Boxing Blog – TSS Tidbits

(Press Release)

WASHINGTON, PA (September 14, 2005) Michael Acri Boxing Promotions and Team Freedom present “Boxing at The Meadows,” an action-packed professional boxing card honoring four-time world champion and living legend Roberto Duran. The event will take place Thursday, October 6, indoors at The Meadows Race Track in Washington, PA located just 20 miles south of Pittsburgh. The first bout will begin at 7:30 P.M.

Boxing at The Meadows will feature two-time world title challenger Victoriano Sosa and Pittsburgh’s own Sugar Ray Narh in separate 10-round lightweight bouts.

Sosa, 41-4-2 (30 KOs), from the Dominican Republic, returns looking to extend his four-bout winning streak, which includes three knockout victories. Sosa’s impressive streak has propelled him back into title contention where he is currently world-rated No. 8 by the IBF and No. 14 by the WBO. Sosa has gone the distance in both his world lightweight title challenges against IBF champion Paul Spadafora in 2000 and WBC champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in 2003. Against Spadafora, Sosa nearly pulled off the upset, knocking down the undefeated champion twice in round three. Mayweather has been quoted on numerous occasions that Sosa was his toughest opponent ever.

Narh, 15-1 (14 KOs), a native of Ghana, has been fighting out of the Pittsburgh area since 2004. In only his fourth professional bout, he captured the Ghanian and the West African super featherweight titles, knocking out Smith Odom in the 10th round. The vastly more experienced Odom had four-times as many fights as Narh, who was only 3-0 at the time they fought in 2002. Narh is currently enjoying a 5-0 (5 KOs) winning streak, which includes a 2004 NABC lightweight title victory, when he knocked out Jadschi Green in the first round at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

Boxing at The Meadows will also feature undefeated Jose Nieves, 12-0-2, from Puerto Rico, in an eight-round bantamweight bout; Stefan Pryor, 8-1, from Cincinnati, a son of former world champion Aaron Pryor, in a six-round super middleweight bout; and in separate four-round cruiserweight bouts, Pittsburgh’s own Chris Stallworth, 7-1, nephew of Steeler great John Stallworth, and Billy Vucick, 1-1.

Duran, 104-16 (69 KOs), from Panama, captured world titles in the lightweight, welterweight, jr. middleweight and middleweight divisions during his glorious 34-year career, which spanned 1967-2001. Not only is Duran a legend, the roster of opponents he has defeated could fill a wing in any Hall of Fame. Duran will be at The Meadows to personally accept his award for lifetime achievement in boxing.

Tickets to Boxing at The Meadows are on sale! Priced at $100 (VIP Ringside), $50 (Ringside) and $20 (General Admission), they can be purchased at The Meadows Race Track (724) 225-9300; Mitchell’s Restaurant and Bar in downtown Pittsburgh (304 Ross St) – (412) 461-3663; or by calling (412) 292-6164.

FAIRFAX, VA – The countdown to “The Battle for Virginia,â€? the first boxing event ever at the Patriot Center set for Saturday, Sept. 17, has begun. Keystone Boxing invites fans to attend several exciting events, including a public workout being held this Thursday (today – 12:45PM) on-campus at George Mason University and featuring “The Contender’s’â€? Jimmy Lange and other boxers on the card.

The Main Event features Great Falls, VA boxer and star of NBC’s television series, “The Contender,� Jimmy Lange (25-2-1, 17 KOs), battling undefeated rival Perry Ballard (17-0, 13 KOs) of Martinsburg, WV for the154-lb. World Boxing Empire (WBE) title in a 12-round contest. Capitol Heights, MD native Lamont “Bay� Pearson (21-3-1, 11 KOs) continues his comeback from a right hand injury against Shamir Isa Reyes (18-3-2, 7 KOs) for the United States Boxing Association (USBA) 130-lb. Championship in the Co-Main Event. A locally-flavored undercard features Woodbridge, VA’s Orazio “The Razor� Robinson (5-1-2, 4 KOs) in action, as well as the professional debuts of local products “Money� Mike Sawyer, a GMU graduate from Fairfax and Alexandria’s Kay Koroma.

Tickets, priced at $30, $50, $75, $150 (reserved ringside), $225 (premium ringside) and $350 (VIP ringside) are on sale and will be available through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Patriot Center box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or via Phonecharge at 703-573-SEAT, 202-397-SEAT or 410-547-SEAT. GMU students receive $10 off the $30 general admission ticket by presenting a valid student ID (up to four tickets) at the Patriot Center box office. For more information please visit www.patriotcenter.com.

(Sept. 14 press release from Star Boxing)

Tampa, FL — It was reported today in a South Florida newspaper that five-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. had sustained a hand injury while training for his October 1st bout against three-time world champion and archrival Antonio Tarver. In response to speculation regarding their highly anticipated rubber match, Roy Jones Jr. emphatically issued the following statement from his training camp in Pensacola, FL:

“I’M THERE. NOTHING STOPS THE RJJ!!!!!â€?

The Tarver vs. Jones 3 pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9pm ET/6pm PT on October 1, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to over 50 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For your daily Tarver vs. Jones 3 updates, log on to log onto www.HBOPPV.com.

Although the HBO double main event at the Staples Center was presumed by most to be a precursor to the return bout, after both men won, Erik Morales will participate in a rematch with Manny Pacquiao anyway, despite losing a ten-round decision to Zahir Raheem on Saturday night. Promoters Bob Arum and Gary Shaw announced that the fight will take place on January 21, and Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, indicated that his man will go away for training camp this time – two weeks in Manila and six weeks in the U.S. Shaw says, “This time Manny will win by knockout.” Does this leave Raheem as the odd man out? Well, according to manager Cameron Dunkin, the Las Vegas-based Oklahoman will move down to 130 pounds, “where there’s a lot of money,” said Dunkin.

More, including clips from the post-fight press conference, coming later.