No Holds Barred: Keisha Morrisey on the Agbeko-Mares Refereeing Disgrace

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent Keisha Morrisey.

In the August 13 bantamweight title fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, between Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares, referee Russell Mora let Mares land countless low blows without even deducting a point, much less disqualifying him. In the eleventh round, Mora even counted for a knockdown after Agbeko went down from a clear shot to the groin by Mares. This was one of the worst refereeing jobs in modern boxing history, and made the majority decision victory awarded to Mares virtually meaningless.

Outrage has been virtually unanimous among those who saw the fight (except, of course, from the referee), and many are calling for an immediate rematch, as well as nullifying the decision. The New Jersey commission suspended all three judges after their absurd decision in the Lara-Williams fight earlier this year, so it will be instructive to see what action if any the Nevada commission takes regarding Mora.

We spoke by phone late Saturday night right after the Agbeko-Mares fight with Keisha Morrisey. We discussed the refereeing in this fight, what it says about the continuously declining state of boxing, what should be done next, and much more.

CONTROVERSY IN LAS VEGAS‏- Post-Fight Press Links
Controversy looms over Las Vegas (and it smells like stale beer) after inexplicable officiating--which went beyond mere incompetence--marred the main event of the Bantamweight Tournament Final at the Hard Rock on Saturday night.

Please see links, below, to the first of what will certainly be many descriptions and accounts of something that went horribly wrong.

Alan Hopper
DKP

Yahoosports.com – by Kevin Iole
http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=Auj16BtN1cc5t0cAZ.YnaAOUxLYF?slug=ki-iole_mares_beats_Agbeko_controversy_081311

Controversy erupts as Abner Mares wins bantamweight belt from Joseph Agbeko
Immediate rematch likely on tap after unsatisfying finish to Showtime tournament
Las Vegas Sun - By Case Keefer
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/aug/14/abner-mares-controversy-joseph-agbeko/

Abner Mares beats Joseph Agbeko for world title
Challenger from Hawaiian Gardens is the new International Boxing Federation bantamweight champion by majority decision.

The Los Angeles Times - By Lance Pugmire
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-boxing-mares-abeko-20110814,0,2490395.story?track=rss

Mora taints Mares victory over Agbeko, ruins good fight
RingTV.craveonline.com – Doug Fischer and Mike Rosenthal
http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/168561-mora-taints-mares-victory-over-agbeko-ruins-good-fight-

Looked Like Ref Russell Mora Beat Joseph Agbeko
The Sweet Science – By Michael Woods
http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/articles/13107-russell-mora-beats-joseph-agbekostay-tuned-for-avila-from-ringside

In a great action fight Saturday marred by puzzling officiating by the referee that left fans at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, those watching on SHOWTIME® and the telecast team themselves totally perplexed, Abner Mares won The Bantamweight Tournament Final: Winner Takes All and the International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title with a majority 12-round decision over defending IBF titlist Joseph King Kong Agbeko.

The unbeaten Mares (22-0-1, 13 KOs), of Hawaiian Gardens, Calif., scored two knockdowns – one in the first and one in the 11th that was one hotly disputed – en route to outpointing the New York-based Agbeko (28-3, 22 KOs) of Ghana by the scores of 115-111 twice and 113-113.

But talk afterward centered less on the terrific performances of the talented, proud prizefighters and more on the referee, Russell Mora, whose failure to deduct a point from the winner despite at least five warnings for low blows and several other shots that seemed south of the border left many in disbelief.

During the telecast, SHOWTIME ringside analyst Antonio Tarver said, “Mora robbed all of us of a great fight.’’

There were 1,394 punches thrown in a give-and-take slugfest. Mares connected on 318 of 732, Agbeko on 318 of 732.

“I thought the first knockdown was clear,’’ said Mares, who made history by becoming the first homegrown Golden Boy Promotions boxer to capture a world title. “On the second I hit him on the belt and the ref chose to give him a count. I agree with the ref’s choice.

“I like to work the body but I was making the fight and all he did was counter-punch.

“I’m open to fight anybody (next). I love this tournament and would love to be in another one like this.’’

Said Agbeko, who demanded an immediate rematch, “I felt as though I was fighting two opponents in the ring tonight, Abner Mares and the referee. The referee ruled incorrectly on the knockdowns and he allowed Mares to hit me low repeatedly. Then, in the 11th, he called what everyone could see was another obvious low blow a knockdown.

“I don’t why these things happened to me. I felt the ref was against me from the start. All I wanted was a fair fight.

“I like Abner. He’s a good fighter. But I’m sure he didn’t want to win a fight this way.’’

A 12-round fight promoted by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions will re-air this week as follows:Tuesday, Aug. 16, 10:30 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

Saturday’s fight will be available ON DEMAND beginning on Tuesday, Aug. 16.

♔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.

WOMEN’S BOXING SUPERSTAR KALIESHA WEST WILL DEFEND HER WBO TITLE ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 20

Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West (12-1-3, 4-KO’s) will take on Mexico’s Jessica Villafranca (12-2-0, 6-KO’s) in a 10-round WBO Female Bantamweight championship battle at the Black Pyramid Casino in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. The bout will be aired on Mexico’s Televisa network at 8:00 PM, CT as part of the HG Boxing’s “Triple Corona” card.

♔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.

All Boxing Fans Meet Jake LaMotta at Ring 10's "1st Annual Fundraiser, Saturday, August 27th, 2011, 1:00pm-6:00pm at Russo's on the Bay ‏

All Boxing Fans Meet Jake LaMotta at Ring 10's "1st Annual Fundraiser" Saturday, August 27th, 2011, 1:00pm-6:00pm at Russo's on the Bay 162-45 Crossbay Blvd,Howard Beach, NY 11414

It has been 60 years since Robinson vs. LaMotta met in the ring for the 6th and final time.
won 83 (KO 30) + lost 19 (KO 4) + drawn 4 = 106
rounds boxed 870 KO% 28.3

Robinson vs. LaMotta: "The Second St. Valentine's Day Massacre" The sensational middleweight title bout between Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta on February 14, 1951, went down in Chicago boxing lore as “the second St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.”

The sensational middleweight title bout between Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta on February 14, 1951, went down in Chicago boxing lore as "the second St. Valentine's Day Massacre." Reprinted from Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports (c) by Christopher Tabbert

*******SAVE THE DATE*******


RING 10
Veterans Boxing Foundation
Of New York
1st Annual Fundraiser
Saturday, August 27th, 2011
1:00pm-6:00pm
Russo's on the Bay
162-45 Crossbay Blvd,Howard Beach, NY 11414, 718-843-5055

Celebrities to be in attendance:
Jake LaMotta, Holt McCallany: star of "Lights Out"
Tony DeMarco,Earnie Shavers, Kevin Rooney
Iran Barkley, Vito Antuofermo, Bert Sugar
Aaron "Superman"Davis, Heavyweight contender Lou Savarese

Plus many more, and a surprise current Champion of the World!

Enjoy a complete brunch with cocktail hour upon entry, followed by dinner and dessert. Top shelf open bar.

Silent Auction: one-of-a-kind boxing memorabilia

Tickets: $125 each

$150 after August 10th

Remit early for favorable seating

Make checks payable to:Ring 10



Mail to: 30 Bowdon Rd, Greenlawn, NY11740



For more information, contact Matt: 631-948-6028


******************************



♔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.

Michael Katsidis blasts Michael Lozada away in three rounds in super lightweight bout‏

Michael Katsidis blasts Michael Lozada away in three rounds in super lightweight bout; By; ‏Petra Kirsch - Gelsenkirchen

Michael Katsidis' homecoming was a hellacious one as he inflicted a sustained beating to the midsection of Michael Lozada who was eventually halted in the third round of a super lightweight (10 stones/ 140lbs) contest in Australia's Gold Coast on Saturday, August 13. A win was a mandatory requirement for "The Great" Katsidis who had suffered two successive losses to Juan Manuel Marquez and then Robert Guerrero.

A win was a formality for Katsidis as Lozada, despite his pre-fight record of 38-8-1, 30ko, had already been kayoed in six rounds in 2010 by the relatively light-hitting Paulie Malignaggi and sustained a first round knockout to defeat to Pier Olivier Cote earlier this year.

Katsidis, meanwhile, despite being widely regarded as a Las Vegas favourite due to his thunderous performances, even in defeat, has to notch up another W on his resume following the aforementioned defeats. Against Guerrero, Katsidis' best round came late in the fight when he began inflicting a number of heavy-handed hook shots to each side of Guerrero's body and it was this tactic that was again adopted against Lozada.

The Australian, who had not fought in front of his home fans since 2006, felt his opponent out early in the first round but following an opening exchange began targeting Lozada's body. In the second round, the 30-year-old - considered a game gatekeeper from the lightweight pool - went headhunting as he caught Lozada flush with an overhand right. Lozada was even felled later in the second round but the referee - Adrian Cairns - deemed it a slip.

The ending finally came in the third round as Lozada failed to make Cairns' count after a severe body-beating from Katsidis. With victory, Katsidis rose to 28-4-0, 23ko and, following the fight, mentioned that his motivation for his barnstorming performance was fighting in front of his family, friends, Australian fans as well as stepping-up to the 140lb weight limit.

Katsidis is now hoping to secure lucrative contests at the new weight, including a bout against Lozada's countryman - three-weight world champion Erik Morales.
In an upset on the undercard, journeyman Jack Asis (24-18-4, 13ko) recorded a second round knockout over world-ranked (IBF; 15) bantamweight Nestor Rocha (23-3-0, 8ko); a former world title challenger.

♔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.

Paddy Monahan, lets get him into theInternational Boxing Hall of Fame (I.B.H.O.F.)‏

Please read this amazing article on Paddy Monaghan, he is the greatest bare kunckle boxer ever, Paddy won 114 fights from 1962 to 1980 with nothing but hand wraps. He was the last bare knuckle champion in the modern era to fight with out gloves and not loose a match.

Here is his story... http://www.fightsaga.com/news/item/1084-Paddy-Monaghan-The-Greatest-Bareknuckle-Boxer-Ever

Let's get this man inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Alan Santana
World Boxing Federation
North America U.S.A.
West Coast Regional Coordinator/ Supervisor
1.310.834.9522
Santana@WorldBoxingFederation.net


♔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.

Fan favorite Sonya Lamonakis will be on The DiBella Entertainment, Broadway Boxing show on August 20th in Worcester, Ma.

Hands That Punch Also Gently Guide
By COREY KILGANNON Published: June 11, 2011

GLOVES OFF Sonya Lamonakis trains at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn. She is a professional boxer.

AT 5-foot-7 and 220 pounds, Sonya Lamonakis has a stinging left hook. She is the Women’s International Boxing Association’s third-ranked heavyweight, and has all but assured herself a chance to fight for the world title after beating the 300-pound GiGi Jackson in a six-round bout in April.

But her powerful fists become soft, instructive instruments in her day job, as a teacher at the Family Academy, a public elementary school in Harlem.

“Ms. Lamonakis hits big ladies and knocks them down,” said Shyanne Spencer, 8, in describing what her teacher does during time off.

Ms. Lamonakis, 36, teaches technology classes during the day and heads to Brooklyn every day after school for her training sessions, which often include a round-trip run across the Brooklyn Bridge. But at some moments of the day, her identities collide; while on lunch duty, she often catches herself shadow boxing while sparring in her head.

“I’m never going to quit my job,” she said. “I consider teaching my job and boxing my hobby. I didn’t go to college for eight years to be a boxer.”

Ms. Lamonakis will not book a fight unless it fits into her school schedule, she said. In February, she turned down a fight because she had promised to take students on a field trip. Her first professional fight, in Worcester, Mass., fell on a school night. Ms. Lamonakis knocked out her 21-year-old opponent and hopped in her car and drove back to New York City; she was on time for school the next morning.



“The main thing is that she never comes back injured,” Diana Diaz, the principal of the Family Academy, said. She allows Ms. Lamonakis some schedule flexibility when she is preparing for a fight. And fight results are always posted in the main office and delivered with the morning announcements, Ms. Diaz said, “when the public address system’s working.”

On a recent weekday, during a technology class for third graders, Ms. Lamonakis unlocked a metal cabinet and handed out laptops. While she tended to a student, several others fidgeted and began straying from their desks. Ms. Lamonakis seemed to be monitoring the classroom peripherally, the way a champion boxer might size up her position in the ring while tangling with her opponent.

“Girls, have a seat — too much movement for me,” she said.

Her students are intensely interested in her boxing career, and she uses it as a teaching point.

“I always tell them that it’s good to dream but that it’s important to get their education, so they have something important to fall back on,” she said.

At the end of class, Shyanne asked, “Do you still lose sometimes?”

She laughed and said, “Not in a long time.”

After school that day, she headed straight to Gleason’s Gym for a two-hour training session of sparring, shadow-boxing, conditioning and hitting the punching bags and mitts.

“Sometimes teaching is more tiring than training,” she said with a laugh as she drove over the Brooklyn Bridge. “Driving in the car is my recovery time.”

At Gleason’s, while shirtless, glistening men pounded heavy bags, skipped rope and shadow boxed before mirrors, Ms. Lamonakis changed into shorts and a T-shirt and climbed into a ring. With her hands wrapped and gloved, training began.

Ms. Lamonakis was born in Greece and grew up in Turners Falls, Mass., working long hours at her family’s grocery store and diner. She played field hockey and softball at Springfield College in Massachusetts and began teaching while studying for one of her two master’s degrees.

Ms. Lamonakis took up boxing on a lark, at the advanced age of 27. After being invited to a boxing gym, she found she was immediately hooked, and within three months she was competing throughout New England, sweeping major tournaments.

But after her boyfriend was killed in 2005, she moved to New York to try “starting over” and landed a job as a city schoolteacher. She began training at Gleason’s and almost instantly established herself as the top amateur heavyweight in the city, becoming a four-time New York Golden Gloves champion and twice capturing the national title. Since turning pro last year, she has won all five of her fights.

Known as the Scholar — both for her master’s degrees and her strategic boxing style — Ms. Lamonakis has handled many larger, stronger and younger opponents by ducking jabs and working her way inside their punching zones, and then landing short body punches.

“She’s not just strong and aggressive — she’s strong and aggressive and smart,” said Don Saxby, one of her trainers at Gleason’s. “Her aggression is premeditated.”

Ms. Lamonakis has gained a loyal following of family and friends, as well as teachers, students and their parents. Some of them — including one of the school’s assistant principals, Eve Navarro, even show up at her out-of-town bouts. Other supporters, full of cultural pride, show up waving Greek flags, the blue and white matching her boxing trunks.

“All Greeks are fighters,” she said with a laugh. “We’re Spartans. We have it in our blood.”

♔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.

David Tua Outpointed by Monte Barrett in Dramatic Rematch

David Tua Outpointed by Monte Barrett in Dramatic Rematch
by Scott Christ

38-year-old David Tua and 40-year-old Monte Barrett may not have delivered a beauty this morning in New Zealand, but they delivered roughly five thousand times more drama than did Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye in their mega-hyped July fight. Barrett survived a dramatic late rally by Tua to hang on for the unanimous decision victory.

Barrett (35-9-2, 20 KO) won on scores of 115-112, 115-112, and 114-113. Bad Left Hook scored it 116-111 for Barrett, who easily controlled the first six rounds of the fight and had Tua (52-4-2, 43 KO) looking like he had absolutely nothing at all left in the tank.

On that note, I will say that Tua doesn't look like he physically has a lot more left, and if you hadn't already written him off as a serious contender (or potential serious contender), you can do that. But I can say with all sincerity that Tua still has a lot of heart left, and in the second half of the fight, with it clear that he couldn't keep up in a boxing match with Barrett, Tua threw caution to the wind and went for the home run.

In the 12th round, he nearly got it. Tua floored Barrett hard on a pair of big shots, and for a moment, it didn't seem that Barrett would get up. But the American veteran made it to his feet, and had about 45 seconds left in the fight that he had to survive. He basically mustered everything he had left in his body to tie Tua up and try to keep the charging Samoan bulldog at bay, and while he barely made it out of the fight, he did indeed make it out.

David Tua vs Monte Barrett II - Round 12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGVIq52HpCI&feature=player_embedded#at=315

After the fight, Barrett said he was looking to take a vacation instead of looking for a third fight with Tua, but Tua stated that he wanted the third bout, and says he has no intention to retire. If Tua is just looking to take this level of fight, I say there's absolutely a place for David Tua in today's boxing world. The fights may not be the most significant, but he's still among the more entertaining heavyweight fighters out there.

Barrett, who says he wants to start a career in WWE (it's not happening, and I won't start the lengthy list of reasons why it wouldn't be a success), has really made something of a turnaround with his career. He's been effectively shot for a long time, at least in terms of being compared to what he was at his peak. But he just keeps fighting as hard as he can when he gets out there. If you had told me back in 2007 that Barrett would be winning even this level fight in 2011, I'd have taken that bet and given you great odds. But here he is. It's not the most important win, but it's a big win for Monte Barrett.

♔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.

David Tua vs Monte Barrett Saturday August 13, SKY ARENA (channel 038) and SKY ARENA HD (channel 039) from 7

SKY ARENA is delighted to announce boxing expert Mike Angove and boxing commentator Clint Brown will be calling the fight between David Tua and Monte Barrett and the undercard fights at the TelstaClear Pacific Events Centre, Manukau, Auckland on August 13th.

Angove, who called the Sonny Bill Williams vs Alipate Liava 'a heavyweight bout in the Clash For Canterbury in June, says Barrett needs to keep his composure and not get carried away by the fact that he knocked David Tua down in their last fight.

“He really needs to stick to the game plan, fight smart and outbox Tua over the 11 or 12 rounds and then wait for Tua to make a mistake like he did last fight”

Clint Brown, one of New Zealand’s most talented sports broadcasters … says there is plenty of talent coming through in some of the undercard fights.

“New Zealand’s Joseph Parker is trying to box his way to the London Olympics next year.... so should be a great fight night”

The main event between David Tua and Monte Barrett won’t start before 10pm on the night.

The Tua vs Barrett fight can be seen on SKY ARENA (channel 038) and SKY ARENA HD (channel 039) for $29.95. The HD service will only be available to MY SKY HDi subscribers with an HD Ticket. To book now call 0800 759 758.

Saturday August 13, SKY ARENA (channel 038) and SKY ARENA HD (channel 039) from 7pm

David Tua vs Monte Barrett "Weigh in" - Saturday, 13 August, 2011, at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre - No trash talk, no fighting words, this is serious for both fighters. Both Tua and Barrett took to the scales with big intentions. Barrett weighed in at 100.9kg, while Tua tipped the scales at 110.8kg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpoONRKZwes&sns=fb

♔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.