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Thursday, August 2, 2012

Team USA Goes 0-3 on Day Five of the 2012 Olympic Games‏

Team USA endured a difficult day on Wednesday at the Olympic Games as three American boxers lost their bouts to amateur boxing powerhouses. Bantamweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (S. El Monte, Calif.) fell to Cuban World Champion Lazaro Alvarez Estrada with heavyweight Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) and super heavyweight Dominic Breazeale (Alhambra, Calif.) both falling to Russian opponents.

Diaz battled both his opponent and the Cuban mystique in his bout with Estrada, which was a rematch from the 2011 World Championships. The Cuban was extremely busy during the first round, showcasing the patented Cuban footwork but Diaz also enjoyed bright spots of his own, finding a home for his sharp left hand. Estrada held a 7-6 lead after one but Diaz came out firing in the second. The 19-year-old American looked to enforce his will in the second as the Cuban’s output began to lower and Diaz landed strong, accurate punches. Yet the judges had Estrada up by a 14-10 margin after the second. Diaz refused to be discouraged by the score and continued to be the aggressor in the third round, pushing Estrada around and landing a wide array of punches. Despite Diaz’s efforts, the Cuban was named the victor by a 21-15 final score to eliminate the American bantamweight from the tournament.

“I thought in the second round, I was landing clean shots. I thought it was going to be closer. At least me up by one, tied or me down by one but the judges didn’t see it that way so I just fought my heart out the last round and tried to pull it out but I didn’t get the W,” Diaz said. “He’s a really great counterpuncher. He’s very long so its hard to get in on him but once you get in, he puts his whole body weight on you so either you’ll be tired or you won’t be able to get shots off on him. He’s really smart, he’s a really great fighter and I hope he gets the gold medal.”

Hunter faced off in an ugly heavyweight match-up with Russia’s Artur Beterbiev later in the session. The American heavyweight, who finally made it to the Olympic Games, following an unsuccessful run in 2008, took the first lead in the bout, holding a 4-3 lead after one. Much of the second round consisted of the two boxers in a clinch, but they still managed to put four points a piece on the board and Hunter went into the final round up one. The holding continued into the second, but Hunter looked to land shots and extend his lead. Beterbiev was able to pull the bout to a 10-10 tie and won the contest on a tiebreaker decision.

I think it got away from me but he was a better man today and he deserved it.

“I think it was a close fight and he was able to put his game plan in more than I was and he was just the better man,” Hunter said. “My game plan was to make it simple and just box and use my legs, which I wasn’t able to do. Make it an easy fight, 1-2-3s and keep turning and stay away from his right hand. He was able to time my jab more than I expected early.”

Per AIBA Technical and Competition Rules, a tiebreaker is determined by the following. The lowest and highest judges total scores for each boxers are thrown out and the remaining three total punch counts are combined for each boxer. The boxer with highest total punch count is named the winner of the bout. AIBA does not realize tiebreaker totals.

Breazeale drew a tough bracket in his first Olympic Games, battling Russia’s Omarov Magomed. The Russian’s experience showed early as he landed some heavy shots on the game American and Magomed held a 5-0 lead after one. Breazeale was able to get some offense going in the second but couldn’t evade all of Magomed’s punches and faced a 13-4 deficit with one round remaining. He looked to mount a comeback in the third but fell short and Magomed won a 19-8 decision.

“I got behind pretty early. Trying to play the catch up game in amateur boxing is not going to work. I’m learning from this experience and being here at the Olympics,” Breazeale said. “The trainers did a great job, every time I came back to the corner, they said stick to the game plan. I wasn’t sticking to the game plan and in the middle of a bout, you can’t second guess yourself and I was doing a lot of that.”

Two U.S. boxers will look to stem the tide on Thursday as lightweight Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.) faces Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Gaibnazarov at 9 p.m. London time (4 p.m. ET) and middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) faces India’s Vijender at 9:45 p.m. London time (4:45 p.m. ET).

U.S. Results

123 lbs: Lazaro Alvarez Estrada, CUB, dec. Joseph Diaz, Jr., S. El Monte, Calif./USA, 21-15

201 lbs: Artur Beterbiev, RUS, dec. Michael Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev./USA, 10-10 (Russian won tiebreaker)

201+ lbs: Omarov Magomed, RUS, dec. Dominic Breazeale/Alhambra, Calif./USA, 19-8

Joseph Diaz Quote

“I had a really tough fighter with Lazaro. He’s a really great fighter. Unfortunately I didn’t get the W but I gave everyone the show they wanted to see. I’m glad I gave everyone a really good show. Everyone was cheering and that’s what I came here to do. Unfortunately God’s plan wasn’t for me to get a gold medal but I’m keep praying and build myself back up.”

“I thought the scoring should have been closer but the judges didn’t see that unfortunately. Lazaro a really great fighter. I’m not going to give him a downgrade or anything, he’s a really great fighter. He’s a good boxer, a great puncher and it just wasn’t my day for the judges.”

“It’s always like that (difficult finding the Cuban mystique), but you just have to give it your all and know that you’re ready and they’re human just like you so go in there and give it your all and see what the judges see.”

“In the World Championships, I was trying to box him, I was trying to be a counter puncher like him but I can’t do that with him because he’s so long and so rangy but this fight, I was just trying to put constant pressure on him and try to get him tired. It worked, he was getting a little tired but unfortunately I didn’t get the W and hands down, Lazaro is a great fighter.”

“I had a really great time at the Olympic Games, it was a great opportunity and a great experience. It was a blessing from God. I’m going to back home and start my pro career.”

“I felt like I was blocking a lot of shots but the judges probably saw it different. My head was moving but my guard was up at all times. But the judges probably saw that I was getting hit or maybe his punches were powerful or something. It’s all good though, I just have to back home and train like I’ve never trained before.”

“I’m going to stay and cheer on the rest of Team USA. We still have a lot of athletes competing so I’m going to cheer them on. They’re all great fighters so I still believe we’re going to have some medals.”

“We’re going to go out and have a good dinner. Finally I get to eat some French fries and cheesecake since I haven’t had that for a long time so it’s gonna be great.”

Michael Hunter quotes

“My legs got fatigued really fast. I don’t want to make excuses or anything but I got a cold a few days ago and I think that might have a little to do with it. Regardless of the fact, my legs started to fatigue a little bit and I wasn’t able to stay outside like I wanted to. My foot placement wasn’t there and I wasn’t able to turn like I was supposed to and I’ve been practicing on. That’s the name of the sport, to be able to execute in the fight.”

“It’s very disappointing, I made a promise to my father when I was little that I would win a gold medal. I happened to fail that mission and I just have to keep it moving.”

“It’s very upsetting, last time I got food poisoning, it was something I couldn’t control. I was this close, it’s hurting to me to know that I failed real early into the tournament.”

“When I first got hit, I knew my nose started bleeding. He hit me with a good shot but I’ve had a bloody nose before and I already had a stuffy nose so I wasn’t nothing more to bother me, now its blood instead of snot.”

“I don’t like to pay attention to a tiebreaker because if I feel like I got a tie, I lost. It’s like if you’re on time, you’re late. That’s what it came down to.”

“I thought it was very close. I thought I was maybe ahead a little earlier by more than one point in the first round but that’s just my opinion. I wasn’t surprised by the decision.”

“Usually the refs break you up a lot faster. It’s hard because you’re pulling on one side and he’s tugging on the other. You’re trying to get an angle so it was kind of a wrestling match just to get the angle off. That’s kind of what it was.”

“I thought he was about to take a point from me when he was checking my bloody nose. He warned me a few times so I was trying not to hold as much as I could and just do the best I could not to get a point taken.”

“Yeah, it was worth it (the journey to the Olympics). I got here. I’m thankful to step in the ring on this big stage. It wasn’t the performance I wanted but it was definitely well worth it. I’ve been getting seasoned over the last few years.”

Dominic Breazeale quotes

“I wouldn’t say jitters, it was just a matter of experience. I only have three and a half years under my belt and it definitely showed tonight.”

“We have great fighters in the United States so a fighter like that isn’t anything I’ve never seen before.”

“The jab is always effective, making contact is always effective. I would have loved to have been more effective where I was popping his head back but tonight I didn’t do so well.”

“I was trying to stay away from his lead hand. He has a big right hook and it landed a couple times tonight and its only because I was going to the left and not to my right.”

“He’s a big strong guy. He can punch, he can definitely punch. I’ve been hit harder and tonight he was the stronger guy in there.”

“Boxing is a one-man game, it’s you against the other man. Unfortunately we had two men go down as well as myself but we’re going to come back strong.”

“Playing the catch up game is tough in the amateurs, especially when you’re down five after the first round. I went back out there in round two and stuck to the game plan a little bit but deterred away from it and that’s what hurt me badly.”

“It’s night and day. In football, you have an off-season, in boxing you don’t. In football, you can play it, in boxing, you have to live it. So it’s a daily basis as far as nutrition and strength and conditioning. When you’re in the ring, there’s no blaming anyone else. You either win and get all the glory or lose and get all the blame.”

“I’m just looking forward to the next couple of years. In three and a half years I got to the Olympics for the United States, one of the best countries in the world and it’s been an honor to represent my country. I would have loved to have done more this afternoon but I’m going to stick with boxing and see what I can do in the next couple years. I’ve got a lot to learn but I’m going to stick with it and give it my all.”

“When I get in a groove and I’m throwing big strong punches, mean is not a problem for me. You can always be pretty, look at Muhammad Ali. I’m not saying I have any crushes but Muhammad Ali was a good-looking man and he did some great things in the heavyweight game.”

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

All walks of life; Friday’s stacked MMA lineup at Twin River features an abundance of quality battles

Any mixed martial arts card featuring a former Ultimate Fighting Championships veteran alongside one of Rhode Island’s winningest fighters figures to draw attention right from the top.

Yet there’s much more to Friday’s show than just the presence of John “Doomsday” Howard and Mike Campbell alone; with 10 total bouts on the card, Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports – the reigning No. 1 promotion in New England – has put together another dynamic lineup scheduled for Friday, Aug. 3, 2012 at the Twin River Event Center, featuring fighters from all walks of life, all with different sources of motivation.

Start with Providence, R.I., native Ruben Rey (5-3, 5 KO), who will face Sergio Moran Cabrera (1-0) of Boston in a three-round featherweight bout. Two years ago, Rey was 5-1 with five knockouts – four of them in the first round. Following back-to-back losses to Lionel Young and Joe Cushman, Rey felt the need to switch things up, so he began working with coaches Tommy Hafferand Rolando Griffith at the United States Mixed Martial Arts (USMMA) academy in Bellingham, Mass., along with boxing trainerVictor Fagnant, who also trains standout Rhode Island amateur Anthony Marsella Jr.

“You will see an entirely different person,” Rey said. “I used to not worry about getting out of the first round, but as the competition level steps up you have to adapt.

“Cardio was the biggest thing. I’ve always been blessed with the natural ability and wrestling skills, but I needed a lot of work on my endurance. I’ve been putting in that work now.”

Rey also hopes to draw a little bit of extra energy from the hometown crowd; Friday will be his first fight in Rhode Island since his win over James King at CES’ “Snow Brawl” show at Twin River in December of 2010.

“It helps big time,” Rey said, “especially in those grind moments when you need that extra push and everyone is going crazy screaming your name. It gives you that extra push you need.”

East Providence, R.I., bantamweight Dinis Paiva Jr. (1-3) will draw his motivation Friday from an unlikely source. When Paiva lost to Cabrera on April 13 at Twin River, retired U.S. Army Sgt. Jake Aiken of nearby Cumberland, R.I., attended the fight, admiring from afar. Aiken was injured during a roadside bombing while serving in Iraq and is now part of the Wounded Warrior Project of Rhode Island, which helps raise awareness for the needs of injured service members.

Watching the fights that night motivated Aiken to work harder at his physical therapy. He and Paiva soon linked up; the two had dinner together and Aiken began attending Paiva’s training sessions, providing extra motivation for the up-and-coming bantamweight.

The two are now close friends, and Aiken, who admits he struggles from time to time with post-traumatic stress disorder, will be in attendance again Friday night as both CES and Paiva fight in honor of the Wounded Warrior Project. Paiva will face Framingham, Mass., native Gilvan Santos (1-3) in a three-round bout.

“He’s been real supportive, and it’s a huge motivation to me knowing I’ve made an impact on someone’s life,” Paiva said. “It’s not as if I need someone there all the time while I’m training, but it makes a big difference when you’re training and sweating it out and you glance over to that corner and see someone who’s there for you.

“Win, lose or draw, it’s great knowing someone has your back. It motivates me more. I’m always motivated to excel, but it’s different now because of him.”

Aside from Aiken’s inspiration, Paiva is also motivated by his constant desire to get back on track following three consecutive losses. To his credit, Paiva hasn’t backed down from any of the challenges thrown in his direction; in November, he suffered a heart-breaking loss to Cliff Moulton via disqualification courtesy of an illegal knee to the head and then lost by unanimous decision to Cabrera in April.

“That last fight was tough,” Paiva said. “My opponent came in heavy, but I still took the fight. I felt like it could’ve gone either way, but I learned a lesson not to leave it to the judges.

“Right now, I feel like I’m coming into my own. I hear a lot of people talking to me saying, ‘You’ve got great tools and a lot of talent, but you just need to fall into your comfort zone.’ I’ve learned a lot recently by working with Campbell and all the guys at TriForce MMA and with Mat Santos on my ground game. It’s all coming together now. I feel more comfortable.

“In the past, when I’d think about the fight my heart-rate would kick in and I’d feel my adrenaline pumping. Not nervous – just anxious. When I think about this fight, I don’t get anxious. I get comfortable. At this point in my career, I’ve been submitted, kicked, punched, slammed – there’s nothing that can be done to me that hasn’t been done already. I’m headstrong and motivated.”

Howard (16-7, 5 KOs) will face Boston veteran Scott Rehm in the middleweight main event while Campbell (10-4, 7 KOs) will battle Rochester, N.Y., native Don Carlo-Clauss (9-6, 3 KOs) in a three-round lightweight battle.

Hector Sanchez (0-3) of Woonsocket, R.I., will battle newcomer Dave Maggiore of Framingham, Mass., in a welterweight bout; Johnston, R.I., and light heavyweight Joe Pingitore (1-0, 1 KO) will face newcomer Ahsan Abdullah of Cortland, N.Y.

Also on the undercard, Tyson Chartier (2-2) of Waltham, Mass., will face Wakefield, R.I., welterweight Tim O’Connell (4-4); welterweight Chris Cole (2-1) of Attleboro, Mass., will battle Robbie Leroux (3-1, 1 KO) of Fall River, Mass.; and Providence’s Theo Desjardin (3-5, 2 KOs) will face Billy Giovanella (1-0) of Bellingham in a flyweight bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

♔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.

National Spinal Cord Injury Association Patients to Support Melson!‏

Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson will have an extra special pack of supporters when he returns to the squared circle Thursday evening.

Melson, 8-1 (4 KO’s), is expecting a group of 20 patients from the New York chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NYCSCIA) to cheer him on when he battles tough Texan Khalik Memminger at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom. The patients recently viewed Melson’s Team Fight to Walk trailer, which chronicles his commitment to bringing clinical trials to the United States that would help cure Spinal Cord Injuries.

To accommodate Melson’s newfound supporters, promoter Lou Dibella and the Roseland Ballroom arranged special seating so the patients’ wheelchairs could fit comfortably in the venue.

“My new supporters provide additional inspiration to win impressively,” said Melson, a West Point graduate and Army Reserve Officer who donates his fight purses to Justadollarplease.org. “I owe special thanks to Dr. Patricia Morton for showing them the video as well as Lou Dibella and the Roseland Ballroom for making sure that the NYCSCIA group will be able to enjoy my fight.”

DiBella, who promoted four of Melson’s fights, is impressed by his supporters and humanitarianism.

“We’re very proud of him and happy that these people are going to be attending our fight. We’re rooting for the developments that will assist them in the future and it’s my pleasure to have Boyd on my cards because of what he is doing to help make this a reality.”

A limited number tickets are available on Teamfighttowalk.com. All tickets purchased on Teamfighttowalk.com must be picked up at the Roseland Ballroom's will call window on fight night under the credit card holder's name.

In association with the 501 (C) 3 nonprofit Justadollarplease.org, Melson and his best friend Christan Zaccagnino created Team Fight to Walk, whose mission is to raise awareness within the boxing community as well as the entire nation about the importance of bringing Clinical Trials to the United States to help cure Spinal Cord Injuries. Team Fight to Walk is comprised of Melson, Zaccagnino, former Rutgers football player/ESPY honoree Eric LeGrand, two-time cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, title contender DeAndre “The Bull” Latimore, Edgar “El Chamaco” Santana, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., 2008 US Olympians Demetrius “Boo” Andrade and Shawn Estrada along with prospects Sid “The Messenger” El Harrak, Jeff “TNT” Spencer, Denis “Da Momma’s Boy” Douglin, Will “Power” Rosinsky, Floriano “Italiano” Pagliara, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott, Vinny “The Lion” O’Brien, Ahmed “Prince of Egypt” Samir and Delen “Sniper” Parsley.

Is Dada 5000’s Bark Much Worse Than His Bite?‏

Anybody familiar with MMA or Bareknuckle Boxing (BKB) has at some point or another become acquainted with the Kimbo Slice look-a-like, Dada 5000. Best known for building the biggest backyard brawling empire, Dada has recently stirred up some excitement naming himself Team Captain for a BKB tournament to be held against a selected crew from the UK.

So while Dada may have established himself as a “Top Dawg” in Florida, cracking on backyard fighters, one may wonder how he can be even remotely considered as a top BKB fighter, let alone be the captain of a national team.

Is it because of his proven success within the MMA circuit?

And by proven success I am referring to his two victories against tomato cans (though even that term is giving them way more credit than they are due).

Dada has gone to battle inside the cage with Cedric James (0-6) and Tim Papp (1-7). Now while I don’t claim to be a genius when it comes to math, I believe the records of Dada’s opponents is 1-13. So this clearly qualifies him as a team captain of BKB?

And amongst all of the talk –simply visit his Facebook page—he has yet to recognize any legit BKB champions.

USA Heavyweight BKB Champion Danny Batchelder has recently announced he would like to give Dada a chance to fight for the title...a true, legit title.

But that is what the Dada bandwagon doesn’t seem to recognize—it takes more than a few BKB fights in a backyard to legitimize yourself as a “Top Dawg.”

And despite the countless videos created showing the world that he can bench press and throw his weight around against MMA bums, there’s nothing out there showing he even deserves to be a sparring partner for the real BKB fighters out there.

It’s simple, if you want to be the man, you have to beat the man.

Til Dada 5000 is ready to step up and go to battle with a true champion, he is nothing more than a Facebook sensation.

Joshua makes his grand entrance‏

The evening session of the fifth day of competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games saw the Bantam (56kg), Heavy (91kg) and Super Heavyweights (91+kg) once again take to the ring at the ExCeL arena where the atmosphere was absolutely electric.

With the great Lennox Lewis, gold medallist at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, and Evander Holyfield in the crowd, Great Britain's third seeded Bantamweight (56kg) Luke Campbell, the AIBA World Boxing Championships Baku 2011 silver medallist, opened up proceedings against the experienced 28-year-old Jahyn Vittorio Parrinello. There was a huge expectation from the crowd that the home boxer would be able to impose his style but the Italian was proving more than a match for him. The 25-year-old British southpaw was looking to make his height advantage count in the opening round but could not get that breakthrough and the points were shared in that one. Once the nerves of the Brit had settled, he composed himself to land some good shots to edge the second round by two points. Parrinello came back strong but Campbell stood firm to close out the contest and win 11:9.

On his opponent, Campbell told the media, "I know him well, he is tough operator. I beat him in the quarter-finals at the World Championships in Baku so I knew what to expect". When asked about the atmosphere at the ExCeL, he declared, "Well, I had about fifty members of my family there, then I heard just before coming out that Lennox was watching and with the massive crowd cheering me on I felt the pressure. The atmosphere was unbelievable but I am happy to have got that fight out of the way now".

2009 AIBA World Champion Detelin Dalakliev of Bulgaria, seeded sixth in the Bantamweight (56kg) draw, was pushed all the way by Australian 21-year-old Ibrahim Dalla. The two fighters were equally matched in the first two rounds with Balla impressing with his positive approach. The experienced Dalakliev showcased his quality shot making in the final round, throwing a sumptuous uppercut then a penetrating one-two combination that hurt his opponent as he made sure of his presence in the quarter-finals with a 14:10 victory.

25-year-old Algerian Mohamed Amine Ouadahi looked good in the opening round of his fight against William Encarnacion Alcantara of the Dominican Republic, moving well and landing a couple of exquisite punches with the left hook his weapon of choice. In the second, he was matched by his opponent and after letting his guard drop, was caught with a good right, but Ouadahi kept his composure and came back to edge this round as well. Experience told as the 2011 African Championships winner went on to win 16:10.

Magomed Abdulhamidov versus Satoshi Shimizu in the last Bantamweight (56kg) contest of the evening went to appeal and the Japanese was awarded the victory on review.

Heavyweight (91kg) rising star, 19-year-old Teymur Mammadov of Azerbaijan struggled to get to grips with Jai Tapu Opetaia in the first two rounds. The Australian was the youngest boxer at these Olympic Games, at just 17 years of age, and was inspired against the third seed in the draw, pushing him all the way. But in the end it was the Azeri who prevailed 12:11. Opetaia was distraught after his loss but he will be back.

Belarusian Siarhei Karneyeu began his bout with Julio Torres Castillo in extraordinary fashion, flying out of the blocks and unleashing a flurry of combination punches to completely overpower the Ecuadorian in the first round. Karneyeu, a bronze medallist at the 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships, boxed clever in the remaining two rounds, cornering his opponent before hurting him with some good variations of uppercuts and hooks to claim a 21:12 victory. The 23-year-old from Belarus will now face Mammadov for a place in the semi-finals.

After taking the first round, Ali Mazaheri from Iran was warned three times for persistent fouling and was subsequently disqualified from his contest against Cuban Jose Larduet Gomez.

It was Super Heavyweight (91+kg) next as the giant Kazak Ivan Dychko took to the ring versus Erik Pfeifer from Germany. In the end it was very one-sided as the imposing Dychko gave nothing away, using his height but also his excellent technique to land several punishing uppercuts in rounds two and three. The 21-year-old AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist from Kazakhstan was just too good on the night and won in style 14:4.

Orthodox Frenchman Tony Yoka, 2010 Youth Olympic gold medallist, looked inspired coming into his fight against Simon Kean from Canada, using that stinging jab of his and moving nimbly across the canvas before unleashing a couple of lightening quick one-two combinations to take the first round. The Canadian 23-year-old came back more positive in the second, roughing up his rival by moving in to fight up close, throwing some thunderous straight rights to completely turn the tide in the bout. With Kean now ahead on points coming into the third, he repeated his tactic of getting in Yoka's face but the French 20-year-old held firm to draw level. However on count-back the victory was awarded to the Canadian who will now face Dychko in the quarter-finals.

2008 Beijing Olympic Games silver medallist Zhilei Zhang from China made his experience count as he battled past Australian Johan Linde in style, taking the first round by a clear five points. In the second the gifted Chinese 29-year-old threw an unstoppable right hook that sent Linde to the canvas and after recovering in time from the eight count, the referee stopped the contest with the Australian unsteady on his feet.

The crowd were up on their feet as the MC announced the final bout of the evening between Great Britain's Anthony Joshua and Erislandy Savon of Cuba, the nephew of three-time Olympic boxing gold medallist Felix Savon. Second seed Joshua, 22, began on the front foot, dictating the tempo from the centre of the ring, using the jab before letting fly with those sumptuous hooks of his. The Brit had a slight height advantage but Savon was moving extremely well, light on his feet, looking to score vital points with well-placed shots. The great British hope's straight right was however repeatedly piercing through the Cuban's guard but Joshua just did enough to edge it 17:16 after a tense final round.

The British Super Heavyweight (91+kg) declared after the fight, "It was tough, it was the first time I fought a Cuban. He was unlike anyone I had boxed before, a great mover, elusive and completely different to any style I had faced". On the atmosphere, "In the ring, you are in the zone and you have a different perspective than from the outside so when I am fighting, it is just me and my opponent, only afterwards did I notice the crowd".

Tomorrow sees the second round of preliminaries for the Lightweights (60kg) with Ukraine's Lomachenko scheduled to begin his assault of the Olympic title. The Middleweights (75kg) will also be in action.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Martin vs St. John: Final Victory will take place on August 14th at Table Mountain in California

Mia St. John vs Christy Martin: Playboy Cover Girl and Coal Miner's Daughter Rumble August 14 Written by Leroy Cleveland

Mia St. John vs Christy Martin: Playboy Cover Girl and Coal Miner's Daughter Rumble August 14

The bout, a rematch of their fight in 2002, will be the main event of the five-bout "Final Victory" in California and the Women's WBC Super Welterweight title will be on the line.

Christy Martin won their first bout via a close decision.

Ironically, the bout between these two female fight legends who paved the way for those proceeding them will coincide with the 2012 Olympic Games, which will showcase women's boxing for the very first time.

Both women have very intriguing and very different backdrops heading into their much-anticipated rematch.

Christy Martin

Martin, 44, is considered by many in the industry as the most accomplished female boxer ever and the person who "legitimized" female boxing.

She began her career fighting in "Toughwoman" contests and won three consecutive titles before she started training with boxing coach, Jim Martin, who she married in 1991.

By 1996, the fighter nicknamed "The Coal Miner's Daughter," had ascended to the top of women's boxing, amassing a 28-1 record. She signed with famed promoter Don King and, on March 16th of that year, fought Deirdre Gogarty on the undercard of Mike Tyson vs Frank Bruno II - a major Showtime pay-per-view event. Martin would earn a hard-fought decision in an exhilarating affair that was arguably responsible for putting women's boxing on the map.

Following Gogarty bout, Martin gained quasi-celebrity staus and was even showcased on the cover of the April 15, 1996 edition of Sports Illustrated.

Martin, who holds a record of 49 wins, 5 losses and 3 draws with 31 wins by knockout, has fought on the undercard of boxers Evander Holyfield, Félix Trinidad and Julio César Chávez, in addition to Tyson.

On November 23, 2010, Christy Martin was stabbed several times and shot at least once in her torso and left leg allegedly by her then-husband, James, following an argument at their home. He was charged with attempted first degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

The St. John rematch will serve as a fitting celebration of a career and life thought to be over as a result of the injuries she sustained from the gunshot wounds and stabbing.

Now Christy wants to finish the most memorable career in women's boxing history by defeating St. John.

"I am excited about this opportunity to get my 50th win against Mia St John to finish my career," said Martin. "I am honored to fight for the WBC World Title at Table Mountain Casino and look forward to becoming a World Champion once again. This time I will KO Mia, that's as good a guarantee as you get."

Mia St. John

Pro boxer, model, beauty queen, businesswoman, college graduate and Tae Kwon Do Champion, Mia St. John, 44, isn't your typical woman.

In 1997 at the age of 29, St. John vaulted into professional prizefighting and immediately gained the attention of boxing insiders.

Initially promoted by Don King and later Top Rank, the sexy slugger was often featured on the undercard of Oscar De La Hoya bouts. Most of her fights were televised and she gained mainstream recognition as a 'boxing beauty queen' of sorts.

In November 1999, St. John, while still undefeated, appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in an 11 page pictorial. She seemingly wanted to promote the notion a woman could be feminine and beautiful yet athletic and strong at the same time.

St. John had amassed a record of 22-0-1 before losing her first bout to Rolanda Andrews, via knockout, in 2001.

Now 46-11-2 with 18 knockouts, St. John will enter the ring for the first time in two years when she faces longtime rival Christy Martin.

For Mia, this matchup is all about respect and redemption. In 2002, despite her stellar 26-1-1 record, it took an exciting 10 round war with Martin to earn the acclaim from the boxing world that she deserved. And since then, the fighter dubbed "The Knockout" has continued to be one of the sport's great ambassadors, in and out of the ring.

"I've waited nearly 10 years for this rematch," stated St John. "I know I out-boxed Christy in the last fight, but this time I am going to BEAT her. Now we'll see who the real WBC Champion is, La Gallina or La Guerrera."

"We've rivaled each other from the very beginning," St. John said. "She was with Don King. I was with Bob Arum. She came out on the cover of Sports Illustrated and I came out on the cover of Playboy. Which one would you rather see?"

Martin vs St. John: Final Victory will take place on August 14th at Table Mountain in California.

PROVODNIKOV READY FOR TOP JR. WELTERWEIGHTS‏

WBO number-two ranked Jr. Welterweight contender Ruslan Provodnikov is looking to take on any of the champions or top contenders in his next bout and feels he is just an opportunity away from becoming a world champion.

Provodnikov (22-1, 15 KO’s) of Beryozovo, Russia has won five fights in a row which include four impressive knockouts and has been tabbed by many boxing insiders as one of the most exciting fighters in the world.

“We are looking for the biggest fights now for Ruslan”, said Provodnikov’s promoter Artie Pelullo of Banner Promotions.

“We are targeting the likes of Danny Garcia, Juan Manuel Marquez, Mike Alvarado or Lamont Peterson, we feel that Ruslan is not only worthy of those opportunities but we have all the confidence that he would beat any of them”

Provodnikov is coming off of an impressive second round stoppage over Jose Reynoso on June 29^th.

“Ruslan has built a nice reputation and he has thrilled many fans during his appearances on ESPN 2 and now he is eying a world championship”

"Ruslan has grown to a different skill level in the past year. Training at the Wild Card Gym and sparring more than 70 rounds with Manny Pacquiao as well as other world class fighters like Amir Khan, has really paid off more than we even hoped for. Ruslan is ready to fight anybody in his division and after the Amir Khan vs. Danny Garcia fight he was quoted saying that he was “anxious to fight Danny Garcia and he knows it would be a very exciting fight because of their similar brawler styles.” said Provodnikov’s manager Vadim Kornilov

Provodnikov is trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach and he is in agreement with Pelullo and Kornilov.

“Ruslan has been sparring with Pacquiao and Khan and he does very well with them and I believe he is ready for a big bout. He is very durable and improved so much in the last Pacquiao camp that I feel he is ready for the big time”, said Roach.

Barriga announces his arrival on world stage‏

Philippines' new boxing sensation, two-time Sydney Jackson Memorial Tournament winner Mark Anthony Barriga is really making a name for himself after defeating world class rivals in recent months and impressing at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Filipino Light Flyweight (46-49kg) fighter was part of the AIBA Road to London Program where he trained hard and amazed his various sparring partners with his tenacity and now he is ready to challenge the current order and bid for an Olympic medal.

His sensational victory against the promising Italian Manuel Fabrizio Cappai, has made the rest of the competition stand up and take notice of his talent. He now meets Kazakhstan's Asian Games silver medallist Birzhan Zhakypov with a quarter-final place at stake.

Cameroon's 25-year-old African Champion Thomas Essomba was also at the three-week training camp in the Welsh capital in preparation for these Olympic Games. He delighted the crowds at the ExCeL after defeating Morocco's African Championships silver medallist Abdelali Daraa in style.

Bayron Molina Figueroa became the first boxer from Honduras to compete at the Games since the 1996. Molina was selected by the Tripartite Commission and as result joined 43 other boxers to train in Cardiff. He unfortunately came up against India's AIBA World Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Laishram Devendro Singh who stopped him in the first round.

Ghana's AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships competitor Sulemanu Tetteh was also with the AIBA Road to London camp but his stay in the British capital was cut short by the Puerto Rican teenage sensation Jantony Ortiz Marcano.

Another of the boxers from the AIBA Road to London Program, Carlos Antonio Suarez entertained the crowd with his showmanship but the teenager from Trinidad & Tobago lacked the international experience of his rival and was on the losing side against Turkey's European Championships bronze medallist Ferhat Pehlivan.

Mozambique's first boxer at the Olympic Games since 1996, Juliano Fernando Gento Maquina, showed potential against Bulgaria's veteran Strandja Tournament winner Aleksandar Aleksandrov but was unfortunately also defeated.

AIBA Road to London Program member Cesar Andres Villarraga Aldana from Colombia was unlucky to be drawn against Cuba's former AIBA World Champion Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo and even though he lost, the manner in which he continually tried to move forward pleased the packed ExCeL arena.

Turkmenistan's Asian Champion Serdar Hudayberdiyev put the AIBA Road to London I in the spotlight after taking silver at the AIBA Asian Olympic Qualifying Event Astana 2012 and after booking his quota place for the Olympic Games was once again invited to train in Cardiff. He began well against India's Commonwealth Games winner Manoj Kumar but his savvy opponent cranked up the pressure in the latter stages and Hudayberdiyev was eliminated.

All Africa Games winner Louis Richarno Colin of Mauritius impressed at the AIBA Road to London training camp before these Olympic Games and was sensational as he dispatched Abdelhak Aatakni, who claimed gold at the AIBA African Olympic Qualifying Event Casablanca 2012, to move into the second round of preliminaries of the tournament. The Mauritian boxer was in fine form and won 16:10.

The Czech Republic's AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Zdenek Chladek realised his Olympic dream by qualifying for London. The 22-year-old faced Mongolia's AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist veteran Uranchimeg Munkherdene in the opening round and despite of his great efforts the Asian fighter defeated him in a close contest.

Zambia's Gilbert Choombe caused a huge surprise when qualifying for these Olympic and his Federation was delighted for him to be invited to the Welsh capital to train. In London he came up against an inspired opponent in Australia's Jeffrey Horn, who was too strong for him in their first preliminary round contest. Choombe proved that Zambian boxing is now heading in the right direction.

Manoj Kumar into next round after win‏

Boxing continued with the evening session at the ExCeL arena on day four of the London 2012 Olympic Games as the remaining eleven Men's Light Fly (46-49kg) and Light Welterweight (64kg) bouts went ahead. The capacity crowd was once again treated to a pugilistic feast.

First up in the Light Flyweights (46-49kg) was the fledgling star from Puerto Rico Jantony Ortiz Marcano versus the 19-year-old Ghanaian Tetteh Sulemanu. These two put on a good show with Ortiz Marcano, who won the AIBA American Olympic Qualifying Event Rio de Janeiro 2012, setting the early tempo and scoring a lot of points with some well placed shots. The young orthodox Puerto Rican confirmed his growing reputation with a performance full of verve to notch up a 20:6 win. He will now test himself against one of the best in the business, David Ayrapetyan from Russia.

The 18-year-old Ortiz Marcano was all smiles after the bout, declaring, "It was absolutely amazing. The work my coaches did in getting me ready for this fight was fantastic, it is thanks to them I won. I also dedicated this victory to my family". On facing Ayrapetyan, he said, "He is a big name but I am confident in my ability, I have been working extra hard to ensure I am ready for anyone".

Then experienced 23-year-old Ferhat Pehivan from Turkey, a veteran of three AIBA World Boxing Championships, came through his test against the American-born Trinidadian Carlos Suarez. The Turkish southpaw had a game plan, to keep his defences up high and look to counterpunch the exuberant Suarez. The tactic worked perfectly as he caught the onrushing 18-year-old with some well crafted combinations to take the first two rounds. Suarez was however the real showman in the ring, playing to the crowd, grimacing and enjoying his Olympic experience as much as possible even though he was comfortably defeated 16:6 by the better boxer.

An intriguing contest ensued between Spanish 25-year-old Jose de la Nieve Linares and the diminutive Carlos Quipo Pilataxi from Ecuador, 22. It was the younger of the two orthodox fighters who claimed the first round after finding his target with some hard penetrating rights. Quipo Pilataxi was looking more and more confident and his deceptively hard punches were both hurting the Spaniard and wearing him down. The spectators were enjoying this and were chanting, "Ecuador, Ecuador" for much of the third round as he went on to power to a deserved 14:11 win.

There was a huge contingent of Thai fans in the arena out to support veteran 32-year-old multiple-Southeast Asian Games Kaeo Pongprayoon in his bout against the winner of the AIBA African Olympic Qualifying Event Casablanca 2012, Mohamed Flissi of Algeria. It started off at breath-neck speed with Pongprayoon quickly looking to move inside and Flissi trying to use his height and reach advantage as a lot of punches were being thrown. The experienced Thai used a far greater repertoire of shots in the second and third rounds and caught Flissi with several hard overhead rights to progress with a well-taken 19:11 victory. Quipo Pilataxi now awaits Pongprayoon in the next preliminary round.

27-year-old Bulgarian Aleksandar Aleksandrov faced international level newcomer Juliano Fernando Gento Maquina from Mozambique in what was one-sided contest. Aleksandrov started well, calmly moving towards his opponent with the jab before throwing some neat one-twos to take the first round. Maquina tried to up his game and even though the southpaw was positive, he walked into a couple of hard shots, which one in particular hurt him as he took a standing eight count from the referee. The Bulgarian orthodox fighter went on to win convincingly 22:7 and will now challenge second seed Jonghun Shin of Korea for a spot in the quarter-finals.

The bouts were coming thick and fast as the Light Flyweights (46-49kg) gave way to the Light Welterweights (64kg) with Turkmenistan's Serdar Hudayberdiyev and Manoj Kumar from India then taking centre stage. The tall Turkmen orthodox, a veteran of three AIBA World Boxing Championships, was having some joy with the jab in the first as both boxers shared the points in the round. Kumar, the 2012 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, came back strong in the second however, throwing some big punches that stunned Hudayberdiyev. The Indian had huge support from the crowd and upped his level once again to take the third and inflict a 13:7 defeat on his rival. Kumar faces one of the big medal contenders next, Great Britain's Thomas Stalker.

2012 African Cup of Nations winner Louis Richarno Colin of Mauritius was hugely impressive in the first two rounds of his battle with the 24-year-old Moroccan Abdelhak Aatakni, moving well and unleashing a succession of precise body shots to his opponent's kidneys. Fighting at close quarters in the third, Colin's superior shot-making was cheered on by a huge section of the packed arena, his uppercuts piercing Aatakni's defences repeatedly as he went on to win 16:10.

When asked about his performance Colin was keen to share his views, "It was a tough, I got drawn in to fight at close quarters and I normally like to keep my distance. Having trained in Cardiff with the Road to London program, I was ready to and able to change my style".

Munkh-Erdene Uranchimeg from Mongolia was not in short supply of fans with a huge number of his countrymen in the crowd supporting him and it spurred the southpaw as he dominated the 22-year-old Zdenek Chladek, a 2008 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist. The 30-year-old from the capital city Ulanbaatar had too much about him for his rival, hurting the Czech Republic man with some hard combinations in their contest. There was a swagger about Uranchimeg as he fainted and weaved his way through three impressive rounds to record a 20:12 victory. The Mongol now meets Colin in the second stage of the competition.

Quality orthodox fighter Jeffrey Horn has been in fine form since taking the AIBA Oceania Olympic Qualifying Event gold medal in Canberra in March and proved his worth with a polished performance against Zambia's Gilbert Choombe. The 24-year-old Australian boxed clever, using his jab to good effect before throwing some good one-twos to take a five point lead after the first round. Choombe put up a much better resistance in the second, but in the final round Horn worked his rivals body well before pouncing with a couple of excellent shots as he prevailed in style 19:5.

Azerbaijan's stocky 21-year-old Gaybatulla Gadzhialiyev began brightly in his contest versus Abderrazak Houya, connecting with some vicious right hooks to take the first round. He continued to set the pace in the second, throwing some clean shots, but after getting caught by a hard left from his opponent, he began to sag and Houya came back to draw that one. The 25-year-old Tunisian's corner were extremely animated in between rounds and when the third got underway, their boxer was straight out of the blocks, pummelling Gadzhialiyev with an array of exquisite punches that saw him claw his way back and claim a thunderous third round to take a 19:11 victory.

Houya's coach declared after the bout, "We knew he could do it, he is in great shape and has been working extremely hard. We told him to go for it, that he had nothing to lose and he has made us and his country proud. Now we are aiming for the quarter-finals".

In the final bout of the day, the quick feet of Anthony Yigit made the difference against Francisco Vargas Ramirez of Puerto Rico in the opening rounds as the Swedish southpaw got the better of his taller opponent by landing some good body shots. Vargas Ramirez began using his jab more in the second but a slick Yigit moved up a gear in the final round to secure his progress by winning 13:9. The 20-year-old Swede must now face the tough second seed from Ukraine Denys Berinchyk.

The much anticipated Heavy (91kg) and Super Heavyweight (+91kg) categories get underway tomorrow along with the second preliminaries of the Bantamweight (56kg) with some huge names taking to the ring. It promises to be a spectacular day of action.

Cubans fighters show their pedigree‏

Day four of the London 2012 Olympic Games and it was the turn of the Men's Light Fly (46-49kg) and Light Welterweight (64kg) to step on to the ring in the first round of preliminaries at the ExCeL arena. The afternoon session bore witness to eleven pulsating contests.

First up in the Light Flyweights (46-49kg) was the exciting 20-year-old Yosbany Veitia Soto of Cuba against the teenager Billy Ward, winner of the AIBA Oceania Olympic Qualifying Event Canberra 2012. The Australian fought valiantly but just could not handle the speed and accuracy of the lightening quick Cuban southpaw who seemed to be hitting the target every time he let fly. Veitia Soto looked a class above his opponent and the spectators were really enjoying the movement and footwork on show as he recorded an emphatic 26:4 victory. He will now face the reigning Olympic Champion from China Shiming Zou for a place in the quarter-finals.

The fast-paced action continued with two of this weight category's rising stars as Italy'sManuel Cappai and Mark Barriga from the Philippines battled it out in spectacular fashion. Both these 19-year-olds have bright futures ahead of them and it told as the skills on show had the crowd on the edge of their seats. The Filipino though was too quick for the taller Cappai, catching him with several deft hooks which rocked the Italian in the first round. Barriga speed was causing havoc and he continued to dominate as he landed several hard lefts to triumph 17:7. The young southpaw received a few tips from his compatriot Manny Pacquiao before flying out to London and although he finds himself in the tough part of the draw, many expect him to challenge for honours.

2008 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Jeremy Beccu faced the 28-year-old Beijing Olympian and veteran of four AIBA World Boxing ChampionshipsBirzhan Zhakypov of Kazakhstan. The orthodox Frenchman was by no way overawed by the pedigree of his opponent as he went toe-to-toe with him and finish the first round level on points with both throwing a lot of punches. In the second, Beccu dictated proceedings from the centre of the ring, landing a couple of sweet uppercuts to take the round by a single point. Zhakypov's intelligent selection of shots saw him turn the fight to and record a 18:17 success against the positive 21-year-old from France. Zhakypov versus Barriga promises to be an electrifying fight.

The all-African contest between 24-year-old African Champion Thomas Essomba and the talented Abdelali Daraa from Morocco did not disappoint with the Cameroon orthodox on top of his opponent from the first bell. Moving well around the ring, Essomba's experience told as he continually varied his approach and caught his rival with some telling combinations connecting with their intended target. 21-year-old Daraa was knocked to the canvas after being caught by a devastating left midway through the second and from there the confident man from Cameroon closed out the fight with a 13:10 win.

Essomba beamed after his win, declaring, "I am very happy with this victory, my tactic was good and I hit him with some good shots. I feel great". On his preparations for the Games, he added, "Training in Cardiff with the Road to London program gave me a wonderful opportunity to spar with some quality fighters and as I result I feel stronger, fitter and more confident". When told his next opponent was Patrick Barnes, he said, "It does not matter who I face, if I am better I will win".

The final Light Flyweight (46-49kg) bout of the afternoon session saw 20-year-old promising Indian Devendro Singh Laishram pit his wits against teenage unknown quantity Bayron Molina Figueroa of Honduras. This one was over in the blink of an eye as the Indian fighter completely overawed his opponent in the first round, hurting him with two exquisite punches for which Molina Figueroa had to take two standing eight counts and when he got caught again, the referee stepped in to end the contest. Laishram will face a much sterner test when he battles the fourth seeded Mongolian Serdamba Purevdorj in the next round of preliminaries.

23-year-old 2009 AIBA World Champion Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo of Cuba and Colombia's seasoned Cesar Villarraga Aldana then locked horns in the first of six Light Welterweight (64kg) contests. The class of the Cuban southpaw shone through as he out boxed his opponent with some clever movement. Throwing a high volume of punches, Iglesias Sotolongo scored highly in the first round before controlling the tempo in the final two to cruise to a comfortable 20:9 victory over the 26-year-old Colombian. It will be the reigning AIBA World Champion Everton Lopes dos Santos next for the Cuban.

"I felt good, I felt strong, I boxed well and that is what matters", declared Iglesias Sotolongo after the fight. On facing Lopes dos Santos, he said, "He is very fast and I will need to up my level to beat him, but I feel confident".

The action was unrelenting as South American Championships winner Anderson Rojas Mina and 21-year-old Uktamjon Rahmonov of Uzbekistan went head-to-head. Rahmonov looked calm and composed against the Ecuadorian teenager, applying constant pressure and throwing powerful one-two combinations. In the second round, the Uzbek southpaw connected with huge overhead left and Rojas Mina had to take a standing eight count and from then on, it was one-sided as Rahmonov went on to win convincingly 21:10.

Turkey's Yakup Sener, 21, who won the AIBA European Olympic Qualifying Event Trabzon 2012, began brightly against the inexperienced Serge Ambomo from Cameroon, throwing fast combinations to great effect as he raced into a three point lead after the first round. Ambomo, 26, was eager to impress but was too erratic at times and was leaving himself open to too many counters from his rival who also took the second round. The crowd were willing on the orthodox boxer from Cameroon whose spirit could not be faulted but he could not prevent being defeated 19:10 by Sener. The young Turk will now battle Rahmonov with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

It was a noble effort by Jamel Herring in the fourth Light Welterweight (64kg) bout versus 21-year-old Daniyar Yeleussinov from Kazakhstan, the 2010 Asian Games winner. The US Marine Corp from North Carolina was untested at international level and the gulf in class was obvious as Yeleussinov picked his punches at will in the first two rounds and slowly wore down the American southpaw. By the third, the Kazak fighter was floating around his opponent and catching him with some hard one-twos. Yeleussinov eased into the second round of the preliminaries with a slick 19.9 victory.

27-year-old Iranian National Champion Mehdi Toloutibandpi and Spain's 21-year-oldJonathan Alonso Flete put on a good show for the spectators by going toe-to-toe for three rounds. In this one, it was experience that made the difference as Toloutibandpi just edged each round to win 16:12. The orthodox fighter from Iran is now drawn with Yeleussinov in the next stage of the competition.

The ultimate bout of the afternoon session saw Hungary's 2009 AIBA World Boxing championships bronze medallist Gyula Kate do battle with 22-year-old Eslam Mohamedof Egypt. A tentative start by the experienced Kate, now a three-time Olympian, saw him trail by a point at the end of the first round but he regrouped to set a much higher tempo. The Hungarian orthodox found his rhythm in the final two rounds, throwing some good combinations as he overturned his deficit to inflict a confidence boosting 16:10 defeat on his rival. 30-year-old Kate will now face Italy's Vincenzo Mangiacarpe for a place in the last eight.

The evening session will once again showcase the world's best Light Fly (46-49kg) and Light Welterweight (64kg) Men over eleven bouts as the boxers seek to book their places for the second round of preliminaries.

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