitschko. “Del Boy” has twice stopped Sam Sexton, winner of “The Prizefighter Heavyweight Tournament,” as well as Mike Tyson-conqueror Danny Williams.
The 12-round co-feature showcases British Boxing Board of Control (“BBB of C”) Light Welterweight Champion Ashley “Treasure” Theophane in his first title defense against Welsh champion Jason “The Power” Cook.
International Boxing Federation No. 14-rated Theophane (29-4-1, 7 KOs) captured the BBB of C light welterweight championship in his last fight, winning a unanimous 12-round decision against Lenny Daws (21-1-2) this past February in London. Ashley’s most significant victories to date have been versus Delvin Rodriguez (DEC10) and former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley (DEC8).
A former International Boxing Organization and European lightweight champion, The 5’ 9” Cook (28-3-1, 14 KOs) has lost only three times in 32 pro fights, the last in 2009 to former World Boxing Association champion Gavin Rees by three-round decision in the semi-finals of “Prizefighter” tournament.
The third PPV fight features unbeaten British Southern Area Light Middleweight Champion Ryan Toms (8-0, 3 KOs) defending his title belt against “Phat” Pat McAleese (12-1-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round bout.“The Big Brawl” PPV event is being distributed in the U.S. by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3 PM/ET – 12 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, and Avail-TVN, for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. (Check with your PPV provider for same day replay times.) The telecast is also available in Canada to all Super Channel network subscribers.
CHISORA-FURY GRUDGE CLASH CAUSES SECURITY FEAR
Promoter Mick Hennessy has revealed that he has had a request to draft in extra security for tomorrow's weigh-in for Saturday night's British and Commonwealth heavyweight title clash between champion Dereck Chisora and challenger Tyson Fury.
Hennessy, who is staging the grudge clash at Wembley Arena, says the bad blood between the two fighters runs deep, to the point that the British Boxing Board of Control has banned the traditional face-off at the weigh-in, which takes place tomorrow at the Crown Moran Hotel in Cricklewood, London.
Hennessy said: "The war of words between Tyson and Chisora has had a real edge to it and we have a genuine grudge clash on our hands and the British Boxing Board of Control have put in place a number of restrictions for the weigh-in.
"It just shows you how much this fight means to both fighters. We know that Tyson has had some tough words for Chisora and Chisora has no time for Tyson so it should make for a great fight.
"We just don't want the fight starting at the weigh-in so there will be a lot of security to make sure the two fighters stay apart. But come fight time I'm convinced that there will only be one winner and that's Tyson.
"Chisora backed away from the press conference this week, he and his team refused to attend the press conference on Monday but come this Saturday there will be no hiding place in the ring."
♔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.
Bobby Voelker vs Roger Bowling III Live Tonight On Showtime
When Roger Bowling and Bobby Voelker go into the cage for the main event of Friday night’s Strikeforce Challengers show in Las Vegas, they will finish off the first trilogy to play out completely on premium cable television. Unlike in boxing, which is filled with classic trilogies, MMA hasn’t had many. UFC has had a few, including Andrei Arlovski vs. Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight title, Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock and Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell, which in all but one occasion, played out on entirely on pay-per-view. Perhaps the most brutal was in Japan, with Wanderlei Silva beat Quinton Jackson twice in two tremendous fights, both won by Silva, before Jackson won the third and final fight by early knockout in UFC.
Sarah Kaufman (13-1) makes her way back to fight under the Strikeforce banner. In her return, she will face off against USMC veteran Liz “Girl-rilla” Carmouche (5-1).
♔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.Wanna hang with the toughest 8 middle weights Tonite?!
New York City's original 8 man tournament is back! 8 of the toughest 154lb fighters from across North America will meet at the Broad Street Ballroom this Friday night, July 22nd to see who the continent's top junior middle weight is!As the drawing is performed the night of the event, in front of the audience - nobody knows who is fighting who until they're in the ring!
Fighters scheduled to participate include:
Troy Sheridan - Toronto, Canada.
Hiro Perera - Washington, DC.
Diarmade McGregor - Boston, Mass.
Phillip LeGrand - Brooklyn, NY.
Adam Edgerton - Louisville, Kentucky.
Chris McCmillan - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Josh Fitzsimmons - Hamilton, Ontario.
Richard Huang - Queens, NY.
Additionally, several non-tournament fights include Jaques Priera vs Sentwali Woolrich, Alex Berrios vs Rigel Balsamico, Robert Blake vs Chris Kwiatkowski & many more!
This event will be held in our most intimate venue - very few tickets are available. We have sold out the last 3 shows in a row and this one will absolutely sell out - do not wait -
♔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.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Melissa St. Vil, on tonight's Fight News Unlimited Combat Sports Show
Melissa St. Vil joins Tony "The Tornado" Penecale and "Rabble Rousin'" Rich Bergeron on tonight's Fight News Unlimited Combat Sports Show. St. Vil is a professional female boxer.Check out a video of St. Vil in training: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKpbq8PTe9A&feature=related
Tony and Rich will also discuss the week's boxing, wrestling, and MMA news.
♔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.
Maurice Harris back in heavyweight picture
(photos by; Keisha Morrisey)
USBA heavyweight champion Maurice “Sugar Moe” Harris’ often tumultuous boxing career is back in a good place, after he redeemed himself last Saturday in Atlantic City, when he stopped Derric “The Shaolin Fist” Rossy in the 12thround at Resorts Casino Hotel.
Harris (25-15-2, 11 KOs) was coming off of a disappointing loss by third round to Tony “The Tiger” Thompson (36-2, 24 KOs) in May, shown live on ESPN Friday Night Fights in their IBF Box-Off.
Rossy (25-5, 14 KOs), rated No. 15 by the IBF, served as a litmus test for Harris, a 35-year-old whose major claim to fame is winning the 2002 Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament, defeating Thompson in the $100,000 finale, as well as defeating world champion Sergei Liakhovich. The New Jersey fighter found himself at the crossroads once again, facing possible retirement if he lost to Rossy, the former Boston College football standout who had previously defeated WBO champion and 1988 Olympic gold-medal winner Ray Mercer (DEC12) and world title challenger Carl David Drummond (DEC10).
“I never looked at the fight like that,” Harris said, “only as another challenge, another fight. I don’t focus on something like that (in a career-ending fight) because I always need to focus on my opponent and our fight. I did show resiliency when I needed to win. It was a good win, one of my top five, but I was only about 70-percent of what I can really be. I hadn’t been 12 rounds since last August. I was still a little rusty. You can do that (12 rounds) in the gym but it’s not the same as in a fight. I did feel good going into the fight and afterwards.”
Harris dropped Rossy in the sixth, led by two rounds going into the 12th, and finished the show in impressive style. The veteran had worn-down Rossy and eventually trapped his tiring opponent on the ropes in the 12th, decking him again with a three-punch combination, an overhand right to the chin serving as an exclamation point. Rossy got to his feet but Harris moved in to finish him, backing Derec onto the ropes again, and unloading a four-punch combination against his defenseless opponent. Referee Earl Morton halted the action at 1:35 of the final round.
“This fight proved that Maurice’s last one was a fluke.” Harris’ promoter Mario Yagobi (Boxing 360) commented. “He couldn’t respond right after getting hit with so many illegal hits behind the head. I said that before this fight and still believed in Maurice. He was the stronger, bigger guy who showed a lot more skills than his opponent. Rossy came to win. He was in great shape, at 225 pounds, and had a six-pack stomach. Maurice showed his experience, dropping him the sixth, and finishing with a 12th round knockout. Rossy was banged up; his face had a lot of bruises and welts. From the eighth or ninth round, he looked like a beaten fighter.”
“The last two rounds were my strongest,” Harris noted. “I caught my second wind. I knew one good assault would close the deal. I hadn’t had a knockout in a long time (2002 vs. Liahkovich). I thought I had him out in the sixth, but he stayed right in there until the last round. I hit him with some good combinations. He fell and got up, but I knew he was finished.
“The Thompson fight is still in the back of my head. We’ve both won once and I’d like a third fight to settle things. I won’t get over it until we do. I wish him luck in his fights but, even if it’s sparring, I want to fight him again. He didn’t fight the best Maurice Harris but, then again, neither did Rossy.”
Because Harris, rated No. 9 by the IBF, fought an optional defense against Rossy, Maurice has a mandatory coming up against a challenger to be determined. Chazz Witherspoon is the No. 1 rated IBF challenger, followed in order by Steve Collins, Cedric Boswell, Antonio Tarver and Michael Grant.
Other members of Boxing 360’s stable include WBC #5 super bantamweight Leon “Hurry Up” Moore, former IBF super middleweight champion Alejandro “Naco” Berrio, unbeaten welterweight prospect Vitaliy “Demyan”Demyanenko WBC Caribbean & NY State super middleweight champion Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen, Dominican lightweight champion Eudy “AK47” Bernardo, KO king Tyrone Brunson, heavyweight Mike Mollo, unbeaten NABF featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, Nick “Hands of Gold” Casal, middleweight prospect DonYil Livingston, Joel Diaz Jr., and “King”David Estrada.
♔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.
Peter ‘Kid Chocolate’ Quillin ready to hit curveball out of park
(photo by; Keisha Morrisey)Undefeated middleweight prospect Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin may be a prizefighter, rather than a baseball player, but never-the-less the talented Cuban-American plans to hit a curveball out of the park Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Coming off of an explosive third-round destruction of former world title challenger Jesse Brinkley this past April for the USBO super middleweight title, Quillin (24-0, 18 KOs) prepared for the last eight weeks to fight once again in his natural weight class against veteran middleweight “Marvelous” Tarvis Simms (27-1-1, 11 KOs), a southpaw, in a10-round bout on Saturday night’s Amir Khan vs. Zab Judah undercard at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Quillin-Simms, however, was recently cancelled when Tarvis reportedly broke a rib in training camp. Now, the International Boxing Federation No. 5-rated Quillin, fighting out of Los Angeles, faced an entirely different fighter, Jason “The Hammer” LeHoullier(21-5-1, 8 KOs).
“I sparred and trained to fight a southpaw, Simms, and now I’m fighting a right-handed boxer,” Quillin said. “Hey, I’m a fighter and I can adjust to anybody. When Simms fell out all I cared about was still fighting. Jason LeHoullier stepped in and took a fight with 1 ½ weeks to go and that’s something not many guys would do against a top-level fighter like me. I’m not taking anything away from him because fighters like him can be dangerous. He may be coming in here trying to shock the world, tired of hearing people say he can’t win, and that could cause problems. But I am totally focused on him. I know he’s a guy who puts it all on the line, but he’s facing a guy who can box and is a big puncher. I’m going to set him up and, then, bang like a firecracker.”
Quillin has received a lot of attention lately because his trainer, Freddie Roach, went public saying ‘Kid Chocolate” can beat world middleweight champion Sergio Martinez. “I would have been ready to fight Sergio Martinez on July 23,”Quillin added. “Physically, I’m ready and I would have been 10 times more ready mentally for that fight. For now, though, I’m 100-percent focused on Jason LeHoullier. After this fight I’ll be ready to fight anybody in the world, including Sergio Martinez. The sky’s the limit for me. If everything goes right Saturday night, I’d like to comeback right away and fight September 17. But I’m not into the business end of boxing, I’m a fighter, and I’ll let my promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, and manager, John Seip, take care of that.”
Quillin-LeHoullier is a scheduled 10-round bout on the non-televised portion of the Khan-Judah world junior welterweight unification fight on HBO.
♔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.
IBF CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION STEVE “USS” CUNNINGHAM CONGRATULATES NEW IBO BELTHOLDER ANTONIO TARVER
(Photo By; Keisha Morrisey)IBF Cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham watched yesterday’s fight that saw Antonio Tarver score a ninth round stoppage over IBO champion Danny Green in Australia.
“I would like to congratulate Tarver on going down there and winning the belt. It takes a lot to go to another man’s home country to win a championship”, said Cunningham, who is known as boxing’s ultimate visitor as he has gone all over the world to both win and defend his world championship.
“With you winning the belt and my status as being the best American and top Cruiserweight in the world, I think it would be a great opportunity for us to fight to show the fans in this country that the cruiserweight division has some terrific fights to offer.”
“This is a fight that I know the American networks would get behind and with what we both bring to the table it would be a great fight. Everybody recognizes me as the top dog in the division and if Antonio wants to legitimize himself as the top cruiserweight in the world, I think he knows deep down he has to go through me to prove it.
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.
Hudaynazarov & Ahmedov making names on ‘Fire & Fury: Shumenov-Santiago’ card July 29 telecast live from South Point Hotel Casino
Undefeated, world-rated KZ Event Productions fighters Ravshan Hudaynazarov and Gayrat Ahmedov have become as difficult to fight as it is for boxing fans to correctly pronounce and spell their last names.The dynamic duo from Uzbekistan, now fighting out of Las Vegas, will be defending their respective titles in 10-round bouts on the July 29 “Fire & Fury” pro boxing card, headlined by their promoter Beibut Shumenov’s third title defense against two-time world title challenger Danny “The Bronx Bomber” Santiago, on TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” broadcast live from South Point Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Fire& Fury” is promoted by KZ Event Productions (Shumenov and his brother, Chingis, own and operate the Las Vegas-based KZ Event Productions) in association with Golden Boy Promotions, Don Chargin Productions, Guilty Boxing and South Point Hotel Casino and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. Doors open at 5:30 PM PT, the first bout at 6:00 PM PT and the TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:30 PM ET / PT (10:30 PM CT.
Shumenov (11-1, 7 KOs), the reigning and defending World Boxing Association (“WBA”) and International Boxing Association (“IBA”) Light Heavyweight Champion, lives and fights out of Las Vegas. The 2004 Kazakhstan Olympian set a light heavyweight record for capturing a world title in the fewest career fights, 10, when (Jan. 10, 2010) he won a 12-round decision against Gabriel Campillo in Las Vegas. He has since successfully defended his WBA/IBA titles twice against No. 1 mandatory challenger Viacheslav Uzelkov (UDEC12) and three-time world champion William Joppy (KO6). In only 11 profights, Beibut has defeated four world champions (Campillo, Joppy, Byron Mitchell and Montell Griffin) and two world title challengers (Uzelkov and Epifanio Mendoza).
WBA #15 ranked Santiago (31-4-1, 19 KOs), fighting out of Ocala, Florida, was featured on the third season of The Contender reality television series.
Hudaynazarov and Ahmedov are trained by Kevin Barry, the 1984 Olympic Silver Medalist, and Dewey Cooper at Team Barry Boxing in Henderson, Nevada. “Both of these guys have had tremendous training camps,” Barry reported. “I expect them to have great performances. Beibut sets the bar high for Ravshan and Gayrat, who train with him, and Beibut has been a great leader for them to follow in the gym.”
Hudaynazarov (14-0, 12 KOs), the WBA FEDALATIN Welterweight Champion who is rated No. 9 by the WBA, defends his title in a 10-round bout against former USNBC titlist Hector “The Hurricane” Munoz (19-5-1, 12 KOs).
“Ravshan has improved so much,” Barry said. “He’s taking it to another level and is stronger than ever before. He’s already right on mark for the 29th. I believe he’s heading towards a world title.”
WBA No. 2-rated light heavyweight contender Ahmedov (16-0-1, 12 KOs) defends his WBA International belt against veteran Max“The Fireman” Heyman (24-11-4, 14 KOs) in another 10-rounder.
“Working as a team has really helped Gayrat prepare for this fight,” Barry noted. “He has stepped up to No. 2 in the WBA and he’s getting very close to a very big fight. He has been motivated by Beibut’s success and his turn will come. I’m veryoptimistic about Gayrat.”
The co-feature between popular Las Vegas super featherweight Lonnie Smith (13-2-2, 9 KOs) and Robert “The King” Vargas(5-1-1, 0 KOs) is also scheduled to air on TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” broadcast. Smith, rated No. 13 by the USBA, is riding an eight-fight win streak.
Las Vegas fan favorite Ramon Montano(17-9-2, 2 KOs) faces welterweight Juan Suazo (7-4-3, 5 KOs) in a six-round match. Also on the card against an opponent to be determined is Freddie Roach-trained, unbeaten super featherweight prospect Joel Diaz(4-0, 3 KOs) in a four-round bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Alicia "Slick" Ashley fight for the WBC Super Bantamweight World Championship July 23, 2011.
Alicia "Slick" Ashley fight for the WBC Super Bantamweight World Championship.
The fight is at the Hunts Point Produce Market located in The Bronx at 772 Edgewater Road.
Doors open at 6:00 PM and the first bout is at 7:00 PM.♔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.
AMIR "KING" KHAN & ZAB "SUPER" JUDAH TO HOST INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TO DISCUSS JULY 23 WORLD TITLE UNIFICATION FIGHT
Amir Khan vs. Zab Judah, a 12-round WBA and IBF Super Lightweight World Championship Unification fight, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events in association with Khan Promotions and Super Judah Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.So Dave, I’d like to turn the call over to you for opening introductions.
K. Duva Hi. I’m here on behalf of Main Events and Super Judah Promotions. I am also here with Bill Halkias who is our partner in these promotions, and really, there isn’t much to say. The fight is nearing—every day getting closer, and we’re very excited. This is the fight Zab wants. This is the fight we want, and we can’t wait for it to get started.
D. Itskowich Kathy, you want to have Pernell and Zab make opening statements?
K. Duva Zab, do you want to speak.
Z. Judah No.
K. Duva Well, why don’t you just say a few words anyway?
Z. Judah ....
K. Duva Come on. How do you feel now that the fight is only a week away?
Z. Judah I’m the champion. Why do I have to go first?
K. Duva Oh. Okay. Well, we’re going to have to figure out a way to sort this out now. It’s true. You went first at the press conference, so maybe it’s Amir’s turn to go first.
D. Itskowich So nothing from Zab? Okay. Just to say a few words before I have Freddy and Amir say their few words, I want to introduce Asif Vali of Khan Promotions to say a few words. Asif?
A. Vali Yes. Good evening everybody. Good evening to the U.K., good morning there in America. It’s a big fight, and there’s a lot of press coverage here. Everybody’s looking forward to the fight. It’s around the corner now. Next week is going to be explosive. The U.K. viewers ....
I know Amir trained well and hard out there in America with Freddy, and time will tell on the 23rd. We’ll be able to come away with the IBF Super-Lightweight World Championship Belt as well as the WBA belt. .... We’re 110% focused, and we’re ready to go. So, look forward to seeing you there—everybody next week—and wish everybody all the best of luck.
D. Itskowich Thanks, Asif. I understand that, actually, Freddy may not be on the call, so I’m going to just jump right to Amir and have him make his opening statements. Like I said, he’s one of the rising stars in the sport. He is the current WBA Super-Lightweight World Champion from Bolton, England with a record of 25 and 1 with seventeen KO’s, Amir King Khan.
A. Khan Hi guys. I just want to thank everyone for calling on to the conference call. You know not long now to the fight. Training has gone really well. Preparation is up to where we want it to be. Like I said, we’re not too far now. We’re just tapering down from all the hard work. All the hard work’s been done now. So no looking back. And I’m happy the way training comes from, being with Alex Ariza and Freddy Roach on technique and tactics to beat Zab. We know it’s going to be a tough fight. We’ve been training really hard, and we’re going to be conditioned for this fight. Even if it goes first round or the twelfth round, we know we’re going to be in front of Zab all the way through the fight, and we’re going to be ready.
We’ve been watching a lot of tapes and stuff to see what mistakes he makes and what things he does right and how we need to beat him. And everything’s been going okay, so now we’re going to transition. We finished sparring on Monday. So hopefully got all the timing and everything right, and then we’ll be more than ready for the 23rd of July.
D. Itskowich Alright. Thank you, Amir. I guess now we can turn it over to questions from the media for everyone that’s on the call.
K. Duva Freddy did just get on the line as well.
D. Itskowich Freddy is on. Okay.
M. Sears So is Purnell.
W Hold one moment for Freddy, please.
F. Roach Hello?
D. Itskowich Freddy. Hi. It’s Dave from Golden Boy. Just wanted you to say a couple of opening remarks about the fight.
F. Roach Amir is in great shape. I think this was the best training camp we’ve ever had. We had some great southpaw sparring, and I think ... on Saturday, and I think Zab bit off more than he can chew for this one.
D. Itskowich Thank you, Fred.
K. Duva Dave Pernell is on the line, so let’s give him a chance too. P, you got something to say? Apparently not. Okay. Sorry about that, Dave. Sorry for interrupting.
D. Itskowich Okay, let’s turn it over to the media for questions.
Moderator Our first question comes from Steve Carp with Las Vegas Review.
S. Carp Good morning guys. Amir, you were just saying how you watched a lot of tape of Zab. Is this out of the ordinary for you, or is this part of your normal preparation? If it isn’t, why did you go to such lengths to be ready for Zab?
Z. Judah No, we’d normally watch a lot of tape of the fighters we got coming up, and the reason is so we know what we’re expecting when we go into the fight. We can’t focus too much on a tape because styles make different fights. So we’ve just been watching a few things that he does and where he makes a mistake and stuff, so I’ll know when I do go into the fight, I know exactly what his style’s like.
I’m not really a big fan of just sitting there watching hours and hours of your opponents tapes. I normally watch maybe a few rounds and then leave it to my trainer, Freddy, who comes up with a game plan.
S. Carp With Zab, you always have to worry about the unexpected. So how do you prepare for that? And maybe, Freddy, you could weight in on this as well because he’s been known to do some unorthodox things in the ring over his career.
F. Roach He’s a smart fighter. He has experience. We know he sets traps and we’ve got most of his traps down, and you can see how he sets his traps and lures guys into punches.
Of course, when he was losing to Mayweather, he fouled him of course, on purpose, to try to get him out of his game plan, and the fight broke up.
But we’re ready for all that, and it’s nothing new. It’s part of fighting, and we’re well prepared for it.
S. Carp Thanks guys—appreciate it. See you in Vegas next week.
M. Sears Pernell Whitaker is now on the call.
Moderator The next question comes from Dan Rafael from ESPN.
D. Rafael Zab, the last time you had a unification fight in the 140-pound weight class in Las Vegas, it did not go your way. That was the Kostya Tszyu fight. Can you imagine that here we are, I believe it’s now maybe 11 years later, or maybe 10 years later, that you’re back in another very big fight in this weight class in Las Vegas? Can you take me back to that time in all those years ago and what’s changed for you since then? Because it’s been a lot of ups and downs.
Z. Judah Yes. A lot. First of all, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity of being back in this position. I want to than thank him for that. And a lot of things have been changed ..., and I’m pretty pleased with Freddy and Amir Khan watching my old tapes, so they're learning something about the old Zab Judah.
The new Zab Judah coming to the ring on July 23rd is a monster. He’s 150% prepared for Amir Khan, and we’re going to have a lot of fun come Saturday night.
D. Rafael Could you have imagined though that 10 years after the fact that you would still be one of the best guys in the weight class? That you would still have a title? That you would be involved in another really big fight?
It’s been such a long time.
Z. Judah I really have nothing to do with it Dave. That’s God’s work. That’s the work of God. Just when a person counts you out and says that you’re finished—never listen to man. Never let man dictate your peace. This is something that—one of the messages that we will be coming with on Saturday night. The Lord has the final saying of when a person’s done and when a person starts.
D. Rafael You’re the veteran in this fight, of course. Amir is still a young fighter, still on the rise. Do you view this as you along with all the experience that Pernell brings to your corner—like the veteran teacher going to look to take the young kid to school?
Z. Judah One thing about it, we definitely going to take him to school. I think after Saturday night, he’ll figure out that Golden Boy and his trainer, Freddy Roach, set him up as a pawn. For people that play chess, they know what that is. They set him up for a pawn and put him in a position that he shouldn’t have been in.
And yet, I think he’s a great fighter. I think that it’s a little premature—before his time. Years down the line, he’ll have an opportunity to tell other fighters about the experience he learned in 2011 on July 23rd.
D. Rafael Thanks, Zab. Amir, are you there?
A. Khan Yes.
D. Rafael Amir, when you hear Zab talk like that about maybe it’s a little too soon for you to be in this kind of fight in your career because you’re still young, or do you feel like you were by far ready for a fight like this because of what you’ve accomplished in the last couple of years?
A. Khan I know we’re ready for this fight. That’s why we’re taking this fight on. We committed to this fight as favorites. I’m going to go out and try to take the two titles away. I’ve been training very hard for this fight. And he can say what he wants and he’ll see when the time comes. I know I’m more than ready for this fight, and I’m going to be prepared, and I know exactly what to do. He ... capable, I’ll have answers for him.
D. Rafael Was it at all hard for you to get over the fact that ... turned you down, and Zab, who was essentially the second choice, is now your opponent, or did it just water off your back—no big deal?
A. Khan Things happen for a reason, and I really think this fight ends up as a fight that .... A tougher fight is all. In my eyes, I see the bigger fight. Things happen for a reason, and maybe it was for the best.
Moderator Our next question comes from Jamie Jackson with the Guardian News.
J. Jackson Hi, Amir. Just two questions please. First of all, will Zab be your hardest opponent so far of your professional career? And looking beyond this fight—obviously you hope to win—you’re only 24. I’m wondering how many different weight classes do you expect to fight in by the time you finish? Amir, please.
A. Khan First of all, I think he is up there with one of the best fighters I’ll be facing .... Also, we’ve been training very hard, and I’m .... So you know, we’re going to be ready for him and whatever he brings on the table. And I love challenges. You give me a good challenge, that’s actually .... Maybe I could go up to 147 or maybe up ....
But maybe all in good time. ... to see how my body grows and how it feels. I’m still 24. As time goes on, maybe I’ll go up to—I’ll finish off my career at 154. I’ve just really got to have my body naturally just grow.
J. Jackson Zab, I believe you said, if I heard you rightly there on the line, that compared to the fight of 10 to 11 years ago against Tszyu, you’re now a monster and 150% better. Can you explain why, please?
K. Duva I think I’m going to have to speak now, and I need to explain something. In our negotiations, we were told that Zab would not be entitled to any revenue from the U.K. And we felt that while that was insulting—because we feel he is certainly half the equation here. That was what we were told we would have to live with.
And so, Zab took the fight with that understanding—that Amir would keep all the money that came from the U.K. even though they’re both world champions and even though we’ve agreed on a split of the money. So no offense to the British press, but Zab will not be answering questions until the fight is over to the British.
D. Itskowich I guess that means all you British media out there work on your American accents.
J. Jackson Okay. You want me to ask it in an American accent?
A. Vali ... as you know two fighters need to promote the fight. HBO ought to pay ... so they can, and Zab can disrespect where the fight is going out to—U.K. press, or any of the press in the world. I think that he should be involved in this, and it’s a promotion. And what he ... fans in the U.K. as well. And if he’s got fans in the U.K., he’s obviously disrespecting all his fans.
So British press, or wherever they are all over the world, whatever fighter it is, I think it’s wrong for Zab just to put that to one side. And the British are very sportish—one of the biggest fights in the U.K. for a very long time in this weight division. So he should be involved in it, and he should be answering any questions.
K. Duva Well, you’re certainly entitled to your opinion, and we respect that, and he means no disrespect to anyone. We feel he was disrespected in the negotiations, so this is something that we’ve decided has to be—we just cannot do anything to help.
We were basically told that Khan was such a big star in the U.K., it didn’t matter who he fought, and therefore, Zab was kind of insignificant there. So if that’s the case, fine. And again, we’ll be happy to have a press conference with the U.K. press the morning after the fight. We love all you guys. We’ve known many of you going all the way back to the ….
A. Vali I’m glad he’ll be having a press conference after that fight when he’s in defeat. I’ll hold you to that. So we’ll ... hold you to that. So when he’s been defeated, he’ll have a press conference with the British press. So we can ... so thank you very much for that, Kathy.
K. Duva You’re welcome. He’ll also have it when he wins.
J. Jackson Can I just jump back in and ask Asif one more question? This is Jamie Jackson again from the Guardian. On this point Asif, how would you describe your feelings about his refusal to speak? Are you angry about this? Are you furious?
A. Vali Well, I think it’s wrong for him not to be involved in any media work. Amir Khan is one of them guys who gets involved. He’s been on the forums. He’s promoting the fight. Today he announced it, and today we were discussing things and doing every single interview, U.K., China, Japan, wherever it was. He’s done all the interviews all over the world. Why Zab couldn’t get involved, I’ve no idea. Why he refuses , I have no idea. I haven’t got a clue why he refused it.
It’s not about being angry, it’s about getting involved in a promotion. A promotion is from two sides, not just one. And with all due respect Kathy, they need to promote the fight. It’s not a one-way promotion; it’s a two-way promotion. Amir did everything. He’s got four conference calls so far. He’s been on the radio three times a week throughout the last six weeks, and he’s been doing so much stuff, unbelievable, to promote the fight.
We’re very grateful to HBO for giving us the opportunity. We’re very grateful for Primetime for showing it live in the U.K. and the worldwide people and the rest of the world. But I’m a little bit disappointed—I’m very disappointed from Kathy’s point of view. I’m very disappointed in Zab. And they should promote the fight. Have you ever heard of a fighter not getting involved in a promotion like you have today? Disappointed.
K. Duva Well again, you’re entitled to your opinion. He is involved in the promotion. He’s on the phones today. He’s not involved in the promotion in England because he’s not involved in the revenue from England, so that is what we found to be wrong. And again, you got your way.
Moderator And our next question comes from George Cotton with Fox Sports.
G. Cotton Hi. What’s going on guys? This first question is for Amir. Amir, what do you think, if any, are some of the weaknesses you’ll be able to exploit against Zab in the ring when you guys lace up.
A. Khan I don’t think he’ll be able to take the pressure of the speed and power, really. I think he fought the likes of Mabuza and them guys there, and they’ve totaled him. And we’ll see how he copes with this. I really think he’s taken the wrong fight. And he can say what he wants, but he knows deep down he’s taken the wrong fight, and we’ll see .... We’ll see .... I hope he ... Zab Judah, he’s ....
G. Cotton Okay. And Zab, what do you think you’ll be able to show the world when you guys meet? I know you’re thinking that maybe that the guy took the fight a little too early. What do you think you’ll be able to show the world when you guys meet in the ring?
Z. Judah I would just like to show the world that I’m one of the best pound for pound greatest fighters out there. Amir Khan knows what he got himself into. He knows that this is a fight that his trainer, Freddy Roach, wanted to take, but it was a fight that he was pushed into because of the situation. You know what I mean? Every dog has their day. July 23rd it’s coming. We’re going to have some fun.
G. Cotton Can we get a prediction?
Z. Judah Zab Judah will be the one. Zab Judah will be the one.
G. Cotton Spectacular.
Z. Judah I promise you. I promise you. I don’t know who this guy’s looking at as far as when they speak about speed and power, but evidently they’re watching the wrong tapes. They’re going to be in for a world of surprises. I understand the people over there are misleading the young guy over there and telling him this and telling him that. But I think when the bell rings, after the first round he’ll come back to the corner and go, “Wait a minute. This is not what we prepared for guys. You told me it was going to be a different kind of Judah in there.
G. Cotton And the last question for Amir. Amir, this go-around, you’re dealing with a southpaw that had power. What are some of the things you guys worked on to deal with Zab’s speed and power?
A. Khan We were really quite lucky enough to be sparring with Manny Pacquiao in the previous camps and Alex Ariza, training with him. You know talking about power, I think he’s probably the most powerful southpaw in our division, and that was great help for me. We’ve had some great sparring partners who worked on techniques. We’re going to be ready for whatever he brings to the table. Training has gone really well with the game plan that we’ve got for the fight. It’s a great game plan, and you can say what you want about the first round. Maybe we come back in the first round, and the fight is over.
Because the way we can be ready for this fight, who knows, the fight might finish in the first round or the twelfth round. We’re going to be ready for him, and we will see if he’s still there. We just hope Zab is ready for this fight, and he can say what he wants.
Z. Judah Exactly. The way his sparring ‘s been going guys—like he said—the fight might be over in one round. I know everything, trust me.
Moderator Our next question comes form Gabriel Montoya with MaxBoxing.com.
G. Montoya My question is for Amir. The press recently, there’s been a lot of talk about you versus Floyd Mayweather, you’re going to get him next after Ortiz. Is that you looking forward, or is that just a bunch of internet writers coming to you and asking you about Floyd Mayweather and then printing you answers. Are you looking ahead, or no?
A. Khan I think everyone knows I’ve got a big task in front of me. I’ve got Zab Judah’s ... offer. Every fight, I have goals, and my goals are to take the best out there and the likes of Floyd Mayweather one day. At the moment, I want to take things a step at a time. And I think it’s pretty blown out more than anything, but I just want to make things straight up. I’ve got this to deal with, and then hopefully then I’m going to sit down with my team and plan out where my future is.
G. Montoya There was a big to-do about you and Alex Ariza not working together for a fight—a lot of back and forth there. Now you guys are working together, as I understand it. Why is that? why did you guys get back together.
A. Khan I really think he’s probably one of the best ... conditioners out there. And we’ve got a winning team, and I don’t think we should break a winning team. He’s good at what he does, and if he wants to get you in shape and get you stronger, he’s the best man to do it. So that’s the reason I got back with him, because I know her pushes me hard, and he’s not afraid to tell me what to do and what not to do. So I thought that’s who I need for this fight—someone who’s going to get me prepared and get me in the best condition.
G. Montoya Was part of it to do with the way the McCloskey fight went? You won, obviously, but it was not one of your prettier wins. You seemed to have a little bit of trouble with him. Was that his style, or was that the—
A. Khan ... fight. He had one of them styles—he just did not want to fight and didn’t want to get involved, and he made it a boring fight. I was doing all the circling. I was doing all the pressure fighting. I was doing everything. But then, I thought to myself the way the training camp went, I was conditioned well. I was still fit and everything because I really pushed myself. I really thought I think I should ... the way things were. I was happy the way things were before, so that’s the reason we got back with everything.
G. Montoya How long do you plan on playing at this weight class? If you win this, and ... doesn’t seem like he wanted to fight you, do you give up the 147, or do you stay here.
A. Khan I’ll probably move up to 147 for bigger challenges. And like I said, I think it’s a great time for me to move up to different divisions and fight these big names. There’s a lot of big names out there. And it’s a .... That’s the reason I cannot afford to get beat. I have to ... because there’s some huge fight that’s on me. I want to get through this fight and then go to the bigger fights.
G. Montoya I have a question for Pernell Whitaker if he’s still on the line. This is your second training camp with Zab. What are your thoughts and impressions? Was it easier or harder than the first time?
P. Whitaker Hello. Can you hear me?
G. Montoya Hi, Pernell. It’s Gabe Montoya at Max Boxing.
P. Whitaker Can you all hear me? Can you hear me.
G. Montoya I can hear you. This is your second training camp with Zab. How did it go in comparison to the first? Was it easier or harder.
P. Whitaker It was much easier. The first time is always—it was the learning experiences that it was my first time working with him. So it was a learning experience for both of us. He’s not a freshman fighter. He’s an experienced, professional fighter. But this time, it’s been a lot of fun. His preparation has been a lot of fun. I’m not going to give no strategies up. I’m not going to tell you what I’m planning on doing to this young man, but he’ll be okay. We’ll take good care of him—make sure he make it back to the U.K.
G. Montoya Thank you very much. One of our other writers is covering Zab, so Zab, I’ll just wish you good luck in the fight. Amir, good luck in the fight. And thank you all.
Moderator Our next question comes from Eddie Goldman with No Holds Barred.
E. Goldman Hello everybody. I was born in Brooklyn, so I guess I can ask Zab a question. Zab, can you explain a little bit more—you talked about the new Zab Judah, and you obviously seem to have rejuvenated your career and moving down from ’47 to ’40. Could you explain a little bit about how you’re different than you were a few years ago, and why you’re different.
Z. Judah I have a different mental .... A whole different mentality of .... I’m just more focused in on my career now. I’m focused in on my family and the morals of life, as a young man should be. I just think that I’m at a great place in life right now, and I’m fully prepared for this situation.
E. Goldman How much has Pernell Whitaker made a difference? Did that training with him give you a chance to sharpen up on your technique and your fundamentals?
Z. Judah Yes. Pernell Whitaker brought back a lot from my games, and he tapped into my memory status and has made me remember a lot of good things and just showed me what it is to be a scientific boxer. I added that to my style. And we have a complete full-version Zab Judah the way that the world knows him to be. This is the guy that you people love and the guy that you wanted to see ..., is the guy you will get to see July 23rd.
E. Goldman And a question for Amir. How are you going to prepare, since obviously you both have very, very strong amateur backgrounds and credential, but Zab is coming in—he’s older, but he also has more professional experience. How are you going to prepare for a more mature version of Zab Judah than existed a few years ago?
A. Khan The preparation is over for the fight, and the way things have gone in the training camp, I’m very, very happy with. The sparring was great, and conditioning-wise, I’m ready for him. But like I said, he can bring whatever he wants to the table because we’re going to be more than ready for it.
And we’ve got a game plan that we’re going to stick to, and I know that that game plan’s going to work. We’ve got a plan A and a plan B, but to be honest with you, I don’t think he is going to get through plan A. So .... We’re going to, like I said, ... and go in there and do what I do best.
E. Goldman How do you think he rates in terms of the opponents that you fought? You fought people like Barrera, but Barrera was at the very end of his career. How do you think he rates compared to Maidana and some of the other people that you’ve fought, at the time you’ve fought them?
A. Khan Physically, maybe he is on the same level as them. Maybe experience-wise, he’s ahead of them. These are the fights I need to make me get to the top, and I think it’s a great fight for me because it’s going to make me train harder, and it’s going to push me.
Throughout training camp, I knew it was going to be a tough fight. I can’t stop feeling I’m the one who knocked on his door and said, “Listen, we’ll take this fight on.” Between me and ... I turn the page over and I though Zab Judah was a good name to have because I know he’s beatable. I know what style to beat him and look good against him. I know he’s very awkward and everything, but we just love a challenge.
Moderator Our next question comes from Bob Bellin with USA Today.
B. Bellin Hi, Zab. These questions are for you. Do you look at this as a must-win fight in your career, and why or why not?
Z. Judah Yes. Every fight going forward today is a must-win fight. This is ... are going to put me right back to where I need to be at in the boxing game. I’m happy to be back on HBO again and happy to be fighting in the big fight, and I’m just 100% fully prepared.
B. Bellin Do you plan to stay at 140 pounds, or would you like to move up again? Where do you see the weight class for you in the future.
Z. Judah I make 140 pounds very well, very easy. This is the weight that I should’ve stayed at my whole career. And a lot people sometimes, when they start getting a little bit too big for the—when they can’t make the weight, they look at moving up in weight classes and things that’d be better. But for me, it wasn’t better. I was fighting much, much bigger guys and stronger guys. At 140 pounds, I’m dominant here. I’m dominant, and next Saturday, I’ll prove to the world that this was one of the reasons why I belong at 140.
B. Bellin So that being said, you don’t see Mayweather again in your future do you?
Z. Judah I can’t speak about the future. I don’t know. I don’t know what’s out there, what’s on the horizon, what God should put before me. But you know, I know that anything that God puts in front of me, I’m fully prepared for.
Moderator Our next question comes from Raj Pamar with 3 More Rounds.
R. Pamar Hi, Zab. How you doing. Just a quick question. Amir said a little earlier that he is the favorite, and in my personal opinion, you’re a very live underdog. Amir has Freddy Roach and Alex Ariza behind him, and Dave, in a very successful tandem-training fighters. Does that add any concern, any additional concern for you, or do you feel that won’t be a big factor for the fight?
Z. Judah Number one, with the favorites in the fight, that’s a man-made decision. A man made those odds up. A man made those numbers up. Like I say, if you’re into sports betting, they had Miami Heat to beat the Dallas Mavericks. And Dallas Mavericks came and smashed the odd-makers and beat the Miami Heat and won the championship. So that doesn’t mean anything, more or less, for the fight.
More or less for his trainers, Amir Khan, Freddy Roach and Alex Ariza, I have Pernell Whitaker. My trainer is—I think he’s an underestimated trainer. He was one of the best defensive fighters in the world, a six time champion of the world. He was a great fighter at his days, and great fighters make great coaches.
July 23rd I will be campaigning for my trainer to be trainer of the year. I think that after this is done, I will get fighter of the year and he will get trainer of the year.
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Solid undercard announced by KZ Event Productions for ‘Fire & Fury: Shumenov-Santiago’ ‘Fire & Fury’ on TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate” telecast
A solid undercard has been announced for the “Fire & Fury” pro boxing card, featuring World Boxing Association/International Boxing Association Light Heavyweight World Champion Beibut Shumenov in his third title defense, July 29 against two-time world title challenger Danny “The Bronx Bomber” Santiago, on TeleFutura’s“Sólo Boxeo Tecate” broadcast live from South Point Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.“Fire& Fury” is promoted by KZ Event Productions (Shumenov and his brother, Chingis, own and operate the Las Vegas-based KZ Event Productions) in association with Golden Boy Promotions, Don Chargin Productions, Guilty Boxing and South Point Hotel Casino and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. Doors open at 5:30 PM PT, the first bout at 6:00 PM PT and the TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:30 PM ET / PT (10:30 PM CT).
Other fights scheduled to complete the “Fire & Fury” card are a pair of WBA title bouts, in addition to an entertaining co-feature and two other competitive matches.
Shumenov (11-1, 7 KOs), the 2004 Kazakhstan Olympian who is now fighting out of Las Vegas, set a light heavyweight record for capturing a world title in the fewest career fights, 10, when (Jan. 10, 2010) he won a 12-round decision against Gabriel Campillo in Las Vegas. Shumenov has successfully defended his WBA/IBA titles twice against No. 1 mandatory challenger Viacheslav Uzelkov (UDEC12) and three-time world champion William Joppy (KO6) last January in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. In his 11 pro fights, Beibut has defeated four world champions (Campillo, Joppy, Byron Mitchell and Montell Griffin) and two world title challengers (Uzelkov and Epifanio Mendoza).
WBA #15 ranked Santiago (31-4-1, 19 KOs), fighting out of Ocala, Florida, is a two-time world title challenger. His most significant victory was a fourth-round technical knockout of Elvir Muriqi (30-1). Santiago was also featured on the third season of The Contender reality television series.
The co-feature between popular Las Vegas super featherweight Lonnie Smith (13-2-2, 9 KOs) and Minnesota-invader Wilton “Pretty Warrior” Hilario (12-2, 9 KOs) is also scheduled to be shown on TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate”broadcast. Smith, rated No. 13 by the USBA, is riding an eight-fight win streak, while Hilario’s only two losses have been by decisions to Mario Honorio in their NABO title fight and undefeated Cuban Olympian Luis Franco.
Highly-regarded, unbeaten WBA FEDALATIN Welterweight Champion Ravshan Hudaynazarov (14-0, 12 KOs), rated No. 9 by the WBA, defends his title in a 10-round bout against veteran Hector “The Hurricane” Munoz(19-5-1, 12 KOs), the former USNBC titlist.
Undefeated, WBA No. 2-rated light heavyweight contender Gayrat Ahmedov (16-0-1, 12 KOs) defends his WBA International belt against veteran Max “The Fireman” Heyman (24-11-4, 14 KOs) in another 10-rounder.
Hudaynazarov and Ahmedov fight under the KZ Event Productions banner along with Beibut.
Las Vegas fan favorite Ramon Montano(17-9-2, 2 KOs) faces welterweight Juan Suazo (7-4-3, 5 KOs) in a six-round match. Also on the card against an opponent to be determined is Freddie Roach-trained, unbeaten super featherweight prospect Joel Diaz(4-0, 3 KOs) in a four-round bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
♔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.
Heavyweight boxer Monte Barrett is gearing up for his 8/13 Rematch with David Tua, but is a career as a pro wrestler in his future?
By Ryan SongaliaMonte Barrett and Ryan Photo by; Keisha Morrisey
At age 40, Monte Barrett is in the final stage of his professional boxing career. He's never won "The Big One," but he's usually been around the top of the division, giving hell to everyone just short of the elite level.
His career hasn't been unlike that of his next opponent David Tua, who Barrett will be facing on August 13 at the TelstraClear Pacific in Manukau City, New Zealand, in a rematch of their controversial draw a year ago. The show is called "Redemption," but Barrett wonders who stands to be redeemed more.
"I think it's more for me than him," said Barrett, 34-9-2 (20 KO), who grew up in Queens, N.Y., but has lived in Bayonne, N.J., for the past two years.
"Tua and I have unfinished business. That's why the rematch is something I wanted and he wanted as well."
After a shaky beginning to their first fight, Barrett found his rhythm in the middle rounds, peppering Tua with punches as the Samoan fan favorite started to slow down. Barrett scored the first legitimate knockdown of the anvil-chinned Tua in the 12th and final round, which some felt was enough to earn Barrett the decision.
Should he emerge victorious in the rematch, Barrett says Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith has promised a victory parade through the Hudson County city.
Prior to the first Tua fight, Barrett had one foot in the sport and one out of it as he eyed a position with HBO Sports. Barrett says that HBO Senior Vice President of Sports Programming Kery Davis reached out to him last year and offered him a position similar to the late Arthur Curry's, as a liaison between the fighters, executives and the community.
"I was asked by Kery Davis, 'Would be willing to give up boxing for this position?' I said, 'Yes, you can't serve two masters.'
"I felt like I could have longevity at HBO. I've reaped the fruits of my labor and this would be my reward, being able to do something for boxing on the executive end. That's why I thought that would be my last fight."
Barrett said the job fell through when AOL Time Warner, which owns HBO, put a freeze on new hires at HBO some time after Davis' right hand man, Luis Barragan, left the company to enlist in the military.
It's unclear how the recent resignation of HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg will affect future hires.
"So the position hasn't opened up yet; it's supposed to open up some time this year. In the meantime, Kery gave me his blessings to do what I want to do. That's what I'm doing," Barrett said.
An email to Davis on Friday seeking comment wasn't returned by Tuesday evening.
With HBO on hold, Barrett's options were simple; continue boxing and seek fights with re-emerging heavyweight Cris Arreola or a rematch with former champ David Haye, or pursue a passion that he has grappled with for most of his life.
He is considering going to pro wrestling school.
Barrett's friend John Cena - who just lost the WWE championship at this past weekend's pay-per-view event - has encouraged the 6-foot-3, 220 pound Barrett to give it a try in another sort of ring. Cena has offered to have Barrett train at WWE's developmental program Florida Championship Wrestling in Tampa, Fla., the city where Cena calls home.
Wrestling and boxing have often crossed paths throughout history. Most recently, Floyd Mayweather Jr. had a foray into sports entertainment, "knocking out" The Big Show, a wrestler named Paul Wight, who can frequently be spotted at boxing events in Florida.
Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson and others have been a part of wrestling events in the past, as competitors, special guest referees and "special enforcers."
"I've always been a big wrestling fan since 'Superfly' Jimmy Snuka back in the '70s and '80s. You never know, you might turn around and I might hang up the boxing gloves and have some tight [wrestler CM] Punk panties on," said Barrett, eliciting a laugh.
Then, rethinking his prior statement, Barrett reconsiders his wrestling attire: "I don't know about the Speedos; we'll figure it out. Maybe I'll do the John Cena thing and wear the jean shorts."
Barrett had stopped following wrestling for a number of years, picking it up again when his son - one of Barrett's six children - started becoming an avid follower. Barrett, who had met Cena through a mutual friend named "Rock" (Not "The Rock," Dwayne Johnson) who helps Cena with his music career, became his son's hero anew when he revealed that he was friends with Cena.
"My son said, 'Dad, I love God and I love wrestling. That's how much I love wrestling.' He knows all the wrestlers, all the moves."
Barrett, whose best weapon throughout his boxing career has been his overhand right, sometimes winged from the side, would need a more aesthetically pleasing finisher, and it's something that he's already given thought to.
"I thought about bringing the Cobra Clutch back, I love that by Sgt. Slaughter," said Barrett. "I love the figure four leg-lock by Greg Valentine and Ric Flair. I love the cross-faced chicken wing by Bob Backlund. Those are my favorite moves. I'm not gonna be a Jimmy Snuka jumping off the top rope. I love the energy of the Ultimate Warrior and 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndoff."
WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Johnny Rodz runs "Johnny Rodz School of Wrestling" out of the famed boxing academy Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, N.Y. Rodz boasts former WWE and ECW stars The Dudley Boyz, Tazz and Tommy Dreamer among his students.
Rodz, whose real name is Johnny Rodriguez, says that a professional athlete like Barrett coming from another sport could successfully make the transition to pro wrestling, even at the age of 40. It all depends on how much Barrett is willing to commit to the training.
"If he's been a good athlete at 40, he's still a baby," said Rodz. "A 21-year-old can't do nothing if he's a bum. You have guys who are 21 but look like they're 40. If he's a good athlete, then he has ten years of action left in him."
"If he has any love for wrestling, then I would say he has a hell of a chance to do something with it. In life, everything you do is something you're a fan of or something you love to be in. That’s why I did it so many years.
"There is no answer until they take him in and train him. If he doesn't have it, then they're wasting their time and he's wasting his time."
Barrett isn't committing to a decision, however.
"I've given it a lot of thought but I'm undecided yet. Just like John said, 'Focus on winning this fight. Win, lose or draw, you still could do a lot in wrestling, but with a win, it's a better storyline.'
"My whole thing always was to have options, so the only thing I'm focusing on is this fight at this point in time. After this fight, and I come home then I can clear my head and think about my next move."
The conversation switched over to the similarities between boxing and wrestling, which Barrett felt there was none. I asked whether he felt boxing could take a few lessons from wrestling and how it's marketed, and whether borrowing from the "script" could put people in boxing event seats.
He didn't seem optimistic.
"The biggest thing that wrestling has is that they have committed, dedicated fans. The boxing world doesn't have that. Boxing fans are bandwagon fans; they're going with who's hottest. Wrestling, they love wrestling as a whole. Boxing fans, they love the boxers like Mayweather, Bernard [Hopkins]. They love certain fighters.
"That's why on such a broad worldwide level, everybody loves wrestling. In boxing, we don't have that. The fans are not loyal fans."
For now, the only ring Barrett is concerned about is the boxing ring.
"After I beat David Tua and come back, then I'll start weighing my options," he said.
Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and contributes to GMA News and the Filipino Reporter newspaper in New York City. He can be reached at ryan@ryansongalia.com . An archive of his work can be found at www.ryansongalia.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ryansongalia.
♔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.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
MMA: Is Hector Lombard the Mike Tyson of MMA? By Michael Evans (Featured Columnist)
(PHOTO BY: KEISHA MORRSEY)
By now everyone knows Hector Lombard.
Lombard has gone unbeaten in his last 23 bouts and is the Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight champion.
He has 14 knockouts during the streak, including a one-punch knockout in his last bout, a win over tough veteran Falaniko Vitale.
After crashing a punch to his face, Lombard stood and watched as Vitale tried to stand up and fell down again. He had been knocked completely senseless in third round.
Lombard won with a one-punch knockout in Round 3.
It was a pretty awesome sight.
Then it hit me. I felt like I had deja vu: It was almost as if I had seen this before.
After sitting there for a second, I realized that I was thinking of the November 1986 fight between Mike Tyson and Trevor Berbick, in which Tyson knocked Trevor so silly that he kept falling down and trying to get up in vain.
Tyson and Lombard are also similar in their respective dominant streaks.
Tyson began his boxing career with an incredible string of wins, culminating in his winning all three heavyweight titles and defending them.
His knockouts were destructive; he was short and powerful.
Lombard has a similar body type and fighting style.
If mixed martial arts has one fighter who is like "Iron" Mike in his heyday, then "Lightning" Lombard is that man.
Lombard looks for his 24th consecutive fight without a loss in Australia this August, when he takes on Ultimate Fighter alumnus Jesse Taylor. Although Lombard's opponent is most likely overmatched, it should be an entertaining fight.
Lombard is a legitimate top-10 middleweight in the world, and for the time being, he seems to have a chokehold on the Bellator 185 division.
I think it is possible that in the next year or so he could make a move to the UFC, especially if his streak continues.
Is Lombard the Mike Tyson of MMA?
It is hard to say really, but we know for sure that Hector "Lightning" Lombard is trouble for nearly any man in the world at 185 pounds.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/772797-mma-is-hector-lombard-the-mike-tyson-of-mma
♔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.
Q & A with Amir Khan and Zab Judah
Read What Khan & Judah Have To Say About Camp Just Two Weeks BeforeTheir July 23 Super Lightweight World Championship Unification Fight Taking
Place At Mandalay Bay In Las Vegas And Being Televised Live on HBO
myboxingfans.com
Amir “King” Khan” – WBA Super Lightweight World Champion
Q: How has this camp been? Has it been better than the past three camps which involved traveling with trainer Freddie Roach (Philippines, Vancouver, Dallas, etc.)?
A: “This camp has been very smooth. We arrived in Los Angeles before the fight with Zab Judah was officially announced because we knew that the July 23 date was set in stone for my fight. When Timothy Bradley declined our last offer, we made a deal with Judah and we’ve been focusing on him since early June.”
“Obviously not traveling to the Philippines, Dallas or even Vancouver has made this an easier camp. There’s obviously less distractions this time. Although going to the Philippines to train with Manny was a terrific experience; any chance to train with one of the best fighters in the world is always an opportunity worth taking.”
Q: How is it working again with Alex Ariza? Can you describe his help in preparing you for the fight with Zab Judah?
A: “I’m glad to be back with Alex, he’s a very important member of the team. My conditioning for this fight is top notch as he continues to challenge me with various morning workouts and other strength and conditioning routines. He’s got terrific ideas and I appreciate the variety of what we do on a daily basis.”
Q: How do you feel about the talk coming from Zab Judah during the training camp? Does it feel like he’s trying to get you off edge?
A: “At first I was a little taken back, but that’s how Zab is. I don’t take much of it personally. He’s a terrific fighter with a wealth of experience. He tried to get under my skin at the press conference and on Twitter, but come July 23 I’ll be able to show the world who is better and that’s all that matters.”
Q: Can you discuss how it feels to return to Mandalay Bay, the site of your 2010 “Fight of the Year” performance against Marcos Maidana?
A: “I’m truly thrilled to be fighting again at Mandalay Bay. It’s a beautiful casino and resort for the fans and the arena is a perfect place to come and see the fight. My fight with Maidana was a classic and I look forward to putting on another sensational performance.”
Q: This is your third fight in the United States, do you feel that fight fans and media are giving you more attention and respect?
A: “Fans in the U.S. are very much ‘show me what you got’ type fans, which I like. I’ve had great responses from fans after my wins against Malignaggi and Maidana and I look forward to continuing to earn their respect. Same with the [American] boxing writers, they’ve been very fair to me. That’s all I can ask.”
Q: Generally speaking, what do you think will be your keys to a victory over Zab Judah?
A: “My keys to beating Zab are to stay focused and listen to Freddie’s plan. Freddie does a great job analyzing my opponents and putting together great plans towards victory. I’m fully confident that we’re putting the work in with our preparations that will lead to a victory on July 23.”
Freddie Roach, Khan’s Trainer
Q: How do you feel training camp is going?
A: “We had our best day of sparring on Friday (July 8). Everything is on schedule. We’ll be cutting down on sparring now; he peaked at 10 rounds. Now we’re down to eight, six and then four rounds sessions.”
Q: When will you break camp to head to Las Vegas?
A: “We will travel to Las Vegas after training on Monday (July 18).”
Zab “Super” Judah – IBF Junior Welterweight World Champion
Q: How is training camp progressing for July 23?
A: “Training camp is going well for me. We have a lot of fun in camp. We’re very relaxed, but very focused too. It’s great. I really have never felt better. My weight is great. It’s been a lot of hard work and dedication and we are ready to go.”
Q: How are you mentally preparing for this fight?
A: “July 23 is about this: What can you bring as far as your skills? What can you bring as far as your brains? What can you bring as far as your knowledge of boxing? What do you [Amir Khan] do when you look across that ring and there’s a hungry lion named Zab ‘Super’ Judah looking you dead in the eye, anxious for the bell to go bing? You either fold or you play cards. Me? I’m going to play to win!”
Q: What is the key to your strategy to beat Khan?
A: “You’re not going to get me to speak about strategy. We don’t talk about the specifics of what we do; you just need to know that everything we do, we do it hard and we do it well. It’s all about preparation and we are prepared. Come see for yourself on July 23, it’s going to be a spectacular performance!”
Pernell Whitaker, Judah’s Trainer & Former Five-Time World Champion
Q: How do you feel training camp is going?
A: “Up to now camp has been wonderful. There’s still 10 days to go and it can only get better. He’s [Judah] got finesse, speed and power, and we’re putting all three of those things together into one. I feel great about it. There’s no negativity in the camp.”
Q: What is your specific strategy to win this fight?
A: “You know we’re not going to talk specific strategies, but everything’s been positive. Zab is looking real good, real good.”
Amir Khan vs. Zab Judah, a 12-round WBA and IBF Super Lightweight World Championship Unification fight, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events in association with Khan Promotions and Khan Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.♔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.
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