Boxing Blog – TSS Tidbits

In a little more than 24 hours Wladimir Klitschko will try to unify all three boxing heavyweight championship belts when he takes on Sultan Ibragimov at Madison Square Garden Saturday night. But thanks to a guaranteed $500,000 donation by Klitschko to The Laureus Sport For Good Foundation, he is a winner already in the eyes of the thousands of at-risk children who participate in service programs funded by Laureus.

Laureus,USA announced today that the Betances Boxing Program in the Bronx will begin receiving Laureus financial support that will help the program expand its reach. Children aged 8 and up living around the Betances Houses have been learning to box at the program for 12 years – but that’s not all. The program acts as a safe haven and provides children life skills, values workshops and academic support along with boxing skills. The kids participate in the life and/or academic enrichment programs in order to access the recreational offerings.

The Betances Boxing Program serves as an alternative for hundreds of local kids from the hard realities and disadvantages of life in the low socio-economic strata of the NYC Housing Authority. It provides a positive atmosphere for kids trying to escape issues ranging from substance abuse, absentee parents, and domestic violence to the general dangers of the streets. Participants are 75% Latino, 25% African American, 85% boys and the majority live in families with income under the poverty level.

Betances becomes the 52nd player in Laureus’ roster of programs around the world that address social issues through the common language of sports – and the fifth in the USA. The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation was set up to fund and promote the use of sport as a tool for social change and currently supports 51 other programs around the world. It is administered by the 45 iconic athletes who comprise The Laureus World Sports Academy (athletes ranging from Edwin Moses and John McEnroe to Boris Becker and Nadia Comaneci), and their supporters who are the Laureus “Friends and Ambassadors� like Wladimir Klitschko and Amani Toomer.

Klischko’s half-million dollar commitment could grow larger come this spring. The first $350,000 has come from money he generated by asking his fans to donate to Laureus in his name. In exchange, he will enter the ring Saturday night in a robe with their names emblazoned on the garment. Over 3,000 people responded – more than anticipated- so Klitschko increased his initial gift guarantee from $250,000 to $350,000. Then in April, his boxing robe will be auctioned off with those proceeds also going to Laureus. The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the Klitschko camp already have a $150,000 sealed offer for the robe so the final donation could exceed $500,000.

Ten children from the Betances Boxing Program and several other programs supported by Laureus will be attending the fight Saturday night and will be available for interview – as will Edwin Moses, the Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy and Amani Toomer, a member of Lareus’ “Friends and Ambassadors� group.

For the last two years, the Betances Boxing Program has been staged in temporary quarters at St Mary’s Rec Center in a room that barely has space for a boxing ring and a few heavy bags. In another few months, the program will move across the street to the newly rehabbed Betances Community Center where the NYCHA can reach more kids and offer greater support. The Laureus donation will help defray costs so the program can offer a more diverse curricula including a new computer technology center, a GED program, tutoring, a dance/fitness room, a boxing ring with expanded and updated boxing equipment and other social services ranging from drug use/abuse and pregnancy prevention programs to health and nutrition education.

World super middleweight challenger “The Pride of Providence� Peter Manfredo, Jr. returns to the ring March 14, headlining “Rumble at the River,� against Shane “The Irish Hitman� Benfield, in an Italian-Irish themed pro boxing show at Twin River Events Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

“Rumble at the River,� part of “The Budweiser Night at the Fights� series at Twin River, is promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc., in association with Twin River, Budweiser and Tournament of Contenders.

Manfredo (28-5, 13 KOs), star of The Contender I television reality series, fights Benfield (17-1, 9 KOs) in the 10-round main event. Coming off of a 10-round loss by decision to former world champion Jeff Lacy on the Mayweather-Hatton pay-per-view card, Peter hopes to rebound against Benfield, who dropped a 12-round decision in his last action to DeAndrey Abron for the NABO belt that Manfredo once held.

IWBF lightweight champion Jaime “The Hurricane� Clampitt (18-4-1, 7 KOs), fighting out of Cranston (RI) defends her crown against battle-tested Belinda “Brown Sugar� Larcuente (23-20-3, 9 KOs), the GBU junior welterweight title-holder from New York City, in the 10-round co-feature. Clampitt is a 3-time world champion, while 20 of Larcuente’s last 21 bouts, dating back nearly five years, have been against world champions.

“St. Joseph’s (March 19) is a very important Italian holiday as St. Patrick’s Day (Mar. 17) is for the Irish,� promoter Jimmy Burchfield said. “We decided to promote an Italian-Irish themed show on the preceding weekend of the two holidays. We’re happy and excited about this concept and plan to make it an annual event at Twin River. Even though we have a lot of Italian and Irish fighters on this card, some matched against each other, we’ll also have a few other ethnic groups represented and it’ll all add up to a great night of boxing.�

In the chief supporting bout on the undercard, Stoughton (MA) cruiserweight Chris McInerney (9-1-1, 6 KOs) faces former New England title-holder Tim “The Hammer� Flamos (19-4-1, 7 KOs), of Brockton, in a six-round bout of a rematch McInerney won by sixth round TKO last December.

Unbeaten Russian middleweight Andre Nevsky (3-0, 3 KOs), of Worcester (MA), meets his toughest test to date in a four-round bout versus Eric Pinarreta (2-1, 2 KOs), of New Bedford (MA). USBA No. 4 super middleweight Joey “KO Kid� Spina (20-1-1, 15 KOs), of Providence; light heavyweight “Irish� Joey McCreedy (6-1, 4 KOs), of Lowell (MA); unbeaten Lynn (MA) flyweight Isander Beauchamp (3-0) and Providence junior welterweight Diego Pereira making his pro debut are also on the card against opponents to be determined. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Manfredo, Spina, Flamos and Pinarreta are on Team Italy; Benfield, Clampitt, McInerney and McCreedy comprise Team Ireland.

Tickets for “Rumble at the River� are priced at $35.00 (ADA stage seating only), $40.00, $50.00, (Bronze), $75.00 (Silver), $100.00 (Gold) and $150.00 (Jimmy’s Platinum Club) and may be purchased by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254), going on line at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Twin River Event Center (100 Twin River Road, Lincoln, RI), or any TicketMaster location. Contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or Twin River Events Center (877.82.RIVER/ www.twinriver.com) for more information. Doors open at 6 PM/ET, first bout at 7 PM/ET.

(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Rumble at the River.� Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied at all times by an adult and they must enter through the West entrance.)

ALBUQUERQUE (February 22, 2008) – The movie, “Love Ranch� directed by Taylor Hackford, starring Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci, is hosting a free boxing event on Monday February 25 at Tingley Coliseum on the Expo New Mexico grounds. Doors open at 7 am. Come early as seating may be limited.

Step back into the 70s, catch Hollywood’s eye and be part of the filming. Come looking your 70s best. Special prizes will be awarded for best 70s hair, best 70s wardrobe and best 70s car.

The boxing event will consist of three bouts over a 12-hour period starting at 8 am. Willy Villanneva will headline against Lorenzo Estrada, Archie Ray Marquez against Ceacar Velenzula and a final bout with Joe Cruz against Jose Garcia.

“Love Ranch� will be filming a staged boxing match at the same time, with stars Sergio Peris-Mencheta and Bo Brown as they face off in a climatic scene with Joe Pesci and Helen Mirren. Those in attendance will be part of the filming.

Tickets are required, but are complimentary and can be picked up at Carefree Spas, Triple 7 Auto Sales, 93.3 KKOB FM, Zanagara Dodge and On the Matt Fight Shop.

Two motorcycles, two ATVS, a pool table, bicycles, grills, and golf clubs are among the many additional prizes that will be raffled every half hour.

Special refreshments for the first 5000 fans will be served by some of Albuquerque’s best restaurants.

Musical acts and comedy all day long.

Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren received the Oscar for Best Actress in 2006 for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the “The Queen�. Other memorable performances include “Gosford Park� and “The Madness of King George.� Most recently she was seen in the blockbuster “National Treasure: Book of Secrets.�

Mr. Pesci’s credits include “Raging Bull,� “Goodfellas,� for which he won an Academy Award in 1990 for Best-Supporting Actor, “Casino,� “Home Alone,� the 1993 classic comedy “My Cousin Vinny� and three turns as the sleazy but likeable Leo Getz in the action series “Lethal Weapon.�

Academy Award nominated director Taylor Hackford is best known for his critically acclaimed and Oscar nominated “Ray� as well as “La Bamba,� “Proof of Life� and “An Officer and a Gentleman�. He won the Oscar for Best Short Film, in 1979 for “Teenage Father�.

“Love Ranchâ€? is a fictional story that draws on many truths about Nevada’s extremely successful Brothel Industry. Charlie & Grace Bontempo (Joe Pesci & Helen Mirren) are a husband/wife team who own and run one of Nevada’s first legalized brothel ranches. Their lives are irrevocably altered when a world famous heavy weight boxer from South America comes to train at the Ranch.

At Madison Square Garden this afternoon: Sultan Ibragimov, the WBO heavyweight titlist, weighed in first, tipping the scales at 219 pounds. Wladimir Klitschko, the IBF heavyweight belt holder, was next on the scale, and his weight was 238 pounds.

The first heavyweight unification title fight since 1999 highlights a special evening of boxing-oriented programming when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO VS. SULTAN IBRAGIMOV is seen SATURDAY, FEB. 23 (9:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. PT) from New York’s Madison Square Garden. The fight will be available in HDTV, as well as closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino. Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Lennox Lewis on the call from ringside.

Wladimir Klitschko (49-3, 44 KOs), from Kiev, Ukraine, has been storming through the heavyweight ranks for the past two years. Now he puts his title on the line against fellow title-holder Sultan Ibragimov (22-0-1, 17 KOs) of Russia. Though Klitschko is a year younger than the 32-year-old Ibragimov, he has more than double the pro experience.

Both fighters have enjoyed success at the Olympics. At the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Ibragimov captured a silver medal, while Klitschko secured a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.

Prior to the live fight, HBO will replay the middleweight showdown KELLY PAVLIK VS. JERMAIN TAYLOR II. Their fight took place last Saturday night in Las Vegas with Pavlik registering a unanimous decision victory in their heated rematch. This exclusive replay airs at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT as the lead-in to the live heavyweight fight.

The heavyweight night of action on HBO also includes the debut of the HBO Sports documentary “Joe Louis: America’s Hero…Betrayed.� The 75-minute film on Joe Louis’ extraordinary life will premiere before the fights in the east and central time zones and after the live fight in the pacific time zone. (8:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. PT (west coast airing of Joe Louis is approx.).

Jack Dempsey’s first trip to Nevada came as he clung to the underbelly of a train, a dangerous practice known as “riding the rods� and utilized by those too poor to purchase a ticket for one of the passenger cars. In later years, Dempsey, the heavyweight boxing champion from 1919 to 1926, returned to a hero’s welcome with newspapermen, children and divorcees following his every move.

Many people are surprised to learn that Dempsey once called Nevada home. Little remains to commemorate that time other than the yellowed archives of Nevada newspapers and the memories of a handful of old-timers. The fact is, Dempsey left footprints all over the Silver State.

Dempsey In Nevada is an untold chapter in Nevada’s history and an untold story in the life of one of the great sports figures of the 20th Century.

Dempsey helped usher in the era referred to as “The Golden Age of Sport.� Along with baseball’s Babe Ruth, football’s Red Grange, golf’s Bobby Jones and tennis’ Bill Tilden, Dempsey was a giant of the era and made more money in a single fight than all the others combined. Babe Ruth’s largest salary with the Yankees was $85,000. Dempsey made $717,000 for his first fight with Gene Tunney. He lost his fortune in the stock market crash of 1929 and set about reclaiming it with Reno as his base in the early 1930s, first as a fight promoter and then, once again, as a fighter as he set out to reclaim the heavyweight championship.

“Guy Clifton’s meticulously researched and wonderfully illustrated volume captures virtually everything you wanted to know about boxing great Jack Dempsey in Nevada,� said Nevada State Archivist Guy Rocha.

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Guy Clifton, a third generation Nevadan, has been a sportswriter since 1982, receiving state, regional and national awards for his writing. He is currently a senior reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Dempsey in Nevada is his fourth book. He has also written “Reno Rodeo: A History,� and two volumes of “You Know You’re A Nevadan If …�

On Friday, February 29, IBF Featherweight Champion and ShoBox alum Robert “The Ghost� Guerrero (21-1-1, 1 ND, 14 KOs) will defend his title against Jason “The American Boy� Litzau (23-1, 19 KOs) on Friday, Feb. 29, live on SHOWTIME (Shobox: The New Generation, 11:00 p.m. ET/PT delayed on the west coast).

The SHOWTIME event is being promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, LLC and will originate from the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, Calif. Also featured on the televised card will be a 10-round heavyweight rematch between young rivals TJ “Top Dog� Wilson (12-1, eight KOs) of Miami, Fla., and Travis “Freight Train� Walker (26-1-1, 20 KOs) of Houston, Texas.

Wilson and Walker first met in Oct. 2007 on ShoBox with Wilson winning an unpopular, controversial 15-second, first-round knockout over the previously undefeated Walker. Mere seconds after the opening bell, Wilson backed Walker into a corner and began delivering punches with both hands. Walker seemed stunned by the barrage and didn’t once attempt to retaliate, causing the referee to stop the bout.

Don King will host a press conference to announce a fight card at the Scottrade Center on Thursday, March 27 featuring the pride of St. Louis: Cory Spinks and Devon Alexander. Spinks will defend his IBF junior middleweight crown opposing former three-time world champion Verno Phillips. Alexander will make the first defense of his World Boxing Council Continental Americas title.

February 2008 — Wanda Bruce, who went from being an inspector for the Washington, D.C. Boxing Commission to promoting the first all-female show, to managing her own women fighters and making matches for other trainers, is one of 35 “day diarists” featured in the acclaimed new book, Water Cooler Diaries: Women across America Share Their Day at Work (Da Capo Lifelong Press, pub. date: March 1, 2008). The book is the third volume of the popular “This Day” series.
Water Cooler Diaries evolved from a national project in which over five-hundred women across the country and from all walks of life chronicled a single day in their lives—March 27, 2007. The result is a collection of featured and excerpted “day diaries” reflecting a diversity of job highs and lows, water-cooler drama, and laugh-out-loud moments. In early reviews, Publisher’s Weekly calls the book, “… both fascinating and eye-opening. ” Booklist writes, “Skimming through this collection is not a good idea. There are sentences that will make readers stop, laugh, tear up, nod, and otherwise savor common and out-of-the-ordinary experiences.”

Bruce, age 47 and from Waldorf, Maryland, heard about the book project through a call for submissions early last year to women in the world of boxing. “”Wanda’s day diary includes everything from dealing with signing a new heavyweight to having hot flashes—all on the same day,” says series creator and editor Joni B. Cole, who selected Bruce’s entry to feature in the book, and interviewed her as part of the project. “Her contribution is wonderful, real, and funny,” emphasizes Cole. “She’s an inspiration for all women, not just those in sports.”

In addition to sharing a glimpse into women’s professional boxing, Water Cooler Diaries also allows readers to go behind the scenes with a hot new fashion designer trying to keep her business afloat; a McDonald’s manager who is also captain of her pro football team; and a trauma surgeon who has to piece together the pelvis of a teenager who forgot to wear his seatbelt, among many others. The book makes a point to mix the mundane with fame, including day diaries from model and actor Angie Everhart, television chef Sara Moulton, race car driver Sarah Fisher, and “SnakeBabe,” a.k.a. Maria Gara, billed the world’s sexiest magician.

In soliciting hundreds of women to share a day in their lives, Cole and her partner in the project, B.K. Rakhra, advised contributors to simply write their activities, thoughts, and feelings throughout the day, without censure or second guessing. The result of this relatively simple exercise, Cole explains, “is a window into a woman’s head and heart, including all those fleeting insights, observations, and meaningful moments that are usually lost in the multi-tasking madness of an ‘ordinary’ day.”

Collectively, these day diaries also provdes a freeze-frame of twenty-four hours in history, revealing everything from what is at the top of our national consciousness, to the day’s headlines, to the most popular brands of the moment.

While Cole uses the term “day diaries” to describe the book’s content, she emphasizes that—unlike traditional journals—these intimate, first-person accounts are meant to be shared with the public. Part of the mission of the This Day book series is to allow readers to see women beyond their outward labels; to understand the individual behind the job title or stereotype. “Outward labels may be accurate,” Cole says, “but they are always inadequate. By sharing another woman’s perspective, even for just one day, you not only see where she’s coming from, but also how much we have in common.”

In March, Water Cooler Diaries will share shelf space in the bookstores with the first two volumes of the This Day series: This Day in the Life, Diaries from Women across America (2006); and This Day: Diaries from American Women (2004). In a starred review, Publishers Weekly wrote about This Day in the Life, “There is not one piece in this compilation that is not captivating.” People magazine concurred, “The ensemble resonates with drama, humor and pathos. This is one unremarkable day you’ll wish could go on forever.”

Compliments of Mr Matheson and his fine paper…

By John Matheson
David Tua was awarded nearly $3 million in his high court battle with his former
managers in December – only for it to be taken back by the courts last week.

Sunday News can reveal Tua’s legal team had scored what seemed to be a knockout
blow on December 17 when Justice Hugh Williams ruled in the Auckland High Court
the Kiwi heavyweight should be paid $2,979,718.

The cash was being held by the court from the sale of land at Pakiri Beach,
north of Auckland, and Tua’s downtown Auckland apartment.

But in a cruel setback for Tua, Justice Williams rescinded that decision last
week.

Williams’ ruling means Tua’s legal battle with his former managers Kevin Barry
and Martin Pugh will drag into a fifth year.

“He should be down and out with everything he’s gone through, but he’s not,”
Tua’s confidante, league and rugby legend Inga Tuigamala said last night.

“What David has been put through has built a resilience to take anything that
comes his way.

“Being a natural fighter, the experience he’s going through strengthens him and
makes him able to carry on. (Williams’ decision) is a blow to him – no question
about that. He’ll use this experience to motivate himself.”
Tua, who recently re-signed with his US promoter Cedric Kushner for a further
two years, is scheduled to fight in Michigan in April – a pre-cursor to a major
fight in May or June under the banner of the iconic boxing network Showtime.

He wasn’t talking last night but his lawyer Luke Kemp confirmed Tua had
instructed him to appeal Williams’ decision.

“These things are immensely disappointing for the Tuas because when you are a
boxer you go into the ring and you win or lose Leg 1within an hour,” Kemp
said. “To be spending five years (in court) is more than a marathon and it takes
a lot of character to withstand a disappointment like this.
“We hope we can get back to court quickly and have these issues heard.”
Sunday News has obtained a copy of Williams’ judgement and the detail of the 14
page document plays again to the fact that this case has been slowed by
interlocutory nonsense.

The number of injunctions, hearings and court applications and the like have
made very complicated what is essence should be a simple storyline – what
happened to the $20 million in purses Tua earned while in partnership with Barry
and Pugh?
Sunday News understands the court currently controls a total of $6,425,847.87 in
disputed funds – monies gained from the sale of Pakiri ($5,128,084.01) and the
apartment ($1,288,856.75) and the resulting interest.
One reason Williams change his order was because Barry and Pugh interests in
Tuaman Inc are now being overseen by a new legal team which hasn’t had time to
question Kemp’s initially successful argument that Tua was rightfully owed the
money.
Tuigamala is confident the boxer’s Tua of Duty – designed to end with a second
shot at the heavyweight championship of the world – will end in triumph.
“He’s frustrated now but his time will come. He’ll through this. A lot of people
have doubted him in the past but he keeps getting up. He’ll be freed from this
one day. And justice will be done.”