Monday, July 16, 2012

Adrien Broner vs. Vicente Escobedo July 21, 2012 world title fight at U.S. Bank; Watch 2 Days: Adrien Broner and other videos online from HBO Boxing

♔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.

CHARLES HUERTA RETURNS!!! "PATH TO GLORY" PITS CALIFORNIA Vs. TEXAS FIGHTERS

Thompson Boxing Promotions returns indoors as popular Charles Huerta heads a list of outstanding Southern California prizefighters appearing at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario on Friday, July 20.

Paramount's Huerta, 25, will bring his caravan of fans as he makes a move up to junior lightweight against the always dangerous Eduardo "Latigo" Arcos, 24, in the main event set for eight rounds.

Huerta (16-3, 9 KOs) trains in Maywood and has long been one of the area's most talented boxers. Huerta has quickness, skills and solid punching power to go along with good boxing sense. He'll be looking to prove that he belongs in the top 20 junior lightweights in the country.

Arcos (18-7-1, 15 KOs) out of Tijuana, Mexico tries to turn things around. The hard-hitting Mexican fighter has a time bomb ticking in his boxing gloves and always looks for the knockout. Decisions are not his preference and he will be looking to dismantle Huerta.

Allentown's Miguel Diaz (8-0, 3 KOs) returns to the West Coast and finds himself matched against flyweight Evaristo Primero (15-14-1, 7 KOs) in an eight round bout. Despite living in Pennsylvania the hard punching Diaz has become an Inland Empire fan favorite with his aggressive style.

Primero has fought some of the best prizefighters in the world including the late, great Johnny Tapia who he lost to by majority decision after 10 rounds. He's also slugged it out with contenders Raul Martinez and Hussein Hussein. The El Paso boxer is a solid veteran.

Colombia's Daulis Prescott (23-1, 18 KOs) faces Mexico's Pablo Torres (4-4-2, 4 KOs) in a featherweight bout. Prescott is the younger brother of Breidis Prescott who knocked out Amir Khan several years back. Both Prescott brothers wield serious firepower. Torres also has a punch. All of his wins have come via knockout.

Northridge, California's Rigoberto Flores (4-1, 2 KOs) meets Hector Garza (3-6, 2 KOs) of Texas in a six round junior welterweight contest. Flores is making his sixth appearance at the Doubletree. He's found success there and hopes not to stumble against the left-handed Garza.

In other fights Sylmar's Sergio Nuñez (6-0, 1KO) fights Houston's Jesus Mendez (3-2, 2 KOs) in a junior lightweight clash; San Pedro's junior bantamweight Isaac Zarate (3-0) opposes Corpus Christi's Jeremy Longoria (3-1, 1KO); and San Diego's junior welterweight Giovanni Santillan (2-0, 1KO) meets Laredo's Alberto Espinoza (1-1).

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♔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.

Falowo moving on from first loss‏; What’s done is done. Falowo ready to put first career loss behind him as he returns to the ring next week

No matter how many times he watches the video, Thomas Falowo still thinks he beat Samuel Clarkson on May 24^th.

“I’ve watched it plenty of times,” Falowo said. “I’ve even watched it with and without sound.”

Unfortunately for Falowo (6-1, 4 KOs), the result is the same each time – a split-decision win for Clarkson and the first blemish on Falowo’s otherwise flawless record. The good news is he’ll get the chance to erase the memory for good on Thursday, July 19^th, 2012 when he returns to the ring to face Dallas’ Rahman Yusubov (8-8, 6 KOs) in a six-round middleweight bout on the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Built To Last” boxing event at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.

“Regardless of whether or not I won the last time out, it was still a competitive fight,” Falowo said. “Overall, it was a good experience. I learned a lot about myself. I stepped up in competition and did what I had to do, except get him out of there.”

Falowo, a Pawtucket, R.I., native, learned a lot in the loss to Clarkson and has worked on correcting his mistakes in training camp, working primarily on his balance and setting up his punches, the latter which is aimed toward helping him snap his year-long drought without a knockout. Part of that, Falowo says, has to do with the increased level of competition, but he also shoulders some of the blame for his inability to finish his last two opponents.

“I feel like I need to set up my knockouts better,” Falowo said. “I’m not a one-punch knockout puncher, so, for me, most of my knockouts come from combinations. It’s more or less a case of being smarter in how I go about it and how effectively I can throw more punches to set up those knockouts.”

Footwork is also an issue. Though Clarkson appeared to stagger Falowo toward the end of the fifth round, Falowo said he was more off-balance than hurt, which may or may not have affected the way the judges scored the bout.

“That might have given the impression that he did more damage than he really did,” Falowo said. “He really didn’t do much damage. I looked like I was wobbly, but I didn’t feel anything in my legs. I was actually hurt more in my third fight [against Zack Thomas].

“Part of it is footwork, and part of it is me standing up higher than I should. I’m working on it.”

Falowo hopes to get it right in time for next Thursday’s clash with Yusubov, who, despite his record, has knocked out the opponent six times in his eight victories and hasn’t fought anyone with more than one loss since March of 2011, and that was against former United States Boxing Assocation (USBA) welterweight champion Carson Jones, who was 28-8-2 at the time and is now 34-9-2.

“He’s a tough guy,” Falowo said. “He comes right at you, and he’s pretty solid. He’s a little shorter than I anticipated, so he’s sturdy, but he comes forward throwing those big shots, so I’ve got a pretty good idea of how he fights.

“I’m just always trying to progress regardless of whether I get a win, loss or draw,” he continued. “You usually learn more from a loss than a win anyway. I’m always trying to do better with each fight and take it to another level.”

Sunday, July 15, 2012

JOSESITO LOPEZ CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS IN JULY!‏

Dalia Gutierrez, 23, quit her job to live at Hope Gardens Family Center, a transitional housing complex that administers a program that helped her get back custody of her daughter.

Having lived at the center for about a year, Gutierrez wanted Wednesday to be different from the rest of the year. After all, it was her daughter's birthday.

She was one of more than 100 people who arrived Wednesday morning to attend Union Rescue Mission's "Christmas in July," an annual event held in downtown L.A. that invites homeless families to celebrate the holiday spirit with snow, Santa Claus and presents.

"I came just for the experience, so she can get the experience doing something else," said Gutierrez, who doesn't normally go to these events.

About 10:30 a.m., children and teens flooded the lot behind Union Rescue Mission's downtown shelter, racing to a penned-off area filled with mounds of snow.

Josesito Lopez, recent World Boxing Council Silver Belt welterweight champion, kicked off the event with the first snowball pitch aimed at a photo of his future opponent Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.

"I was an underdog in the fight. Nobody expected me to win," Lopez said to the kids. "Just work hard and anything can come true."

Minutes later, a swarm of children rushed in, laughing and smiling as they balled up mounds of snow in the 82-degree weather.

"The goal is to bring summer and snow to kids who may not ever see it," said Alexander Cornejo, manager of Union Rescue Mission's volunteer department, as he got smacked with a large snowball. "Right now they can forget about their situation and [be] in La La Land."

In a white tank, black shorts, and Ugg-like boots, Zoey Dawson, 13, left the pit half-soaked with melted snow. Her friend followed her out with a snowball in tow.

"You don't have to sit there in the shelter and worry about things. You can just go out there and have fun with your friends," said Zoey, who lives at the shelter with her mom.

The event also featured a Santa Claus wearing a half-suit with shorts and Nike sandals; there was face painting, balloons, carnival games and free food.

Sporting a Tinkerbell-inspired face paint mask, Sharesse Perry, 23, played the ring toss at a booth. She had brought her 1-year-old daughter, Nabaeh, who sat comfortably in her stroller.

"This event brings the family together," said Perry, who has been staying at Hope Gardens Family Center. "So it doesn't matter where you're from ... you can still come here and everyone is still family."

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“Built To Last”; Rich Gingras added to July 19th show‏

Rich Gingras certainly wasn’t expecting the phone call earlier this week, but he was more than ready to accept the challenge. Such is the unpredictable nature of professional boxing.

Working full-time as the owner and head trainer at the Fight 2 Fitness gym in Pawtucket, R.I., the former “The Contender” reality television star hasn’t slowed down since his last fight on May 24th, which is why he willingly answered the bell when promoterJimmy Burchfield Sr. offered to add him to the “Built To Last” card Thursday, July 19th, 2012at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.

“That’s the way boxing is,” said Gingras, who lost to Terrance Smith in May when the ringside doctor stopped the fight after the second round due to a cut over Gingras’ eye. “The last thing I wanted to do was wait another two months before my next fight.”

Four days after the fight, Gingras (11-3, 7 KOs) moved his gym from the second floor to the bottom level, expanding from just under 5,000 square feet to 8,500, a space that now includes 33 heavy bags, six speed bags, seven spin bikes, full locker rooms and showers, and a regulation-sized boxing ring.

Needless to say, Gingras has kept in shape since the end of May; he weighed 183 pounds the night of his fight and has been walking around comfortably at 178 for the past six weeks, so he’ll be ready to fight at the light heavyweight limit of 175 when he returns to the ring next Thursday in a six-round special attraction.

“The longer you’re away from the gym, the harder it is to get back in shape,” he said, “so that’s why I went back in right after the last fight. I’m constantly working out, running everyday, and when I’m not working out myself, I’m training someone else, so I’m still burning calories.

“Eating food has become a whole other job just so I can keep up on my calories.”

Gingras recently signed a promotional agreement with Classic Entertainment & Sports, which will promote the July 19th show, and debuted with the company in May. His goal at the time was to stay as busy as possible, and that hasn’t changed despite his recent setback. The fight on the 19th will be his third since March, and he’s already looking forward to stepping back into the ring in October when CES’ Thursday Night Fight Series continues at Twin River.

“I want to get right back on that horse,” Gingras said. “When you live healthy, you heal fast, and I’m a fast healer. I take pride in staying in shape.”

Judah Brothers Boxing Club Fighting to Stay Open‏

The Judah Brothers Boxing Club, a safe haven for people of all ages living in New York City’s roughest areas, is desperately trying fighting off a serious economic onslaught.

The Judah Brothers Boxing Club is under the banner of the Thornhill Community Supportive Services Incorporated, a 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization based in Brooklyn. Currently, Judah is in the process of making his gym an independent non-profit so he can continue aiding struggling New Yorkers on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, he is behind on the monthly bills and worries that if the gym is forced to close his members would be in serious trouble. To make matters worse, the landlord is planning to raise rent by $2,000 per month in the near future.

“I want to continue providing a positive place for people in bad situations to go but I need all the help I can get,” said Judah, who regularly bought food and drinks for members who couldn’t afford it. My goal is to run a free summer program for underprivileged kids and they’d spend a whole day at the gym instead of the streets. This is very important because kids are out of school now and can get into all kinds of trouble.”

The gym opened in August 2011 and was fully funded by legendary kickboxer and boxing trainer Yoel Judah. Many of the members laced up a pair of gloves for the first time and were educated about the discipline that the sport provides. In addition to a boxing program that’s attracted children as young as five, the gym has martial arts training, a wrestling program, a basketball court and ping pong tables.

All members receive hands-on training from Judah, former two division world champion Junior “Poison” Jones, famed Butterbean conqueror Mitch Rose and Yoel’s son Daniel.

“We have a lot of kids here that are coming for free,” said Judah. “A lot of these kids have (no family life) and no money. The gym keeps them off the streets and out of trouble, which is extremely important.”

With the assistance and dedication of his hard-working trainers, Judah is organizing a series of fundraisers for the gym.

Donations can be made via check to the Thornhill Community Supportive Services Incorporated in association with Judah Brothers Boxing Club, located at 1467 Bedford Ave Brooklyn, NY 11216. The Judah Brothers Boxing Club is located at 400 Liberty Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11207. For more information, please email judahbrothers@gmail.com.

Biosse preps for Canadien slugger‏; All in a day’s work, Biosse continues preparation for July 19th return despite last-minute opponent swap

The opponent has changed, but Vladine Biosse’s preparation for his highly-anticipated return to the ring next Thursday remains as diligent as ever.

Fresh off his dominant win over Joey Spina in May, Biosse (13-1-1, 6 KOs) will face Saskatchewan, Canada super middleweight Mike Walchuk (9-5, 2 KOs) on Thursday, July 19^th, 2012 in the eight-round main event of “Built To Last,” presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.

“To me, being in the gym is like breathing, so if I’m not in the gym, I’m not breathing,” Biosse said. “I never stop training, whether I have a fight coming up or I’m just looking to get in the gym. That’s what I do. That’s what I love doing.

“I don’t believe in not training. Some guys take two or three weeks off after a fight. I don’t believe in that at all. I took a week off [after the win over Spina] to enjoy myself and my family, and then I got right back in the gym.”

After winning just one of his previous three fights, Biosse burst back onto the scene with a dynamic performance against Spina six weeks ago at Twin River. Now he’s looking to take another step forward against Walchuk, who has fought at various weights his entire career, ranging from middleweight (160 pounds) to as high as light heavyweight (175). Next Thursday’s clash against Biosse will be Walchuck’s first fight since October.

“Obviously, you want to have the right opponent at the right time, so the more time you have the more you learn about how to break him down so you can plan your strategy,” Biosse said, “but I’m a fighter, and that’s the name of the game.

“Sometimes, these things happen, and that’s what we’re dealing with right now. It is what it is. I’ll take this next step forward and do what I have to do. I’m a fighter; it’s my job to be prepared.”

Though he hasn’t had the luxury of preparing for the same opponent throughout the duration of his training camp as he did prior to the Spina fight, Biosse is treating next week’s fight the same way he treats all the rest. The goal, regardless of the opponent, is to win in dominant fashion and prepare for the next step.

“Every fight is a big fight. I don’t take any opponent lightly,” he said. “I made that mistake in the past and it cost me. Whether you’re losing a lot or you’re winning, you go to camp with the same mentality as if you were fighting for a world title.

“In my camp, I’m glad I have the right guys around me who really push me to be on that level, even on days when I just don’t feel right. From my manager, Quint Dow, to coach [Orlondo] Valles and Ray Oliveira, and all my teammates, they help me keep that edge. We don’t train as if we’re going into an easy fight. Every fight is a hard fight. That’s the way we train.”

Find A Dream’s Stars Invited As VIP Guests To ESPN’s Friday Night Fights

Find A Dream’s Stars Invited As VIP Guests To ESPN’s Friday Night Fights

It was announced today that former boxing champions Ray Mercer and Bobby Czyz—Board Members of Find A Dream—have been invited as VIP guests to ESPN’s Friday Night Fights at Resorts Hotel Casino on July 27.

The renowned Resorts will be hosting ESPN’s acclaimed boxing series featuring the NABF Lightweight Title fight between Hank Lundy and Raymundo Beltran. Last month Resorts was all over the boxing map as they held the All Star Boxing Legends Gala Tribute Dinner, and continue to be recognized as the premier venue for fight sports in the Northeast.

Mercer and Czyz represented Find A Dream at the gala, and continue to remain active with their efforts of promoting awareness about the organization. Find A Dream is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that reaches out to community children and provides them a healthy channel to find and work towards fulfilling a dream.

“Resorts is a beautiful hotel and casino and is quickly establishing themselves as one of the most prevalent locations for boxing and MMA in Atlantic City,” said Rod Ricciardi, Founder of Find A Dream. “They go out of their way to help support Find A Dream and working towards achieving our mission, and we are honored to have our Board Members invited as VIP guests to ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.”

The full fight card is as follows:

· NABF Lightweight Title Fight- Henry Lundy vs. Raymundo Beltran (10)

· Super Middleweight- Richard Pierson vs. Farah Ennis (10)

· Bantamweight- Miguel Cartagena vs. Jose Rivera (6)

· Light Heavyweight- Frankie Filippone vs. TBA (6)

· Light Middleweight- Decarlo Perez vs. TBA (6)

· Super Middleweight- Derrick Webster vs. TBA (6)

· Light Middleweight- Thomas Lamann vs. TBA (6)

· Welterweight- Juan Rodriguez Jr. vs. TBA (4)

· Light Welterweight- Josh Mercado vs. Korey Sloane (4)

· Super Middleweight- Antowyan Aikens vs. TBA (4)

· Light Heavyweight- Joe Smith Jr. vs. TBA (4)

· Welterweight- Anthony Young vs. TBA (4)

Derrick Webster Returns to Action on July 27th‏

DERRICK WEBSTER RETURNING TO RING ON JULY 27TH
Undefeated Super Middleweight to Fight at Resorts in Atlantic City   Undefeated super middleweight Derrick "Take it to the Bank" Webster (13-0, 7 KOs) will look for his 14th professional victory later this month, returning to the ring on July 27th at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City as part of an ESPN Friday Night Fights card. Fresh off a trip to Las Vegas where he joined trainer Freddie Roach and the camp of WBC Middleweight Champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., Webster reflected on the past few months of his life as he waits to hear who he will face in his next bout.

Webster is the current BAM Middleweight Champion "The past few months have been interesting and educational," Webster remarked. "I wouldn't change any of it for the world. It has given me a lot more fire and has made me want to train a whole lot harder. I'm a person who has always had a lot of will, but this has given me even more will to want to win more excitingly."

Something that has been a regular occurrence throughout the career of Webster is not getting much time to train for specific opponents. Dates are booked weeks and often months before he knows who he will be fighting, and various challengers are brought to the table before someone signs the deal to scrap.

"My trainer, Denny Brown, tells me that if I just am who I am supposed to be in that ring, it doesn't matter who I'm fighting," Webster stated. "We train for the pressure, we train for the boxers, we train for awkwardness, and we train for the long haul.

Godfrey set for long-awaited return‏; Gettin’ back to basics, Cruiserweight Godfrey starting from scratch as he aims for another shot at a title

Matt Godfrey’s body might not heal as quickly as it used to after 23 professional fights, and certain injuries might linger longer than normal, but there’s no reason why the Providence, R.I., cruiserweight can’t contend for another shot at a world title.

“I’m 31 years young,” said Godfrey, who’ll fight in front of his hometown fans for the first time in five years on Thursday, July 19th, 2012 at Twin River Casino. “I still feel like a kid in this game even though I’ve been around for a while.”

Godfrey’s journey back to the top of the cruiserweight division begins next Thursday when he faces sturdy veteran Jesse Oltmans (10-3, 7 KOs) of Bartonsville, Pa., in the six-round co-feature of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Built To Last” show at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.

Not only has Godfrey (20-3, 10 KOs) not fought in Rhode Island since 2007, he hasn’t fought at all in 13 months since losing to Lateef Kayode in California for the North American Boxing Association (NABA) and North American Boxing Federation (NABF) cruiserweight titles – the second of back-to-back losses for Godfrey, who also suffered a brutal, knockout loss to World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Marco Huck 10 months prior to the fight against Kayode.

As Godfrey climbed higher and higher in the cruiserweight rankings, the layoff between fights became much longer as he and his camp plotted each step carefully in hopes of bringing the cruiserweight world title to Providence. Now it’s back to the drawing board, which means Godfrey simply wants to stay active before he makes his next run at championship glory.

“I got myself to the highest point where I fought for a world title, but I came up short,” Godfrey said. “Now I’m at a point where it’s do-or-die. I have to rebuild again and almost start from scratch. Over the past five years, I’ve been fighting nothing but iron once or twice a year, training for the best fighters in the world.

“To be honest, it’s a little humbling to be at a point where I have to start over again.”

Being back home might help ease the sting; it’s been five years since Godfrey last fought in Providence, defending his NABF cruiserweight title in a 10-round unanimous-decision win over Derrick Brown. At the time, he was undefeated at 16-0 and ranked No. 2 among cruiserweights by the World Boxing Council (WBC).

Over the next five years, Godfrey fought everywhere from North Dakota to Germany, successfully defending the title two more times before losing to Huck in 2010. The goal now is to get back to where he was that night in August of 2007, and the good news is he has time to make the right choices along the way considering his age and his health are still on his side.

“I can’t wait to feel the energy from the hometown fans,” he said. “I’m so used to being here as a spectator. I always hoped it would be me in that ring, and now it finally will be.

“I’m real happy. I can still run with the young guys and bang a few of them out in sparring. I work harder than all of them, so I don’t think it’s the last run for me. Boxing is in my blood. I’ve been doing this my whole life.

“I’ve been in situations recently where I’ve turned down fights because they weren’t right for me. Coming off back-to-back losses, I could’ve taken fights where one win would’ve put me right back in the hunt, but I’m a realist. I need to get back to basics.”

Perhaps the most pressing need is for Godfrey is to stick to the game plan once the bell rings. The Providence native admits he’s guilty of overthinking at times, particularly in his fights in Germany against Rudolf Kraj (2008) and Huck.

“All you have to do is be who you are and get in there and punch,” he said. “In some of these fights, I think too much. I wasn’t doing what I did to get to that point. I’d get to the big fight and be thinking things like, ‘Did that punch land? Did the judge see it?’ Guys would be throwing bombs and missing them, but the crowd is going wild, so I’m wondering if the judges thought it landed, so now I’m thinking, ‘Oh, man, I have to get that one back!’

“I was just overthinking.”

Fighting at Twin River, Godfrey should be more relaxed on July 19th, which will allow him to focus squarely on his step-by-step journey back to the top of the cruiserweight division. No timetable has been set – he’s playing it by ear, which helps alleviate some of the pressure.

“I don’t want to just win – I want to be dominant and look great,” Godfrey said. “In my eyes, I haven’t looked very, very good in a fight in almost two years.

“The lack of fights hasn’t helped, either. I haven’t had enough fights to work on some of the things I need to work on. It’s difficult to get better when you have such a long layoff. I’ve been knocked down so many notches that I don’t look at other fighters and say, ‘This is the guy I’m going to fight next.’ I know I’m a few fights away from even sniffing the Top 5 or Top 10 right now, so I’m just taking it one step at a time, one fight at a time.”

The road back to the top begins next Thursday in a familiar setting at Twin River, one Godfrey hopes will provide a much-needed boost against a dangerous puncher.

“You can always feed off that hometown crowd,” he said. “I’m looking forward to 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.

In search of a winner; Kozlin, Rodriguez clash again‏; Kozlin, Rodriguez lace ‘em up again in hopes of settling the score from previous fight

Keith Kozlin says there’s no way he didn’t beat Reynaldo Rodriguez the first time they fought last summer. His opponent disagrees.

The only logical solution is to fight again, which these two super middleweights will do Thursday, July 19^th, 2012 when they face off in a six-round intrastate showdown on the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Built To Last” professional boxing event at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, R.I.

Their first fight in July of 2011 – a four-rounder – ended in a draw with both fighters trading knockdowns in the final round. Two of the judges scored it even at 38-38 while the other judge favored Kozlin by a score of 40-36. Now they’ll square off again, this time in a six-rounder, which could be the deciding factor.

“With two extra rounds the first time around, I would’ve at least won or knocked him out. I need those rounds,” said Rodriguez (6-4-1, 3 KOs), a Woonsocket, R.I., native. “I’m definitely in way better shape this time. I’m going to win. With the way I’m training, I don’t think it’ll even go six rounds.”

“[Six rounds] favors me in the long run,” countered Kozlin. “I wouldn’t say I’m a slow starter, but I pick up the pace as I go along. I have a work rate and love to stay busy. I throw a lot of punches. Whatever he brings, I’ll be ready for.”

Both fighters could use a win. After knocking out local favorite Richard “Bobo” Starnino in October, Rodriguez stepped outside of New England and lost back-to-back fights in Washington and California, while Kozlin (6-3-1, 4 KOs), a West Warwick native, hasn’t won since July of 2010 and is 0-2-1 in his last three fights, which includes a loss to Woonsocket’s Joe Gardner in November of 2010, a loss he had hoped to avenge on next week’s card.

“That’s the fight I wanted,” Kozlin said, “but I’ve kind of come to terms with the fact it won’t happen. He’s scared. I know that now. I just need a win. It would do a lot for me. Nobody wants to keep seeing me fight if I lose or get draws. They want to see wins, and they want to see knockouts.”

Kozlin’s confident he’ll come out on top based primarily on his workload over the past 11 weeks, which he admits was a problem prior to his first fight against Rodriguez.

“I saw he had gotten knocked out [against Greg McCoy] before he fought me, so I thought, ‘I can do that! I don’t have to train hard,’” Kozlin said. “I didn’t think it’d be a hard fight.

“I learned my lesson. I learned not to take anyone lightly. I wasn’t anywhere near my peak conditioning for that fight, but I am now and it’ll show.”

Yet regardless of his lack of training, Kozlin still thinks he won the first fight, especially since one of the three judges had him winning all four rounds despite the knockdown.

“He definitely did not win that fight. No way,” Kozlin said. “I got robbed real bad. The one upside he had was a flash knockdown, and then I knocked him down. I outworked him. He was running a lot, so I cut the ring off. I was the aggressor. All in all, it was a good fight, but I overlooked him. I won’t make that mistake again.”

“I thought I slipped, but they called it a knockdown,” Rodriguez said. “It was a good fight, and he’s a good fighter. I have nothing bad to say about him. Hopefully, this fight will be better and I’ll win this time, but, yeah, I think I won the first one. I put more pressure on him in the last 10 to 20 seconds of each round. I basically out-boxed him. I thought I won, but they called it a draw.”

Like Kozlin, Rodriguez is hoping a victory can launch the next stage of his career. The only catch is someone must win, otherwise we could be talking trilogy in the near future.

“This can open a lot of doors. That’s the way I look at it,” he said. “We’ll see on the 19^th.”

Reigning WBC USNBC middleweight champion Elvin Ayala will face John Mackey in the 10-round main event next Saturday at Mohegan Sun

‶The Lycan″ returns July 21st. Reigning WBC USNBC middleweight champion Elvin Ayala will face John Mackey in the 10-round main event next Saturday at Mohegan Sun.

Lettin’ it all out!; Vincent breaking out of her shell‏; With three fights under her belt, Vincent looking to take her career to the next level

Believe it or not, the Shelito Vincent who won each of her first three professional fights in dominant fashion was actually a toned-down version of the one we might see Saturday night.

“I’m starting to feel more comfortable in the ring,” said Vincent (3-0), who will put her undefeated record on the line Saturday, July 21st, 2012 against Ivana Coleman of Slidell, La., in a four-round bantamweight bout on the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield’s “The Fire Within” professional boxing show, presented by Classic Entertainment & Sports at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

“Everything is starting to come together. Expect to see a lot of great things coming.”

For Vincent – raised in New London, Conn., and now training in Providence, R.I. – one of the biggest hurdles was adjusting to her new life as a professional boxer, which began in October with a win over Karen Dulin.

Now she’s in search of her fourth consecutive victory under the promotional guidance of Burchfield, who is no stranger to the intricacies of women’s boxing; he helped guide Jaime Clampitt to two world titles during her 10-year career.

“[Signing a long-term contract] is something all of us girls want,” Vincent said. “I’ve always wanted Jimmy to support me. This is the team I’m going to be with for my whole career.”

Burchfield and the rest of the viewing audience next Saturday might witness Vincent’s best performance to date. Her comfort level has increased dramatically within the past nine months, and she’s finally broken out of her shell both in and outside of the ring, which could be bad news for Coleman.

“My last fight was my best fight,” said Vincent, who beat Carmen Cruz unanimously in March to improve to 3-0. “I just felt as though I was in a certain rhythm and everything came together. My combinations were good, I was coming up underneath – all the training and work I put into that fight brought out the best in me.

“Boxing is like anything else; the more you do it, the more comfortable you get. It was like that in the amateurs, too, and now I’m starting to get that same feeling as a pro.”

Coleman has never boxed professionally, but she has a 1-2 record in professional mixed martial arts, so Vincent is expecting the unexpected next weekend, something she’s prepared for in camp by sparring other mixed martial arts fighters.

“The thing I’ve noticed about them is everything they do is wide, whether it’s the way they punch, or their footwork – everything is wide, more so than boxers,” Vincent said. “I’ll try to use my jab and work off that, and just move around more.

“She has a good right hand and hits hard. A lot of times when I spar other MMA girls their feet are all over the place. They’re actually harder to spar with than someone who has boxing skills. They’re more awkward. That’s what I’m expecting.”

Vincent is also expecting tremendous fan support, which has become a theme at each of her professional fights. With a captivating background stemming from her rough childhood, she’s become an ally for troubled youth both in Connecticut and Rhode Island. After this fight, she’ll continue her tour of Connecticut schools, relaying her story to children to help make sure they don’t go through the same thing she went through growing up. She’s also participating in the World Boxing Council’s WBC Cares anti-bullying campaign.

“I love doing this in my spare time. I think it’s my calling,” she said. “I just love working with kids. I think it would’ve been such a big difference in my life I had someone to talk to growing up.”

Part of Vincent’s message is the need for discipline and structure, which she developed later in life through boxing. She turned the corner for good in 2008 and won a national Golden Gloves title before making her pro debut at the age of 32.

“The boxing kept me on track. It made me not afraid. It made me feel strong,” Vincent said. “It brings a lot of stuff out of me. Hitting the bag is like running. If you’re having a bad day, go to the gym, hit the bag and let it all out.

“It’s definitely been the most positive thing for me in my life. Like I always tell people, boxing saved my life.”

Vincent’s new life inside the ring is off to a tremendous start, and with Burchfield in her corner, the sky’s the limit. The female bantamweight division is wide open, and Vincent’s rise to the top could continue Saturday with another impressive performance.

“The ultimate goal is to get some belts and bring them back to CES and New London,” she said. “I want to make everyone in my city proud. To be the best, who doesn’t want that? That’ll be the best feeling in my life. I think I’ll get it – I know I will. I’ll make sure no one else works harder than I do.”

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Preview of Amir Khan vs Danny Garcia: Tonight at 11PM on HBO

AMIR KHAN VS. DANNY GARCIA live on HBO World Championship Boxing

Khan vs. Garcia, a 12-round unification fight for Khan's WBA Super Lightweight Super World Championship, Garcia's WBC Super Lightweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Khan Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. Doors open on fight night at 3:00 p.m. PT and the first bell rings at 3:30 p.m. Khan vs. Garcia will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT in the United States and live on Sky Sports 1HD in the United Kingdom at 2:00 a.m. BST Sunday, July 15.

David Haye vs. Dereck Chisora Saturday July 14 2012 @ Upton Park, West Ham, London, UK TV: EPIXHD.com Time: 6pm ET