UPCOMING FIGHT EVENTS: GET YOUR POSTER PROMOTED HERE FOR JUST 5 BUCKS!

Posted on | May 27, 2008 | No Comments

YOU CAN HAVE YOUR EVENT POSTER FEATURED ON FIGHT NEWS UNLIMITED FOR JUST 5 BUCKS. SEND AN EMAIL TO INFO@UNLIMITEDFIGHTNEWS.COM WITH A .JPG IMAGE OF THE POSTER ATTACHED, AND YOU CAN PAY US WITH CREDIT, ALERTPAY OR PAYPAL.

Holm & Villasenor: fighters love story

Posted on | May 27, 2008 | No Comments

Holm-Sanders headlines June 13 PPV show at Isleta Casino & Resort in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE (May 27, 2008) – Women’s professional boxing champion Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm and her boyfriend, MMA star Joey Villasenor, met in an Albuquerque gym, where today they train and spar with each other as they both prepare for upcoming career-defining fights.

Seven-time world champion Holm (21-1-2, 6 KOs), recognized as the No. 1 welterweight in the world, will headline the June 13th “Finally” pay-per-view event against the world’s No. 1 middleweight, Detroit icon Mary Jo Sanders (25-0, 8 KOs), squaring-off in the 10-round main event for the vacant IFBA junior middleweight crown and universal pound-for-pound supremacy.

Villasenor (25-6-0, 11 KOs and 10 submissions) takes on Phil Baroni this Saturday night (May 31) in the EliteXC show on national television from Newark, New Jersey.

Holm and Villasenor have the same trainer, Mike Winklejohn, believes Holly and Joey are made for each other. “It’s tough on Holly,” Mike explained why relationships have often been difficult for her to develop and maintain. “She’s physical, athletic and everybody recognizes here in Albuquerque. It’s not going to work for a boyfriend who doesn’t have a lot of self confidence. Joey is a successful fighter in his own right, a star athlete, and that’s why it works for them. They fight (workout) all the time even though there’s a big weight difference (Holly is a natural 147-pound welterweight and Joey weights 185 pounds). Holly spars with everybody including Keith Jardine. The way our team (Jackson-Winkleton MMA Team) is set-up is everybody helping each other. That’s why we’ve excelled. The big guys spar with smaller guys for power versus speed, speed versus power.

“Holly could do MMA, but why? She could pick-up the game, but she’s a pretty girl and there’s no reason, especially for her to get hit with elbows. There’s less trauma to the head (MMA vs. boxing), but there are a lot of elbows thrown on the ground. The biggest differences between boxing and MMA is distance and different techniques. Boxing is at a longer range. If you throw a punch from a boxer’s range in MMA, you leave yourself open for takedowns. Boxers go right to left, leaving themselves open to get kicked in the head. MMA is forward and backward, up and down, which you don’t see in boxing. Joey’s very explosive. He had a great knockout in his last fight (Ryan Jenson by a punch). His techniques are better and he’s cleverer than Baroni. Holly out thinks her opponents and that’s why she’s so successful. It’s like a chess game for her. She has the smarts to out-think her opponents two or three moves ahead.”

Holm-Sanders is one of four world title fights for five different belts on the “Finally” PPV card, featuring the greatest collection of women boxers on one show, including five No. 1 independently rated fighters (view at www.wban.com). The Fresquez Productions, Inc.-promoted “Finally” is being produced and distributed by Integrated Sports for live viewing in the United States and Canada (10 PM/ET) on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN DEMAND, TVN, Shaw Communications, DirecTV, Bell Expressvue and StarChoice for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.

In the 10-round co-feature for the vacant IFBA lightweight championship, WIBA & IBA junior lightweight champion Chevelle “Fists of Steel” Hallback (26-5-2, 11 KOs), fighting out of Tampa (FL), squares off against WIBA featherweight title-holder Jeannine “G9” Garside (7-0-1, 3 KOs), of Ontario (Canada), in a potential female version of a Gatti-Ward showdown.

IBA junior flyweight champion Wendy “Little Thunder” Rodriguez (18-4, 3 KOs), of Los Angeles, will be seeking revenge against Hollie “Hot Stuff” Dunaway in their 10-round clash for the vacant IBA strawweight and IFBA mini-flyweight championships. Rodriguez, lost an eight-round decision March 15, 2007 to Dunaway (21-6, 10 KOs), the reigning WIBF-GBU/WIBC minimumweight title-holder and NABF flyweight champion, fighting out of Las Vegas by way of (Van Buren) Arkansas.

WBC 2007 Fighter of the Year, WBC mininumweight champ Carina “La Reina” Moreno (11-1, 5 KOs), of Watsonville (CA), meets WIBA flyweight title-holder Eileen “The Hawaiian Mongoose” Olszewski (5-0-1), fighting out of New York City by way of Honolulu, in a 10-round fight for the IFBA junior flyweight crown. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $50.00, $100.00, $150.00, $200.00, $350.00 and $500.00, are on sale at the Isleta Casino and Resort box office, www.tickets.com or at Fresquez Productions, Inc. (508.884.7484). For more information go to www.fresquezproductions.com or www.holmvssanders.com. Doors open at 5:30 PM/MT, first bout 7:00 PM/MT, first televised bout 8:00 PM/MT.

-FP-

MALIGNAGGI BREAKS HAND BUT PROMISES HATTON FIGHT IS STILL ON

Posted on | May 27, 2008 | No Comments

Malignaggi’s hand fractured
Hatton fight not in jeopardy

BOSTON (May 27, 2008) – IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi (25-1, 5 KOs) was examined today by his hand specialist, Dr. Steven Margles, at the Lahey Hospital in Burlington, Massachusetts. Dr. Margles confirmed that Malignaggi fractured his right hand during his win by 12-round decision against Lovemore N’dou last Saturday in Manchester, England.

Malignaggi will stay in the Boston area with Dr. Margles to pursue appropriate treatment. “I spoke with Dr. Margles after he examined Paulie and the prognosis is good,” Malignaggi’s promoter Lou DiBella said. “This should not affect Paulie’s big fight this fall against Ricky Hatton in any way.”

-PM-

WWW.GOFIGHTLIVE.TV TO BROADCAST WBC LATINO CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE LIVE ON JUNE 6TH FROM THE LEGENDARY BLUE HORIZON

Posted on | May 27, 2008 | No Comments

New York & Philadelphia (May 27, 2008)—On Friday night June 6th, www.gofightlive.tv will broadcast an exciting night of boxing from the Legendary Blue Horizon that will culminate with a battle for the WBC Cruiserweight championship between Elieser Castillo & Adam Harris.

The whole undercard will be available for all whom just sign-up to www.gofightlive.tv Those who are subscribers will be able to see the whole show which includes this outstanding main event.

Castillo, 30-6-2 with seventeen knockouts will try to knock Harris (10-0, 7 KO’s) from the ranks of the undefeated in a twelve round bout.

Fans will get to see a packed undercard featuring undefeated featherweight, Jules Blackwell battling SHO BOX alum Tyrell Samuel. Rising Jr. Welterweight Steve Chambers Upsher (16-1-1, 4 KO’s) taking on Jaime Morales.

There will be a slew of undefeated prospects that will see action on the June 6th telecast that will include Israeli cruiserweight Ran Nakash (12-0, 8 KO’s), middleweight Mario Mina (1-0, 1KO) and super featherweight Gerald Smith (2-0, 1 KO).

Two more bouts featuring Jr. Middleweight Orlando Lewis & featherweight Paul Fernandez will round out the card.

“It’s a great oppurtunity to have our fight seen and I am very excited to continue working with gofightlive” said Blue Horizon promoter, Vernoca L. Michael. “With the great turnout for the last show, we have received emails from all over the world commenting on how they can enjoy The Legendary Blue Horizon expierience from their house.”

“We at www.gofightlive.tv are so excited to be doing this great event” said president of www.gofightlive.tv, Jerry Palmer. “The first event on April 11th was our most watched program to date and this event with a great title fight and some very exciting fights on the undercard, I expect record numbers. We have got a lot of feedback from the first Blue Horizon show and I know the fans will really enjoy this show. The Blue Horizon breeds great fights. When we started www.gofightlive.tv this is what we promised the fans and we will continue to deliver just that.”

Subscriptions to www.gofightlive.tv :

1 Month for $9.99

3 Months for $27.99

6 Months for $49.99

Ticket prices for this great night of boxing are $200 for Queen Seating, $125 for Presidential seats, $65 for VIP, $55 for Ringside, and $45 for General Admission and can be purchased by calling The Legendary Blue Horizon at 1-215-763-0500 or by logging on to comcasttix.com. Doors open at 6:30 PM / 1st bout begins at 7:30 PM

The Legendary Blue Horizon is located at 1314 North Broad Street in Philadelphia, PA

THERE WILL BE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 4th AT THE LEGENDARY BLUE HORIZON AT 11 AM

For more information, log on to www.legendarybluehorizon.com

TAKEDOWN RADIO REPORT

Posted on | May 27, 2008 | No Comments

This week America’s Wrestling Radio Talk show comes to you LIVE from the Brute Adidas Studio in Des Moines with Host’s Steve Foster, Chris Arns and Jeff Murphy. I’ll be making the return journey from the Induction weekend at the Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. This is a stacked show so I invite you to tune in and listen to the boys and their guests from 9:06 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST throughout Iowa on AM 1460 KXNO and Takedownradio.com

Scheduled to join TDR this week-

9:05 *Chris Bono- Head Coach of the Mocs at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.

The wrestling program ranked 15th nationally in average attendance this season in a poll of NCAA Division I wrestling teams. The figures were compiled InterMat. The Mocs, who wrestle at Maclellan Gym on the UTC campus, averaged 975 fans for six home dates in 2007-08. Chattanooga drew a season-high 1,600 fans for its Dec. 16 matchup with No. 8-ranked Missouri.

Wrestlers Steve Hromada and Javier Maldonado were named to the Division I All-Academic Team for the 2007-08 season, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced. Hromada and Maldonado, both outgoing seniors for the Mocs, were NCAA Championships Qualifiers in March.

9:20 Mike Natvig- Glen Brand Class of 2008 Inductee, Natvig won two NCAA championships for the West Point team, capturing titles at 147 pounds in both 1962 and ‘63. He graduated with an overall record of 47-7-1 and is considered the most successful wrestler in the history of West Point. Though never a state champion in high school, Natvig was a star at Decorah High School, placing second in the 1958 state meet at 138 pounds. He retired from the Army in 1991 as a lieutenant colonel and today lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

9:35 *Andrew Pariano- Assistant Head Coach of the Wildcats at Northwestern University. NCAA qualifiers Nick Hayes (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central), Keith Sulzer (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Edward) and Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) have earned All-Academic Team honors from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), while NU placed 14th among all schools in cumulative team GPA — the only program to finish in the top-15 at the 2008 NCAA Championships and in grade point average. For Tamillow, the selection is the second of his career. He is also a three-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient. For Sulzer and Hayes, this marks their first NWCA All-Academic team honor. Hayes is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and Sulzer earned Academic All-Big Ten honors this season — his first in the starting lineup.
Herbert Wins Freestyle Championship at University World Team Trials Herbert earns spot on 2008 U.S. University World Team

10:05 Tom Borrelli- Head Coach of the Chippewa of Central Michigan. Borrelli has announced the signing of Marcel Dubose (Sterling Heights, Mich./Oak Park HS) to a National Letter of Intent.
Dubose becomes the fifth member of CMU’s 2008 signing class. He also plans to join the CMU football program as a walk-on. “We’re obviously very excited that Marcel chose our school,” Borrelli said. “I’m excited about the direction that our wrestling and football programs are headed, and I think the attractiveness of both programs made this feel like the right fit for Marcel.” Dubose, who is projected as a 197-pounder in college, was a three-time high school state champion. He won a pair of Division 3 state titles at Highland Park High School before winning a Division 1 championship at Oak Park as a senior. Dubose was 37-0 as a senior and finished runner-up to fellow CMU signee Ben Bennett (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) in voting for Michigan’s Mr. Wrestling award. He finished his prep career with an overall record of 149-7. Dubose won the 215-pound championship at the National High School Coaches Association Seniors Nationals in March. He was one of three members of CMU’s 2008 signing class to win a national championship at the event. Dubose also won a Junior Greco-Roman national championship in 2007.
Dubose was named to the michigangrappler.com Dream Team and was ranked as the No. 3 recruit in the state of Michigan by michigangrappler.com. Dubose joins fellow signees Bennett, Scotti Sentes (Fort Myers, Fla./Riverdale HS), Eric Cubberly (Pemberville, Ohio/Eastwood HS) and Ben Sergent (West Milton, Ohio/Troy Christian HS) in the Chippewas’ 2008 recruiting class. CMU finished tied for the seventh as a team at the 2008 NCAA Championships with four Chippewas claiming All-America honors. CMU has won 10 consecutive Mid-American Conference titles and seven straight conference tournament championships.

10:20 *Brian Smith- Head Coach of the Tigers of Missouri- Missouri senior Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) and sophomore Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Academic All-America honors as announced May 6. This marks the sixth time in seven years that at least one Tiger grappler has received NWCA recognition for work in the classroom.

10:35 Max Askren- MU Tigers 197 wrestler. Missouri 2007 graduate Ben Askren, the Tigers’ first-ever two-time NCAA Champion, claimed top honors at the U.S. Freestyle National Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., after besting Tyrone Lewis, 3-0, 3-2 in the 74 kg (163-pound) championship finals. Askren won four straight matches to take first in the prestigious national event. Wrestling some of the toughest competition in the nation, Askren earned a win over Scott Owen of the New York Athletic Club by way of injury, followed by an 8-4, 6-0 win over Ramico Blackmon (New York Athletic Club) and 4-0, 5-2 win over Ryan Churella (New York Athletic Club). Askren’s final win was by a 3-0, 3-2 decision over Lewis

Ring of Fire 32: RESPECT slated for June 13

Posted on | May 27, 2008 | 1 Comment

ROF promoter Sven BOOGIE Bean is happy to announce the promotion’s next installment RING OF FIRE 32: RESPECT !!.

The 12 bout MMA event will take place on Friday, June13th, 2008 at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado.

“Some fighters fight for Honor, and some fight for Glory.. but every fighter fights for RESPECT! ”
MAIN EVENT:
In the main event bout of the evening, UFC veteran BIG Mike Nickels returns to the cage for the first time in nearly a year. In July of last year, Nickels fought Stephan Bonner at UFC 73.

A two time UFC veteran, Mike Nickels is one of the better submission stylists in the sport. He has won gold medals at both the Pan American and Grapplers Quest jiujitsu tournaments. RING OF FIRE fans last saw Nickels at ROF 29 where he knocked out Carpaccio Owens with a vicious right hand a mere .07 seconds in to the match. The knockout showed that BJJ stylist could be just as dangerous on his feet as he is on the ground.

A repeat performance may prove difficult, however, as one of ROF Europe’s most feared strikers will cross the Atlantic to face Nickels. Vladimir Vuckovic of Montenegro, is known for his devastating punching power, and explosiveness.

Vuckovic is nick named “The Wolf” and brings an impressive 11-4 record to the table. Even more impressive is that all of his eleven wins have come by way of knockout! Vuckovic gained his striking prowess through boxing, where he racked up a 42-8 record in the amateurs. The Wolf has added BJJ to his game by consistantly travelling to Croatia to train with some of the top coaches in the region.

Vladimir Vuckovic:
“I am excited to show the ROF USA fans what I can do. I have been competing in sports all my life and have been boxing since I was 15. I was also in the military Guard, so I know I have what it take to face an opponent like Nickels. I know he has good ground, but I do too. I have been training wrestling and BJJ since 2003 so I am not concrned if the fight goes to the mat. But what I am the strongest at is punching. I want to meet him in the middle of the cage and go to war. I have a high opinion of him and respect him as a fighter. But I will do my very best to finish him. I will fight with a no surrender attitude and I expect no less from him. The fight will be in his home town, with all of his fans. But when the fight is over they will all know why I am called the Wolf!”

Mike Nickels:
“I am glad to hear my opponent is confident. I know he says he wants to stand and bang with me, but that is easy to say before the fight. Let’s see what happens when we get in the cage. It has been a while since I have fought, but I haven’t stopped training. And I have really picked it up for this fight. I am training two and sometimes three times a day. I feel I get a little better every day, and a lot better every fight. I have worked on a whole lot of new tools and I plan on using them June 13th. I will go out there and give everthing I have 100%. I feel like I owe that to my coaches, and my training partners. Since Vladimir is coming from Europe to fight me I feel like I am representing, my school, my state and my country in this fight. I don’t plan on letting anyone down. It is going to be a great fight, but one thing is for sure, I plan on winning!”

FEATURE BOUTS:
The fight card is stacked with talent from the top to bottom and will feature two title matches. UFC veteran Luke LIL HULK Caudilo will lock up with national champion Torrance Taylor in a light weight feature bout. Noah Thomas will return to competition for the first time since appearing on the cast of The Ultimate Fighter season 5. Facing Thomas will be Brett Roller. There is no love lost between the two as their rivalry goes all the way back to their High School wrestling team where Roller was Top Dog. The bad blood for this match runs as deep as it gets.

Two of the most decorated wrestlers to ever compete in ROF will face each other at a catch weight match. Grapplers Edge fighter and IFL tryout finalist, Max Smith goes head to head with former D-1 wrestler, a two time high school All American Justin Salas. Battlequest Champion Ian Berg will face the fan favorite Kenneth Seegrist for the Middle Weight Young Guns belt.

And in what insiders are calling as potential fight of the night Brandon RUCKUS Thatch will put his undefeated record on the line against the destructive force of Vince O’Donnell. These are two of the top welterweights in the circuit and will be competing for the the division’s Young Gun Belt.

RING OF FIRE has long been a proponent of women’s mma and that tradition continues with ROF 32. Top ranked female fighter, Cat Albert will have her hands full with the Shawn Tompkins trained fighter Karina Taylor. Taylor trains out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and has all the tools to play spoiler to the local favorite Albert.

There will be six preliminary matches starting at 6:30, featuring some of the most promising fighters on the ROF roster including Brian Wood, Miguel Martinez, Cody Donovan, Dominic Blanco and Sean Doherty.

WORLD CLASS ARENA
the $45 million Broomfield Event Center is a state-of- the-art 180,000 square foot multi-purpose event center and includes 25 suites, 900 club seats, up to 8,000 total seats, a sit-down restaurant, three themed bars and a separate basketball practice facility. It is the home of the CHL ‘s Rocky Mountain Rage Professional Hockey Club and the Colorado 14ers Professional Basketball Club of the NBA Development League.

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!!
HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS:-

* Available online at www.TICKETMASTER.com
* charge by phone at 303-830-TIXS
* visit the Broomfield Event Center box office
* Visit any Ticketmaster outlet including select Macy’s stores, Select F-Y-E Stores, Cherry Creek Shopping Center visitors desk, Angelo’s CDs, and Twist and Shout.

Ticket Prices: All tickets subject to facility fee, tax and parking (totals $8.50). Online purchases may be subject to an additional fee. Tickets are priced at $25.00, $35.00, and $45.00

SPECIAL VIP TABLE PACKAGES! Call (303) 521-0966 for details.

BRINKLEY TO FACE “NOTORIOUS” NAUGLER IN RENO ON 6/13

Posted on | May 27, 2008 | No Comments

May 27th, 2008 Reno, NV – Tickets are on sale for “INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR” – the June 13th showdown between USNBC titleist Jesse Brinkley and Canadian Light-Heavyweight Champion Jason “Notorious” Naugler.

Tickets can be purchased through the Silver Legacy box office or by calling 1-800-MUST SEE (1-800-687-8733). Tickets will also be available through ticketmaster.com early this week.

The Father’s Day weekend fight-card will be held at the brand new Reno Ballroom on the corner of Virginia St. and Fourth St. in Reno, NV.

Prices for tickets are $25, $50, $100 ringside and $150 front-row ringside. Doors open at 6 pm, first bout at 7 pm. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR is being presented by Let’s Get It On Promotions in association with the Silver Legacy and Eldorado Hotels/Casinos.

Undercard and additional information will be announced soon.

BALLROOM BOXING UPDATES

Posted on | May 27, 2008 | No Comments

The “rematch” between heavyweights “The People’s Champion” Jonathan Felton of Stafford, VA and Baltimore’s Askia Snyder will be on this card in another four-round bout. Back on January 31 at Michael’s, the two men made national press when they brawled before the bell even rang. Felton comes in with a record of 5-9, five KO’s. Snyder was making his pro debut on the January 31 card and has one no contest on his record.

Brandywine, MD heavyweight Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell (2-0-1, one KO) makes his Ballroom Boxing debut as he faces Alexis Cruz Medina (0-3-1) of Science Hill, KY in a four-round matchup.

Glen Burnie heavyweight Danny Kisner (1-0, one KO) returns to ring action as he takes on debuting Kevin Johnson of Baltimore.

Baltimore junior middleweight Cecil McCalla makes his pro debut against “The Capitol Punisher” Spencer Harsley of DC (1-6-2). Also middleweight Shelly Seivert of Severna Park, MD (2-1, one KO) will make her Ballroom debut against an opponent to be named.

In the six-round co-feature, undefeated super featherweight Carney “Beeper” Bowman of York, PA (9-0, four KO’s) returns to the Ballroom to take on New York’s Edward Valdez (3-5-2, two KO’s). Also, undefeated Denver, CO’s Terrence Crawford (2-0, two KO’s) will return against an opponent to be announced.

The main event for this card remains the same: Undefeated Pasadena, MD super middleweight Mike “The Persecutor” Paschall (16-0-1, four KO’s) steps up in competition against former world title contender Larry “The Laser” Marks of New Castle, DE (29-9-1, 16 KO’s) in a bout that will be scheduled for either eight or 10 rounds.

HEAVYWEIGHT NEWS:

A future champion fighting in the Ballroom Thursday night??? Already a champion guy!!! Read about this young man and come see him Thursday night in the Ballroom – 410-766-7474…

This courtest of the Washington Post.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — When Seth Mitchell says he believes he can become the Heavyweight Champion of the World, he isn’t being boastful. There’s just something about the tone of voice of this deeply spiritual and grounded young man that tells you his belief isn’t about pride or ego.

Those closest to him say he has a tireless work ethic, tunnel vision focus, and a no-nonsense dedication to his new found sport. And a freight train like left hook.

Mitchell’s manager, Sharif Salim, has brought in more than one experienced boxer to spar with Mitchell. Many of them have found themselves looking up from the canvas wondering if anyone in the gym caught the license plate number.

“I’ve been around the fight game since 1959. I’ve never seen a prospect like this guy. First of all, the combination, the package is so beautiful. He’s the ideal size for today’s modern heavyweight.”

“You have to be a little taller to face those giants that are coming at you, and also tall enough to see over your man’s punches,” Salim said.

Mitchell stands 6-foot-2 and weighs in at around 250 pounds. He began training to become a boxer in October, and in a few short months, has made remarkable progress.

In his first few weeks, Mitchell had already mastered punch combinations, improved his footwork, and developed a solid technique on the speed bag that often takes new fighters months to grasp.

But his physical gifts are only a part of what makes him something special.

“First and foremost, he has the heart of a champion, and that is innate. You cannot teach that. And his work ethic is beyond belief,” said Salim, who recounted the many times that Mitchell, told to show up at 5 a.m. for training, often arrived by 4:30.

But despite such effusive praise, Mitchell takes nothing for granted, not his athletic ability, his faith, nor the fickle fortunes of fate that seem to take us all down one path, before sharply curtailing down another.

A few short years ago, Mitchell was an All-American middle linebacker at Michigan State University, on a full athletic scholarship. A dominant force in the Big Ten Conference, Mitchell had NFL Scouts knocking on his doorstep, his future in pro football all but guaranteed. Until one day when his left knee started to hurt.

“I never really got hurt; I just had this chronic pain in my left knee. Over the years it just got progressively worse.”

Determined to do everything in his power to resume his playing career, Mitchell opted to undergo a painful operation which he was told had a recovery time of 12 to 18 months.

Mitchell described the 11 days following the surgery as the most excruciating pain he’d ever felt in his life. He returned to the playing field after just 11 months.

“I’m the type of person that if I can’t give it 100 percent, I don’t want to do it at all. I was embarrassed at the way I was playing compared with how I’d been playing before.”

“People said I was doing a great job when I came back from the surgery, but within myself, I just knew I wasn’t the same”, Mitchell said. He made a life changing decision to give up football.

“It really wasn’t a tough decision to put football behind me, because I knew in my heart that I did everything that I could to play. So once I said I was done, I was done”, Mitchell said.

Although football was behind him, Mitchell valued the importance of completing his education, and went on to graduate from Michigan State, earning his degree in criminal justice and security management.

Upon returning home to Maryland, Mitchell began to ponder his future.

“I had my degree, but I knew I wouldn’t really be happy unless I was involved in sports,” Mitchell said. His next life altering decision came one Saturday afternoon while watching television.

“There was a boxing match on television, and there was a football player from Notre Dame who is also a boxer. I remembered playing against him. During the summer, he had a match in Vegas and won a first round knockout. I thought, ‘I could beat him’. That’s when I decided I was going to box,” Mitchell said.

His decision made, Mitchell contacted Maurice Banks, who had been his offensive coordinator in high school, where he earned honors as defensive player of the year, player of the year, all county and all met as a senior at Gywnn Park High School in Brandywine, Maryland.

“When I made up my mind to pursue boxing, I called Coach Banks. He’s been like a father figure to me. I didn’t want to have to worry about my manager not doing what was in my best interest.”

“I want to get in the gym, train, get better, and not have to look over my shoulder to make sure he’s doing his job right,” Mitchell said.

Banks serves as Mitchell’s advisor and mentor. When Mitchell told him he wanted to become a boxer, Banks put in a call to his own mentor, Sharif Salim. One look at Mitchell in the ring, and Salim came on board as his manager. Team Mitchell was born.

“I just think he’s an incredible young man. When he sets his mind to something, he’s going to succeed. He has all the qualities of dedication, integrity and commitment. In the ring, I see a tough kid with a very bright future,” Banks said.

Mitchell retained a trainer, Andre Hunter, and follows a strict training schedule. He trains every evening and spars at least twice a week. His first heavyweight amateur fight is scheduled for early March.

His goals are simple. Golden Gloves Champion. Olympic Champion. Heavyweight Champion of the World.

“There’s a competitive nature inside me. I get an adrenaline rush from competing, and I truly believe that God has blessed me with the athletic ability to do this,” Mitchell said.

“If I didn’t think I could become world champion, I wouldn’t delve into this at all. I think I’ll do well as long as I stay dedicated and focused and stay humble.”

« go back — keep looking »

SEARCH OUR BLOGS

Search for:

SEARCH THE WEB

Subscribe in a reader



US Money Reserve

Bodybuilding fitness software: Gain weight & build muscle fast.

Photographers - Boston, MA



PRO-SEBLOG.COM: EMPOWERING ORDINARY PEOPLE TO PRACTICE LAW ON THEIR OWN BEHALF

CLICK HERE TO ORDER AN AWESOME SELF-HELP LEGAL COURSE

MARKETINGBOSS.INFO: MARKETING TIPS FOR YOUR SITE & BUSINESS

Boxing Live

RING GIRLS

OUR SPONSORS

Categories

Categories Select Category A.J. Vittone  (4) Affliction MMA  (60) amateur boxing  (12) Amateur MMA  (3) BAMMA  (4) Bareknuckle Boxing  (10) Bellator  (64) BJJ  (37) Blogroll  (9,763) Boxing  (5,785) Cage Fighting Xtreme  (39) Cage Rage  (2) Capiello Promotions  (2) CBS  (17) Charlie Schmidt  (7) CHARLIE WARD  (7) Clay Smith  (3) COMPANY PROFILES  (10) Darren McElligott  (5) Dissipline  (3) Dominic Lavin  (6) EliteXC  (172) Fight Previews  (178) fight videos  (7) Fighter Interviews  (80) Fightzone TV  (16) Full Force Productions  (7) Gina Carano  (8) gofightlive  (32) grappling  (91) Groupon  (1) HDNet FIGHTS  (130) Holli Yargo  (29) IFL  (38) IFO  (16) Investigative Reports  (44) Jack Bratcher  (46) Jerky.Com  (1) jiu jitsu  (17) Joe Ball  (8) John Martinez  (9) Judo  (6) K-1  (3) karate  (10) Keisha Morrisey  (2) kickboxing  (25) King of The Cage  (5) KNOCKOUT NATION  (4) Kristie L. Groves  (2) Kristin Van Zee  (2) M-1  (37) Mark McCoy  (3) martial arts  (80) Matt Yanofsky  (83) Matthew Brothers  (4) MaxFights  (13) Melissa Hatch  (2) MFC  (89) MFL  (3) Michael Fountain  (4) Midwest MMA  (41) MIKE INDRI  (21) Mixed Martial Arts  (3,406) MMA  (3,405) mma agents  (4) MMA RECRUITER  (59) Moosin: God of Martial Arts  (1) movies  (16) Muay Thai  (60) NAGA  (3) other interviews  (16) PALACE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS  (54) PATRICK MCELLIGOTT  (46) Politics  (1) Post fight reports  (109) Predictions  (11) press conferences  (28) press releases  (298) Prizefighter  (86) ProElite  (136) Pure Combat  (9) Rage in the Cage  (48) Reality Fighting  (5) Rich Bergeron  (157) ring girls  (22) Ring of Fire  (43) Rocky Marciano  (2) Round 5  (9) Ryan Christensen  (6) seperated at birth  (4) Shaun McCoy  (5) SHOWTIME SPORTS  (177) SportFight  (6) Steele Cage  (16) Strikeforce  (395) Striking Technique  (14) submission fighting  (3) sun sports  (7) Tachi Palace Fights  (11) Takedown Radio  (413) The Ultimate Fighter Series  (21) Tony Penecale  (117) Tri-State Cage Fighting  (9) Tristan Yunker  (5) UFC  (478) Uncategorized  (75) Untamed  (12) USFL  (2) War  (7) WEC  (10) White Chocolate Management  (3) White Collar Brawler  (1) women’s boxing  (115) Women’s MMA  (16) World Championship Fighting  (23) wrestling  (1,117) WWE  (7) Xtreme Arm Wrestling  (1) Xyience  (75) Yamma  (3)

JOIN FIGHT SPACE ONLINE

About

This is an area on your website where you can add text. This will serve as an informative location on your website, where you can talk about your site.

Subscribe to our feed

Search

Admin

• Register
• Log in
• Wordpress
• XHTML