Martin “EL GALLITO” Castillo, former WBA flyweight champion will challenge current WBO super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel

Martin “EL GALLITO” Castillo, former World Boxing Association flyweight champion, will challenge current World Boxing Organization super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel on Saturday, February 16th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The twelve round world title bout will be featured on the under card of the pay-per-view extravaganza headlined by the rematch rumble between world middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and former world champion Jermain Taylor.

Castillo (33-2, 17 KOs), from Mexico City, Mexico, has won 12 of his last 13 bouts. He captured the World Boxing Association (WBA) 115-pound title in 2004, winning a 12-round unanimous decision over defending champion Alexander Munoz. He held the title for nearly two years before losing it to Nobuo Nashiro on July 22, 2006 in Japan. He is currently the WBA and the International Boxing Federation’s (IBF) top-rated contender and the WBO and the WBC’s No. 2 contender. He is also rated # 1 by Ring Magazine and # 3 by ESPN.

Since losing to Nashiro, Castillo has won his last three bouts, most recently winning a dominant ten round unanimous decision over Jonathan Perez on October 26, 2007 in Cicero, Illinois.

Currently working with new trainer Rudy Perez, longtime trainer of Marco Antonio Barrera, at the South El Monte Teamsters Boxing Club in South El Monte, California, Castillo spoke about his upcoming challenge for his second world title.

“Training has been excellent; Rudy and I have been very comfortable since the first day.

We’ve been working very hard at the gym getting ready for this title fight.”

Speaking specifically about Montiel, Castillo said “We’re working on cutting off the ring. Montiel runs way too much and I will have to force him to fight. I’m going to fight an intelligent fight and I plan on being victorious. I’m very thankful for this fight and 100% ready and hungry to win.”

About fighting on HBO Pay Per View in Las Vegas, Martin stated, “I’m thrilled to fight on the big stage. I’m very thankful to Top Rank for this opportunity and I plan on putting on a terrific performance for the fans in attendance and those watching on pay per view.”

In regards to his long supportive fans, Castillo said, “I’m very thankful for my fans support. I’m very appreciative that they’ve been with me throughout my career and I plan not to let them down.”

Speaking about the long talked about fight with Jorge Arce, “EL GALLITO” said "I’m completely focused on Montiel. After this fight I will consider my options with other fights but right now it’s all about preparing for February 16th.”

Also featured on the undercard is a World Boxing Council super flyweight title bout between champion Cristian Mijares and three-time world title challenger Jose Navarro. In addition, junior middleweight contender Ronald Hearns, son of legendary boxer Tommy Hearns, will risk his undefeated record against Juan Astorga in an eight round bout.

Ronald Hearns


The Kelly Pavlik vs. Jermain Taylor rematch (The Epic Battle Continues) will be promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Top Rank Inc.

The 12-round rumble will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View on Saturday, February 16th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas beginning at 9p.m. (EST) / 6p.m. (PST). The bout will take place at a catch weight of 166 lbs. as Taylor exercises the rematch clause in his contract from the original Pavlik fight.

Tickets are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100 are on sale at MGM Grand Arena Box Office. Tickets will also be sold at all Las Vegas Ticketmasters locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers, Macy's West at the Fashion Show Mall, and Ritmo Latino.) Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at 702-474-4000 or MGM Grand 800-929-1111. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com

CONTACTS:

Martin Castillo is managed by Frank Espinoza and promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Incorporated. For further information please visit www.toprank.com, www.espinozaboxingclub.com or www.martin-castillo.com

LONG-AWAITED FRANK SHAMROCK-CUNG LE FIGHT SET FOR MARCH 29

LONG-AWAITED FRANK SHAMROCK-CUNG LE FIGHT SET FOR MARCH 29
AT HP PAVILION IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

Tickets Go On Sale This Saturday, Jan. 19

SAN JOSE, Calif. — After months of circling around each other, world champions and Bay Area rivals, Frank Shamrock (23-8-1) and undefeated Cung Le (21-0), will finally face off in the cage when Shamrock defends his Strikeforce World Middleweight (185-pound limit) Championship against Le in the main event of an eagerly anticipated EliteXC-Strikeforce co-promoted mixed martial arts extravaganza Saturday, March 29, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif..

Tickets for “Shamrock vs. Cung Le,” priced from $30, go on sale this Saturday, Jan. 19, at 10 a.m. PT at the HP Pavilion box office (408-287-7070) as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (408-998-TIXS), Ticketmaster online (http://www.ticketmaster.com/), EliteXC’s official website (http://www.proelite.com/) and Strikeforce’s official website (http://www.strikeforceusa.net/).

“This is absolutely a tremendous fight and an extremely dangerous fight for both fighters, but one I know they have wanted and the fans have been waiting for and can't wait to see,’’' EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw said. “I can't wait to see it either. Shamrock is a true MMA legend, but Cung Le is one of the very best fighters around, and this is his chance to prove that to the world.

“Really, I have a ton of respect for both fighters and what they have accomplished. EliteXC is really looking forward to returning to San Jose where they truly have some of the most rabid and knowledgeable fans anywhere, and working again with Scott Coker and Strikeforce.” Said Scott Coker, Strikeforce CEO: “As a martial arts promoter for 25 years and as a promoter of both of these fighters, I’ve been watching the rivalry between Frank and Cung build for quite some time, so it’s great to see this matchup finally come to fruition. “This has the potential to be one of the greatest mixed martial arts fights of all-time because of the tremendous skill level of both fighters and the way they match up. It’s an honor to be able to bring this fight to the fans along with EliteXC.”

To fans in the Bay Area, a perennial hotbed for martial arts, the right to claim the throne as the region’s undisputed champion is equally important as ownership of the world title.

“Being No. 2 isn’t such a bad thing so Cung has nothing to be ashamed of,” cracked the ever-entertaining Shamrock (frankshamrock.proelite.com). The first Strikeforce middleweight champion in history, Shamrock returned to vintage form in his last fight as he dominated knockout artist Phil “The New York Badass” Baroni en route to choking Baroni (philbaroni.proelite.com) unconscious in the second round before a raucous HP Pavilion crowd on June 22, 2007.

"But there’s a big difference between being No. 1 and No. 2,’’ Shamrock continued. “Le will find that out soon enough.

“This is a fight that has been building for years. This is where we both grew up, where we both found our paths in life as martial artists and champions of combat. It was inevitable that we would one day face each other here. I’m excited it’s finally happening.’’

At 35, Shamrock has cemented his place as a legend in the sport of mixed martial arts. After becoming the first UFC Middleweight Champion in history in 1997 by submitting 1992 Olympic Games wrestling gold medalist Kevin Jackson with an armbar in a then-record 16 seconds, Shamrock reached the pinnacle of his career by stopping “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (titortiz.proelite.com), in what is celebrated as one of the greatest martial arts battles of all-time.

Before a record crowd of 18,265 at the HP Pavilion on March 10, 2006, Shamrock ended a three-year hiatus when he faced old nemesis Cesar Gracie in the main event of Strikeforce’s inaugural mixed martial arts show. In a devastating performance, Shamrock decimated the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with a right hand followed by a series of strikes on the floored Gracie that ended the fight a mere 21 seconds after it started.

Shamrock is widely recognized as the father of modern day mixed martial arts, a pioneer of complete fighting who boasts a dangerously versatile skill set, including western boxing, kickboxing and submission wrestling.

Le (cungle.proelite.com), also 35, is attempting to follow in Shamrock’s footsteps in the cage after reeling off 16 consecutive wins in professional kickboxing, where he sealed his position as the sport’s top 185-pound fighter and, arguably, its greatest pound-for-pound competitor.

A host of Le’s conquests, which include four K-1 USA “Superfight” victories and the International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) world 185-pound title, have been showcased on ESPN.

“I want this fight. I can’t wait to get in the cage with Frank,” said the confident Le, a winner in his last start over former The Ultimate Fighter reality show contestant, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan, during a Strikeforce promotion at HP Pavilion on Nov. 16, 2007.

The talented Le’s victory, a third round TKO that he secured with a sidekick to the liver, raised his mixed martial arts record to a perfect 5-0 with five (T)KOs.

“People have been wondering when I’d take the next step in the cage and fight an established superstar and world champion,” said Le, who was sensational during a third-round TKO (strikes) over Tony Fryklund on the Shamrock-Baroni undercard. “Well, here it is. The fans are in for a great fight.”

The greatest challenge posed by Le is, perhaps, his fighting style, considered unorthodox by mixed martial arts standards. Thus far, he has been untouchable in the ring as well as the cage, frustrating and confusing his opponents with an elusiveness and bag of tricks that includes scissor kicks, hip tosses and assorted other throwing techniques that stem from his studies of San Shou kickboxing.

Born in Vietnam, Le fled the war-torn country as a baby in his mother’s arms in 1975. After immigrating to The United States, the family settled in San Jose where Le eventually became an All-American high school and, later, a California state wrestling champion at West Valley Junior College before discovering San Shou.

Le’s tale of survival and success has been the subject of documentary films aired on The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel. More recently, Le was featured on an episode of The History Channel’s smash-hit martial arts television series, The Human Weapon.

The five-round Shamrock-Le contest will highlight a SHOWTIME telecast that begins live at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). The preliminary card will begin at 5 p.m. PT.

About ProElite:ProElite Inc. [PELE.PK] delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters [elitexc.com]. ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of MMA enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community TM

About Strikeforce:Strikeforce is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, Strikeforce has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” Since then, it has co-produced the first SHOWTIME PPV mixed martial arts event in history with its world championship “Shamrock vs. Baroni” card on June 22nd of this year followed by the first-ever mixed martial arts event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion on September 29th.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL® ON DEMAND. SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL®, a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

Contacts: Mike Afromowitz, Strikeforce – (917) 566-8754 or muaythaimes@aol.com
John Beyrooty, EliteXC/BZA –

Ronica Jeffrey: "Boxing Has Been Very Good To Me"

Ronica Jeffrey: "Boxing Has Been Very Good To Me"
By Robert Mladinich

(Photo courtesy of Robert Mladinich)


Although Ronica Jeffrey has squared off in front of thousands of fans while winning three New York City Golden Gloves titles at Madison Square Garden, she admits to being a bit nervous about making her pro debut on Thursday, January 31, at the Utopia Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York.

The show, which will also feature the comeback of former light-heavyweight champion Lou Del Valle, as well as local favorites Elvir Muriqi, Efrain Joel Torres, Eddie Irizarry, Jon Schneider and Alicia Ashley is being promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.

The 24-year-old Jeffrey, a native of Grenada who resides in Brooklyn, will be facing Karen Dulin of Mystic, Connecticut, an experienced amateur who, like Jeffrey, will be making her pro debut.

“Everything is happening so fast and I’m just trying to ride the flow,” said Jeffrey, who also attends the Wood Tobe Coburn Institute in Manhattan, where she is studying to become a medical assistant and dreams of someday being a pediatrician.

“I’m very nervous and excited, all in one. Fighting professionally is a new game. I think it’s more mental than anything else, but I admit that I’m a little nervous.”

One thing you can be sure of is that Jeffrey’s jitters will dissipate once the bell rings. Her vast experience on the big stage should take her a long way.

In one New York Golden Gloves final, she soundly defeated Maureen Shea, who was the darling of the media at the time because of the recent release of the Academy Award winning film “Million Dollar Baby.”

Shea was being touted as “The Real Million Dollar Baby” for her training with Hilary Swank, the star of the film. Scores of reporters from the entertainment media were on hand for the fight, which turned out to be a disappointment for them as well as Shea.

Jeffrey was also a national amateur champion who represented USA Boxing in such faraway places as India, Argentina, Colorado and California.

“Ronica had a great amateur career,” said her manager, David Selwyn. “She faced lots of pressure and almost always came out on top. She beat Maureen Shea, who is now 12-0 as a pro. I hope to have Ronica fighting for a title before she has 12 fights. In female boxing, having 10 fights as a pro is like a man having 40. Ronica’s amateur experience will have her ready to fight for a title sooner rather than later.”



Jeffrey would love to make her living as a boxer, but is wise enough to understand the nuances and vagaries of the sport, especially as it pertains to females. She is probably the only boxer you will ever meet who discusses attending medical school as a “backup plan” in case boxing doesn’t work out.

“If boxing can create a career for me, that would be great,” she explained. “But there are so many ups and downs in the sport, I always want to have something to fall back on.”

When speaking with Jeffrey it is obvious that she is extremely intelligent and serious about all that she does. When she first entered Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn it was to maintain her fitness and lose some weight.

Within just a few months, however, she had become great friends with such female stars as Alicia Ashley, Belinda Laracuente and Melissa “Hurricane” Hernandez.

When she was encouraged to compete as an amateur by those women, as well as her trainer Mike Smith, she says that she had never even heard of the Golden Gloves tournament.

After roaring through the competition, she couldn’t believe she had made it to the finals of what is generally regarded as the most prestigious local amateur tournament in the world.

“I’m not a person who demands a lot of attention,” said Jeffrey. “Being the center of attention in a place like Madison Square Garden was tough. Even though I’ve been in the finals three times, I still got more nervous each year.”

Her family, which consists of her parents and two siblings, helps keep her grounded. She currently lives with her father Ronald, an electrician who has made many sacrifices to further her dual interests in boxing and education.

“With school and boxing, it’s hard for me to have a full-time job, so I am very grateful for the support that I receive,” said Jeffrey. “It gives me much more inspiration to be successful in everything I do.”

Jeffrey realizes that so much has happened to her in such a relatively short time. As quick a pace as her life is now, she can’t help but feed off of all the positive energy that comes from doing what she not only loves, but also excels at.

She is as goal oriented as she is fitness oriented, so she is certain that her pro debut will be the start of a wonderful year.

“Boxing has already been really good to me,” she said. “I’ve made great friends and feel like Gleason’s is my home. I probably spend more time there than anywhere else. Boxing has enabled me to see places I never would have seen, and to meet people I never would have met. I believe that it is only going to get better in the future, and I am very excited about that.”