★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience©®™

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

DANNY GARCIA RIB INJURY FORCES POSTPONEMENT OF FEBRUARY 9 FIGHT AGAINST ZAB JUDAH FIGHT TO BE RESCHEDULED FOR APRIL 27 AT BARCLAYS CENTER LIVE ON SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®

DANNY GARCIA RIB INJURY FORCES POSTPONEMENT OF FEBRUARY 9 FIGHT AGAINST ZAB JUDAH FIGHT TO BE RESCHEDULED FOR APRIL 27 AT BARCLAYS CENTER LIVE ON SHOWTIME

CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®

Due to a rib injury sustained while training, Danny Garcia will be unable to compete in his scheduled February 9 world title defense against Zab Judah which was to be televised by SHOWTIME® from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. As a result, the event, and its undercard bouts, have been postponed until Saturday, April 27 at Barclays Center and will be telecast live on SHOWTIME.

All tickets purchased for the February 9 event will be honored on April 27.

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia's Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona 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.

Middleweight World Title Fight Plus $100,000 Featherweight Tournament Complete Bellator MMA’s February 7th Gwinnett Center Event in Georgia

The Toughest Tournament in Sports continues as Bellator MMA has set a loaded Featherweight Tournament field from Atlanta’s Gwinnet Center February 7^th live on Spike TV. The night will be headlined by a Bellator Middleweight World Title fight as Russian knockout artist Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko and dominating Brazilian Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao battle for the Bellator Middleweight Championship.

After successfully winning his second Bellator Middleweight Tournament, Shlemenko has his sights set on one thing: The Bellator Middleweight World Championship. Currently riding a nine fight win streak and holding an incredible 46-7 record, Shlemenko knows his February 7th fight will be the biggest of his career.

“Big Rig” enters the fight after three dominating tournament victories inside the Bellator cage. After competing in organizations across the world, Falcao knows he has found a home in Bellator and is hoping to etch his name into the Bellator history books on February 7th from The Arena at Gwinnett Center.

Widely regarded as one of the best featherweights in the world, Marlon Sandro is primed for an extended tournament run as he takes on Russian finisher Akop Stepanyan in opening round action. After two tournament finals appearances, Sandro is ready for the next step and capture his first Bellator Tournament crown.

“There is nothing in this world I want more than the Bellator Featherweight Title, and this is my road,” Sandro said. “I love Bellator with all my heart and I know my opportunity is now.”

Armed with two of the quickest hands in MMA, Mike “The Marine” Richman will take on Bellator newcomer Mitch Jackson in a quarterfinal affair live on Spike. With 26 finishes between the two, it’s an opening round fight primed for fireworks.

“It feels great to be back in the tournament, and to showcase my skills on Spike TV for Bellator,” Richman said. “I'm going to out class Mitch Jackson and show him he isn’t at my level. He's going to sleep, and then I plan on finishing the rest of the field and getting my title shot and that $100,000 prize.”

Two of the most exciting featherweights in the Bellator ranks go to battle when “Popo” Bezerra meets Genair da Silva in an explosive quarterfinal fight. Already 14-2 at just 25 years old, Bezerra is looking to elevate his game to the next level and embark on a long tournament run.

The Bellator Featherweight Tournament will be rounded out with a classic Brazil vs. Russia clash as Bellator newcomer and submission ace Fabricio Guerrerio clashes with Magomedrasul “Frodo” Khasbulaev. After two quick finishes inside the Bellator cage, “Frodo” is gearing up for his first taste of The Toughest Tournament in Sports.

“After my last two fights, my time is now, and February 7^th will be the start of my championship run,” Khasbulaev said.

“With a Middleweight World Title fight and the start of our $100,000 stacked Featherweight Tournament, February 7^th from the Gwinnet Center is going to be a huge night live on Spike TV,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney.

♔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.

No Holds Barred: Joel Resnick on Feb. 2 RUFF Super Fights to Crown China's First National MMA Champions‏

No Holds Barred: Joel Resnick on Feb. 2 RUFF Super Fights to Crown
China's First National MMA Champions
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with
Joel Resnick, the founder and CEO of RUFF (Ranik Ultimate Fighting
Federation).

Based in China, RUFF will be holding its most important show on
Saturday, February 2, where five super fights will be held in five
different weight classes to crown, for the first time, Chinese
national MMA champions. Each of the winners will earn RMB 1,000,000
(approximately US$160,000).

This card will take place at the Inner Mongolia Indoor Stadium in
Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, and be televised live throughout China
on Inner Mongolia Satellite Channel as well as regionally on the
Shandong Sports Channel and the Xinjiang Sports Channel.

There will be several online and mobile streams available in China, as
well as a free, live stream available to the world on PPTV, scheduled
to start at 2:30 PM China Standard Time (CST - UTC/GMT +8 hours). RUFF
will be providing more information on the telecasts and webcasts, athttp://www.ruffchina.com.

We spoke with Joel Resnick by Skype Tuesday (Monday in New York) to
preview this important card and discuss the progress of RUFF as an
organization.

"Really we've done everything we said we were going to do from the
very beginning," he said in this interview.

"We work on facts over here. Fact one: We're the only ones that have a
permit for professional MMA in China. That's just the way it is. And
our permit just got extended through 2014.

"Fact two: We're giving out the first China national MMA belts
sanctioned by the government.

"Fact three: We're giving out 1,000,000 RMB to each of the five
winners.

"Fact four: We're on satellite TV live. No combat sport has ever been
on satellite TV live in China."

He also listed some of the very impressive statistics for total TV
viewership of RUFF events in China. RUFF 5 got just over seven million
viewers, RUFF 6 got around six million viewers, with the numbers for
RUFF 7 due shortly. He added, the "Super Fight, really, we're hoping
for ten million viewers. It's the first time ever it will be aired
live nationally."

RUFF has also had a reality show with millions of viewers to
familiarize people with the mostly young group of fighters who compete
in this organization.

We also discussed the fights on this championship card, why there was
a late replacement this week for one of the fighters, how the fighters
chosen to compete on this card were selected both for their fight
records as well as how they will represent their country, the future

of RUFF, and much more.

♔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.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Keisher “Fire” McLeod-Wells steps back into the ring on February 21, 2013‏

Keisher “Fire” McLeod-Wells steps back into the ring on February 21, 2013 in NYC at Roseland Ballroom for Broadway Boxing promoted by DiBELLA ENTERTAINMENT.

McLeod-Wells is coming off a win on March 7th, 2012 against formally undefeated Patricia Alcivar. Please show your support for one of the rising stars in Woman's Boxing.

She dedicates this upcoming bout in memory of her younger sister, Bronique McLeod who passed away Oct.1. 2012 due to gun violence.

Keisher McLeod- Wells aka "Fire", The Boxing Diva
www.FireTheBoxingDiva.com

♔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.

Uncle Murda and Mike Tyson Perform "Bang on 'Em" on Sway in the Morning

No Holds Barred: John Potenza and Joel Bane of Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association‏

No Holds Barred: John Potenza and Joel Bane of Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch
Wrestling Association
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with
coaches John Potenza and Joel Bane of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch
Wrestling Association.

Catch wrestling, which was one of the most popular sports in the world
in the early twentieth century, is making a comeback in many places
around the world. The development of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch
Wrestling Association is an important step in that process.

We spoke with coaches John Potenza and Joel Bane by phone Thursday
about these developments and the plans of the organization.

Coach Potenza very forcefully explained the main goals of the Snake
Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association.

"We just want to unite as many catch wrestlers as we can and build one
strong family," he said in this interview. "I think a big problem in
the past with attempts of bringing catch back was too many people
wanted to be the lead guy, and, 'Look at me, I'm the top catch
wrestler.' But they lose sight of the real task, and the real task is
to get us all united together, so there is no internal bickering, and
who's who and what's what. We need to get all the catch wrestlers
together, unite them all as one, and then bring it back into the
spotlight where it belongs."

Once the people in catch wrestling are united and more people become
aware of this style, he said, "There's no telling where it can go. It
very well could be equal to or surpass anything else out there."

All this, of course, is still in the beginning stages, as many people
are still not familiar with what catch wrestling is and how it differs
from other styles such as folkstyle or freestyle wrestling, no-gi
grappling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, sambo, etc.

To further this process, the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling
Association will be at the MMA World Expo in New York February 16-17.
On Sunday, February 17, from 10:30 AM to 11 AM, they will have a
demonstration of what catch wrestling is, what the rules are, and
more. Right after that, from 11 AM to 12 noon, there will be a few
actual catch wrestling matches. In these matches, which are two out of
three falls, the wrestlers can win by pin or submission. The Snake Pit
U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association will also have a booth at the Expo
both days so people can talk with them.

"It's a very big first step for catch wrestling right now," noted
Coach Potenza about their participation at the MMA World Expo.

In addition, we discussed how the term "No Holds Barred" is actually
an old catch wrestling term, the Association's curriculum and
certification of individuals and gyms in catch wrestling, working with
people who have come from other styles and disciplines of grappling
and combat sports, their impressive board of directors which includes
head coach Billy Robinson, Erik Paulson, Jake Shannon, Greg Nelson,

and others, and much more.

♔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.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal vs. Emanuel Newton goes down February 21

World Championship Boxing : Devon Alexander v. Kell Brook

Friday, February 1, 2013

No Holds Barred: Dr. Alex Eingorn and John Perretti on the Practical Martial Art That Failed‏

No Holds Barred: Dr. Alex Eingorn and John Perretti on the Practical Martial Art That Failed

http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2013-02-01T03_10_31-08_00

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman continues our discussions exploring the origins and evolution of mixed martial arts, with our senior correspondent John Perretti (http://www.johnperretti.com) and one of his many martial arts students from the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Alex Eingorn.

Dr. Eingorn, considered by many to be the best chiropractor in New York, founded one of New York City's first multi-disciplinary health care centers in 1989 that later became Better Health Chiropractic (http://www.betterhealthnyc.net), which he still runs.

Our discussion was recorded by phone Monday night.

Dr. Eingorn first met and began training with John Perretti in New York in 1977. The techniques taught by John were officially known as Tao Jutsu Do, combining the best techniques of the martial arts and combat sports. Even in the 1970s and '80s, Dr. Eingorn recalled, Tao Jutsu Do was also known by a term which would later eclipse it: mixed martial arts.

The training included everything from grappling to use of weapons to kickboxing to running gauntlets while blindfolded. The emphasis, Dr. Eingorn stated, was on "the practicality of everything" rather than style. The training not only focused on these many techniques of fighting, but also on how to "repair people" from any injuries they suffered, something which reinforced Dr. Eingorn's career choice.

Along the way, however, something went wrong. While Dr. Eingorn said he used to follow professional MMA and has attended several live events, he no longer follows MMA like he once did.

"In my opinion, it's evolved into a totally different animal," he said in this interview.

Discussing his training from 1977 to 1983 with John Perretti, he said, "We had rules. We couldn't just get somebody on the ground and keep pummeling them in the head. You know, you get somebody on the ground, you land a punch, you know it's solid, you stop the fight."

He continued, "Initially, when John was starting this, it was all about stopping your opponent and discouraging them from continuing, whether it was through an arm bar or a choke hold or some other technique. And then it stopped. What I see now is that the damage is relentless." And he said, "These people are coming out injured, more than they need to be, in my opinion." When asked what he wants to see in MMA today, he responded, "more technique and less violence."

He concluded, "When we were working on this, we were trying to create a practical art, a practical martial art, that will do no harm, that will just develop the person's ability, it will teach them honor, it will teach them boundaries, it will teach them discipline, and teach them all the beauty that the martial arts has to offer, without the devastating trauma and lasting injury." But that, in his opinion has not occurred with professional MMA.

"And I think, unfortunately, we failed. I think the powers that be took that to a totally different level."

We also discussed some of the style vs. style challenge fights of the 1970s and 1980s, the issues of head injuries and brain trauma in combat and contact sports, and much more.

RIP Omar Henry

To all of Omar's loyal fans and friends today Omar has made peace with our savior God and joined him in heaven. Thank you all for your prayers and support. And please let's continue the name Omar Henry because that's what he would want
2/8/1987-2/1/2013 R.I.P Omar D Henry.

Again loyal fans and friends please send any donations to OmarDHenry87@gmail.com Thanks all for your support

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

JOEY EYE BOXING CELEBRATES 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY THIS SATURDAY NIGHT VICTOR VASQUEZ TAKES ON ESTEBAN ROFRIGUEZ IN MAIN EVENT PLUS DECARLO PEREZ FIGHTS UNDEFEATED DANTE MOORE AS WELL AS JULIO DEJESUS BATTLES RAMON ELLIS ON 12 BOUT CARD

THIS Saturday night, January 26^th, It will be a special night inside of Harrahs Philadelphia as a mammoth 12 bout card of boxing will take place to celebrate the two year anniversary of Joey Eye Boxing Promotions & David Feldman’s partnership with the casino.

This will be the tenth show that the duo has put on in Harrahs Philadelphia and they have a great night in store for the fans.

“This will be a special night of boxing in many regards for myself and my partner David Feldman”, said Joey “Eye” Intrieri, founder of Joey Eye Boxing.

“We have been the only ones in the state to put on consistent good shows and have had memorable fights already. We expect to have a long run here and will continue to put on the best fights possible”

“I want to thank the General Manager of Harrahs Ron Baummann plus everyone in the entertainment department as well as our staff and the loyal fan base that comes out time and time again to make this all possible”

In the six round main event, Victor Vasquez (15-7-1, 7 KO’s) will be making his 6^th appearance at Harrahs when he takes on Esteban Rodriguez (6-4-1, 1 KO) of Lebanon, PA in a Lightweight bout

DeCarlo Perez (8-2-1, 3 KO’s) of Atlantic City will fight undefeated Dante Moore (8-0-2, 4 KO’s) of Cleveland, OH in a six round Jr. Middleweight bout

In a six round Jr. Welterweight affair, Julio DeJesus (6-3-3, 3 KO’s) of Chester, PA battles Ramon Ellis (4-7-2, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia

Undefeated Light Heavyweight Amir Shabazz (2-0) of Philadelphia will rematch Abdellah Smith (2-4, 2 KO’s) of Queens, NY in a four round rematch

In a four round female Jr. Welterweight bout, undefeated Althea Saunders (3-0-1) of Atlantic City will fight debuting Laura Incarnato of Philadelphia

Undefeated Welterweight Tyrone Crawley Jr. (2-0) of Philadelphia boxes Benjamin Burgos (1-2) of Mount Pocono, PA in a four round bout

In a four round Heavyweight bout, undefeated John Mercurio (5-0, 4 KO’s) of Philadelphia takes on Lonnie Kornegay (1-7-2) of Baltimore, MD

In another four round Heavyweight bout, undefeated Mark Rideout (2-0) takes on Aaron Bratton (0-1) of Baltimore, MD

In a four round Jr. Middleweight, Gilbert Alex Sanchez (2-1, 2 KO’s) of Camden, NJ battles Greg Jackson (2-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia, PA

Undefeated Jovontae Starks (5-0, 4 KO’s) of Minneapolis, MN will fight Chad McKinney (1-0) in a fight that features two undefeated Jr. Middleweights in a bout scheduled for four rounds

In a rematch, Alex Barbosa (4-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will try to make it two straight over Arthur Parker (1-8, 1 KO) of Lancaster, PA

Rounding out the card will be debuting Sam Teah of Philadelphia taking on 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.

Monday, January 21, 2013

No Holds Barred: Bellator Conference Call with Ben Askren, King Mo, Karl Amoussou, Bjorn Rebney, Kevin Kay‏

No Holds Barred: Bellator Conference Call with Ben Askren, King Mo, Karl Amoussou, Bjorn Rebney, Kevin Kay

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the complete audio of the January 18 Bellator MMA media conference call featuring fighters Ben Askren, "King" Mo Lawal, and Karl Amoussou, along with Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney and Spike TV president Kevin Kay.

This conference call focused on the next Bellator MMA card slated for Thursday, January 24, at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, OK. It will be televised live in the U.S. on Spike TV.

On that card, Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren will defend his title against welterweight tournament winner Karl Amoussou. Also on that card will be the Bellator debut of "King" Mo Lawal in an opening round fight against Przemyslaw Mysiala in the Bellator light heavyweight tournament.

While the unbeaten Ben Askren may be the favorite in his title fight, challenger Karl Amoussou is quite confident he will capture the belt.

"Obviously Ben is a very good wrestler. That's not a surprise to anybody. But I think I'm the most-well rounded fighter," said Karl Amoussou on this conference call. He also noted his unpredictability as giving him the advantage in this fight.

Spike TV president Kevin Kay joined the discussion towards the end of the call, providing the ratings information for Bellator's Spike TV debut on Thursday, January 17. For the past two seasons, live Bellator shows in the U.S. were seen on the lower-rated MTV2.

"It is the most-watched Bellator event in the history of Bellator," said Kevin Kay on this conference call. "We started the night in the first 15 minutes with 1.2 million viewers. The Curran-Pitbull fight, 1.1 million watched the Curran-Pitbull fight in that first half-hour. Overall, we were up 394 percent increase over last season's show premiere. And 938,000 viewers watched the entire broadcast." He added that 950,000 viewers watched the Michael Chandler-Rick Hawn fight, won by Bellator lightweight champion Chandler with a second-round submission, a fight considered by many to be the highlight of the telecast.

There also was much more discussion with all the fighters and Bjorn Rebney and Kevin Kay about the January 17 and 24 Bellator cards, their tournaments, and much more.
♔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, January 16, 2013

Don Elbaum & Greg Sorrentino Announce The $500,000 Great American Heavyweight Box-Off

Veteran promoter/matchmaker Don Elbaum and financial backer Greg Sorrentino, today during a press conference held at historic Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, officially announced the creation of The $500,000 Great America Heavyweight Box-Off (TGAHBO). The tournament, planned as an annual event, is scheduled to launch in April at a site to soon be determined.

(L-R) Front - Don Elbaum and Greg Sorrentino; Rear - Devan Vargas, Jason Estrada, Alonzo Butler, Emmanuel Nwodo, Daniel Martz and Joey Abell.

♔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.

No Holds Barred: Ben Askren on January 24 Bellator Title Defense and Voluntary Anti-Doping Association‏

No Holds Barred: Ben Askren on January 24 Bellator Title Defense and Voluntary Anti-Doping Association

http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2013-01-16T13_42_02-08_00

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bellator MMA welterweight champion Ben Askren (http://twitter.com/benaskren).

His next fight will be Thursday, January 24, when he defends his title against welterweight tournament winner Karl Amoussou. This fight will take place at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, and be telecast live in the U.S. on Spike TV. Also on that card will be the Bellator debut of "King" Mo Lawal in an opening round fight in the Bellator light heavyweight tournament.

We spoke with Ben Askren by phone Wednesday afternoon about what to expect in this fight, as well as his participation in the drug-testing program of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

"Karl's an explosive fighter. He comes out and goes hard," he said of his opponent in this interview. "He is dangerous in a lot of different areas, but at the same time I don't think he poses a big challenge for me. He doesn't strike very proficiently. He does come out and be aggressive. But I know I'll be able to weather that initial storm and then do a lot of damage and control him in the fight, because he doesn't fight hard for very long. He fights hard for a short period of time. And if he doesn't win, then he tries to kind of hang on for the rest of the fight."

The VADA testing program consists of voluntary, random, unannounced blood and urine testing for performance-enhancing drugs. While Ben is one of the few MMA athletes to participate in the VADA program, he said that the various athletic commissions and promoters must take further measures and have better testing to stop the widespread use of PEDs in MMA.

PED use in MMA is so widespread that he commented, "Some people are very open about it. Some people don't even make it a secret, which is embarrassing." Asked to make a guesstimate as to what percentage of MMA fighters use PEDs, he replied, "I would go somewhere around 50. 50 percent would be a good guess."

We discussed his transition from college and Olympic freestyle wrestling into being a mixed martial arts fighter, and how he continues to follow closely the sport of wrestling. We also discussed that his younger brother, Max Askren, who like Ben had been a Div. I NCAA wrestling champion for Missouri, will be representing the U.S. at the 2013 Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at 84kg in Tehran, Iran, February 21-22, and more.

♔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.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

'I'm coming for the belt!'

Mike Campbell has heard this story before.

"Everyone says they're going to come in here and beat me up. That's fine," Campbell said. "Saying it and doing it are two different things."

Needless to say, Campbell barely flinched when Brazilian lightweightAbner Lloveras predicted a second-round knockout win in their upcoming title fight scheduled for Friday, Feb. 1, 2013 at the Twin River Event Center.

"Hopefully, he puts his money where his mouth is," Campbell said.

Next month's five-round showdown between Campbell and Lloveras is for the Classic Entertainment & Sports Mixed Martial Arts lightweight title, only the second title bout in CES' history, and will be the main event of "Undisputed II," presented by Jimmy Burchfield. For Campbell (12-4, 7 KOs), it will be his toughest to date, but certainly nothing new for the Providence, R.I., native who is accustomed to fighting top-tier competition; since November of 2011, Campbell has won three consecutive bouts against opponents with a combined record of 28-18.

"I haven't had any easy fights in the past few years," Campbell said. "I'm just trying to win fights and fight the best fighters in the country. If not, what am I fighting for?"

Lloveras (15-6-1, 5 KOs) certainly fits that mold. A former Spanish Olympic Boxing gold medalist, Lloveras has won three consecutive fights, including an impressive victory over Ryan Quinn at Twin River in June in which he repeatedly stuffed Quinn's takedown attempts and utilized his superior stand-up game to win the fight on all three scorecards.

"I have seen some of Mike's fight and he has an explosive style," Lloveras said. "He has 16 pro fights and is very respected in the northeast MMA circle. That's a strong background to consider.

"This fight with Mike Campbell is a late Christmas gift for fans in this region," added Lloveras' trainer, Marco Alvan. "I've witnessed how serious Abner is taking this fight and I'm very confident he will have a great performance and bring home the win."

Putting a title on the line adds even more allure to what is already one of the most highly-anticipated fights of 2013.

"This is what I've always wanted," Campbell said, "and what better belt to fight for than the CES title? I made history fighting the main event on their first show in Rhode Island [in September of 2010] and now I'm ready to make more history."

Lloveras, who now trains out of Ludlow, Mass., has more experience in title bouts having fought for both M-1 and Shooto championships, so he's used to preparing for and fighting five rounds rather than three, but anyone who's followed Campbell knows his conditioning is never a problem.

"I don't think anyone would question that," Campbell said. "Five five-minute rounds? Most guys lose their pace while I maintain my pace. I'm not really concerned about it because I tend to over-train anyway. I'm just doing what I do. The way I see it, it's only another 10 minutes out of my life.

"I'm just working on my skill sets," he continued. "I'm watching a lot of film on him, which is the first time in a long time for me. I want to develop a game plan and implement it. I know I can adapt within the first round if I know what he's going to do. If I can do it faster, that's even better for me."

Campbell has paid particular attention to Lloveras' win over Quinn in which he neutralized Quinn's strength - his wrestling ability - and fought on his own terms.

"He looked good," Campbell said of Lloveras, "but the other thing he did was put Quinn on his heels and kept him from coming forward. He kept jabbing. Quinn didn't set it up properly. I'm not saying Abner isn't a good wrestler, but people always ask me who does better in a fight between a wrestler or boxer. It's about who's more efficient. I was impressed with his ability to stuff takedowns, but I think he's one dimensional - definitely not the most well-rounded, but clearly a threat."

"I don't think people overlook my ground skills, but they usually respect me more for my boxing," countered Lloveras. "I won three national gold medals in Spain as a boxer and I was close to qualifying for the London Olympics, but I've also competed in and won many [Brazilian jiu-jitsu] tournaments. This is MMA, so I try to be a complete and well-rounded fighter.

"The priority [against Quinn] was to hit him and then defend his powerful wrestling. As we were getting ready for the fight my coach told me, 'This guy is coming for you! He's coming off a loss [to Ultimate Fighting Championships veteran] Ricardo Funch, so he's hungry. You need to keep calm and work to get up.' That's just what happened. It was a great win."

Whoever comes out on top in February will continue to climb the rankings in the lightweight division while adding a new piece of hardware to their collection. This one is for all the marbles, and both sides have a lot at stake.

"I'm coming to win the belt," Campbell said. "I'm not saying I'm going to knock him out, but I'm coming to win the belt. I want to make it look like he doesn't belong in there with me.

"It's a title fight, so there's a lot of anxiety that comes with that, and some guys can't control their emotions, but I don't get tired and I don't get nervous. Fighting is 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical. I'll fight whether it's in the cage or in the schoolyard."

"Undisputed II" also features Woonsocket, R.I., bantamweight Andre Soukhamthath (3-1, 2 KOs) battling Kurt Chase Patrick (4-2, 1 KO) of Seymour, Conn., and a welterweight showdown between Wilfredo Santiago (3-1, 3 KOs) of Lawrence, Mass., and Darius Heyliger (4-1, 2 KOs) of Courtland, N.Y. Featherweight Joe Pingitore (2-0, 1 KO) of Johnston, R.I., will face Boston's Sergio Moran Cabrera (2-0) and both Eric Spicely of Providence, R.I., and Kemran Lachinov of Springfield, Mass., will make their professional debuts against one another in a three-round welterweight.

Dedham, Mass., welterweight Brett Oteri (11-3, 1 KO) and heavyweight Pat Walsh (2-0, 1 KO) of West Bridgewater, Mass., will be on the undercard in separate three-round bouts while welterweightToby Oden of Milford, Mass., and Worcester, Mass., lightweight Terell Clark will make their professional debuts in separate bouts.

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ELITE HEAT’S SHAKUR STEVENSON WINS 2013 JR. WORLD TEAM OPEN TOURNEY

The Elite Heat Boxing Gym would like to congratulate Shakur Stevenson for his victory at the 2013 Jr. World Team Tourney in Reno, Nevada.

The 114 pound Stevenson of Newark won three bouts which included his title winning effort over Noah Contreras in the finals by a score of 16-8.

Stevenson is trained by his grandfather Walli Moses and Robert Griffin and has an amateur record of 73-7.

Stevenson recently traveled to Russia and took home the Velez Cup.

Hopkins-Cloud conference call quotes

BERNARD HOPKINS, Three-Time And Two-Division World Champion & Oldest Fighter In History To Win A World Championship

“Age is not an enemy to me. The clock is not something to try to stop. The man upstairs can’t even do that. You can get the daylight to be earlier or the darkness to be later, but the clock has to move forward.

“People will always tell me, ‘You can’t do this. You can’t do that.’ When I hear that, it gives me motivation. I know there are some things in life that are out of reach. Some people are not capable of doing certain things. I have been doing this half of my life. I know what I am capable of.

“Some people are trying to write my destiny, but when you see a guy that has a track record that has proven to be more right than wrong over 28 years, Cloud has to say that he has a challenge. In reality, he is going to have to train harder than he ever has before.

“[To Cloud] If you ain’t ready now, seven or eight weeks out, then you’re in trouble.

“I’m letting you all know that the smart money goes on me. The other money goes somewhere else. If you want to bet against me, that’s your prerogative.

“[To Cloud] You’re 20 years younger than me, but you are looking at the number, not looking at the man.

“If you’ve never thrown punch and you’re making a judgment about me, then you’re a fool. You are making a decision based on what you think, not what you know.

“I am not underestimating Cloud. He isn’t beating a Yusuf Mack here. He is trying to beat a legacy. He is trying to beat a legend.

“Don and I are alumni of the sport. He helped build my career. At the end of the day, everyone he threw in front of me helped secure my legacy in the middleweight division. I am at least 15-0 against him. He really helped me without even knowing it.

“I understand that I have a blessing to not only make history once but two, three and four times. I understand you will miss me when I’m not here.

“Who is going to run from a 48 year old man? Cloud isn’t going to run. He’s going to fight. I’m going to be the professor and teach him his ABC’s.

“I have never been the favorite in anything in my life. No matter what I’ve done. I would rather be the underdog than the favorite.

“After I beat Cloud, Don King will have to pawn his jacket [to make money], and that jacket is just as old as me.

“[To Cloud] Don King is going to make sure you do your business. His empire is on your shoulders. You’re the last horse. There’s no one left in the stable.

“[To Don King] Enjoy your day because after March 9, there will be a big celebration of your long lasting promotional legacy as I send you into retirement.”

TAVORIS CLOUD, Undefeated IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion

“I want to thank Bernard Hopkins for calling me out for this fight. It’s weird when a champion gets called out, but like he [Hopkins] says, he’s different.

“I am willing to accept the challenge. I don’t duck. I don’t run.

“On March 9, I’ll be in great shape. I’ll be here to put on the fight on my life.

“People ask me if I’m worried about Bernard’s experience, his tricks and this and that. He might have more tricks than me, but I’m going to throw punches. You have to throw punches to win fights. I’m definitely going to win the fight by throwing punches.

“Training camp is going well. I’m going to be in the best shape of my life. I’m going to bring my A plus game.

“Hopkins doesn’t faze me. He’s up there banging on the podium and yelling. It just goes in one ear and out the other.

“My opinion is that he’s talking to convince himself and motivate himself. It isn’t directed at me.

“I’m game for his experience. I’m not inexperienced myself. If he’s going to be dirty with me, I can be dirty right back.

“I think Don won the war of words against Bernard. Don got into Bernard’s head. Don got Bernard thinking about what he was saying, not the other way around.”

DON KING, Renowned Boxing Promoter & President, Don King Productions

“Hello Brooklyn! Bernard is in foreign territory. I’m at home here in Brooklyn. He doesn’t know the half of what it’s going to mean fighting here. Brooklynites know what time it is. It’s time to put you [Hopkins] out to rest and reside.

“I’m delighted to be here at the new Barclays Center. It’s spiritually redeeming. It’s alive. It’s a family affair here. I’m looking forward to a sold-out crowd at Barclays Center on March 9. We’re looking to make history here in Brooklyn. History in this new beautiful building,

“Bernard Hopkins is one of the greatest fighters of our time. He has shown the tenacity and perseverance. It’s evident that he is different.

“When the hands of time are moving, the old moves on and the young moves forward. Bernard is stubborn. He is resistant. Something has got to give and give it will on March 9.

“When you see the new face of glory, the excitement of what youth can do, you believe in God and that is deeply imbedded in the heart and mind of Tavoris Cloud.

“I’m happy to be here at Barclays Center. I am delighted to be associated with Golden Boy. I want friend and foe alike to be a part of this history making night when we let Bernard Hopkins take this weight off of his shoulders.

“There was a lot of thunder and weather that happened here in New York when Hurricane Sandy came through and devastated so many homes. With his [Tavoris] name being Cloud, we are going to work toward helping those affected by Sandy.”

NAAZIM RICHARDSON, Hopkins’ Trainer

“Anybody that knows anything about boxing on this level knows Bernard Hopkins. You may not be familiar with Tavoris Cloud, but I’m familiar with him. He’s an exciting fighter. He’s focused and very dangerous. I know what this kid is capable of doing. He’s going to be up for fighting a legend.

“I was on tour with Bernard and Don King and you are getting a small preview of what they can say. I was with Don in Puerto Rico and he was Puerto Rican then and he’s a Brooklynite now. That is the magic of Don King. He’s one of the icons of our sport and you’ve got to respect that.

“You want to see this fight because our history has shown, the more dangerous the opponent, the higher his game rises and Tavoris Cloud is a dangerous opponent.

“When you come to Brooklyn to see this fight, be prepared to see a fight of the year candidate. You want to be able to say you saw it live. You want to be able to say you saw it here at the Barclays Center.”

DAVID ITSKOWITCH, Chief Operating Officer, Golden Boy Promotions

“I would have let Bernard and Don keep talking, but we would have been here for days.

“If you weren’t able to be here on October 20, Barclays Center is an unbelievable venue. It’s state of the art. There is a great staff here with great customer service.

“Bernard Hopkins thrives off of people doubting him.

“For those of you who didn’t see Bernard’s record breaking fight with Pascal, before the seventh round, Bernard decided to drop to the canvas and do push ups. It was amazing.

“It is always an honor to introduce a future first ballot Hall of Famer and legend in the sport…Bernard Hopkins.”

JAMES PRINCE, Cloud’s Manager

“We are very excited about this opportunity. Out of all of the fights that are coming here [to Barclays Center] this year, this is the one you want to see.

“What can you say about Bernard Hopkins? He holds his own very well, and Cloud is going to hold his own on March 9. It’s going to be a war.”

SEAN SAADEH, Vice President of Programming, Barclays Center

“On behalf of Bruce Ratner and Brett Yormark, we’re thrilled to host our third night of championship boxing.

“We’re delighted to have a true champion here and the oldest fighter in history to win a title fighting at the newest venue.

“We’re pleased that Bernard wants to get in the ring once again and that it’s going to be here. Tavoris is a great champion and Brooklyn is going to love his style.

“There is so much potential for boxing here in Brooklyn and we want this arena to be a fighter’s ultimate goal.

“We look forward to welcoming boxing back to Barclays Center on March 9.”

KERY DAVIS, Senior Vice President of Programming, HBO Sports

“There is some world class trash talking between Don King and Bernard Hopkins on this stage.

“As a Bronx native, I have always had a love-hate relationship with the borough of Brooklyn, but as a New Yorker I love the excitement that Barclays Center has brought to the New York landscape. It is a pleasure to have Barclays Center as an option for boxing events.

“This will be the twentieth time that Bernard Hopkins will be on HBO as he sets out again to make history against Light Heavyweight World Champion Tavoris Cloud.

“Bernard is one of the highest rated fighters we have on our network. When he beat Jean Pascal to become the oldest fighter in history to win a world title in 2011, it was the highest rated fight of that year.

“Tavoris is a worthy, exciting, relentless, young light heavyweight champion. It’s going to be a great night.”

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