HBO SPORTS PRESENTS

A BLUE-RIBBON DOUBLEHEADER UNDER THE VEGAS LIGHTS WHEN

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®: RICKY HATTON VS. PAUL MALIGNAGGI

AND JAMES KIRKLAND VS. BRIAN VERA

IS SEEN LIVE SATURDAY, NOV. 22 ON HBO

Relentless combatants square off when HBO Sports presents WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: RICKY HATTON VS. PAUL MALIGNAGGI AND JAMES KIRKLAND VS. BRIAN VERA live SATURDAY, NOV. 22 (10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT), from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, exclusively on HBO.

Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton (44-1, 31 KOs) of Manchester, England returns to the States to battle Brooklyn’s Paul “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (25-1, 5 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round junior welterweight fight. Enormously popular back home, Hatton is an aggressive brawler who enters attack mode at the opening bell, swarming his opponent with persistent punches. Raising his profile in America last December when he opposed Floyd Mayweather in a welterweight showdown, Hatton now returns to his natural weight of 140 pounds and seeks to reassert his dominance in the division.

Affable Paulie Malignaggi is known for his flashy style in the ring, where he displays quick combinations and a huge heart, and a larger-than-life personality outside the ropes. Earning a 140-pound title in 2007 when he decisioned Lovemore N’dou, Malignaggi never backs down from a challenge, and now intends to prove that he’s the best at 140 pounds.

Two Texans clash in the opening bout, as hard-hitting James Kirkland (23-0, 20 KOs) returns to HBO to face rugged contender Brian Vera (16-1, 10 KOs) in a ten-round middleweight contest. Undefeated Kirkland is an exciting knockout artist, with 18 of his 20 knockout victories coming in the first three rounds. Vera is fresh off an impressive victory over highly-regarded prospect Andy Lee.

All WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING events are broadcast in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

PROVIDENCE (November 18, 2008) – Rhode Island’s only representatives ever on the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, Jason “Big Six” Estrada (2004) and Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (2008), will be showcased November 29 on “Holiday Havoc” at Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

“Holiday Havoc” is promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc. (CES), in association with Twin River and CN8, The Comcast Network as well as (for Andrade’s fight) Banner Promotions and Star Boxing.

The show will be taped live and air Saturday, December 13 at 7:00 PM/ET on CN8, The Comcast Network in New England and the Baltimore/Washington D.C. market, as well as on Cox Sports Television at a date and time to be determined.

“I’m inviting all of our fans, friends and family to celebrate our big pre-holiday show, the last CES card of 2008, at Twin River on November 29th,” CES president Jimmy Burchfield said. “What better way of ending the year than by watching our two Olympians in action? Rhode Island didn’t have an U.S. Olympic boxer until Jason in 2004 and now he and this year’s Olympian, ‘Boo Boo,’ are fighting on this great card. We have a lot of other talented fighters in five entertaining bouts on the undercard. In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, we’re working with the U.S. Marines ‘Toys For Tots’ program, and are encouraging everyone to bring a toy to the show for less fortunate children.”

Estrada and Andrade are two of the most decorated U.S. amateur boxers of all-time. Estrada was 261-14 in U.S. competition and the first boxer to win both the U.S. Nationals and U.S. Challenge three years (2001-2003) in a row, in addition to a gold medal in the 2003 Pan-Am Games.

Andrade, who was a 2-time U.S. Nationals and National Golden Gloves champion, captured a gold medal in the 2008 AIBA World Championships.

Ever-improving heavyweight prospect Estrada (14-1, 3 KOs), now rated No. 7 in the NABF, takes on Cuban warrior Elieser Castillo (30-6-2, 17 KOs) in the 8-round main event. Castillo has already beaten one U.S. Olympian, 1996 captain Lawrence Clay Bey (KO9), for the NABF Interim title that Elieser was later awarded outright.

Andrade (1-0, 1 KO) made his pro debut this past October, stopping Patrick Cape (4-2) in the second round of their fight in the state of Washington. “Boo Boo” will make his hometown pro debut Nov. 29 in a Special Super Welterweight Attraction on “Holiday Havoc.”

Former USBA champion Jason Pires, now a police officer in his hometown of New Bedford (MA), makes a comeback after being out of the ring for more than five years in a 6-round welterweight bout versus Joshua Onyango (14-16-1, 11 KOs), former Commonwealth title holder.

Providence super middleweight Bobo “The Bull” Starnino and “Irish” Joey McCreedy (8-2-1, 5 KOs), of Lowell (MA), square-off in a 6-round rematch of a draw the two fought last August.

Also on the undercard in 4-round bouts is unbeaten Pawtucket (RI) lightweight Eddie “The Puerto Rican Sensation” Soto (9-0, 4 KOs) against 37-fight veteran Jose Angel “Lucky” Roman; Warwick (RI) super middleweight Keith Kozlin (1-0) fights Eric Clinton (0-4-1), Providence junior lightweight Omar Pena (0-0-1) meets Lindberg Freeman (0-1); Lowell junior welterweight Sean Eklund (6-2, 1 KO) makes his CES debut with his uncle in his corner as head trainer, “Irish” Micky Ward.

Tickets for “Holiday Havoc” are priced at $19.00, $40.00, $55.00 (Bronze), $75.00 (Silver), $100.00 (Gold) and limited $150.00 (Jimmy’s Platinum Club) and are available to purchase 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), at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or any TicketMaster location.

Tickets are also on sale at Big Six Academy in Providence (401.241.3490), 401 Gym in Cranston, RI (401.261.9800), Ultimate Fitness in Bristol, RI (401.253.3539), Rivera Brother’s Gym in Lynn, MA (617.594.1166) and GQ Barbersalon in N. Providence (401.228.3380), Warwick, RI (401.823.0060) and Coventry, RI (401.615.5455).

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.

“DARCHINYAN IS READY TO KICK SOME ARCE!”

TOTOWA, NJ (November 18, 2008) — World super flyweight champion VIC “Raging Bull” DARCHINYAN is ready to give WBA interim super flyweight champion and Mexican loudmouth Jorge Arce (51-4-1, 38 KOs), the big Olé-off! Darchinyan (31-1-1, 25 KOs), from Sydney, Australia by way of his native Vanadzok, Armenia, responded to the challenge Arce made to him today.

“If Arce thinks he has a snowball’s chance in Hell of beating me than he’s a bigger sucker than those lollipops he chews on,” said Darchinyan. “Arce shouldn’t be worrying about me running for the hills. He should be worrying about me running him out of boxing! The last real ring test he had was against Cristian Mijares in 2007 and we all know how that ended. It was a murderous unanimous decision victory for Mijares, scored 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111. And everyone saw what I did to Mijares on November 1. Arce is going to be my human piñata. It will be like a Chihuahua going against a bull…a raging bull!”

Added Gary Shaw, Darchinyan’s promoter, “I think Arce has been chewing on Agave-spiked lollipops for him to be making this career-ending challenge. We may request Arce take a breathalyzer test before signing the contracts. I’m taking no chances with this Spanish Fly.”

Darchinyan, the former IBF/IBO flyweight champion, unified his IBF junior bantamweight title with Mijares’ WBC/WBA super flyweight belts on November 1, knocking him out at the end of the ninth-round of their November 1 rumble at The Home Depot Center. Televised live by SHOWTIME, Darchinyan became the first man in the history of the 115-pound division to unify the three major belts. Darchinyan’s victory ended Mijares’ (35-4-2, 13 KOs), two-year title run and nine-bout winning streak

(Nov. 18, 2008) – Jorge Arce, one of boxing’s most brash talkers, is no longer clamoring for a fight against WBC super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez. Arce has now set his sights on WBC/WBA/IBF super flyweight champion Vic “The Raging Bull” Darchinyan.

“Vazquez had his shot, but he waited too long to make a decision and quite frankly, I think he was scared of the match up,” Arce said. “I can only hope that Darchinyan won’t run for the hills like Vazquez did.”

Arce, who fights two divisions lower than Vazquez, has been chasing the fellow Mexican-native for quite some time. Most recently, Arce called out Vazquez after his fourth round TKO win over Isidro Garcia just two weeks ago (Saturday, Nov. 1).

“I really wanted the fight against Vazquez,” Arce said. “But this is a business and right now a fight with Darchinyan makes more sense. Let’s see how much guts the so-called ‘Raging Bull’ actually has.”

Arce has a record of 51-4-1, with 39 knockouts.

ORANGE, CA, November 18 – Forget Thanksgiving dinner. For Southern California boxing fans the real feast will take place on Friday, November 28th at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California, when Thompson Boxing Promotions brings the “Heavy Artillery” for a night of boxing people will be talking about for weeks.

In the main event, former IBA junior welterweight champion Antonio Diaz looks for his sixth win in a row when he takes on Phoenix’ Mario Ramos in an eight round welterweight bout.

Also in action will be hot prospects Dominic Salcido, Pavel Miranda, Mauricio Herrera, Omar Salado and Victor Burgos.

For tickets to “HEAVY ARTILLERY”, a six-bout card of explosive professional boxing action, please call 714-935-0900. Tickets are priced at $75, $45, and $30.

The Doubletree Hotel – Ontario is located at 222 N. Vineyard Avenue. Doors open at 6:30 pm, first bell at 7:30 pm.

Coachella, California’s Antonio “Toño” Diaz (44-5-1, 29 KOs) is one of the most exciting fighters of this era, a warrior who has never left fans disappointed in the ring. Over the last 13 years, Diaz has fought a Who’s Who of the sport, including Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, and Juan Lazcano, and he holds wins over the likes of Cory Spinks, Micky Ward, Ivan Robinson, Emanuel Augustus, and Omar Weis. Winner of five in a row, Diaz will be pushed hard by Mario “Kid Rayo” Ramos (17-4-1, 3 KOs), a southpaw, whose main goal will be to upset the returning Diaz.

Charismatic junior lightweight prospect Dominic Salcido (16-1, 8 KOs) will return to action for the first time since a hard-fought loss to Vicente Escobedo in September when he takes on an opponent to be named shortly.

Also in action will be Tijuana featherweight sensation Juan Carlos Burgos (19-0, 14 KOs), who will put his undefeated record on the line in an eight rounder against veteran Jesus Salvador Perez (25-21-3, 14 KOs). Burgos will be returning to the ring after enduring a right hand injury during his last fight against division gatekeeper Andres Ledesma back in August.

In an intriguing eight round clash of jr. welterweight prospects, unbeaten Mauricio Herrera (7-0, 2 KOs) of Riverside will face his toughest test to date in Tijuana’s highly regarded Pavel Miranda (18-2, 11 KOs).

The fighting city of Tijuana will also be represented in flyweight action when Omar Salado (19-1-2, 11 KOs) looks for a victory against Brazilian Jose Albuquerque (8-4-2, 2 KOs).

Opening the show will be a four round flyweight bout between debuting battlers Malcolm Franklin of Rialto and Israel Huerta of Santa Ana. Franklin, who was a Beijing Olympics US alternate, will showcase his ability as he turns a fantastic amateur record into the professional ranks.

Welterweights Delvin Rodriguez (23-2-2, 14KO) and Isaac Hlatshwayo (28-1-1, 10KO) battled to a 12 round draw on Monday night in Hlatshwayo’s home country of South Africa. At stake in the bout was an IBF #1 ranking and future date with IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey.

From the opening bell it was an entertaining fight as Hlatshwayo looked to press the action while the sharp shooting Rodriguez was content on firing off crisp combinations from the outside.

It was obvious that Rodriguez was the much superior boxer as he would throw beautiful three and four punch combinations from the outside and then tie Hlatshwayo up before the South African could fire back.

By the middle rounds the fight had become a classic boxer vs. brawler bout with Hlatshwayo taking four shots just to land one. While Rodriguez was the more accurate of the two, Hlatshwayo’s wide shots brought loud reaction from his hometown crowd.

In the 9th round, just as the fight seemed to somewhat be turning Hlatshwayo’s way, Rodriguez landed a picture perfect right hand right on the button that send Hlatshwayo down. Hlatshwayo showed his toughness though and he was able to get up and survive the round.

Rodriguez came out in the final two rounds looking to put Hlatshwayo away, not wanting the fight to go to the judges scorecards in his opponents backyard. Hlatshwayo hung tough though and was able to hold on and make it to the final bell. With the knockdown it seemed as though Rodriguez had done more then enough to pull out the decision. Unfortunately fighting in Hlatshwayo’s home country seemed to play in his favor as Hlatshwayo was awarded a split decision victory over a very disappointed Rodriguez. Upon further review of the scorecards by Rodriguez’s promoter Joe DeGuardia, it was revealed that there was a mistake made in the calculation in one of the judges scoring. Upon an intense review by both camps and IBF official Mahsan Scott, the fight was changed to its correct decision, a majority draw.

“Delvin came into Hlatshwayo’s backyard and put on a great showing,” said DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing. “He was the busier fighter, landed more punches, and dropped Hlatshwayo. I will give Hlatswhayo credit he is a tough fighter, and just kept coming all night long though.” Under the rules of the IBF Rodriguez and Hlatshwayo will fight in a rematch immediately.

Ricky Hatton retains his IBO and Ring Magazine light welterweight titles with an 11th round TKO of Paulie Malignaggi.

Judges Jerry Roth, Duane Ford and Glenn Trowbridge all scored the bout 99-91 for Hatton through 10.

Hatton threw 516 punches, landing 124.
Malignaggi threw 342 punches, landing 91.

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Round 11: RH doing some good work inside. PM’s corner has thrown in the towel. Buddy McGirt stepped into the ring to stop the fight. PM is disgusted. He’s in disbelief as he pushes McGirt out of frustration. The TKO comes at 28 seconds into the 11th.
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Round 10: PM flicks the jab but isn’t landing. RH presses forward but doesn’t find a stationary target. RH lands a glancing hook. More wrestling. More holding. Short uppercut inside for RH. PM ties up RH every time he gets close. The fighters bump heads but none is worse for the wear. Not much to choose from but RH is dictating the pace and pressing the fight. RH 10-9.
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Round 9: PM lands a jab. RH lands a big lunging left hook. Bayless stops the action to have RH’s glove taped. Time in. RH lands a couple of lefts to the body. More holding. RH presses the action and lands a left for his effort. An uppercut for RH lands. PM retreats and flicks the jab. It isn’t enough to keep RH off him. PM lands a jab. RH looks frustrated as he isn’t able to land cleanly. He shakes his head as he walks back to his corner. RH 10-9.
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Round 8: RH surging ahead. PM in full retreat. PM lands a left-right. RH is following PM around the ring. RH lands a left flush to the face. PM grabs RH against the ropes. RH lands a straight left. Bayless separates the fighters. RH didn’t do much, but it’s hard to give PM a round for circling and holding. RH 10-9.
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Round 7: RH throws and misses. PM flicks the jab in retreat. PM lands a right as RH lunges. RH is stalking and winging punches. RH puts a combo together that stuns PM. PM staggers a bit and hangs on. RH lands a jab of his own. PM lands a check hook and a counter right - his best effort of the night. RH lands another jab, followed by a left hook. RH lands a lead left before the bell. RH 10-9.
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Round 6: RH comes out gunning. RH walks into a jab, and another. PM on his bicycle. RH’s doing more pushing off than punching. A RH right lands. RH lands a leaping left. PM sticks the jab. Best round of action thus far. RH slips a jab; not the second. RH feints on the way in. RH 10-9.
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Round 5: Both men hit and hold. They’re all tied up. PM is elusive, but not very offensive. A good PM jab snaps RH’s head. More holding by PM. A PM hook lands. PM snaps off another jab. RH pushes ahead but is unable to land. It’s anyones round to steal. PM 10-9.
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Round 4: PM jab lands. Another. RH swings and misses. RH is pressing the action. PM isn’t running, but he isn’t holding his ground. RH left lands flush. RH’s hook beats PM’s. PM jab. Both shoot uppercuts and miss. Both hold. RH 10-9.
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Round 3: PM jab. More wrestling. PM jab snaps RH’s head. PM moving a bit more this round. More wrestling. Body shot by PM. Better body shot by RH. Left hook by RH is the best punch of the round. Close round. RH 10-9.
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Round 2: PM lands a counter to open the second. RH lands and the crowd erupts. Bayless has his hands full tonight. RH is displaying some upper body and head movement tonight as he plows forward. RH lands a right hook. PM is jabbing in retreat. PM is rocked by a RH right. Another right has PM in trouble. RH 10-9.
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Round 1: PM lands the first blow of the night - a straight jab. RH lands a hook to the body. They’re wrestling more than they are boxing. RH digs another shot to the body. A short uppercut for RH. RH throws a right - PM ducks under. PM lands a straight right. A tight first round of action. RH 10-9.
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Kenny Bayless has given his instructions and the bell is about to sound.

Ricky Hatton enters the ring Ricky “Fatton”. He’s wearing stuffing under a make shift robe all the while dancing away and sweating to the oldies.

Paulie Malignaggi is making a slow stroll to the ring. Draped in blue, he enters the ring to a chorus of boos. “Who are ya?” the Brits want to know.

We’re moments away from the fight. Referee Kenny Bayless is in the ring. The drums are a banging and the crowd is on its feet. “There’s only one Ricky Hatton”, according to the Hitman’s legion of fans inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

________________________
Update: James Kirkland TKO victory 1:45 of round 8.

Kirkland dropped Vera twice in the second. The first followed a right-left combination that put Vera on the canvas. The second came moments before the bell.

Halfway through the fight and Vera has absorbed a tremendous amount of punishment. He’s landing just enough counter rights to continue.
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Update: Matthew Hatton UD victory over Ben Tackie.
98-92
97-93
98-92
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What kind of fighter gives Ricky Hatton fits? Gifted boxers who can hit and not get hit. Crafty Luis Collazo nearly pulled off the upset against Hatton in 2006 when Hatton first tested the waters at welterweight. The difference in the fight may have been a 10-8 first round for Hatton. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was up big in their 2007 mega-fight before stopping Hatton in the 10th. The check-hook that floored Hatton was a thing of beauty but it was an accumulation of punishment that did in the Hitman.

Paulie Malignaggi is a boxer who can hit and not get hit. A skilled boxer who has fast hands and tireless feet, Malignaggi dominated the scorecards in wins over top jr. welterweights Edner Cherry and Lovemore N’dou in 2007. Against “The Black Panther”, Malignaggi won every round on two of the judges’ scorecards to capture N’dou’s IBF light welterweight title. But more than being a gifted boxer, Paulie Malignaggi is the strongest type of fighter. He is a mentally tough pug who knows he is in for the long haul most every time out. Malignaggi knows he doesn’t pack one-punch power; he has just five KOs in 26 outings. He also knows he is one damaging punch away from being a one-handed fighter (Malignaggi has a history of hand problems). Yet he prepares himself mentally and physically to face the biggest punchers in the division for 12 long rounds.

But is Paulie Malignaggi slick and strong enough to defeat Ricky Hatton? The same Ricky Hatton who did the unthinkable when he forced then IBF light welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu to retire on his stool? The same Ricky Hatton who out-toughed WBA Champion Carlos Maussa in 2005? Who mugged strongman Juan Urango for the IBO belt in 2007? Who overwhelmed long time lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo inside four rounds?

TSS Nation – you tell us. Will Malignaggi outbox the Hitman or will Ricky power past Paulie? On Saturday, Nov 22 we will bring you ringside, round by round coverage of the Ricky Hatton v. Paulie Malignaggi IBO jr. welterweight championship fight from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV. Fight coverage will begin at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.

HBO SPORTS PRESENTS A BATTLE OF SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS WHEN

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: JERMAIN TAYLOR VS. JEFF LACY

IS SEEN LIVE SATURDAY, NOV. 15 ON HBO

PLUS THE REPLAY OF CALZAGHE VS. JONES

Two former champs seek redemption when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: JERMAIN TAYLOR VS. JEFF LACY is seen live from Memorial Gym, Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, SATURDAY, NOV. 15 (10:15 p.m. ET/7:15 p.m. PT), exclusively on HBO. The WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING team will be ringside for the event, which will be presented in HDTV and in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Ex-Olympic teammates go toe-to-toe when former undisputed middleweight champ Jermain Taylor (27-2-1, 17 KOs), from Little Rock, takes on former super middleweight champ Jeff Lacy (24-1, 17 KOs), of St. Petersburg, in a scheduled 12-round super middleweight contest.

Leading off the telecast will be the exclusive replay of Calzaghe vs. Jones. On Nov. 8 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Joe Calzaghe extended his perfect mark to 46-0 with an impressive 12-round decision over Roy Jones Jr in their light heavyweight showdown.

On Dec 11, 2008, when Philadelphia, PA native Steve “USS” Cunningham defends his IBF Cruiserweight Championship against Jersey City’s “Polish Warrior” Tomasz Adamek at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

VERSUS will broadcast the Cunningham-Adamek bout and a co-feature contest beginning at 8:00 pm ET .

STEVE CUNNINGHAM
On training camp:

· The Philadelphia Phillies fan is a constant fixture at the James Shuler Memorial Gym in West Philly and the Rock Ministries Gym in Kensington. But despite his intensity he and his team keep the atmosphere relaxed with practical jokes: “We like to have fun in camp. Last week when my trainer [Anthony Chase] landed in Philly we told him we rented a nice apartment for him. We took him to the ghetto to a house where the grass was over-grown and the windows were boarded. I walked over to the car with a straight face and gave him the keys and his jaw dropped. I couldn’t stop laughing.”

· Chase has trained Cunningham since the amateurs; although the two did separate for a few years before reuniting. Chase has also trained Cedric Boswell, Sam Reese, Dorin Spivey, Owen Beck, and Dave Hadden

· Chazz Witherspoon and Eddie Chambers are two of the fighters Cunningham is using for sparring because he wants “bigger, stronger guys”. . .

On Adamek:

· “From what it seems I think I’ve fought tougher guys [than Adamek], like Guillermo Jones, Kelvin Davis, and Sebastian Rothmann. But I see a decent fighter in Adamek—solid, pretty strong. I’m expecting a tough fight “

· “I think he’s been in there with good opposition. He fought Chad Dawson. But I’m different than Chad. I’m bigger. That’s what makes this fight so good. Both of us have been there, done that“

· “Adamek was bigger than I thought. We were about the same size. But size doesn’t mean much. Some of my toughest fights were against smaller guys.”

On His Naval Career

· Cunningham served four years in the U.S. Navy and finished as an E-3.

· For the first 2 ½ years of his service he was an aircraft re-fueler for the U.S.S. Enterprise and the U.S.S. America. “I re-fueled everything from F-18s, F-14s, helicopters, you name it.” He visited many places such as the Strait of Gibraltar, the Suez Canal, Greece, Italy, and Malta

· The last 1 ½ years of his tour were spent boxing for the Navy.

· Cunningham is proud of his service and would like to serve as a spokesman for the Navy

TOMASZ ADAMEK
On Training

· Adamek’s co-trainer Mike Skowronski is stunned at how good Adamek looks at this stage of training camp: “He looks awesome and he keeps getting better each day. It’s our inside joke that after every workout he tells me, ‘Wait till next week” . . . Fighting at cruiserweight has made all the difference according to Adamek: “I feel better than I did at light heavyweight. I’m not tired. I feel stronger” . . . Among his training rituals is 45 minutes of road work, four times per week . . .

· Skowronski is particularly impressed by Adamek’s speed and with “the way he’s putting together his combinations and working off his jab. His balance is great. I wish the fight was in two weeks to be honest with you. He is as steady as a rock.”

· Adamek is using top-10 contender Shaun George, former champion Al Cole, and three-time Golden Gloves champion Patrick Farell for sparring. So far he has already logged over 40 rounds of sparring, predominantly with George. Skowronski expects Adamek to spar a total of 60 rounds before they break their Passaic PAL training camp in Passaic, NJ.

On Cunningham

· “Cunningham is a good boxer. He’s a champion. But I think I will win this fight because I feel so much stronger at cruiserweight.” Skowronski adds: “Tomasz knows it’s going to be a tough fight,” says Skowronski. “He expects to catch up with Cunningham and wear him down. He’s looking at this as a 12 round war.”

Miscellaneous

· Adamek has been living in Jersey City, NJ for about two years. In August his wife and children joined him in America.

· Adamek says he might consider moving to heavyweight in the future, but “not to fight the real big guys.” For now all he is concentrating on is Cunningham: “This belt is very important to me. I would like to win this and then unify the titles.”

Tickets
Tickets, priced at $303, $153, $78, $53, $38, are on sale now and can be purchased by calling TicketMaster at 201-507-8900.

JAMES “LIGHTS OUT” TONEY

VERSUS

TONY “THE TIGER” THOMPSON

BATTLE OF HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDERS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13 MORONGO CASINO RESORT & SPA

PLUS

2004 U.S. GOLD MEDALIST ANDRE WARD

FIGHTS WILL AIR LIVE ON VERSUS AT 9 P.M. ET

Los Angeles, CA (November 11, 2008) – On December 13, 2008, a pair of prominent top heavyweight world title contenders will square off against each other with everything on the line, including their professional future at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. The winner of Toney vs. Thompson, ‘Now or Never,’ emerges as the next major challenger to the Klitschko brothers, the reigning Heavyweight Champions.

In addition, the only-Olympic Gold Medalist for the United States in the past 12 years, Andre “SOG” Ward, will defend his NABO Super Middleweight Championship.

“Our sport along with the fans, want compelling bouts. In the Toney-Thompson fight, we’ve put together two fighters that are world ranked, battling against each other, and the winner guaranteed to being closer to fighting again for the most coveted title in sports – World Heavyweight Champion. This could not have been done without the fighters taking up the challenge,” promoter Dan Goossen exclaimed in making the announcement that “James ‘Lights Out’ Toney (70-6-3, 43 KOs), a living legend and future first ballot Hall of Famer, will be taking on another highly respected and top heavyweight contender in Tony ‘The Tiger’ Thompson, (31-2, 19 KOs).

“Adding Ward to the card makes this a debut blockbuster event for Goossen Tutor at California’s beautiful and prestigious Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon.”

Toney, the former multi-division champion and two-time “Fighter of the Year,” will go toe-to-toe with Thompson for the IBA World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the featured televised bout which will air live on VERSUS at 9 PM ET.

Never lost for words or shy about delivering verbal power shots, Toney held nothing back in forecasting the outcome of this fight.

“Tony Thompson is gonna be the victim,” insisted the Ann Arbor, Michigan native now living in Los Angeles, California. “I’ll come out like I did against Hasim Rahman in the rematch (back in July). Rahman quit on his stool. I’m ready to go. I’ll fight ‘em all. I’ll fight the Russian giants. Come December 13, I will definitely be in Thompson’s face and his lights will be turned out.

“I’m the people’s champ because I fight everybody and they know it,” Toney continued. “Everyone saw what I did to Sam Peter in our first fight. I whooped him good and just did the same thing to Rahman. Thompson is the next one I’ll expose. It took Klitschko 11 rounds to get him and I’m going to knock him out right onto Dan Goossen’s lap a lot sooner than that.”

Hailing from our nation’s capital, Silver Spring, Maryland-born Tony Thompson is making his first appearance since travelling to Germany back in July when he held his own in going eleven tough rounds against IBF and WBO World Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko. It was the first loss in eight years for the veteran southpaw, after a competitive back-and-forth fight against the champion. Some thought that fight might be his one chance of winning a world heavyweight belt. But Thompson knew his future title fight hopes got a big boost with his gutsy and competitive performance against Klitschko.

“I am very excited the fight is happening with Toney. A win against someone at that level pushes me right back into a title fight,” Thompson said. At 6-6, 250 lbs., Thompson will have a decided height and weight advantage over Toney, who stands at 5-11 and weighs in the 230-pound range. “He’s very crafty, but doesn’t have the strength to keep me off of him. He will have trouble with my size and power and especially the experience I gained in my fight with Klitschko. This is a must win for me and whatever it takes to get it done is what I’ll be prepared to do. And I will get it done.”

“These are the type of events we enjoy bringing to the fans, big names in big fights;” Goossen pointed out, “in the Toney-Thompson fight, the winner is closer to a Heavyweight Championship, and the loser goes home. A 50/50 fight with everything on the line is just what the fans want to see.”

The second featured televised bout will showcase the #4 WBO and #5 WBC top rated Super Middleweight Contender Ward defending his belt for the first time. The Oakland, California native – who captured the NABO title by stopping former Dominican Olympian Jerson Ravelo last June in Grand Cayman — will be returning to action for the first time since that bout and undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery due to a non-boxing injury.

Ward is on track — if not destined — to follow in the footsteps of the previous two boxers to become America’s only Gold Medalists at their respective Olympic Games. Oscar de la Hoya did the honors at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in the lightweight division and went on to win world championships as a professional in multiple weight classes. And David Reid won Gold in the light middleweight division in Atlanta in 1996. Guided by Dan Goossen, Reid went on to win the WBA World Light Middleweight crown in just his 10th professional fight in March 1999.

“My knee feels great and is not an issue and I am anxious to get back into the ring to defend my NABO title,” Ward stated. “A win puts me a few more rungs up the ladder toward my goal of becoming a world champion. It’s another step in the process.”

Ward’s dream of becoming a world champion professional boxer is targeted for 2009.

“When this breath of fresh air star enters the ring, the national media takes notice and, at 16-0, 11 KOs, Ward is knocking on the door to the world championship,” Goossen observed.

On December 13, Toney boldly predicts his time is ‘Now,’ while a confident Thompson responds ‘Never!’

‘Now or Never’ is promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions and will air live on VERSUS.