Mightygloves - Boxing News, Women's Boxing

Next up on “The Contender” Cornelius K-9 Bundrage takes on Walter Wright in a highly anticipated bout. Friction between the two participants has been brewing and we can expect to see fierce competition when they step into the ring next Tuesday AT 9:00 P.M. ET on ESPN.

The championship bout will be held Tuesday, September 26 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be telecast live on ESPN. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

Story by Kathleen Holland
Photos Courtesy of ESPN

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 5:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAMUEL PETER

“This is the biggest, most important fight of my life. I will destroy Toney.

“I have no fear and am ready for anything he has to offer and that includes his tricks, style and maneuvers. He is going to see things from me that the world has never seen before.

“I have never been primed for a fight like I am for this one. I have had excellent sparring with top-notch guys.

“Toney knows he made a silly mistake by agreeing to fight me. I am going to hit him everywhere.

“Toney has nothing. Whatever power he had went away 20 years ago.

“I promise you I will win by knockout’’

ROBERT GUERRERO

“I feel like I normally would a few days before any fight, but this is not just “any” fight. This is the biggest fight ever for me.

“I have worked very hard. I know Eric Aiken is a great, tough fighter who is really coming into his own. But I am in great shape.

“I am so ready to fight. I wish the fight was now. Waiting is the hardest part, especially the last couple days when time goes so slow.’’

Posted by mightygloves.com at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Providence-native Godfrey (12-0, 7 KOs), rated No. 14 by the WBA and WBC, defends his USNBC and NABA titles against WBC Continental Americas champion and WBC No. 13 ranked Batchelder (24-2-1, 11 KOs).

Former USBA & NABF lightweight title-holder Israel “Pito” Cardona (35-6, 27 KOs), of Hartford, faces intra-state rival, former IBC International welterweight title challenger Shaka Moore (9-10-3, 1 KO, of Norwalk (CT), in a six-round bout.

Unbeaten prospect Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard (10-0, 7 KOs), of Manchester (CT), moves up in weight to fight for the vacant WBC Youth super featherweight championship against an opponent to be determined in the 10-round co-feature.

Also scheduled to fight on the undercard in separate bouts are USBO super bantamweight champion Mike “Machine Gun” Oliver (15-0, 7 KOs), of Hartford; undefeated heavyweight and 2004 U.S. Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada (6-0, 1 KO), of Providence; former U.S. Nationals amateur heavyweight gold medalist Tony Grano (4-0-1, 4 KOs), of Hebron (CT); junior middleweight Enrique Palau (4-0, 4 KOs), of Worcester (MA). All bouts and fighters are subject to change.

For more information call 401.724.2254.

Posted by mightygloves.com at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Q: How did you get involved with the sport of boxing?

EG: That's a funny story, Dave. I never wanted to become a boxer. I wanted to be a baseball player. I'm from the Virgin Islands. My mother moved to New York City and I followed. When I was a teenager, my cousin got me a job at a factory. One hot day, I took off my shirt. Howard Albert, the factory owner, stared at me and was impressed with my physique and asked if I ever boxed before. I thought he was crazy. He was a big boxing fan. He brought me over to a NYC Parks Dept. gym and introduced me to Gil Clancy. Gil and Howie were my co-managers for the rest of my career, and I still see them today.

Q: In your opinion, what were the key factors that turned you into a great champion?

EG: That's hard for me to say. I've been told that I have natural athletic ability. I will tell this, I always listened to my trainer Gil Clancy. If I didn't, Clancy would give it to me good. Gil didn't play.

Q: What was your most memorable moment in your boxing career?

EG: Winning my first belt on April Fools Day, when I beat the "The Kid" (Benny Paret). I did a flip. It was so exciting for me and my family. I fooled the world that day.

Q: Who was your toughest opponent?

EG: Dick Tiger was a very tough fighter. He was also a good friend and gentleman. He was a great body puncher.

Q: When you were not fighting, which boxers did you enjoy watching? and are there any fighters you enjoy watching today?

EG: I enjoyed watching Ali and my friend “Smokin” Joe Frazier and any fighter that was a well-skilled fighter. Gil and Howie would always show me films of my opponents. Gil would make points about the opponents, strengths and weaknesses, and I would take mental notes.

Q: Some athletes are very superstitious. Did you have any superstitions?

EG: Not really any superstitions. The only thing that I could think of is that I would always eat steak on the day of a fight.

Q: Emile, I have known you for a while and I have always seen you be very cordial and accommodating to your fans. Please, tell me what do your fans mean to you?

EG: I just like people and people like me. If I could give a fan an autograph and make them happy, then I'm happy. It makes me feel good that people still remember me.

Q: What keeps you active during your retirement?

EG: I'm resting, partying, and enjoying myself. I don't drive anymore, but send a car for me and I'm ready to go (laughs). I enjoy being with my son Luis. He is a great kid and is always looking out for his pops.

Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring boxer today?

EG: Train hard man. I always listened to my trainer Gil and worked hard. If you are not going to take boxing seriously, get out. This sport is no joke.

Q: Emile, is there anything you would like to say?

EG: Well, I would like to thank you, Dave, for this chance to say a few words, and I would like to say to anyone who reads this interview, if you see me anywhere just say hello, I don't bite (laughs).

Q: Thank you, Emile.

Story By Dave Selwyn

Posted by mightygloves.com at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not only has Englebrecht had a phenomenally successful show, “Battle in the Ballroom”, a pro boxing event, which he has been doing for 22 years at the Irvine Marriot in Irvine, California. At the current time he has six shows a year and has had sell-outs for the last ten shows. He also sold one of his promotion companies to none other than Oscar De La Hoya who he trained and has now become one of the biggest, if not the biggest promoter today.

Englebrecht has created a program that covers all aspects of being a promoter, from formulating your budget, to securing a venue, to putting your card together, to fight night and everything in between. He has gotten it down to a science, a “sweet science”.

Fight Promoter University II (FPU) just concluded in Irvine, California and all students graduated and received their MBA (Master of Boxing Administration) after three days of intense instruction and hands on training. I was fortunate enough to attend the class and I couldn’t have asked for a better or more informative program.

We started the class out on Wednesday, August 23 with a welcome breakfast and a get acquainted session before we got down to business. The class was made up of 38 students from 20 states, including 7 females.

After a welcome from Englebrecht and a brief history of FPU and what to expect during the course, we were treated to a keynote address by HBO Fight Commentator, Jim Lampley, who captivated the students through his memorable stories and his extreme passion for boxing that seemed to bring tears not only to his eyes, but the eyes of most, if not all of the students.

Roy then took over and our work began. (I might mention that I say it was work, and yes, it was, but, it was one of the most enjoyable three days I can remember.) Instruction on “Fight Promotions Basic Steps to Success” gave us an in-depth look at costs of putting on a show, what you can expect to make or what you can lose if you don’t follow the “ten steps to success”. We learned how to set up our budget, what purpose athletic or boxing commissions play, what a matchmaker’s role is, what managers and trainers do how to secure sponsors and other revenue and everything else it takes to have a successful fight promotion business.

Englebrecht brought in some of the premier professionals in the fight business to ensure that all avenues of promotion were covered. Andrew Ebel, Director of Marketing for Fight Night at the Tank and the San Jose Sharks at the HP Pavilion gave us insight into what it takes to market and advertise your show to make it successful. Bill Caplan, Hall of Fame Publicist who works with Top Rank and Carl Freitag, Editor in Chief of Fightnews.com informed us on the importance of public relations and how to publicize your promotion. Lester Bedford, CEO of the Bedford Agency, who has had some of the most successful shows in Texas, spoke on pricing and selling fight tickets. Jeremy Lappen, CEO of World Fighting Alliance discussed mixed martial arts, and what he sees in the future for this up and coming sport. Starting and building a fight promotion company was the topic presented by Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions and that was followed up with Robert Kies, CFO of Golden Boy Promotions explaining the importance of budgets and how to run your company successfully. Working with your State Athletic Commission was explained by Armando Garcia, Executive Officer of the California Athletic Commission and one of the best matchmakers in the business, Eric Gomez, Vice President and Head Matchmaker for Golden Boy Promotions taught us how matchmaking can make or break a show and the importance of finding a good matchmaker. Former manager of James Toney and “First Lady of Boxing”, Jackie Kallen, who was the inspiration for the movie “Against the Ropes” starring Meg Ryan, portraying her struggle to find and obtain success in a male dominated world of boxing, and Tom Loeffler, the President of K2 Promotions, the promotion company for the Klitchko Brothers, gave us a lesson on working with managers, trainers and fighters.

The classroom sessions were highly informative, but it didn’t stop there. We actually got to participate in a real show. We learned and/or performed all aspects from the weigh-in on Wednesday to fight night on Thursday, including venue assembly, fighter walk-in, ring card girl attendants, (there wasn’t a shortage on volunteers for ring card girl attendant) glovemen, and even ushering and ticket taking. We got real hands on experience.

If you think it ended there, guess again. After our Friday morning instruction it was time for graduation and our surprise guest commencement speaker. I was so excited to learn that world class trainer, manager and promoter, Emanuel Steward would close the session with an enlightening, informative and entertaining address before we were awarded our MBAs.

The highlight for me was the whole three days. If you have ever thought of becoming a fight promoter, this course is imperative. Roy has come up with the ultimate program, instructing us on the right and honest way to have a successful promotion business. He has given us his years of experience, detailing what to do and what not to do, and has pledged to continue helping the alumni of FPU whenever we have questions, indefinitely.

The cost for FPU is $1,995 per person and in my opinion it was worth every penny. The date for the next session has not been confirmed, but it will be sometime in the first quarter of 2007. For more information on the program visit FPU’s website at http://www.fightpromoteruniversity.com/

Story by Kathleen Holland
Photography by Chris McGee

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Scheduled in co-feature bouts are Mexican superstars, JORGE ARCE and JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ, JR.

Arce (44-3-1, Los Mochis, Mx), is the former WBC World Light Flyweight and World Flyweight Champion. Now rated the #1 World Super Bantamweight Contender, by the WBC, Arce will be moving up in weight and challenging former World Champion, MASIBULELE “Hawk” MAKEPULA (28-3, 20 KO's...East London, South Africa) for the WBC International Super Flyweight Championship.

Chavez, Jr. (27-0-1, Culiacán, Mexico), the son of Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez, will be headlining the six bout undercard when he defends his WBC Youth Light Middleweight title. Chavez' opponent, as well as the remainder of the remainder of the card, is to be announced.

Tickets for the event, which will begin at 7:30 pm, will go ON SALE Friday, September 1 at the Dodge Arena Box Office and all Dodge Arena outlets in the Rio Grande Valley. Ticket prices will be $200, $100, $75, $50, $35 and $25, plus service charges. Tickets will also be available online at www.dodgearena.com.

According to Bob Arum, Top Rank Chairman, the fight fans in the Rio Grande Valley have earned their opportunity to host their first HBO boxing event. "We at Top Rank are very aware of the great fight fans in the Valley," stated Arum, the Hall of Fame promoter from his offices in Las Vegas.

"No area in the country deserves to have this event more than the fans there. It has been our intention to put an HBO event at the Dodge Arena for quite some time, but have been looking for the right opportunity to do so. I believe with Jorge Arce challenging Makula in a World title elimination and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. heading up the undercard, we have a great event for not just the fans in the Valley, but the national and worldwide TV audience, as well."

Dodge Arena General Manager, Lou Rivera, agrees with Arum and is happy to have the September 23rd event in Hidalgo. "No question the fans here have deserved to have an event of this magnitude for a long time," Rivera pointed out. "As for the city of Hidalgo, this is one of the reasons the Dodge Arena was built -- to host the biggest events possible. This is not only good for the citizens of the Valley, but our economy as well.

Event coordinator, Lester Bedford, of The Bedford Agency in Colleyville, Texas, notes that the event will bring in thousands of dollars in economic impact and also provide mass exposure for the area.

"Between the production staff for HBO, the boxers, the boxer's camps and promotional staff, there will be over 300 persons flying into the local airports, staying in hotels, renting cars and spending money on food and entertainment," pointed out Bedford.

"In addition, there will be many temporary jobs created by the event at the arena. And that doesn't event count the thousands of dollars, if not millions of dollars in exposure for the Rio Grande Valley and the Dodge Arena. This is a win-win event for everyone, especially the fight fans.

Arce and Chavez, Jr. are scheduled to appear at a Media Conference next week to kick off the event. Details of the Media Conference are to be announced.

Posted by mightygloves.com at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Forbes, whose experience seemed to give him the edge, was quicker than his opponent, but Curiel held his own and the fight was extremely exciting.

Both Acevedo and Fraza suffered cuts over their left eyes, but that didn’t stop the action in this fast paced bout. Both fighters intense desire to win the bout was apparent in the back and forth exchanges of punches.

All 16 of the participants in the season of “The Contender” showed their desire and determination to win. They gave boxing fans and “The Contender” fans a great series with lots of action and some personal touches.

With 8 fighters left, the action should only get better.

“The Contender” championship bout will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on September 26. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

Story by Kathleen Holland
Photos courtesy of ESPN

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Holyfield’s hand picked opponent had to be everything that he hoped for. No competition. Albeit, Holyfield looked good, but would he look that good with stiff competition. If he does continue this comeback, let's hope he can do it safely.

You have to give it to Bates, though, he gave it his all, and one might say that this was a once in a lifetime chance for him, as he actually got to step into the ring with his boxing hero, Evander Holyfield.

Let’s hope that Holyfield calls it quits this time, or, maybe he and “Iron” Mike Tyson should go at it again. Both of these old timers want to keep fighting. Go figure!

Story by Kathleen Holland
Photos by Chris McGee

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by mightygloves.com at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It has been two years since Holyfield stepped into the ring, but is confident of his readiness and ability in the ring.

The card is sponsored by Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, Bossier City, Louisiana, Real Deal Events and will be held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The bout will be telecast live on Fox Sport Net at 10:00 P.M. CST.

The undercard features Julio Cesar Garcia (37-2) and Alfonso Sanchez (20-4-1) in an 8 round welterweight bout, Brian Vera (10-0) vs Antonio Garcia (19-23) in an 8 round middleweight bout. Jr welterweight, Jesse Lara (11-1-1) takes on Scott Ball (7-1) in a 6 round bout. Also Jr. welterweight, Chad Aquino (7-0-1) goes up against Tomondre King (4-12-5) in a fight scheduled for 6 rounds. Sergio Reyes (14-4) takes on Carlos Madrid (6-2) in a 6 round lightweight bout. Vanessa Juarez (2-0) and Rocio Vazquez (6-2) square off in a 4 round bantam weight bout, and Miguel Albares (2-2-1) takes on Ira Gutierrez (0-1) in a four round featherweight bout.

Story by Kathleen Holland
Photos by Chris McGee

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The undefeated Banks has a professional record of twelve wins, nine of them by knockout and no losses. His professional debut was July 30, 2004 when he beat Deandre McCole (3-7-3) by unanimous decision. His next fight, on September 23, 2004 was against Tihomir Dukic (0-1) where he again won by unanimous decision. On October 27, 2004 he beat Travis Moore (0-2) by knockout. On November 11, 2004 he won a unanimous decision against Carl Gathright (2-6). Another knockout, this time over Anterio Vines ( 4-5), on January 28, 2005. He went up against Abdul Shabazz (1-1) on April 29, 2005 and won by knockout. On July 9, 2005 Banks beat Raymond McLamore (3-8-1) by knockout as he did on August 13, 2005 against Roosevelt Johnson (4-5). Joe Johnson (6-9) was his knockout victim on November 4, 2005, followed by Mike Word (3-1-1) on February 2, 2006 and Sebastian Hill (10-11-1) on March 10, 2006. That led up to his biggest accomplishment to date, and that was his thrilling fourth round knockout over Eliseo Castillo (20-2-1), when he claimed the NABO Cruiserweight championship.

Banks is managed and trained by, arguably, one of the best trainers of all time, Emanuel Steward, where they train at the famous Kronk Gym in Detroit.

The following is the interview in its entirety.

Interview with Johnathon Banks
August 9, 2006

MG: We are doing an interview with Johnathan Banks NABO cruiserweight champion. Tell me about yourself and what got you interested in boxing.

JB: A little bit about me, not so much to tell, really, Johnathan Banks, 24 years old, like you said, NABO cruiserweight champion, from Detroit, Michigan, born and raised. Managed and trained by Emanuel Steward. Best buddies with one of the best gentlemen in the world named Andy Lee, you can’t get no better than that, you know. (laughter) What got me into boxing, I wouldn’t say nothing really got me into it, it’s just something I always wanted to do every since I was a baby. I always dreamed about boxing. And that is all I wanted to do.

MG: Is there anybody that kind of pushed you in that direction, or just . .

JB: It’s just something I always wanted to do since I was little. I just remember I played baseball, I played basketball, I played football, nothing I really wanted to do but box. I always begged my parents for my mother to sign me up for boxing. I always wanted to box.

MG: In your last fight against Eliseo Castillo, you knocked him out in the fourth round, and in the first round he knocked you down twice, what did you learn from that and what did you do to come back from the knockdowns.

JB: What I learned out of the fight, you know, I learned that I could pretty much weather any storm, and it’s not so much I learned it, I knew I could, but you never know for sure you can do something until you actually go through it, and I went through it, you know, I went through it, I got through and I came out on top.

MG: Did you make adjustments after you were knocked down?

JB: The reason I had to make adjustments is because of the careless mistakes I did to get knocked down. You know, I was starting from too far back and that was a careless mistake on my part, and I learned from that mistake and I didn’t start from too far back again, so the only thing I had to do is what I trained to do in the gym, and that’s what I do.

MG: What is your next fight?

JB: My next fight, should be, I don’t have the exact date, but it should be at the end of September back in Detroit.l

MG: You don’t know who your opponent is, yet?

JB: No, I don’t know yet.

MG: Tell me what it’s like training at the Kronk Gym.

JB: It is unlike any other gym in the world. Training at the Kronk Gym, I remember the very first time I walked down in there, I busted out in a sweat because it was so hot down there, but it was also exciting because when I first walked down there I seen guys I seen on TV. I seen Tommy Hearns down there, I seen Michael Moorer down there Morris McCrory, I seen a lot of guys, I seen Lennox Lewis down there, I seen Harry Akinwande down there. One time I walked down there and Roy Jones was down there. I seen so many guys down at that gym I was like wow! You know, it’s a heck of a place to be at.

MG: One of these days your picture will be up there with all those other guys, huh?

JB: Well, I’m fortunate that it is up there now.

MG: It is up there now, is it up there with your new title?

JB: No, my belt is not up there yet, but when I get back, I will be taking pictures of my belt and get it up there, but now it’s so exciting because it is the new generation. You know, all the children down there, the Aaron Pryor Jr’s, the Andy Lee’s down there. You know, when we walk in the gym, it's like energy. If I’m down there training and Andy Lee walk in, it’s like a burst of energy walking in. And so is Aaron Pryor, Jr., its all those guys, we coming up together, we fighting together and we bring our own separate energy to the gym and I feel that it is all needed. I like when I look around and see Aaron Pryor and I see Andy Lee, you know, it’s a different type of energy that you can’t pretty much describe, but it is all needed.

MG: What about Emanuel’s training?

JB: You can’t get no better than that, that speaks for itself, his name speaks for itself. I mean his credentials and everything else totally speaks for itself. I mean there’s not too many other guys in the sport that took a guy that didn’t know how to throw a punch to a world champion. I mean, he did to more than one guy, so that just speaks for itself.

MG: Tell me what your goals are.

JB: My goal is to be champion of the world, and to be, not just champion of the world, but to an exciting champion of the world, somebody that people want to come see, you know, not just a regular champion that people see fighting and turn the channel.

MG: Cruiserweight seems to an exciting division, I mean there are some good prospects, are you going to stay at cruiserweight or are you going up to heavyweight?

JB: The reason I’m making it my business to stay cruiserweight is because of the excitement that is not in the cruiserweight division. There is no excitement in
Cruiserweight, nobody even pays attention to the cruiserweight division. A lot of people don’t\even know what cruiserweight means. They ask me, “what is that middleweight?”. Its right under heavyweight and a lot of regular fight fans don’t know what cruiserweight is. And what it is, I got an opportunity, I have an opportunity right now to do something great, and that’s to bring excitement back to this cruiserweight division, and a lot of times, I take one of the great fighters, Muhammed Ali, they didn’t care what weight class he was, they just wanted to see him fight and that’s what I’m trying to do, they don’t care what weight class I am, they just want to see me fight, because back then, it wasn’t about the division the guys were in, it was about the fighter and they wanted to see the fighters fight, and that is what I’m trying to do.

MG: Tell me what you would like to add, what else do you want to tell fans about the cruiserweight division?

JB: What I want to tell fans about the cruiserweight division is ready or not, here it comes!

MG: Is there anything else you want to add?

JB: No, I don’t think so.

MG: Thanks a lot for your time.

Johnathon Banks is a class act. His ambition and determination have already paid off, but look for him to dominate in the cruiserweight division. His heart and desire along with his exceptional skills will take him a long way. You can find out more about Johnathon Banks at his website: http://www.johnathonbanks.com/Home.html

Story and Interview by Kathleen Holland
Photos by Chris McGee

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by mightygloves.com at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stewart, even though he won the fight, had a very hard time because of the friendship that he had made with Ebo and the tremendous respect that he has for him. Not only was this a hard fight for Stewart and Elder, but their wives had become close and it was extremely difficult for them, too.
The blue team is leading with four wins to the gold team’s two wins. With two fights left to go in the first round, the four remaining fighters are anxious to box and move on to the next round. The championship bout is scheduled for September 26 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The bout will televised live on ESPN.

“The Contender” is produced by Mark Burnett Productions, Dreamworks, ESPN, Inc., Executive Producers are Mark Burnett, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Sylvester Stallone and Lisa Hennessy

Hosted by Boxing Legend, "Sugar" Ray Leonard, “The Contender” can be seen each Tuesday on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET.

Story by Kathleen Holland
Images courtesy of ESPN

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The nineteen-year old Garcia, nicknamed “”Baby Face," is one of boxing newest rising young superstars. Garcia will be accompanied in Dallas during fight week by his co-promoter and legendary 6-time world champion, Roberto Duran.

Also confirmed at ringside will be former World Champions, Bernard Hopkins, Paulie Ayala, Jesse James Leija, Chris Byrd, Troy Dorsey and Curtis Cokes.

Garcia turned pro three days after turning 15, and has not looked back since making his pro debut against Hector Salazar. Since making his pro debut Garcia has won the World Boxing Council (WBC) Fecarbox Super Featherweight Title, the Mexican Super Featherweight Title, World Boxing Association (WBA) Continental Light Welterweight Title, and the World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Light Welterweight Title.

He recently knocked out Grover Wiley to capture the International Boxing Organization (IBO) Americas Welterweight Title.

According to Duran, Garcia looks to have a great future. "No question this is a future World Champion," insisted Duran. "This is the best young welterweight in the world and everyone will see that Friday Night. He's only 19 years old, but one of the best punchers for any weight division in boxing."

The 34 year old veteran Sanchez captured the Mexican Light Welterweight title in 1996 when he knocked out Horacio Cervantes in 11 rounds. Then in 1998, Sanchez unsuccessfully challenged Vince Phillips for Phillip's IBF World Jr. Welterweight title.

Also slated for action are Dallas-Fort Worth area fighters -- Brian Vera, Jesse Lara, Sergio Reyes, Vanessa Juarez and Tomondre King.

The undefeated Vera (10-0, Fort Worth) will put his unblemished record on the linje against Antonio Garcia (19-23, Piedras Negras, Mx) in an eight-round Middleweight fight. Garcia is the older brother of Julio Cesar Garcia, also fighting on the card, as mentioned above. The Vera/Garcia fight will be a rematch of an exciting fight between the two last February, won by Vera.

Dallas' Lara (11-1-1), is scheduled for six rounds in the Jr. Welterweight division against Scott Ball (7-1, Rochester, Minnesota),

The former 1992 Olympian, Reyes (14-4, Fort Worth), will be returning to the ring after a five-year layoff when he battles Carlos Madrid (6-2, El Paso, Tx) in a six-round lightweight bout. Reyes challenged Orlando Canizalez for the IBF World Bantamweight Championship in 1994, losing a controversial decision. He is also a former #1 world ranked, IBF Bantamweight contender and U.S.B.A. Bantamweight Champion.

The 18 year old Juarez (2-0, Fort Worth, Tx), a former 9-Time National Amateur Woman's Champion, will face off with Rocio Vazquez (6-2, Dallas, Tx) in a four-round Woman's Bantamweight fight. Vazquez is formerly from Mexico City, but now lives and trains in Dallas.

King (4-12-5) will be taking on Houston's undefeated Chad Aquino (7-0-1) in a six-round, Jr. Welterweight contest. Rounding out the card will be Miguel Albares ((2-2-1, Houston, Tx) and Ira Gutierrez (0-1, Lubbock, Tx) in a four-round featherweight bout.

Posted by mightygloves.com at 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By the end of the 8th round they were so tired, it seemed to be an ordeal to even throw a punch, but somehow both fighters worked through their exhaustion and continued their brutal attacks of each other in a very entertaining fight.

At the end of the eleventh round, Maskaev was ahead on two of the judges scorecards. Jerry Roth had it at 106-103 and Glenn Trowbridge scored it 105-104 for Maskaev and Anek Hongtongkam had Rahman leading 106-103.

In the twelth round, Maskaev knocked Rahman down twice before referee Jay Nady called a halt to the bout.

Promoted by Top Rank, Wynn Las Vegas, Ceasars Palace and televised live on HBO PPV, the fight was entitled America’s Last Line of Defense and was the second meeting between these two warriors. The first meeting ended with a Maskaev victory after he, not only knocked Rahman out in the eighth round, but knocked him out of the ring right onto the HBO announcing crew.

On the undercard, Humberto Soto (40-5-2,24 KOs) destroyed Ivan Valle (24-8-1, 20 KOS) with a 4th round TKO in a WBC super featherweight eliminator bout. Soto was the aggressor in the bout knocking Valle down twice in the first and third rounds before ending the bout with an impressive TKO at 42 seconds of the fourth round. Valle was penalized two points in the second round for blows. Soto threw an accidental low blow in the third round, but was not penalized. At the time of the TKO, Soto had won all three rounds on each of the judges score cards.

David Diaz (32-1-1, 16 KOS) upset Jose Armanda Santa Cruz (23-3, 23 KOs) to become the new WBC Interim light weight champion. The bout ended at 2:26 of the tenth round after Diaz knocked Santa Cruz down twice. Santa Cruz was ahead on all judges scorecards at the time of the TKO. The bout was scheduled for 12 rounds.

Vanes Martirosyan (10-0, 6 KOs) defeated Marcus Brooks (6-2, 3 KOs) by unanimous decision in a six round super welterweight bout. Martirosyan knocked Brooks down in the first round, but Brooks was able to recover and the fight went the distance.

Story by Kathleen Holland
Photos by Chris McGee

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the undercard, The most exciting bout of the evening, was a 10 round middleweight bout in which Jose Luis Zertuche (19-2-2, 13 KOs) beat Carlos Bojorquez (26-9-6, 22 KOs) with an 8th round TKO at 1:25. Zeurteche was the aggressor, but Bojorquez fought back and they both put on a boxing display that was fun to watch.

Up and coming southpaw, Andy Lee (4-0, 2 KOs) defeated Carl Cockerman (12-12-3) in a 6 round super middleweight bout. All three judges scored the bout 60-54. “He was a tough fighter”, said Lee, I just couldn’t score the KO.” Lee is trained by world class trainer, Emanuel Steward at the famous Kronk Gym in Detroit and promises to be a top contender in the middleweight class.

The card was sponsored by Top Rank, The Orleans Hotel and Casino and was broadcast on the OLN Network.

Story by Kathleen Holland
Photos by Chris McGee

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The bout is promoted by Top Rank in association with Dennis Rappaport Productions, Caesars Palace and Wynn Las Vegas. The bout, which is entitled “America’s Last Line of Defense”, will be broadcast live on HBO PPV. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office. Prices are $600, $400, $300, $200, $100, and $50.

Story by Kathleen Holland
Photos by Chris McGee

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rahman is credited with one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history when he knocked out Lennox Lewis in five rounds to win the WBC, IBF and IBO titles, but Lewis reclaimed his championship seven months later when he scored a fourth round knockout against Rahman.

Maskaev has had his ups and downs since their first meeting, but has fought his way back to be the number one contender for the WBC heavyweight title.

The card is promoted by Top Rank in association with Dennis Rappaport Productions, Caesars Palace and Wynn Las Vegas., Rahman-Maskaev II will be broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Tickets are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50 and are on sale and can be purchased at the Thomas & Mack box office, online at www.unlvtickets.com or by calling (702) 739-FANS.

Story by Kathleen Holland
Photos by Chris McGee

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 5:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by mightygloves.com at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

“The Contender” is an unscripted reality series highlighting 16 welterweight fighters who are vying for “The Contender” championship and the grand prize of $500,000. The participants were divided into two teams, blue and gold, and live together, train together and eventually fight each other. One fighter is eliminated each week and one moves on to the semi-final round. The championship bout is scheduled for September 26 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be telecast live on ESPN2.

“The Contender” is produced by Mark Burnett Productions, Dreamworks and ESPN and is telecast each Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET.

Story by Kathleen Holland

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"I know this may sound crazy to some, but I'm telling you, Evander is in the best shape he's been in for the past ten years," stated Shields, Holyfield's respected boxing trainer who has guided fifteen world champions.

"If he performs the way he's been performing in the gym, I truly believe he has a real chance with anyone out there."

Hallmark, Holyfield's long-time personal trainer and strength conditioning coach, has been pleasantly surprised, but not shocked at Holyfield's progress. "It's really amazing how he (Holyfield) has come back and gotten himself into top condition," said Hallmark, who has been at Holyfield's side for 20 years.

"But then again, nothing that Evander Holyfield surprises me. I agree with Ronnie -- this is the best I have seen him in a long time. It's been a while since I can remember him being 100% healthy and able to do all that he needs to do in the fitness gym and at the track with me."

Both Shields and Hallmark point to the 20 month layoff (last fight - loss to Larry Donald, November 13, 1004) as being the best thing that could have happened for Holyfield, if he were to continue his career.

"No question, taking the time off has been a blessing for Evander," Shields continued. "More than anything else, Evander now has two healthy shoulders and he's training without pain. There's a big difference in what we can do in the gym, especially sparring."

Ditto on conditioning, according to Hallmark. "It's really amazing all the things Evander can do again on the conditioning side, now that he doesn't have any pain," claimed Hallmark.

"To be honest, I was very skeptical about him fighting again, not because he couldn't fight anymore, but mostly because he just couldn't get his shoulder well and keep from cramping. All of that has gone away and for the first time in five years or so, he and I can finally do our jobs in getting him ready properly. It's very exciting and motivating to see him this way."

According to Shields, Holyfield started sparring two weeks ago and is working approximately 15 rounds a week. "At Evander's age, the important thing is not necessarily a lot of sparring, but quality sparring," he noted. "And Evander is looking really good in sparring right now, which wasn't the case in his last couple of fights."

Sparring partner Adam Richards, agrees with Shields assessment. "Hey, I'm surprised myself," said Richards, a talented 13-1 pro from Murfreesboro, TN. "Evander is a lot stronger and quicker that I expected. The old man is not so old. He's kicking my butt right now. Anyone who isn't taking him serious is mistaken."

Looking good in the gym doesn't always translate into a good performance on fight night, especially at 43 years old, as Shields knows. "You never know what to expect from 43 year old fighters," acknowledged Shields.

"But Evander is no ordinary 43 year old athlete. "He's not only healthy and in great shape, but really believes his will in God and inner strength will carry him through anything. That's how he beat 16 world champions and won the world heavyweight title, four times. That's a powerful thing and the way he's looking in the gym and the fact he is now healthy, there's no way I can doubt him right now, until he's proven otherwise.

"Hopefully people understand what this means to Evander and how serious he is. They need to give him an opportunity to play this out and see where it goes."

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 31 – Middleweight southpaw, Andy Lee( 3-0, 2 KOs) of Limerick, Ireland, who is trained by Emanuel Steward of the world famous Kronk Gym in Detroit, Michigan, will take on Danny Jevic (7-7-2) of Redondo Beach, California in a 6 round bout on Thursday August 10th as part of the Top Rank Card from The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

July 31 – It has been disclosed by American Lawyer, Nicholas Khan that Manny Pacquaio may get $1 million if Eric Morrales fails to make weight for their upcoming bout on November 18. According to the contract, if Morrales weighs 130.1 to 131 lbs during the weigh-in he will have to pay Pacquiao $500,000. If the weight is 131.1 to 132 the fine increases to $1 million and if the weight is over 132, Pacquiao gets $1 million and has the option of not fighting.

August 1 - Walter “Two Guns” Wright of the gold team scored a unanimous decision over Andre Eason Tuesday night on ESPN2’s“The Contender” series. All three judges gave Wright every round. “The Contender” airs Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The final bout is scheduled for September 26 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be televised live on ESPN2.

August 2 – IBF Featherweight champion, Eric “Mighty Mouse” Aiken (16-4, 12 KOs) will take on Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero on Saturday, September 2 as part of the “No Risk, No Reward” Toney vs Peter card which will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and telecast on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET. It is being promoted by Goosen Tutor Promotions, Don King Productions and Duva Boxing. Tickets are on sale at the Staples Center or through Ticketmaster. Prices are $300, $150, $75 and $50.

August 4 - Tony Hanshaw (20-0, 13 KOs) of Warren, Ohio scored a unanimous decision over Esteban Camou (18-2, 15 KOs) of Navojoa, Mexico and Lafarrel Bunting (16-1-1, 16 KOs) of Memphis, Tennessee scored a 5th round TKO over Jose Luis Herrera (14-2, 14 KOs) of San Onofre, Columbia during Friday Night’s live telecast of SHOWTIME’s “ShoBox: The New Generation” from the Sports Center of Las Vegas. Bunting, who took the fight on four day’s notice, replaced Sakio Bika, who had to withdraw due to an elbow injury. The tournament continues from the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California on October 6 with the semi final round featuring Jean Paul Mendy taking on Henry Buchanan and Tony Hanshaw squaring off against Lafarrel Bunting. The bouts will be featured live on SHOWTIME’S “ShoBox: The New Generation” and will air at 11p.m. ET (delayed on the West Coast). The final bout, which will be for the IBO Super Middleweight Championship, will be January 5, 2007.

August 5 - Vernon Forrest (28-2, 28 KOs) was given a controversial unanimous decision over Ike Quartey (37-3-1, 31 KOs) Saturday night at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City in a10 round light middleweight non championship bout. Former IBF middleweight champion, Kassim Ouma (25-2-1, 15 KOs) defeated Sechew Powell (20-1, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision in a ten round welterweight co-feature bout. Ouma was in control throughout the fight.

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The tournament continues from the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California on October 6 with the semi final round featuring Jean Paul Mendy taking on Henry Buchanan and Tony Hanshaw squaring off against Lafarrel Bunting. The bouts will be featured live on SHOWTIME’S “ShoBox: The New Generation” and will air at 11p.m. ET (delayed on the West Coast). The final bout, which will be for the IBO Super Middleweight Championship, will be January 5, 2007.

The tournament is sponsored by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC and is telecast live on SHOWTIME.

Story by Kathleen Holland

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Forrest was the busier fighter, but Quartey was the aggressor the entire fight and and landed with a much higher connect percentage. Forrest has been plagued with injuries to his shoulder and arm which may have played a part in his lack of aggression and his miserable connect rate, but that didn’t seem to affect the way the judges saw the bout.

Former IBF middleweight champion, Kassim Ouma (25-2-1, 15 KOs) defeated Sechew Powell (20-1, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision in a ten round welterweight co-feature bout. Ouma was in control throughout the fight.

Story by Kathleen Holland

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Second, we have Gary Shaw’s “Super Middleweight Tournament”. This tournament is just what it implies, it is a single elimination tournament of super middleweight contenders. This tournament began with 8 super middleweight fighters (168 lbs) competing for the IBO super middleweight championship and a cash prize of $50,000. ($50,000 also goes to the runner-up.) The opportunities of future potential fights that might come from being the IBO super middleweight champion may give the winner of that tournament a slight edge over “The Contender” champion in securing future fights, due to the fact that other fighters will be challenging him for his belt, but "The Contender" champion gets a much larger amount of money. There is no drama, other than the actual fight, but the information presented about each boxer, before the bout begins, is informative, and gives you an insight into the lives of each fighter. It is a true boxing tournament. The length of time between each phase of the tournament is necessary for the fighters to train for their next bout, but it may cause fans to loose interest.

There are only a couple of things that these two tournaments have in common, they are both single elimination tournaments and they highlight boxers that might not otherwise, get to showcase their talents on national television. After that, they are totally different. There are both good things and bad things about each tournament. The best thing about “The Contender” is the fierce competition that we get to see each week. We may not get to see the whole five round fight, as each episode is pre-recorded and only the highlights are shown, but what we do see is very competitive and exciting to watch. The fighters live and train together for this tournament.

On the other hand, the “Super Middleweight Tournament” is all about boxing. You will see ten rounds of live, unpredictable boxing, from an international group of athletes. The fighters train with their own trainers at a location of their own choice and the whole atmosphere is just like a regular boxing card. The first round has been completed, some bouts were exciting, some weren’t, but it is telecast live, so you get the opportunity to see the fighter’s talents and flaws. You get a better, all around picture of their capabilities.

Both tournaments have plenty to offer, and true boxing fans, even if they don’t like the drama of “The Contender”, should enjoy the great competition that the series affords, not to mention the great background information you get on each fighter and their families. It also gives fighters, who may not have had another opportunity to box, that once in a lifetime chance. The “Super Middleweight Tournament” takes boxers who are presently active in the sport and gives them national television exposure and an opportunity to become a sanctioned champion, a chance that most fighters never get.

If you took the best things from each tournament and mingled them together, seems to me you would have the ultimate boxing tournament. A little bit of drama out of the ring, but focusing on the boxer and their strengths and weaknesses during training and in the ring and how they can correct their flaws. Seeing, in its entirety, a 6 or 8 round bout (whatever time would permit) and getting the reactions from both the winner and loser on their performances, as well as their opinion of their opponent’s performance immediately after the fight is over, before they leave the ring. Although different, I personally enjoy the tournaments and feel they are both good for the sport of boxing.

“The Contender” is a production of Mark Burnett Productions, Dreamworks, and ESPN Original Entertainment. It is telecast each Tuesday night on ESPN 2 at 10 p.m. ET and will continue each Tuesday until the championship bout which will be live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on September 26. The bout will be telecast live on ESPN.

“The Super Middleweight Tournament” is a production of Gary Shaw Productions, LLC in association with Showtime and ShoBox: The New Generation. The first round has been completed and the semi final round will be held on October 6 at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California. The final bout will be January 5, 2007.

Story by Kathleen Holland
Mightygloves.com

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 12:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Saturday Sept, 2nd NABF Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (18-1-1, 11KO’s)
will battle IBF Featherweight Champion of the world, Eric “Mighty Mouse” Aiken
(16-4 14KO’s) for Aiken’s IBF belt on the Co-Feature to James “Lights Out”
Toney vs Sam “The Nigerian” Nightmare at the Staples Center in Los Angeles live
on Showtime Championship boxing 10:00 PM ET/PT.

Guerrero, fresh of his vindicated KO victory against Gamaliel Diaz (20-6-2,
9KO’s) in what was labeled the “Ultimate Rematch” is very thankful to get the
opportunity to fight for the World title as he stated “I want to thank my team
of Shelly Finkel, Dan Goossen, and Bob Santos for putting this fight together.
I also want to thank Showtime, The IBF, Eric Aiken and his people for giving me
this opportunity. It’s going to be a great fight. He said he would knock me
out in a radio interview I heard. We’ll see. I do my talking in the ring. I
can’t wait”. – Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The tournament which is sponsored by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC and Showtime, is a single elimination contest featuring eight fighters who are vying to be the new IBO Super Middleweight Champion. There are three rounds. The first round features four, ten round fights, which will take place on two consecutive Fridays, July 28 and August 4, live from The Sports Center of Las Vegas. Two fighters will be eliminated each of these weeks and two will move on to the semi-finals. The semi-final bouts will be held at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez , California on October 6 and the final bout will be held January 5, 2007.

Participants for this tournament include Jean Paul Mendy (22-0, 12 KOs) of Paris, France, who defeated Dallas “Deaf Pride” Vargas (21-3, 15 KOs) from Toledo, OH, with a stunning first round TKO and Henry “Sugar Poo” Buchanan (14-0, 11 KOs) of Capital Heights, MD, scored a ten round decision over Lucas Green-Arias (11-1, 8 KOs) of Costa Rica, in the first installment on July 28. Anthony Hanshaw (19-0, 13 KOs) from Warren, OH, will take on Esteban Camou (18-1, 15 KOs) of Navojoa, Mexico and Sakio Bika (20-1-2, 14 KOs) of Douala, Cameroon, meets Jose Luis Herrera (14-1, 14 KOs) of San Onofre, Columbia, on August 4 for the final two bouts of the first round. Mendy and Buchanan have earned their spots in the semi finals and will fight each other on October 6. The winners from each of the bouts on August 4 will take on each other in the semi final round. These fighters are professionals who are ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead. They took these fights not knowing who their opponents would be.

Each fighter trains independently. There are no requirements of living together or training together. It is simply boxing, as boxing should be, dedicated training and fierce competition.

The competition gives the fighters the opportunity to showcase their talents on national television and the two finalists will actually appear on three separate televised bouts with the winner becoming the new IBO Super Middleweight Champion. No other tournament can offer such a beneficial reward, but on the other side, losing can be devastating. This tournament is unparalleled.

Middendorf hopes to turn this tournament into a world event with possibly 32 participants battling for a world championship and having a fan base worldwide. This idea is intriguing, because the thought of bringing the global world of boxing together can only benefit our great sport worldwide.

The final two bouts of the first round can be seen live on “Shobox: The New Generation” Friday, August 4 at 11p.m. ET.

Tickets are on sale and can be purchased for the August 4 bout at The Performance Training Center Box Office in Las Vegas, by calling (702) 450-PFTC or on line at puresupplements.com.

Story by Kathleen Holland

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

“The Contender” is a reality boxing tournament that gives unrecognized fighters the opportunity to compete for a grand prize of $500,000 and “The Contender” Championship belt. It airs on ESPN2 Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. ET. The championship bout is scheduled for September 26 and will be telecast live on ESPN2 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The show is produced by Mark Burnett, Jeffery Katzenberg, Sylvester Stallone and Lisa Hennesy in association with ESPN.

Story by Kathleen Holland
Photos courtesy of ESPN

Posted by Kathleen Holland at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

“I’m too little to fight at 140,” Johnston realized after losing to 5-11 Vivian Harris last Saturday night. “After the fight I hydrated and still only weighed 147 pounds with my clothes and shoes on. When I started my comeback, I weighed 180 and we felt that 140 pounds was what I should fight at. I walk around at 148. I train hard and just can’t keep enough weight on between fights to fight at 140. I only weighed 136 when I fought Steve Quinonez in January for the IBO and NABC light welterweight titles. I could probably get down to 130, but I’m more comfortable at 135, and that’s where I’ll be making noise at from now on. Stevie Johnston isn’t going away. I’m just going back to where I belong.”
As a lightweight, Stevie defeated world champions Sharmba Mitchell, Jean Baptiste Mendy, Saul Duran, Cesar Bazan, James Page, Angel Manfredy and Alejandro Gonzalez. He’s also beaten major world title challengers such as Hiroyuki Sakamoto, Ever Beleno, Julio Alvarez, Billy Schwer, Aldo Nazareno Rios, Demetrio Ceballos, George Scott, Mark Fernandez and Corey Johnson.
Johnston, a Denver native now fighting out of Vero Beach, overcame a life-threatening car accident in 2003 and returned to the ring 2 ½ years later as a light welterweight. He captured the International Boxing Organization world and North American Boxing Council super lightweight championships, which he is abdicating in order to give leading 140-pounders an opportunity to fight for these belts.
Johnston is promoted by Silverhawk Boxing (www.silverhawkboxing.com), managed by Rider Boxing and trained by Henry Hill.

Story and Photo Courtesy of Silverhawk Boxing

Posted by mightygloves.com at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)