★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience©®™

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Friday’s ShoBox: The New Generation from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast)

Friday’s ShoBox: The New Generation from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In the main event, undefeated prospect Omar Figueroa Jr. (14-0-1, 11 KOs), of Weslaco, Texas, will take on Mexico’s Ramon “Nino De Oro” Ayala (23-2-1, 11 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout. Figueroa, who has ended eight of his wins in two rounds or less, is fresh off handing previously unbeaten prospect Michael Perez his first loss on Jan. 6 on ShoBox, while Ayala has won five in a row, including three by knockout.

In Friday’s co-feature, local Coachella, Calif., favorite Randy Caballero (13-0, 7 KOs) will make his ShoBox debut in what will be the toughest test of his career against Mexico’s Jose Luis “Tapitas” Araiza (29-5-1, 20 KOs) in a 10-round bantamweight bout. Caballero has won his last seven consecutive bouts – and eight overall – at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, while the hard-hitting Araiza has registered 11 of his 20 knockouts in three rounds or less.

The ShoBox doubleheader is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and is sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools, and AT&T. ♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

FARAH ENNIS LOOKING TO THROW HIS NAME IN CROWDED SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT PICTURE‏

FARAH ENNIS LOOKING TO THROW HIS NAME IN CROWDED SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT PICTURE

Ennis – Savage headlined huge ten bout card on March 17^th at Ballys in Atlantic City

It was just a year ago when then undefeated Super Middleweight Farah “The Quiet Storm” Ennis was undefeated and carried the NABF Super Middleweight championship proud.

Fast forward to April 2, 2011, Ennis, who went into his bout with fellow undefeated Super Middleweight Alexander Johnson, with a fever, took a small step backwards as he dropped a ten round majority decision.

Ennis took about nine months off before stopping Grover Young on January 13^th, thus becoming the first man to stop the ten fight veteran and Ennis feels he is back on track.

Ennis will return to the scene of his only loss at Ballys in Atlantic City as he takes on one-time fellow hot prospect Dion Savage (11-2, 6 KO’s) in a ten round bout.

The twenty-nine year old native of Philadelphia still sports an impressive mark of 18-1 with twelve knockouts knows that he is basically just one win away being back to where he was in early 2011.

“I am just focusing and ready to rumble”, said Ennis

“I don’t know much about Savage but I Know he is coming to win.”

“I know a win over him will hopefully get one of those big money or a quality television fight so the world can see me but the most important thing is winning this fight and moving forward”

The packed card is promoted by John Lynch’s Pound 4 Pound Promotions and can be seen LIVE all over the world on www.gfl.tv

In the eight round co-feature, Vitaliy Demyaneko (19-0, 12 KO’s) of Las Vegas via Kazakhstan will take on rugged Ayi Bruce (21-5, 13 KO’s) of Albany, NY via Ghana.

Glen Tapia (12-0, 6 KO’s) will take on Antonio Infante (6-2, 4 KO’s) of Miami, Florida in a six round Jr. Middleweight bout.

In six round Welterweight bout, Jose Peralta Alejo (7-1, 4 KO’s) of Jersey City, NJ will battle Sammy Santana (4-5-2) of Carolina, PR.

Dennis Hasson (12-0, 4 KO’s) of Philadelphia, PA will fight Eddie Caminero(7-6, 7 KO’s) of Lawrence, MA in a six round Light Heavyweight bout.

Hot shot prospect Mikael Zewski (12-0, 8 KO’s) of Trois Rivieres, Quebec Canada will take on an opponent to be named in a six round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Patrick Farrell (5-1-1, 3 KO’s) of Jersey City, NJ will tussle with Kelven Jenkins (0-0-2) of Troy, NY in a four round Heavyweight fight.

Brian Acaba (2-0, 1 KO) of Brooklyn, NY will see action in an four round Lightweight bout against an opponent to be named.

Andrew Bentley will make his pro debut in a four round Lightweight bout against Jose Rivera (0-3) of Ocala, FL

Joey Tiberi (7-1, 5 KO’s) of Newark, DE will fight an opponent to be named in a four round Lightweight bout.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

HISTORY BECKONS. FURY AND ROGAN FIGHT FOR CUCUHALIAN'S CROWN

TYSON Fury says he is coming to the Odyssey Arena to fight Martin Rogan onApril 14 to prove that he is the rightful successor to the ultimate Irish warrior Cucuhalian.

The battle between Ireland's two top heavyweights will be a memorable night and Fury, whose uncle lives just outside Belfast, says it will be a fight unlike any other ever seen in an Irish ring.

“Never before has a fight like this taken place on Irish soil between two proud heavyweight warriors who never say die – the fans know this is a once in a lifetime fight,” said Fury, who recently vacated the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles so he could focus on “unfinished business” with Rogan.

Rogan has seen himself as the Irish king of the heavyweights but Fury says he will be the man wearing the crown on April 14.

“Then ultimate Irish warrior was Cucuhalian, everybody knows that. Now Rogan and I will decide who is the rightful heir to his throne and I have no doubt it will be me.

“The legend goes that Cucuhalian could stand single handed against an army and that his sword inflicted wounds from which you could never recover and Martin Rogan is going to feel pain that he has never felt before when I land my big shots.

“There's a lot of pride on the line here, nobody is going to back down and it's going to be an absolute war. Rogan thinks he is the king of the Irish but on April 14 he will realise that I am the true king.

“I'm sure Cucuhalian will be looking down on us that night, watching two 21st century warriors showing the same pride and desire for victory that he always showed.”

Fury is convinced that victory over Rogan on the Odyssey Arena stage will then set him on the path to European and World glory.

“I've won the British and Commonwealth titles but I always said that I wanted to prove I'm the best Irishman around before I tackle the European and World stage.”

RICHARD PIERSON HEADLINES WEDNESDAY NIGHT FIGHTS ON APRIL 18TH AT THE ROBERT TREAT HOTEL IN NEWARK, NJ‏

On Wednesday April 18th, boxing returns to the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey with a card that is promoted by Gabe LaConte’s First Round Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions.

In the main event, Super Middleweight Richard Pierson will see action in a eight round bout.

Pierson of Newark came back from a twenty month layoff to take out veteran Anibal Acevedo in just one round on February 17th in Nutley, New Jersey.

Pierson has a record of 10-2 with seven knockouts and has quality victories over the likes of Curtis Jones, Ray Smith, Jimmy Campbell and Jamaal Davis.

In the six round co-feature, John Thompson of Newark will look to remain undefeated against Jamond Bourgeois

Thompsonhas a record of 6-0 with two knockouts and is coming off a third round stoppage over Laureano Laracutene on February 17th.

Bourgeos of Harvey, Louisiana is 4-1 with onbe knockout and is on a two fight winning streak which includes his last effort when he took a four round split decision over Tyi Edmonds on October 14th.

Qa’id Muhammad (6-0, 5 KO’s) will make his return in a six round Bantamweight bout against an opponent to be named.

Joseliz Cepeda (5-2) will take part in a six round Featherweight bout against an opponent to be named

Highly touted Mike Concepcion of Newark, BJ will make his pro debut against Gerald Fisher (1-3) of Atlanta in a Welterweight bout

Aaron Kinch (2-0-1, 1 KO) of Newark will take on debuting Clyde Daniels of New York in a four round Heavyweight bout.

Leandro Acevdo of Newark will make his pro debut against Marcus Clay (0-1) of Baton Rouge, LA in a four round Super Middleweight bout.

Rounding out the card will be the return of undefeated Super Middleweight Joel De La Paz (6-0, 4 KO’s) will fight a four round bout against an opponent to be named.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports is proud to announce the launch of its 2012 Thursday Night Fight Series

Thursday nights in Rhode Island just got a lot more exciting.

After successfully bringing professional boxing back to the Ocean State in 2011 following an 11-month drought, Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports is proud to announce the launch of its 2012 Thursday Night Fight Series, which begins Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I., with “Home Invasion,” the first of four events this year.

“Home Invasion” features the long-awaited return of New Bedford, Mass., welterweight Jason “School Boy” Pires (22-4-1, 9 KOs), an active member of the New Bedford police force SWAT Team, along with Providence, R.I., super middleweight Vladine Biosse (11-1-1, 6 KOs), who’s in search of his first win since April.

Pires will face fan-favorite Eddie Soto (12-3, 4 KOs) of Pawtucket, R.I., in the six-round main event while Biosse will take on hard-hitting veteran George Armenta (14-7, 11 KOs) of Silver Spring, Md., in the six-round special attraction.

The series begins March 22nd and continues May 24th, July 19th, and Oct. 18th, and at the end of the year, the media will select – among other awards – the series’ Most Outstanding Fighter, Knockout of the Year, and Most Outstanding Prospect.

“No matter where our travels take us, Rhode Island will always remain our home, so it’s an honor to bring the finest up-and-coming talent in professional boxing back to the beautiful Twin River Event Center for this unique fight series,” Burchfield said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for both our fighters and our loyal fans.”

“I’ve been in the gaming industry for 33 years and I’ve never experienced a more professional boxing program than what Classic Entertainment & Sports produces regularly at Twin River,” added Phil Juliano, Vice President of Marketing at Twin River. “This new attempt at programming on Thursday nights should excite all of us as we get the chance to start the weekend early with a spectacular event presented by a first-class promoter in a first-class facility.”

Pires, 37, is looking to make one last run at championship glory as he begins his second comeback. In 2008, “School Boy” returned to the ring for the first time in five years with a unanimous-decision win over Frank Houghtaling at Twin River. Less than two years later, he challenged Michael Clark for the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) USA light welterweight title; Clark cruised to a unanimous-decision win, ending Pires’ first comeback attempt. The March 22nd bout against Soto will be his first in 22 months.

“It feels great to be back!” Pires said. “The rest has definitely worked wonders. My body has had more time to heal. I’m definitely motivated for this fight. This is a good comeback fight for me, and I’m looking forward to bringing all of my fans back to Rhode Island.”

Coming off a loss and a draw in his last two fights, Biosse will also lean on the support of his fans when he returns to the ring for the first time since October to face Armenta. In his last bout, Biosse pulled his left pectoral muscle in the opening round, which affected his performance in a majority draw against John Mackey.

“I’m really excited about the fact we’re coming back home,” Biosse said. “I like fighting in front of my hometown fans in my home state. Fighting here gives a lot of people who can’t get out to where we’re fighting a chance to come out and support us.

“The last time I fought, it didn’t go as I had planned, but I was thankful for the people that came out. We had a great turnout. It’s good to see that we still have boxing fans in Rhode Island who will come out and show their support.”

“Home Invasion” features seven dynamic undercard bouts, including the return of New Bedford welterweight Johnathan Vazquez (4-1-1, 3 KOs), who’s looking to bounce back from a knockout loss to Bryan Abraham in October, the first of his career. Vazquez will face New Jersey’s Rashard Bogar (3-3-1, 2 KOs) in a four-round bout.

Fan-favorites Alex Amparo (2-0, 1 KO) of Providence and Benny Costantino (7-0, 4 KOs) of West Warwick, R.I., will also return to Twin River following victories in October. Amparo, a middleweight, will face newcomer John Downey in a four-round bout while Costantino, 40, will continue his comeback in a four-round super middleweight bout against Yolexcy Leiva (4-2, 3 KOs) of Nashville, Tenn.; Costantino’s victory over Odias Dumezil in October was his first fight in 10 years.

Unbeaten middleweight prospect Thomas Falowo (5-0, 4 KOs) of Pawtucket will put his perfect record on the line against Ronald Reaves (2-2, 1 KO) of Atlanta, while light welterweight Carlos Hernandez (1-2) of Bridgeport, Conn., will face Robert Brando-Hunt (0-1) of Hyannis, Mass., who is searching for his first professional win. Female welterweight Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes (5-1, 1 KO) of Quincy, Mass., ranked No. 13 in the World Boxing Council (WBC), will battle Denver’s Brittney Christian (3-1, 1 KO) in a four-round bout, and super middleweight Kevin Cobbs (2-0, 1 KO) of Burlington, Vt., will also be on the undercard in a four-round bout.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Return of Antonio Tarver, Abner Mares vs. Eric Morel, STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix Final Victor Ortiz vs. Andre Berto II

SHOWTIME^® SPORTS SPRINGS FORWARD

WITH HEAVY-HITTING BOXING & MMA SCHEDULE

On Friday, March 16, ShoBox: The New Generation returns with a doubleheader from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. In the 10-round main event, unbeaten lightweight Omar Figueroa (14-0, 11 KOs), of Weslaco, Texas, meets Ramon Ayala (23-2, 11 KOs), of Mexico. Super bantamweights Randy Caballero (13-0, 7 KOs), of Coachella, Calif., and Jose Luis Araiza (29-5, 20 KOs), of Mexico, will mix it up in the 10-round co-feature.

On the Friday, March 23 edition of ShoBox, unbeaten sensation Diego Magdaleno (21-0, 7 KOs), of Las Vegas, returns in a 10-round super featherweight bout against an opponent to be named. In the co-feature, undefeated junior welterweight prospects Yordenis Ugas (11-0, 5 KOs), of Cuba, and Johnny Garcia (11-0, 8 KOs), of Holland, Mich., will square off in an eight-rounder from Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Ariz.

Then, on Saturday, April 21, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT), former bantamweight world champ Abner Mares (23-0-1, 13 KOs), of Hawaiian Gardens, Calif. by way of Guadalajara, Mexico, will make his super bantamweight debut against former flyweight kingpin Eric Morel(46-2, 23 KOs), of Madison, Wisc., by way of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in a 12-round bout. The telecast will also include a 12-round WBA Bantamweight Super Championship fight between champ Anselmo Moreno (31-2-1, 11 Kos) of Panama City, Panama, against Tijuana’s David De La Mora (24-1, 17 KOs). Plus, preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts returns to the network on Saturday, May 19, with the championship fight in the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament. The final will match Josh Barnett (36-5), of Seattle, Wash., against Daniel Cormier (9-0), of San Jose, Calif. A full card, complete with preliminary fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME, will be announced by STRIKEFORCE in the coming weeks.

The following Saturday, May 26, former undisputed light heavyweight champ Antonio Tarver (29-6, 26 KOs), of Tampa, Fla., will face a top cruiserweight prospect he critiqued while serving as expert analyst on ShoBox, Lateef Kayode (18-0, 14 KOs), of Los Angeles, in the 12-round main event.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will wrap up its spring schedule the way it started it – with a sensational and highly anticipated rematch between two of boxing’s most talented and exciting fighters. Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KOs), of Ventura, Calif., will try to rebound from his loss to pound-for-pound champ Floyd Mayweather while Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KOs), of Winter Haven, Fla., will look to avenge the only loss of his career when the two square off in a 12-round welterweight bout on Saturday, June 23. In the co-feature, veterans Humberto Soto (54-7-1, 34 KOs), of Los Mochis, Mexico, and Lucas Matthysse (30-2, 28 KOs), of Trelew, Argentina, will square off in a junior welterweight bout. Plus, additional preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

(ANDRE BERTO, VICTOR ORTIZ AND ANTONIO TARVER PHOTOS BY; Keisha Morrisey)

Intercontinental Titles On The Line In Kiev This Weekend‏

Two World Boxing Federation Intercontinental title fights are set for
Saturday March 17 at the Fitnessclub Sportlife in Kiev, as undefeated
Ukrainians Vitali Kopylenko and Vasyl Tarabarov clash for the vacant
Middleweight crown, and Timur Akhundov faces Hungarian Arpad Vass for the vacant Featherweight title.

Switzerland-based Vitali Kopylenko, 16-0 (7), will be in his first
championship bout as a professional, and will fight in his country of
birth for the first time since his professional debut in 2008. Tarabarov,
22-0-1 (8), on the other hand has several title fights under his belt.

Vasyl Tarabarov was born in Smolensk, Russia in 1981, but later relocated
to Ukraine and made his professional debut at nineteen years of age. In
2002 he captured Youth and Intercontinental titles in only his eights paid
bout, and the following year he added another regional strap to his
collection.

In 2006 Tarabarov won the Ukrainian national title, and while it has only
amounted to four fights since then he is now determined to win his fourth
championship and rejuvenate his career with a victory over his 28-year-old
countryman on March 17.

Timur Akhundov, 12-2-1 (4), will also, just like his opponent, be going
for his first professional title in the co-feature. After a rough start to
his career where he went 4-2 in his first six outings, he has since gone
undefeated in ten bouts, facing tough veterans such as Andrei Kostin, Suat
Laze and Mamed Yadgarov.

Arpad Vass, 8-3 (6), from Budapest is a live underdog against Akhundov,
and is a dangerous opponent with his considerable punching-power. His tree
losses came against Luke Wilton (9-2-1), former European title-challenger
Andriy Kudryavtsev (37-9), and former British and Commonwealth champion
Stephen Smith (12-1), so he has been in with championship caliber boxers
before.

The Kopylenko vs. Tarabarov and Akhundov vs. Vass WBF Intercontinental
title double-header will be promoted by Oleg Bruskov, and is shaping up tobe an interesting night of boxing in the Ukrainian capital.

Middleweight John Thompson Looks To Extend Unbeaten Streak April 18

On April 18 at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, super middleweight John “Apollo Kidd” Thompson will be looking to extend his unbeaten record to 7-0 as he steps into the ring against Jamond Bourgeois.

Since turning pro last June, Thompson has been active in his young career, fighting three times to conclude 2011 and three to begin the new year. In the ring he has shown the poise and experience of a fighter with triple the amount of fights he has, and Thompson attributes it to an extensive amateur career.

“I’ve been boxing since I was four years old,” said Thompson. “As an amateur I had 111 fights and won nearly every amateur title out there.”

With two knockouts in six wins, Thompson feels his biggest weapons are his speed and his brain.

“When you first get in the ring, 9 times out of 10 you know something about your opponent, but for the time you might not know anything about him, you have to be able to adapt. I am very good on judgment and character, as far as from what I feel when I’m in the ring. When round 1 starts I have everything in my head that’s going to happen.”

Thompson recently signed with First Round Promotions, and anxiously looks to move forward with them in his career. The 23-year-old Newark native eats, sleeps and breathes boxing, and is working toward a goal of fighting for a title within the near future.

“I am happy to sign with First Round Promotions,” said Thompson. “It is a great opportunity to get myself out there, and for people to see me and acknowledge my boxing presence. Having the chance for people to see me is a blessing.”

Going forward in 2012 Thompson looks to remain active inside the squared circle. “I look at the way I have been progressing, and I see myself fighting for a title by the end of this year. And within two years I think I’ll be fighting for a world title.”

“I want to thank everybody for all their support,” said Thompson. “This is not for me, this is for everyone else. I want to show people that it is possible for anyone to make it. In life you have to take the initiative and go for it.”

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Matthew Macklin Training Diary‏

With less than 1 week to go to his mega fight with World Middleweight Champ, Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez at Madison Square Garden on St. Patrick's Day Matthew Macklin has updated his website with part 2 of his training diary: http://matthewmacklin.ie/training-diary-part-2/

The card which will be aired live on HBO's "World Championship Boxing is entitled, "THE REAL Middleweight Championship - Get Your Irish Up", features Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez (48-2-2, 27KO's) defending his middleweight crown against Ireland's Matthew "Mack the Knife" Macklin (28-3, 19KO's). The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and will be shown live on HBO beginning 10PM ET/7PM PT.

Boxing360 undefeated prospects Vitaliy Demyanenko and Bryan Acaba return to the ring March 17 at Ballys in Atlantic City‏

(photo of Ayi Bruce By; Keisha Morrisey)

Pound 4 Pound Promotions features Boxing360's undefeated prospects, Russian welterweight, Vitaliy Demyanenko (19-0, 12 KOs), and Brooklyn New York's Bryan Acaba (2-0), on March 17, 2012, at Ballys Park Place Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.

Demyanenko returns to the ring against Ayi Bruce (21-5, 13 KOs) in an eight-round bout that will be the co-feature to Farah Ennis vs. Dion Savage. Acaba will box an opponent to be announced.

The heavy-handed Demyanenko is a former PABA and WBO Asia Pacific welterweight champion. In his last fight, Vitaliy scored a second round knockout against Walter Sergio Gomez (22-9-1, 11 KOs) at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia.

Said Demyanenko from his training camp in Las Vegas, "I've made my way to America to show everyone here that I'm ready to take on the best challenges. Ayi Bruce is a tough fighter that will push me to great limits. I'm confident in my boxing ability to come out victorious and will give the fans a great fight. I'm looking forward to my ring return on March 17 in Atlantic City."

Demyanenko comes from a boxing bloodline as his father, Viktor Demyanenko represented the USSR, winning a silver medal in the lightweight division at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union. Demyanenko will seek to continue his undefeated winning streak as he marches toward a world title in the welterweight division.

Eager to get back in the ring, Acaba states, "I'm ready to go against whoever they put in front of me. I'm always in the gym prepared to face last-minute opponents. I'm excited to be fighting in Atlantic City and I'm going to put on a good show for the fans."

Monte Barrett Set To Become “King of New Zealand” Read more: http://www.boxinginsider.com/headlines/monte-barrett-set-to-become-king-of-new-zealand/#

When Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett defeated David Tua last year in the Tuamanator’s back yard Down Under, it looked like the future was rosy for the New York heavyweight boxing veteran.

Alas, things haven’t worked out quite as Barrett [35-9-2, 20 KOs] had planned.

After two exciting fights with the New Zealand native (the first resulted in a controversial draw in Atlantic City in 2010), Barrett had hoped to cash in on a lucrative third bout, but that hope has now been dashed by Tua’s unofficial retirement from the sport.

Barrett has also soured on Tua personally after his name was dragged through the mud with the results of a post-fight drug test last year supposedly showing him testing positive for a banned substance.

The test results ultimately amounted to nothing because of the time it took (over 3 months) for them to be made public, and also because of other procedural irregularities.

Even if Tua were to change his mind on retirement, Barrett tells Boxing Insider that he’s no longer interested in making it a trilogy “because of the way Tua handled the drug test.”

“He could have called me, he has my number, instead of calling me a cheater and a loser in the press,” Barrett, who maintains his innocence in the matter, explains.

Barrett famously called Tua an over-emotional “Queen of New Zealand” while talking to Boxing Insider after the drug test fracas broke out, a quote which was plastered across many major publications in Tua’s homeland.

Tua had been in line for a title shot against a Klitschko brother had he defeated Barrett, yet Barrett has earned no such opportunities after beating Tua once officially, and twice in reality (even Tua admitted he lost their first encounter in Atlantic City).

Instead, Barrett had to sit and watch as Wladimir Klitschko destroyed the totally undeserving Jean Marc Mormeck of France. Undaunted, however, Barrett hopes now to get some measure of revenge on Tua by going to his homeland and becoming the major heavyweight attraction there. He is even toying with the idea of taking up New Zealand citizenship.

“Tua is the Queen of New Zealand, so I figure I’ll be the King,” the always quotable Barrett says.

First up in this royal crusade is a defense of Barrett’s Oriental and Asia Pacific titles against previous Tua victim Shane Cameron (28-2, 21 KOs) on May 31 in New Zealand. Cameron has been fighting at cruiserweight since his 2009 loss to Tua, and has reeled off five straight wins. While Barrett says he “doesn’t feel any pressure to knock out Cameron the way Tua did” (a brutal second round KO), he also notes that his opponent “is susceptible to a lot of punches” and “they’re the punches that I throw.”

“I won’t say which ones,” Barrett slyly adds.

Barrett is now working with a new trainer, Buddy McGirt, and says preparations for the Cameron fight are already underway and “going great.” Should he emerge victorious against Cameron, Barrett may find his regal status Down Under being challenged by none other than local rugby superstar Sonny Bill Williams (5-0, 3 KOs).

A neophyte in the boxing ring, the muscular Williams, 26, nevertheless captured the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association heavyweight title in February with a win over Clarence Tillman.

“I’ll fight [Williams] if they want to see it,” Barrett laughs.

“They say he has million dollar abs.

“I can’t wait to punch him in the gut so he will never want to put on a pair of boxing gloves again. He’ll go back to playing soccer or rugby or whatever for the rest of his life, having nightmares about that punch to the gut.”

Orlando Salido Vs. Juanma Lopez II

World Boxing Organization (WBO) Featherweight World Champion Orlando “Siri” Salido defends his title against the man he dethroned, former world champ Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez, onSaturday, March 10, LIVE on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), from Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Salido (37-11-2, 25 KOs), of México, won the WBO title on April 16 on SHOWTIME when he scored an eighth round TKO over the heavily favored Lopez. Salido successfully defended the title on July 23 in Mexico against Kenichi Yamaguchi via 11^th round TKO.

Lopez (31-1, 28 KOs), of Puerto Rico, is eager to avenge the only loss of his career and win back his crown. The exciting and all-action Lopez has knocked out 87 percent of his opponents and is a two-division world champion.

In the co-feature, undefeated No. 1 featherweight contender Mikey Garcia (27-0, 23 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., will face former featherweight title challenger Bernabe Concepcion (31-4-1, 17 KOs), of Metro Manila, Philippines, in a 10-round featherweight bout. Preliminary bouts will be televised LIVE on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Here are what the fighters had to say on Wednesday:

JUANMA LOPEZ:

“This fight is going to be a war. Orlando, you had a good night last year – but I want my title back. I let you wear the belt for 11 months but I’m bringing it back to where it belongs on Saturday.

“I have had a great preparation for this fight and I’m very confident. I never gave excuses about my last fight with Salido. He won. He knocked me out, fine. I don’t make excuses; I fight. If the ref didn’t stop the fight when he did last time, I’d still be fighting.

“Saturday is a great card with a lot of good prospects. Garcia vs. Concepcion is a really good fight and I’m glad that it will be on SHOWTIME, along with mine. Mikey is one of the most intelligent fighters around. He has great ability. And Bernabe is a tough guy. He dropped me in our fight a couple of years ago so I know.”

ORLANDO SALIDO:

"Entering the first fight, I had some doubts but now I have beaten Juanma and I know I can beat him again. I am 1000 percent sure I can win. I’ve been in the gym preparing and I know what to expect. Even though I won last year, I still have something to prove. In the ring, we have a score to settle.

“I don't have much to say, that’s not who I am. It’s the press that said Juanma made excuses. To me, it doesn’t matter either way. My job is the same on Saturday night no matter what.”

MIKEY GARCIA:

“My fight with Concepcion is a tough fight. It’s a dangerous fight and it means everything to me. If I want my title shot, I need to win. There has been talk about me fighting the winner of Lopez and Salido. I want my chance. I hope to fight the winner of Saturday night’s fight for the belt before the end of the year.”

“I’m thankful for the reception I’ve received in Puerto Rico. It’s my first time here and I like it very much. I’m really looking forward to Saturday’s match. I’ve put in a lot of hard work because the fight is so important to me.”

BERNABE CONCEPCION:

“I'm excited for fight night on Saturday against Garcia. I came to Puerto Rico once before (in July 2010 to fight Lopez). Thank you to the promoters and all the fans for having me back but I hope for a different result this time.”

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