Boxing Blog – TSS Tidbits

Main Events thinks inside the box and signs Russell Peltz

Main Events has signed hall of fame promoter/matchmaker J. Russell Peltz as a consultant/matchmaker, it was announced today by Main Events CEO Kathy Duva.

Main Events has worked with Peltz since 1979.

“We have tremendous respect for his abilities as a boxing matchmaker and boxing sage,” Duva said, “and we are delighted that he is in our corner once again.â€?

Peltz said, “I am excited about working with Main Events again. They have a lot of good, young prospects and they have a lot of irons in the fire that people aren’t aware of.

“I’d like to help them move their fighters and hopefully they can help me move mine.

“This should be a good marriage.�

Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez get it on March 3

Israel Vazquez will defend his WBC super bantamweight title against IBF bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez on Showtime Championship Boxing on Saturday, March 3, at 9 PM/ET.

The bout will be promoted by Gary Shaw Productions in association with Sycuan Ringside Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions.

Both Vazquez and Marquez hail from Mexico City and are legitimate, hard-punching, world champions who make for crowd-pleasing, exhilarating scraps. Since they burst onto the scene, each capturing world titles, fans have been clamoring for this matchup.

Vazquez (41-3, 31 KOs) is a two-time world champion at 122 pounds and will be making the third defense of the WBC title he captured by scoring a third-round TKO over Oscar Larios on Dec. 3, 2005 in Las Vegas.

Marquez (36-3, 32 KOs) has won his last 15 bouts, including 12 by the short route. The tough, dangerous counter-puncher and brother of Juan Manuel Marquez will finally step up in weight after successfully defending his IBF 118-pound crown seven times.

Don King in France to announce March 17 cruiserweight rematch

Don King arrived in gay Paris today in anticipation of the Wednesday (Jan. 24) presser announcing the highly anticipated rematch between WBA/WBC cruiserweight champion O’Neil “Supernova� Bell and former unified world cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck.

The March 17 bout will be at the Palais des Sport Marcel Cerdan in the city of Levallois.

Bell and Mormeck met each other on Jan. 7 at the Madison Square Garden Theater in one of last year’s most memorable fights. Their first meeting included a sensational round seven that Dan Rafael at ESPN.com described as “an exhausting round just to watch.�

Bell (26-1-1, 24 KOs), originally from Jamaica and now residing in Atlanta, entered the first fight as the IBF cruiserweight champion while Mormeck (32-3, 22 KOs) from Point-a-Pitre, Guadalupe, but now residing in Rosny-sous-Bois, France, had the WBA/WBC straps.

With the win Bell became the first undisputed cruiserweight world champion since Evander “The Real Deal� Holyfield held that distinction in 1988. His subsequent inactivity led to his being stripped of his IBF crown, but he still retains the other two belts.

With all of the accolades being showered upon the first fight, Bell vs. Mormeck II will be the biggest world championship boxing match staged in France in years. The bout will be televised on the Canal+ network in France.

De la Hoya Learning Center receives Microsoft grant

In an effort to increase technology access to families and youth throughout East Los Angeles, Microsoft today announced a grant worth more than $1 million in software to the Oscar de la Hoya & Microsoft Learning Center. Through this grant, the foundation will receive a makeover to include new Windows Vista-equipped personal computers.

“We are grateful to Microsoft for this extremely generous donation,” said de la Hoya. “Windows Vista will make a huge impact on everything from after school homework assistance throughout the community to giving parents an opportunity to gain new skills for today’s burgeoning digital workforce.”

The Oscar de la Hoya Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to the development of children, families and communities in Los Angeles. The Learning Center will provide thousands of children a safe and positive educational and training environment, emphasizing self-esteem and success through hard work, dedication, good citizenship and school achievement.

“At Microsoft, we feel a strong sense of responsibility toward our local community,” said Chris Weber, Microsoft Vice President, West Region Enterprise & partner Group. “Microsoft has long believed that inside each and every person there is great potential. When you partner that potential with great technology extraordinary things can happen.”

According to Weber, this grant builds on more than $85 million in cash and software that Microsoft has donated to community organizations, educational institutions and human service agencies in California since 2003.

“I believe these are some of the most important investments Microsoft makes,â€? continued Weber. “The work that The Oscar de la Hoya Foundation does is critical to closing the gap in technology education and access – Microsoft is delighted to be able to support such an important effort.”

The grant will help create the first Windows Vista-equipped youth and community learning center in the country and will offer youths and families in East Los Angeles access to computers with the most updated software applications available. Currently, less than 7 percent of the households in East Los Angeles have access to technology: computers and computer software. Community members will have access to the learning center to use, explore and learn new software.

“The Oscar de la Hoya & Microsoft Learning Center is a tremendous asset to the entire Los Angeles community,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “Microsoft’s donation will give youth and families in the region access to technology that can further education, enhance communication and improve their overall quality of life.”

The Learning Center will be enhanced with new computers loaded with the Windows Vista operating system, which includes a special feature that allows users to easily switch between English and Spanish language controls – depending on the user’s preference – within the same computer. On Jan. 22 at 10 a.m., Microsoft will host a ceremony and computer lab tour at the Oscar de la Hoya & Microsoft Learning Center to present the Foundation with the grant. For those interested in attending, the center is located at 1114 South Lorena Street in East Los Angeles, on the site of the former Resurrection Gym which de la Hoya purchased in 1996 and completely renovated.

The Learning Center will be open to the community starting Jan. 27.

John Duddy hits New York City on St. Paddy’s Day Eve

IBA middleweight champion John Duddy defends the title he won from Yory Boy Campas, as well as his WBC Continental Americas belt, on March 16 against Contender star Anthony “The Bullet� Bonsante. The fight card is called “Erin Go Brawl� and will be available on pay-per-view event live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

“It’s going to be a barnburner of an event,� Irish Ropes president Eddie McLouglin said. “It’s an Irish show, the night before St. Patrick’s Day, in Madison Square Garden. Duddy is more known and better respected after his great fight with Yory Boy Campas. People all over the world know Bonsante from The Contender and he earned this shot against Duddy by beating Matt Vanda. The interest in this show is unbelievable and that’s why we decided to do a pay-per-view event. I’ve already been inundated with ticket requests. We have people coming from across the United States, Ireland, Canada and even 16 I know of all the way from Australia.�

Vanda was supposed to be Duddy’s opponent but Bonsante (29-8-3, 17 KOs) turned in a career-defining performance January 12 against his Minnesota archrival, winning a one-sided 10-round decision in Minneapolis for the Minnesota State and IBA Americas middleweight titles—as well as his March 16th title shot against Duddy.

Duddy (18-0, 15 KOs), rated No. 7 by the WBO and No. 9 by the WBA, captured the vacant IBA championship September 29, 2006 by 12-round decision in a brutal fight with former world champion Campas before a sellout crowd in The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

“New York City and Boston have been like second homes for me,� said Duddy. “I’ve been here (Boston) a few times to visit friends and it’s a good place for me to relax. I look forward to fighting at The Garden, but I’m not just the only one fighting, it’s the whole package with guys like the Clancys fighting, too. It’s going to be a big Irish night and I hope to carry the flag again. I’m looking forward to fighting Anthony Bonsante. I leave next week for training camp in Florida so Harry (Keitt, his head trainer) can beat me up some more.

“I can’t believe the reception I’ve received on the East Coast in New York and Boston. I never thought it would be like this. My Irish and Irish-American fans keep me going. I’ll be in even better shape, mentally and physically, for this fight, even better than I was for the (Yory Boy) Campas fight. Hopefully this is going to be a year of big things for us.�

Anthony Bonsante said, “I’ve always dreamed of fighting at The Garden. I’m excited as hell. It’s a big opportunity for me. I’m getting better and better. I’ll be training my butt off. There are implications for a really big fight if and when I win (March 16). He can box and punch, but I’m coming to win. I’m taking nothing away from Duddy; he’s a great puncher. We’re going to devise and work hard on a plan for him. I realize it’s an uphill battle for me fighting in Madison Square Garden, the night before St. Patrick’s Day against a fighter like Duddy with all of the Irish there. But, in my heart, I have a good shot to win.�

Other fighters scheduled to fight on “Erin Go Brawl� card include 2004 Irish Olympian middleweight Andy Lee (6-0, 3 KOs), world-rated super featherweight Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby� Shea (8-0, 4 KOs), the unbeaten Clancy brothers—heavyweight James (9-0, 1 KO) and cruiserweight Mark (6-0-1, 1 KO)—from Clare, Ireland and now fighting out of Boston, and 2004 Irish National Senior amateur champion Henry Coyle in his pro debut. All bouts and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $400.00, $300.00, $200.00, $150.00, $100.00, $75.00 and $50.00, may be purchased at the Garden Box Office, thegarden.com, or by calling TicketMaster at 212.307.7171. All tickets include a $4.50 facility fee and TicketMaster orders are subject to TicketMaster service charge. For more information about “Erin Go Brawl� call Irish Ropes Promotions at 212.835.1582 or going on line to www.irishropes.com.

“Erin Go Brawl� is presented by Irish Ropes Promotions and will be broadcast live in North America on cable and satellite pay-per-view starting at 9 PM/ET, 6 PM/PT. The event is being produced and distributed for pay-per-view by Integrated Sports and will be available in more than 50-million homes in North America via iN Demand, TVN, DirecTV and Dish Network in the USA, as well as Viewer’s Choice in Canada, for a suggested retail price of $24.95.