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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Martin vs St. John: Final Victory will take place on August 14th at Table Mountain in California

Mia St. John vs Christy Martin: Playboy Cover Girl and Coal Miner's Daughter Rumble August 14 Written by Leroy Cleveland

Mia St. John vs Christy Martin: Playboy Cover Girl and Coal Miner's Daughter Rumble August 14

The bout, a rematch of their fight in 2002, will be the main event of the five-bout "Final Victory" in California and the Women's WBC Super Welterweight title will be on the line.

Christy Martin won their first bout via a close decision.

Ironically, the bout between these two female fight legends who paved the way for those proceeding them will coincide with the 2012 Olympic Games, which will showcase women's boxing for the very first time.

Both women have very intriguing and very different backdrops heading into their much-anticipated rematch.

Christy Martin

Martin, 44, is considered by many in the industry as the most accomplished female boxer ever and the person who "legitimized" female boxing.

She began her career fighting in "Toughwoman" contests and won three consecutive titles before she started training with boxing coach, Jim Martin, who she married in 1991.

By 1996, the fighter nicknamed "The Coal Miner's Daughter," had ascended to the top of women's boxing, amassing a 28-1 record. She signed with famed promoter Don King and, on March 16th of that year, fought Deirdre Gogarty on the undercard of Mike Tyson vs Frank Bruno II - a major Showtime pay-per-view event. Martin would earn a hard-fought decision in an exhilarating affair that was arguably responsible for putting women's boxing on the map.

Following Gogarty bout, Martin gained quasi-celebrity staus and was even showcased on the cover of the April 15, 1996 edition of Sports Illustrated.

Martin, who holds a record of 49 wins, 5 losses and 3 draws with 31 wins by knockout, has fought on the undercard of boxers Evander Holyfield, Félix Trinidad and Julio César Chávez, in addition to Tyson.

On November 23, 2010, Christy Martin was stabbed several times and shot at least once in her torso and left leg allegedly by her then-husband, James, following an argument at their home. He was charged with attempted first degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

The St. John rematch will serve as a fitting celebration of a career and life thought to be over as a result of the injuries she sustained from the gunshot wounds and stabbing.

Now Christy wants to finish the most memorable career in women's boxing history by defeating St. John.

"I am excited about this opportunity to get my 50th win against Mia St John to finish my career," said Martin. "I am honored to fight for the WBC World Title at Table Mountain Casino and look forward to becoming a World Champion once again. This time I will KO Mia, that's as good a guarantee as you get."

Mia St. John

Pro boxer, model, beauty queen, businesswoman, college graduate and Tae Kwon Do Champion, Mia St. John, 44, isn't your typical woman.

In 1997 at the age of 29, St. John vaulted into professional prizefighting and immediately gained the attention of boxing insiders.

Initially promoted by Don King and later Top Rank, the sexy slugger was often featured on the undercard of Oscar De La Hoya bouts. Most of her fights were televised and she gained mainstream recognition as a 'boxing beauty queen' of sorts.

In November 1999, St. John, while still undefeated, appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in an 11 page pictorial. She seemingly wanted to promote the notion a woman could be feminine and beautiful yet athletic and strong at the same time.

St. John had amassed a record of 22-0-1 before losing her first bout to Rolanda Andrews, via knockout, in 2001.

Now 46-11-2 with 18 knockouts, St. John will enter the ring for the first time in two years when she faces longtime rival Christy Martin.

For Mia, this matchup is all about respect and redemption. In 2002, despite her stellar 26-1-1 record, it took an exciting 10 round war with Martin to earn the acclaim from the boxing world that she deserved. And since then, the fighter dubbed "The Knockout" has continued to be one of the sport's great ambassadors, in and out of the ring.

"I've waited nearly 10 years for this rematch," stated St John. "I know I out-boxed Christy in the last fight, but this time I am going to BEAT her. Now we'll see who the real WBC Champion is, La Gallina or La Guerrera."

"We've rivaled each other from the very beginning," St. John said. "She was with Don King. I was with Bob Arum. She came out on the cover of Sports Illustrated and I came out on the cover of Playboy. Which one would you rather see?"

Martin vs St. John: Final Victory will take place on August 14th at Table Mountain in California.

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PROVODNIKOV READY FOR TOP JR. WELTERWEIGHTS‏

WBO number-two ranked Jr. Welterweight contender Ruslan Provodnikov is looking to take on any of the champions or top contenders in his next bout and feels he is just an opportunity away from becoming a world champion.

Provodnikov (22-1, 15 KO’s) of Beryozovo, Russia has won five fights in a row which include four impressive knockouts and has been tabbed by many boxing insiders as one of the most exciting fighters in the world.

“We are looking for the biggest fights now for Ruslan”, said Provodnikov’s promoter Artie Pelullo of Banner Promotions.

“We are targeting the likes of Danny Garcia, Juan Manuel Marquez, Mike Alvarado or Lamont Peterson, we feel that Ruslan is not only worthy of those opportunities but we have all the confidence that he would beat any of them”

Provodnikov is coming off of an impressive second round stoppage over Jose Reynoso on June 29^th.

“Ruslan has built a nice reputation and he has thrilled many fans during his appearances on ESPN 2 and now he is eying a world championship”

"Ruslan has grown to a different skill level in the past year. Training at the Wild Card Gym and sparring more than 70 rounds with Manny Pacquiao as well as other world class fighters like Amir Khan, has really paid off more than we even hoped for. Ruslan is ready to fight anybody in his division and after the Amir Khan vs. Danny Garcia fight he was quoted saying that he was “anxious to fight Danny Garcia and he knows it would be a very exciting fight because of their similar brawler styles.” said Provodnikov’s manager Vadim Kornilov

Provodnikov is trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach and he is in agreement with Pelullo and Kornilov.

“Ruslan has been sparring with Pacquiao and Khan and he does very well with them and I believe he is ready for a big bout. He is very durable and improved so much in the last Pacquiao camp that I feel he is ready for the big time”, said Roach.

Barriga announces his arrival on world stage‏

Philippines' new boxing sensation, two-time Sydney Jackson Memorial Tournament winner Mark Anthony Barriga is really making a name for himself after defeating world class rivals in recent months and impressing at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Filipino Light Flyweight (46-49kg) fighter was part of the AIBA Road to London Program where he trained hard and amazed his various sparring partners with his tenacity and now he is ready to challenge the current order and bid for an Olympic medal.

His sensational victory against the promising Italian Manuel Fabrizio Cappai, has made the rest of the competition stand up and take notice of his talent. He now meets Kazakhstan's Asian Games silver medallist Birzhan Zhakypov with a quarter-final place at stake.

Cameroon's 25-year-old African Champion Thomas Essomba was also at the three-week training camp in the Welsh capital in preparation for these Olympic Games. He delighted the crowds at the ExCeL after defeating Morocco's African Championships silver medallist Abdelali Daraa in style.

Bayron Molina Figueroa became the first boxer from Honduras to compete at the Games since the 1996. Molina was selected by the Tripartite Commission and as result joined 43 other boxers to train in Cardiff. He unfortunately came up against India's AIBA World Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Laishram Devendro Singh who stopped him in the first round.

Ghana's AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships competitor Sulemanu Tetteh was also with the AIBA Road to London camp but his stay in the British capital was cut short by the Puerto Rican teenage sensation Jantony Ortiz Marcano.

Another of the boxers from the AIBA Road to London Program, Carlos Antonio Suarez entertained the crowd with his showmanship but the teenager from Trinidad & Tobago lacked the international experience of his rival and was on the losing side against Turkey's European Championships bronze medallist Ferhat Pehlivan.

Mozambique's first boxer at the Olympic Games since 1996, Juliano Fernando Gento Maquina, showed potential against Bulgaria's veteran Strandja Tournament winner Aleksandar Aleksandrov but was unfortunately also defeated.

AIBA Road to London Program member Cesar Andres Villarraga Aldana from Colombia was unlucky to be drawn against Cuba's former AIBA World Champion Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo and even though he lost, the manner in which he continually tried to move forward pleased the packed ExCeL arena.

Turkmenistan's Asian Champion Serdar Hudayberdiyev put the AIBA Road to London I in the spotlight after taking silver at the AIBA Asian Olympic Qualifying Event Astana 2012 and after booking his quota place for the Olympic Games was once again invited to train in Cardiff. He began well against India's Commonwealth Games winner Manoj Kumar but his savvy opponent cranked up the pressure in the latter stages and Hudayberdiyev was eliminated.

All Africa Games winner Louis Richarno Colin of Mauritius impressed at the AIBA Road to London training camp before these Olympic Games and was sensational as he dispatched Abdelhak Aatakni, who claimed gold at the AIBA African Olympic Qualifying Event Casablanca 2012, to move into the second round of preliminaries of the tournament. The Mauritian boxer was in fine form and won 16:10.

The Czech Republic's AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Zdenek Chladek realised his Olympic dream by qualifying for London. The 22-year-old faced Mongolia's AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist veteran Uranchimeg Munkherdene in the opening round and despite of his great efforts the Asian fighter defeated him in a close contest.

Zambia's Gilbert Choombe caused a huge surprise when qualifying for these Olympic and his Federation was delighted for him to be invited to the Welsh capital to train. In London he came up against an inspired opponent in Australia's Jeffrey Horn, who was too strong for him in their first preliminary round contest. Choombe proved that Zambian boxing is now heading in the right direction.

Manoj Kumar into next round after win‏

Boxing continued with the evening session at the ExCeL arena on day four of the London 2012 Olympic Games as the remaining eleven Men's Light Fly (46-49kg) and Light Welterweight (64kg) bouts went ahead. The capacity crowd was once again treated to a pugilistic feast.

First up in the Light Flyweights (46-49kg) was the fledgling star from Puerto Rico Jantony Ortiz Marcano versus the 19-year-old Ghanaian Tetteh Sulemanu. These two put on a good show with Ortiz Marcano, who won the AIBA American Olympic Qualifying Event Rio de Janeiro 2012, setting the early tempo and scoring a lot of points with some well placed shots. The young orthodox Puerto Rican confirmed his growing reputation with a performance full of verve to notch up a 20:6 win. He will now test himself against one of the best in the business, David Ayrapetyan from Russia.

The 18-year-old Ortiz Marcano was all smiles after the bout, declaring, "It was absolutely amazing. The work my coaches did in getting me ready for this fight was fantastic, it is thanks to them I won. I also dedicated this victory to my family". On facing Ayrapetyan, he said, "He is a big name but I am confident in my ability, I have been working extra hard to ensure I am ready for anyone".

Then experienced 23-year-old Ferhat Pehivan from Turkey, a veteran of three AIBA World Boxing Championships, came through his test against the American-born Trinidadian Carlos Suarez. The Turkish southpaw had a game plan, to keep his defences up high and look to counterpunch the exuberant Suarez. The tactic worked perfectly as he caught the onrushing 18-year-old with some well crafted combinations to take the first two rounds. Suarez was however the real showman in the ring, playing to the crowd, grimacing and enjoying his Olympic experience as much as possible even though he was comfortably defeated 16:6 by the better boxer.

An intriguing contest ensued between Spanish 25-year-old Jose de la Nieve Linares and the diminutive Carlos Quipo Pilataxi from Ecuador, 22. It was the younger of the two orthodox fighters who claimed the first round after finding his target with some hard penetrating rights. Quipo Pilataxi was looking more and more confident and his deceptively hard punches were both hurting the Spaniard and wearing him down. The spectators were enjoying this and were chanting, "Ecuador, Ecuador" for much of the third round as he went on to power to a deserved 14:11 win.

There was a huge contingent of Thai fans in the arena out to support veteran 32-year-old multiple-Southeast Asian Games Kaeo Pongprayoon in his bout against the winner of the AIBA African Olympic Qualifying Event Casablanca 2012, Mohamed Flissi of Algeria. It started off at breath-neck speed with Pongprayoon quickly looking to move inside and Flissi trying to use his height and reach advantage as a lot of punches were being thrown. The experienced Thai used a far greater repertoire of shots in the second and third rounds and caught Flissi with several hard overhead rights to progress with a well-taken 19:11 victory. Quipo Pilataxi now awaits Pongprayoon in the next preliminary round.

27-year-old Bulgarian Aleksandar Aleksandrov faced international level newcomer Juliano Fernando Gento Maquina from Mozambique in what was one-sided contest. Aleksandrov started well, calmly moving towards his opponent with the jab before throwing some neat one-twos to take the first round. Maquina tried to up his game and even though the southpaw was positive, he walked into a couple of hard shots, which one in particular hurt him as he took a standing eight count from the referee. The Bulgarian orthodox fighter went on to win convincingly 22:7 and will now challenge second seed Jonghun Shin of Korea for a spot in the quarter-finals.

The bouts were coming thick and fast as the Light Flyweights (46-49kg) gave way to the Light Welterweights (64kg) with Turkmenistan's Serdar Hudayberdiyev and Manoj Kumar from India then taking centre stage. The tall Turkmen orthodox, a veteran of three AIBA World Boxing Championships, was having some joy with the jab in the first as both boxers shared the points in the round. Kumar, the 2012 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, came back strong in the second however, throwing some big punches that stunned Hudayberdiyev. The Indian had huge support from the crowd and upped his level once again to take the third and inflict a 13:7 defeat on his rival. Kumar faces one of the big medal contenders next, Great Britain's Thomas Stalker.

2012 African Cup of Nations winner Louis Richarno Colin of Mauritius was hugely impressive in the first two rounds of his battle with the 24-year-old Moroccan Abdelhak Aatakni, moving well and unleashing a succession of precise body shots to his opponent's kidneys. Fighting at close quarters in the third, Colin's superior shot-making was cheered on by a huge section of the packed arena, his uppercuts piercing Aatakni's defences repeatedly as he went on to win 16:10.

When asked about his performance Colin was keen to share his views, "It was a tough, I got drawn in to fight at close quarters and I normally like to keep my distance. Having trained in Cardiff with the Road to London program, I was ready to and able to change my style".

Munkh-Erdene Uranchimeg from Mongolia was not in short supply of fans with a huge number of his countrymen in the crowd supporting him and it spurred the southpaw as he dominated the 22-year-old Zdenek Chladek, a 2008 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist. The 30-year-old from the capital city Ulanbaatar had too much about him for his rival, hurting the Czech Republic man with some hard combinations in their contest. There was a swagger about Uranchimeg as he fainted and weaved his way through three impressive rounds to record a 20:12 victory. The Mongol now meets Colin in the second stage of the competition.

Quality orthodox fighter Jeffrey Horn has been in fine form since taking the AIBA Oceania Olympic Qualifying Event gold medal in Canberra in March and proved his worth with a polished performance against Zambia's Gilbert Choombe. The 24-year-old Australian boxed clever, using his jab to good effect before throwing some good one-twos to take a five point lead after the first round. Choombe put up a much better resistance in the second, but in the final round Horn worked his rivals body well before pouncing with a couple of excellent shots as he prevailed in style 19:5.

Azerbaijan's stocky 21-year-old Gaybatulla Gadzhialiyev began brightly in his contest versus Abderrazak Houya, connecting with some vicious right hooks to take the first round. He continued to set the pace in the second, throwing some clean shots, but after getting caught by a hard left from his opponent, he began to sag and Houya came back to draw that one. The 25-year-old Tunisian's corner were extremely animated in between rounds and when the third got underway, their boxer was straight out of the blocks, pummelling Gadzhialiyev with an array of exquisite punches that saw him claw his way back and claim a thunderous third round to take a 19:11 victory.

Houya's coach declared after the bout, "We knew he could do it, he is in great shape and has been working extremely hard. We told him to go for it, that he had nothing to lose and he has made us and his country proud. Now we are aiming for the quarter-finals".

In the final bout of the day, the quick feet of Anthony Yigit made the difference against Francisco Vargas Ramirez of Puerto Rico in the opening rounds as the Swedish southpaw got the better of his taller opponent by landing some good body shots. Vargas Ramirez began using his jab more in the second but a slick Yigit moved up a gear in the final round to secure his progress by winning 13:9. The 20-year-old Swede must now face the tough second seed from Ukraine Denys Berinchyk.

The much anticipated Heavy (91kg) and Super Heavyweight (+91kg) categories get underway tomorrow along with the second preliminaries of the Bantamweight (56kg) with some huge names taking to the ring. It promises to be a spectacular day of action.

Cubans fighters show their pedigree‏

Day four of the London 2012 Olympic Games and it was the turn of the Men's Light Fly (46-49kg) and Light Welterweight (64kg) to step on to the ring in the first round of preliminaries at the ExCeL arena. The afternoon session bore witness to eleven pulsating contests.

First up in the Light Flyweights (46-49kg) was the exciting 20-year-old Yosbany Veitia Soto of Cuba against the teenager Billy Ward, winner of the AIBA Oceania Olympic Qualifying Event Canberra 2012. The Australian fought valiantly but just could not handle the speed and accuracy of the lightening quick Cuban southpaw who seemed to be hitting the target every time he let fly. Veitia Soto looked a class above his opponent and the spectators were really enjoying the movement and footwork on show as he recorded an emphatic 26:4 victory. He will now face the reigning Olympic Champion from China Shiming Zou for a place in the quarter-finals.

The fast-paced action continued with two of this weight category's rising stars as Italy'sManuel Cappai and Mark Barriga from the Philippines battled it out in spectacular fashion. Both these 19-year-olds have bright futures ahead of them and it told as the skills on show had the crowd on the edge of their seats. The Filipino though was too quick for the taller Cappai, catching him with several deft hooks which rocked the Italian in the first round. Barriga speed was causing havoc and he continued to dominate as he landed several hard lefts to triumph 17:7. The young southpaw received a few tips from his compatriot Manny Pacquiao before flying out to London and although he finds himself in the tough part of the draw, many expect him to challenge for honours.

2008 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Jeremy Beccu faced the 28-year-old Beijing Olympian and veteran of four AIBA World Boxing ChampionshipsBirzhan Zhakypov of Kazakhstan. The orthodox Frenchman was by no way overawed by the pedigree of his opponent as he went toe-to-toe with him and finish the first round level on points with both throwing a lot of punches. In the second, Beccu dictated proceedings from the centre of the ring, landing a couple of sweet uppercuts to take the round by a single point. Zhakypov's intelligent selection of shots saw him turn the fight to and record a 18:17 success against the positive 21-year-old from France. Zhakypov versus Barriga promises to be an electrifying fight.

The all-African contest between 24-year-old African Champion Thomas Essomba and the talented Abdelali Daraa from Morocco did not disappoint with the Cameroon orthodox on top of his opponent from the first bell. Moving well around the ring, Essomba's experience told as he continually varied his approach and caught his rival with some telling combinations connecting with their intended target. 21-year-old Daraa was knocked to the canvas after being caught by a devastating left midway through the second and from there the confident man from Cameroon closed out the fight with a 13:10 win.

Essomba beamed after his win, declaring, "I am very happy with this victory, my tactic was good and I hit him with some good shots. I feel great". On his preparations for the Games, he added, "Training in Cardiff with the Road to London program gave me a wonderful opportunity to spar with some quality fighters and as I result I feel stronger, fitter and more confident". When told his next opponent was Patrick Barnes, he said, "It does not matter who I face, if I am better I will win".

The final Light Flyweight (46-49kg) bout of the afternoon session saw 20-year-old promising Indian Devendro Singh Laishram pit his wits against teenage unknown quantity Bayron Molina Figueroa of Honduras. This one was over in the blink of an eye as the Indian fighter completely overawed his opponent in the first round, hurting him with two exquisite punches for which Molina Figueroa had to take two standing eight counts and when he got caught again, the referee stepped in to end the contest. Laishram will face a much sterner test when he battles the fourth seeded Mongolian Serdamba Purevdorj in the next round of preliminaries.

23-year-old 2009 AIBA World Champion Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo of Cuba and Colombia's seasoned Cesar Villarraga Aldana then locked horns in the first of six Light Welterweight (64kg) contests. The class of the Cuban southpaw shone through as he out boxed his opponent with some clever movement. Throwing a high volume of punches, Iglesias Sotolongo scored highly in the first round before controlling the tempo in the final two to cruise to a comfortable 20:9 victory over the 26-year-old Colombian. It will be the reigning AIBA World Champion Everton Lopes dos Santos next for the Cuban.

"I felt good, I felt strong, I boxed well and that is what matters", declared Iglesias Sotolongo after the fight. On facing Lopes dos Santos, he said, "He is very fast and I will need to up my level to beat him, but I feel confident".

The action was unrelenting as South American Championships winner Anderson Rojas Mina and 21-year-old Uktamjon Rahmonov of Uzbekistan went head-to-head. Rahmonov looked calm and composed against the Ecuadorian teenager, applying constant pressure and throwing powerful one-two combinations. In the second round, the Uzbek southpaw connected with huge overhead left and Rojas Mina had to take a standing eight count and from then on, it was one-sided as Rahmonov went on to win convincingly 21:10.

Turkey's Yakup Sener, 21, who won the AIBA European Olympic Qualifying Event Trabzon 2012, began brightly against the inexperienced Serge Ambomo from Cameroon, throwing fast combinations to great effect as he raced into a three point lead after the first round. Ambomo, 26, was eager to impress but was too erratic at times and was leaving himself open to too many counters from his rival who also took the second round. The crowd were willing on the orthodox boxer from Cameroon whose spirit could not be faulted but he could not prevent being defeated 19:10 by Sener. The young Turk will now battle Rahmonov with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

It was a noble effort by Jamel Herring in the fourth Light Welterweight (64kg) bout versus 21-year-old Daniyar Yeleussinov from Kazakhstan, the 2010 Asian Games winner. The US Marine Corp from North Carolina was untested at international level and the gulf in class was obvious as Yeleussinov picked his punches at will in the first two rounds and slowly wore down the American southpaw. By the third, the Kazak fighter was floating around his opponent and catching him with some hard one-twos. Yeleussinov eased into the second round of the preliminaries with a slick 19.9 victory.

27-year-old Iranian National Champion Mehdi Toloutibandpi and Spain's 21-year-oldJonathan Alonso Flete put on a good show for the spectators by going toe-to-toe for three rounds. In this one, it was experience that made the difference as Toloutibandpi just edged each round to win 16:12. The orthodox fighter from Iran is now drawn with Yeleussinov in the next stage of the competition.

The ultimate bout of the afternoon session saw Hungary's 2009 AIBA World Boxing championships bronze medallist Gyula Kate do battle with 22-year-old Eslam Mohamedof Egypt. A tentative start by the experienced Kate, now a three-time Olympian, saw him trail by a point at the end of the first round but he regrouped to set a much higher tempo. The Hungarian orthodox found his rhythm in the final two rounds, throwing some good combinations as he overturned his deficit to inflict a confidence boosting 16:10 defeat on his rival. 30-year-old Kate will now face Italy's Vincenzo Mangiacarpe for a place in the last eight.

The evening session will once again showcase the world's best Light Fly (46-49kg) and Light Welterweight (64kg) Men over eleven bouts as the boxers seek to book their places for the second round of preliminaries.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Notorious Boxer Mike Tyson's Solo Show, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth

Grab your tickets to see Mike Tyson on stage today!

Tickets for Broadway’s Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, an autobiographical solo show from infamous boxer Mike Tyson, are now on sale! Directed by Spike Lee, the show will run from July 31 through August 12 at the Longacre Theatre.

Undisputed Truth chronicles many aspects of Tyson's life including his battle with drug abuse, bankruptcy, a 1992 rape conviction that resulted in a three-year prison term, his conversion to Islam and his prolific boxing career. The show first played Las Vegas' MGM Grand in April.

Tyson has quite a history of playing himself on screen. He made a cameo as himself in the 2009 comedy hit The Hangover, as well as its 2011 sequel, and has also played himself in films and TV series such as Entourage, Play It To the Bone, When Will I Be Loved and Rocky Balboa. Undisputed Truth will be his Broadway debut.

Italian superstars take APB to another level‏

Charismatic Lightweight (60kg) Domenico Valentino and Heavyweight (91kg) Clemente Russo have today signed five year contracts with AIBA Professional Boxing (APB), further underlining the popularity of the new programme amongst the world's top boxers.

Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, APB Board Chairman said: "These two exciting additions add further legitimacy to our new competition. We are convinced that it is the right time to provide something different for our top boxers. With APB, we will revolutionize the world of boxing and establish a blueprint for its development. Finally our athletes won't have to jump into the unknown while embracing a professional career."

Part of his national set-up since 2003, orthodox Valentino is competing in his third Olympic Games at London 2012. An Olympic title is one of the few medals missing from his bulging trophy cabinet. One of the poster boys of the Italian World Series of Boxing Franchise, Valentino was part of the Milano Thunder team which won the WSB Team Final in May. An eccentric character, he is addicted to tattoos; at the last count he had 18 including one on his left shoulder commemorating his gold medal at the AIBA World Boxing Championships Milan 2009.

Valentino said: "I was never convinced to turn pro until I was offered this opportunity by APB. I feel safer staying under the same governance and within my National Federation. I know how many fights I will have per year and how much I will get from them. There is no uncertainty, all is guaranteed. I can't wait for APB to start."

Clemente Russo is one of the biggest attractions in boxing. The 29-year-old has quite a pedigree after taking the gold medal at the 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Chicago, USA, before coming home with the silver from the Beijing Olympic Games a year later. Russo has since gone from strength to strength, defeating all before him in his first WSB season to capture the Individual Championships belt and going unbeaten in his second season, amassing 14 wins over the two campaigns. Last year, Russo also starred in a semi-autobiographical film 'Tatanka' about a young Southern Italian man trying to escape from the crime-ridden mafia-controlled province of Caserta through boxing. The film itself was critically acclaimed and Russo's performance got excellent reviews.

"Turning pro in boxing is never easy to decide, especially when you have had a successful Olympic boxing career", declared Russo. "I am thrilled with the career I have had so far, I know what pro-style boxing is about thanks to two seasons in World Series of Boxing, and I now feel ready and happy to join APB, knowing that I will never be left aside."

Five AIBA World titles, one Olympic Silver Medal and one WSB World Champion title. The APB can be proud of its inaugural signings. A little more than a month after 2011 AIBA World Champion, Azeri Super Heavyweight (91+kg) Magomedrasul Medzhidov, twice AIBA World Champion; Welterweight (69kg) Serik Sapiyev from Kazakhstan; and top Light Flyweight (49kg) South Korean Jonghun Shin have joined the programme.

With the London 2012 Olympic Games just underway, the world's best boxers might have to choose a new pathway for their career in just under two weeks.

With a clear and transparent competition structure based only on their performance and a secured plan of career, AIBA Professional Boxing (APB) is the best proposal that boxers could expect. APB will start in autumn 2013.

The action continued with the evening session on the third day of boxing at the London 2012 Olympic Games. A capacity crowd at the ExCeL Arena welcomed the Flyweight (52kg) and Light Heavyweights (81kg) for ten bouts of high-octane drama.

2011 World Series of Boxing (WSB) Individual Championships finalist with Paris United, 25-year-old Nordine Oubaali of France began his assault on the Flyweight (52kg) title in style. The experienced recent AIBA European Olympic Qualifying Event winner came out of the blocks at double speed, firing all kind of shots in direction of the relatively unknownAjmal Faisal of Afghanistan. Pummelling his rival throughout the three rounds, Oubaali was just unstoppable as he outclassed the three-time Afghan National Champion to win 22:9. The Frenchman faces USA Boxing Team Captain Raushee Warren, the third seed in the draw and a veteran of three Olympic Games.

When interviewed, Oubaali stated, "I had a fantastic preparation for these Games but unfortunately fell ill as soon as I landed here in London. As a result, I felt seriously weakened. I am happy that I managed to overcome this and box well against an opponent that I did not know". On facing Warren next, the Frenchman declared, "I know him well; he is a very talented fighter, very quick. He has never been a World Champion or an Olympic Champion so he is not unbeatable. I have the same chances of winning than he has. It will obviously be tough and if I recover from my illness in time, I can assure you that our battle will be an even one".

The diminutive Ghanaian Duke Micah and Jason Lavigilante of Mauritius, who were both at the AIBA Road to London II three-week training camp in the build-up to these Olympics, battled each other for the right to face the big Irish medal contender Michael Conlan in the next phase of the preliminaries. It was the orthodox Micah who looked the most assured, alternating cleverly between the head and the body with some swift one-two combinations to claim the first two rounds against his taller rival. In the third, the Ghanaian began to showboat but still the 20-year-old dominated the round to record a 18:14 victory and progress.

Micah was happy with his performance, declaring, "I felt good out there. Our President died last week so I am fighting for my country and for boxing in Ghana". On facing Conlan, he said, "I don't know him, I was only focused on the first bout but now I will study his fights. I know I have to raise my level so that is what I will do, you will see a stronger me in the next fight". When asked about his preparations for the Games, he added, "Road to London in Cardiff was a great experience for me and it is one of the reasons I won today".

A veteran of three AIBA World Boxing Championships, Thailand's 27-year-old Chatchai Butdee came into his fight against Eker Selcuk of Turkey as the overwhelming favourite. The Thai southpaw's speed and agility were just too much for the young Selcuk who could just not deal with the ferocity of his attacks. Selcuk, 20, who fought for the Istanbul Bosphorus WSB Franchise last season, had no response to the repertoire of shots being thrown at him, uppercuts, up to four punch combinations, it was a master class by the Thai who went on to triumph emphatically 24:10. No one will want to face Butdee after that sensational performance.

Cuba have one of the finest production lines of top class boxers in the world and their history speaks for itself, standing second only to the USA for boxing gold medals at the Olympic Games. 18-year-old Panamerican Games winner southpaw Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana showed his pedigree against the experienced Japanese Katsuaki Susa. Quick, agile, excellent footwork and precision punching, the southpaw really has it all. Ramirez Carrazana absolutely dictated proceeding in all three rounds against Kusa and eased to a comprehensive 19:7 win. Everyone will now be relishing the prospect of seeing the Cuban in action against Thailand's Butdee.

The crowd next enjoyed the confrontation between the tall Swede Salomo Ntuve and Kazakhstan's orthodox 21-year-old pocket-dynamo Ilyas Suleimenov in the last of the evening's Flyweight (52kg) bouts. With vociferous support in the arena, the Kazak started on the front foot, speedily moving inside to work Ntuve's body. With such a contrast in the athletes, it was a messy affair that Suleimenov came out on top in, winning 13:8.

The rising star from Azerbaijan Vatan Huseynli has really made a name for himself this year, qualifying for these Games after coming second at the AIBA European Olympic Qualifying Event Trabzon 2012 and also testing himself in the tough WSB with the Baku Fires. In the first Light Heavyweight (81kg) bout of the evening session, he faced the experienced 2008 Beijing Olympian Carlos Gongora Mercado of Ecuador, who also competed in the first WSB season with the American Los Angeles Matadors Franchise. Gongora took the early initiative, moving around Huseynli and hurting him with some good hooks in the first before repeating that tactic in the second to lead by three points with three minutes to go. Huseynli came back in the third with a couple of devastating straight rights that connected flush on Gongora's jaw, one of which the Ecuadorian southpaw had to take a standing eight count for. In the end, it was the 23-year-old Gongora who progressed with a 9:8 victory; he will now face Kazak fourth seed Adilbek Niyazymbetov.

27-year-old Jeysson Monroy Varela then made his entrance and faced the tough orthodox Iranian Ehsan Rouzbahani. The Colombian, a WSB first season competitor with the Mexico City Guerreros, controlled the opening exchanges with his jab and looked confident as he claimed the first round. Rouzbahani showed great heart as he turned aggressor in the second with a spirited display that saw him draw level on points at the end of the round. The 24-year-old Iranian was clearly in the ascendancy in the third and threw several good one-twos as a huge delegation of his compatriots cheered him on to a 12:10 victory.

Ukrainian dark horse Oleksandr Gvozdyk has already participated in two AIBA World Boxing Championships but is probably one of the lesser known boxers in his country's Olympic squad. The tall 25-year-old has matured in the last year and after a quality season with Dynamo Moscow in the WSB, he could be the surprise package in the Light Heavyweight (81kg) category in London. As strong as an ox and with a good tactical brain, the orthodox fighter really impressed as he skilfully dispatched the stocky BelarusianMikhail Daulhaliavets by winning all three rounds and record a convincing 18:10 win.

Bosko Draskovic from Montenegro began well in his bout with a solid round that saw him take an early three point advantage over Nicaragua's Osmar Bravo Amador. The man who was part of the first season Milano Thunder WSB squad somehow lost the initiative as his Nicaraguan rival completely turned the fight on its head with a flurry of punches from all angles in the second to claw his way back into the contest. Orthodox Bravo Amador was revitalised after his display that round and went on the rampage, unloading some ferocious hits on his opponent who had to take a standing eight count after catching one right on the nose. The Nicaraguan will now prepare to face Gvozdyk after coming back to prevail 16:11.

The experience of Germany's Enrico Kölling told against Christian Donfack Adjoufackof Cameroon in the last contest of the day as the orthodox unloaded several powerful right hooks to his opponent's chin. It was pretty much one way traffic as the German former Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist kept up the pressure and dictated the pace of proceedings. The gap in international tournament experienced clearly told as Kölling, a veteran of two WSB seasons, inflicted a 15:6 defeat on Donfack Adjoufack. The German 22-year-old must now challenge number two seed and Algerian sporting icon Abdelhafid Benchabla for a place in the quarter-finals.

The fourth day of competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games will see the Men's Light Flyweights (46-49kg) and Light Welterweights (64kg) take to the ring in the first round of preliminaries.

Duke Micah showcases skills with victory in London‏

It was a good day for some of the boxers of the AIBA Road to London program with Duke Micah and Jordan's Ihab Mahmoud Darweesh Al-Matbouli both moving into the second round of preliminaries.

Jordan's first ever boxer to qualify for the Games, Arab Games winner Ihab Mahmoud Darweesh Al-Matbouli looked hungry as he led 5:3 after three minutes against Nigeria's All Africa Games silver medallist Lukmon Lawal. Al-Matbouli shined in the second part of the contest and advanced to the next round where he will now meet Cuba's current AIBA World Champion Julio Cesar La Cruz Peraza.

Kenya's Commonwealth Games silver medallist Flyweight Benson Gicharu Njangiruused up his new tactical skills learnt in Cardiff against his Egyptian opponent, 19-year-old AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Hesham Yehia Mehmoud Abdelaal. Both boxers were excellent during the bout but the Egyptian teenager prevailed.

Afghanistan's Ajmal Faisal was invited to London by the Tripartite Commission while AIBA then offered him training in the Welsh capital. Faisal is only able to train three-times a week in Kabul and was therefore delighted to be part of the Road to Dream initiative. France's AIBA World Championships bronze medallist Nordine Oubaali was just too strong for him but he did well against one of the medal contenders at Flyweight (52kg).

Two African AIBA Road to London members fought each other in the last 16 as Mauritius' Commonwealth Games silver medallist Jason Olivier Lavigilante and Ghana's Duke Akueteh Micah went head to head. Both boxers, born in 1991, went on the attack but it was Micah who stole the show as he claimed the victory.

Tajikistan's former Asian Games winner Jakhon Qurbonov was quarter-finalist in the last Beijing Olympic Games and was involved in both the AIBA Road to Baku Program and Road to London I. He started well against Tunisia's strong Yahia Elmekachari and used his height as a weapon but his rival moved better in the latter stages to prevail.

Colombia's light heavyweight No.1 Jeysson Antonio Monroy Varela also received the invite for Cardiff and in his fight he seemed comfortable early on against Iran's AIBA World Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Ehsan Rouzbahani. The taller Monroy could not keep his short advantage and ended up on the losing side.

Nicaragua's Osmar Bravo Amador was class in his comeback victory against Montenegro's Mediterranean Games winner Bosko Draskovic. He overturned a first round three point deficit to win in style and caused the biggest surprise of the third day of competition.

Cameroon is one of the most developing countries in Africa so it was no surprise that Light Heavyweight and All Africa Games bronze medallist Christian Donfack Adjoufack trained in the Welsh capital before the Games. However Germany's AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist Enrico Kolling was too strong for him as he lost his first bout in London.

Video: Mike Tyson talks Broadway show and bad lawyering

Tuesday night Mike Tysonopens up on Broadway. Over the weekend he opened up to ESPN’sJeremy Schaap.

MIKE TYSON: Teamming up with Spike Lee

Tyson talked to Schaap about the Spike Leedirected show but also about how the legal system failed him during the rape trial that would ultimately send him to prison.

The show is called “Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth.”

Monday, July 30, 2012

Marcus Browne Suffers First Round Loss at the 2012 Olympic Games‏

Team USA suffered its first loss of the 2012 Olympic Games on Monday as light heavyweight Marcus Browne (Staten Island, N.Y.) fell to Damien Hooper of Australia in opening round action. The bout was closely contested throughout, but Hooper pulled out the win with a third round surge, claiming a 13-11 victory.

Browne threw the first punches in the contest, looking to find his rhythm but the place was slow throughout the first three minutes of action. The American boxer held a 3-2 lead after one round, and entered the second trying to extend it. The output from both boxers remained slow in the second round and the two boxers added three points a piece to their totals, giving Browne a one-point lead entering the final round Hooper came out swinging in the third and his efforts gave him the lead and a 13-11 decision, eliminating Browne from the tournament.

“I didn’t listen to my corner. My corner said to take it to him. I did it for a little bit but not the whole round. I had a one-point lead and that’s really nothing. I definitely waited too long,” Browne said. “My corner told me more speed, less power and I didn’t listen but this isn’t a set back, it’s a learning experience.”

“Despite the loss, Browne, one of the U.S. team’s vocal leaders isn’t going to return home early. “I’m going to stay here and support my team,” Browne said.

Light welterweight Jamel Herring (Coram, N.Y.) will look to start a new U.S. winning streak tomorrow afternoon in his bout with Kazakhstan’sDaniyar Yeleussinov.

U.S. Result

178 lbs/81 kg: Damien Hooper, AUS, dec. Marcus Browne, Staten Island, N.Y./USA, 13-11

Marcus Browne quotes

“I was a little bit nervous. He never hurt me.”

“We train hard for all comers.”

“I wasn’t really bothered too much by his long reach.”

“I could have used my speed a little bit more. That’s what my corner told me in the last round but I didn’t listen. They said more speed, less power.”

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