OAKTREE KNOCKSOUT WEST IN BATTLE AT SALEM NJ

Posted on | June 24, 2008 | No Comments

For immediate release – 23rd June 2008

Mark ‘Oak Tree’ Brown put on an impressive show for his hometown fans at the Fight Night Productions ‘History In Our City’ event in Salem, New Jersey on Saturday night, culminating in a second round knockout of Ralph ‘Wild Wild’ West of Louisville, Kentucky.

Brown, who weighed in at a lean 223 pounds, was clearly fired up and determined to add to his already excellent 12-1 (5 KOs) record. Right from the start he charged at his much larger opponent taking control throwing punch after punch without seeming to have much effect on the 254 pound Kentucky behemoth who just shrugged them off like they were annoying bugs. Halfway through the round West countered with a massive right hand which clearly rocked Brown, but not enough as ‘Oak Tree’ soon came back again and just before the bell almost put West down with a classy combination of shots.

In the second round, again Brown went on the attack straight from the bell, this time preferring to work more on the inside, wrestling with West until the opportunity arose where he could unload a massive flurry of punches culminating in a hard right that propelled West into the corner. Brown followed in and let rip again unloading a left followed by a clubbing right that dispatched West to the canvas with just 1 minute 46 seconds of the round gone.

The co-feature was no less exciting as Willie ‘For Real’ Williams of Baltimore, Maryland, 10-2 (2 K0’s), took on Alfred ‘AK-47’ Kinsey from Atlantic City, New Jersey. 6-2-1 (3 KO’s) in a frantic light heavyweight battle royale.

Kinsey seemed to have the upper hand in the first two rounds but from then on it was Williams. Right from the bell of the third he took control through some tasty combinations, working the body hard. In the fourth Williams continued in the same vain. In the fifth Kinsey was countering beautifully, bringing him back into contention, but in the sixth all his hard work was undone when Williams again began attacking the body hard and with just a minute to go in the round landed a beautiful bodyshot that sent Kinsey down on one knee in order to get his breath back and then just before the bell a powerful right had him down again. Kinsey was not to return to the fray for the seventh round as the ringside doctor advised
the officials that he should not continue.

In the featherweight battle of the ‘Jersey Boys’, Victor Valenzuela of Passaic, New Jersey, 2-0 (1 KO), scored a unanimous decision over Byrne Green of Vineyard, New Jersey, 3-0 (2 KO) after a very entertaining bout which saw both give their all as they battled to retain their unblemished records. It seemed that they were heading for a draw of two rounds apiece
when just seconds from the end Valenzuela landed a peach of a left hook that dropped Green, who managed to get back up on his feet just as the final bell rang.

The junior welterweight contest that preceded the ‘Jersey Boys’ was a frantic, wild affair that lasted just two of the scheduled four rounds as Mike Denby of Felton, Delaware, 1-1-2 (1 KO), floored Shavaris Buie from Brooklyn, New York, 0-4, in the second round with two powerful body shots followed by a scintilating combination. Buie did make it back to his feet,
but too late as the referee had reached the ten count.

The opening, junior middleweight, fight pitted Eberto Medina of Irvington, New Jersey 3-3 (1 KO) against Ashantie Hendrickson of Medford, New York 1-1. This magnificent contest between two very well matched opponents set the standard for the whole evening and from early on it was clear it would be a hard one to call as both fighters battled for supremacy throughout, but at the end of the bout the majority decision went to Medina. The score cards read 39-37 (twice) for Medina and 38-38.

Jarvis Robinson and his Fight Night Productions team did Salem, New Jersey and boxing proud with this, his maiden, event. It was a very entertaining evening of quality boxing, which was clearly enjoyed by one and all in attendance.

PHOTO GALLERY (click on thumbs to see full size photos):

Boxing Results – Cisco Arena in Oaks, PA – June 21, 2008

Posted on | June 23, 2008 | No Comments

Ennis Destroys Manning in Two Rounds

By: Tony Penecale (Ringside)

Returning from a 10-month hiatus, Derek Ennis was brutally destructive in getting himself back in the win column, flooring the overmatched Todd Manning five times before the referee stopped in contest in the 2nd round.

Ennis, 156, Philadelphia, was last seen getting starched by Alphonso Williams in a bout he was controlling at South Philadelphia’s New Alhambra arena. It was a more focused Ennis who stepped in the ring and Manning, 158, Wheeling WV, never knew what hit him.

From the opening moments, the talent gap between the fighters was evident as Ennis was much faster and he took advantage, blasting Manning with combinations to the head and body. Ennis landed a sizzling right hand and Manning was down for the first time. A few seconds later, Manning found himself on the canvas again, courtesy of a right hand to the body. After valiantly pulling himself up, Manning ran into another series of punches, including a right hand that deposited him on the canvas again moments before the bell rang, saving him for the time being.

While many in the crowd curiously wondered why Manning was allowed to continue, they were happy to cheer the ring card girl one more time. Ennis made sure they wouldn’t see her again, as he finished the job shortly into the second round, flooring Manning two more times with body shots, finally forcing referee Hurly McCall to halt the contest.

Ennis now improves his record to 13-2 (10) while Manning falls to 6-4-2 (3).

In other bouts:

Anthony Gatt won a sloppy and ponderous decision over Kevin Hood in a heavyweight contest. In their first meeting in November, the four-round bout ended in a draw. Gatt had been idle since but Hood was on the losing end of two TKO defeats.

Gatt, 214, West Chester PA, found success early, clubbing Hood, 209, Lancaster PA, with a series of power punches and staggering him with a solid hook late in the round. Gatt was unable to build on his momentum and the bout became a sloppy affair with Gatt landing the harder shots and Hood countering with volleys of light, cuffing punches. By the 4th round, both combatants were dead tired, as they each tried to close the show with arm-weary punches.

The judges favored Gatt’s heavier blows, awarding him the decision by scores of 40-36 (twice) and 39-37. Gatt raises his record to 6-0-1 (4) while Hood runs his winless streak to four and is now 5-9-1.

Shannon Anderson wasted no time in dispatching John Fleming in just over a minute. Anderson, 176, Coatesville PA, attacked the southpaw Fleming, 176, Winston-Salem NC, at the opening bell and within seconds had him trapped in the corner where he unleashed a flurry of right hands. Fleming tried to fight his way out but after fielding two flush right hands to the head, he slumped to the canvas. Anderson attacked again and had Fleming back on the canvas within seconds, forcing Hurly McCall to save him from additional punishment.

Anderson improves to 4-1-1 (2) with the win while Fleming remains winless at 0-2.

In a bout of unbeatens, Coy Evans and Jason Rorie fought to a spirited four-round draw. Evans, 124, Philadelphia, boxed smartly in the opening round, countering the aggressive Rorie, 128, Greensboro NC, with straight right hands to the head and body. Rorie started asserting himself more in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, using his advantages in size and strength to back up Evans and land hard single shots. Rorie seemed to tire near the end of the 3rd round and allowed Evans to regain momentum and control the pace over the final stanza.

The three judges all differed in opinion with one seeing Rorie winning 39-37, with another tallying an absurd 40-36 in favor of Evans, while the deciding judge had it a stalemate at 38-38. Evans is now 2-0-1 and Rorie is 1-0-1 (1) and a rematch is a possibility.

The opening bout of the evening was a rockin’ affair as local favorite Travis Thompson, ignited the crowd with unanimous decision over Elisa Castillo. Thompson, 133, Pottstown PA, charged out at the opening bell, firing wild haymakers, and backing Castillo, 133, Bronx NY on his heels. Castillo was able to land several counter punches and Thompson rallied the crowd, slipping several shots, using the dip-low defensive style made famous by Pernell Whitaker.

More impressive than his defensive prowess was the offensive explosion Thompson started the 2nd round with, flooring Castillo with a big right hand. While still dazed, Castillo was able to avoid most of Thompson’s follow up attack and even landed a few shots of his own. Over the final two rounds, it was mostly Thompson throwing and Castillo catching, with both fighters receiving a standing ovation at the bell.

The judges all scored in favor of Thompson with verdicts of 40-36 and 40-35 (twice). Thompson improves his record to 3-2 (2) while Castillo drops to 2-3.

The card was promoted by Greg Robinson’s Power Productions Inc. The next show will be an outdoor event on Friday, August 1 at the Oaks Sports Extreme Complex with Rasheem Brown and Rashiem Jefferson in the co-features.

IFL ABOUT READY TO CASH OUT: JAY LARKIN CONFERENCE CALL

Posted on | June 23, 2008 | No Comments

Jay Larkin, IFL CEO, recently held a conference call about the sad state of affairs facing his fight league. He also went to great lengths to talk about the financial conditions of the whole sport. We asked him about whether or not the plateau has been reached for the “fastest growing sport in the world.” Larkin’s responses were pretty intriguing.

Here’s the recording:

JAY LARKIN CONFERENCE CALL

GUERRERO VACATES FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE TO MOVE UP TO JR. LIGHTWEIGHT

Posted on | June 23, 2008 | No Comments

TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION
ROBERT “THE GHOST” GUERRERO

Bay Area Ca. June 23, 2008
Two-time world champion, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (22-1-1, 15 KO’s) has made the decision to vacate his IBF Featherweight title and move up to Jr. Lightweight. The decision came about as Guerrero, who stands at 5’8 ½, struggled to make weight in his last two championship bouts.

Since he was eighteen years old, Guerrero has been fighting in the Featherweight (126 lbs) division. Now twenty five, “The Ghost” feels he’ll be physically more powerful at Jr. Lightweight (130 lbs) as he stated, “It’s been my childhood dream to become a world champion and I’ve accomplished that goal at Featherweight. I’m truly appreciative to the IBF for giving me the opportunity to fight for their title. I’ve been at this weight since the amateurs. I’ve come to realize that I can no longer make Featherweight and feel strong. I’m older now, my body has matured, so its time for me to move up in weight. The extra four pounds will only make me stronger. At Jr. Lightweight I believe I’ll be more effective.”

Guerrero won his first world title on November 9, 2006 when he stopped Eric Aiken at the Staples Center due to a vicious body attack. Aiken could no longer continue after the eighth round, giving The Ghost a TKO vicory.

On February 23, 2007, “The Ghost” became two-time world champion when he traveled overseas and defeated home town hero, Spend Abazi, via ninth round TKO. Robert was put in the difficult situation to cross continents, when Orlando Salido, who out pointed him on November 4, 2006, tested positive with the powerful steroid nandrolone. Salido was stripped of the title giving Guerrero the opportunity to regain his championship belt. The bout was later ruled a no decision.

In his first title defense Guerrero knocked out Martin Honorio in the first 56 seconds of the opening round. The fight took place at the Desert Diamond Casino in Tucson AZ, on November 3, 2007.

February 29, 2008 at the Tachi Palace Casino in Lemoore CA, Robert knocked out Jason Litzau in the eighth round. A perfectly timed uppercut sent Litzu to the canvas, ending the contest at the 2:25 mark, as Guerrero defended his title for the second time.

“My goal now is to become a world champion at the Jr. Lightweight and Lightweight divisions.” said Guerrero, “I want to challenge all the big names, guys like Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. I feel confident in my ability to accomplish my new goals.”

FIGHTER’S WANTED: MMA RECRUITER CLASSIFIEDS

Posted on | June 23, 2008 | No Comments

MMAR Fight Gear and Apparel
Sale of the Week – CSI MMA Cage Style Gloves – $28.00

Ammy 155lb & 185lb – Lawrence, KS – June 27th
Jun 27, 2008

Fighter Showcase is looking for a 185lb and 155lb Amateur MMA Fighters to fill spots on their upcoming fight card June 27th in Lawrence, KS.

If you are interested in fighting on this card contact:

Darryl Clark
Website: www.fightershowcase.com
Phone: 785-727-1229

—————————

Pro 205 & Ammy 170 – Columbus, OH – June 27th
Jun 27, 2008

North American Allied Fight Series is looking for Pro and Amateur Male MMA Fighters to fill spots on their upcoming fight card June 27th in Columbus, OH. Promoter will pay all gas and hotel for all the fighters (2 nights pros/ one night ammy). Ammy weighins are Friday and Pros weigh in on Thursday.

Fighters needed in the following weight classes.

170 ammy – opponent 2-1
205 pro debut
205 pro – opponent 19-10

If you are interested in fighting on this card you act ASAP!

Nichole

330-979-0234
www.myspace.com/nicholeluvsmma

___________

Ammys – Troy, OH – July 26th
Jul 26, 2008

Bushi Combat is looking for Amateur MMA Fighters to fill spots on their upcoming fight card in Troy, OH on July 26th. This event will be held at the Hobart Arena.

If you are interested in fighting on this card contact:

Robert Walker
937-272-7160
info@bushicombat.com

TUF 7 FINALE RESULTS & PLAY-BY-PLAY June 21, 2008

Posted on | June 21, 2008 | No Comments

by: Jack Bratcher

 

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Matt Riddle vs. Dante Rivera (Riddle=Team Rampage, Rivera=Team Forrest)Round 1 – Dante comes out swingin and with a leg kick. Clinch against the cage. Knees to Riddle’s head within clinch. Elbow by Riddle.. Knees by both still clinched. Someone’s mouthpiece flew out; looks like Dante’s. Ref lets him put it back in. Restarts action. Two big swinging overhand lefts by Rivera that miss. Clinched against cage again.. Riddle with the plum. Riddle with underhooks. Knee by Dante to the head. Leg kick by Dante twice. Right hand by Riddle. Trip by Riddle gets Dante down and delivers elbows. Riddle backs up and the bell rings.

Round 2 – Takedown by Riddle. Side control but backs out and throws some leg kicks. Rivera on his back…Rivera stands up. Clinched against the cage. Foot stomps by Riddle. Knees by Riddle. Big overhand left by Dante. Misses and Riddle gets a takedown. Full mount by Riddle, Dante reverses it and escapes. Dante is now on top in Riddle’s full gaurd. Elbows by Riddle from the bottom. Riddle looks good from the bottom looking for a triangle. Holy shit. Elbows by Riddle into Dante’s ribs, still in the triangle. Dante finally gets out as bell rings. Fucking aye that was great. Dante is the jiu-jitsu specialist so that was extra sweet for Riddle.

Round 3 – Big knee by Riddle to Dante’s face. Clinched against the cage. Riddle is just looking sharper in this fight. Muay-thai plum and knees by Riddle; picks Dante up and puts him down on his back. Rubber gaurd by Dante and delivering strikes to Riddle’s head. Riddle on top but Herb calling for work. Big elbow by Riddle. Riddle stands, Dante stands. Leg kick by Dante. Clinched against the cage. Shot to the face by Riddle from the clinch. Riddle looking for a takedown and gets it. Riddle on top in Dante’s gaurd. Rubber gaurd by Dante but releases it. Herb stands them up. Less than a minute. Big left that misses by Dante. Riddle gets another takedown with full mount now. Big punches from Riddle.

This was a really competitive match. Before the fight, Dante had said he would retire if Matt Riddle beat him. That’s how comfortable he was in his experience over Riddle. I hope Dante doesn’t mean it because Riddle won that fight as far as I’m concerned. Here’s comes the official decision: Unanimous Decision for Matt Riddle

Spencer Fisher vs. Jeremy Stephens

Round 1 -Clinched against the cage. Stephens dumps Fisher but Fisher gets up. They go back down and Fisher is on top. Elbows by Stephens from the bottom. Fisher posturing up to throw strikes from Stephens’ gaurd. Elbows by Stephens from bottom. Lots of elbows. Stephens looking for submissions. Big elbows from bottom. Stephens looks for triangle. Side control by Fisher. Reverse elbow by Fisher. Fisher is bleeding. Elbows by Fisher. Full mount by Fisher and Stephens rolls to his stomach. Over a minute left. Stephens rolls back over and gets Fisher back in his gaurd. The blood from Fisher is coming from his arm I believe. Ground and pound by Fisher as the bell sounds.

Round 2 -Leg kick Fisher. Strikes by Stephens. Clinched against the cage. Knees then a big elbow by Stephens as he pulls out of the clinch. Toe to toe flying knee by Stephens that gets met by a fist from Fisher. Fisher’s mouthpiece came out and ref stops to let him put it back in…without washing it…spinning backfist by Stephens. Elbows by Fisher. Takedown by Fisher and he has side control Elbows by Fisher from side control. Spencer looking for mount but gets caught in half-gaurd. Big elbows by Fisher. Elbows by Stephens. Spencer stands up and comes down with a punch but misses. Spencer is being VERY active with continuous pressure and strikes. Fisher stands up and Stephens lands and upkick. Big slam by Jeremy Stephens as the bell sounds.

Round 3 -Rogan says Fisher is ahead on the card. Both guys throwing. Fisher gets caught. Clinched against the cage. Toe to toe. Both throwing. Fisher goes for takedown but ends up on the bottom. Stephens looks for the guillatine. Fisher ends up on top in side control then moves to full mount. Ref warns Fisher about back of the head. Fisher gets out of full mount and moves to side control and now back in gaurd. Both back on their feet. Fisher had FULL mount and gave it up for some odd reason. Stephens gets a takedown now and ends up on top of Spencer. Elbows by Stephens. Stephens going for guillatine but Spencer gets out….he goes for it again…really going for it this time. Bell is about to sound and that’s it. Bell sounds with Fisher still in Stephens’ guillatine.

Another very competitive fight. I think Fisher probably got it but you never know about fights this close.

And the judges rule it a Unanimous Decision for Spencer Fisher. Congratulations on a well fought tough match Spencer!

UFC commentator, Mike Goldberg, just said that Spencer Fisher has never lost two fights in a row in his whole career. That’s pretty damn impressive.

Diego Sanchez vs. Luigi Fiorvanti

Round 1 – Diego looks focused. Leg kick by Luigi. Upper cut by Diego. Flying knee by Diego but misses. Head kick by Diego connects. Diego shoots but sprawl by Luigi. Rogan says no one trains harder than Diego. I like Rogan alot but twenty people can’t all be the hardest training fighters in the same sport Joe. Big punching combo by Diego. Nice head movement by Diego. Uppercut by Diego. Left shot by Diego. Luigi waves his finger “no” at Diego as Diego missed the takedown. Another good sprawl by Luigi and then he slams Diego as the bell rings. Diego looks pissed and swings after the bell.

Round 2 – We got ourselves a fight here. An exchange by both. Big right hand by Diego knocks Luigi down. Diego jumps on top and is caught in half gaurd. Diego looking for kimora. Full mount by Diego but back to half gaurd and Luigi escapes and gets up. Almost a lost chance by Diego there. Big head kick by Diego. Diego has body control from the back standing. Sanchez is looking good. Right hook by Sanchez; combination by Luigi. Sanchez attacks. Big exchange by both fighters. Amazing. Diego looks for a kimora but Luigi escapes. Both standing toe to toe now. Diego calling Luigi in. Bell sounds as Diego is about to shoot in. That was a great round. For a moment there Diego reminded me of Chuck Liddell the way he went in toe to toe in the pocket with Luigi with both guys exchanging and Diego being fearless willing to take a shot or two with confidence knowing his punch could be more devastating. That’s how it appeared.

Round 3 – Right hand by Diego. Diego is not giving up his ground even when taking shots. Nice exchange. Uppercut by Diego. Diego looking for takedown but Luigi sprawled it perfectly…again. Diego moves in swinging. Clinched against the cage. Diego looks for another takedown without success. Right hook by Diego. Combo by Diego then gets a takedown but Luigi gets right back up. Combo by Luigi that Diego blocks. Big head kick by Diego Sanchez……then he rushes forward to the stumbling Luigi Fiorvanti and delivers a big knee to the chin. Fiorvanti drops to the ground, Diego jumps on him pinned against the cage and pounds him out until the ref jumps in.

A beautiful performance by Diego Sanchez and a great effort by Luigi Fiorvanti. This was a real test for Diego. Most people, including his opponent did not think he would or could stand with Fiorvanti. But not only did Diego stand up with Fiorvanti when his Plan A of takedowns failed; but his Plan B of standing and striking proved everyone wrong with vicious head kicks and great boxing. This is the new and iimproved, well-seasoned Diego Sanchez. A dangerous man. This fight was ended in the third round by a head kick, big knee, followed by relentless ground and pound.

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALISTS: C.B. Dolloway vs. Amir Sadollah (Dolloway=Team Rampage & Sadollah=Team Forrest)

Round 1 – History in the making. Leg kick by C.B. Straight kick by Amir. Leg kick by C.B. and then a takedown. Dolloway said he wanted to stand but so much for that. Amir had three submission wins on The Ultimate Fighter. C.B. postures up and punches. C.B. landing punches. Amir has an armbar tight. C.B. taps once really quick and Herb Deans stops the fight. This is the EXACT same way Amir won against C.B. on The Ultimate Fighter show. C.B. is saying he did not tap. But everyone saw it. He tapped once but you can’t do that and then change your mind C.B. If you tap once the ref is gonna stop it for your protection. A very anticlimactic finish and about as far as you can get from a Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin Ultimate Fighter Finale but that’s the way it goes. It’s definitely not Amir’s fault the match ended so quick. Obviously C.B. needs to work on his submission defense. As he was posturing up and standing in Amir’s gaurd I was thinking, “this is the same thing he did in their first fight.” Honestly, I’m very happy for Amir. Many people probably thought his first fight was a fluke. But this should seal it in anyone’s mind that Amir Sadollah knows submissions. So much for the Matt Damon look-alike. C.B. was many people’s favorite coming into this fight even though Amir had clearly beat him already once. Congratulations to Amir Sadollah for being the TRUE Ultimate Fighter. It was destiny. The Gods of MMA weren’t going to let someone who already got beat on the show come back and win and neither was Amir.

Evan Tanner vs. Kendall Grove

They show a clip of Kendall Grove before the fight saying, “Evan Tanner is washed up.” That’s a pretty disrespectufl thing to say, especially from someone coming off two losses and the last one being a brutal knockout that left him crumpled in the corner.

Evan still has his beard. And it is nothing less than beautiful. Great staredown. Career defining moment.

Round 1 – Evan grabs the clinch. Evan has a body clinch and gets the takedown. Evan has side control. Kendall gets up but eats a big knee by Tanner to the face. Big elbow by Grove. Elbow by Grove that cuts Tanner. Punches by Grove. Tanner holds one of Grove’s legs and Grove jumps with the other leg and hits Evan with a knee to Tanner’s chin. Beautiful. Tanner gets a takedown and is in Kendall’s gaurd. Grove gets up. Tanner goes down and Kendall has his back trying to get hooks in. Evan has wrist control and flips Grove off. Kendall on his back, Tanner standing. Up kick by Grove. Bell rings with the fighters cliched against the cage.

Round 2 – Exchanging strikes. Tanner goes for the clinch and eats a few. Upercut by Grove. Tanner’s standup looking not so good. Jabs by Grove keeping Tanner back. Left hook by Tanner. Clinched against the cage. Tanner looking for takedown. Another jumping knee by Grove. Tanner gets the takedown. (i thought i just saw dr. phil in the audience) Kendall makes it back to his feet. Knee by Tanner. Big elbow by Grove. Muay Thai clinch and knees by Grove. Grove looking to finish. Tanner has a body lock. Grove lets up the attack but Tanner looks hurt. Elbow by Tanner. Tanner looks tired. Elbows by both. Big head kick by Grove. Jabs by Grove. Body kick by Grove as the bell sounds. Kendall Grove is winning this fight and really delivering a beating to the travelling wilbury.

Round 3 – Tanner coming in swinging. Body kick by Grove followed by punches. Clinched against the cage. Elbows by Grove. Leg kick by Tanner but he eats a jab. Punches by Tanner. Heart of a veteran in Tanner..heart of a warrior. An ancient spirit. Wise. Body lock by Tanner. Elbow by Grove. Knees by both. Jabs by Grove. Tanner coming in and eats a punch. Tanner needs a KO to win and he’s swinging for it. Superman punch by Tanner that lands. PUnches by both. Thirty seconds left. Grove slips but recovers. Ten seconds. Bell rings as Kendall Grove throws one last knee at a retreating Tanner.

I’m calling unanimous decision for Kendall Grove. It was an entertaining fight. Not a blockbuster but good. One judge for Tanner. One for Grove. Kendall Grove wins by split decision. Very surprised at the split decision. This was a good win for Kendall Grove. The highlight one-legged jumping knee by Kendall Grove looked great. He jumped about four feet in the air.

Marvin Eastman vs. Drew McFedries (BONUS FIGHT)

Round 1 – Flying knee by McFedries that leads to a huge slam by Eastman. Big strikes from McFedries. Eastman throws back. Continuous blows by McFedries. Big strikes. McFedries hits Eastman with another big bomb to his head and the ref stops it. That’s it. TKO stoppage win for Drew McFedries.

I have to add one last thing. Mike Goldberg, one of the UFC commentators, at the end of the event says, “I’m sorry Forrest Griffin but this season’s Ultimate Fighter winner, Amir Sadollah has more personality than you.” What was the purpose of that? First of all, I don’t think it’s true but that’s not even the point. It’s just a stupid thing to say. That’s like someone saying, “Sorry Goldberg, but Mauro Ranallo owns you.” Except at least my statement is true.

PRELIMINARY UN-AIRED FIGHTS:

Rob Kimmons vs. Rob Yundt

Kimmons wins by guillatine choke in round 1.

Jeremy Horn vs. Dean Lister

Lister wins in round 1 by guillatine choke.

Matt Arroyo vs. Matt Brown

Matt Brown wins by ground and pound TKO stoppage in round 2.

Josh Burkman vs. Dustin Hazelett

Hazelett wins at 4:46 of round 2 by armbar submission.

Cale Yarbrough vs. Timothy Credeur

Fight cancelled. Credeur tests positive for Adderall, a drug used to treat ADD. Apparantly, the UFC and NSAC knew beforehand about Credeur’s use of Adderall and he had stopped taking it five days before this event, but because it still showed up in his system on fight day, the athletic commission canceled the fight. Talk about a bummer.

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“I’M THE MAN!” MARQUEZ WINS!!!

Posted on | June 21, 2008 | No Comments

By: John Martinez
Ironboxing and brickcityboxing.com

(21Jun08) A poll was distributed earlier this week asking various members of the boxing media along with other boxing insiders to predict who would win tonight’s IBF Middleweight title eliminator featuring the former champion Raul “El Diamante” Marquez (40,3,1, 29 KO’s) against the highly fourth ranked IBF undefeated contender Giovanni Lorenzo (26-0, 18 KO’s).

I chose Marquez. I, along with only three other peers, represented the twelve percent surveyed, that saw Marquez exploiting the youth, inexperience, and over hyped record of the young stud Lorenzo.

Most in the media, and I suspect the fans as well, thought this fight would be a walk through showcase for the highly touted Lorenzo. And with all due respect, it probably should have been.

However, someone forgot to tell the veteran fighter that he wasn’t supposed to actually try and win. He was just supposed to do enough to make the fight look legitimate. Funny thing is, we all make plans only to find that in the end, plans so often fall through.

In tonight’s fight, shown live from the Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena in Hollywood, Florida, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIOP BOXING, Marquez started the fight with a steady diet of jabs and pressure. He had the youngster backing up and cautious for most of the round. In the second and third stanzas, Marquez would abandon his jab and as a result, took repeated punishment from a bruising right hand courtesy of Giovanni.

By midway through the contest, Marquez was cut, bruised, and bleeding, but this would not tell the true story of the fight. Marquez was actually winning behind constant pressure, debilitating body shots, well-timed left hands, and ring savvy.

In round ten, with only second’s left before the bell, Lorenzo inexplicably gave a deliberate headbut to Marquez drawing the ire of the referee. As a result, Giovanni was penalized one point for his actions.

The fighters traded hard shots after the bell and it was at this moment that Lorenzo seemed to show his true lack of confidence.

Before the twelfth and final round, Marquez sensed the obvious outcome of his gritty professional performance and shouted from his corner “ I’m the Man!”

In the last three minutes of the battle Raul could have played it safe, but instead elected to match Lorenzo punch for punch on his way to a well deserved and obvious victory.

Many in the poll that picked Lorenzo to win chose him because of his youth and “heavy artillery”. They obviously did not take into account Lorenzo’s soft opposition that he faced coming into this fight or the fact that Marquez isn’t thirty-six years OLD. He is just nine years and seventeen bouts smarter than the guy they picked to win the battle.

With this win, Marquez should now catapult into the upper echelons of the middleweight division to take on the likes of reigning IBF Middleweight boss, Arthur Abraham.

In today’s “marquee” matchups of boxing’s finest, the boxing community is never assured of an entertaining and memorable clash. But tonight, after the fight was over, Marquez proudly exclaimed, “ I am a warrior. I come to give the people what they want to see, a fight.”

He’s right.

ALEX RAMOS INTERVIEW: CRUSADER FOR RETIRED BOXERS

Posted on | June 21, 2008 | 3 Comments

Where Are They Now? Alex Ramos.
Former amateur, pro boxing standout and founder of the Retire Boxers Association speaks out.

By Shawn M. Murphy

Recently I spoke with Alex Ramos, former USBA Middleweight Champion and nicknamed the “Bronx Bomber”. Ramos is widely considered among the best ever amateurs to come out of New York City. Ramos won four New York State Golden Gloves titles.

Ramos turned professional in 1980 and in 1984 won the USBA Middleweight title against Curtis Parker. Ramos lost his only bid for a world title, against Jorge Fernando Castro in 1994. After this bout, Ramos retired with a record of 39-10-2. He is Founder and President of the Retired Boxers Foundation.

(SM) Mr. Ramos, how did you first get started in boxing and talk about your amateur career a little.

(AR) I came from the South Bronx, grew up with mainly blacks, Puerto Ricans, and maybe one Irish guy. At about seven years of age I had beat a kid in the ring and all the guys would throw me up in the air and cheer and God it felt good. My mom and dad’s god-son and a guy named Adonis Torres started taking me to the gym. Most of the guys there were in high school at the time, I was in grade school. It was Gil Clancy’s gym then. A guy named Jaran Mancament taught me how to box. At eleven years old I really started to train hard and I loved it. I use to go there everyday. They even did a story on me at that age. I was in the newspapers, the Metropolitan Review. I was so excited about that. I was undefeated as an amateur from 1972-1975. I was 180-9 overall as an amateur, not 143-9 as has been reported at times. There were a lot of, I guess you could say, illegal boxing matches back then, gym against gym type things. I fought all over the state. I represented PAL (Police Athletic League) and knocked everyone out. Same thing with the Empire State games and the Jr. Olympics. Still to this day they say I was one of the hottest to ever come out of New York City. I’m just being honest, not because it’s me. I was even featured in Time Magazine before I turned pro.

(SM) What about the USA boycott of the 1980 Olympics, how did you feel?

(AR) It disappointed me a lot. It disappointed all the athletes. I went to Russia later for a USA VS USSR boxing tournament. I was the only one to win the most outstanding fighter award. I knocked the Russian out in the third round. Jim McKay was one of the announcers. Russia was a very interesting place. It was great to bring back that crystal bear trophy, called a Misha. That was the Olympic symbol from the 1980 Olympics. I got to carry the torch for the 2004 Olympics, that’s where I feel I got my Gold medal.

(SM) After your amateur career you turned pro under Shelly Finkel. Looking back were you happy with going with Finkel?

(AR) Shelly discovered me at age sixteen, when I fought in the sub-novice, the Golden Gloves. I met with him a week later over lunch. Shelly was like a father to me. I still love him like a father. Shelly and his wife were like family to me. I remember one time I ran away from home, just packed my stuff and left. I went right to Shelly’s house. I was upset with something my mom had said to me or did. I made a lot of mistakes back then. A lot of fighters were taken advantage in their careers, I never was. I remember making $25,000 for my pro debut, so as far as ever being taken advantage of, I wasn’t. I still love the game today, I’m gonna die a fighter. But I’m gonna die a fighter doing the right things for my brothers in the sport. That’s how I live my life today.

(SM) What would you say was your biggest victory in the ring?

(AR) Curtis Parker absolutely, for the USBA title. He just got inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame. He was a wonderful fighter. I might have fought the wrong fight, I should have been using my jab more. But I wanted to prove to the world that I could take a punch, that’s what I did wrong. I still won the fight. That was my toughest fight as well. It was called the fight of the year by Randy Gordon of Ring Magazine.

(SM) Was there ever a world title fight against Marvin Hagler in the works?

(AR) I was actually the one who got Hagler ready for John “The Beast” Mugabi. They talked about it back then, but it never happened. Hagler was a great guy, he’s my buddy. I appreciate him so much as an athlete and as a real trainer. There was a time when I said that he was the guy I wanted to be. When I sparred with him I knew I had to be in great shape or he was gonna kick my ass. I was in the best shape ever when I was his sparring partner. Hagler taped all his sparring sessions and there is a day I will never forget. Hagler told me that I really looked good in the ring that day. I really felt he meant it. When we were preparing for Mugabi, his main sparring partners were myself and Bobby Patterson, a top middleweight. When we got to Las Vegas the last week before the fight, they gave me a week’s vacation? That made me feel real good. Hagler even thanked me after the fight. I was just thrilled to be in the ring with Hagler.

(SM) What happened in your last fight, against Jorge Castro?

(AR) I’m thirty-three years old by then. I really wasn’t living correctly at that time. I went to Argentina and everything seemed great, I trained hard. There were these Secret Service type guys working for Castro who watched my every move. Anywhere I went, they followed. But I went there thinking I could still win a title at that age. I got hit with a body shot like I have never been hit with before. It wasn’t that he was a great puncher, but he was a little more confident and had some good power and was younger. That body shot just paralyzed me.

(SM) Any thoughts of ever making a comeback?

(AR) You know there are always thoughts of a comeback. But my comeback is what I do now with the Retired Boxers Foundation.

(SM) How did the Retired Boxers Foundation (RBF) get started?

(AR) I got the idea when I went to a fundraiser for Sharron Stone. It was for a charity called Planet Hope. After that event I guess I got the bug, and realized that maybe I could do something for the sport and my brothers in boxing. Anyway I met Jacquie Richardson at a grand opening of a youth boxing gym and someone put the two of us together. Jacquie was a grant writer and a fundraiser and also had experience working with at risk kids, gang prevention, substance abuse prevention and intervention. It was kind of a perfect match of skills and interest. We have worked together since 1998 to try and help retired fighters in anyway we can. Not every fighter makes millions of dollars. You hear stories about Joe Louis dying penniless and I could go on and on naming fighters who ended up that way. There has to come a time in life when you care. Fighters risk their lives in the ring, we all did. God has blessed me in many ways. Jack Dempsey, the year before I was born, was trying to do what I am doing today. I’m gonna die doing this, helping my brothers in anyway I can. I may not have anything financially to show for it and I don’t care about that. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, I’m gonna leave this earth doing the right thing. We have people all over the world helping us out.

(SM) What kind of help do you offer fighters?

(AR) We offer financial support, help with disability and SSI issues. We go to court for fighters that need legal help. We offer help with housing, whatever they need. We have tax lawyers, doctor’s, and have such a great group together working for us and the fighters.

(SM) How many fighters would you say you have helped over the years?

(AR) Probably a couple hundred I think. We are the only foundation out there truly helping retired fighters. People can say what they want about me but I’m still doing the right thing.

(SM) Where do you get your funding?

(AR) We have fundraisers. Were also having our annual golf tournament. We need donations from anyone. If it wasn’t for Ron Shelton, we wouldn’t be here right now. Ron is a movie director. He gave us $50,000 over five years to be able to do this. An unbelievable guy! Were also working with family members of Denny Moyer, former Light Middleweight champ, about their personal story and the danger of second impact syndrome(fighting while concussed). We also have a song we are trying to produce. Do you remember Quincy Jones “We Are The World”? I got something similar to that and all the money will go to the fighters. I don’t care if I die today, as long as we get this song recorded. I am relentless in this cause. I work 24/7 for it. I don’t make money from it, but I will not stop working for it and the fighters.

(SM) Do many current or former fighters contribute to RBF?

(AR) You would think that with all the money being made out there that current fighters would want to do something for their sport. There all good people but they don’t contribute. You would think that with a foundation that is going to help their own, the fighters would help out the retired fighters who need it. But the sad thing is they don’t do it. When a lot of fighters raise money for charities, you never hear our foundation mentioned ever as a recipient. Our foundation has little money right now to operate on.

(SM) Any final words or anything else for the readers/fans out there?

(AR) I want to tell the fans and you Shawn that I sincerely thank you for any support you can give. Whatever story you bring out, good or bad, just tell people about us. God I’m trying! We’ve been in existence for over ten years and we struggle and I get upset at times. But God bless the fans out there. See us at www.retiredboxers.com .

WRITERS NOTE: I also spoke with the Retired Boxers Foundation Executive Director Jacquie Richardson. She seems to also share a passion for this foundation. She however repeatedly spoke of the tireless effort and absolute dedication that Alex Ramos has for the foundation and his fellow fighters. I was also very disturbed that few fighters out there ever contribute to this cause. I would encourage people to check out their website, www.retiredboxers.com .

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