LAMONT AND ANTHONY PETERSON WIN EASILY TO REMAIN UNBEATEN on SHOWTIME at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi

BILOXI, Miss.– Brothers Lamont and Anthony Peterson of Washington, D.C., kept their undefeated records and hopes for a world title shot in 2008 in tact with convincing victories Friday in the co-featured bouts on ShoBox: The New Generation at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

A doubleheader promoted by Prize Fight Boxing aired on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Lamont Peterson, 23, and 14 months older than Anthony, improved to 24-0 with 11 knockouts with a unanimous 10-round decision over previously undefeated Brazilian Antonio Mesquita. Peterson outboxed and outpunched Mesquita (34-1, 27 KOs) to triumph by the scores of 100-89, 99-90 and 98-93.
Lamont Peterson outboxed and outfought previously undefeated Antonio Mesquita to capture a unanimous 10-round decision Friday on SHOWTIME.
Photos: Scott Foster/For SHOWTIME




Anthony Peterson upped his record to 26-0 with 19 knockouts with an eighth-round stoppage of Cuba’s Jose Izquierdo. He dropped Izquierdo (16-2-1, 13 KOs), a late substitute for Guadalupe Rosales, three times – once in the seventh and twice in the eighth. The bout was stopped at 2:54, shortly after the last knockdown.

Anthony Peterson overcame a fast start by late substitute Jose Izquierdo to register three knockdowns en route to an eighth-round knockout Friday on SHOWTIME.
Photos: Scott Foster/For SHOWTIME




“I thought I executed my game plan to perfection and managed to keep my poise and remain patient even though it was obvious that Mesquita was doing everything he could to get me to exchange and fight his fight,’’ said Lamont Peterson, a junior welterweight who is ranked No. 3 in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and No. 6 in the World Boxing Association (WBA).

“Honestly, I don’t think I lost a round. He did a lot of complaining but I think he was frustrated because he could never catch me.’’

Mesquita, of Las Vegas, Nev., by way of Guaruja, Brazil, had a point deducted in the final round for hitting after the break.

“He was faster than I thought and I could never really catch him like I wanted,’’ said Mesquita, who was unable to connect with his vaunted right hand with any consistency. “But the scoring was way out of line. I know I won some more rounds.

“The ref took a point from me at the end but he should have been taking points from Peterson for all the head butts. I kept trying to tell the ref to watch for his head coming in, but he never did a thing.’’

A lightweight who is ranked No. 1 in the WBO, No. 4 in the World Boxing Council (WBC) and No. 12 in the International Boxing Federation, Anthony Peterson was well ahead on the judges’ scorecards entering the eighth round of his fight.

Peterson did not appear to be dominating, however, particularly in the opening four or five frames.

“It was a good victory for me. I always felt I was in charge,’’ Peterson said. “The guy was determined and a little awkward, but I made the adjustments I had to make. Fighting a last-minute sub, I didn’t really know what to expect. But I got the job done, which is what counts. I am ready to fight next whoever they put in front of me.’’

Izquierdo, a Cuban who lives in Chihuahua, Mexico, took the match on a few days’ notice after Rosales became ill. Izquierdo came out determinedly and was competitive during the first five rounds.

“I felt good,’’ he said, “but I am very disappointed. I felt I was fighting two guys in there – my opponent and the referee. I must have been hit at least six times in the back of the head, but the ref never did anything. That is what made me go down. I was off balance. I was never really hurt by his punches.’’

Popular play-by-play announcer Nick Charles and expert analyst/boxing historian Steve Farhood called the action from ringside. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

Friday’s bouts will re-air this week as follows:

DAY CHANNEL

Saturday, Jan. 5, at Midnight ET/PT SHOTOO

Monday, Jan. 7, at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Tuesday, Jan. 8, at Midnight ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Thursday, Jan. 10, at 11 p.m. ET/PT SHOTOO

Tonight/Saturday, Jan. 5, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi defends his IBF junior welterweight title against No. 1 ranked contender and mandatory challenger Herman “The Black Panther’’ Ngoudjo on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

ShoBox returns Friday, Feb. 1, at Grand Casino Hinckley, in Hinckley, Minn. In the main event, undefeated junior middleweight Alfredo Angulo (11-0, 8 KOs) faces Ricardo Cortes (22-1, 15 KOs). In a battle of unbeatens in the co-feature of the Gary Shaw Productions, LLC-promoted event, Mickey Bey Jr. (9-0, 6 KOs) meets Juan Castaneda (12-0, 9 KOs) in an eight-round super featherweight bout.

For information on Showtime Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and EliteXC mixed martial arts telecasts, please go www.SHO.com/sports.

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talented fighters matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise crowd-pleasing and competitive fights while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. The growing list of fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes Leonard Dorin, Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Kelly Pavlik and Malignaggi.

OBAMA TSUNAMI

OBAMA TSUNAMI

“The political earthquake on January 3, 2008 in Iowa, America’s Buck-Eye state resulting from the Democratic Party Caucus may have generated an Obama Tsunami.” These were the words of Keisha Morrisey a life long Harlem resident and former candidate for the New York State Assembly in 2002 and New York City Council in 2003.

Former candidate Morrisey, now a boxing and fighting sports reporter and public relation professional popularly referred to in the boxing game as El Boxing Empress” predicts that an Obama Tidal Wave will overtake the walls of the Black political gate keepers and drown conventional wisdom.


Ms. Morrisey was among a group of her hip-hop generation peers who watched the unfolding Iowa caucus results in a private venue. Morrisey said, “Well I guess that the results in Iowa answers the question about the impact of the Oprah factor and also settles the question as to the prospect of new young voters turning out at the polls.”

The decisiveness of Senator Obama’s victory over Senator Clinton and the rest of the field of impressive Democratic Party political timber in all demographic categories suggest that a paradigm shift may have occurred. Moreover, there is an emerging sensibility in virtually all segments of society that a Black America can in fact be elected. Accordingly, many analogies are being advanced to rationalize, justify and predict the probability of Obama’s ultimate victory.

Author and political analyst Gary James said, “Presidential candidate Barack Obama is a Black Swan.” James was referencing a recently published book entitled “A Black Swan” written by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. A Black Swan as defined in the book is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was. For example, the astonishing success of Google was a black swan; so was 9/11.


James said, “The profundity of black swans is that they change the way people look at the world. Black swans underlie almost everything about the world from the rise of religions to current events. The Obama Black Swan analogy is an unfolding phenomenon that may ultimately and substantially settle some outstanding social and political questions relative to race in America.”

James continued, “It is often posited by some Black folk that white America refuses to deal with the ‘race question’ or white America would never elect a Black man to be President of the United States. However, as a practical political matter the results of the Iowa
Democratic Caucus, with its 96 percent white population may have spoken without equivocation for white America at large.”

What appears to be emerging is an Obama national intergenerational grassroots political movement with far reaching impact particularly as it relates to the future of conventional Black political leadership and civil rights orthodoxy. Should Obama win in New Hampshire and Michigan his campaign would have transcended the realm of political probability and entered the dimension of political quantum physics which may potentially transform America and the world.

The formidable Clinton political machine may be outmatched by the new political mathematics heralded by the ubiquitous Barack Obama organic movement. Should the Obama political phenomenon continue to crescendo until Super-Tuesday on February 5, when New York and other big states hold their primaries, a new political dispensation may merge with the unfolding first decade of the 21st century.

Whatever the outcome of the titanic battle for the Democratic Party’s Presidential nomination between the forces of the Clinton and Obama political machines, Americans and in deed the world are riveted to the process and any conceivable end result is at this point mathematically possible.

In any scenario, New York politics particularly relative to the Black community will forever be changed following the February 5 ‘Super Tuesday’ primary election. While most prominent Black elected officials and the civil right leadership have lined up behind the Clinton political machine, there is an emerging groundswell of Obama support being crystallized by a list of elected officials lead by New York State Senator Bill Perkins and the grassroots community inspired by Rev. Conrad Tillard.


Longtime political activist Alton Chase said, “Current anecdotal information suggests that the New York Democratic primary election is a dead heat between Clinton and Obama. Should Obama win decisively in New Hampshire as his 10 point lead in the New Hampshire poll indicates that New York may be the last stand for the Clinton political magic.

James concluded, “The Obama 21st century campaign strategy is based on an eyes and ears approach, while the Clinton strategy is organized around the traditional mouth and hands campaign style… Now will the real first Black American President of the United States please step forward.”
CONTACT: Gary James
ConsultingGary@netscape.net

Trinidad-Jones Featured Pay-Per-View Matches Destined to Produce Slugfests

Trinidad-Jones Featured Pay-Per-View Matches Destined to Produce Slugfests


NEW YORK—Two of the greatest boxers in history, Felix “Tito” Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr., will face each other in a battle boxing fans have been waiting for years to see at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008. The event has been dubbed “Bring on the Titans” and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

But before Trinidad and Jones square off, there will also be three bouts featured at the Garden and live on the pay-per-view telecast including heavyweight Andrew Golota taking on the emerging Chicago heavyweight “Merciless” Mike Mollo; former 154-pound champion Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin squaring of with Alex “The Technician” Bunema; and undefeated super lightweight Devon Alexander “The Great”—Don King’s top young prospect—will face his toughest opponent yet in former world champion DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley.


In a match where two titles will be on the line, Golota (40-6-1, 33 KOs) of Chicago by way of Warsaw, Poland, the current International Boxing Federation (IBF) North American champion will face the young and hungry World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedelatin titlist Mollo (19-1, 12 KOs) in a Chicagoland showdown.

Preceding Golota-Mollo, Karmazin (36-2-1, 23 KOs), from St. Petersburg, Russia, now living in Los Angeles, will defend his WBA Intercontinental super welterweight title against Bunema (26-9-2, 14 KOs), from Kinshasa, Zaire, now living in Atlanta.

The opening of the telecast will showcase the 20-year-old phenom Alexander (13-0, 9 KOs), from St. Louis, Mo., taking on Washington, D.C., veteran and former World Boxing Organization (WBO) 140-pound titlist Corley, who has stepped into the ring with the likes of “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, Zab “Super” Judah, Miguel Cotto, Junior Witter and Jose Alfaro.

Golota, the greatest Polish heavyweight ever and one of the best heavyweights to have never won a world title, has won his last two contests via technical knockout and continues on his quest to win an elusive world crown. His most memorable fights came against some of the best heavyweights of his era including former world champions Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Chris Byrd and John Ruiz.

His last ring appearance was against Mike Tyson conqueror Kevin “The Clones Colossus” McBride at the Garden on Oct. 6, 2007. Golota can often be a slow starter, so McBride took a page out of Lamon Brewster’s and Tyson’s scouting report on the Pole and rocked him early in the match.

Golota used his veteran skills to weather the storm and maintain his composure, buying time to establish a rhythm in what turned to be a highly entertaining brawl that saw the Garden crowd on its feet during much of the contest.

Golota opened a nasty gash over McBride’s left eye in round five and finished him off with just 18 seconds to go in the sixth when referee Arthur Mercante Jr. halted the contest.

Mollo, 27, is still building his reputation as a legitimate heavyweight contender. A win over Golota would help catapult him into the upper echelons of heavyweight contenders seeking a world-title shot.

Mollo needed only two rounds to knock out Art “The Polish Warrior” Binkowski in his last outing on Oct. 13, 2007, in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Mollo turned in a dominating performance, battering the former Canadian Olympian from pillar to post. He dropped Binkowski three times in the second round before the referee stopped the carnage.

When asked how he felt after the fight, Mollo exclaimed, “Unbelievable, super-aggressive like a pit bull. Now I want Golota.”

Look for the young Mollo to come out swinging early, and the proverbial chips—or possibly the fighters in this case—will fall where they may.

Karmazin is coming off a sterling third-round knockout over former two-time 154-pound world champion Alejandro “Terra” Garcia on Friday, Nov. 23, 2007, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Karmazin, 35, proved why he has always been considered one of the best junior middleweights in the world in an absolute destruction of Garcia where the Russian looked fantastic.

He lived up to his Made in Hell moniker when he dropped Garcia with a devastating body shot in the opening round. The assault continued until Karmazin disposed of the Mexican with a four-punch combination punctuated by a stinging left hook to the body in the third round that earned him a knockout.

“I knew the fight was going to end early after the first round,” Karmazin said. “I’m a boxer, I’m a thinking fighter, and I knew I was faster and punched harder.”

Bunema is also coming into this fight with plenty of momentum. In his last appearance, the 32-year-old dispatched veteran Steve Walker with a second round TKO on Nov. 10, 2007, in Ridgefield, Wash.

The Zaire native managed another nifty victory nearly two months earlier. Bunema delivered a fourth-round knockout against the young and tough Farid Shahid on Sept. 21, 2007, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Alexander is scorching hot, having scored an opening-round TKO over Cory Peterson on Oct. 13, 2007, at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

Fighting out of the Cory Spinks camp under the tutelage of trainer Kevin Cunningham, his promoter Don King thinks it’s time to show Alexander’s skills to a wider audience.

“I insisted on putting Alexander The Great on the Jones-Trinidad pay-per-view because he is emerging and ready to become the top welterweight in the world,” King said. “Now is Devon’s time and I want everyone to see this young talent display his skills.”

Standing in the way of Alexander’s quest for glory is the always dangerous Corley. Now 33, Corley has a vast experience advantage over his young opponent and would like nothing more than to spoil Alexander’s first appearance in a televised pay-per-view match.

The Trinidad vs. Jones domestic pay-per-view telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and is being produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View, available in more than 61 million pay-per-view homes.

This domestic telecast will be available in HDTV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For your Trinidad vs. Jones fight week updates, log on to http://www.hbo.com/.

The event will be distributed internationally by KingVision, available through DK International Sales, a division of Don King Productions, Inc.

The event is being promoted by Don King Productions in association with Madison Square Garden.

JERMAIN TAYLOR KICKS OFF NEW YEAR WITH TRAINING CAMP IN LAS VEGAS FOR REMATCH

JERMAIN TAYLOR KICKS OFF NEW YEAR WITH TRAINING CAMP IN LAS VEGAS FOR REMATCH AGAINST
KELLY PAVLIK THE EPIC BATTLE CONTINUES SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH AT MGM GRAND / LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW


LAS VEGAS– During every New Years celebration, the saying goes, “Out with the old, in with the new,” as well as “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Neither could be more true concerning the mindset of Jermain Taylor as he starts the New Year with training camp in Las Vegas for his rematch with Kelly Pavlik, billed as "The Epic Battle Continues."

"Actually training camp started in December in Little Rock, but officially it started with the New Year in Las Vegas. Ozell Nelson put me through a mini-training camp prior to coming to Las Vegas and we have gone back to the basics working on better conditioning and technique", said Taylor.

Much has changed for Taylor over the last 12 months- a new daughter, personnel changes within his camp. Out is trainer Emanuel Steward who is being replaced with "new" head trainer and his original coach Ozell Nelson who has been with Jermain since he was 13 years old. “Nothing against Emanuel, he's a Hall of Fame trainer and a friend of mine, but what was clicking in training, wasn't clicking in the ring come fight time. Sometimes chemistry works that way", said Taylor.


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.


“No excuses, Kelly beat me fair and square last time, but I know what I have to do this time around, and I promise you things will be different", said Taylor. Admittedly, a win at super Middleweight will not regain Taylor his belts. “But it will gain me revenge,” quips Taylor. “Any fighter will tell you that they can't look past their upcoming opponent, this case is no different. I will definitely campaign as a Super Middleweight from here on, but I can't even think about that until I get Pavlik out of the way. I'm expecting a lot of fireworks in the rematch, just like the first fight between us."

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 http://www.mgmgrand.com/ or http://www.ticketmaster.com/

Last Two Chances to See “Magic Man” Documentary before Malignaggi/Ngoudjo Fight Saturday Night on SHOWTIME

***Documentary depicts life of DBE Junior Welterweight Champion***
NEW YORK, – Film fans and fight fans only have two more opportunities to see “Magic Man” before the subject of the film defends his title Saturday night. The film’s last two showings will be on Thursday January 3 at 10:00PM ET SHOWTIME 2® and on Friday January 4 at 11:40PM ET on SHO Extreme®.
The documentary film chronicles the ascent of perpetual underdog Paulie the “Magic Man” Malignaggi, a scrawny kid from a broken home who, in quest to prove his life was worth something, defeated all odds to arrive at the Mecca of boxing one big upset away from proving everyone wrong. It’s a story of disappointment, determination, of stamina and salvation.(Photo courtesy of Eddie Goldman)

The film produced by Lou DiBella and Brave St. Productions, traces Malignaggi’s difficult upbringing as the child of Italian immigrants struggling to find his path in life in America.
The story follows his start in amateur boxing from his time at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn and chronicles the trials and tribulations of his first world championship bout against Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden and the ecstasy of winning his first title one year later.
The film provides an original and poignant illustration of the literal blood, sweat and tears in the life of a boxer.
“Magic Man” first premiered at the Hoboken International Film Festival in New Jersey, where a rough cut of the film won the 2007 Audience Award. The documentary will give fans a good lead up to Malignaggi’s next title fight, which will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Jan. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
REMAINING SCHEDULE FOR “MAGIC MAN” ON SHOWTIME
SHO 2 January 3 10:00PM

SHO Extreme January 4 11:40PM

Contact: Mike Moriarty, DiBella Entertainment