ALBUQUERQUE– The long awaited, much anticipated showdown between two of boxing’s best, exciting and most popular females, Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm and Mary Jo Sanders, will headline the June 13th “Finally” pay-per-view event (10 PM/ET-8PM/MT), presented by Fresquez Productions, Inc., live from Isleta Casino & Resort in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“Finally,” produced and distributed by Integrated Sports, will be available for live viewing on cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, TVN and DirecTV for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.
Holm (21-1-2, 6 KOs), fighting out of Albuquerque, meets Detroit icon Sanders (25-0, 8 KOs) in the 10 round main event for the vacant International Female Boxers Association (IFBA) junior middleweight title.
“This is a fight between two supreme athletes in their prime battling for pound-for-pound supremacy,” promoter Lenny Fresquez said. “Holly is a natural junior welterweight who is fighting three divisions higher against the best middleweight in the world, Mary Jo, at 154 pounds (junior middleweight). The winner will be recognized as the top pound-for-pound active fighter in female boxing today.”
Holm, 2007 WBAN & IFBA Fighter of the Year, is the reigning IFBA welterweight champion and 7-time world title-holder in three different weight classes. She is 10-0(3 KOs) in world title fights and has defeated seven world champions including Christy Martin, Mia St. John, Jane Couch, Ann Saccurato, and Chevelle Hallback.
IBA middleweight title-holder Sanders, 4-time world champion in four divisions, is the daughter of Football Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Sanders, former Detroit Lions tight end star.
Mary Jo, 5-0 (2 KOs) in world championship bouts, has beaten nine world champions, including Valerie Mahfood, Melissa Del Valle, Eliza Olson, Tricia Turton, and Hallback.
IBA junior lightweight champion Chevelle “Fists of Steel” Hallback (26-5-2, 11 KOs), fighting out of Tampa (FL), takes on IBA featherweight title-holder Jeannine “G9” Garside (7-0-1, 3 KOs), representing Ontario (Canada), in the 10-round co-feature for the IFBA lightweight title.
Two other exciting 10-round pay-per-view fights are on tap, IBA junior featherweight champion Wendy Rodriguez (18-4, 3 KOs), of Los Angeles, versus WIBF-GBU/WIBC minimumweight title-holder Hollie “Hot Stuff” Dunaway (21-6, 10 KOs), from Van Buren, Arkansas, for the vacant IFBA junior flyweight championship.
Newly crowned WIBA flyweight title-holder Eileen “The Hawaiian Mongoose” Olszewski (5-0), fighting out of New York City by way of Honolulu, will be fighting an opponent to be determined. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets, priced at $50.00, $100.00, $150.00, $200.00, $350.00 and $500.00, go on sale March 18 at the Isleta Casino and Resort box office, www.tickets.com or at Fresquez Productions, Inc. (508.884.7484). For more information go to www.fresquezproductions.com or www.holmvssanders.com. Doors open at 5:30 PM/MT, first bout 7:00 PM/MT, first televised bout 8:00 PM/MT.
Holm-Sanders Detroit Presser Quotes
The Holm-Sanders media tour kicked-off today in Detroit at the Andiamo Restaurant, continues tomorrow (Thursday, March 13 – 2 PM/MT) at the Isleta Casino & Resort (Bingo Showroom), and concludes Saturday morning (11 AM/PT) with a breakfast/press conference at the Luxor Hotel & Casino (Nile Chambers Room A & B) in Las Vegas.
Holly Holm: “Mary Joe is 25-0 and I feel that she’s been put in with the right girls. In 2 ½ more months everyone will know I’m the best in boxing. I don’t make predictions. We’ve all seen Mary Jo. I’ll train for 10 rounds and take it one round at a time. Anything can happen.”
Mary Joe Sanders: “I made a prediction once and my dad got made at me. I asked him to wait until after the fight. I predicted the third round and got her in the first. But that’s not the point. There’s no need for predictions. I don’t want to be focusing on that (round prediction). I know it’ll be a great fight.”
Mike Winkeljohn (Holm’s manager/trainer): “Mary Jo is undefeated. I hope they enjoy the last 2 ½ months being undefeated. Mary Jo is all those things (what Mallo said) but Holly is hard to hit. She’s as slippery as Jimmy’s (Mallo) hair. They must be nervous to have already started training. Holly’s going to start at the right time and not get burned out. I encourage them to do that (continue training).”
Jimmy Mallo (Sanders’ manager/trainer): “Mary Joe is by far the best female fighter in boxing. Holly Holm hops around like a bunny. She better not bring her dancing shoes that night. We train everyday; six days a week. So, I don’t think Mary Joe will peak too soon. I hope Vegas takes bets on this fight. Holly Holm can’t win this fight. Mary Joe is too good and too strong. It doesn’t matter what game plan, she can’t win. Mary Jo goes against the grain. She’s never thrown off by quickness. It really doesn’t matter. Mary Jo is a true fighter; Holly Holm is a bunny, hopping in and out, fighting like she’s doing the Cha-Cha. She better change her game plan for this fight. Whatever she does in this fight, Mary Jo is going to punch her harder than she’s ever been hit in her life.”
Lenny Fresquez (promoter of the show and for Holm): “The ring is only going to be 18 feet, so they shouldn’t think Holly will be dancing. The referee and judges will be neutral.”
CONTACTS: Bob Trieger, Full Court Press
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Friday, March 14, 2008
Le Reve Play 4 Parkinsons, a 1920's starr-studded casino gala to benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation, Aprl 22
Le Reve Play 4 Parkinsons, a 1920's starr-studded casino gala to benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation Aprl 22
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
APRIL 19 IN KATOWICE, POLAND ADAMEK-BELL IN IBF CRUISERWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
TOTOWA, NJ– Two of the world’s top cruiserweights will vie for the IBF’s #1 mandatory position on April 19, 2008, when Tomasz Adamek (IBF #3) and O’ Neil Bell (IBF #7) battle in a 12 round IBF eliminator, it was jointly announced today by Main Events, Ziggy Promotions, Warriors Boxing, and KnockOut Promotion.
Adamek (33-1, 22 KO’s) has stopped 15 opponents within the first three rounds. The 31-year-old Zywiec, Poland native captured the vacant WBC light heavyweight championship on May 21, 2005, when he decisioned Paul Briggs (W 12). He defended the title twice before losing to Chad Dawson on Feb 3, 2007 (L 12). Since moving to cruiserweight he is 2-0, 1 KO. Adamek is also recognized as the IBO Cruiserweight Champion.
Bell (26-2, 24 KO’s) is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion. The 33-year-old Atlanta, Georgian by way of Jamaica captured the undisputed crown on January 7, 2006, when he stopped defending champion Jean-Marc Mormeck (KO 10). Bell surrendered the undisputed title in his last bout on March 17, 2007, when he lost a decision in the rematch against Mormeck (L 12). Prior to the loss Bell had won 25 consecutive bouts.
“I am very excited about returning to my Polish homeland for this fight against Bell,” said Adamek. “Bell is a very good fighter, but I need to win this bout to get another title shot. I won’t let anyone stand in my way.”
““I look forward to this fight being the first step for me in recapturing the belts that rightfully are mine,” said Bell.
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Adamek (33-1, 22 KO’s) has stopped 15 opponents within the first three rounds. The 31-year-old Zywiec, Poland native captured the vacant WBC light heavyweight championship on May 21, 2005, when he decisioned Paul Briggs (W 12). He defended the title twice before losing to Chad Dawson on Feb 3, 2007 (L 12). Since moving to cruiserweight he is 2-0, 1 KO. Adamek is also recognized as the IBO Cruiserweight Champion.
Bell (26-2, 24 KO’s) is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion. The 33-year-old Atlanta, Georgian by way of Jamaica captured the undisputed crown on January 7, 2006, when he stopped defending champion Jean-Marc Mormeck (KO 10). Bell surrendered the undisputed title in his last bout on March 17, 2007, when he lost a decision in the rematch against Mormeck (L 12). Prior to the loss Bell had won 25 consecutive bouts.
“I am very excited about returning to my Polish homeland for this fight against Bell,” said Adamek. “Bell is a very good fighter, but I need to win this bout to get another title shot. I won’t let anyone stand in my way.”
““I look forward to this fight being the first step for me in recapturing the belts that rightfully are mine,” said Bell.
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
TWO WORLD TITLES AT STAKE…MIGUEL COTTO vs. ALFONSO GOMEZ and KERMIT CINTRON vs. ANTONIO MARGARITO ON APRIL 12 AT BOARDWALK HALL ON HBO
Undefeated world champion Miguel Cotto defends his WBA welterweight belt on April 12 against Contenders’ star Alfonso Gomez.
Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto (31-0, 25 KOs) of Caguas, Puerto Rico, has beaten a quartet of former world champions in his last five fights – Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Paulie Malignaggi and Carlos Quintana – which has made him the most dangerous welterweight in the world. Gomez, in the biggest fight of his career on July 14, 2007, stopped Arturo Gatti in the seventh round and ultimately sent him into retirement.
Alfonso Gomez
Also featured on the card is IBF Welterweight Champion Kermit Cintron (29-1, 27 KOs) of Carolina, Puerto Rico, defending his IBF Welterweight title against former world champion Antonio Margarito.
Antonio Margarito
This will be Cintron’s chance to avenge his only professional loss which took place against Margarito at Caesars Palace on April 23, 2005.Kermit Cintron
Dunne goes “Into the West”; Dunne’s clash with former World Champion Felix Machado
Former European Champion Bernard Dunne will head “Into the West” for his return to the ring on the Hunky Dorys Fight Night at the International Events Arena, Breaffy House Resort in Castlebar, Co. Mayo on April 12th.
Dunne goes “Into the West”; Dunne’s clash with former World Champion Felix Machado, will mark his return to the ring following last August’s shock European title defeat against Kiko Martinez and the Dubliner is itching to step back between the ropes.
“I just can’t wait and it’s great to have a date to work towards now,” revealed Dunne who celebrated the birth of his second child in December. “I’ve had a good break and I got to spend a lot of time with the latest addition to the family. I missed that when Caoimhe was born because I had to go into training camp not long after so it was nice to be able to spend so much time with Pamela and the kids but I’m ready to go now again.”
The 28-year-old is determined to put the sole blemish on his pro career behind him and get back to winning ways against Machado. The Venezuelan southpaw held the world super flyweight title from 2000 to 2003 and holds wins over world champions Martin Castillo, Mauricio Pastrana and Julio Gamboa.
“To be honest I don’t care who’s in the other corner,” said Dunne. “I just want to get back in there and get back on track starting with this fight on April 12th.” Dunne insists he will continue to campaign at super bantamweight and is hopeful of a rematch with Martinez.
“I’d like to get Mr. Martinez in the ring again as soon as possible for obvious reasons. There are other factors to consider though with Kiko fighting under a different promotional banner so I don’t know if the fight can be made but if it comes along I’ll be ready for it. Hopefully it will but myself, Brian Peters and Harry Hawkins have sat down and established our own plan if that doesn’t come off.”
Looking back on his defeat to Martinez Dunne insists that he has no excuses. “I said immediately afterwards that I had no excuses and I’m not going to start making excuses now. It happened and that’s boxing. I was 100% mentally and physically ready for that fight but I just got caught by a shot I didn’t see coming. In sport there’s always a winner and a loser so when you come out of a fight on the wrong side you just have to deal with it and bounce back.”
Dunne has dismissed any notion that he will be out to prove the critics wrong on his return to the ring. “I don’t take any notice of things like that. I don’t need to prove myself to anybody other than myself. I don’t need any critics to motivate me, ultimately the motivation needs to come from within yourself and I have that more than ever now.”
Dunne’s contest with Machado will take place at the International Events Arena, Breaffy House Resort in Castlebar allowing Mayo fight fans to sample the excitement of professional boxing and Dunne is looking forward to heading west. “Brian has had the idea of bringing the show on the road for quite a while now and it’s something new so hopefully the atmosphere that the fights used to generate at the Stadium and The Point will travel to Mayo.”
Promoter Brian Peters believes that the Mayo venue will prove an excellent venue for Dunne’s return. “The facilities in the Breaffy House Resort are top class. We had a very successful show in Limerick with Andy Lee in February and we have Paul McCloskey headlining in Letterkenny next month so there’s a huge appetite around the country now for professional boxing and it’s great to see.”
Reflecting on Dunne’s fight with Kiko Martinez Peters said, “I suppose that night just showed the drama, the excitement and even the tragedy of professional boxing all rolled into one. It’s probably the only sport where you are always a split second away from glory or disaster and I suppose that’s what makes it so appealing to people.
“I believe boxing is very much a battle of wills and I’ve no doubt that Bernard still has the will to succeed at the highest level in the sport. A good fighter does not become a bad fighter overnight. The greatest of champions have been beaten and I think that to be a great fighter you have to tasted defeat and come back from it. It’s how you deal with defeat and adversity that really defines you and I believe Bernard will return a better fighter for the experience.”
Peters admits however that Machado is a huge test for Dunne on his return to the ring. “Certainly we can’t afford to look past someone with the quality of Machado. He’s a seasoned, durable opponent and has been to the very highest level. He’s competed in 8 world title fights and won the majority of them so Bernard certainly can’t be accused of taking on a soft touch.”
Trainer Harry Hawkins has backed Dunne to beat Machado in style having taken on board the lessons of the Martinez defeat. The Belfast based trainer said, “The mark of a great fighter is how they react after a defeat and I think he'll be back a better fighter for the experience. It was a harsh and costly lesson but Bernard will learn from it and bounce back, I’ve no doubt about that.”
The Hunky Dorys Fight Night on April 12th will feature an undercard with plenty of local interest as Mayo’s own fighting me take to the ring. Undefeated cruiserweight prospect Michael “The Storm” Sweeney will look to extend his unbeaten record while Castlebar’s very own Keith Cresham will make his pro debut at light heavyweight.
Also on the card is London based Galwegian John O’Donnell, a skilled welterweight operator who has long been tipped as one of Europe’s hottest prospects by leading U.K. promoter Mick Hennessy. The fighting trio from Connaught will be joined on the card by Cuban heavyweight sensation Mike “The Rebel” Perez in what will be his third scheduled professional fight in just 4 weeks.
Also on the card is Omagh’s unbeaten light middleweight Damian Taggart who is being mentored by All-Ireland winning manager Mickey Harte.
Tickets for the Hunky Dorys Fight Night priced from €60 go on sale from 9am tomorrow morning (Friday, February 29th) from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Dunne goes “Into the West”; Dunne’s clash with former World Champion Felix Machado, will mark his return to the ring following last August’s shock European title defeat against Kiko Martinez and the Dubliner is itching to step back between the ropes.
“I just can’t wait and it’s great to have a date to work towards now,” revealed Dunne who celebrated the birth of his second child in December. “I’ve had a good break and I got to spend a lot of time with the latest addition to the family. I missed that when Caoimhe was born because I had to go into training camp not long after so it was nice to be able to spend so much time with Pamela and the kids but I’m ready to go now again.”
The 28-year-old is determined to put the sole blemish on his pro career behind him and get back to winning ways against Machado. The Venezuelan southpaw held the world super flyweight title from 2000 to 2003 and holds wins over world champions Martin Castillo, Mauricio Pastrana and Julio Gamboa.
“To be honest I don’t care who’s in the other corner,” said Dunne. “I just want to get back in there and get back on track starting with this fight on April 12th.” Dunne insists he will continue to campaign at super bantamweight and is hopeful of a rematch with Martinez.
“I’d like to get Mr. Martinez in the ring again as soon as possible for obvious reasons. There are other factors to consider though with Kiko fighting under a different promotional banner so I don’t know if the fight can be made but if it comes along I’ll be ready for it. Hopefully it will but myself, Brian Peters and Harry Hawkins have sat down and established our own plan if that doesn’t come off.”
Looking back on his defeat to Martinez Dunne insists that he has no excuses. “I said immediately afterwards that I had no excuses and I’m not going to start making excuses now. It happened and that’s boxing. I was 100% mentally and physically ready for that fight but I just got caught by a shot I didn’t see coming. In sport there’s always a winner and a loser so when you come out of a fight on the wrong side you just have to deal with it and bounce back.”
Dunne has dismissed any notion that he will be out to prove the critics wrong on his return to the ring. “I don’t take any notice of things like that. I don’t need to prove myself to anybody other than myself. I don’t need any critics to motivate me, ultimately the motivation needs to come from within yourself and I have that more than ever now.”
Dunne’s contest with Machado will take place at the International Events Arena, Breaffy House Resort in Castlebar allowing Mayo fight fans to sample the excitement of professional boxing and Dunne is looking forward to heading west. “Brian has had the idea of bringing the show on the road for quite a while now and it’s something new so hopefully the atmosphere that the fights used to generate at the Stadium and The Point will travel to Mayo.”
Promoter Brian Peters believes that the Mayo venue will prove an excellent venue for Dunne’s return. “The facilities in the Breaffy House Resort are top class. We had a very successful show in Limerick with Andy Lee in February and we have Paul McCloskey headlining in Letterkenny next month so there’s a huge appetite around the country now for professional boxing and it’s great to see.”
Reflecting on Dunne’s fight with Kiko Martinez Peters said, “I suppose that night just showed the drama, the excitement and even the tragedy of professional boxing all rolled into one. It’s probably the only sport where you are always a split second away from glory or disaster and I suppose that’s what makes it so appealing to people.
“I believe boxing is very much a battle of wills and I’ve no doubt that Bernard still has the will to succeed at the highest level in the sport. A good fighter does not become a bad fighter overnight. The greatest of champions have been beaten and I think that to be a great fighter you have to tasted defeat and come back from it. It’s how you deal with defeat and adversity that really defines you and I believe Bernard will return a better fighter for the experience.”
Peters admits however that Machado is a huge test for Dunne on his return to the ring. “Certainly we can’t afford to look past someone with the quality of Machado. He’s a seasoned, durable opponent and has been to the very highest level. He’s competed in 8 world title fights and won the majority of them so Bernard certainly can’t be accused of taking on a soft touch.”
Trainer Harry Hawkins has backed Dunne to beat Machado in style having taken on board the lessons of the Martinez defeat. The Belfast based trainer said, “The mark of a great fighter is how they react after a defeat and I think he'll be back a better fighter for the experience. It was a harsh and costly lesson but Bernard will learn from it and bounce back, I’ve no doubt about that.”
The Hunky Dorys Fight Night on April 12th will feature an undercard with plenty of local interest as Mayo’s own fighting me take to the ring. Undefeated cruiserweight prospect Michael “The Storm” Sweeney will look to extend his unbeaten record while Castlebar’s very own Keith Cresham will make his pro debut at light heavyweight.
Also on the card is London based Galwegian John O’Donnell, a skilled welterweight operator who has long been tipped as one of Europe’s hottest prospects by leading U.K. promoter Mick Hennessy. The fighting trio from Connaught will be joined on the card by Cuban heavyweight sensation Mike “The Rebel” Perez in what will be his third scheduled professional fight in just 4 weeks.
Also on the card is Omagh’s unbeaten light middleweight Damian Taggart who is being mentored by All-Ireland winning manager Mickey Harte.
Tickets for the Hunky Dorys Fight Night priced from €60 go on sale from 9am tomorrow morning (Friday, February 29th) from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
YAMMA Pit Fighting’s upcoming pay-per-view event in Atlantic City on April 11; Don Frye, Oleg Taktarov, Marcelo “Pato” Pereira, Sherman Pendergarst...
YAMMA Pit Fighting’s upcoming pay-per-view event in Atlantic City on April 11; Don Frye, Oleg Taktarov, Marcelo “Pato” Pereira, Sherman Pendergarst, Rex Richards, Tony Sylvester, Chris Tuscherer and Travis “The Diesel” Wiuff.
YAMMA PIT FIGHTING UNVEILS INITIAL FIGHT CARD INFO FOR PAY-PER-VIEW ON APRIL 11
Don Frye to Fight Oleg Taktarov and Gold Medal Olympian Jeff Blatnick to Serve as Commentator for Inaugural YAMMA Pit Fighting Pay-Per-View Event
Los Angeles– Today YAMMA Pit Fighting (YPF), a new mixed martial arts (MMA) organization created by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) founder Bob Meyrowitz, announced that their first matchup will pit Russia vs. U.S.A, as Oleg “The Russian Bear” Taktarov and Don “The Predator” Frye will go toe-to-toe in the organization’s first live pay-per-view event.
The event will air live from the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on April 11, 2008. Tickets for the event will go on sale March 8, and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
This first matchup will witness two MMA legends battle in a totally new and unique arena. The veteran fighters will face off in one of the ‘Masters Superfights’, one-on-one matches that feature some of MMA’s most illustrious and legendary fighters. In addition to the Superfights, the April 11th event will showcase the skill and endurance of eight fearsome competitors in a tournament match for the title of YAMMA Heavyweight Champion. Tournament fighters include: Marcelo “Pato” Pereira, Sherman Pendergarst, Rex Richards, Tony Sylvester, Chris Tuscherer and Travis “The Diesel” Wiuff.
“Don Frye needs to do only two things: fly to Russia and stay there for ten years to study Sambo. Then, maybe he’ll be ready,” said Oleg Taktarov about his upcoming face off with Frye.
Jeff Blatnick will serve as a commentator for both the Heavyweight Tournament and “Masters Superfights.” Blatnick, a retired athlete and cancer survivor, has won ten national wrestling titles and various international awards. He was a member of both the 1980 and 1984 United States Olympic Teams, and is famous for his awe-inspiring underdog win at the 1984 Olympics, after having his spleen and appendix removed due to Hodgkin’s disease. This win made him only the second U. S. Greco-Roman wrestler in history to win a gold medal. Since retiring, Jeff has become a successful television sportscaster and has appeared as an expert analyst on NBC, ABC and ESPN.
Don "The Predator" Frye is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter, actor, and professional wrestler who has fought in UFC, PRIDE and K-1. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 2 tournaments. He is widely considered one of the first "cross trained" MMA fighters, having a background in multiple disciplines including: extensive collegiate wrestling, a 2nd degree black belt in Judo and a professional boxing record. Frye stands 6ft 1in and weighs 220lbs and has a MMA record of 19-6-1.
Sambo and Judo expert Oleg “The Russian Bear” Taktarov is a PRIDE, UFC and Bodog Fights veteran known for calmness during battle and acrobatic takedowns. Taktarov's MMA record is 13-5-2 and he has never been submitted in a MMA match. He stands 6ft tall and weighs 220lb and recently returned to the MMA ring, winning a decisive victory over challenger John Marsh in November 2007.
YAMMA Pit Fighting will return to the popular origins of MMA by reviving the tournament format, in which fighters will participate in multiple fights on their way to claiming the ultimate YAMMA victory, the title of YAMMA Heavyweight Champion. This format will push fighters to the limits of skill and endurance, as victory in each round is rewarded not with extended rest, but with another fight. Some of MMA’s newest and best emerging fighters will be featured in the Heavyweight Tournament fight card and will include:
· Marcelo “Pato” Pereira - a multiple world and Brazil BJJ champion known for this strong chin and very heavy hands with an MMA record of 5-0-0
· Sherman Pendergarst - a 6'1 230 pound former Collegiate wrestler and State High School wrestling champion with a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing and Kick boxing with an MMA record of 10-8-0
· Rex Richards – a former lineman for the Indianapolis Colts and Machado BJJ brown belt. Richards is a veteran of Strike Force and Art of War with a professional mixed martial arts record of 4-1-0
· Tony Sylvester – a boxing/wrestling expert who is considered to be one of the top up-and-coming heavyweights in the nation with a MMA record of 10-1-0
· Travis “The Diesel” Wiuff - a UFC, Pride and IFL veteran, and current IFO World Champion with a Mixed Martial Arts record of 47-11-0. He is known for his well rounded fighting style with vicious elbows on the ground
The additional three tournament fighters will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster’s extensive network of 81 ticket centers throughout the Delaware Valley including Boscov’s, Marshalls, Tower Records, and select West Coast Video and Gallery of Sound locations or call Ticketmaster’s convenient Charge-by-Phone service at 1-800-736-1420. For Online Information: www.ticketmaster.com
About Rope Partners
Rope Partners, formed by Bob Meyrowitz and Peter Kauff, have over a 20 year track record of pioneering successful ventures in the music, broadcasting and sports industries. As illustrated by their successes in building the largest independent radio syndication company, DIR Broadcasting, The College Television Network, the largest private television network in the United States, and Semaphore Entertainment Group the originator and founder of the UFC.
FIGHTER LINKS
Sherman Pendergarst http://www.shermanpendergarst.com/aboutme.htm
Rex Richards
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=43399007
YAMMA PIT FIGHTING UNVEILS INITIAL FIGHT CARD INFO FOR PAY-PER-VIEW ON APRIL 11
Don Frye to Fight Oleg Taktarov and Gold Medal Olympian Jeff Blatnick to Serve as Commentator for Inaugural YAMMA Pit Fighting Pay-Per-View Event
Los Angeles– Today YAMMA Pit Fighting (YPF), a new mixed martial arts (MMA) organization created by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) founder Bob Meyrowitz, announced that their first matchup will pit Russia vs. U.S.A, as Oleg “The Russian Bear” Taktarov and Don “The Predator” Frye will go toe-to-toe in the organization’s first live pay-per-view event.
The event will air live from the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on April 11, 2008. Tickets for the event will go on sale March 8, and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
This first matchup will witness two MMA legends battle in a totally new and unique arena. The veteran fighters will face off in one of the ‘Masters Superfights’, one-on-one matches that feature some of MMA’s most illustrious and legendary fighters. In addition to the Superfights, the April 11th event will showcase the skill and endurance of eight fearsome competitors in a tournament match for the title of YAMMA Heavyweight Champion. Tournament fighters include: Marcelo “Pato” Pereira, Sherman Pendergarst, Rex Richards, Tony Sylvester, Chris Tuscherer and Travis “The Diesel” Wiuff.
“Don Frye needs to do only two things: fly to Russia and stay there for ten years to study Sambo. Then, maybe he’ll be ready,” said Oleg Taktarov about his upcoming face off with Frye.
Jeff Blatnick will serve as a commentator for both the Heavyweight Tournament and “Masters Superfights.” Blatnick, a retired athlete and cancer survivor, has won ten national wrestling titles and various international awards. He was a member of both the 1980 and 1984 United States Olympic Teams, and is famous for his awe-inspiring underdog win at the 1984 Olympics, after having his spleen and appendix removed due to Hodgkin’s disease. This win made him only the second U. S. Greco-Roman wrestler in history to win a gold medal. Since retiring, Jeff has become a successful television sportscaster and has appeared as an expert analyst on NBC, ABC and ESPN.
Don "The Predator" Frye is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter, actor, and professional wrestler who has fought in UFC, PRIDE and K-1. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 2 tournaments. He is widely considered one of the first "cross trained" MMA fighters, having a background in multiple disciplines including: extensive collegiate wrestling, a 2nd degree black belt in Judo and a professional boxing record. Frye stands 6ft 1in and weighs 220lbs and has a MMA record of 19-6-1.
Sambo and Judo expert Oleg “The Russian Bear” Taktarov is a PRIDE, UFC and Bodog Fights veteran known for calmness during battle and acrobatic takedowns. Taktarov's MMA record is 13-5-2 and he has never been submitted in a MMA match. He stands 6ft tall and weighs 220lb and recently returned to the MMA ring, winning a decisive victory over challenger John Marsh in November 2007.
YAMMA Pit Fighting will return to the popular origins of MMA by reviving the tournament format, in which fighters will participate in multiple fights on their way to claiming the ultimate YAMMA victory, the title of YAMMA Heavyweight Champion. This format will push fighters to the limits of skill and endurance, as victory in each round is rewarded not with extended rest, but with another fight. Some of MMA’s newest and best emerging fighters will be featured in the Heavyweight Tournament fight card and will include:
· Marcelo “Pato” Pereira - a multiple world and Brazil BJJ champion known for this strong chin and very heavy hands with an MMA record of 5-0-0
· Sherman Pendergarst - a 6'1 230 pound former Collegiate wrestler and State High School wrestling champion with a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing and Kick boxing with an MMA record of 10-8-0
· Rex Richards – a former lineman for the Indianapolis Colts and Machado BJJ brown belt. Richards is a veteran of Strike Force and Art of War with a professional mixed martial arts record of 4-1-0
· Tony Sylvester – a boxing/wrestling expert who is considered to be one of the top up-and-coming heavyweights in the nation with a MMA record of 10-1-0
· Travis “The Diesel” Wiuff - a UFC, Pride and IFL veteran, and current IFO World Champion with a Mixed Martial Arts record of 47-11-0. He is known for his well rounded fighting style with vicious elbows on the ground
The additional three tournament fighters will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster’s extensive network of 81 ticket centers throughout the Delaware Valley including Boscov’s, Marshalls, Tower Records, and select West Coast Video and Gallery of Sound locations or call Ticketmaster’s convenient Charge-by-Phone service at 1-800-736-1420. For Online Information: www.ticketmaster.com
About Rope Partners
Rope Partners, formed by Bob Meyrowitz and Peter Kauff, have over a 20 year track record of pioneering successful ventures in the music, broadcasting and sports industries. As illustrated by their successes in building the largest independent radio syndication company, DIR Broadcasting, The College Television Network, the largest private television network in the United States, and Semaphore Entertainment Group the originator and founder of the UFC.
FIGHTER LINKS
Sherman Pendergarst http://www.shermanpendergarst.com/aboutme.htm
Rex Richards
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=43399007
JEREMY “HALF MAN, HALF AMAZING” WILLIAMS TO TAKE ON ZACK PAGE AT THE LEGENDARY BLUE HORIZON ON APRIL 11TH
PHILADELPHIA— On Friday night, April 11th, Jeremy “Half Man, Half Amazing” Williams will continue on the road to a shot at the cruiserweight title when he takes on Zack Page in a scheduled eight round bout when Vernoca L. Michael and Blue Horizon Boxing Inc. presents a huge night of boxing at The Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia.
Williams, of Long Beach, California is plain and simple a power puncher. The former Heavyweight world title contender sports an impressive record of 42-5-1 with thirty-five knockouts.
Williams turned pro in 1992 and won his first fifteen fights, which included twelve by knockout. That put him in position to take on fellow undefeated heavyweight and 1992 U.S. Olympian, Larry Donald.
Williams lost a close majority decision but wasn’t deterred as he was back in the ring just seven weeks later. That led to an eleven fight winning streak where Williams stopped ten of those foes which led to a shot at the vacant WBO Heavyweight title.
Unfortunately Williams was stopped by Henry Akinwande in three rounds in Indio, California. Williams then went on another streak of eight straight knockouts before coming up short in a bout with perennial contender Maurice Harris.
Williams has gone 7-2-1 since which included victories over Attila Levin (29-1) and Andre Purlette (35-1) and only losing to Brian Neilson (56-1) and currant WBC Heavyweight champion Samuel Peter.
In the time between 2005 and mid-2007, Williams was involved in various acting opportunities and was one of the lead trainers on the second season of The Contender.
August 18th, 2007, Williams started out his Cruiserweight career with a split decision over Gary Gomez (18-8-1) in Sandy, Utah.
Page, Of Warren, Ohio has a record 14-18-1 with five wins by knockouts. Page is a tough veteran who has been in with a plethora of top prospects and ranked fighters from the Heavyweight & Cruiserweight division. Page will fight anyone at a moments notice no matter what the record or size is. He has given up as much as 50 lbs to opponents.
Some of the name opponents Page has fought has been Mike Marrone, Aaron Williams, Alonzo Butler, Lou Del Valle, Dominick Guinn, Mike Mollo, Jason Estrada, Guillermo Jones & Derrick Rossy.
Despite that stiff competition, Page has only been stopped twice which will make Williams work extra hard if he wants to put Page on his list of knockout victims.
One of the co-feature bouts will be an eight round middleweight affair between Blue Horizon fan favorite, Gee Cullmer and Anthony Little.
Cullmer of Philadelphia has a record of 13-1 with three knockouts and has fought his last eight bouts at The Legendary Blue Horizon which includes his last outing where he scored a six round unanimous decision over John Michael Terry.
Little of Akron, Ohio has a record of 7-10-1 with one knockout has fought solid opposition such Andre Berto, Pawel Wolak and James McGirt Jr. He is coming off a draw with George Klinesmith (23-13-3) on February 16th.
Steve Upsher Chambers makes his return to The Legendary Blue Horizon when he takes on the straight forward style of Jaime Morales in a six round Jr. Welterweight affair.
Chambers of Philadelphia is coming off a seven month layoff where he got some quality training in Vero Beach, Florida. He has a record of 15-1-1 (1 NC, 4 KO’s) and has fought every one of his fights at The Legendary Blue Horizon except for one fight.
In his last bout, last September 7th at The Legendary Blue Horizon, Chambers scored a six round unanimous decision over Jason Jordan.
Morales of Philadelphia is a come forward fighter who always is involved in action packed affairs. He has a record of 4-6 with two knockouts and is looking to get back in the win column after being stopped in one round by Daniel Sostre last November in New York.
In a much anticipated four round bout, Simon “One Punch” Carr will be making his long awaited Legendary Blue Horizon Debut. Carr will be battling Jason Quick in a Light Heavyweight bout.
Carr of Philadelphia has built up a big fan base and has had to overcome a lot in his life to get to a record of 4-1-1 with three knockouts. Carr is coming off an eight month layoff after he had a draw with Andre Hemphill last August in a much talked about rematch.
Quick, of New York has a record of 4-3-1 with three knockouts and is itching to get back in the ring after nearly a two year layoff.
Quick won his first four bouts, which includes a fight in 2004 when he had to get off the deck twice to stop William Scales at The Legendary Blue Horizon. Quick, is coming off a six round unanimous decision loss to Anthony Russell of May of 2006.
This will be Quick’s third appearance at The Legendary Blue Horizon.
Ticket prices for this great night of boxing are $200 for Queen Seating, $125 for Presidential seats, $65 for VIP, $55 for Ringside, and $45 for General Admission and can be purchased by calling The Legendary Blue Horizon at 1-215-763-0500 or by logging on to comcasttix.com. Doors open at 6:30 PM / 1st bout begins at 7:30 PM
The Legendary Blue Horizon is located at 1314 North Broad Street in Philadelphia, PA
For more information, log on to www.legendarybluehorizon.com
Contact Marc Abrams; mabrams@15rounds.com
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Williams, of Long Beach, California is plain and simple a power puncher. The former Heavyweight world title contender sports an impressive record of 42-5-1 with thirty-five knockouts.
Williams turned pro in 1992 and won his first fifteen fights, which included twelve by knockout. That put him in position to take on fellow undefeated heavyweight and 1992 U.S. Olympian, Larry Donald.
Williams lost a close majority decision but wasn’t deterred as he was back in the ring just seven weeks later. That led to an eleven fight winning streak where Williams stopped ten of those foes which led to a shot at the vacant WBO Heavyweight title.
Unfortunately Williams was stopped by Henry Akinwande in three rounds in Indio, California. Williams then went on another streak of eight straight knockouts before coming up short in a bout with perennial contender Maurice Harris.
Williams has gone 7-2-1 since which included victories over Attila Levin (29-1) and Andre Purlette (35-1) and only losing to Brian Neilson (56-1) and currant WBC Heavyweight champion Samuel Peter.
In the time between 2005 and mid-2007, Williams was involved in various acting opportunities and was one of the lead trainers on the second season of The Contender.
August 18th, 2007, Williams started out his Cruiserweight career with a split decision over Gary Gomez (18-8-1) in Sandy, Utah.
Page, Of Warren, Ohio has a record 14-18-1 with five wins by knockouts. Page is a tough veteran who has been in with a plethora of top prospects and ranked fighters from the Heavyweight & Cruiserweight division. Page will fight anyone at a moments notice no matter what the record or size is. He has given up as much as 50 lbs to opponents.
Some of the name opponents Page has fought has been Mike Marrone, Aaron Williams, Alonzo Butler, Lou Del Valle, Dominick Guinn, Mike Mollo, Jason Estrada, Guillermo Jones & Derrick Rossy.
Despite that stiff competition, Page has only been stopped twice which will make Williams work extra hard if he wants to put Page on his list of knockout victims.
One of the co-feature bouts will be an eight round middleweight affair between Blue Horizon fan favorite, Gee Cullmer and Anthony Little.
Cullmer of Philadelphia has a record of 13-1 with three knockouts and has fought his last eight bouts at The Legendary Blue Horizon which includes his last outing where he scored a six round unanimous decision over John Michael Terry.
Little of Akron, Ohio has a record of 7-10-1 with one knockout has fought solid opposition such Andre Berto, Pawel Wolak and James McGirt Jr. He is coming off a draw with George Klinesmith (23-13-3) on February 16th.
Steve Upsher Chambers makes his return to The Legendary Blue Horizon when he takes on the straight forward style of Jaime Morales in a six round Jr. Welterweight affair.
Chambers of Philadelphia is coming off a seven month layoff where he got some quality training in Vero Beach, Florida. He has a record of 15-1-1 (1 NC, 4 KO’s) and has fought every one of his fights at The Legendary Blue Horizon except for one fight.
In his last bout, last September 7th at The Legendary Blue Horizon, Chambers scored a six round unanimous decision over Jason Jordan.
Morales of Philadelphia is a come forward fighter who always is involved in action packed affairs. He has a record of 4-6 with two knockouts and is looking to get back in the win column after being stopped in one round by Daniel Sostre last November in New York.
In a much anticipated four round bout, Simon “One Punch” Carr will be making his long awaited Legendary Blue Horizon Debut. Carr will be battling Jason Quick in a Light Heavyweight bout.
Carr of Philadelphia has built up a big fan base and has had to overcome a lot in his life to get to a record of 4-1-1 with three knockouts. Carr is coming off an eight month layoff after he had a draw with Andre Hemphill last August in a much talked about rematch.
Quick, of New York has a record of 4-3-1 with three knockouts and is itching to get back in the ring after nearly a two year layoff.
Quick won his first four bouts, which includes a fight in 2004 when he had to get off the deck twice to stop William Scales at The Legendary Blue Horizon. Quick, is coming off a six round unanimous decision loss to Anthony Russell of May of 2006.
This will be Quick’s third appearance at The Legendary Blue Horizon.
Ticket prices for this great night of boxing are $200 for Queen Seating, $125 for Presidential seats, $65 for VIP, $55 for Ringside, and $45 for General Admission and can be purchased by calling The Legendary Blue Horizon at 1-215-763-0500 or by logging on to comcasttix.com. Doors open at 6:30 PM / 1st bout begins at 7:30 PM
The Legendary Blue Horizon is located at 1314 North Broad Street in Philadelphia, PA
For more information, log on to www.legendarybluehorizon.com
Contact Marc Abrams; mabrams@15rounds.com
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
WBA WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE CHAMPION - FELIX STURM (GERMANY) VS CHALLANGER – JAMIE PITTMAN (AUSTRALIA) 5th April 2008, Dusseldorf, Germany
Australian boxing has a long and rich history on the world stage, none-more-so than in the middleweight division.Champions of the past include the legendary Les Darcy, Dave Sands and Tony Mundine, however, as great as these fighters were, no Australian has ever won the World Middleweight Title – fast forward to 2008 and one young Aussie fighter has the chance create history – his name?
Jamie “Mr Business” Pittman.
On the 5th April in Dusseldorf, Germany, Jamie “Mr Business” Pittman challenges WBA World Middleweight Champion, Felix Sturm of Germany.
On the line will be a chance at boxing immortality and the ‘riches’ that go along with the ultimate success.
The 29-year-old Sturm comes to the ring as a three-time world title winner. As an amateur he represented Germany at the 2000 Sydney Olympics before turning pro and winning the WBO Middleweight title in 2003. Sturm lost the belt in a hotly disputed bout against all time great Oscar De La Hoya in the US.
Sturm then fought for and won the coveted WBA World Middleweight Title before losing the belt to Spaniard Javier Castillejo in 2006 – Sturm then showed his class by avenging this defeat against Castillejo in a rematch in April 2007 to reclaim the WBA World Title. Sturm’s last bout against the American Randy Griffin in October 2007 ended in a drawn contest, with the Germans record now standing at 31 fights, 28 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw with 12 KO’s.
In short, the German won't be giving away title without one heck of a fight – however, the Australian camp is confident that Pittman can cause an upset and write his name into the boxing history books.
A 2004 Athens Olympian and captain of the Australian boxing squad, Pittman’s amateur credentials are impressive winning the NSW title 8 times, 5 Australian titles and the Oceania championships on 3 occasions. He has represented Australia in over 40 countries around the world, amassing an amateur record of 137 fights for 111 wins. “Mr Business” now brings a perfect professional record into the world championship bout with 16 fights, 16 wins with 7 KO’s. Along the way he was won the Australian Super Middleweight title, WBF World Super Middleweight title, PABA Middleweight title, WBO Asia Pacific Middleweight title and the WBA Pan African title – with the Southern Hemisphere now successfully conquered “Mr Business” has his sights now set on world boxing domination.
The bout on the 5th April will be held at the Burg-Waechter Castello Stadium in Dusseldorf, Germany with a crowd of over 10,000 fans to be on hand to cheer on the German World Champion, however, Pittman will have plenty of Australian support amongst the pro-Sturm crowd with a tour group of around 100 down under fight fans taking the long flight to Europe to cheer on “Mr Business”.
To find out more on Jamie “Mr Business” Pittman log onto http://www.jamiepittman.com/
Thank you for your continued support.
For further information contact Sheldon Kidd of DSP Events on 0428 447 191
DSP EVENTS
mycoast@terrigal.net.au
Jamie “Mr Business” Pittman.
On the 5th April in Dusseldorf, Germany, Jamie “Mr Business” Pittman challenges WBA World Middleweight Champion, Felix Sturm of Germany.
On the line will be a chance at boxing immortality and the ‘riches’ that go along with the ultimate success.
The 29-year-old Sturm comes to the ring as a three-time world title winner. As an amateur he represented Germany at the 2000 Sydney Olympics before turning pro and winning the WBO Middleweight title in 2003. Sturm lost the belt in a hotly disputed bout against all time great Oscar De La Hoya in the US.
Sturm then fought for and won the coveted WBA World Middleweight Title before losing the belt to Spaniard Javier Castillejo in 2006 – Sturm then showed his class by avenging this defeat against Castillejo in a rematch in April 2007 to reclaim the WBA World Title. Sturm’s last bout against the American Randy Griffin in October 2007 ended in a drawn contest, with the Germans record now standing at 31 fights, 28 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw with 12 KO’s.
In short, the German won't be giving away title without one heck of a fight – however, the Australian camp is confident that Pittman can cause an upset and write his name into the boxing history books.
A 2004 Athens Olympian and captain of the Australian boxing squad, Pittman’s amateur credentials are impressive winning the NSW title 8 times, 5 Australian titles and the Oceania championships on 3 occasions. He has represented Australia in over 40 countries around the world, amassing an amateur record of 137 fights for 111 wins. “Mr Business” now brings a perfect professional record into the world championship bout with 16 fights, 16 wins with 7 KO’s. Along the way he was won the Australian Super Middleweight title, WBF World Super Middleweight title, PABA Middleweight title, WBO Asia Pacific Middleweight title and the WBA Pan African title – with the Southern Hemisphere now successfully conquered “Mr Business” has his sights now set on world boxing domination.
The bout on the 5th April will be held at the Burg-Waechter Castello Stadium in Dusseldorf, Germany with a crowd of over 10,000 fans to be on hand to cheer on the German World Champion, however, Pittman will have plenty of Australian support amongst the pro-Sturm crowd with a tour group of around 100 down under fight fans taking the long flight to Europe to cheer on “Mr Business”.
To find out more on Jamie “Mr Business” Pittman log onto http://www.jamiepittman.com/
Thank you for your continued support.
For further information contact Sheldon Kidd of DSP Events on 0428 447 191
DSP EVENTS
mycoast@terrigal.net.au
MATYUSHENKO, HIERON, FABIANO TO DEFEND TITLES AS INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE RETURNS TO NEW JERSEY ON APRIL 4 Miletich Fighting Systems
MATYUSHENKO, HIERON, FABIANO TO DEFEND TITLES AS INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE RETURNS TO NEW JERSEY ON APRIL 4 Miletich Fighting Systems, American Top Team and Renzo Gracie Academy, Midwest Combat Battle In Camp Matchups At Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. 
NEW YORK– IFL titleholders Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko (Belarus), Jay “The Thorobred” Hieron (Freeport, N.Y./Las Vegas) and Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) will defend their belts when the International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI) returns to the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., with a nine-bout card on Friday, April 4. In addition to the three Championship bouts, competition between camps will feature athletes from Renzo Gracie Academy.
Renzo Gracie
Midwest Combat, Miletich Fighting Systems, and American Top Team. Tickets will go on sale on Monday, Feb. 25, and will be available at the IZOD Center Box Office (located at the Meadowlands), www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (201) 507-8900. Of particular interest is the addition of Florida-based American Top Team, which is “outside” of the core IFL camps to compete under the new IFL format which encourages challenges from the top MMA camps across the world. Matyushenko, who defected to the U.S. while a member of the Belarus national wrestling team in the early 1990’s, was the IFL’s first individual champion, capping an unbeaten 2007 by winning the light heavyweight title by defeating Alex Schoenauer last November in Chicago. On April 4.
Jamal “The Suit” Patterson
Matyushenko will battle Jamal “The Suit” Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.), a Colgate Univ. graduate who now serves as regional sales manager for an orthodontics company in addition to his MMA career. Hieron, a Long Island native who will be fighting in front of a decidedly hometown crowd, knocked out Delson “Pe de Chumbo” Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in Connecticut in December to claim the welterweight crown. His opponent in New Jersey will be Mark Miller (Chicago), a former machine gunner in the U.S. Marines who was one of the big surprises at 170-lbs. last year in the IFL. Fabiano is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert who used that skill to record five submissions, four of them in the first round, in a perfect 2007, culminating in a win over LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) in the featherweight championship in December. He takes on Shad Lierley (Seattle), a former collegiate conference wrestling champion at New York University who moves to 145-lbs. after impressing with two victories and a well-documented thrilling battle with Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (London, Ontario) last year.
Bas Rutten, IFL Vice President talks with Eddie Goldman.
“I like the local feel of this card,” said Bas Rutten, IFL Vice President, Fighter Operations. “In addition to three outstanding championship matchups, featuring fighters from New York and New Jersey, you have Renzo Gracie’s camp, which was the champion last year, Midwest Combat, which features our top fighters from the Chicago area, and great battles with the Miletich camp and American Top Team, which we are very excited to have on board.” Among the intriguing matchups in the Miletich-ATT pairing are those between welterweights Rory Markham (Chicago) and Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and light heavyweights Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) and Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.). L.C. Davis will also compete against a yet-to-be-determined featherweight opponent. The Gracie-Midwest bouts include a rematch of last year’s exciting Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) vs. Bart “Bartimus” Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) matchup. Delson Heleno will also fight at 170 lbs; his opponent is TBD. Outside of the camp matchups, Chris Horodecki will battle a yet unnamed lightweight for a planned minimum nine-bout card. IFL East Rutherford, N.J.Friday, April 4, 2008(order TBD) Additional Bouts155 lbs.: Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario) (7-1 IFL, 11-1 overall MMA) vs. TBD American Top Team vs. Miletich Fighting Systems145 lbs.: TBD vs. LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) (2-0, 9-1)170 lbs.: Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (0-0, 10-5) vs. Rory Markham (Chicago) (6-2, 12-3)205 lbs.: Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (0-0, 6-0) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) (5-3, 13-3) Midwest Combat vs. Renzo Gracie Academy155 lbs.: Bart Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) (8-3, 29-10) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) (3-0, 9-2)170 lbs.: TBD vs. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (6-3, 13-4)*205 lbs.: **Vladimir Matyushenko (Belarus) (5-0, 20-3) vs. Jamal Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.) (4-1, 4-1) Additional Championship Bouts*170 lbs.: **Jay Hieron (Freeport, N.Y.) (6-2, 14-4) vs. Mark Miller (Chicago) (2-1, 8-2)*145 lbs.: **Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (5-0, 9-1) vs. Shad Lierley (Seattle) (2-1, 2-1) *Championship Bout**Current Title holder 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. ---"You got your passion, you got your prideBut don't you know only fools are satisfied?Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true When will you realize Vienna waits for you"-- Billy Joel, 'Vienna,' 1977
NEW YORK– IFL titleholders Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko (Belarus), Jay “The Thorobred” Hieron (Freeport, N.Y./Las Vegas) and Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) will defend their belts when the International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI) returns to the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., with a nine-bout card on Friday, April 4. In addition to the three Championship bouts, competition between camps will feature athletes from Renzo Gracie Academy.
Renzo Gracie
Midwest Combat, Miletich Fighting Systems, and American Top Team. Tickets will go on sale on Monday, Feb. 25, and will be available at the IZOD Center Box Office (located at the Meadowlands), www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (201) 507-8900. Of particular interest is the addition of Florida-based American Top Team, which is “outside” of the core IFL camps to compete under the new IFL format which encourages challenges from the top MMA camps across the world. Matyushenko, who defected to the U.S. while a member of the Belarus national wrestling team in the early 1990’s, was the IFL’s first individual champion, capping an unbeaten 2007 by winning the light heavyweight title by defeating Alex Schoenauer last November in Chicago. On April 4.
Jamal “The Suit” Patterson
Matyushenko will battle Jamal “The Suit” Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.), a Colgate Univ. graduate who now serves as regional sales manager for an orthodontics company in addition to his MMA career. Hieron, a Long Island native who will be fighting in front of a decidedly hometown crowd, knocked out Delson “Pe de Chumbo” Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in Connecticut in December to claim the welterweight crown. His opponent in New Jersey will be Mark Miller (Chicago), a former machine gunner in the U.S. Marines who was one of the big surprises at 170-lbs. last year in the IFL. Fabiano is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert who used that skill to record five submissions, four of them in the first round, in a perfect 2007, culminating in a win over LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) in the featherweight championship in December. He takes on Shad Lierley (Seattle), a former collegiate conference wrestling champion at New York University who moves to 145-lbs. after impressing with two victories and a well-documented thrilling battle with Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (London, Ontario) last year.
Bas Rutten, IFL Vice President talks with Eddie Goldman.
“I like the local feel of this card,” said Bas Rutten, IFL Vice President, Fighter Operations. “In addition to three outstanding championship matchups, featuring fighters from New York and New Jersey, you have Renzo Gracie’s camp, which was the champion last year, Midwest Combat, which features our top fighters from the Chicago area, and great battles with the Miletich camp and American Top Team, which we are very excited to have on board.” Among the intriguing matchups in the Miletich-ATT pairing are those between welterweights Rory Markham (Chicago) and Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and light heavyweights Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) and Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.). L.C. Davis will also compete against a yet-to-be-determined featherweight opponent. The Gracie-Midwest bouts include a rematch of last year’s exciting Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) vs. Bart “Bartimus” Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) matchup. Delson Heleno will also fight at 170 lbs; his opponent is TBD. Outside of the camp matchups, Chris Horodecki will battle a yet unnamed lightweight for a planned minimum nine-bout card. IFL East Rutherford, N.J.Friday, April 4, 2008(order TBD) Additional Bouts155 lbs.: Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario) (7-1 IFL, 11-1 overall MMA) vs. TBD American Top Team vs. Miletich Fighting Systems145 lbs.: TBD vs. LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) (2-0, 9-1)170 lbs.: Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (0-0, 10-5) vs. Rory Markham (Chicago) (6-2, 12-3)205 lbs.: Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (0-0, 6-0) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) (5-3, 13-3) Midwest Combat vs. Renzo Gracie Academy155 lbs.: Bart Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) (8-3, 29-10) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) (3-0, 9-2)170 lbs.: TBD vs. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (6-3, 13-4)*205 lbs.: **Vladimir Matyushenko (Belarus) (5-0, 20-3) vs. Jamal Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.) (4-1, 4-1) Additional Championship Bouts*170 lbs.: **Jay Hieron (Freeport, N.Y.) (6-2, 14-4) vs. Mark Miller (Chicago) (2-1, 8-2)*145 lbs.: **Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (5-0, 9-1) vs. Shad Lierley (Seattle) (2-1, 2-1) *Championship Bout**Current Title holder 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. ---"You got your passion, you got your prideBut don't you know only fools are satisfied?Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true When will you realize Vienna waits for you"-- Billy Joel, 'Vienna,' 1977
Hannah Rivera and Friends 10, 000 miles, with Christina Santanmaria, Sophi Russek and Charles Johnson and special guest Andrea Scannell, March 30th
Hannah Rivera and Friends 10, 000 miles, with Christina Santanmaria, Sophi Russek and Charles Johnson and special guest Andrea Scannell, 3 PM Sunday March 30th, at the Reprise Room, in New York City. 
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Playhouse Saturdays at Strata; Hip-Hop, Rock, House, Old School, Etc. as well as a Latin Room
RSVP: SATURDAYS@ERICANDLUCK.COM
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Macklin and Campas Ready for War; Put the house on it – the next Ladbrokes.com Fight Night, Candidate for the 2008 “Fight of the Year”
Put the house on it – the next Ladbrokes.com Fight Night looks set to be a sure fire candidate for the 2008 “Fight of the Year” with Irish middleweight champ Matthew Macklin set to do battle with former World Champion Yori Boy Campas at the National Stadium, Dublin on March 22nd.
In 2006 both men were involved in two of the best, if not the best fights of that year – and on the same night. The 29th of September, 2006 is a date neither Macklin or Campas (or indeed any boxing fan) will forget in a hurry.
In Manchester Macklin lost a brave bid for the British light middleweight title against Jamie Moore after 10 torrid rounds of phone booth warfare while just a few hours later on the other side of the Atlantic Campas gave John Duddy the fright of his life losing on a close decision after 12 back and forth rounds of action.
For Macklin this fight represents a major step up in class having moved up a weight in 2007 and successfully recovered from the Moore loss with 3 straight stoppage victories. Campas has shared the ring with some of the modern greats including Oscar De La Hoya and Felix “Tito” Trinidad.
Incredibly his fight with Macklin will be his 103rd outing as a professional with the Mexican warrior having turned pro at the age of 15. In his 20 year pro career he’s compiled an amazing record of 91 wins (73 of them by KO) and just 11 defeats and picked up the World light middleweight title along the way.
Now 36 Campas is determined to prove that he still belongs at the highest level but Macklin who will have new trainer and former two weight world champ Buddy McGirt in his corner in Dublin believes that an impressive win will bring his title ambitions into sharper focus.
“It’s a real step up in class for me and just what I need,” said the Birmingham based Irishman. “Campas is a very seasoned pro, you only need to look at the names on his record to see that.”
It will be the Arizona based Mexican’s second successive trip to Europe and having been beaten by former European champion and world rated Amin Asikainen in Helsinki he’ll be hoping for better luck in Dublin. Macklin has already studied that bout and believes that the seventh round defeat for Campas was not a true reflection of the fight.
“I thought the stoppage was very premature. Campas was still on his feet and firing back and he looked disgusted that it had been stopped. Up until then the last guy to legitimately stop him was Oscar De La Hoya and there was certainly no disgrace in that.
“I won’t really be looking to stop him because when you look for the stoppage it never comes. You have to be patient and anyway I want to get back to boxing a bit more as that side of things was neglected a bit when I was with Billy Graham. People forget that I was a very good amateur boxer and I need to get back to using those boxing skills.
“To be honest it will be difficult to do that with this fight because with the style Campas fights there’s nearly always fireworks and if it does become that kind of fight I won’t be found wanting.”
Macklin flies out to McGirt’s gym in Vero Beach, Florida this weekend to begin a month long training camp in the Sunshine State. “Part of the reasoning behind linking up with Buddy was to get me boxing more again,” explained Macklin.
“Obviously Buddy was a tremendous fighter himself and I’ve been really impressed with him as a trainer. You only have to look at how he turned Arturo Gatti from a brawler to a boxer to see the kind of influence he can have on a fighter so I’ll be hoping for a similar transformation.”
McGirt says he’s excited about working with Macklin. “I’m really looking forward to working with Matthew. I’m currently working with Paul Smith who I took on after working with him on the Contender T.V. series. He trained and sparred with Matthew when they were both in Billy Graham’s gym and Paul highly recommended Matthew to me so I’m excited about it.
“I know all about Campas, he’s a tough, tough veteran who’s been in with everybody and he is still a dangerous guy so it’s a good challenge for Matthew.”
Campas says he won’t be drawn into any trash talking or bold predictions ahead of the fight but promised, “I can only tell the people that they will see a real fight, I can guarantee that.”
His manager Joe Diaz added, “Yori is an incredible guy. He turned pro when he was just 15 and 20 years later he’s still competing at the highest level. He’s ageless and if people think he’s slipping because he got stopped by Asikainen they’re very much mistaken. The fight’s available to watch on YouTube for all to see and anyone can see that It should never have been stopped.
“Yori Boy wasn’t hurt, what happened was that the sponsors logo on the ring came loose and Yori’s feet got caught up in it. He got tagged with a few shots as he was trying to untangle himself and then the referee jumped in and stopped it. It was a crazy decision.
“I don’t make any excuses but in this case people can make their own minds up. After the fight Yori Boy didn’t even have a bruise but the other guy had 28 stitches over his eye and a broken hand. Anyway that’s behind us now. You have to move on and we plan on doing that in Dublin.”
The undercard for the Ladbrokes.com Fight Night is headed by an eagerly anticipated Irish Light Welterweight title rematch between Cavan’s Andrew Murray and Belfast’s James Gorman. The two first met last December at the Kings Hall in Belfast with Murray winning on a technical decision after an accidental clash of heads in the fourth round left Murray unable to continue.
Under Boxing Union of Ireland rules the fight went to the referee’s scorecard and Murray kept his unbeaten record intact courtesy of the early lead he had taken. However even the new champion admitted that the outcome was unsatisfactory and both men are keen to do it all over again and settle affairs more conclusively.
The card will also feature Cuban heavyweight sensation Mike “The Rebel” Perez. Despite only having arrived in his adopted hometown of Cork in mid January the 22-year-old former world Amateur Champion has already racked up two quick fire wins in the pro ranks.
Perez’s manager Gary Hyde believes that with his amateur pedigree the power punching Cuban will bring the world heavyweight title back to Cork.
Another unbeaten heavyweight on the card is unbeaten Belfast banger Martin Rogan. The former Irish Amateur Champion is closing in on a shot at the Irish Professional heavyweight title and will have his first scheduled 8 round contest on next months card.
Irish professional’s Aidan Mooney and Leon Senior will also be in action.
Tickets for the Ladrokes.com Fight Night priced from €60 go on sale from 9am tomorrow morning (Friday, February 15th) from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.
In 2006 both men were involved in two of the best, if not the best fights of that year – and on the same night. The 29th of September, 2006 is a date neither Macklin or Campas (or indeed any boxing fan) will forget in a hurry.
In Manchester Macklin lost a brave bid for the British light middleweight title against Jamie Moore after 10 torrid rounds of phone booth warfare while just a few hours later on the other side of the Atlantic Campas gave John Duddy the fright of his life losing on a close decision after 12 back and forth rounds of action.
For Macklin this fight represents a major step up in class having moved up a weight in 2007 and successfully recovered from the Moore loss with 3 straight stoppage victories. Campas has shared the ring with some of the modern greats including Oscar De La Hoya and Felix “Tito” Trinidad.
Incredibly his fight with Macklin will be his 103rd outing as a professional with the Mexican warrior having turned pro at the age of 15. In his 20 year pro career he’s compiled an amazing record of 91 wins (73 of them by KO) and just 11 defeats and picked up the World light middleweight title along the way.
Now 36 Campas is determined to prove that he still belongs at the highest level but Macklin who will have new trainer and former two weight world champ Buddy McGirt in his corner in Dublin believes that an impressive win will bring his title ambitions into sharper focus.
“It’s a real step up in class for me and just what I need,” said the Birmingham based Irishman. “Campas is a very seasoned pro, you only need to look at the names on his record to see that.”
It will be the Arizona based Mexican’s second successive trip to Europe and having been beaten by former European champion and world rated Amin Asikainen in Helsinki he’ll be hoping for better luck in Dublin. Macklin has already studied that bout and believes that the seventh round defeat for Campas was not a true reflection of the fight.
“I thought the stoppage was very premature. Campas was still on his feet and firing back and he looked disgusted that it had been stopped. Up until then the last guy to legitimately stop him was Oscar De La Hoya and there was certainly no disgrace in that.
“I won’t really be looking to stop him because when you look for the stoppage it never comes. You have to be patient and anyway I want to get back to boxing a bit more as that side of things was neglected a bit when I was with Billy Graham. People forget that I was a very good amateur boxer and I need to get back to using those boxing skills.
“To be honest it will be difficult to do that with this fight because with the style Campas fights there’s nearly always fireworks and if it does become that kind of fight I won’t be found wanting.”
Macklin flies out to McGirt’s gym in Vero Beach, Florida this weekend to begin a month long training camp in the Sunshine State. “Part of the reasoning behind linking up with Buddy was to get me boxing more again,” explained Macklin.
“Obviously Buddy was a tremendous fighter himself and I’ve been really impressed with him as a trainer. You only have to look at how he turned Arturo Gatti from a brawler to a boxer to see the kind of influence he can have on a fighter so I’ll be hoping for a similar transformation.”
McGirt says he’s excited about working with Macklin. “I’m really looking forward to working with Matthew. I’m currently working with Paul Smith who I took on after working with him on the Contender T.V. series. He trained and sparred with Matthew when they were both in Billy Graham’s gym and Paul highly recommended Matthew to me so I’m excited about it.
“I know all about Campas, he’s a tough, tough veteran who’s been in with everybody and he is still a dangerous guy so it’s a good challenge for Matthew.”
Campas says he won’t be drawn into any trash talking or bold predictions ahead of the fight but promised, “I can only tell the people that they will see a real fight, I can guarantee that.”
His manager Joe Diaz added, “Yori is an incredible guy. He turned pro when he was just 15 and 20 years later he’s still competing at the highest level. He’s ageless and if people think he’s slipping because he got stopped by Asikainen they’re very much mistaken. The fight’s available to watch on YouTube for all to see and anyone can see that It should never have been stopped.
“Yori Boy wasn’t hurt, what happened was that the sponsors logo on the ring came loose and Yori’s feet got caught up in it. He got tagged with a few shots as he was trying to untangle himself and then the referee jumped in and stopped it. It was a crazy decision.
“I don’t make any excuses but in this case people can make their own minds up. After the fight Yori Boy didn’t even have a bruise but the other guy had 28 stitches over his eye and a broken hand. Anyway that’s behind us now. You have to move on and we plan on doing that in Dublin.”
The undercard for the Ladbrokes.com Fight Night is headed by an eagerly anticipated Irish Light Welterweight title rematch between Cavan’s Andrew Murray and Belfast’s James Gorman. The two first met last December at the Kings Hall in Belfast with Murray winning on a technical decision after an accidental clash of heads in the fourth round left Murray unable to continue.
Under Boxing Union of Ireland rules the fight went to the referee’s scorecard and Murray kept his unbeaten record intact courtesy of the early lead he had taken. However even the new champion admitted that the outcome was unsatisfactory and both men are keen to do it all over again and settle affairs more conclusively.
The card will also feature Cuban heavyweight sensation Mike “The Rebel” Perez. Despite only having arrived in his adopted hometown of Cork in mid January the 22-year-old former world Amateur Champion has already racked up two quick fire wins in the pro ranks.
Perez’s manager Gary Hyde believes that with his amateur pedigree the power punching Cuban will bring the world heavyweight title back to Cork.
Another unbeaten heavyweight on the card is unbeaten Belfast banger Martin Rogan. The former Irish Amateur Champion is closing in on a shot at the Irish Professional heavyweight title and will have his first scheduled 8 round contest on next months card.
Irish professional’s Aidan Mooney and Leon Senior will also be in action.
Tickets for the Ladrokes.com Fight Night priced from €60 go on sale from 9am tomorrow morning (Friday, February 15th) from Ticketmaster.ie and all usual outlets.
Thursday at Room Service
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Marquez-Pacquiao II Live on Pay-Per-View Saturday, 3/15
JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ vs. MANNY PACQUIAO II
Check out all the articles, photos and more from fight week in Vegas as we build up to the epic rematch between two of boxing's best fighters.
Also, watch the official weigh-in live on HBO.com, today at 5:30 PM ET/2:30 PM PT.
And don't miss Marquez vs. Pacquiao II, this Saturday night on Pay-Per-View at 9PM ET/6 PM PT.
COUNTDOWN TO MARQUEZ-PACQUIAO II & CLASSIC REPLAYS
Another installment in the classic Countdown series, Countdown To Marquez-Pacquiao II features profiles, analysis and forecasts for the second battle.
Plus, watch Pacquiao vs. Marquez I: Pacquiao knocked Marquez down three times in the first round, Marquez orchestrated one of the most impressive comebacks in boxing history, ending the bout in a draw. Check the site for all the ways you can watch, HBO.com!
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Check out all the articles, photos and more from fight week in Vegas as we build up to the epic rematch between two of boxing's best fighters.
Also, watch the official weigh-in live on HBO.com, today at 5:30 PM ET/2:30 PM PT.
And don't miss Marquez vs. Pacquiao II, this Saturday night on Pay-Per-View at 9PM ET/6 PM PT.
COUNTDOWN TO MARQUEZ-PACQUIAO II & CLASSIC REPLAYS
Another installment in the classic Countdown series, Countdown To Marquez-Pacquiao II features profiles, analysis and forecasts for the second battle.
Plus, watch Pacquiao vs. Marquez I: Pacquiao knocked Marquez down three times in the first round, Marquez orchestrated one of the most impressive comebacks in boxing history, ending the bout in a draw. Check the site for all the ways you can watch, HBO.com!
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SecondsOut Live Broadcast March 14 - Markus Beyer v Murat Mahmudov
Three Time WBC Super Middleweight Champion Markus Beyer v Murat Mahmudov
plus undercard action
Three-time WBC super middleweight champion Markus Beyer scaled in at 170 lbs, while his opponent Murat Mahmudov weighed 167.5 lbs for tonights Live SecondsOut TV broadcast.
Mahmudov showed up with a full beard but the German Boxing Commission allowed the practising Muslim to fight with the full beard, which is usually prohibited due to higher risk of cuts.
Cuban Olympic gold medallist Odlanier Solis, who is looking to score his eighth win in as many fights,scaled 246 lbs. which is his best weight since turning pro one year ago. Solis' opponent Cisse Salif weighed in at 265 lbs.
WBC Mediterranean heavyweight champion Sinan Samil Sam,29-4-0-(15)., 257 lbs. defends his title against Ratko Draskovic,27-6-2-(15), 240 lbs from Montenegro.
The other weights and undercard:
Konstantin Airich (8-0-0, 8 k.o.) 227.5 vs. Alex Mazikin (12-2-0, 3 k.o.) 253.5
Selcuk Aydin (13-0-0, 12 k.o.) 147 vs. Farkhad Bakirov (24-2-2, 14 k.o.) 149
Edmund Gerber (3-0-0, 1 k.o.) 235.5 vs. Ergin Solmaz (3-17-2, 2 k.o.) 255
Kai Kurzawa (22-3-0, 15 k.o.) 196 vs. Armin Dollinger (18-0-0, 7 k.o.) 182
Michael Schubov (11-2-0, 4 k.o.) 146.5 vs. Alexander Lykov (1-3-1) 147
Please note geo-restrictions apply.
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
plus undercard action
Three-time WBC super middleweight champion Markus Beyer scaled in at 170 lbs, while his opponent Murat Mahmudov weighed 167.5 lbs for tonights Live SecondsOut TV broadcast.
Mahmudov showed up with a full beard but the German Boxing Commission allowed the practising Muslim to fight with the full beard, which is usually prohibited due to higher risk of cuts.
Cuban Olympic gold medallist Odlanier Solis, who is looking to score his eighth win in as many fights,scaled 246 lbs. which is his best weight since turning pro one year ago. Solis' opponent Cisse Salif weighed in at 265 lbs.
WBC Mediterranean heavyweight champion Sinan Samil Sam,29-4-0-(15)., 257 lbs. defends his title against Ratko Draskovic,27-6-2-(15), 240 lbs from Montenegro.
The other weights and undercard:
Konstantin Airich (8-0-0, 8 k.o.) 227.5 vs. Alex Mazikin (12-2-0, 3 k.o.) 253.5
Selcuk Aydin (13-0-0, 12 k.o.) 147 vs. Farkhad Bakirov (24-2-2, 14 k.o.) 149
Edmund Gerber (3-0-0, 1 k.o.) 235.5 vs. Ergin Solmaz (3-17-2, 2 k.o.) 255
Kai Kurzawa (22-3-0, 15 k.o.) 196 vs. Armin Dollinger (18-0-0, 7 k.o.) 182
Michael Schubov (11-2-0, 4 k.o.) 146.5 vs. Alexander Lykov (1-3-1) 147
Please note geo-restrictions apply.
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc.Presents; “RUMBLE AT THE RIVER” Peter Manfredo, Jr. and Shane Benfield, Friday, March 14, 2008
Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc.Presents; “RUMBLE AT THE RIVER” Peter Manfredo, Jr. and Shane Benfield, Friday, March 14, 2008 at the Twin River Events Center, Lincoln, RI. Matchmaker: Ted Panagiotis.
Tickets: All seats have been sold. A limited amount of $25.00 standing room only tickets have been released and are available at the Twin River box office.
Information: Contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or Twin River Events Center (877.82.RIVER/ www.twinriver.com) for more information. Doors open at 6 PM/ET, first bout at 7 PM/ET. (Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Rumble at the River.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied at all times by an adult and they must enter through the West entrance.)
WEIGHTS FROM TWIN RIVER
PETER MANFREDO, JR. 170 ¼ LBS.
SHANE BENFIELD 169 ¾ LBS.
Peter Manfredo, Jr. and Shane Benfield
(Photo Credit: Emily Harney)
JAIME CLAMPITT 135 LBS.
BELINDA LARACUENTE 133 ¾ LBS.
(IWBF Lightweight Championship)
JOEY SPINA 178 LBS.
HENRY MAYES 179 LBS.
CHRIS McINERNEY 197 LBS.
TIM FLAMOS 194 LBS.
JOEY McCREEDY 178 LBS.
ZEFERINO ALABINO 178 LBS.
ANDRE NEVSKY 164 LBS.
ERIC PINARRETA 164 LBS.
ISANDER BEAUCHAMP 113 ¾ LBS.
GABRIEL CRUZ 112 LBS.
DIEGO PEREIRA 139 LBS.
FELIX FERNANDES 139 LBS.
Bob Trieger; Full Court Press
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak; Unbeaten Pawel Wolak coming right back Sat. March 15 at Madison Square Garden in NYC; Who Is Pawel Wolak..road to success
Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak, career path recap of 2007
NEW YORK– New IBA America’s middleweight champion Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak, fresh off of his fourth-round TKO of “Flawless” Dan Wallace (9-2, 3 KOs) last Friday night in Long Island, will come right back November 15th headlining a show promoted by Bob Duffy’s Ring Promotions at Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan.
The New York State junior middleweight champion Wolak (17-0, 12 KOs), fighting out of Brooklyn, is rated No. 11 by both the NABF and NABO. The graduate of Berkley College in Manhattan has become a popular draw, particularly among passionate Polish fight fans, and his non-stop, exciting style attracts more supporters each fight.
“Pawel’s one of the most dedicated guys in this sport,” promoter Bob Duffy said. “Every day he’s training for 2-2 ½ hours at Gleason’s. He wants to improve every day. Pawel’s the best 154-pound prospect on the East Coast. There’s no dog in this kid. He’s 100-percent a fighter whose heart and determination ends up in a winning performance. He has good management and training teams and I’ve really enjoyed working with them as his acting promoter.”
Wolak set to make statement on Friday’s Long Island card
NEW YORK– Unbeaten Polish prospect Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak plans to make a statement tomorrow night (Friday, September 14) against “Flawless” Dan Wallace (9-1, 3 KOs) in the 10 round main event for the IBA Americas middleweight championship, headlining a pro boxing show promoted by Frankie “G” Promotions and Ring Promotions, at the Huntington Hilton Hotel in Melville, Long Island.
New York State junior middleweight champion Wolak (16-0, 11 KOs), now fighting out of Brooklyn, has moved up in the ratings to No. 11 in both the NABF and NABO. A graduate of Berkley College in Manhattan, Pawel has developed into one of the hottest young fighters on the East Coast, capturing the hearts and minds of his growing legion of passionate Polish fans.
“I saw Wallace fight on ESPN against Walter Wright,” Wolak said. “I think he’s made for me – tall with a long body. I like to body punch and I’ve trained against a lot of guys like him. This fight shouldn’t be a problem at all. I’m going to put on a show for my fans. It took Wright eight rounds to take him out. I hope to get it done quicker and show that I’m a strong fighter. I’m going to press a lot, relentlessly, slip punches and deliver shots to the head and body. I want to stop it early.
“I don’t look too far ahead. All I’m really thinking about is this fight. I know what I want to accomplish in the future, but I’m taking everything one step at a time. I’m going to be in the best shape of my life. Each fight I want to learn from, too. I’m going to make a strong statement against Wallace.”
Two unbeaten light heavyweights – multiple European and Irish amateur champion Alo Kelley (2-0, 1 KO) and Reggie “Concrete” LaCrete (4-0, 3 KOs) – square-off in the six-round co-feature. Kelley is an Irish Ropes stablemate of middleweight sensation “Ireland’s” John Duddy, while LaCrete is managed by the famed Jackie Kallen (her life story was made into the movie Against the Ropes starring Meg Ryan).
In another six-round welterweight bout popular Long Island fighter Mike Ruiz (3-2, 2 KOs) takes on Jessie Gomez (1-3) in a battle of native New Yorkers.
Former Irish National Senior amateur champion Henry “Western Warrior” Coyle (2-1, 1 KO) faces pro debuting Robert Kimbrough in a four-round bout. Also on the undercard (all four-round bouts) is local favorite and 2-time New York Golden Gloves champion Nagy Aquilera (1-0, 1 KO), of Newburgh (NY), against Bronx heavyweight Rubin Bracero (2-5, 1 KO); 2007 New York Golden Gloves champion Joseph Llovet, of Bayshore (NY), makes his pro debut versus Leon Williams (0-2); Russian light heavyweight Sergie Kravencho (3-0, 3 KOs), trained by Don Turner, meets Brooklyn’s pro debuting Borngod Williams; Long Island super middleweight Issac Holden and Brooklyn’s Oliver Osumpa make their pro debuts fighting each other.
NEW YORK– Polish power-punching middleweight prospect Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak takes on ”Flawless” Dan Wallace (9-1, 3 KOs) in the 10 round main event for the IBA Americas middleweight championship, headlining a pro boxing show promoted by Frankie “G” Productions and Ring Promotions, Friday night (September 14) at the Huntington Hilton Hotel in Melville, Long Island.
The Polish-born Wolak (16-0, 11 KOs), now fighting out of Brooklyn, is the reigning New York State middleweight champion, as well as a graduate of Berkley College in Manhattan. The immensely popular Wolak’s exciting straight ahead style of attack quickly has made him into one of the hottest young fighters on the East Coast. He is rated No. 11 by both the NABF and NABO.
“Pawel Wolak is New York City’s new rising star,” promoter Bob Duffy said. “He’s one of the hottest boxers around and his following, especially in the Polish community, grows with each fight. His action-packed fights and passionate fans give shows a festival atmosphere.”
Two unbeaten light heavyweights clash In the six-round co-feature – multiple European and Irish amateur champion Alo Kelley (2-0, 1 KO) versus Reggie “Concrete” LaCrete (4-0, 3 KOs), managed by the famed Jackie Kallen (her life story was made into the movie Against the Ropes starring Meg Ryan).
Ireland-native Kelley is an Irish Ropes stablemate of middleweight sensation “Ireland’s” John Duddy. “We think a lot of Alo,” Irish Ropes president Eddie McLoughlin noted. “We’re moving up the bar faster than we did with Duddy because of Alo’s age (29). I’ve always been confident in Alo’s ability and we’re already putting him in defining fights, starting with LaCrete, who is 4-0 with three knockouts.”
Long Island welterweight Mike Ruiz (3-2, 2 KOs) fights fellow New Yorker Jessie Gomez (1-3) in a six-round bout.
Former Irish National Senior amateur champion Henry “Western Warrior” Coyle (2-1, 1 KO) is scheduled to fight an opponent to be determined in a four-round bout. Also on the undercard, all in four-round bouts, is local favorite and unbeaten welterweight 2-time New York Golden Gloves champion Nagy Aguilera (1-0, 1 KO), of Newburgh (NY), versus Bronx heavyweight Rubin Bracero (2-5, 1 KO), Shirley (NY) featherweight Kristian “K-Smooth” Vasquez (1-0, 1 KO) takes on Jose Ortiz (1-0, 1 KO), 2007 New York Golden Gloves champion Joseph Llovet, of Bayshore (NY), makes his pro debut against Leon Williams (0-2), Russian light heavyweight Sergie Kravencho (3-0, 3 KOs), trained by Don Turner, faces Brooklyn’s pro debuting Borngod Williams, Long Island super middleweight Issac Holden makes his pro debut against New Jersey’s Rafal Jastrewbski (0-4).
Team Wolak, Keisha and Pawel Wolak
Tickets are on sale and priced at $1,700.00 for a VIP Ringside table that includes a one-hour cocktail party and full course dinner served at ringside (all beverages included), $100.00 (golden ringside), $75.00 (ringside) and $40.00 (general admission. To purchase tickets or for additional information call Academy of Boxing (631.673.3520), Frankie G (631.334.4862), Bob Duffy (516.313.2304) and Music Planet in Brooklyn (718.383.2051). The first bout is slated for 7:30 PM/ET.
Eileen Olszewski: “Hawaiian Mongoose” Hungry for Titles; by David Pambianchi
Eileen Olszewski: “Hawaiian Mongoose” Hungry for Titles; by David Pambianchi
Photo by Marty Rosengarten/RingsidePhotos.com
With about 5 different Title Belts, conflicting point systems, weight classifications so close that a fighter can eat a cheeseburger deluxe and move
from one division to another, and home advantages that make you wonder if the judges saw the same fight, who’s the Champ? Women’s Boxing manager, David
Selwyn, claims to know the answer.
“Many promoters and managers match their fighters with low risk Chopped Liver,” Dave’s way of saying “ Soft Matches,” fighters with little skill and/or experience against tougher opponents. Fearless of any risk he states, “We look to fight the best. In her class, Eileen Olszewski is the strongest fighter out there with endurance to back it up and will defeat anyone in the Flyweight (112lbs.) Division.”
While a helpful guide, point systems do not tell a complete story. WBAN ranks Eileen and WBC titleholder Stefania Bianchini even for #1 with WBA titleholder Susi Kentikian #5. BOXREC’s point system, a compilation of points derived from a ratio of win/loss opponent percentages, ranks Eileen at #2 and Susi “Killer Queen”
Kentikian as #1. But fans do not want to see a numbers game or a fight on paper. They want action in the ring.
Months before Eileen captured the WIBA title from Elena “Baby Doll” Reid in February, her manager repeatedly attempted to contact the “Killer Queen” team to gobble up their WBA belt. “They keep ducking us. You know, Don’t call us, we’ll call you, out to lunch, have to walk my dog, Auvidersein. It was WIBA President
Ryan Wissow who informed promoter Steve Bash that a bout between Eileen and Elena Reid would be a good match.
Eileen Olszewski and Elena “Baby Doll” Reid
But it seems that in Germany they’re afraid that the 39 year old (5-0), ‘Hawaiian Mongoose’ will make a quick meal of the 20 year old so called (20-0), ‘Killer Queen.’ It’s embarrassing, too many fighters bragging
about wins and titles, and they haven’t fought anyone tougher than grandma. Better to risk losing like a Champ, than beating easy opponents like a Chump.” In the mean time, Eileen’s appetite for belts focuses on the WBC title. Mandated to fight the winner of the Stefania Bianchini vs. Simona Galassi March 29th 2008 title bout in Italy, “The Hawaiian Mongoose” leaves the victor no place to hide.
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Photo by Marty Rosengarten/RingsidePhotos.com
With about 5 different Title Belts, conflicting point systems, weight classifications so close that a fighter can eat a cheeseburger deluxe and move
from one division to another, and home advantages that make you wonder if the judges saw the same fight, who’s the Champ? Women’s Boxing manager, David
Selwyn, claims to know the answer.
“Many promoters and managers match their fighters with low risk Chopped Liver,” Dave’s way of saying “ Soft Matches,” fighters with little skill and/or experience against tougher opponents. Fearless of any risk he states, “We look to fight the best. In her class, Eileen Olszewski is the strongest fighter out there with endurance to back it up and will defeat anyone in the Flyweight (112lbs.) Division.”
While a helpful guide, point systems do not tell a complete story. WBAN ranks Eileen and WBC titleholder Stefania Bianchini even for #1 with WBA titleholder Susi Kentikian #5. BOXREC’s point system, a compilation of points derived from a ratio of win/loss opponent percentages, ranks Eileen at #2 and Susi “Killer Queen”
Kentikian as #1. But fans do not want to see a numbers game or a fight on paper. They want action in the ring.
Months before Eileen captured the WIBA title from Elena “Baby Doll” Reid in February, her manager repeatedly attempted to contact the “Killer Queen” team to gobble up their WBA belt. “They keep ducking us. You know, Don’t call us, we’ll call you, out to lunch, have to walk my dog, Auvidersein. It was WIBA President
Ryan Wissow who informed promoter Steve Bash that a bout between Eileen and Elena Reid would be a good match.
Eileen Olszewski and Elena “Baby Doll” Reid
But it seems that in Germany they’re afraid that the 39 year old (5-0), ‘Hawaiian Mongoose’ will make a quick meal of the 20 year old so called (20-0), ‘Killer Queen.’ It’s embarrassing, too many fighters bragging
about wins and titles, and they haven’t fought anyone tougher than grandma. Better to risk losing like a Champ, than beating easy opponents like a Chump.” In the mean time, Eileen’s appetite for belts focuses on the WBC title. Mandated to fight the winner of the Stefania Bianchini vs. Simona Galassi March 29th 2008 title bout in Italy, “The Hawaiian Mongoose” leaves the victor no place to hide.
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
JAKE SHIELDS, DREW FICKETT READY TO BELT IT OUT FOR VACANT ELITEXC WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
Joey Villasenor, ‘Cyborg’ Santos Clash in One of Top ‘Shamrock vs. Le’ Undercard Bouts, On Fantastic Event Saturday, March 29, At HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.; Tickets On Sale
LOS ANGELES– Weeks after he was awarded a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Jake Shields will try to add another belt to his wardrobe when he faces Drew Fickett for the vacant EliteXC world welterweight crown March 29, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
In another outstanding match on a sensational mixed martial arts card headlined by a Strikeforce middleweight title fight between defending champion Frank Shamrock and Cung Le, former Pride Fighting Championship star Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos will throw down with EliteXC standout Joey “Dream Smasher” Villasenor in a middleweight scrap.
Tickets, starting at $30, are on sale at HP Pavilion (408) 287-7070, at Ticketmaster locations (408) 998-TIXS, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com), EliteXC’s official website (www.ProElite.com) and Strikeforce’s official website (www.Strikeforceusa.net). Doors will open at 5 p.m. The first live fight is at 6 o’clock PT.
“A fight between popular Bay Area major draws and arch-rivals, the legendary Frank Shamrock and the unbeaten sensation, Cung Le, could sell out San Jose by itself, but this fight card will end up stacked from top to bottom,’’ EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw said.
The stellar eight-bout event will mark the second collaboration between Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s EliteXC, and Strikeforce. The first, which featured Shamrock versus Phil Baroni on June 22, 2007, in San Jose, was a major success.
“The HP Pavilion is a terrific venue that’s always drawn some of the biggest crowds in MMA,’’ Shaw said. “With the addition of a Shields-Fickett EliteXC world title fight and a great fight between Villasenor and Santos, fans in attendance and those watching on SHOWTIME will be treated to an outstanding night of fights.
“Jake’s been waiting to prove he’s the world’s best middleweight and now he gets his chance against a tough, talented veteran like Fickett. The Villasenor-Santos fight will be a war.’’
In addition to the three aforementioned fights, two more bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast). Fans can watch pre- and post-fight interviews at ProElite.com.
(more)
2-2-2
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT MARCH 29
Regarding the recently added matches, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said: “The Shields-Fickett and Santos-Villasenor fights are both highly competitive matchups, each bringing together fighters who are amongst the best in their area of expertise.
“In one, you have two heavy-handed punchers, almost guaranteeing there will be a knockout. In the other, you have two exceptional ground technicians who can submit an opponent from virtually any position on the mat.
“These are the types of fights that make MMA so great and unique and we're looking forward to bringing them to San Jose.’’
The 170-pound title fight between Shields (20-4-1) and Fickett (31-5) will be a fun and terrific technical fight between two modest but supremely confident and talented submission artists in perhaps the toughest tests in their careers.
The winner will become EliteXC’s first world champ at welterweight and third overall. Robbie Lawler (middleweight) and KJ Noons (lightweight) are the other EliteXC belt-holders.
Unbeaten since December 2004 and a winner of nine in a row, including two straight by submission, Shields (http://jakeshields.proelite.com) has long been regarded as a monster in his weight class. Now, he has an opportunity to not only prove it but add even more credibility to his well-established name.
“This is my dream come true and I’m really excited,’’ said Shields, who re-signed with EliteXC in November 2007 and has gone 2-0 since. In impressive performances on SHOWTIME, Shields defeated “Charuto” Verissimo (strikes) and Mike Pyle (rear naked choke).
Shields, 29, a life-long vegetarian who was raised in a remote area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California, holds notable victories over Dave Menne, Carlos Condit, Yushin Okami and Hayato “Mach” Sakurai.
“It was a little frustrating but I knew if I was patient my time would come and I’d get my shot at a world belt,’’ Shields said. “In a way it was a blessing in disguise I had to wait so long on the sidelines. I fought a lot of top 25 guys. That wealth of experience I gained is a great asset.
“This really is a good fight. I respect Drew. He’s game, experienced. I just think I’ll be too much. I’m going to overwhelm him, make an example of him. It’s a little nerve-wracking because I’ll have so many friends there, but it’s exciting to be fighting at the HP Pavilion.
“I am proud to be fighting for the EliteXC world title. They have treated me well, they have grown continually and now they’ve really blown up. I look forward to wearing and keeping the EliteXC belt around my waist for a while and representing the organization with pride.’’
(more)
3-3-3
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT MARCH 29
Fickett (http://drewfickett.proelite.com) is no stranger to major fights and won’t crumble under the pressure of being on the big stage and under the bright lights. He’s fully aware this is his chance to demonstrate he is among the world’s best in MMA.
“I’m definitely taking this fight seriously and am pretty motivated that’s for sure,’’ said Fickett, who could be Shields’ sternest challenge since Jake defeated Condit and Okami in back-to-back performances in April 2006. “I’m up for the challenge. Jake’s awesome. Some say he’s boring, but he chokes everybody and I like that. It’s cool and sounds pretty exciting to me.
“Jake has a real methodical game, but he’s smart and uses his strengths well. We both have a really competitive attitude so I guess we are similar in that regard. Style-wise, we may negate each other’s strengths, so that could mean this will wind up a pretty exciting fight.
“This is the kind of fight that I hope and expect will bring out the best in each of us.’'
A winner of three in a row, Fickett, 28, who was born in Tucson, Ariz., and resides in Phoenix, has a solid resume. He’s faced excellent opposition and owns wins over Kenny Florian, Josh Koscheck, Kurt Pellegrino, Josh Neer, Dennis Hallman, Carlo Prater and Edwin Dewees.
“I’ve been in and out of organizations and fought some great opponents, maybe not at the time but they were always very formidable and in the top 10,’’ said Fickett, who is coming off a first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Mark Weir on Dec. 1, 2007 in London.
A perennial contender at this weight, the experienced Fickett may be underrated by some but his record is as impressive as Shields’ – if not more so. “It’s hard to say if beat better guys because it all depends at where you are at – and everybody’s good at this level,’’ Fickett said.
Like Shields, Fickett is well-versed in the submission game and has forced opponents to surrender in nearly two thirds of his wins (20). Shields has won three of his last four fights by submission and has a total of seven in his career.
“Whatever way it ends, I will be 100 percent ready to go five rounds,’’ Fickett said. “No one wants to get into the fourth or fifth rounds and get tired and maybe get hurt.’’
Fickett, who says his “last win is always the most important,’’ will be making his initial start for EliteXC. “I really like to be able to travel and do my own thing,’’ he said. “Gary (Shaw) has been very cool about signing me to an open contract which would enable me to do so.’’
Santos, 30, a member of Brazil’s famed Chute Boxe squad, will be making his United States debut as well as the first of three fights he signed to compete for Strikeforce. A former light heavy (205 pounds), it will be the second bout of his 11-year career contested at 185.
(more)
4-4-4
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT MARCH 29
“I always look for the knockout,” said Santos, a stone-faced striker whose go-for-broke, crowd-pleasing approach has helped him record 11 KOs out of his 15 victories. “This will be a duel between his boxing and my Muay Thai techniques. Villasenor is an ideal opponent for me.”
The bout with Villasenor will be Santos’ second in less than a month. In Tokyo March 5, he displayed vicious striking to twice knock down Makoto Takimoto en route to submitting (heel hook) the Olympic Games judo gold medalist in the first round and to snap a two-bout losing streak.
“Last year was a tough year for Chute Box and to those who fought in PRIDE, so it was important for me to get off to a good start in 2008,’’ Santos said. “The people who like to watch fights can always count on me to fight with determination and give it my all.
“Anybody who faces me knows they will have hard moments in the cage. My opponents know they need to get ready for a war because as long as I can breathe, I'll look for the win. I'm not saying I'll beat everybody, but I'll exchange blows with everybody. You can count on it.’’
Villasenor (http://drewfickett.proelite.com), a native of Albuquerque, N.M., and a protégé of MMA guru, Greg Jackson, will be seeking his second consecutive victory for EliteXC. Villasenor was penciled in to face Joe Riggs, but Riggs withdrew with a back injury.
In his last outing, Villasenor regained his winning ways with a hard-fought, split decision over Riki Fukuda on “Uprising’’ Sept. 15, 2007, in Honolulu, on SHOWTIME. It came one start after Villasenor suffered a second-round TKO to “Ninja’’ Rua for the EliteXC 185-pound title.
“There should be some real fireworks in this fight with Santos,” Villasenor, 32, a former King of the Cage champion said. “I really don’t know much about Santos’ ground game – if he even likes hanging out on the ground. I know he’s a big banger so it’s an exciting matchup.
“I need to be more technical than him and be better conditioned. Like wine, I think I get better with age. People should look for a more technically sound Joey Villasenor in 2008. This will be a great fight to kick off the year with.”
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
(more)
5-5-5
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT MARCH 29
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.
Contacts:
Mike Afromowitz, Strikeforce
John Beyrooty, EliteXC/BZA
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
LOS ANGELES– Weeks after he was awarded a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Jake Shields will try to add another belt to his wardrobe when he faces Drew Fickett for the vacant EliteXC world welterweight crown March 29, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
In another outstanding match on a sensational mixed martial arts card headlined by a Strikeforce middleweight title fight between defending champion Frank Shamrock and Cung Le, former Pride Fighting Championship star Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos will throw down with EliteXC standout Joey “Dream Smasher” Villasenor in a middleweight scrap.
Tickets, starting at $30, are on sale at HP Pavilion (408) 287-7070, at Ticketmaster locations (408) 998-TIXS, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com), EliteXC’s official website (www.ProElite.com) and Strikeforce’s official website (www.Strikeforceusa.net). Doors will open at 5 p.m. The first live fight is at 6 o’clock PT.
“A fight between popular Bay Area major draws and arch-rivals, the legendary Frank Shamrock and the unbeaten sensation, Cung Le, could sell out San Jose by itself, but this fight card will end up stacked from top to bottom,’’ EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw said.
The stellar eight-bout event will mark the second collaboration between Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s EliteXC, and Strikeforce. The first, which featured Shamrock versus Phil Baroni on June 22, 2007, in San Jose, was a major success.
“The HP Pavilion is a terrific venue that’s always drawn some of the biggest crowds in MMA,’’ Shaw said. “With the addition of a Shields-Fickett EliteXC world title fight and a great fight between Villasenor and Santos, fans in attendance and those watching on SHOWTIME will be treated to an outstanding night of fights.
“Jake’s been waiting to prove he’s the world’s best middleweight and now he gets his chance against a tough, talented veteran like Fickett. The Villasenor-Santos fight will be a war.’’
In addition to the three aforementioned fights, two more bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast). Fans can watch pre- and post-fight interviews at ProElite.com.
(more)
2-2-2
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT MARCH 29
Regarding the recently added matches, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said: “The Shields-Fickett and Santos-Villasenor fights are both highly competitive matchups, each bringing together fighters who are amongst the best in their area of expertise.
“In one, you have two heavy-handed punchers, almost guaranteeing there will be a knockout. In the other, you have two exceptional ground technicians who can submit an opponent from virtually any position on the mat.
“These are the types of fights that make MMA so great and unique and we're looking forward to bringing them to San Jose.’’
The 170-pound title fight between Shields (20-4-1) and Fickett (31-5) will be a fun and terrific technical fight between two modest but supremely confident and talented submission artists in perhaps the toughest tests in their careers.
The winner will become EliteXC’s first world champ at welterweight and third overall. Robbie Lawler (middleweight) and KJ Noons (lightweight) are the other EliteXC belt-holders.
Unbeaten since December 2004 and a winner of nine in a row, including two straight by submission, Shields (http://jakeshields.proelite.com) has long been regarded as a monster in his weight class. Now, he has an opportunity to not only prove it but add even more credibility to his well-established name.
“This is my dream come true and I’m really excited,’’ said Shields, who re-signed with EliteXC in November 2007 and has gone 2-0 since. In impressive performances on SHOWTIME, Shields defeated “Charuto” Verissimo (strikes) and Mike Pyle (rear naked choke).
Shields, 29, a life-long vegetarian who was raised in a remote area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California, holds notable victories over Dave Menne, Carlos Condit, Yushin Okami and Hayato “Mach” Sakurai.
“It was a little frustrating but I knew if I was patient my time would come and I’d get my shot at a world belt,’’ Shields said. “In a way it was a blessing in disguise I had to wait so long on the sidelines. I fought a lot of top 25 guys. That wealth of experience I gained is a great asset.
“This really is a good fight. I respect Drew. He’s game, experienced. I just think I’ll be too much. I’m going to overwhelm him, make an example of him. It’s a little nerve-wracking because I’ll have so many friends there, but it’s exciting to be fighting at the HP Pavilion.
“I am proud to be fighting for the EliteXC world title. They have treated me well, they have grown continually and now they’ve really blown up. I look forward to wearing and keeping the EliteXC belt around my waist for a while and representing the organization with pride.’’
(more)
3-3-3
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT MARCH 29
Fickett (http://drewfickett.proelite.com) is no stranger to major fights and won’t crumble under the pressure of being on the big stage and under the bright lights. He’s fully aware this is his chance to demonstrate he is among the world’s best in MMA.
“I’m definitely taking this fight seriously and am pretty motivated that’s for sure,’’ said Fickett, who could be Shields’ sternest challenge since Jake defeated Condit and Okami in back-to-back performances in April 2006. “I’m up for the challenge. Jake’s awesome. Some say he’s boring, but he chokes everybody and I like that. It’s cool and sounds pretty exciting to me.
“Jake has a real methodical game, but he’s smart and uses his strengths well. We both have a really competitive attitude so I guess we are similar in that regard. Style-wise, we may negate each other’s strengths, so that could mean this will wind up a pretty exciting fight.
“This is the kind of fight that I hope and expect will bring out the best in each of us.’'
A winner of three in a row, Fickett, 28, who was born in Tucson, Ariz., and resides in Phoenix, has a solid resume. He’s faced excellent opposition and owns wins over Kenny Florian, Josh Koscheck, Kurt Pellegrino, Josh Neer, Dennis Hallman, Carlo Prater and Edwin Dewees.
“I’ve been in and out of organizations and fought some great opponents, maybe not at the time but they were always very formidable and in the top 10,’’ said Fickett, who is coming off a first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Mark Weir on Dec. 1, 2007 in London.
A perennial contender at this weight, the experienced Fickett may be underrated by some but his record is as impressive as Shields’ – if not more so. “It’s hard to say if beat better guys because it all depends at where you are at – and everybody’s good at this level,’’ Fickett said.
Like Shields, Fickett is well-versed in the submission game and has forced opponents to surrender in nearly two thirds of his wins (20). Shields has won three of his last four fights by submission and has a total of seven in his career.
“Whatever way it ends, I will be 100 percent ready to go five rounds,’’ Fickett said. “No one wants to get into the fourth or fifth rounds and get tired and maybe get hurt.’’
Fickett, who says his “last win is always the most important,’’ will be making his initial start for EliteXC. “I really like to be able to travel and do my own thing,’’ he said. “Gary (Shaw) has been very cool about signing me to an open contract which would enable me to do so.’’
Santos, 30, a member of Brazil’s famed Chute Boxe squad, will be making his United States debut as well as the first of three fights he signed to compete for Strikeforce. A former light heavy (205 pounds), it will be the second bout of his 11-year career contested at 185.
(more)
4-4-4
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT MARCH 29
“I always look for the knockout,” said Santos, a stone-faced striker whose go-for-broke, crowd-pleasing approach has helped him record 11 KOs out of his 15 victories. “This will be a duel between his boxing and my Muay Thai techniques. Villasenor is an ideal opponent for me.”
The bout with Villasenor will be Santos’ second in less than a month. In Tokyo March 5, he displayed vicious striking to twice knock down Makoto Takimoto en route to submitting (heel hook) the Olympic Games judo gold medalist in the first round and to snap a two-bout losing streak.
“Last year was a tough year for Chute Box and to those who fought in PRIDE, so it was important for me to get off to a good start in 2008,’’ Santos said. “The people who like to watch fights can always count on me to fight with determination and give it my all.
“Anybody who faces me knows they will have hard moments in the cage. My opponents know they need to get ready for a war because as long as I can breathe, I'll look for the win. I'm not saying I'll beat everybody, but I'll exchange blows with everybody. You can count on it.’’
Villasenor (http://drewfickett.proelite.com), a native of Albuquerque, N.M., and a protégé of MMA guru, Greg Jackson, will be seeking his second consecutive victory for EliteXC. Villasenor was penciled in to face Joe Riggs, but Riggs withdrew with a back injury.
In his last outing, Villasenor regained his winning ways with a hard-fought, split decision over Riki Fukuda on “Uprising’’ Sept. 15, 2007, in Honolulu, on SHOWTIME. It came one start after Villasenor suffered a second-round TKO to “Ninja’’ Rua for the EliteXC 185-pound title.
“There should be some real fireworks in this fight with Santos,” Villasenor, 32, a former King of the Cage champion said. “I really don’t know much about Santos’ ground game – if he even likes hanging out on the ground. I know he’s a big banger so it’s an exciting matchup.
“I need to be more technical than him and be better conditioned. Like wine, I think I get better with age. People should look for a more technically sound Joey Villasenor in 2008. This will be a great fight to kick off the year with.”
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
(more)
5-5-5
SHIELDS-FICKETT, VILLASENOR-SANTOS ADDED TO SENSATIONAL MMA EVENT MARCH 29
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.
Contacts:
Mike Afromowitz, Strikeforce
John Beyrooty, EliteXC/BZA
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
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