LISTEN/CHAT NOW!
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Vic Darchinyan wants rematch with Nonito Donaire
By Mario Cabrera, Jr
Nonito Donaire knocked out last-minute replacement Manuel Vargas in the third round of their fight. Donaire controlled the bout throughout before flooring Vargas for good with a solid right uppercut at 1:33 in the third. Donaire, the WBA interim super flyweight champion, was scheduled to fight Gerson Guerrero. But Guerrero failed his pre-fight physical, paving the way for Vargas.
Afterward, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said that Donaire's immediate future will either be a fight against Fernando Montiel, who also won convincingly, or against Donaire's arch rival and enemy, WBA and WBC Super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, 34-2-1, (27) who dominated his Mexican opponent Rodrigo Guerrero at the Rancho Mirage Casino on March 6. The two met in 2007 when unknown Nonito Donaire stopped Darchinyan in five rounds winning his IBF flyweight title. Donaire had gained vengeance for his brother Glenn, whom Darchinyan had defeated the previous year. During his post fight interview Darchinyan went on to express his desire for a rematch with the talented Filipino Nonito Donaire. Donaire and Darchinyan are without doubt the top two fighters in the division. Hope we can see a rematch!!!!!
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The Undercard of The Event
By Elias Sandoval
This Saturday in Arlington, TX Manny Pacquiao takes on Joshua Clottey in the new Cowboys stadium for the WBO welterweight title. The bout has been dubbed The Event and will be shown on HBO pay-per view for a price tag of 49.99. There’s no doubt that the main event is worth the bump up in your next cable bill but how about the undercard.
The major promoters in boxing have expressed that the casual consumer purchases these pay-per view shows strictly based on the main event alone. Well In recent time’s hardcore fans have countered by demanding for more meaningful and entertaining preliminary bouts to big pay per view shows.
As the supporting fights for The Event was put together and confirmed I would read that a lot of fans where chalking this up as another poor pay per view undercard. I personally would disagree with this opinion; I think the undercard is solid and with an excellent main event should produce a great night of boxing. Make no mistake about it this is not the great Don King pay per view undercards of the past but a solid lineup and I’ll explain.
Opening up the telecast is John Duddy (28-1) vs. Michael Medina (23-1-2). While this is not world class stuff the Irishmen Duddy has been known to be in some pretty entertaining brawls. Let’s hope this is the case and we get a slugfest but overall my expectations are low for this fight
The next contest is an interesting clash as Alfonso Gomez (21-4-2) from contender fame takes on Mexican great Jose Luis Castillo (60-9-1). Gomez is a fighter that has been in his share of barn burners and even though Castillo is well past his prime his style is built for action. I think Castillo has a little something in the gas tank and Alfonso will try to make a statement in the fight leading to an entertaining affair. This may not hold much significance in the boxing world but should be fun to watch.
In the co-main event Humberto Soto (50-7-2) will face David Diaz (35-2-1) for the WBC lightweight title. This fight is not only meaningful but should produce fireworks as it pits Diaz a face forward brawler against an aggressive boxer in Soto. The winner of this fight will receive a belt and could possibly set himself up for a future bout against fellow top rank fighter Edwin Valero. In my opinion you’ll get to see one of the most underrated fighters in the world today when Humberto Soto ply’s his craft Saturday night.
Those three fights with Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey being the attraction and headliner is a pretty strong pay per view. I’ll be making my own event out of the fight with friends & family; will continue our normal festivities during a big fight which means good food and lots to drink.
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THE ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® CONFIRMS REMAINING BOUTS FOR UFC® on VERSUS
MAIN EVENT
BRANDON “THE TRUTH” VERA vs. JON “BONES” JONES
CO-MAIN EVENT
JUNIOR “CIGANO” DOS SANTOS vs. GABRIEL “NAPAO” GONZAGA
CHEICK KONGO vs. PAUL BUENTELLO
ALESSIO SAKARA vs. JAMES IRVIN
CLAY GUIDA vs. SHANNON GUGERTY
ELLIOT MARSHALL vs. VLADIMIR MATYUSHENKO
DUANE LUDWIG vs. DARREN ELKINS
JOHN HOWARD vs. DANIEL ROBERTS
BRENDAN SCHAUB vs. CHASE GORMLEY
MIKE PIERCE vs. JULIO PAULINO
ERIC SCHAFER vs. JASON BRILZ
SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2010
Live from the 1STBank Center – Tickets on Sale Now
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Two of the most dynamic Ultimate Fighting Championship® light heavyweights clash on Sunday, March 21, when Muay Thai ace Brandon “The Truth” Vera takes on dangerous 22-year-old phenom Jon “Bones” at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colo for UFC® on VERSUS. The fight will air live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET marking the debut of the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization on VERSUS and the first time that a live UFC event will air on a national sports cable network.
UFC on VERSUS will feature a card loaded with explosive match-ups such as Junior Dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga, Cheick Kongo vs. Paul Buentello, Duane Ludwig vs. Spencer Fisher, Alessio Sakara vs. James Irvin, Clay Guida, vs. Shannon Gugerty, Eliot Marshall vs. Vladimir Matyushenko, John Howard vs. Daniel Roberts, Brendan Schaub vs. Chase Gormley, Mike Pierce vs. Rob Kimmons and Eric Schafer vs. Jason Brilz.
Tickets for UFC on VERSUS are on sale and are available for purchase at www.tickethorse.com and the Pepsi Center Box Office.
Since coming onto the scene in the UFC, Brazilian heavyweight Junior Dos Santos (fighting out of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil / 10-1 professional record) has torn through every opponent in his path. Riding a four fight winning streak in the Octagon™, all by way of stoppage (3 KO/TKO, 1 Submission) against the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Mirko Cro Cop and Gilbert Yvel, Dos Santos looks to continue his dominance against fellow Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga. A veteran of the UFC, Gonzaga (fighting out of Ludlow, Mass. / 11-4) has won three of his last four fights, his most recent victory being a first-round knockout of Chris Tuchscherer. Always dangerous on his feet, Gonzaga looks to assert himself as one of the top heavyweights in the division with a win over Dos Santos on March 21st.
Known for his devastating striking ability, UFC veteran Cheick Kongo (fighting out of Paris, France / 24-6-1) is looking to demonstrate these skills against another powerful puncher. The 34-year-old Frenchman has five TKO victories in the UFC and looks to hunt down “The Headhunter.” Paul Buentello (fighting out of San Jose, Calif. / 25-11) made his first appearance in the UFC since 2006 when he took on Stefan Struve at UFC 107. A mixed martial arts veteran with 25 career wins, Buentello looks to once again prove his standup skills against another top striker.
There are few middleweights with as much experience inside the Octagon as Alessio Sakara (fighting out of Miami, Fla. / 18-7, 1 NC). A nine-fight Octagon veteran, the Rome, Italy native looks to build off of his two-fight winning streak as he squares off against another proven striker. James Irvin (fighting out of Sacramento, Calif. / 14-5, 1 NC) returns to the UFC as a winner of two of his past three fights. Known for his impressive athletic ability and punching power, Irvin is eager to make his 185-pound debut at UFC on VERSUS.
Known for his outgoing personality and frenetic pace in his fights, Clay Guida (fighting out of Johnsburg, Ill. / 25-8) is one of the most exciting fighters the lightweight division has to offer. Winner of three of his last five fights, Guida is looking to continue his exciting brand of fighting as he faces off against tough competitor Shannon Gugerty (fighting out of San Diego, Calif. / 12-4). A west coast standout, Gugerty is the owner of two Octagon wins against Dale Hartt and Matt Grice, and he will be trying to collect his third victory in a lightweight showdown with Guida.
Making his mark as a contestant on the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter®, Eliot Marshall (fighting out of Boulder, Colo. / 8-2) has taken full advantage of his opportunities as he has gone a perfect 3-0 in his post-TUF fights. Marshall, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, faces his toughest match-up yet as he will face off against experienced veteran Vladimir Matyushenko (fighting out of El Segundo, Calif. / 23-4). Winner of three of his last four bouts, with his most recent win coming at UFC 103 against Igor Pokrajac, the Belarusian hopes to use his experience to put together back-to-back victories as he takes on Marshall on March 21st.
In a career that spans back to UFC 42, Duane Ludwig (fighting out of Denver, Colo. / 27-10) is 2-1 in the UFC with a notable 11-second destruction of Jonathan Goulet in 2006. Ludwig will have his work cut out for him as he takes on UFC newcomer Darren Elkins (fighting out of Portage, Ind. / 10-1). A native of Portage, Ind. Elkins is looking to make his first fight in the UFC memorable with a win over Ludwig.
Storming onto the scene with three straight wins, 26 year-old John Howard (fighting out of Boston, Mass. / 13-4) hopes to continue his rise up the ranks of the welterweight division with a win at UFC on VERSUS. Howard’s opponent is UFC newcomer Daniel Roberts (fighting out of San Francisco, Calif. / 9-0.), who brings his perfect record to the UFC as he looks to make an immediate impact in the welterweight division. Born in Rockford, Ill., Roberts is well versed in wrestling and jiu-jitsu and hopes these skills will help propel him to his first win inside the Octagon.
A finalist on The Ultimate Fighter® Heavyweights, former NFL player Brendan Schaub (fighting out of Denver, Colo. / 5-1) looks to begin his post-TUF path to stardom as he squares off with Chase Gormley at UFC on VERSUS. Gormley (fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif. / 6-1) is also looking for his first career UFC win, and the former college wrestling All-American hopes it will come at the expense of Schaub on Sunday, March 21st.
Since joining the UFC following a successful stint in World Extreme Cagefighting®, Mike Pierce (fighting out of Vancouver, Wash. / 9-3) has continued to face top-notch competition. Winner of two of his last three fights overall, Pierce has defeated Brock Larson and engaged in a hard-fought three round battle with former No. 1 contender Jon Fitch. Pierce has another tough fight ahead of him as he faces Julio Paulino (fighting out of Anchorage, Alaska / 18-2.) A native of Jersey City, NJ, the “Dominican Demon” looks to establish himself in the welterweight division with a win in his UFC debut.
Winner of two of his last three fights, submission specialist Eric Schafer (fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc. / 13-4-2) will be making his seventh UFC appearance, this time against Jason Brilz (fighting out of Omaha, Neb. / 17-2-1), a native of Bismarck, North Dakota, who owns UFC victories over Brad Morris and Tim Boetsch. Both fighters are looking for their third career UFC win and will do whatever it takes to garner it.
Ultimate Fighting Championship® - www.ufc.com
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s Versus network. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 130 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.
Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.
About VERSUS
VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar® Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
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WORLD BOXING COUNCIL NEWS- HOOK TO THE LIVER
March 9, 2010 – Mexico City .
From the office of WBC President José Sulaiman:
The following article was published on Sunday, March 7, in WBC President José Sulaiman’s weekly column in El Universal titled “Hook to the Liver.” El Universal has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Mexico .
HOOK TO THE LIVER
By José Sulaiman
Boxing , Thailand and 30 Years Later.
In my most recent trip to this country, I recalled how important it is to hold out your hand to sick children and young drug-addicts. The emotional moment took me to an emotional remembrance: I was waiting for the moment - before witnessing the two thousand students of the graduating class, and under strict and formal protocol – to receive my Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from the hands of the Crown Prince of Thailand. It was granted by the BSRU University – I still wonder if I deserve it – and my mind took me to 1981, when I first visited this country of Siam .
Back then, I was honored to meet the very young Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. He was only 29.
There I was, watching the strict seriousness in that face of prominent cheekbones and chiseled features of the Prince. He did not move a single muscle of his face when in front of the other five people who received an honorary doctorate prior to me. I knew I would have to obey the protocol. I was obliged to doing so. Nevertheless, no matter how much I tried, I could not help myself and I smiled when I was in front of him. I was taken to such action by the affection, respect and trust I have always felt for him. Suddenly, I was surprised when I saw, in an almost imperceptible way, the Prince winked a little bit at me and in his noble face a slight, very slight smile was drawn. This courtesy triggered deep satisfaction in me. My feelings are not mistaken: Thailand is my second motherland.
During my visit in 1981, I found out that boxing - international style - practically did not exist in Thailand, despite having had four superstars of the past: Pone Kingpetch, the first world champion; Chamren Songkitrat, whom Raul “Raton” Macias defeated to win the Bantamweight world title; Chartchai Chionoi – together with “Alacran” Torres, he took part in the toughest bout I have seen in my life – and Sansaek Muangsurin, the tremendous puncher who won the world championship in his fourth professional fight and was, perhaps, the greatest idol of Thai boxing. In that time, only Muay Thai boxing, which still is the national sport, existed. Nothing else. In three years, however, and with a great effort, the World Boxing Council had a Thai world champion. Since then, there have been 19.
It is impossible to hide that I am going through times in which, perhaps a little tired because of those long distances of the boxing trenches I have covered for so many years, I make an effort to find motivations. I want to revive the enthusiasm; I want to keep feeling the zest for life and serving. In that respect, this trip has turned out to be very beneficial: I think that now I have found – or confirmed – a couple of great incentives that were born during some visits I made:
The first one, to the Center of Orphans who are three to 12 years old. What I experienced there reached my heart and confirmed the goodness of the world program that the WBC has in favor of children, with visits to over 150 hospitals where children who suffer from cancer are treated.
The second one, to a rehab center for drug addicts. There I felt the vital need to find a new way of finding opportunities for all the patients. I am sure that, when feeling protected and treated, these human beings will have fewer wishes to go back to that hell, that cancer that corrodes society.
Protecting, taking care of, motivating and educating children to encourage an attitude of effort for our own good and peace is also a path that every single human being that longs for a promising future for his children and grandchildren, and all the subsequent generations, is obliged to take.
My return to Mexico, my beloved homeland, will be the starting point: I will invite our world champions so that, with the idolatry they project, we can get close to the children who need it the most - and of course, to all those who, by pure chance, have seen their way get twisted towards an abyss with no bottom. I know the heart of all our champions. I know that they, who come from the humblest cradles, will know how to put themselves to the service of those who need us the most. So be it.
****
From a Lockerblogger.com press release:
WORLD BOXING COUNCIL CHOOSES LOCKERBLOGGER AS OFFICIAL SOCIAL NETWORK
The WBC, the world’s largest sports sanctioning body, has teamed up with LockerBlogger, a sports centric social network.
NEW YORK , NY , March 8, 2010 – The World Boxing Council has officially joined LockerBlogger, a new, sports-centric social network, as its official social networking platform. WBC boxers, trainers and officials will soon start using the social platform as a way to connect with each other and their fans.
The WBC boasts membership in 164 countries and nine federations and is one of the most prestigious sports sanctioning body in the world. The WBC Green Belt is possibly the most recognizable symbol in sports. It has been won by boxing greats Muhammad Ali, Julio Chavez, Joe Frazier, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
“The Internet is offering to all of us a way of immediate and constant communication for the good of our involvement in the sport,” Jose Sulaiman, President of WBC, said on the official WBC website.
“Boxers, trainers, officials and others involved in the sport of boxing have been looking for a way to truly connect with their fans,” says Jill Diamond, Chair for the WBC & NABF Female Championship Committee. “LockerBlogger will provide them robust tools to allow everyone affiliated with the WBC to spread their messages in an unfiltered voice.”
Sulaiman is among some of the members who have already signed up Lockers, where they are able to post blogs, videos, photos and updates for their friends, fans and followers to see. “The WBC Family proudly embraces our friends at LockerBlogger,” Sulaiman said. “LockerBlogger – we’re in your corner!”
About LockerBlogger
Recently rated the top sports social network by Dozen Sports, LockerBlogger was built by sports lovers, for sports lovers. Creating connections is the name of our game. Our goal is to become the ultimate hub for the global sports community to celebrate pro and amateur achievement, access expert coaching education and skills development, and plug in to active conversations about the pastimes they love.
We close the gap between the field and the stands, and give fans authentic, unfiltered access to their favorite players. We connect the top coaches in every sport with players who want to take their skills to the next level, and fans looking for savvy insight from the top minds in the game. We give amateur athletes the opportunity to build their communities as their star begins to rise. And finally, we bring fans the stories, education and community they crave - all in one place, twenty-four hours a day.
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SOSNOWSKI TO FACE KITSCH
star boxing
Current European heavyweight champion, Albert "The Dragon" Sosnowski (45-2-1, 27KO) will have the opportunity to fulfill a life- long dream of becoming heavyweight champion of the world, when he takes on WBC heavyweight king, Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37KO) on May 29th at Veltins Arena, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
The 31-year-old Polish native Sosnowski is promoted by Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing (USA), Keyspan Media (Poland) and Matchroom Sport (UK). Sosnowski is coming off dominating unanimous decision victory over Paolo Vidoz in December to pick up the vacant European heavyweight title. Sosnowski also holds an 8th round TKO victory over Mike Tyson conqueror Danny Williams, who Klitschko also defeated by 8th round TKO.
Sosnowski has quick hands for a heavyweight, and at 31 he is 7 years younger then the champion, something that could give Klitschko problems. Can Sosnowski pull off the upset? Only time will tell.
ABOUT STAR BOXING:
Star Boxing, Inc. has been in operation since 1992. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit the official website at www.starboxing.com.
Star Boxing
Tropicana Resort and Casino
Star Boxing Exclusive Merchandise
MYSPACE/STARBOXING
Facebook/Star Boxing
twitter.com/starboxing
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UFC® SIGNS DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH ASIA’S ASN HD SPORTS CHANNEL
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – UFC® today announced it has reached a long-term agreement with ASN, the first 24-hour HD sports channel in Asia to distribute UFC programs in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Macau, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
ASN will officially launch UFC programming on April 10 with UFC 112: SILVA vs. MAIA, a live event taking place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and featuring two world title fights. In addition to broadcasting live UFC events, ASN will also feature UFC® Unleashed™, a compilation highlight show featuring some of the best fight action in UFC history as well as select seasons of The Ultimate Fighter® reality television series.
Thomas Kressner, CEO of ASN, said, “ASN is thrilled to deliver UFC, the world’s fastest-growing sports organization to audiences in Asia and with HD production quality, our viewers will not miss a single striking detail.”
“We are excited to sign a deal with ASN and to distribute UFC on this HD sports channel,” said Dana White, UFC President. “Asia is a huge market for us, it has a deep-rooted history and appreciation for the martial arts. We are thrilled to be working with ASN and to deliver the UFC to all of our fans in Asia.”
Launched in 2009, ASN broadcasts exclusive, thrilling action from some of America’s biggest sports leagues including the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), NCAA college championship basketball and football and NASCAR. Other programs include Formula Drift and extreme sports. With about 20 live games or events per week, ASN brings to Asian audiences more American sports action than ever before.
About All Sports Network
All Sports Network (ASN), launched in 2009, is the second sports network from Yes Television (Hong Kong) Limited. Yes TV is a media company which produces and distributes premium sports channels across Asia. Its football network Goal TV, comprises two 24-hour channels featuring top European football clubs and live games from major European leagues. Goal TV launched across 12 countries in 2004. ASN is the newest addition to Yes TV’s lineup, and is the broadcast channel for some of North America’s biggest professional and collegiate sports leagues, including the NFL, NHL, NCAA and NASCAR. ASN is the region’s first 24 hour high-definition sports channel. Together, GOAL TV & ASN entertain more than 100 million fans each season through their broadcast partners in the region.
www.asn.tv
Ultimate Fighting Championship® - www.ufc.com
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s Versus network. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 130 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.
Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.
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WHAT: Official Weigh-In and Final Press Conference
WHO: TONY “TNT” GRANO MARK “Oak Tree” BROWN
2005 U.S. Nationals Champion WBF All-Americas Champion
Hartford , CT Salem , NJ
16-1-1, 13 KOs 15-2, 7 KOs
WHERE: Foxwoods Resort Casino
Fox Theater
Mashantucket , CT
WHEN: Thursday March 11, 2010
5:30 PM
MORE INFO: To promote the “Brace For Impact” pro boxing card, presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc., March 12 in Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Tickets for “Brace For Impact,” priced at $40.00 (SOLD OUT), $60.00 and $100.00, are available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254) or Foxwoods (800-200-2882), going online at www.cesboxing.com or www.foxwoods.com, or in person at Foxwoods box office.
For more information contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or Foxwoods Resort Casino (www.foxwoods.com). Doors open at 6:00 PM/ET, first bout at 7:00 PM/ET.
# # #
About Foxwoods and MGM Grand at Foxwoods
North America’s largest casino, Foxwoods Resort Casino® is located in the rolling hills of southeastern Connecticut and is easily accessible from Boston , New York , Hartford , and Providence . Owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Foxwoods features six casinos with more than 7,200 slots, 380 table games, the only WPT World Poker Room™ in New England , High Stakes Bingo, and Ultimate Race Book. There are 1,416 guest rooms and suites in three hotels, more than 30 restaurants, a luxurious spa, more than 50,000 square feet of premium meeting and event space, 24 retail shops, and five entertainment venues, including the 1,400-seat Fox Theatre. Conveniently located adjacent to Foxwoods is Lake of Isles™, featuring two 18-hole championship golf courses designed by Rees Jones and a state-of-the-art Golf Academy . In May 2008, the MGM Grand at Foxwoods® debuted, adding 825 luxurious guest rooms, 115,000 square feet of meeting space, the 4,000-seat MGM Grand Theater, a 21,000-square-foot spa, and more dining, retail, and gaming facilities, bolstering Foxwoods’ preeminence as the East Coast’s ultimate casino resort destination. Foxwoods supports responsible gaming, and plays a leadership role in the Connecticut Council of Problem Gambling, of which it was a founding entity. For more information, call 1-800-FOXWOODS or visit www.foxwoods.com.
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“Oak Tree” Brown ready to chop down
Grano again
“Brace For Impact” Friday night at Foxwoods
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 8, 2010) – New Jersey heavyweight Mark “Oak Tree” Brown plans on proving to Tony “TNT” Grano that lightning can indeed strike twice when the two battle Friday night in the 10-round main event on the “Brace For Impact” pro boxing card, presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc. (CES), in Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.
Brown-Grano is a rematch of their WBF All-Americas title bout Sept. 27, 2008, in which Brown (15-2, 7 KOs) overcame two knockdowns to stop Grano (16-1-1, 13 KOs) in the eighth round. A 2005 U.S. National Championships winner and National Golden Gloves Tournament runner-up, the Hartford-based Grano is coming off of a career-changing, nationally-televised knockout of previously-undefeated prospect Travis Kauffman (18-0) last September.
Due to what Brown describes as being a “problem child” growing up, the 41-year-old “Oak Tree” didn’t start boxing until he was 35, winning six of seven amateur bouts before turning pro at 37. “There were no jobs and I was fighting underground in the streets,” Brown explained. “I was always athletic – a good wrestler who can dance. There was only two ways out – dying or jail – so I tried boxing. I won the Diamond Belt and came within one fight of qualifying for The Regionals.
“He’s a boxer; I’m a hardcore street fighter trying to bring (Mike) Tyson’s style back. Strength is the last thing to go in older fighters, so I’ve been working on my stamina so I don’t tire after 3 or 4 rounds. Grano has some good pop and he’s a good counter-puncher. He knocked me down twice in he second round, but I came back to be the only fighter to beat him. They had hand-picked fighters, but they didn’t know who I was and just went by my age. I don’t have a regular gym or travel around for sparring. They picked the wrong guy. He had never fought anybody who put pressure on him.
“Grano’s saying our first fight was a fluke. How can that be a fluke? I’m the only one to knock him out. It wasn’t like I caught him with a lucky punch. The ref stopped the fight. He’s a better boxer, but I got up off the canvas, and he didn’t. They pulled the wrong rabbit out of the hat. I’ve been in training for four months because I usually get last-minute calls, like I did against Fres (Oquendo). I’m going to keep my hands up, fire some jabs, and work the body. If this fight goes into the fifth or sixth round, I’m guaranteeing a knockout. I’m going to show Grano that lightning can strike twice. I’m fighting him hard. Hey, I’m living a dream. I’m still like an amateur because of my background, but I’m fighting world-class fighters, and still learning to box. Give me two more years to learn and tell the world that ‘Oak Tree’ is coming.”
The 8-round co-feature pits Hartford super bantamweight Mike “Machine Gun” Oliver (22-2, 7 KOs), the reigning New England and EBA champion, against former 2-time world champion Kermin Guardia (37-11, 21 KOs) of Miami, Fla., in a non-title fight.
Also slated to fight in 4-round bouts are Long Island (NY) light heavyweight Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs), a 2008 New York Golden Gloves champion, vs. Dameon Marshall (1-2); Brooklyn (NY) welterweight Sadam “World Kid” Ali (5-0, 2 KOs), a 2008 U.S. Olympian, vs. Jose “Hands of Stone” Duran (6-4-2, 3 KOs); Marshfield (MA) super middleweight Manuel Antonio Lopes (5-0-1, 1 KO) vs. Greg McCoy (0-1); Hartford middleweight David Bauza (3-0, 3 KOs), who trains in New Haven, vs. Erix Quinteros (2-3, 1 KO), and New Haven super lightweight Edwin Soto (2-0, 1 KO) vs. 19-fight veteran Joey Ortega of Lowell (MA). All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Living legend, Hall of Fame trainer Angelo Dundee will be a special guest at the “Brace For Impact” pro boxing show. Dundee, 88, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994, and he is best known as head trainer for Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Tickets for “Brace For Impact,” priced at $40.00 (SOLD OUT), $60.00 and $100.00, are available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254) or Foxwoods (800-200-2882), going online at www.cesboxing.com or www.foxwoods.com, or in person at Foxwood’s box office.
For more information contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or Foxwoods Resort Casino (www.foxwoods.com). Doors open at 6:00 PM/ET, first bout at 7:00 PM/ET.
“Brace For Impact” will air live and then On Demand via www.GoFightLive.tv for $9.99. Pat Sullivan and Michael Parente will be ringside announcers.
Contact Pat Sullivan (Pat@CESBoxing.com/401.724.2253) for information about a special CES KO ticket value package.
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KIMBO RETURNS AT UFC 113 ON MAY 8TH
Live from the Bell Centre, Saturday May 8, 2010
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Canada will get their first dose of the Kimbo Slice phenomenon on Saturday, May 8th, when the Ultimate Fighter alumnus looks to make it 2-0 in the Octagon on the UFC 113: Machida vs Shogun 2 card at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Slice (4-1), fresh off his three round unanimous decision victory over Houston Alexander at the TUF10 finale last December, will be in with a familiar foe on May 8th, as he takes on his Ultimate Fighter castmate, Matt Mitrione in a heavyweight bout made official today.
Mitrione (1-0), an NFL veteran, made his proper mixed martial arts debut on the TUF10 finale card and showed impressive poise and power as he knocked out Marcus Jones in the second round, and he hopes to make another statement when he squares off with Kimbo this spring.
Tickets for UFC 113 are on sale now and are priced at $600, $400, $250, $150, $100 and $50. Tickets are available at the Bell Centre box office, by phone at (514) 790-2525 / 1-877-668-8269 or at www.geg.ca.
UFC 113 will be available live on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).
About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve live Pay-Per-View events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, Bell ExpressVU, SaskTel Max™, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Viewers Choice, and WOWOW in Japan, and via the Internet worldwide on Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.
Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.
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Exclusive Interview with Ken & Shawn Porter
By DeBorah Bowen/Mario Cabrera, Jr
Middleweight prospect Shawn Porter; now 13-0 after his unanimous decision over Russell Jordan on February 19th in his home town at the Wolstein Center Cleveland, Ohio, took some time out yesterday evening to speak exclusively with the Boxing Republic in a 1 on 1 phone interview. During the interview yesterday evening with Shawn Porter and his father Ken Porter, these facts emerged;
DB to Ken Porter: Can you tell us about your team? Who manages Shawn? Does he have a promoter?
Ken Porter: The team that I have, well myself, I’m his dad lol I’m also Shawn’s trainer and manager, also I have Mr. Freddy Roach from the Wildcard gym who spends a lot of time with Shawn when we are fighting in the Wildcard working on punches and strategy and also Dale Torrance for Las Vegas who was once Freddy’s coach and also was an assistant to Eddie Fudge who the assistant to Freddy Roach we also have one other person who works with us Robert Kalieal and he is our strength and conditioning coach. He’s out of Cleveland Ohio. Oh one more thing our promoters are Prizefight Promotions.
DB: What made you get made you decide to get into boxing?
Ken Porter-I was a boxer when I was a kid @ 12yrs and I actually moved away from that for a while a got into other sports, football, track and field wrestling, weightlifting that type of stuff. And then after Shawn was born I was competing again I started taking him to the when he was 4years old and started training him at 4. At 8 years old he had his first boxing match. He kind of got into it because I was already involved with boxing
DB: Ok I have a few questions for Shawn,
Ken Porter: Pls hold on for a minute I need to get him on the line.
DB: Hi Shawn how are you? My name is DeBorah and I represent the Boxing Republic
Shawn Porter: Hi DeBorah, I’m fine nice to meet you.
DB: First let me congratulate you on your win against Russell Jordon on the 19th. You are 13-0 10 of which are KO’s
Shawn Porter-Thank you
DB: Have you sparred with any top or ranked contender?
Shawn Porter: I have probably sparred with some of the best contenders in the world, Manny Pacquiao, Kelly Pavlik the current middleweight champion. Also Six Andre Dirrell, one of the contenders in the Super Six and a number of other great fighters such as the lightweight champion of the world Chad Dawson.
DB: Shawn can you tell me what weight class are you fight at? Also can you tell me what city and gym you fight out of?
Shawn Porter: Right now I am 154lbs ABO Junior weight Champion of the World we currently train out of the Wildcard gym in LA.
DB: Shawn who was your favorite boxer growing up that you followed?
Shawn Porter-Naturally, Manny Pacquiao, I look up to him. I get a lot of inspiration from him obviously from training with him and watching him box.
DB: Can you describe your fighting style?
Shawn Porter-Ok I’m just a quick strong boxer. I can use hand speed and can out box anyone on the outside I can also punch hard and go to the body. I’m just a very versatile boxer.
DB: Now that you have beaten Russell Jordon who are you looking to fight in the future?
Shawn Porter-Who would I like to fight? Anyone that I can get credit for beating you know they didn’t give Russell Jordon much credit coming into the fight and he fought a number of core champions I don’t have a hits list per se but anyone I can get credit for.
DB I have one more question for Ken Porter, are you still on the line Ken?
Ken Porter-Yes I’m here
DB-Do you have nay schedule bouts coming up for Shawn is the on coming months?
Ken Porter-No we totally focused on Shawn’s fight on the 19th and did not look beyond that as we speak right now I am waiting on some phone calls that can start as early as tomorrow morning but we haven’t looked any further that the 19th and we got the belt and we are enjoying that at the moment. I actually leave for vacation in the Bahamas to morrow returning on Monday once we get back we will take a look at whats coming up.
DB: We at Boxing Republic want to thank you and your Son Shawn for taking the time to speak with us. And look forward to speaking to you again.
Shawn & Ken-Like wise thank you.
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