★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience©®™

Friday, July 27, 2012

Corrected draw release with Michael Hunter and Jose Ramirez opponent‏; The Path to Gold is Set for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team in London

The path to gold was set on Friday for the 12 members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team at the official event draw on Friday at the ExCel Centre in London. The brackets in the 13 Olympic weight classes were drawn in front of representatives from all of the participating nations. Three U.S. boxers received first round byes with the remaining nine American athletes learning the identity of their opening day opponents.

The women’s draw was done first and both flyweight Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) and middleweight Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) received byes in their opening round bouts. Lightweight Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) will face home nation boxer Natasha Jones of Great Britain in her Olympic Games opener on August 5. Esparza will take on the winner of a first round contest between Brazil and Venezuela when she takes the ring for quarterfinal action on August 6 while Shields battles the victor of a showdown between Australia and Sweden on the same date.

Three-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) was the lone U.S. boxer to be seeded in the 2012 Olympic Games and as the number three seed, he received a first round bye as well. Warren will take the ring for the third time in Olympic action in a second round bout against the winner of France and Afghanistan on August 3.

Bantamweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (S. El Monte, Calif.) and middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) open action for Team USA on Saturday with Diaz taking on on Ukraine’s Pavlo Ishchenko and Gausha battling Armenia’s Andranik Hakobyan.

Lightweight Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.) and welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) will compete on Sunday in their first round contests. Ramirez will face France’s Rachid Azzedine on Sunday while Spence takes on Brazil’s Myke Carvalho de Ribeiro.

Light heavyweight Marcus Browne (Staten Island, N.Y.) will be the lone U.S. boxer in Monday’s action, challenging Australia’s Damien Hooper in his Olympic debut.

There will only be one U.S. boxer competing on Tuesday as well with light welterweight Jamel Herring (Coram, N.Y.) facing off with Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Yeleussinov in the first round.

The two heavyweights will be the final male boxers to compete and both will challenge Russian opponents when they take the ring on Wednesday, August 1. Heavyweight Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) will battle Russia’s Tervel Pulev while super heavyweight Dominic Breazeale (Alhambra, Calif.) facesMagomed Omarov.

The 2012 Olympic Games are a single elimination tournament and all of the 2012 Olympic Games brackets can be found on www.aiba.org.

♔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.

Lundy's time is now‏; ‘Stay in your lane!’ ‘Hammerin’’ Hank finalizes game plan for Beltran; offers stern warning to Broner

“Hammerin’” Hank Lundy is as relaxed as ever, feeling no pressure whatsoever as he prepares to defend his title and world No. 1 ranking Friday, July 27^th, 2012 against Raymundo Beltran at Resorts Hotel Casino.

“I’m feeling excellent,” said Lundy, the reigning North American Boxing Federation (NABF) lightweight champion and top-ranked lightweight in the World Boxing Council (WBC).

“I know what I have to go in there and do. I know what my job is. I’ve just got to go out there and be ‘Hammerin’’ Hank. I appreciate Beltran giving me this opportunity, but I’ve got to handle my business at the end of the day.”

Friday’s show, promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports and appropriately named “Title Wave,” features the 10-round main event between Lundy (22-1-1, 11 KOs) and Beltran (25-6, 17 KOs) in addition to a 10-round super middleweight co-feature between fellow Philadelphia native Farah Ennis (19-1, 12 KOs) and New Jersey’s Richard Patterson (11-2, 8 KOs). Beginning at 10 p.m. (EST), the show will air on ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPN Deportes as part of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.

After reaching the No. 1 spot in the WBC, Lundy could’ve held out for a shot at the world title, currently held by Antonio DeMarco, but instead chose to return to ESPN for the seventh time since 2010 and face the dangerous Beltran, a hard-hitting Mexican and former sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao who’s looking to rewrite the script on his own tumultuous career.

Standing toe-to-toe with Beltran is a risk, one that most fighters in Lundy’s shoes wouldn’t take, but so, too, was facing unknown challenger Dannie Williams in March, a fight Lundy won handedly despite getting knocked down in the first round.

As he prepares for Friday’s fight, Lundy is also keeping a close eye on the rest of the 135-pound division, particularly DeMarco, who will defend his title against John Molina in September, with, perhaps, the winner facing Lundy next. Molina is still the only fighter who’s beaten Lundy, so, deep down, Lundy is rooting for Molina in hopes of facing him a in a rematch for the world title.

Lundy also has another potential challenger on his radar, former World Boxing Organization (WBO) super featherweight championAdrien Broner, who was forced to vacate his title prior to last weekend’s fight against Vicente Escobedo because he failed to make weight. The undefeated Broner won the fight regardless, and afterward promised more world titles in his future as he plans to move up to 135 pounds, irking the outspoken Lundy, who called Broner “unprofessional” for failing to make weight.

“I run this weight class,” Lundy said. “If you think you can just move up and jump over me, it ain’t happening. Don’t run. You could’ve mentioned my name on HBO. Instead, you took the easy way out. Just go on and keep fighting who you’re fighting. If he fought half the competition I’ve faced, he’d be dead in his tracks.

“Until I unify these titles, I rule this division, and I’m going to be here for a long time.”

The undercard also features a six-round light middleweight bout between Thomas Lamanna (8-0, 5 KOs) of Millville, N.J., and William Brown (5-3) of Akron, Ohio, in addition to a four-round welterweight bout between Anthony Young (4-0, 2 KOs) of Atlantic City and Richie Andrews (3-1-3, 1 KO) of Stuarts Draft, Va. Josh Mercado (5-1, 2 KOs) of Cape May, N.J., will battle Korey Sloane (2-4-1) of Philadelphia in a four-round bout and Atlantic City’s Antowyan Aikens (5-0, 1 KO) will face Jimmy Ellis (3-5-1, 2 KOs) in a four-round super middleweight bout.

Also on the undercard, Kenneth Moody (2-3-2, 1 KO) of Virginia Beach, Va., will face Ismael Garcia (3-0) of Millville, N.J., in a four-round middleweight bout and super middleweight Isaiah Seldon of Somers Point, N.J., will face Steven Tyner (3-5-2, 2 KOs) of Akron in a four-round bout. All fights and fighters subject to change. Bantamweight Miguel Cartagena (5-0, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia will put his unbeaten record on the line against Jose Rivera in a six-round bout.

♔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.

RESORTS HOTEL CASINO IN ATLANTIC CITY TO HOST ESPN’S FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS‏

Boxing returns to the renowned Resorts Hotel Casino in Atlantic City for ESPN’s acclaimed series Friday Night Fights. In the main event of the evening, Hank Lundy will go to battle against Raymundo Beltran for the NABF Lightweight Title.

Last month Resorts was all over the boxing map as they held the All Star Boxing Legends Gala Tribute Dinner, and is quickly becoming recognized as the Mecca of fight sports in Atlantic City and the Northeast.

“We love the opportunity to host Friday Night Fights,” said Matt Howard, Vice President of Gomes Gaming. “This was a dream of Dennis Gomes, God rest his soul. This is what he wanted, high profile televised fights. We are trying to make that happen. We are excited for our customers as well as the boxing community.”

Over the past year Resorts has hosted several boxing and MMA events in addition to a variety of music and other entertainment, and strives to put on the shows that the public wants to see.

“Everything we do is to honor Dennis,” said Howard. “When envisioning what we want for our property, this was one of our plans. We have the perfect venue for the fights and are very excited for next Friday.”

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)

JEAN PASCAL HAND INJURY POSTPONES AUG 11 TITLE FIGHT ON SHOWTIME® AGAINST UNDEFEATED DEFENDING CHAMPION TAVORIS CLOUD

The much-anticipated showdown between undefeated International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KOs), of Tallahassee, Fla., and popular hometown favorite and former World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight titleholder Jean Pascal (26-2-1, 16 KOs), scheduled for August 11 live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on SHOWTIME^®, has been postponed to a later date due to a right-hand injury sustained by Pascal during a sparring session 1 ½ weeks ago.

“To tell you the truth, Pascal said at yesterday’s press conference in Montreal, “I was so sad when the decision was made that I even cried. This is the first time it’s happened to me for a fight. I haven’t fought in 15 months and this was a golden opportunity for me. Thanks to everybody involved for rescheduling. This will make me stronger when I get in the ring.”

The “Shock Wave In Montreal” undercard, featuring an IBF super middleweight title eliminator between Canadian knockout artist Adonis “Superman” Stevenson, (18-1, 15 KOs), of Montreal, and United States Boxing Association (USBA) champion Donovan “Da Bomb” George (22-2-1, 19 KOs), of Chicago, Illinois, has been postponed until late August or early September.

“Jean Pascal tried hard to fight through his hand injury with a cortisone shot and therapy,” Pascal’s promoter Yvon Michel (GYM) explained, “but after yesterday’s second MRI on his hand, we were notified by Dr. Francis Fontaine that he would not give medical clearance for Jean Pascal to fight on August 11. The evaluation revealed that Jean has a bone bruise and only rest can heal it. He was in good physical condition and his weight was right where we wanted it to be at this stage. He had an excellent training camp, right on target, preparing to fight Cloud.

“Jean is a warrior. He tried extremely hard to convince us to let him fight because he believed he could beat Cloud with one good hand like he did when he defeatedAdrian Diaconu (December, 2009) with a dislocated shoulder. At 29 years old and reaching his peak, we were not about to let him jeopardize his career by fighting injured. Jean has always challenged and fought best during his career. He certainly is not afraid of Cloud.

“Cloud vs. Pascal is the best fight the light heavyweight division can provide. Both are fan friendly fighters who want to establish themselves as the best puncher in the 175-pound division. It’s a huge fight in Montreal where tickets sales were very high and we were headed for a crowd of 10,000, which is great for a summer event in Montreal. Fans deserve to watch these two fighters at their physical bests. We are working with Stephen Espinoza (Showtime) and Don King to reschedule this great show in the fall. We are all committed to rescheduling and grateful that Showtime recognizes Cloud vs. Pascal as one of the most entertaining light heavyweight match-ups in years. Within a week we hope to have everything finalized in terms of rescheduled this great fight.”

“Pascal has Tavorisitis,” Cloud’s promoter Don King. “He needs more time to get his courage up to fight this smaller version of Tyson. Tavoris is of the Tyson ilk. He’s a search-and-destroy kind of guy.

"Pascal has been tweeting that he had a sad day because his Mercedes-Benz had a flat tire. Well, Tavoris is going to give Pascal a flat ass to go with his flat tire. This is going to be the fight of the decade. Tweet that!

“Tavoris Cloud is decreeing war on Jean Pascal and he’s taking no prisoners. He told me he can’t wait to get to Canada to destroy this faker and win the hearts and minds of his new Canadian brothers and sisters. Viva Canada!!!"

"When Tavoris heard Pascal said he cried over this injury, he said to just wait until he gets done with Pascal, he’ll be crying like a baby.”

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Women boxers to look out for at the London 2012 Olympic Games

With just a few days to go until the biggest show on Earth gets underway in the British capital, we look at the men and women in each of the weight categories who can have a real impact at the London 2012 Olympic Games. In the final part of this series, we examine the Fly (51kg), Light (60kg) and Middleweight (75kg) women.

Women Flyweight (51kg)

Ren Cancan won gold at the most recent AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in China, a title she defended once again. Her main rival in London will be Great Britain's Nicola Adams, whom she has defeated in the last two World Championships finals. Chungneijang Mery Kom Hmangte, also known as Mary Kom, moved up weight classes in order to qualify for the Olympic Games and is determined not to leave the capital without at least a medal. Veteran Karolina Michalczuk from Poland, Russia's Elena Savelyeva and the American Marlen Esparza, who was recently featured in Vogue magazine, are also tough competitors who can really make a difference.

Women Lightweight (60kg)

Difficult to look beyond the Irish icon Katie Taylor (photo) for this one, she was recently crowned a quadruple AIBA World Champion and took the best boxer trophy in China. Her main rival will be the impressive Russian Sofya Ochigava, who she defeated in the final. Quanitta Lee 'Queen' Underwood and Great Britain's Natasha Jones are the other favourites behind the front two. New Zealand's Alexis Pritchard trained with the AIBA Road to London programs and sparred with some of the best boxers around in preparation for the Olympic Games so could be a dark horse in the draw.

Women Middleweight (75kg)
Great Britain's Savannah Marshall, a 21-year-old orthodox fighter from Hartlepool, dubbed the 'Silent Assassin', became the first British woman to be crowned an AIBA World Champion after taking gold at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships Qinhuangdao 2012 and now will be the firm favourite to take the Olympic title after defeating all before her in China. Marshall will be the one to beat, but she has some tough opposition to deal with. Azerbaijan's Elena Vystropova came second to the young Brit in the World Championships this year and after losing by just two points in the final, she will firmly believe that she can claim gold at the ExCeL London on 9 July when then women's finals take place. Canada's triple AIBA World Champion Mary Spencer was one of the sport's dominant forces in recent years so will be keen to re-assert her authority on the young pretenders. Russia's Nadezda Torlopova was the Heavyweight (81kg) AIBA World Champion in 2010 so her power makes her a major contender too. Finally, American teenage sensation Claressa Shields is one the most talented fighters to ever emerge in women's boxing and even though she is only 17, she has all the attributes of a future great.

Watch: Mike Tyson & Spike Lee in Rehearsal for 'Undisputed Truth'

Mike Tyson's Las Vegas one-man show, The Undisputed Truth, is heading to Broadway under Spike Lee's direction... in case you haven't heard.

Tyson will bring his show to Broadway for a limited engagement (July 31 to Augugust 12) at the Longacre Theatre.

This will be Spike's Broadway directorial debut (he filmed a stage production Passing Strange; but he's never actually directed a Broadway show before), with James L. Nederlander producing.

"It is an honor to work with Spike Lee... I have always admired his work. Sharing the highlights and lowlights of my life with New York is especially important to me as I was born and raised in Brooklyn. I am thrilled to bring the story of Undisputed Truth to Broadway," said Tyson.

The upcoming show is being billed as "a rare, personal look inside the life and mind of one of the most feared men ever to wear the heavyweight crown... This riveting one-man show goes beyond the headlines, behind the scenes and between the lines to deliver a must-see theatrical knockout."

A website has already been set up (http://tysononbroadway.com/), and tickets are now on sale.

This should be interesting. It's a one-man show, but Spike could get creative with it.

Watch the duo talk about the show as they rehearse for it:

Marlen Esparza: LQQK AT HER NOW!!! VOGUE

Marlen Esparza: Vogue usually doesn’t devote much of its coverage to boxing. But history will be made in London this summer when the Olympics feature women’s boxing for the first time, and Vogue has published a compelling profile on Marlen Esparza.

Esparza started boxing when she was 11 in her hometown of Pasadena, Texas. Now 23, Esparza might be the best bet to win gold for the U.S.

The Vogue profile notes that she doesn’t necessarily look the part: “A track-and-field athlete, perhaps, or a runner, but at five feet three and 112 pounds she is neither brawny nor particularly fierce-looking.”

But there’s no arguing that she looks stunning in that red dress for her Vogue shoot, nor with her 69–2 record.

Marlen Esparza: CAN YOU SAY SPONSORSHIP!!!

Marlen Esparza: The flyweight from Texas probably has the happiest backstory of the three fighters—which is to say, her story of herculean sacrifice is fairly mundane, as far as Olympic athletes go. At 11, Esparza's boxing-obsessed father gave his daughter the task of bringing her younger brother to a boxing gym. She had been sent to a disciplinary program for talking back in school and had time on her hands—enough time, apparently, to convince her stubborn trainer Rudy Silva to take on his first female client. ♔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.

Melissa Hernandez vs. Nicole Woods July 28, 2012, in Georgia

Melissa Hernandez (16-3-3, 6 KOs) is from Puerto Rico. She is set to fight July 28, 2012, in Georgia against native Nicole Woods (11-9-2, 3 KOs) in Columbus, GA. Hernandez has moved around various weight classes, as have a lot of women just to get fights.

Beautiful, Powerful Women of USA Boxing

2012 is the first year women's boxing will be a part of the Olympic Games. Although women's boxing has been a recognized sport since the first organized bouts in London in the 1720's, it has taken a very long time for women to be allowed in the ring at the Olympics. London will host the first women's boxing events in just a few days, bringing the sport full circle over a span of approximately 300 years.

Three women will represent Team USA in three weight classes. Each of these young women possess an enormous amount of strength, beauty, character, and yes, femininity. They each have battled their way to a chance to compete in this historic event.

Claressa Shields

At just 17 years of age, Claressa Shields is a stunning young woman who is unafraid to speak openly of her faith. At an age when faith is one of the last things on most young people's minds, God ranks first for Shields. This gold medal favorite trains hard and fights hard, going undefeated for 26 fights before her first loss. It was a loss she accepted prayerfully as a lesson God wanted her to learn on her journey to the Olympics.

Shields will represent the USA in the middleweight class. Her muscles tight, long brown hair braided back from her face, Shields is a picture of determination, a young woman who has overcome awful abuse but still stands strong. Head bowed and eyes closed in prayer, her beautiful, youthful glow exudes peace and serenity.

"God has a plan for me, if it's meant for me to get this gold medal, I will," Shields told reporter, Val Berry.

Marlen Esparza

A new CoverGirl model, 22-year-old Marlen Esparza is as stunning outside the ring as in. Outside the ring, Esparza is happy to be the first Hispanic Olympian to be selected to represent CoverGirl, saying, "Anyone can be beautiful, and is deserving of beauty no matter what your personal situation is. You don't have to be famous to look good." Inside the ring, she has won six consecutive national championships in her division and will represent Team USA in the flyweight class.

Esparza is also unafraid to let her light shine when it comes to her faith. She told the North Channel Area Chamber of Commerce, upon receiving an award for her accomplishments, "I've done really well in the last three years, and I give all the glory to God and to Jesus Christ. That lifts a lot off of me and helps me perform better."

Queen Underwood

I wrote about Queen Underwood and her heart of a champion in June. She has strength almost beyond measure, and not just physically. Yes, she is a strong fighter with determination made clear in her motto, "Can't Stop, Won't Stop." But she also has an inner strength that gave her the power to overcome horrible abuse and stand tall as a role model and inspiration for others.

Fighting for Team USA in the lightweight class, 27-year-old Underwood has been through more than many people face in a lifetime, but she chooses to fight. With a radiant smile that testifies to her ability to overcome, Underwood's truest beauty will always be her heart.

THE WORLD’S BEST IN FEMALE BOXING

THE WORLD’S BEST IN FEMALE BOXING; By Pedro Fernandez

BEST OF THE CHICK FIGHTERS!

San Francisco, CA- At one point and time in the prior decade of the 1990s, female boxing was a subject that you could broach with a casual sports fan and have a conversation. Most of this had to do with Don King’s promoting Christy Martin, the “Queen-pin” of female fighters who is said to have made millions of dollars during her reign as the predominant female fighter in the world. But as we see in men’s boxing, Christy got “gift” decisions, lost a fight to Sumya Anani that virtually nobody in 1998 saw because it was on the then fledging Direc TV.

WHAT HAPPENED TO FEMALE BOXING?

The sport has been the victim of mass discrimination by U.S promoters, especially at the club level. I’ve talked to promoters who won’t utilize the services of female boxers for a number of reasons, which in my mind all track back to being a Male Chauvinist Pig. Some of you might not like the thought of women fighting, but it’s OK for them to partake in every other sport for the most part outside of the National Football League. The bottom line is that female fighters never dog it! You don’t see women in dull fights. Why? Because they are fighting for the life of their sport, trying their best to make it a livelihood.

MANAGER & FIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER WAS OF GREAT HELP HERE

Christy Martin

That being said, with the help of Mary Ann Owen, a retired Corrections Officer and professional photographer who covers the fight game globally out of las Vegas, NV, I have come up with a list of the best female boxers in the world. The following list isn’t about being a ratings tool, it’s just a collaboration put together by Ms. Owen and myself.

1) Ava Knight, Chico, CA (9-1-3, 5 KOs). Ava is a great talker who is a positive force in the sport. Having had her on “Ring Talk Boxing & MMA Radio” twice, she hasn’t lost a fight since 2009. The “Road Warrior” of female boxing, Knight is the IBF flyweight (112 lbs) champ who has been forced to fight three straight times in Mexico, because she can’t get a decent paying fight in this country.

2) Jelena Mrjenovich, Alberta, Canada. 26-8-1 (12 KOs as a pro, the Cannuck, like Knight is not afraid to take her show on the road. Winning in Japan last December, she recently defeated journey-woman Belinda Laracuente, who was “robbed” in a 2001 fight against the aforementioned Christy Martin. Currently holds the WBC 130 lb. title.

3) Ann Sophie Mathis of France is 26-2, 21 KOs.

Fighting at 145 lbs., the aforementioned Mary Ann Owen considers her the best “P4P” female in boxing, this even though she was on the short end of a rematch decision with Holly Holm in New Mexico last month.

4) Cecilia Braehkus is a 140 lb. fighter that boxes out of Germany. With a record of 20-0, 5 KOs, the Norwegian native is the WBO, WBA & WBC 147 lb. champ. Considered an iconic figure in both Norway and Germany, Cecilia can fight and appears to be making a living seeing she has sponsors and does great ratings on European TV when she fights.

5) Mariana Juarez is the WBC 112 lb. champ (35-5-3 (16 KO’s) who recently won a fight in Ontario, CA. Afterwards, Ms. Juarez was embarrassed as Ava Knight, who traveled to Southern California by car and then called Juarez out right then and there to unify the 112 lb. belts. Knight is willing to fight Juarez in her native Mexico at the drop of a hat and a decent purse.

6) Ana Maria Torres is 23-3-3, 16 KOs and the WBC super flyweight (115) from Mexico.

7) Jeanine Garside hails from Windsor, Canada and holds the WBO & WBC 126 lb. champ is 10-3-1, 4 KOs. Another Cannuck that can fight!

8) Holly Holm of New Mexico at 145 lbs. is 31-2-3, 9 KOs. Although she bested Ann Sophie Mathis in June, Holly avenged a previous KO loss by “jabbing and grabbing” according to Ms. Owen. Holly sells a lot of tickets and has even fought and won MMA matches.

9) Myriam Lamare hails from France. Fighting at 145, she was an outstanding amateur fighter (49-3) who is now 20-3, 10 KOs as a professional.

10) Susi Kentikan is a German who is 20-1, 16 KOs, is coming off a Majority Decision loss recently to Melissa McMorrow (7-3) in what was a stunner! Fighting around 110 lbs., she can roll at 108 or 110.

11) Ada Velez fights out of Florida and is 20-4, 6 KOs. A bantamweight (118) who dropped a recent decision to (7-3) Melissa McMorrow, who seems to be the “upset” queen of female boxing.

11) Jackie Nava from the border town of Tijuana, MX is 23-3-2, 11 KOs. She has been rated at 118, 122, 126 & 130 lbs. and was the first ever WBC female champion in 2005.

12) Hanna Gabriel Valle of Costa Rica won a title at 147, but making the weight affected her health. Now a jr. middleweight (154) she drew 14,000 Costa Rican fans fighting at home. Her record is 11-0-1, 6 KOs.

13) Diana Prazak is a 130 lb. from Australia who is training in Los Angeles, CA by the “greatest” female fighter in the minds of some in history, Lucia Ryjker. She is 11-1, 7 KOs.

14) Argentina’s Yesica Yolanda Bopp fights at light flyweight and has been WBA champ since 2008. She has added the WBO title and had six successful defenses in 2011 alone. Her unbeaten record is 20-0, 9 KOs and has defeated the extremely capable Carina Moreno in her first 2011 defense.

15) Carina Moreno is from Salinas, CA. A sweet girl outside the ring, inside the squared circle she is the “meanest (female) from Salinas. At light flyweight she is 22-3, 6 KOs.

16) Susie “Q” Ramadan of Australia fights only in her homeland and is 20-1, 8 KOs. In order to bolster her status at 118, she needs to fight in Europe or North America.

17) Kaliesha West is the WBO 118 lb. champ out of Moreno Valley, CA. At 15-1-3, 4 KOs, she started training at the age of 10 after watching her father Juan Westbox. Dad wasn’t too cool on having his daughter box, but her determination and will to fight overcame her father’s wishes and she is now one of the better fighters in the world.

18) Melissa Hernandez (16-3-3, 6 KOs) is from Puerto Rico. She is set to fight July 28, 2012, in Georgia against native Nicole Woods (11-9-2, 3 KOs) in Columbus, GA. Hernandez has moved around various weight classes, as have a lot of women just to get fights.

19) Last but not least is Christy “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” Martin who was born in West Virginia and now resides in Florida. She survived being shot and stabbed by her now ex-husband Jim Martin in late 2010 for her telling him she was leaving! Long in the tooth at 45, Christy is supposed to retire after her fight with Mia St John in August. Overall she is 49-5-1, 33 KOs. This was the women’s boxing “flag-bearer’ for most of the 1990s, supporting main events that had Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez and others on top. Now an admitted Lesbian, Christy’s time was the “golden era” of female boxing. The sport might never raise to the heights of popularity that it did when Martin and Don King brought female boxing into your front room on Showtime and Pay Per View.

No Holds Barred: Jordan Burroughs

http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2012-07-26T05_43_16-07_00

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with 2011 freestyle wrestling world champion and 2012 Olympian Jordan Burroughs (http://www.alliseeisgold.com).

After completing an undefeated 2010-11 season at Nebraska and winning his second NCAA Div. I national championship, Jordan Burroughs went on to represent the U.S. at the world wrestling championships in freestyle at 74 kg/163 pounds. He won the world championship at that event, and has been undefeated since then, including winning championships at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, the Cerro Pelado International Tournament, the Dave Schultz Memorial International Tournament, and the 2011 Pan American Games.

Wrestling in his first Olympic Games, Jordan Burroughs is favored by many to win a gold medal in London. The wrestling at the 2012 London Olympics takes place Sunday, August 5, through Sunday, August 12, at the ExCeL Centre. The competition for Jordan Burroughs's weight class, 74 kg, takes place Friday, August 10.

"It definitely gives me a lot of confidence being the favorite for the Olympic Games," he said in this interview, recorded by phone Tuesday evening, right before he left for London. He added and stressed, "However, I know I still have to go out there and perform. Predictions and projections mean nothing if you don't go out there and perform at your highest level. So for me I'm staying mentally focused right now on the task ahead, and just go out there and win."

We spoke with Jordan Burroughs about his successful transition from American folkstyle to freestyle wrestling, how his training has helped him adapt to international wrestling, his plans to continue wrestling through at least 2016, the possible effects of the Penn State scandal on that school's two-time NCAA Div. I national champion wrestling team, the growth of wrestling on the East Coast of the U.S., how he hopes to be viewed as an American hero, and more.

ROBERT GUERRERO vs. SELCUK AYDIN SHAWN PORTER vs. ALFONSO GOMEZ FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Selcuk Aydin met with members of the media at a final press conference at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 just three days before their 12-round showdown for the vacant WBC Interim Welterweight World Championship on Saturday, July 28 from HP Pavilion at San Jose which will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In Saturday’s co-feature, top-rated welterweight prospect “Showtime” Shawn Porter steps into the ring against his toughest foe to date, two-time world title challenger Alfonso Gomez for the vacant NABO Welterweight Title.

The event is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arena-Box Promotion and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. Preliminary bouts, featuring unbeaten junior middleweight Hugo "The Boss" Centeno vs. Ayi Bruce and undefeated super middleweight George Groves vs. hard-hitting Francisco Sierra, will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

ROBERT GUERRERO:

“I had a great camp. I’ll let my training talk in the ring. I’ve been in Lake Tahoe for two months and I’m in great shape. This is the best camp I’ve ever had.

“My wife is doing better now and I can focus on boxing. Before, you guys only saw 50 percent of me in the ring. Now, I can give it 100 percent.

“I’m hungry and ready to fight.

“I want to thank Aydin for taking on the challenge to face me.

“He said he was going to break my jaw and that motivated me more. That pushed me even harder to get in there and bring it.

“I’m making my way back into the ring so this fight is very important for my career. I’m 100 percent focused and I know what I need to do on Saturday. If they think we’re looking past him, they’re wrong.”

SELCUK AYDIN:

“Most of the time when you have a big fight coming up you talk big, but I’m not a man of big words; I like to prove myself in the ring.

“I know what I came here for, to put on a great fight. We know our opponent, we know he is tough, but we came here to win and take the title back to Turkey.

“I’ve been fighting for 20 years and I know what I have to do to win. You’ll see on Saturday night.

“I can hit hard, but I will also box. I can’t wait to prove to the United States fans what I can do in the ring.

“We know Robert is very experienced, so I won’t say anything against him, but I know what I’ve done. I’ve had a great camp and I’m prepared for anything that happens on Saturday. I know what I’m all about and you’ll find out soon enough.”

RUBEN GUERRERO (Guerrero’s father and trainer):

“We had a great camp up in Lake Tahoe. We did it all with Bob Santos - conditioning, nutrition, training. When Robert gets in the ring you’ll see that body.

“He’s ready, he’s on fire. He’s ready for 20 or 30 rounds.

“These guys think they’re here to win but we’re going to put on a clinic.

“Robert is going to win another title. It’s going to be a long ride home for these guys.”

CONNY MITTERMEIER (Aydin’s trainer):

“We’ve had most of our camp here in San Jose. It’s been a great camp and Selcuk is in great shape.

“We have a very tough opponent, but Selcuk is here to win the fight. We know we have a tough test in front of us but we came here to win.”

SHAWN PORTER:

“This is my first fight in California, which is saying a lot after my amateur and professional career, so it’s a big step for me and my camp.

“My camp dissected Alfonso and told me what to do in the ring. My team pushes me physically and mentally to be ready to fight and I’m prepared to be 20 and 0 after Saturday night.

“He is the most experienced fighter I’ve faced as a professional and he’s been in there with some of the best, but I fought some tough guys in the amateurs and beat them.

“I need to use everything I have; speed, quickness, power, strength and endurance. It’s going to take everything I have to beat him. I need to make adjustments and take it one round at a time.”

ALFONSO GOMEZ:

“This is where I fought as an amateur and I’m excited to be back.

“We prepared well for this camp for Porter. We know he is capable. He reminds me of a young Shane Mosley and I’m sure he’ll have a great career like Mosley, but I have plans and he can’t derail me.

“I’m the toughest guy he’s ever faced. It’s a tough test that I know he will fail. I feel confident, strong and ready.”

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Friday, July 27, 2012

Boxing returns to the renowned Resorts Hotel Casino in Atlantic City for ESPN’s acclaimed series Friday Night Fights. In the main event of the evening, Hank Lundy will go to battle against Raymundo Beltran for the NABF Lightweight Title.

Thursday, July 26, 2012