Boxing Blog – TSS Tidbits

New York -Thursday, November 29, 2007-Sports website www.GoFightLive.TV is headed to the Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena in Hollywood, Florida Wednesday, December 5th, to bring exclusively to its online members the very exciting and crucial IBF Jr. Middleweight Championship Eliminator bout between Terrance “The Heat” Cauthen (32-3, 9KO’s) and Sechew “Iron Horse” Powell (21-1, 12KO’s) as both vie for the coveted #1 world ratings position. Additionally, the entire undercard will also be presented live on GoFightLive.TV.
This will be GoFightLive.TV’s, second installment of the recently inked multi-year multi-fight deal between Star Boxing and the web site entity.
The site registered over 100,000 hits worldwide, in the three days following its debut on October 18, 2007, in front of a SOLD OUT crowd at the Manhattan Center in New York. The company believes that GoFightLive.TV will be the leading source for boxing viewers on the internet.
Star Boxing CEO Joe DeGuardia stated “I am thrilled that boxing fans across the globe will have the opportunity to watch this important match-up live on the net. Not only is this an important fight for the boxers but marks another milestone for Star Boxing in it’s efforts to create state of the art platforms for it’s events to be viewed”
” ‘Seasons Beatings’ at the Hard Rock will be gofightlive’s first fully live event, offered free to the public. With a great lineup of fighters, we’re proud to be able to offer such a quality event to our user base.” said gofightlive’s Jerry Palmer.
Go to www.GoFightLive.TV to watch the fights and this exciting new technology. Registration is simple and free!

It is the holiday season and Bob Arum is in the spirit of giving back. Arum has donated hundreds of tickets to Rabbi Shea Hecht of New York to give out to various charities and organizations so that they can attend the Holiday Havoc boxing event at The Paradise Theater in the Bronx on Thursday evening December 6.

“I’m a New Yorker. I grew up there and the Bronx means a lot to me,� said Arum, the Hall of Fame promoter. “We have a wonderful boxing event on December 6th and I want everyone to be able to come and enjoy during this special time of year.�

The tickets were given to Rabbi Shea Hecht to distribute to many deserving charities and youth organizations throughout New York City.

“I am happy I was given the opportunity to give out tickets to hundreds of kids who cannot afford to go to sporting events. December 6th is the third night of Chanukah and this is a great present for all who will get a chance to come out and watch a great night of boxing,� said Rabbi Hecht.

Seats were given out to groups including, Operation Survival, Camp Gan Israel ,Castle Hill Little League, Chabad-Lubavitch of Riverdale, Medgar Evers College, Jewish Programs for Russians, Toys for Hospitalized Children, and the Albert Einstein Medical College Jewish Student Association.

DiBella Entertainment and Star Boxing are co-promoters with Arum’s Top Rank on this card which will be televised live on the VERSUS network.

“We are extremely pleased to be working with Bob on this great event on December 6th, “ said DBE head Lou DiBella. “His generosity, donating tickets is great as it gives people who would not normally be able to afford to see a boxing event a chance to see this great sport up close and personal.�

It will be a great night of fights at the Paradise as the main event will be a 10 round Junior Middleweight battle of talented Eastern Europeans, as NABF CHAMPION and Ukraine born Andrey Tsurkan (25-2, 16 KO’s) defends his title against undefeated Yuri Foreman (23-0, 8 KO’s), born in Belarus in a 10 round Junior Middleweight bout. The co-feature will showcase newly signed DBE fighter Sergio Martinez (40-1-1, 21 KO’s) in a 10 round Junior Middleweight bout.

Tickets priced at $2,000 for VIP Tables of 10 (includes beer, wine, and dinner), $100, $50, and $30 are available by calling DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577 or Star Boxing at (718) 823-2000 and through Ticketmaster by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com.

According to TicketsNow (www.TicketsNow.com), the world’s leading online independent marketplace for premium event tickets, the December 8th bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ricky Hatton is comparable in high ticket demand to Mayweather’s previously hyped match against Oscar De La Hoya.

Currently at TicketsNow, tickets to the fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas range from $1,070 to $12,840, whereas tickets for Mayweather-De La Hoya were available from $1,220 to $14,375 back in April. Boxing aficionados and spectators are again coming out in droves for a Mayweather fight, having already paid an average of $1,722 per ticket—one customer even paid $5,345 for their seat.

“We are not as surprised as one would imagine with these prices,â€? said Jennifer Swanson, TicketsNow spokesperson. “If you look at prices for this event and then those for the fight back in May, you see one common link: Floyd Mayweather Jr. Not only is he an extraordinary fighter, which the boxing fans are drawn to, but he also is a well-known commodity—a brand unto himself. He’s raised his profile with his May 5th win against De La Hoya, the ‘24/7’ series on HBO and, of course, ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ This is what casual observers see, and they want to experience Mayweather’s next big performance.â€?

Both Boxers are undefeated, Mayweather—38-0 (24 KOs); Hatton—43-0 (31 KOs), and are competing for the WBC welterweight title, which is currently held by Mayweather.

CINTRON SUFFERS LIGAMENT DAMAGE IN RIGHT HAND
Orthopedic surgeon instructs Cintron to stay out of ring until March 1

TOTOWA, NJ (November 29, 2007) – IBF Welterweight Champion Kermit Cintron suffered severe ligament damage to his right hand in his successful Nov 23 title defense against Jesse Feliciano, it was announced today by Main Events CEO Kathy Duva. Reading, PA orthopedic surgeon Dr. R. Scott Cook has advised Kermit that he should not engage in any boxing matches until March 1.

Cintron (29-1, 27 KO’s) injured his right hand in the first round of his Nov 23 bout against Feliciano. Despite the intense pain—which Cintron made evident when he dropped to the canvas following the bout—the champion battled on for 10 rounds before stopping the granite-chinned Feliciano with a two-fisted barrage at the 1:53 mark of round 10.

“I’m disappointed that I injured my hand, but I’m going to do whatever the doctor says because I’m eager to get back into the ring and unify the welterweight title,� said Cintron.

“Kermit will take the time necessary to heal his hand,� said Duva. “We will not run the risk of him entering the ring and injuring his hand further.�

Promoters Art Pelullo/Banner Promotions, River Rock Casino Resort, and West Coast Promotions will present a sensational fight card on Friday, December 28, 2007, in the River Rock Show Theatre at River Rock Casino Resort, located at 8811 River Road in Richmond, British Colombia. This event will be the first telecast of the 2008 boxing season on ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights�.

The heavyweight main event, scheduled for 10 rounds, will feature young, undefeated prospect Alonzo “Big Zoâ€? Butler, 26-0-1 with 19 knockouts, of Knoxville, Tennessee, stepping up against his toughest opponent yet – Dominick “The Southern Disasterâ€? Guinn, 28-5-1 with 19 knockouts, of Houston, Texas.

There’s a lot at stake for both heavyweights: Butler is trying to prove himself for the first time at world-class level; Guinn is looking for a win that will lead him back to his former status as a top contender.

Butler and Guinn both stand six-foot three-inches tall, but come from very different boxing backgrounds. Now 28 years old, Butler has “learned on the jobâ€? as a pro. He had very little amateur experience – 13 fights by his own count – but has given impressive performances and made good progress in his seven-year pro career.

32 year-old Guinn had a tremendous amateur career with over 300 fights that included gold medals in four U.S. national championships. He also has a significant advantage over Butler in professional experience, with wins to his credit against 2000 Olympic gold medalist Audley Harrison and former contenders Michael Grant and Duncan Dokiwari. Dominick has five losses, but all were against world-class fighters and all were by decision – two against world champions James Toney and Sergei Liakhovich, the other three against top contenders Eddie Chambers, Tony Thompson, and Monte Barrett.

Local heavyweight standout Shane “Shotgun� Andreesen, 9-0 with 5 knockouts, of Qualicum Beach, B.C., will battle Corey Williams, 7-8-2 with 4 knockouts, of Torrington, Wyo., in a six-round bout.

Five more exciting supporting bouts, to be announced, are scheduled to complete the card. All bouts are subject to change without notice.

Veteran trainer Don Turner believes WBO No. 2 rated middleweight contender “Ireland’s� John Duddy (22-0, 17 KOs) will become his 21st world champion. First, though, Duddy has to get past former European champion and 2-time world title challenger Howard “The Battersea Bomber� Eastman (42-5, 35 KOs) on December 8 in the 10-round main event at King’s Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Duddy, who hails from Derry (N. Ireland) but now lives in Queens (New York City), has been training in North Carolina under the guidance of Turner, whose former world champions include Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes, Aaron Pryor and Mike McCallum.

Turner has been in Duddy’s corner for his last two fights, victories by TKO against Alessio Furlan and Prince Arron, both in Dublin. Duddy’s improvement under Turner has become more evident, fight-by-fight, and figures to even more prominent against Eastman.

“John’s not getting hit as much,� Turner said about the area where John has improved the most. “He was a boxer before, as an amateur, but he got off track. It’s not like he didn’t do it (box) before he started getting hit. He’s gone back to doing what he did as an amateur boxer. Unless a fighter is a great one-punch guy who opponents fear, not getting hit is a matter of balance and leverage, as well as how his feet are planted and how to turn properly. The best way not to get hit is to hit a guy and put him on the defensive. That way he can’t counter punch. The great Ray Robinson never worked on defense because his offense was his defense. Now, John’s not getting hit as much.�

In 47 pro fights, Eastman has been only stopped only once, by powerful Edison Miranda. His other losses have been to world champions Bernard Hopkins, Arthur Abraham and William Joppy, as well as world title contender Wayne Elcock by close 12-round decision (116-113-, 115-113, 115-114) in his last fight on September 28.

“I know Howard Eastman and losing two world title shots is all that’s kept him from making real money,� Turner continued. “He’s going to bring his best to get back up there. Eastman is going to try to keep moving forward. John has to be aggressive, throwcombinations, and push Eastman back. That’s what John does best.

“If John Duddy takes care of himself, keeps his weight down, and behaves like a fighter should, he has the potential to be a world champion but it’s all up to him. I’ve had 20 world champions and John’s going to be my 21st.�

Duddy is on the verge of a major world title shot in 2008, provided he defeats his toughest opponent to date, Eastman. The popular Irishman also is rated No. 4 by the WBC, No. 7 by the WBA and No. 13 by the IBF.

“I have a good working relationship with Don Turner,� Duddy noted. “I’ve really enjoyed working with Don. I’ve learned a lot. I’m looking forward to fighting Howard Eastman, who is a dangerous customer. He has a great record, good experience and has been in against some of the best middleweights of his era. Hopefully, after fighting Eastman, the doors will be open for me to fight one of the top middleweights for the world title. But all I’m focused on right now is fighting Eastman and showing everybody how much I’ve improved training with Don.�

For more information about Irish Ropes Promotions or John Duddy go to www.irishropes.com.

“I worked 15 years to get to this fight and after Saturday night, I’ll be the man – the first to beat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr,” said Ray Sanchez at Top Rank’s ‘Latin Fury’ press conference on Monday in Los Angeles.

“Am I ready for a fight like this? We’re going to find out Saturday night,” Chavez Jr said.

“Who will win? I really don’t know,” said Bob Arum. “That’s why we’re having such tremendous fan interest and that’s why it’s such a hot ticket in Albuquerque.”

Chavez Jr., 33-0-1, takes on hometown hero Sanchez on a Top Rank PPV fight card at the Tingley Coliseum. The advance box office is the biggest of any Top Rank fight card in Albuquerque.

“This is the biggest fight in the city in 10 years,” Sanchez said. “We haven’t seen this kind of excitement since Johnny Tapia and Danny Romero were in the ring.”

Sanchez will be the hardest puncher who Chavez Jr has ever faced.

“I’m going right at him, not holding anything back. This is everything I dreamed about, getting him in the ring in my hometown,” Sanchez said. “I will beat Chavez – take it to the bank.”

“We both want to win,” Chavez Jr said. “He wants to win. I want to win. I trained hard and I will beat Sanchez.”

It was announced that JC’s father, four-time world champion Julio Cesar Chavez, will be coming into Albuquerque on Wednesday which is the day of the final press conference.

Arum also announced that Michael Clark, 36-4, of Columbus, Ohio will take on Mike Alvarado, 18-0, of Denver in the opening PPV bout. Alvarado was initially scheduled to take on Henry Bruseles but he came down with a fever and was not able to train. Alvarado vs. Clark is scheduled for 10 rounds and will be the first bout on the PPV telecast.

Lupe Contreras will be the ring announcer on fight night. The announcing team on the PPV telecast will be Rich Marotta, Genaro ‘Chicanito’ Hernandez and Doug Fischer.

Two of boxing’s electric, young champions, Edwin Valero and Jorge Linares will be defending their titles in “Cancun Night of Champions� Saturday December 15th at the Plaza de Toros in beautiful Cancun, Mexico LIVE on DirecTV, Dish Network, and In Demand Pay-Per-View (Suggested Retail Price $29.95) with coverage beginning at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT. Both fighters are promoted by Teiken Promotions. “It is a pleasure and honor to be able to present this show to the world live via Pay-Per-View from the historic Plaza de Toro in Cancun, Mexico. Proud to be co-promoting with Lou DiBella and Pepe Gomez, this promotion features two of Teiken’s undefeated Champions,� said Akihiko Honda, president of Teiken Promotions.

Undefeated WBA Super Featherweight Champion Edwin “Dinamita� Valero (22-0, 22 KO’s) defends his belt as he goes up against Zaid “El Exterminador� Zavaleta (17-2-2, 9 KO’s) in the main event. The Venezuelan southpaw Valero, just 25 years old, packs a monstrous punch and has been showcased by Teiken throughout South America and Japan. In his last fight, Valero scored an eighth round knockout over Nobuhito Honmo (29-5-2, 5 KO’s) in Tokyo on May 3, 2007. Zavaleta, a native of Mexico, has scored two consecutive knockout wins over Gabriel Rojas and Cristian Favela.

The night’s co-feature bout will be an explosive battle between 22 year old undefeated WBC Featherweight Champion Jorge “Golden Boy� Linares (24-0, 15 KO’s) defending his title against Mexican WBC number one contender Gamaliel “El Platano� Diaz (22-6-2, 9 KO’s). Linares, like Valero, is Venezuelan, lives in Tokyo and is promoted by Teiken. The quick boxer has fought in front of fans in South America, the Far East, and once in the U.S. That one bout was his most recent, where he knocked out Oscar Larios (59-6-1, 37 KO’s) on July 21, 2007 in Las Vegas to claim the vacant WBC Featherweight title. A week earlier, Linares’ opponent in Cancun, Diaz, earned the title shot when he won a decision over Elio Rojas (19-1, 13 KO’s) in a WBC eliminator in Mexico.

A loaded undercard is highlighted by Puerto Rican rising star Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. (9-0, 8 KO’s). The undefeated featherweight is the talented son of super bantamweight boxing legend Wilfredo Vasquez (56-9-2, 41 KO’s).

Also featured will be a WBC Featherweight Eliminator between Mexican Rudy Lopez (20-4-1, 14 KO’s) and hard hitting Japanese veteran Naoki Matsuda (28-7-3, 11 KO’s). This is a rematch of what was a sensational fight on March 31, 2007 in Cancun where Matsuda knocked out Lopez in the fifth round.

For more information on “Cancun Night of Champions� please call your local cable or satellite provider or log onto www.teiken.com or www.dbe1.com.

Some of the Big Apple’s best and brightest boxing prospects will showcase their talents December 13 on the “Holiday Hits� pro boxing show, co-promoted by Ring Promotions and Cedric Kushner’s Gotham Boxing, at The Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan.

Headlining the show in a 10-round, non-title bout will be NABA middleweight champion “Mean� Joe Greene (16-0, 12 KOs), born in the Bronx and now fighting out of Queens. Green, the 2004 National Golden Gloves Tournament champion, is rated No. 14 by the World Boxing Organization.

Three-time New York Golden Gloves champion Jorge “The Truth� Teron (18-0-1, 11 KOs), the World Boxing Council’s No. 20 rated lightweight, will be in his first scheduled 10-round fight in the co-feature not too far from his Bronx home.

Popular Brooklyn middleweight Peter “Kid Chocolate� Quillin (15-0, 12 KOs) is slated to fight in an eight-round Special Middleweight Attraction.

“New York City has some of the best, young talent in the world,� promoter Bob Duffy said. “The future of boxing will be on display December 13 in ‘Holiday Hits.’ Where else are you going to watch rising stars like Greene, Teron and Quillin with a combined record of 49-0 and 35 knockouts? They’re going to celebrate the holiday with a bang!�

Also featured on the card is Newburgh 2-time New York Golden Gloves champion, heavyweight Nagy Aguilera (4-0, 2 KOs), versus Long Island’s Sean McClain (1-1 1 KO) in a 6-rounder, as well as Bronx-born New York State lightweight champion Freddy Soto (9-3-2, 5 KOs), Brooklyn super bantamweight Juan “Baby Tito� Dominquez (2-0), Staten Island’s exciting lightweight Nicky DeMarco (2-1, 2 KOs), and New Jersey light welterweight Jeremy Bryan (1-0). In a match-up of Long Island heavyweights, Islip’s Darrel Madison (7-1, 3 KOs) battles Wyandanch’s Elfair “The Wyandanch Warrior� McKnight.

“Such a terrific card would not be complete without one female fight,� co-promoter Cedric Kushner added, “and we’ll have Canadian bantamweight Noriko Kariya (7-2-1, 1 KO) in action.�

Tickets are priced at $150.00, $100.00, $75.00 and $50.00. Call Ring Promotions (516.313.2304) or Gotham Boxing (212.755.1944) to purchase tickets or for more information. Doors open at 6:30 PM, first bout at 7:30 PM.

International Boxing Federation light welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man� Malignaggi, rated No. 2 by The Ring, believes stylish boxing skills like his are far less appreciated in today’s knockout-crazed world of boxing than it’s ever been.

“Pure boxers today aren’t as highly valued as they should be,� the outspoken Brooklyn pugilist said from his Vero Beach (FL) training camp. “Even all-time great boxers like Willie Pep and Pernall Whitaker, if they were boxing today, wouldn’t be as appreciated. Floyd Mayweather is the best in the world, maybe ever, but critics complain because he’s so good that, he wins so easily and isn’t in wars. Now-a-days everybody wants to see punching, not boxing skills, and that’s a shame. This sport is called boxing, not knockout, and the whole idea is to hit and not get hit. Boxing isn’t supposed to be all about grotesque brutality. It’s a new generation and they seem to like bloody, aggressive fighters.

“I don’t think it’s the fans. My fights have always generated high TV ratings. They want to see Paulie Malignaggi, not just the boxer, but the loud-mouthed kid who draws a lot of attention and is controversial. It’s beyond them, though. Maybe television and media people have brainwashed everybody into thinking boxing needs wars. My job is to win fights and I’ve done exactly that in all but one of my fights. The one time I didn’t, against (Miguel) Cotto, it cost me a lot of physical damage and my only loss. I proved that I’m a warrior, but I’m a human being who paid the consequences, and there is life after boxing.�

Malignaggi captured the IBF crown belt June 16, defeating defending champion Lovemore N’dou (45-8-1) in 12-rounds by overwhelming scores of 120-106 twice and 118-108. Frustrated that he hasn’t landed a lucrative fight due to the lack of open television dates, compounded by television’s “big bang theory,� Malignaggi (23-1, 5 KOs) will make his first title defense January 5 on Showtime against mandatory challenger Herman “The Black Panther� Ngoudjo (16-1, 9 KOs) at Bally’s in Atlantic City.

2000 Cameroon Olympian Ngoudjo, rated No. 1 by the IBF and No. 2 by the WBC, now fights out of Montreal. He defeated Eloy Rojas (40-4-2) 2 ½ years ago for the NABF championship and added the WBC International title eight months later with a 12-round decision against veteran Emanuel Augustus. Last January, Ngoudjo lost a 12-round split decision to Jose Luis Castillo (54-7-1), but he rebounded this past June in the IBF title eliminator, taking a 12-round split decision against Randall Bailey (35-5).

“Ngoudjo paid his dues and he deserves the No. 1 ranking,â€? Malignaggi commented. “I thought that he beat Castillo and he belongs where he is. But he’s not stylish enough, relying on his strength to win fights. I’ve paid my dues, too. I’m nowhere near my ultimate goal. Herman Ngoudjo is a stepping stone and that’s how I’m going to treat him January 5th. I’m going to put on a boxing clinic. I am a unique fighter with my hand speed. When he fights Paulie Malignaggi, Ngoudjo will be fighting one of the fastest, if not the fastest he’s ever seen. For pure speed, Floyd’s the best and the smartest fighter in the world. But for pure hand speed, nobody is faster than Paulie Malignaggi, and by speed I also mean pulling the trigger at the right moments – six-punch combinations in a split second. I’m not talking about being flashy — able to pull the trigger on a dime.â€?

Malignaggi’s dreams of a big payday still may not be in the immediate future. He lobbied to fight Ricky Hatton, who chose to move up to welterweight and fight Mayweather on December 8, and Julio Ceasar Chavez, Jr. priced himself out of a match with Paulie. WBC title-holder Junior Witter in a unification bout, right now, probably represents the lone opponent attractive enough for a “money� showdown, but, first Paulie has to get past Ngoudjo and then N’dou, who Malignaggi is contractually obligated to fight in a rematch, one that certainly lacks appeal for network decision makers. “The Magic Man,� however, will make his required title defenses, despite missing out on purses generally afforded to a colorful, popular champion like Paulie, at least for now, as he lays the groundwork for his legacy.

“I want to be a two-division champion (light welterweight and welterweight),� the 27-year-old Malignaggi spoke about the boxing legacy he plans on leaving when he finally hangs-up his gloves. “I want to be in the Hall of Fame, financially set-up me and my family for life, and avenge my only loss to Cotto. I want to take everything on the table and leave my legacy.�