COUNTDOWN TO PAVLIK-TAYLOR II PREMIERES SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH ON HBO IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING BOXING AFTER DARK

NEW YORK- HBO Sports is presenting a thirty-minute special analyzing the upcoming HBO Pay-Per-View showdown between two of boxing's most compelling competitors:
Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor. Their eagerly anticipated rematch is set for Saturday, February 16th in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.


The special "COUNTDOWN TO PAVLIK-TAYLOR II," which will feature fighter profiles, expert analysis and forecasts for the 166-pound showdown, will premiere on the main service on Saturday, February 9th immediately after the HBO BOXING AFTER DARK telecast, which airs at 9:45 p.m. (ET/PT).

Pavlik (32-0, 29 KO's), native of Youngstown, Ohio, scored a thrilling upset victory in their firs encounter on September 29th in Atlantic City, registering a senenth-round KO triumph.

(Photos courtesy of: NDH Consultants)


Taylor (27-1-1,17 KO's) has been a powerhouse in the middleweight division since winning the world title from Bernard Hopkins in 2005 and looks to erase the only blemish on his accomplished career.
(Photos courtesy of: NDH Consultants)


The countdown special will also be available on HBO ON DEMAND subscribers 24 hours a day from Monday, February 11 through Monday, February 18.

ADDITIONAL HBO REPLAY DATES:
Sunday, February 10th at 11:15am
Monday, February 11th at 3:00pm & 11:00pm
Wednesday, February 13th at 11:30pm & 8:30am
Thursday, February 14th at 12:00am
Friday, February 15th at 7:30pm & 2:20am
Saturday, February 16th at 4:30pm


ADDITIONAL HBO2 REPLAY DATES:
Sunday, February 10th @ 1:45am
Tuesday, February 12th @ 5:30pm & 10:00pm
Friday, February 15th @ 11:30am & 12:35am
Saturday, February 16th @ 9:30am

ALL TIMES ARE ET/PT


Contact Your Local Cable or Satellite Provider
To Order
This Pay-Per-View Telecast

Don't miss these two exicting fights, this Saturday, Feb 9th, at 9:45 PM,
BAD: PAUL WILLIAMS VS. CARLOS QUINTANA AND ANDRE BERTO VS. MICHEL TRABANT followed by Countdown to Pavlik-Taylor II which will premiere this Saturday immediately after, Williams vs. Quintana. Williams is making his first title defense after winning the belt in a hard-fought contest against Antonio Margarito in July 2007. Quintana's only defeat came at the hands of superstar Miguel Cotto. Both Williams and Quintana are known for their speed and power punches.

BAD: PAUL WILLIAMS VS. CARLOS QUINTANA AND ANDRE BERTO VS. MICHEL TRABANT

Williams is making his first title defense after winning the belt in a hard-fought contest against Antonio Margarito in July 2007. Quintana's only defeat came at the hands of superstar Miguel Cotto. Both Williams and Quintana are known for their speed and power punches.



Don't miss these two exicting fights, this Saturday, Feb 9th, at 9:45 PM, followed by Countdown to Pavlik-Taylor II ET/PT.

Reggie Johnson vs. Julio Cesar Gonzalez, February 23 @ Lake Charles Civic Center‏

Reggie Johnson vs. Julio Cesar Gonzalez, February 23 @ Lake Charles Civic Center‏
Contact: Kerry Daigle @ Keep Punching

Want interviews with the participants, promoters, managers, matchmakers, etc. Send your requests to: Kerry Daigle at keeppunching@cox.net Click below!! More to come!! http://www.keeppunching.com/johnson_gonzalez/johnson_gonzalez_site2.html

Counter Punch LLC would like for you to go checkout the world's first and only boxing card game that was created by our company called: Counter Punch

Also start chatting with other boxing fans in one of our COUNTER CHAT rooms.

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The incredibly popular YouTube fighting legend and Mixed Martial Arts superstar, Kimbo Slice, appears on the nationally televised Jimmy Kimmel Live

The incredibly popular YouTube fighting legend and Mixed Martial Arts superstar, Kimbo Slice, will be a special guest on the nationally televised Jimmy Kimmel Live show Thursday Feb. 7 at 12:05 a.m. ET/PT on ABC.


The always entertaining Kimbo (kimboslice.proelite.com), who scored a 19-second, first-round knockout in his EliteXC and MMA debut in November, will discuss, among other things, his eagerly anticipated, long-awaited grudge fight with David "Tank'' Abbott (tankabbott.proelite.com) set for Saturday, Feb. 16, at the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami on SHOWTIME.

Besides Kimbo, who is on the cover of the current edition of "Fighters Only,'' a top British magazine, Jimmy's guests Thursday/tonight will include TV personality "Dr. Phil" McGraw.

GAELIC STORM; Undefeated junior middleweight James Moore will headline a pre-St. Patrick’s boxing extravaganza called “Gaelic Storm” on Sat. March 15

Undefeated junior middleweight James Moore, 14-0 (10 KOS), a native of County Wicklow, Ireland, who fights out of Queens, New York, will headline a pre-St. Patrick’s boxing extravaganza called “Gaelic Storm” on Saturday, March 15th, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. His likely opponent is Freddy Curiel, 18-6-2 (8 KOS), of Vernon, New Jersey. Curiel was a popular participant on season two of “The Contender” television series.

James Moore and Keisha


Also scheduled to appear is another undefeated junior middleweight, Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak, 19-0 (13 KOS), a native of Poland who fights out of Brooklyn and lightweight Oisin Fagan, 20-5 (12 KOS), a native of Dublin who fights out of Oklahoma City.

Pawel Wolak, Keisha, and Wolak's trainer


“Pre-St. Patrick’s Day boxing shows have become an institution in New York,” said Mike O’Sullivan, the co-owner of Celtic Gloves Promotions, a newly formed company that promotes Moore and will be promoting the bout. “The ink is barely dry on our contract with MSG and we are getting calls for tickets. We expect the night to be a sellout, and for this to be a breakout fight for James Moore.”

The 29-year-old Moore, a former captain of the Irish national amateur team that included John Duddy, is a veteran of over 300 amateur fights. As a professional, his superb boxing ability and two-fisted body attack has made him a New York fan favorite. Other good things lie ahead for the amiable Irishman.

On February 19th he will be honored as a “Future Champion” by Ring 8 of the Veteran Boxers Association in New York. On February 24th he will be feted by the American Association for the Improvement of Boxing (AAIB) at their annual luncheon in White Plains, New York. By fight night, he will have appeared on numerous radio programs, including the nationally syndicated Joey Reynolds Show and Talkin’ Boxing with Billy Calogero.

“I’m thrilled to be headlining at Madison Square Garden, especially two days before St. Patrick’s Day,” said Moore. “This is what I’ve dreamed of all my life. This is going to be a great night for me and a great night for Irish boxing. March 15th can’t come soon enough.”

James Moore and Kristal Hart


To purchase tickets call Celtic Gloves Promotions at 917-559-8467, Gleason’s Gym at 718-797-2872 or through Ticketmaster.

James Moore, Keisha Morrisey and Kevin McBride

Israel 'Pito' Cardona, the new welterweight gatekeeper's fights unbeaten Decarie Saturday night in Montreal

HARTFORD- Former world lightweight title challenger Israel 'Pito' Cardona has become a gatekeeper of the welterweight division since returning to the ring nearly two years ago after being retired 3 1/2-years.

Hartford-native Cardona (36-8, 28 KOs), now 33, heads north of the border for a 10-round test in the main event Saturday night at the Montreal Casino against unbeaten prospect Antonio Decarie (17-0, 5 KOs), the 25-year-old former Canadian light welterweight champion.

'Pito' won his first 24 pro fights, 18 by knockout, including an IBO super featherweight winning performance against Jeff Mayweather and Cardona later defeated Steve Larrimore for the IBO light welterweight crown.

In 1997, 'Pito' stopped 'Mighty' Ivan Robinson (23-1) in the third round of their USBA lightweight title bout and three fights later, Robinson beat Arturo Gatti for the first of two times in their 1998 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year.

After his win against Robinson, Cardona extended his win streak to six, including four USBA title defenses against Sam Girard, Richard Kiley, Golden Johnson, which was also fought for the NABF belt, and Joel Perez. In his only major world title fight, though, Cardona lost a 12-round decision to undefeated Paul Spadafora (26-0) for the vacant IBF lightweight championship in 1999.

Cardona retired in mid-2002 at the age of 27, sporting a 34-6 record, due to his frustrations with boxing politics. He returned to the ring two years ago with a new manager, Bret Hallenbeck, and new trainer, John Scully. Cardona's first two comeback fights resulted in a pair of TKO victories before he became a gauge for young, talented welterweights to measure themselves. 'Pito' lost an eight-round decision to 13-1-1 Juan Maniel Buendia and was stopped in the third round of his last fight to 11-0 Mike Jones last November.

'I understand if people think of me as a gatekeeper,' Cardona said, 'but that's not what I am. I'm at the end of my career with maybe a couple of years left. Each fight is a must win for me; I can't afford to lose. I'm shooting for gold and I can't waste my time waiting around for a big fight to happen. I need to win a few in a row to get a big fight and that's why I'm willing to go
into this guy's backyard in order to get back to where I was.

'The stoppage in my last fight was ridiculous. I fought an undefeated kid (Jones) who was nothing. The ref didn't know me and stopped the fight before I ever got started. I was on my way to knocking him out. It was only a matter of time. I was sitting on the ropes like I usually do. I even threw a nasty hook but the ref stopped it and damaged my career. Now, I have this opportunity, and I have to go in and be an animal. I have to destroy him to make some noise in this division. This fight I will be the judge and referee. I want to shut a few mouths, too. It's all about getting bigger and better fights. I'm a veteran, so I don't mind going into his backyard. All of the pressure is on him. He's undefeated and fighting at home. I'm focused on him and have trained hard.'

Cardona works nights as a lieutenant for a Hartford-based security company, as well as a boxing trainer at LA Boxing in Hartford.

CONTACT:Bob Trieger, Full Court Press

Bid on the ultimate VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT! WBC World Title Heavyweight Fight between Oleg Maskaev and Samuel Peters

From February 8th to 13th, you can bid on a fabulous Cancun getaway as well as ringside tickets to the WBC World Title Heavyweight Fight between Oleg Maskaev and Samuel Peters, all to support Susan G। Komen for the cure. Be your own Champ! Fight breast cancer... and have a ball!

1. 2 ringside tickets to the fights
2. 2 nights in the Presidential Suite of a luxurious Cancun Hotel
3. 2 RT coach tickets from anywhere in North America to Cancun
4. Limousine to and from the airports
5. A pair of Gloves signed by Oleg, Sam & the King!

www. ebay.com/donking
_____________________________________
Also for Valentine's Day:
Run (don't walk) to any book store in your area and get (or order)
"Sonnets" by Robert Witkow
Robert is our 'double lung transplant' survivor who came with World Boxing Cares to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital's children ward. He's not only a well know artist, the dad of the Caliope (child genius), but his book "Sonnets" was recently published and is now available.
I vote Robert as fighter of the year!


Jill Diamond
WBC Championship Committee
NABF Women's Division, Chair
World Boxing Cares, Chair
And now for the news:

http://www.wbcboxing.com

HIP HOP Conference in New York City

Hip Hop conference 2/9 and 2/10 in New York City also added to the the conference roster of speakers are Bro Mutwase from St. Louis, Bro Ampu from Philadelphia, Bro Chief liberation from Oakland, and Starwalker from New Jersey. If you have teenagers, this is a must see event.

Nabaté's TV/Webcast show 'So Much to Talk About' will interview one of the most prolific writers of the 20th Century, Mr. Budd Schulberg

For the next two Wednesdays (two-part interview February 6 and 13 ), Nabaté's TV/Webcast show will air an interview with one of the most prolific writers of the 20th Century, Mr. Budd Schulberg. Mr. Schulberg has written great novels like 'What Makes Sammy Run' and 'The Harder They Fall', penned the Oscar-Winning screenplay for 'On the Waterfront', and is a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame. His son, Benn, who is an accomplished writer himself, is producing a documentary on his father's life and he's part of the interview as well.

Nabaté Isles

'So Much to Talk About' Every Wednesday @ 9pm (Eastern Time)
Channel 57 (Time Warner-Manhattan Cable)
Channel 84 (RCN-Manhattan Cable)
Streams LIVE: www.mnn.org, click 57/84 link

McGIVERN TO REPLACE KENNEDY IN IFL MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE BOUT AT ORLEANS ARENA IN LAS VEGAS

NEW YORK and LAS VEGAS– Miletich Fighting Academy middleweight standout Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa), recognized as one of the most improved, up-and-coming athletes in the International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI), will fight for the 185-lb. title against current champion Matt “Suave” Horwich (Portland, Ore.), one of three championship matchups at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, February 29. McGivern replaces Tim Kennedy (Fayetteville, N.C.), an active U.S. Military member who has been called into duty. Four other bouts have also now been finalized on the eight-bout card, including three featuring Xtreme Couture vs. Mario Sperry’s World Class Fight Center camps. Benji Radach (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) will compete for Xtreme Couture in a middleweight bout against Leopoldo Serao (Brazil), Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) will battle Alexandre Ferreira at 205 lbs., and Santino Defranco will take on Rafael Dias in a featherweight contest. The Lions Den’s Pat Healy (St. Louis) will take on Team Quest’s Jake Ellenberger (Omaha, Neb.) in a matchup that may determine a future title bout at 170 lbs. (Team Xtreme Couture’s Jay Hieron of Las Vegas holds the belt at present). “While it is disappointing to us and to Tim that he will be unable to compete due to his military obligations, we are excited and fortunate that a fighter of Ryan McGivern’s caliber is available to step in,” said Bas Rutten, IFL Vice President, Fighter Operations. “Ryan has been a great success story and his all-around style should make for an entertaining matchup with Matt Horwich.” As previously announced, two other IFL titleholders will place their belts on the line as Roy Nelson (Las Vegas), who knocked out Antoine Jaoude (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) to win the heavyweight crown, will take on IFL newcomer Fabiano Scherner (Portland, Ore./Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), who trains with Lindland at Team Quest. Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.), whose lightweight victory over Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario) raised eyebrows in the entire MMA community, makes the first defense of his lightweight belt against John Gunderson (Medford, Ore.), who competes for Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den. Matt Lindland’s Team Quest will take on Lion’s Den in three bouts in the other camp matchup. Tickets are available at www.orleansarena.com, all Coast Casino box offices, The Galleria at Sunset, by calling 702-284-7777 or by visiting www.ifl.tv. IFL Las VegasFriday, February 29, 2008 Preliminary Bout145 lbs.: Ian Loveland (Portland, Ore.) (0-2 IFL, 8-7 overall MMA) vs. Dennis Davis (Las Vegas) (0-0, 13-6) Team Xtreme Couture vs. MMA Top Team (Mario Sperry)145 lbs.: Santino Defranco (0-0, 10-3) vs. Rafael Dias (0-0, 8-3-1)185 lbs.: Benji Radach (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) (5-1, 17-4) vs. Leopoldo Serao (0-0, 11-6)205 lbs.: Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (0-0, 6-0) vs. Alexandre Ferreira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (0-0, 15-5) Team Quest (Matt Lindland) vs. Lions Den (Ken Shamrock)170 lbs.: Jake Ellenberger (2-2, 16-3) vs. Pat Healy (St. Louis) (2-1, 18-12)*155 lbs.: **Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) (5-2, 18-9-1) vs. John Gunderson (Medford, Ore.) (2-2, 15-5)*265 lbs.: **Roy Nelson (Las Vegas) (4-1, 11-2) vs. Fabiano Scherner (Portland, Ore.) (0-0, 7-5) Championship Bout*185 lbs.: Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) (5-4, 11-5) vs. **Matt Horwich (Portland, Ore.) (6-3, 21-9-1) *Championship Bout**Current Titleholder About the IFL International Fight League™ (IFL) has its headquarters in New York and offices in Las Vegas. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv.

WBC No. 1 cruisweight contender Matt 'Too Smooth' Godfrey's WBC title elimination fight against Rudy Kraj on March 8 in Germany

Godfrey punches way to Germany for WBC Title Eliminator versus Kraj on March 8
(Photo; Courtsey of Bob Trieger)

PROVIDENCE– Unbeaten NABF cruiserweight champion Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey (16-0, 9 KOs), rated No. 1 by the World Boxing Council, travels to Germany to battle undefeated, No. 2 ranked Rudy Kraj (13-0, 10 KOs) on March 8 in a WBC title elimination bout determining champion David Haye’s mandatory challenger.

“Kraj won a Silver Medal in the 2000 Olympics and going overseas to fight him will be a big test,” the 27-year-old Godfrey said. “He’s very good. Kraj is a typical Eastern European fighter who does some things very well. The winner of this fight is going to be set-up nice in the WBC. I’m looking at it as a title fight.”

The WBC title eliminator potentially has additional implications because Haye, who also holds the WBA title belt, fights the same night as Godfrey-Kraj in a unification bout versus WBO champion Enzo Maccarinelli. A win by Haye reportedly will send him up to heavyweight, leaving the cruiserweight division wide open, and the Godfrey-Kraj winner possibly the new WBC champion or Interim title-holder.


“I’ve fought in Europe as an amateur but never in Germany,” Godfrey noted. “I’ve watched the surge of boxing in Europe and always knew that my title run would go through Europe, especially with cruiserweights like Haye, Enzo and Jean-Marc Mormeck. I’ve prepared mentally and I believe that I’m a world class fighter who is ready for this.”

Godfrey has been training almost non-stop since the middle of August. First, his bout against Jeremy Williams in November was cancelled when the show fell apart, and the Kraj fight was originally slated for February. He will head to Germany with his head trainer, former world light heavyweight title challenger “Iceman” John Scully, 10-14 days in advance of the show in order to get acclimated and arrange sparring.

Matt, second heavyweight alternate on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, had a 194-23 amateur record, capturing six national championships -- four open tournaments including the 2004 Everlast U.S. Championships, plus two in the Junior Olympics – as well as a Bronze medal at the 2001 Pan-American Games, Silver in all four of that year’s national major tournaments (National Golden Gloves, PAL (Police Athletic League), U.S. Championships and U.S. Challenge) and six-time New England Golden Gloves champion.

The highly decorated U.S. amateur defeated many boxers who today are outstanding professionals such as WBA middleweight title challenger Randy “The Gentleman Griffin (24-1-3, 12 KOs), unbeaten heavyweight prospect Chazz “Mensa With Muscles” Witherspoon (21-0, 14 KOs), Devin Vargas (14-0, 6 KOs), Corey “Black Ice” Cummings (15-2, 12 KOs), Leonard “Haitian Sensation” Pierre (18-3, 13 KOs) and John Johnson (12-1, 10 KOs).


CONTACT:
Bob Trieger
Full Court Press

Chicago based World Boxing Council (WBC) Lightweight Champion David Diaz is preparing to face off against Ramon Montano

CHICAGO- World Boxing Council (WBC) Lightweight Champion David Diaz is preparing to face off against Ramon Montano on Saturday, March 15th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The ten round non-title bout against Montano will be Diaz’s first return to the ring following his outstanding win over three division world champion Erik Morales on August 4, 2007 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. The win over Morales was Diaz’s first defense of his WBC title and was noted on many boxing writers' 2007 “Fight of the Year” lists.

Diaz, under the tutelage of head trainer Mike Garcia, has been in camp at Chicago’s JABB Boxing Gym in preparation for his fight with Montano on the undercard of “UNFINISHED BUSINESS, the long-awaited rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao.

Speaking after an extensive workout, Diaz, 33-1-1 (17KO's) touched on a number of topics;

“I get approached in Chicago a little more since beating Morales. There were over 10,000 people at the fight and many of them have been very gracious to me over the last few months. It feels great, but there is still much to prove so I’m continuing to work hard.”

About facing the Las Vegas native Montano who brings a record of 14-3-2 into the fight on March 15th, “I’ve watched a few of his fights, he’s got a nice jab and comes forward ready to fight. I’m sure he’s training diligently for this opportunity and I’m preparing to be at my best on March 15th. I’m very excited to get back in the ring and fight at the highest level.”

In regards to his training, Diaz, a member of the 1996 US Olympic Team said, “Mike has set up a great camp, training and sparring has been terrific so far.”

The fight against Montano marks Diaz’s third fight in Las Vegas but Diaz is unfazed by the bright lights, “I’m fully aware of fighting on such a big stage but to me it’s a business trip. I’m going there to take care of business and that’s the only thing on my mind. Doesn’t matter to me how big the crowd is or anything like that. The bell rings and I have to be ready to fight.” Diaz won the WBC interim title with a devastating 10th round knockout of Jose Armando Santa Cruz on August 12, 2006 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

About the much rumored bout with Pacquiao for later this year, Diaz said “I’ve heard the talk but I’m so focused on March 15th that I’m not really paying attention to anything else. It’s not my style to look ahead, it’s all about Ramon Montano right now.”

Diaz wanted to pass along a final message to his fans, “I’ve always had terrific support in Chicago and I’ve also gotten great support from new fans after the Morales fight. I’m very thankful and I’m looking forward to putting on a great show on March 15th.”

The fistic debate about which fighter is the best finally will be settled when World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ defends his title against three-division world champion MANNY PACQUIAO in a 12-round battle for pound-for-pound supremacy. Promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Romanza Boxing Productions and MP Promotions, Marquez-Pacquiao II will take place Saturday, March 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Marquez-Pacquiao II,priced at $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100, are on sale at the Mandalay Bay box office and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster 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 Mandalay Bay (702) 632-7580. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Talent Headlines at Carolines Comdedy Club in New York City

Martin Castillo, former WBA super flyweight world championOPEN MEDIA GYM WORKOUTS

In anticipation of the separate world title bouts on February 16th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV on the undercard of the Kelly Pavlik vs. Jermain Taylor rematch (The Epic Battle Continues) Martin “EL GALLITO” Castillo and Jose Navarro will hold open media gym workouts on Tuesday, February 5th at the South El Monte Community Gym at 12noon.

Former World Boxing Association super flyweight champion Castillo will face off against current World Boxing Organization super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel while three time world title challenger Navarro will battle current World Boxing Council super flyweight champion Cristian Mijares on the HBO-PPV televised undercard.

The Kelly Pavlik vs. Jermain Taylor rematch (The Epic Battle Continues) is 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

Martin Castillo, former WBA super flyweight world champion, Jose Navarro, three-time super flyweight world title challenger, Rudy Perez, trainer of Martin Castillo, Frank Perez, trainer of Jose Navarro, Frank Espinoza, manager of Martin Castillo.

INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE, HDNET FIGHTS TEAM UP TO TELEVISE FIRST THREE IFL EVENTS OF 2008 LIVE Events From Las Vegas, New Jersey and Connecticut

NEW YORK– The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI) and HDNet Fights today announced an agreement to televise the first three IFL events of 2008 live, beginning with the Friday, February 29 card from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. HDNet Fights will also air the April 4 card live from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., and the May 16 event from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Each two hour show will carry a minimum of five of the eight fights on the card, including no fewer than two championship fights. This is the latest partnership between the IFL and HDNet, which began with the December 29, 2007, IFL Championship event from Mohegan Sun. “We are very pleased to be able to offer our fans around the country these next three events live and in HD,” said IFL President and CEO Jay Larkin. “The quality of our broadcasts is second to none, highlighting the outstanding athletes and exciting bouts as we start 2008 in Las Vegas, live on HDNet.” “The first event we did with the IFL was a great success, and we are very pleased to be able to expand that relationship into the first quarter of 2008,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “HDNet Fights Presents: The IFL is a fantastic addition to MMA action on HDNet.” The Feb. 29 card will be the first in the IFL’s new camp vs. camp format, with Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den meeting Matt Lindland’s Team Quest, and Mario Sperry’s World Class Fight Center against Xtreme Couture. The night will also feature three individual championship defenses, with lightweight titleholder Ryan Schultz, who defeated previously unbeaten Chris Horodecki for the belt, meeting John Gunderson, middleweight champ Matt Horwich, a surprise winner over Benji Radach, defending his crown against Ryan McGivern of Miletich Fighting Systems, and heavyweight champ and Las Vegas native Roy Nelson battling Fabiano Scherner. The two hour show will air live on HDNet at 11 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. PT. About HDNet HDNet Fights (www.hdnetfights.com) is one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the country. Founded by Mark Cuban, HDNet Fights promotes, produces and airs over 24 live MMA events annually for broadcast on HDNet. HDNet Fights is unique as a unifying force in the MMA industry partnering with leading promoters, including M1, Sportfight, IFL, Ring of Combat and others to offer the quality match-ups and productions that MMA fans demand. Founded in 2007, HDNet Fights is led by CEO Andrew Simon while company operations are handled by Dallas MMA legend and former UFC champion, Guy Mezger. HDNet (www.hd.net) is the home for HDNet Fights and is the leader in offering live MMA broadcasts and the leading news and information show for MMA fans, “Inside MMA”. In addition, HDNet provides viewers with the best in original news, sports, music and entertainment programming. From “Dan Rather Reports”, to championship sports coverage from the NHL, NASCAR and Major League Soccer to “Guys Night In” every Friday and the HDNet Concert Series every Sunday, HDNet offers great programming with the world’s best picture quality. Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager and COO Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information visit www.hd.net. If you don’t already have HDNet, call your local cable, satellite or video provider and order it today! About the IFL International Fight League™ (IFL) has its headquarters in New York and offices in Las Vegas. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv.

SecondsOut Radio: Suszannah Warner, Alicia Ashley, Ronica Jeffrey,Jill Diamond, and Women's Boxing

On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, at http://www.secondsout.com/radio/,host Eddie Goldman focuses on the state of women's boxing. We spoke with NABF strawweight champion Suszannah Warner (http://www.myspace.com/destiny_warner) (8-6, 2 KOs), who won a four-round unanimous decision in a non-title fight over the previously-unbeatenBecky Garcia (5-1, 3 KOs), Friday, Feb. 1, at the Fort McDowell Casinoin Fountain Hills, Arizona. There were two women's fights on Star Boxing's "Punchin' at the Paradise 8" card at the Utopia Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York, which was held Thursday, Jan. 31. Right after her fight, we spoke with Alicia Ashley (http://www.myspace.com/aliciaslickashley)(14-7-1, 1 KO), who won an eight-round unanimous decision on that card over Brooke Dierdorff (4-2-1, 3 KOs) to win the vacant NABF women's super bantamweight title.
We also spoke with former New York City Golden Gloves champion, super bantamweight Ronica Jeffrey (http://www.myspace.com/ladypantha), who won her pro debut, also on that card,with a four-round unanimous decision over Karen Dulin, also making her pro debut.
And we spoke with Jill Diamond (http://www.myspace.com/neverhitalady), NABF Women's Division Chair, a member of the WBC Championship Committee, and the World Boxing Cares Chair, about the state of women's boxing today.
It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register togain access to it. Just click here, http://www.secondsout.com/radio/,and listen, learn, and enjoy. Thanks, Eddie Goldman No Holds Barred bloghttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com/ No Holds Barred podcasthttp://nhbnews.podomatic.com/ No Holds Barred on MySpacehttp://www.myspace.com/nhbnews

Mitchell Rose book review from critically acclaimed boxing writer Ryan Songalia

People remember Mitchell Rose for his unexpected knockout of then-undefeated media magnet Butterbean. Rose's autobiography "Mike Tyson Tried To Kill My Daddy" is a brutally honest account of a man leading his step by trial and error, while overcoming odds with the fighting spirit he developed in the tough streets of Brooklyn, New York.

Not once in his memoirs does Rose ever claim to be without fault. Rose recalls incidences of delinquency, drug use, street violence, as well as his career as a crack dealer. He tells the story like a man who is not ashamed of his past having accepted it as the road that led him to self-actualization. Vividly he describes his lust for something more, transcending Lafayette Gardens projects with the only tools he had as a teenager, through infamy.

Rose uses his first hand perspective to analyze, just as much as he narrates the world and circumstances that he was exposed to in Brooklyn's inner city. He allows the reader into a world that is seldom accurately portrayed in media in a way that people of all walks can identify with on a common human thread. Not just touching on fisticuffs, Rose delves into the cultural clashes and societal ills that he confronted daily in a manner that lends dignity to his environment.

The detail Rose goes into depicts the maturation of a boy, into a man-child, then finally into a man. It was through boxing that Rose transitioned through life stages. And it was through boxing that Rose finally rose above his ghetto restraints to see a world larger than the urban squalor that once imprisoned him.

The story apexes with Rose's quick washout of Eric Esch AKA Butterbean, the gargantuan slugger who had yet to meet adversity until he ran into Rose's straight one-twos. What most attracts the boxing fan is what follows, as Rose chronicles his struggle to make a living as a black-listed "spoiler", a journeyman who upsets stars. It is a story rarely heard by fans, but is stunningly portrayed by Rose's firsthand perspective.

Throughout, Rose remains true to himself and rarely shies away from candor. "Mike Tyson Tried To Kill My Daddy" is a story that many can relate to, and all can enjoy.

NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bob Meyrowitz

NO HOLDS BARRED: Bob Meyrowitz and YAMMA Pit Fighting On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bob Meyrowitz, whose new mixed martial arts league, YAMMA Pit Fighting(YPF), will be debuting Friday, April 11, 2008, at the Trump Taj Mahalin Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a pay-per-view show. Bob is theformer CEO of Semaphore Entertainment Group, which produced theoriginal, classic UFC events from 1993 to 2001. Among the topics Bob discussed were the format of tournaments andmasters super fights which will be used in this organization;incorrect speculation about their new fighting surface; how they planto persuade viewers to buy their pay-per-views; the lack ofunderstanding by many of the early, classic UFC events; his opinion ofthe present-day UFC and the quality of their fighters; some of thenewer MMA organizations; the need to produce stars; the reasoningbehind and history of the marketing strategy of the early UFC's,including the use of humor; how a pro boxer would do in MMA; therelation of the early UFC's to various state athletic commissions; theexperience with the New York commission and politicians in 1996 and1997; the importance of ring girls; and more. To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click the link below and just press theplay button on the player: http://nhbnews.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2008-02-04T08_49_47-08_00 You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking onthe download link (right-click to save it). You can also listen to it through the NO HOLDS BARRED blog, athttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com, and MySpace page, at http://www.myspace.com/nhbnews,also by pressing the play button on the player. Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes athttp://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download. The NO HOLDS BARRED theme song is called "The Heist", by musician IanCarpenter (http://iancarpenter.com/). NO HOLDS BARRED is free to listen to and is sponsored by: Art of War (http://www.artofwarlive.com), the undisputed arenafighting championship, promoted by SUN Sports and Entertainment,producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information,check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com (http://www.artofwarlive.com). IFL, the International Fight League (http://ifl.tv/), the world'sfirst professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check outtheir regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/1636002) in the U.S., and to check your locallistings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site (http://ifl.tv/), for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule, athttp://ifl.tv/TV-Schedule.html. Gladiator Challenge (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/), shaking up themixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year.For more news and info, check out their web site,GladiatorChallenge.com (http://gladiatorchallenge.com/). BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for allBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more. Gladiator Magazine (http://gladmag.com/), for in-depth coverage ofBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well aslifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. GladiatorMagazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com(http://bjjmart.com) or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear (http://jiujitsuprogear.com/). FightBeat.com (http://fightbeat.com/), for news, results, interviews,and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martialarts. Thanks, Eddie Goldman No Holds Barred bloghttp://nhbnews.blogspot.com/ No Holds Barred podcasthttp://nhbnews.podomatic.com/ No Holds Barred on MySpacehttp://www.myspace.com/nhbnews