FINAL WEIGHTS:
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING:
ROBERT GUERRERO: 145 ¾ Pounds
SELCUK AYDIN: 146 ½ Pounds
SHAWN PORTER: 146 ¼ Pounds
ALFONSO GOMEZ: 146 ½ Pounds
SHOWTIME EXTREME:
HUGO CENTENO: 152 Pounds
AYI BRUCE: 151 ½ Pounds
GEORGE GROVES: 169 ½ Pounds
FRANCISCO SIERRA: 170 Pounds
Time Permitting:
MANUEL AVILA: 122 ½ Pounds
RAYMOND CHACON: 121 ½ Pounds
After the recent back injury suffered to former WBO Middleweight champion Dmitry Pirog (20-0, 15 KOs), WBA Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (23-0, 20 KOs) will now defend his title against highly regarded Grzegorz Proksa (28-1, 21 KOs) on Saturday night September 1, 2012 as the main event headlining HBO Boxing After Dark.
The 12-round co-feature will showcase former WBO Jr. Middleweight champion, Sergiy “Razor” Dzinziruk (37-1, 23 KOs) of Kiev, Ukraine versus, undefeated heavy handed Puerto Rican contender, Jonathan Gonzalez (15-0, 13 KOs), the current NABO and WBA FEDELATIN Jr. Middleweight champion. The combined record of all four fighters is an astonishing (103-2, 77 KOs).
The doubleheader promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, Arthur Pelullo/Banner Promotions, K2 Promotions, Greg Cohen Promotions, Matchroom Sport, Warrior’s Boxing and Universal Promotions, will take place at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York and will be televised live on HBO BOXING AFTER DARK® beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.
Golovkin of Kazakhstan and now residing in Stuttgart, Germany, won the silver medal in the 2004 Olympics and had amateur wins over Lucian Bute, Andre Dirrell, Matt Korobov, and Andy Lee. He’s perfect as a professional compiling an astonishing record of 23-0 with twenty coming by way of knockout. He won the WBA Interim Middleweight title with a first round destruction over Milton Nunez (24-4-1, 22 KOs) and captured the full WBA title in this following bout with a third round stoppage over Nilson Tapia (15-3-1, 11 KOs). Golovkin has made three defenses which include wins over former world champion Kassim Ouma (27-8-1, 17 KOs), highly regarded contender LaJuan Simon (23-4-2, 12 KOs), and in his last defense on May 12, 2012, he pounded Makoto Fuchigami (19-7, 10 KOs), stopping him in the third round. Golovkin will be making his highly anticipated debut in the United States.
Said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions, “Gennady trains in America and is committed to fighting here where there have been so many middleweight legends; we’re grateful to HBO for this opportunity to showcase his skills. We strongly feel that he is the BEST middleweight in the world right now and we’re anxious for the world to see that.”
“I’m very excited to face Grzegorz Proksa on September 1st,” said Golovkin. Proksa has never been in the ring with a puncher like me and I’m here to show the world what I’m made of. I’ve wanted to fight in the United States for a long time and look forward to fighting the best middleweights in the world in the near future.”
Proksa of Poland and now residing in Redhill, United Kingdom, has an impressive record of 28-1 with twenty-one knockouts. Proksa exploded onto the world scene when he stopped former IBF Middleweight boss Sebastian Sylvester (34-5-1, 16 KOs) in three rounds. Unfortunately in his next bout, Proksa lost a controversial majority decision to Kerry Hope (17-4, 1 KO). Like a true warrior, Proksa emphatically avenged that defeat to Hope in his last bout, stopping him in round eight of their July 7th bout.
Said Matchroom Sport’s Barry Hearn, “Proksa has waited all his professional life for this opportunity and respects Golovkin for his achievements in the ring. He knows this will be a tough fight for both fighters and is convinced he can emerge victorious in an entertaining contest. Proksa has one loss on his record when he lost his European title in a controversial points decision in a fight where he suffered a terrible cut via an accidental clash of heads. That loss has been avenged via a knockout victory to regain his European crown and he does not intend to suffer a loss in this fight. The fight features the two biggest punchers in the middleweight division and I am convinced that fight will not go the distance. It’s an honor for Proksa to be part of an HBO show and he is excited about winning in the USA on the biggest network for boxing in the world.”
“I have no doubt in my mind that I have the ability to knockout Golovkin,” said Proksa. “My opportunity to showcase my talents to the world has arrived and I’m not going to let it slip away. This will be a difficult fight but I believe in myself to come out victorious and I’m going to bring an aggressive game plan for the fans. I’m coming to the US to impress and take home the title.”
“This is a terrific bout and I believe a new star of the Middleweight division will be born on September 1st”, said Banner Promotions CEO Artie Pelullo. “There are three big Middleweight bouts in a span of a couple of weeks and this fight involves two of the best Middleweights in the world so the stakes could be very big for the winner”
“Pirog will be anxiously awaiting the results of this fight, as he wants his opportunity to fight the winner on HBO. There are many worthy opponents at 160, including Daniel Geale, Sergio Martinez, and Chavez Jr, and he is willing to fight anyone of them, as we believe that he might be the best, and is the biggest puncher at 160.”
Sergiy Dzinziruk has never lost a bout at 154 pounds. At Jr. Middleweight, Dzinziruk defended his WBO world title seven times. Sergiy, a boxer-puncher, will look to end the hype on Gonzalez, and regain his claim as one of the best 154 pound fighters in boxing.
“It’s a fact, that I am unbeatable at Jr. Middleweight, Dzinziruk said. “Gonzalez is a big puncher, but he’s never been in the ring with a superior boxer like me. I will end his unbeaten record and move toward another world title. I will be champion once again real soon.”
Art Pellulo, Dzinziruk’s co-promoter stated, “This will be a classic boxer versus puncher matchup and as we all know, a boxer always beats a puncher. Dzinziruk will be too slick for Gonzalez. Once he wins this fight, we will work to get him another world title shot.” Dziniruk is also co-promoted by Gary Shaw Productions.
Hard-punching knockout artist, Puerto Rican sensation, Jonathan Gonzalez, brings a crowd-pleasing style into the ring. He was a Puerto Rican Olympian, amassing 147 wins as an amateur with only 18 defeats.
Gonzalez is jointly promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, Warriors Boxing and Universal Promotions. He is undefeated as a professional, knocking out his first 13 opponents, and had amassed and amazing amateur record of (132W-18L). Highly ranked Gonzalez will attempt to do what no other fighter has done, beat Sergiy Dzinziruk at Jr. Middleweight.
“Fighting on HBO is a big opportunity for me and my team,” stated Gonzalez. “Gary Shaw has come through on his promise to get me on a worldwide stage to showcase my talent. I always bring excitement to the ring and it won’t be any different when I face Dzinziruk. My goal is to become champion.”
Said Gary Shaw, “Jonathan is highly ranked in all sanctioning organizations, and I’m sure after this fight, he will be considered by all, for a shot at a world title.”
“Gonzalez is another great talent from Puerto Rico that we can all be excited about,” mentioned Warriors Boxing Promotion’s Leon Margules. “Dzinziruk better be ready for a war.”
“Jonathan Gonzalez has something to prove in this fight,” said Javier Bustillo of Universal Promotions. “This is his big opportunity to show the world what he is all about. I expect him to leave everything in the ring on fight night.”
“I want to give a very special thank you to HBO and Ken Hershman for giving us the opportunity to present this great night of boxing in two very important weight divisions,” continued promoter Gary Shaw. “ I believe the real winner of this show will be the fans in attendance and the millions watching on HBO.”
“GCP is thrilled to be a part of this world class event. Bringing a World Championship Boxing event televised by HBO to a World Class venue like Turning Stone is going to be a terrific experience for everyone involved.”The path to gold was set on Friday for the 12 members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team at the official event draw on Friday at the ExCel Centre in London. The brackets in the 13 Olympic weight classes were drawn in front of representatives from all of the participating nations. Three U.S. boxers received first round byes with the remaining nine American athletes learning the identity of their opening day opponents.
The women’s draw was done first and both flyweight Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) and middleweight Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) received byes in their opening round bouts. Lightweight Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) will face home nation boxer Natasha Jones of Great Britain in her Olympic Games opener on August 5. Esparza will take on the winner of a first round contest between Brazil and Venezuela when she takes the ring for quarterfinal action on August 6 while Shields battles the victor of a showdown between Australia and Sweden on the same date.
Three-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) was the lone U.S. boxer to be seeded in the 2012 Olympic Games and as the number three seed, he received a first round bye as well. Warren will take the ring for the third time in Olympic action in a second round bout against the winner of France and Afghanistan on August 3.
Bantamweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (S. El Monte, Calif.) and middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) open action for Team USA on Saturday with Diaz taking on on Ukraine’s Pavlo Ishchenko and Gausha battling Armenia’s Andranik Hakobyan.
Lightweight Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.) and welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) will compete on Sunday in their first round contests. Ramirez will face France’s Rachid Azzedine on Sunday while Spence takes on Brazil’s Myke Carvalho de Ribeiro.
Light heavyweight Marcus Browne (Staten Island, N.Y.) will be the lone U.S. boxer in Monday’s action, challenging Australia’s Damien Hooper in his Olympic debut.
There will only be one U.S. boxer competing on Tuesday as well with light welterweight Jamel Herring (Coram, N.Y.) facing off with Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Yeleussinov in the first round.
The two heavyweights will be the final male boxers to compete and both will challenge Russian opponents when they take the ring on Wednesday, August 1. Heavyweight Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) will battle Russia’s Tervel Pulev while super heavyweight Dominic Breazeale (Alhambra, Calif.) facesMagomed Omarov.
The 2012 Olympic Games are a single elimination tournament and all of the 2012 Olympic Games brackets can be found on www.aiba.org.
♔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.
“Hammerin’” Hank Lundy is as relaxed as ever, feeling no pressure whatsoever as he prepares to defend his title and world No. 1 ranking Friday, July 27th, 2012 against Raymundo Beltran at Resorts Hotel Casino.
“I’m feeling excellent,” said Lundy, the reigning North American Boxing Federation (NABF) lightweight champion and top-ranked lightweight in the World Boxing Council (WBC).
“I know what I have to go in there and do. I know what my job is. I’ve just got to go out there and be ‘Hammerin’’ Hank. I appreciate Beltran giving me this opportunity, but I’ve got to handle my business at the end of the day.”
Friday’s show, promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports and appropriately named “Title Wave,” features the 10-round main event between Lundy (22-1-1, 11 KOs) and Beltran (25-6, 17 KOs) in addition to a 10-round super middleweight co-feature between fellow Philadelphia native Farah Ennis (19-1, 12 KOs) and New Jersey’s Richard Patterson (11-2, 8 KOs). Beginning at 10 p.m. (EST), the show will air on ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPN Deportes as part of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.
After reaching the No. 1 spot in the WBC, Lundy could’ve held out for a shot at the world title, currently held by Antonio DeMarco, but instead chose to return to ESPN for the seventh time since 2010 and face the dangerous Beltran, a hard-hitting Mexican and former sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao who’s looking to rewrite the script on his own tumultuous career.
Standing toe-to-toe with Beltran is a risk, one that most fighters in Lundy’s shoes wouldn’t take, but so, too, was facing unknown challenger Dannie Williams in March, a fight Lundy won handedly despite getting knocked down in the first round.
As he prepares for Friday’s fight, Lundy is also keeping a close eye on the rest of the 135-pound division, particularly DeMarco, who will defend his title against John Molina in September, with, perhaps, the winner facing Lundy next. Molina is still the only fighter who’s beaten Lundy, so, deep down, Lundy is rooting for Molina in hopes of facing him a in a rematch for the world title.
Lundy also has another potential challenger on his radar, former World Boxing Organization (WBO) super featherweight championAdrien Broner, who was forced to vacate his title prior to last weekend’s fight against Vicente Escobedo because he failed to make weight. The undefeated Broner won the fight regardless, and afterward promised more world titles in his future as he plans to move up to 135 pounds, irking the outspoken Lundy, who called Broner “unprofessional” for failing to make weight.
“I run this weight class,” Lundy said. “If you think you can just move up and jump over me, it ain’t happening. Don’t run. You could’ve mentioned my name on HBO. Instead, you took the easy way out. Just go on and keep fighting who you’re fighting. If he fought half the competition I’ve faced, he’d be dead in his tracks.
“Until I unify these titles, I rule this division, and I’m going to be here for a long time.”
The undercard also features a six-round light middleweight bout between Thomas Lamanna (8-0, 5 KOs) of Millville, N.J., and William Brown (5-3) of Akron, Ohio, in addition to a four-round welterweight bout between Anthony Young (4-0, 2 KOs) of Atlantic City and Richie Andrews (3-1-3, 1 KO) of Stuarts Draft, Va. Josh Mercado (5-1, 2 KOs) of Cape May, N.J., will battle Korey Sloane (2-4-1) of Philadelphia in a four-round bout and Atlantic City’s Antowyan Aikens (5-0, 1 KO) will face Jimmy Ellis (3-5-1, 2 KOs) in a four-round super middleweight bout.
Last month Resorts was all over the boxing map as they held the All Star Boxing Legends Gala Tribute Dinner, and is quickly becoming recognized as the Mecca of fight sports in Atlantic City and the Northeast.
“We love the opportunity to host Friday Night Fights,” said Matt Howard, Vice President of Gomes Gaming. “This was a dream of Dennis Gomes, God rest his soul. This is what he wanted, high profile televised fights. We are trying to make that happen. We are excited for our customers as well as the boxing community.”
Over the past year Resorts has hosted several boxing and MMA events in addition to a variety of music and other entertainment, and strives to put on the shows that the public wants to see.
“Everything we do is to honor Dennis,” said Howard. “When envisioning what we want for our property, this was one of our plans. We have the perfect venue for the fights and are very excited for next Friday.”
The full fight card is as follows:
· NABF Lightweight Title Fight- Henry Lundy vs. Raymundo Beltran (10)
· Super Middleweight- Richard Pierson vs. Farah Ennis (10)
· Bantamweight- Miguel Cartagena vs. Jose Rivera (6)
· Light Heavyweight- Frankie Filippone vs. TBA (6)
· Light Middleweight- Decarlo Perez vs. TBA (6)
· Super Middleweight- Derrick Webster vs. TBA (6)
· Light Middleweight- Thomas Lamann vs. TBA (6)
· Welterweight- Juan Rodriguez Jr. vs. TBA (4)
· Light Welterweight- Josh Mercado vs. Korey Sloane (4)
· Super Middleweight- Antowyan Aikens vs. TBA (4)
· Light Heavyweight- Joe Smith Jr. vs. TBA (4)
· Welterweight- Anthony Young vs. TBA (4)
♔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.
The much-anticipated showdown between undefeated International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KOs), of Tallahassee, Fla., and popular hometown favorite and former World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight titleholder Jean Pascal (26-2-1, 16 KOs), scheduled for August 11 live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on SHOWTIME®, has been postponed to a later date due to a right-hand injury sustained by Pascal during a sparring session 1 ½ weeks ago.
“To tell you the truth, Pascal said at yesterday’s press conference in Montreal, “I was so sad when the decision was made that I even cried. This is the first time it’s happened to me for a fight. I haven’t fought in 15 months and this was a golden opportunity for me. Thanks to everybody involved for rescheduling. This will make me stronger when I get in the ring.”
The “Shock Wave In Montreal” undercard, featuring an IBF super middleweight title eliminator between Canadian knockout artist Adonis “Superman” Stevenson, (18-1, 15 KOs), of Montreal, and United States Boxing Association (USBA) champion Donovan “Da Bomb” George (22-2-1, 19 KOs), of Chicago, Illinois, has been postponed until late August or early September.
“Jean Pascal tried hard to fight through his hand injury with a cortisone shot and therapy,” Pascal’s promoter Yvon Michel (GYM) explained, “but after yesterday’s second MRI on his hand, we were notified by Dr. Francis Fontaine that he would not give medical clearance for Jean Pascal to fight on August 11. The evaluation revealed that Jean has a bone bruise and only rest can heal it. He was in good physical condition and his weight was right where we wanted it to be at this stage. He had an excellent training camp, right on target, preparing to fight Cloud.
“Jean is a warrior. He tried extremely hard to convince us to let him fight because he believed he could beat Cloud with one good hand like he did when he defeatedAdrian Diaconu (December, 2009) with a dislocated shoulder. At 29 years old and reaching his peak, we were not about to let him jeopardize his career by fighting injured. Jean has always challenged and fought best during his career. He certainly is not afraid of Cloud.
“Cloud vs. Pascal is the best fight the light heavyweight division can provide. Both are fan friendly fighters who want to establish themselves as the best puncher in the 175-pound division. It’s a huge fight in Montreal where tickets sales were very high and we were headed for a crowd of 10,000, which is great for a summer event in Montreal. Fans deserve to watch these two fighters at their physical bests. We are working with Stephen Espinoza (Showtime) and Don King to reschedule this great show in the fall. We are all committed to rescheduling and grateful that Showtime recognizes Cloud vs. Pascal as one of the most entertaining light heavyweight match-ups in years. Within a week we hope to have everything finalized in terms of rescheduled this great fight.”
“Pascal has Tavorisitis,” Cloud’s promoter Don King. “He needs more time to get his courage up to fight this smaller version of Tyson. Tavoris is of the Tyson ilk. He’s a search-and-destroy kind of guy.
"Pascal has been tweeting that he had a sad day because his Mercedes-Benz had a flat tire. Well, Tavoris is going to give Pascal a flat ass to go with his flat tire. This is going to be the fight of the decade. Tweet that!
“Tavoris Cloud is decreeing war on Jean Pascal and he’s taking no prisoners. He told me he can’t wait to get to Canada to destroy this faker and win the hearts and minds of his new Canadian brothers and sisters. Viva Canada!!!"
"When Tavoris heard Pascal said he cried over this injury, he said to just wait until he gets done with Pascal, he’ll be crying like a baby.”With just a few days to go until the biggest show on Earth gets underway in the British capital, we look at the men and women in each of the weight categories who can have a real impact at the London 2012 Olympic Games. In the final part of this series, we examine the Fly (51kg), Light (60kg) and Middleweight (75kg) women.
Women Flyweight (51kg)
Women Lightweight (60kg)
Difficult to look beyond the Irish icon Katie Taylor (photo) for this one, she was recently crowned a quadruple AIBA World Champion and took the best boxer trophy in China. Her main rival will be the impressive Russian Sofya Ochigava, who she defeated in the final. Quanitta Lee 'Queen' Underwood and Great Britain's Natasha Jones are the other favourites behind the front two. New Zealand's Alexis Pritchard trained with the AIBA Road to London programs and sparred with some of the best boxers around in preparation for the Olympic Games so could be a dark horse in the draw.
Women Middleweight (75kg)
Great Britain's Savannah Marshall, a 21-year-old orthodox fighter from Hartlepool, dubbed the 'Silent Assassin', became the first British woman to be crowned an AIBA World Champion after taking gold at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships Qinhuangdao 2012 and now will be the firm favourite to take the Olympic title after defeating all before her in China. Marshall will be the one to beat, but she has some tough opposition to deal with. Azerbaijan's Elena Vystropova came second to the young Brit in the World Championships this year and after losing by just two points in the final, she will firmly believe that she can claim gold at the ExCeL London on 9 July when then women's finals take place. Canada's triple AIBA World Champion Mary Spencer was one of the sport's dominant forces in recent years so will be keen to re-assert her authority on the young pretenders. Russia's Nadezda Torlopova was the Heavyweight (81kg) AIBA World Champion in 2010 so her power makes her a major contender too. Finally, American teenage sensation Claressa Shields is one the most talented fighters to ever emerge in women's boxing and even though she is only 17, she has all the attributes of a future great.
Marlen Esparza: Vogue usually doesn’t devote much of its coverage to boxing. But history will be made in London this summer when the Olympics feature women’s boxing for the first time, and Vogue has published a compelling profile on Marlen Esparza.
Esparza started boxing when she was 11 in her hometown of Pasadena, Texas. Now 23, Esparza might be the best bet to win gold for the U.S.
The Vogue profile notes that she doesn’t necessarily look the part: “A track-and-field athlete, perhaps, or a runner, but at five feet three and 112 pounds she is neither brawny nor particularly fierce-looking.”
But there’s no arguing that she looks stunning in that red dress for her Vogue shoot, nor with her 69–2 record.
♔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.
Melissa Hernandez (16-3-3, 6 KOs) is from Puerto Rico. She is set to fight July 28, 2012, in Georgia against native Nicole Woods (11-9-2, 3 KOs) in Columbus, GA. Hernandez has moved around various weight classes, as have a lot of women just to get fights.
2012 is the first year women's boxing will be a part of the Olympic Games. Although women's boxing has been a recognized sport since the first organized bouts in London in the 1720's, it has taken a very long time for women to be allowed in the ring at the Olympics. London will host the first women's boxing events in just a few days, bringing the sport full circle over a span of approximately 300 years.
Three women will represent Team USA in three weight classes. Each of these young women possess an enormous amount of strength, beauty, character, and yes, femininity. They each have battled their way to a chance to compete in this historic event.
Claressa Shields
At just 17 years of age, Claressa Shields is a stunning young woman who is unafraid to speak openly of her faith. At an age when faith is one of the last things on most young people's minds, God ranks first for Shields. This gold medal favorite trains hard and fights hard, going undefeated for 26 fights before her first loss. It was a loss she accepted prayerfully as a lesson God wanted her to learn on her journey to the Olympics.
Shields will represent the USA in the middleweight class. Her muscles tight, long brown hair braided back from her face, Shields is a picture of determination, a young woman who has overcome awful abuse but still stands strong. Head bowed and eyes closed in prayer, her beautiful, youthful glow exudes peace and serenity."God has a plan for me, if it's meant for me to get this gold medal, I will," Shields told reporter, Val Berry.
Marlen Esparza
A new CoverGirl model, 22-year-old Marlen Esparza is as stunning outside the ring as in. Outside the ring, Esparza is happy to be the first Hispanic Olympian to be selected to represent CoverGirl, saying, "Anyone can be beautiful, and is deserving of beauty no matter what your personal situation is. You don't have to be famous to look good." Inside the ring, she has won six consecutive national championships in her division and will represent Team USA in the flyweight class.
Esparza is also unafraid to let her light shine when it comes to her faith. She told the North Channel Area Chamber of Commerce, upon receiving an award for her accomplishments, "I've done really well in the last three years, and I give all the glory to God and to Jesus Christ. That lifts a lot off of me and helps me perform better."
Queen Underwood
I wrote about Queen Underwood and her heart of a champion in June. She has strength almost beyond measure, and not just physically. Yes, she is a strong fighter with determination made clear in her motto, "Can't Stop, Won't Stop." But she also has an inner strength that gave her the power to overcome horrible abuse and stand tall as a role model and inspiration for others.
Fighting for Team USA in the lightweight class, 27-year-old Underwood has been through more than many people face in a lifetime, but she chooses to fight. With a radiant smile that testifies to her ability to overcome, Underwood's truest beauty will always be her heart.
THE WORLD’S BEST IN FEMALE BOXING; By Pedro FernandezSan Francisco, CA- At one point and time in the prior decade of the 1990s, female boxing was a subject that you could broach with a casual sports fan and have a conversation. Most of this had to do with Don King’s promoting Christy Martin, the “Queen-pin” of female fighters who is said to have made millions of dollars during her reign as the predominant female fighter in the world. But as we see in men’s boxing, Christy got “gift” decisions, lost a fight to Sumya Anani that virtually nobody in 1998 saw because it was on the then fledging Direc TV.
WHAT HAPPENED TO FEMALE BOXING?
The sport has been the victim of mass discrimination by U.S promoters, especially at the club level. I’ve talked to promoters who won’t utilize the services of female boxers for a number of reasons, which in my mind all track back to being a Male Chauvinist Pig. Some of you might not like the thought of women fighting, but it’s OK for them to partake in every other sport for the most part outside of the National Football League. The bottom line is that female fighters never dog it! You don’t see women in dull fights. Why? Because they are fighting for the life of their sport, trying their best to make it a livelihood.
Fighting at 145 lbs., the aforementioned Mary Ann Owen considers her the best “P4P” female in boxing, this even though she was on the short end of a rematch decision with Holly Holm in New Mexico last month.
4) Cecilia Braehkus is a 140 lb. fighter that boxes out of Germany. With a record of 20-0, 5 KOs, the Norwegian native is the WBO, WBA & WBC 147 lb. champ. Considered an iconic figure in both Norway and Germany, Cecilia can fight and appears to be making a living seeing she has sponsors and does great ratings on European TV when she fights.
5) Mariana Juarez is the WBC 112 lb. champ (35-5-3 (16 KO’s) who recently won a fight in Ontario, CA. Afterwards, Ms. Juarez was embarrassed as Ava Knight, who traveled to Southern California by car and then called Juarez out right then and there to unify the 112 lb. belts. Knight is willing to fight Juarez in her native Mexico at the drop of a hat and a decent purse.
6) Ana Maria Torres is 23-3-3, 16 KOs and the WBC super flyweight (115) from Mexico.
7) Jeanine Garside hails from Windsor, Canada and holds the WBO & WBC 126 lb. champ is 10-3-1, 4 KOs. Another Cannuck that can fight!
8) Holly Holm of New Mexico at 145 lbs. is 31-2-3, 9 KOs. Although she bested Ann Sophie Mathis in June, Holly avenged a previous KO loss by “jabbing and grabbing” according to Ms. Owen. Holly sells a lot of tickets and has even fought and won MMA matches.
9) Myriam Lamare hails from France. Fighting at 145, she was an outstanding amateur fighter (49-3) who is now 20-3, 10 KOs as a professional.
10) Susi Kentikan is a German who is 20-1, 16 KOs, is coming off a Majority Decision loss recently to Melissa McMorrow (7-3) in what was a stunner! Fighting around 110 lbs., she can roll at 108 or 110.
11) Ada Velez fights out of Florida and is 20-4, 6 KOs. A bantamweight (118) who dropped a recent decision to (7-3) Melissa McMorrow, who seems to be the “upset” queen of female boxing.
11) Jackie Nava from the border town of Tijuana, MX is 23-3-2, 11 KOs. She has been rated at 118, 122, 126 & 130 lbs. and was the first ever WBC female champion in 2005.
12) Hanna Gabriel Valle of Costa Rica won a title at 147, but making the weight affected her health. Now a jr. middleweight (154) she drew 14,000 Costa Rican fans fighting at home. Her record is 11-0-1, 6 KOs.
13) Diana Prazak is a 130 lb. from Australia who is training in Los Angeles, CA by the “greatest” female fighter in the minds of some in history, Lucia Ryjker. She is 11-1, 7 KOs.
14) Argentina’s Yesica Yolanda Bopp fights at light flyweight and has been WBA champ since 2008. She has added the WBO title and had six successful defenses in 2011 alone. Her unbeaten record is 20-0, 9 KOs and has defeated the extremely capable Carina Moreno in her first 2011 defense.
15) Carina Moreno is from Salinas, CA. A sweet girl outside the ring, inside the squared circle she is the “meanest (female) from Salinas. At light flyweight she is 22-3, 6 KOs.
16) Susie “Q” Ramadan of Australia fights only in her homeland and is 20-1, 8 KOs. In order to bolster her status at 118, she needs to fight in Europe or North America.
17) Kaliesha West is the WBO 118 lb. champ out of Moreno Valley, CA. At 15-1-3, 4 KOs, she started training at the age of 10 after watching her father Juan Westbox. Dad wasn’t too cool on having his daughter box, but her determination and will to fight overcame her father’s wishes and she is now one of the better fighters in the world.
18) Melissa Hernandez (16-3-3, 6 KOs) is from Puerto Rico. She is set to fight July 28, 2012, in Georgia against native Nicole Woods (11-9-2, 3 KOs) in Columbus, GA. Hernandez has moved around various weight classes, as have a lot of women just to get fights.
19) Last but not least is Christy “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” Martin who was born in West Virginia and now resides in Florida. She survived being shot and stabbed by her now ex-husband Jim Martin in late 2010 for her telling him she was leaving! Long in the tooth at 45, Christy is supposed to retire after her fight with Mia St John in August. Overall she is 49-5-1, 33 KOs. This was the women’s boxing “flag-bearer’ for most of the 1990s, supporting main events that had Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez and others on top. Now an admitted Lesbian, Christy’s time was the “golden era” of female boxing. The sport might never raise to the heights of popularity that it did when Martin and Don King brought female boxing into your front room on Showtime and Pay Per View.
