CHECK OUT THESE MMA HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS
Posted on | November 13, 2007 | 1 Comment
HOT HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FROM MIXED MARTIAL ARTS CHAMP TITO ORTIZ AND PUNISHMENT ATHLETICS
Includes Items Featuring Latest in Sportswear Trends for Both Men and Women
LOS ANGELES – (November 13, 2007) – Mixed martial arts fighter Tito Ortiz is gearing up for the upcoming holiday season with the latest trends in sportswear. Perfect for friends and loved ones, for fans of Tito or fashionistas, Punishment Athletics (www.punishment.com) offers only top quality apparel. Tito’s dedicated support of our troops is reflected in the styles of his latest apparel for men and women.
Photo courtesy of punishment.com
Photos of the latest offerings include both long and short sleeved shirts such as (from left to right):
1. The “All American” long-sleeved cotton T-shirt, which is available in up-to-the-minute charcoal gray. The shirt features an “eagle-star-fist” design on the front and a vertical Punishment logo on the left sleeve. “All American” is available from sizes Medium through 3XL and is $25.00.
2. The stylish women’s “Thermal Angel” perfect fit, long-sleeved shirt. The green camouflage is offset by an angel wing design in white, gray and hot pink. Made of a cozy waffle weave blend, this thermal shirt has a tapered waist and is available in sizes Small through Large and is priced at $40.00.
3. “Heritage,” a high quality cotton short-sleeved T-shirt celebrating Tito’s Hispanic heritage. Punishment is printed in both English and Spanish and motifs from the Mexican flag in green, white and red dominate the black T-shirt. “Heritage” is available in sizes Medium through 2XL and is $20.00.
The new holiday gifts also include a selection of hats for both men and women including:
1. The women’s “Halo Flat Bill” hat ($22.00) perfectly complements the “Thermal Angel” shirt by featuring the same angel wing design on front and the Punishment logo across back in hot pink. Available in white, the “Halo Flat Bill” hat is available in sizes Small/Medium and Large/XL.
2. The one-size-fits-all “Square Fist Reversible Beanie,” the very style worn by Tito. Stay warm with this black and gray beanie ($22.00) which boldly displays the Punishment logo. The beanie offers two fashionable looks for the price of one.
Photo courtesy of punishment.com
Tito has garnered top success with the Punishment Athletics sportswear collection at major trade shows such as MAGIC in Las Vegas, Nevada and ASR in San Diego, California. Punishment Athletics offers an array of athletic wear, casual apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The clothing line is so popular that its T-shirts, night-shirts and other apparel even get their own posts in the forum section of Tito’s popular blog.
Tito, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champ, is admired as a colorful showman, a talented athlete, actor and a supporter of our troops. He recently visited U.S. troops in Iraq and military hospitals in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Current projects include growing his business, keeping fit for upcoming fights and writing his autobiography for Simon & Schuster.
PRO BOXING IN HARTFORD, CT NOVEMBER 24TH FEATURES GODFREY VS. WILLIAMS
Posted on | November 13, 2007 | No Comments
Championship Pro Boxing Returns to Hartford
Godfrey- Williams headlines
“Pinnacle FiteNite: The Heat’s On In Hartford”
Nov. 24 at the Connecticut Convention Center
HARTFORD (November 13, 2007) – Championship pro boxing returns to Hartford on Saturday night, November 24 — “Pinnacle FiteNite: The Heat’s On In Hartford” — as NABF cruiserweight champion Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey defends his title belt against former WBO heavyweight title challenger Jeremy “Half-Man, Half-Amazing” Williams, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.
“Pinnacle FiteNite: The Heat’s On In Hartford,” promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment, Inc. (CES), in association with Sports Entertainment & Media, Inc., will be taped live and air on dates and times to be determined across the country on numerous Comcast regional stations including Comcast West, American One Network, Fight Network in Canada, Sports Net New York, GTV in Africa, as well as internationally on KOTV. Pinnacle FiteNite is produced by 21 Lakes and distributed by Integrated Sports.
Hartford has a rich boxing history that was rejuvenated on September 23, 2006, when CES promoted the first pro show there in a decade, but the city’s pugilistic tradition dates back long before if produced the late, great Willie Pep (230-11-1, 65 KOs). Back on July 4, 1887, legendary heavyweight John L. Sullivan umpired a baseball game and later fought a four-round exhibition with Joe Lannon. Through the years, lightweight king Ike Williams fought twice within a week in 1943 at an outdoor arena in Hartford, heavyweight Joe Louis fought a pair of exhibitions in Hartford during World War II, light heavyweight Archie Moore knocked out Doc Williams in eight rounds at the Hartford Auditorium, where heavyweight Rocky Marciano stopped Harold Mitchell in the second round of their 1951 fight. On the same card in 1977 at the Hartford Civic Center, Marvelous Marvin Hagler stopped Roy Jones (not Roy Jones, Jr.) in the third round of the main event, while Sugar Ray Leonard registered the same outcome versus Vinnie DeBarrios in the co-feature.
In addition to the great Pep, two-time world welterweight champion Marlon “Magic Man” Starling (45-6-1, 27 KOs) also comes from Hartford where he still resides. Starling’s most notable victories were against Lloyd Honeyghan, Mark Breland, Simon Brown, and Floyd Mayweather (twice). Starling successfully defended his WBC welterweight belt at the Hartford Civic Center in 1989, winning a 1-round decision against Yung Kil Chung.
Other top Hartford born-or-based fighters have included former world title challengers “Iceman” John Scully, Eric Harding and Israel “Pito” Cardona, as well as 1996 U.S. Olympic Team captain Lawrence Clay-Bey.
At least three other world title fights were held in Hartford: Young Corbett II (William Rothwell) knocked out Terry McGovern in the second round of their 1901 fight for the World Featherweight Championship at the Hartford Coliseum; Jimmy Slattery won a 10-round decision against Maxie Rosenbloom in 1927 at the Velodrome for the vacant NBA light heavyweight crown; Joe Louis Manley stopped Gary Hinton in the 10th round of their 1986 fight for the IBF light welterweight title.
Godfrey (16-0, 9 KOs), now training in Hartford with his new trainer John Scully, is rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Council, as well as ranked No. 4 by the International Boxing Federation and No. 6 by the World Boxing Association. “Too Smooth” faces his toughest opponent in Williams (42-5-1, 35 KOs), fighting out of Long Beach (CA), in the 12-round main event on Nov. 24.
Unbeaten Las Vegas-based cruiserweight prospect Aaron Williams (15-0-1, 11 KOs), former nine-time United States amateur champion, is scheduled to fight in the eight-round co-feature. On the undercard in separate bouts are Manchester’s (CT) own Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard (11-0, 7 KOs), the former WBC Youth super featherweight champion managed by Jackie Kallen; WBC rated No. 23 super middleweight Joey “KO Kid” Spina (20-1-1, 15 KOs), of Providence; cruiserweight Marc “The Defender” Saggese (3-0, 3 KOs), the high-profile defense attorney from Las Vegas known as the toughest pound-for-pound lawyer; Hartford junior welterweight Addy Irizarry (2-1, 2 KOs). All bouts and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets are priced at $35.00 (Bronze), $50.00 (VIP Silver), $100.00 (VIP Gold), and $150.00 (limited Jimmy’s Platinum Club). Group discounts are available. Discount tickets are being offered to members of the Connecticut police and fire departments, men and women active in the U.S. military, and students. VIP Presidential Tables (total of 10 tables, 8 per table) are available by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254. Call CES at 401.724.2253/2254, the Connecticut Convention Center (860.249.6000), Manchester PAL (860.645.6261) and Connecticut Restoration (860.528.6800), or go on line at www.cesboxing.com, to order tickets or for more information. Visit www.pinnaclefitenite.com for additional information. Doors will open at 5:30 PM/ET, first bout at 6:45 PM/ET.
-CES-
NO RISK, NO REWARD FOR JOHN DUDDY
Posted on | November 13, 2007 | No Comments
Duddy takes on Eastman
Dec. 8 in N. Ireland
NEW YORK (November 13, 2007) – Pro boxing is all about risk and reward. Taking chances is what prospects have to do in order to become legitimate contenders, which is why WBO rated No. 2 middleweight “Ireland’s” John Duddy (22-0, 17 KOs), fresh off of his explosive win by second-round TKO of Prince Arron in Dublin, is fighting former European champion and 2-time world title challenger Howard “The Battersea Bomber” Eastman (42-5, 35 KOs) on December 8 in the 10-round main event at King’s Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Duddy, who hails from Derry (N. Ireland) but now lives in Queens (New York City), will be fighting in Northern Ireland for the first time as a professional. He is at training camp preparing for his most difficult challenge with head trainer Don Turner in North Carolina.
“This is a learning curve for John,” John’s promoter Eddie McLouglin, president of Irish Ropes Promotions, explained the decision for Duddy to fight Eastman. “Since we got involved with John, our goal wasn’t just to get in a position to fight for a world title, but to win it. There’s an element of danger in every fight. Northern Ireland people are among the most knowledgeable boxing fans that respect a good show and will turn out for John at King’s Hall like they did for Barry McGuigan, Wayne McCullough, Dave “Boy” McAuley and Brian Magee. They respect a good fight but will not come for just any show with John in it. We have north of 5,000 seats to fill and I suspect all will be filled with John fighting Eastman.”
Eastman has been only stopped once, by powerful Edison Miranda, in 47 fights. His other losses have been to world champions Bernard Hopkins, Arthur Abraham and William Joppy, as well as world title contender Wayne Elcock by close 12-round decision (116-113-, 115-113, 115-114) in his last fight on September 28.
“To see John fight is like watching a fancy sports car capable of hitting 150 miles per hour, but traveling only 80,” McLoughlin said. “He hasn’t been tested to the fullest by any of the opponents he’s fought lately, although, no disrespect to Arron, the last fight two good opponents fell out. John’s showed improvement since he started working with Don Turner (last two fights). Eastman is going to ask questions of John. He’s been a gatekeeper of the middleweight division, not just in Europe but the world, for 10 years.
He will be John’s toughest opponent to date and we expect Eastman to bring out the best in John Duddy.”
For more information about Irish Ropes Promotions or John Duddy go to www.irishropes.com.
-IR-
PFC 5 MMA RESULTS
Posted on | November 12, 2007 | No Comments
Imes highlights PFC 5
NEW TOWN, ND — Brad Imes helped the Palace Fighting Championship live up to the theme for PFC 5 at 4 Bears Casino.
The Sacramento mixed martial artist finished Chris Blair (9-1) of Kearney, NE by technical knockout in 4:13 in the first round of the 8-bout card that was dubbed “Beatdown at 4 Bears”.
“He was a tough guy,” Imes (10-3) said of Blair. “I didn’t think that he would have been that tough.”
Imes worked for several submissions in the first round, but Blair was able to stay out of trouble.
Eventually after Imes knocked Blair to the canvas, he was able to work his way to a mount and pound Blair out.
“I was kind of surprised I didn’t catch him with the subs early, but you could tell he was well-versed in submission defense,” said Imes, who worked for at least half a dozen submissions early in the round.
“He’s a tough kid. I knew that if he wanted to win, that he would have to try and finish it early. And for the first three minutes or so he was hell on wheels.”
Imes pleased the crowd with a wide variety of skills from a strong standup game to a furious ground assault.
As was the case for Lemoore, CA lightweight Poppies Martinez (13-3).
The PFC Interim Lightweight World Champion won over the pro Native American crowd by stopping Aaron Maldonado (4-2) of Minneapolis, MN by guillotine choke in 1:22 of the first round.
“I knew that he was out cold from the choke,” Martinez said. “But the ref wouldn’t stop it and said that he might be faking. I know he was out, his body was limp, so I let him go.”
And that’s where the fight finished with Maldonado slumped over completely put to sleep by the choke.
Martinez, a Native American representing the Tachi Yokut Tribe in Lemoore received a large ovation from the 1,100 fans in attendance and in a post fight speech asked 4 Bears Casino to bring him back.
“I loved fighting here. It kind of felt like home,” Martinez said. “The tribe here really took us in and made us feel at home.”
Martinez took little time to take Maldonado down and he did so right in front of his corner where he unleashed some rights and lefts before working his way to the guillotine.
“The plan was to stand with him, but it was just a natural reaction to take him down,” Martinez said. “But I want my team back home, especially Jacob Jeff, to know that I was punching. I had a great corner here with me tonight, too. I really want to thank Urijah Faber, Mickey Martinez and The Project (Jeremy Luchau) for being there.”
This was the first PFC card to venture away from its home base in Lemoore where Entertainment Director Christian Printup and his staff have soldout 28 consecutive MMA events
“I was very happy with the turn out here,” Printup said. “It was a pretty big venue and we filled it about a little over half full. I thought the fans here in North Dakota really got to see a lot of action.”
In other bouts:
— Courdelane, ID featherweight Vance North (1-1) evened his record with a submission victory over featherweight Michael Craddock (2-1) of Exeter, CA in 1:24 of the first round.
North scored a take down, worked to side control and then locked in a kimura to opening bout of the night.
— Fargo, ND super heavyweight Zack Thumb (1-0) made quick work of Chris Galliher (0-1) of Indianapolis, IN with a technical knockout due to strikes in 18 seconds of the first round.
Galliher and Thumb clinched with Thumb scoring a takedown and then pounding Galliher out. During the takedown Galliher dislocated both knees and had to be sent to the hospital.
— Fargo, ND welterweight Christopher Hugh (3-1) won a 3-round decision over Russell Dietiene (1-0) of Bozeman, MT
Hugh took the first round with a near guillotine and finished the round on top, pounding Dietiene. The second round was fought pretty evenly, but Hugh regained control in the third round and delivered some brutal knees to the body in the process.
— Grand Forks, ND light heavyweight Eric Pribble (4-1) beat Jimmy Dexter (2-4) of Fresno, CA by guillotine choke in 46 seconds of the second round.
After Dexter dominated the first round, Pribble was able to get his offense going. Dexter pushed him into the cage and took him down, but Pribble sunk a guillotine choke to pullout a victory in front of a hometown crowd.
— Hamilton, MT. middleweight Mike Gates (4-1-1) defeated Lucas Sinclair (3-1) of Fargo, ND in 57 seconds of round one with an armbar.
— Minot, ND heavyweight Author Cook (2-0) knocked out Aaron Alvord (1-1) of Menominee, WI in 23 seconds of round one.
PFC 6 is set for January 17th at the Tachi Palace and will feature a PFC Bantamweight World title fight between Sean Klarcyk (6-1) of Porterville, CA and No. 1 contender Rolando Velasco (4-0) of Oakdale, CA.
Klarcyk defeated David Espinosa (3-1) of Sacramento, CA at PFC 3 in July by split decision. It will be Klarcyk’s first title defense.
For more breaking PFC news log on to www.palacefightingchampionship.com.
MAYWEATHER VS. HATTON UNDERCARD SHAPING UP
Posted on | November 12, 2007 | No Comments
JEFF LACY RETURNS TO ACTION AGAINST PETER MANFREDO JR. ON MAYWEATHER VS. HATTON UNDERCARD; ALSO IN ACTION DANIEL PONCE DE LEON DEFENDS HIS JR. FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST EDUARDO ESCOBEDO AND IN A REMATCH WES FERGUSEN BATTLES EDNER CHERRY ON “UNDEFEATED” SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8 AT MGM GRAND LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW
LOS ANGELES (November 12) – It’s only fitting that the December 8 “UNDEFEATED” Floyd Mayweather vs Ricky Hatton featured undercard fights bring the same high caliber competition as the evening’s main event super bout. Former super middleweight world champion Jeff Lacy returns to the ring against former ‘Contender’ star Peter Manfredo Jr., WBO World Junior Featherweight Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon defends his crown against Eduardo Escobedo and rising star Wes Ferguson looks for payback in a rematch against Edner Cherry to put a perfect ending on the sweet science.
“We’ve pulled out all the stops to make this card the event it should be,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “There is no filler on this pay-per-view card, with each fight holding important implications for the winner and the loser. These are the fights I want to see as a fight fan.”
“Mayweather Promotions is excited to be a part of this tremendous event,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO Mayweather Promotions. “We look forward to bringing boxing fans an end of the year show they will never forget.”
Promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, and sponsored by Rock Star Energy Drink, Tecate Beer and Southwest Airlines, “UNDEFEATED”, which is headlined by the welterweight championship bout between Mayweather and Hatton, will take place Saturday, Dec. 8 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.
In the main undercard bout, former world super middleweight champion Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy makes his debut under the Golden Boy Promotions banner and his first appearance since shoulder surgery last December when he takes on former world title challenger and a finalist from season one of ‘The Contender’, Peter Manfredo Jr., in a ten rounder. In a classic crossroads fight for both men, the winner goes on to a possible showdown with the elite of super middleweight or light heavyweight divisions, while the loser goes back to the drawing board.
“I’m very excited that my first fight with Golden Boy Promotions will be on December 8 th,” said Jeff Lacy. “I’ve been anxious to get back in the ring and this is the perfect night for my return after my injury.”
“On behalf of The Contender I would like to thank Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions for this great opportunity for Peter Manfredo Jr. to showcase his skills,” said Jeff Wald, Co-Executive Producer and Promoter for ‘The Contender’. “This is an important fight for both fighters and we are happy to be a part of what will surely be a great night of boxing.”
A stellar amateur who compiled a record of 209-12 over a career that culminated in a trip to the 2000 Olympic Games, Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy (22-1, 17 KO’s) has gone on to take the pro boxing world by storm with his concussive power, aggressive style and charismatic personality. The St. Petersburg, Florida native won the World Super Middleweight Title in just his 18 th pro fight when he stopped Syd Vanderpool in eight rounds on October 2, 2004. Lacy defended his title four times before falling short via decision in a unification bout against Joe Calzaghe in March of 2006 on Calzaghe’s home turf in England. Undeterred, Lacy returned to the ring with a gritty decision win over Vitali Tsypko in December of 2006, but suffered a torn left rotator cuff in the bout. Now healthy and itching to get back into the ring, “Left Hook” is ready to wreck havoc on the 168-pound and 175-pound divisions.
The pride of Providence, Rhode Island, 26-year-old Peter Manfredo Jr. (28-4, 13 KO’s), has been fighting since he was a child and he is still improving with every fight. Winner of his first 21 pro fights, Manfredo, a former NABO junior middleweight champion, became a star during his stint on season one of ‘The Contender’. Manfredo made it to the finals of the competition, only to lose a hard fought decision to Sergio Mora. Since then, Manfredo jumped up to 168 pounds and scored big wins over Scott Pemberton and Joe Spina before suffering a loss via controversial stoppage in a title bout against Joe Calzaghe in April. Manfredo bounced back quickly with two straight wins and is looking to make it three in a row against Lacy.
Also featured on the December 8th card is a WBO junior featherweight title bout between hard-hitting champion Daniel Ponce De Leon and challenger Eduardo Escobedo. Perhaps the most talked about young champion in the lower weight classes, Daniel Ponce De Leon (33-1, 30 KO’s) is a former Mexican Olympian who has developed into a dangerous fighter with power in both fists and a solid champion in one of boxing’s most competitive divisions. A world champion since 2005, De Leon has defended his crown five times, most recently with an impressive first round TKO of previously unbeaten Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista on August 11th in a bout televised by HBO. In his last fight, a non-title bout, De Leon kept busy with a fifth round knockout of Reynaldo Lopez on September 28 th.
The Mexico City native who now makes his home in Jarrell, Texas, 23-year-old Eduardo Escobedo (20-2, 14 KO’s) is eager to take advantage of the opportunity of a lifetime on December 8th. A six-year pro with impressive power, Escobedo has won seven fights in a row and is currently riding a three fight knockout streak that includes KO’s of well regarded fighters such as Edel Ruiz and Jose Mendoza
Opening up the pay-per-view telecast is a 10-round rematch between highly-touted lightweight prospects Wes Ferguson and Edner Cherry. The 22-year-old Ferguson (17-2-1, 5 KO’s), a protégé of headliner Floyd Mayweather, is known by the nickname of “Wicked” for his impressive boxing skills. Cherry (22-5, 10 KO’s) owns the moniker “Cherry Bomb” for his ability to explode on opponents and end fights with one punch. In June, the two met for the first time and Cherry emerged victorious via a hard fought ten-round decision, snapping Ferguson’s seven fight winning streak. On December 8 th, the Las Vegan looks for revenge.
Closed circuit tickets, priced at $50, are still available and can be purchased at MGM Mirage properties’ box office outlets or by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. For MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay venues, tickets also are available by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 702-474-4000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person and all seats are general admission.
The Mayweather vs. Hatton pay-per-view telecast beginning at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT, has a suggested retail price of $54.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 61 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For your Mayweather vs. Hatton fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.
The premiere episode of the HBO all-access series “MAYWEATHER/HATTON 24/7” debuts Sunday, Nov. 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. The four-part series, with unprecedented access, will chronicle the fighters’ preparations for the December 8 super-fight at MGM Grand and will provide viewers with a compelling look at two extraordinary champions.
For more information on Mayweather vs. Hatton, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com.
Posted on | November 12, 2007 | No Comments
KEA BOXING’S “WILDWOOD WARS”
Chuck Mussachio Captures a Split Decision over Victor Paz
Pawel Wolak Dominates Jonathan Reid
By: Danny Serratelli, ringside
KEA Boxing’s “Wildwood Wars” lived up to its billing last night from the Oceanfront Arena in the Wildwoods Convention Center in Wildwood, New Jersey. In KEA Boxing’s 10 th show to date, “The Polish Raging Bull”, Pawel Wolak, 18-0, 13 KO’s was very impressive in a dominant performance over “The Contender” Season 1 participant, Jonathan “Reid Dog” Reid, 34-8, 18 KO’s. In the co-feature of the evening, hometown hero, Wildwood, New Jersey’s Chuck “The Professor” Mussachio had a rough time with the Bronx, New York’s Victor Paz, 9-5, 1 KO, but managed to overcome adversity and capture a split decision victory in their exciting light heavyweight bout.
Mussachio appeared to win the early rounds boxing, but Paz made it clear by the middle of the fight that he did not make the trip south to Mussachio’s hometown to accommodate the home town favorite. Despite the fact that Mussachio seemed to be outboxing Paz early, Paz was slowly gaining confidence and roughing Mussachio up. Mussachio used his jab and movement, while Paz was aggressive and showed that he came to Wildwood with an upset on his mind.
After some good body work and a couple of well timed and placed low blows in the 6 th, Mussachio was visibly bothered. The look on Mussachio’s face after a low blow in round 6 along with the blood from Mussachio’s nose seemed to revitalize Paz. It was also revealed that Mussachio had an injured, possible broken right hand. As a result, Mussachio had to battle adversity and use all of the experience he picked up in over 100 amateur fights and his 10 prior professional fights to box the last couple rounds and prevent the motivated Paz from pulling off the upset.
When the final bell rang the crowd was on their feet in anticipation as the decision appeared to be up for grabs. While Paz clearly came on strong and won some of the later rounds, it appeared that Mussachio had put enough of the early rounds in the bank. When the decision was announced, Mussachio and his fans could only sit back and listen to ring announcer extraordinaire, Henry Hascup announce the split verdict by the scores of 77-75 twice for Mussachio, along with 77-76 for Paz. Chuckie and his fans were relieved to hear that his undefeated record would remain intact.
Despite the fact that Pawel Wolak is from Mount Arlington, more than a couple of hours north of Wildwood, New Jersey, he still brought his legions of predominantly Polish fans with him to watch him step up his level of opposition against Jonathon Reid. In a junior middleweight fight that looked like a lot of questions about both fighters would need to be answered, Wolak did exactly what he always does and once again silenced many of his critics.
Reid, who had Philadelphia crowd favorite, “Mighty” Ivan Robinson working his corner looked to be in top shape, but he just couldn’t contend with the tremendous amount of pressure and number of punches that Wolak throws. While Reid attempted to work behind a jab and keep Wolak off balance, Wolak fought his regular fight and simply overwhelmed Reid.
Wolak was particularly effective mixing up his attack to the head and body and working behind a subtle defense while landing powerful left hooks and uppercuts. Unable to keep Wolak off of him, Reid took a knee and an 8 count in the 4th round to try to regroup. However, the knockdown sent Wolak’s fans into an uproar and Wolak seemed to feed off of the electricity his fans created in the arena. Wolak pursued Reid relentlessly and quickly dropped him again. Reid rose from the canvas, but he could not contend with the pressure applied by Wolak. Reid quickly found himself pinned against the ropes taking punishment that he had no answer for and fight was stopped by the referee at 2:09 of round number 4 as Reid’s corner threw the towel.
Undercard:
Middleweights- Patrick Majewski, 6-0, 4 KO’s won by (KO 1, 1:48) Nick Collins, 4-4, 4 KO’s
Maryland’s Nick Collins who has fought 5 of his 8 fights against undefeated opponents has a deceiving record and packs a big punch, but Majewski was on a mission to win over the large Polish crowd that was there to see Pawel Wolak. Majewski fights out of Atlantic City, but like Wolak, he is also a Polish-American fighter. Majewski was impressive and composed as he quickly dispatched of Collins.
Light Welterweights- Linwood Hurd, 2-0-2 won by (Split Decision, 40-36, 39-37, 37-39) Clinton B. Douglass, 2-1, 2 KO’s
Douglass came to fight and the reason for the disparity on the score cards is that both men fought hard and it was difficult fight to score. When the final bell rang it wasn’t clear who’s “0” would go, but local prospect, Hurd was awarded the decision.
Light heavyweights- Bobby Jordan, 3-0-1, 2 KO’s won by (KO 2, 1:38) Denys Lozada, 5-2, 2 KO’s
This was the upset of the night. While Paz (vs. Mussachio) and Douglass (vs. Hurd) came into the backyard of their opponents and almost pulled off big upsets in exciting fights, they ultimately left with split decision losses. Jordan came from Norfolk Virginia and did not leave the fight in the judges’ hands as he scored the knockout. It appeared Jordan hurt Lozada to the body and was later revealed that Lozada had a hand injury. Either way, Lozada went down and took the full 10 count.
Cotto rises to “Greatness” with good win over Mosley!
Posted on | November 11, 2007 | 1 Comment
Cotto rises to “Greatness” with good win over Mosley!
By Mike Indri
Retired Boxers Foundation
November 10, 2007
New York – The fight was super-hyped, and rightfully so, as undefeated welterweight world champion Miguel Cotto was facing his most difficult challenge in four-time, three-division former world champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley, for Cotto’s World Boxing Association title belt.
Madison Square Garden, the “Mecca of Boxing”, would once again play host for Cotto and his quest for greatness. While not a sell-out, 17,135 boisterous and proud Puerto Rican fans would cram their way through the turnstiles, they would not be let down. Neither would co-promoters Bob Arum or Oscar De La Hoya, as initial reports of the gross gate figures came in at over 3.8 million dollars!
The fight itself, an exciting, intriguing good twelve rounder, may not have lived up to all the pomp and circumstance, but Miguel Cotto truly did. The classy, hard punching Cotto earned his unanimous decision win and proved he belongs amongst the top of the talent laden welterweight list.
Cotto was in with a truly great fighter. Shane Mosley, the only fighter to have twice beaten De La Hoya, has always been a lethally dangerous combination of speed, precision and deceptive power. With his two technical knockout victories over Fernando Vargas in 2006 and his dominatingly brilliant twelve round unanimous decision win against Luis Collazo in his most recent bout (02/10/07), Mosley had proven to all the skeptics that “Sugar” was back to his sweet self.
Fighting against the thirty six year-old elite level former champion who feasts off of making even the best fighters look bad, Miguel Cotto looked very good.
Using a good mixture of jabs, body punching and constant pressure Cotto seemed to effectively counter Mosley’s quicker hands and appeared to be wearing down the Pomona, CA. fighter. Mosley would later say that his desire to fight and go for the knockout may have hurt more than it helped him, but a couple of big shots from Mosley caught Cotto on the ropes in round nine and did hurt the Puerto Rican champion.
As quickly as Mosley’s stingers began bouncing off of Cotto’s head, the party-like atmosphere in boxing’s most hallowed venue abruptly started to change from rabid delirium to hushed concern. The bell sounding the end of round nine brought sighs of relief and nervous cheers.
While tired and hurting, this was when the true greatness of Miguel Cotto emerged again, as it had before in earlier battles. An ability that cannot be taught or trained is that of a fighter’s heart, and even while battling as a prospect and then contender, before winning his titles, Miguel Cotto has always shown his heart of a champion.
Mosley put forth his best effort, actually becoming the aggressor late in the fight and backing Cotto into the ropes, only to have his iron willed opponent fire back. Mosley was the fighter pressing the issue as the final bell sounded, ending the closely fought match.
As fight announcer Michael Buffer read the judge’s scores (Glenn Feldman 115-113, Wynn Kintz 116-113 and Peter Trematerra 115-113) and referee Benjy Esteves raised Cotto’s hand in victory, Team Cotto hoisted Miguel on their shoulders.
Miguel Cotto’s championship performance tonight hoisted him into boxing’s highest echelon – that exclusive list of today’s truly GREAT fighters.
HBO televised three other fights on the Pay-Per-View televised broadcast.
The night’s co-feature bout saw former World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Antonio Margarito crush Golden Johnson (25-9-3, 18 KO’s), dropping the overmatched fighter from San Antonio, TX three times before referee Wayne Kelly stopped the destruction at 2:38 of the first round. Hurting Johnson early with his big left hand, Margarito sent his foe to the canvas within the first minute of the bout. The ropes were all that was holding Johnson up as the barrage continued and Kelly rightfully started counting for the second knockdown. Looking to end it the Mexican champion battered Johnson around the ring and drove a hard left to the body, which resulted in the third and final knockdown as Kelly waved off the fight. Johnson, coming off his surprising knockout win over Oscar Diaz (11/10/06 TKO 11), was never in the fight against Margarito, now 35-5 (25 KO’s), who picked up the vacant WBO Intercontinental welterweight belt with his impressive knockout victory.
Promising jr. welterweight prospect Victor Ortiz thrilled the crowd with his powerful first round knockout over former WBA champion Carlos Maussa. The twenty year-old Ortiz, fighting out of Oxnard, CA. improved to 20-1-1, with Maussa becoming his 15th knockout victim. A straight right-left combination by Ortiz sent the wide-open, Colombian fighter to the deck where he was unable to arise. Maussa, now 20-5 (18 KO’s), has now lost his last three fights since dethroning then WBA champion Vivian Harris.
WBC Interim lightweight champion Joel Casamayor somehow was awarded a split decision victory over Jose Santa Cruz in a bout controlled by Santa Cruz throughout most of the twelve rounds. Having not fought since his split decision win over the late Diego Corrales (06/10/07), Casamayor appeared rusty and lethargic. Sent to the canvas, albeit while off balance, with a punch to the arm in round one, the Cuban defector never showed his usual superlative boxing prowess and was out boxed and out hustled by the twenty seven year-old Mexican fighter. Santa Cruz slipped to 25-3 (14 KO’s), while Casamayor improved to 35-3-1 (21 KO’s) with the judge’s gift.
Judge Tony Paolillo had it 114-113 for Santa Cruz, while both Frank Lombardi and Ron McNair scored it 114-113 for Casamayor.
On the non-televised portion of the Top Rank – Golden Boy Promotions fightcard:
Australian featherweight Billy Dib remained undefeated with his commanding eight round unanimous decision win against grizzly veteran Rogers Mtagwa. Dib improved to 17-0 (9 KO’s) with his fine performance against the usually tough Philadelphia fighter. Mtagwa slipped to 24-12-2 (17 KO’s).
Michael Anderson made his pro debut a successful one with his four round unanimous decision victory over Brooklyn’s Olade Thomas, now 1-3. Anderson did impress the judges, who saw it 39-37, 40-36 & 39-37 for the New Jersey welterweight.
Jr. middleweight Michael Faragon also made his pro debut a triumphant one, punching his way to a four round unanimous decision over Javier Garcia (now 2-2) from Caguas, PR. All three judges saw it 39-37 for the Schenectady, NY native.
Former amateur standout Ronny Vargas (4-0, 3 KO’s) is finding similar success since turning pro this past September. The Bronx jr. middleweight made short work of rugged Bryan Mullis, who fights out of Mount Holley, NC. Following a competitive first round the long and lanky Vargas hurt Mullis with two big right hands. A follow-up left hook drove the stunned fighter to the ropes where the hot prospect pounded away on the wounded Mullis until referee Johnny Callas jumped in to stop the punishment being laid out by Ronny Vargas 50 seconds into round two, of the scheduled four rounder.
Unbeaten Jesus Rojas, now 10-0 (8 KO’s) opened the night with a six round technical knockout over Carlos Diaz, 9-11-4 (7 KO’s), in a battle of Puerto Rican jr. featherweights. The end came at the 2:12 mark for the gutsy, yet overmatched, Diaz.
Another good night to be a boxing fan, a jam packed Madison Square Garden witnessing Miguel Cotto’s rise to true greatness. A December 8th win by pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, over Ricky Hatton, would set up another fight of mega-fight proportions. 2007 has been a great year for boxing, and the future looks even better!
Mike Indri can be contacted at RBFMIKE@aol.com
MATT YANOFSKY’S UPDATED P4P LIST
Posted on | November 11, 2007 | No Comments
Pound for Pound List {As Of 11/11/07}
By Matt Yanofsky
Floyd Mayweather {Welterweight}
Floyd Mayweather’s once again becomes the clear number one pound for pound fighter after defeating the legendary Oscar De La Hoya in May. All of the Mayweather critics must give him respect for not only taking the fight at too high of a weight, but also using Oscar’s gloves and winning in Vegas where De La Hoya is a favorite. To no surprise, Floyd has come out of retirement and will be fighting Ricky Hatton on December 8th. The fight will be for Mayweather’s WBC and Ring Magazine Welterweight Championship.
2. Manny Pacquiao {Junior Lightweight}
Pacquaio easily defeated an old and faded Marco Antonio Barrera after his unimpressive 8th round knockout of Jorge Solis. Pacquaio initially announced he would be staying at 130 lbs and that lead to a hopeful rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez which many fans are dying to see. Pacquiao now is talking about fighting WBC Lightweight paper champion David Diaz If Pacquaio some how doesn’t fight Diaz or Marquez next; expect him to face knockout artist Edwin Valero or the winner of Joan Guzman and Humberto Soto.
3. Joe Calzaghe {Super Middleweight}
Calzaghe defined his legacy with his impressive unanimous decision victory over WBA/WBC Super Middleweight Champion Mikkel Kessler. In reality, Calzaghe, who is the WBA/WBC/WBO and Ring Magazine champion, owns all of the Super Middleweight belts since he did vacate the IBF belt which is now held by Lucian Bute. Kessler said he would like a rematch but Calzaghe clearly won and I don’t think a rematch will happen or at least not right away. Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins would like to fight each other but the venue of the fight may cause an issue. If that fight can not be worked out, expect Calzaghe to move up in weight to face IBF Light Heavyweight Champion Clinton Woods or possibly face IBF Super Middleweight Champion Lucian Bute {The Same IBF Belt He Vacated}, but that is most likely a long shot to happen.
4. Bernard Hopkins {Light Heavyweight}
After retaining his Light Heavyweight World Title by defeating Winky Wright in a 12 round snooze fest, Hopkins showed that he is still an elite fighter even if he has slowed down a bit. Hopkins said he wants to fight Joe Calzaghe in Yankee Stadium. Calzaghe called out Hopkins as well following his victory over Mikkel Kessler. An issue however may be the venue due to the fact that the fight would make most financial sense in the UK but most experts think Hopkins won’t travel outside of the USA and this may prevent the fight from happening due to Calzaghe’s large financial demands to fight outside of Europe.
5. Ricky Hatton {Junior Welterweight}
Hatton retained his Junior Welterweight World Title when he surprisingly dominated legendary warrior Jose Luis Castillo en route to a 4th round KO. Hatton floored Castillo for the first time in his career with a picture perfect body shot ala Roy Jones/Virgil Hill. Hatton now has a December 8th mega fight against Welterweight World Champion Floyd Mayweather.
6. Juan Manuel Marquez {Junior Lightweight}
Marquez scored an easy but bloody decision over contender Rocky Juarez, who suffered a bad cut from a clash of heads in the first round. Hopefully Marquez will get a rematch with Manny Pacquaio because I belive Marquez has the style and smarts to defeat him.
7. Kelly Pavlik {Middleweight}
Kelly Pavlik proved to the boxing world that he is a true warrior and a star that is here to stay following his dramatic 7th round knockout over World Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor. Pavlik came off the canvas to stop the previously undefeated Taylor in the best middleweight fight in recent memory. A rematch is scheduled for February 16th on Pay Per View at a catch weight of 166 lbs.
8. Miguel Cotto {Welterweight}
Cotto showed his versatility in defeating future hall of famer Shane Mosley. Cotto used a powerful jab along with his signature body punching to earn a close but deserved victory. If Cotto does not face the winner of Mayweather Vs Hatton {Since Oscar De La Hoya said he couldn’t face Cotto because his wife is Puerto Rican}, Many boxing fans will be extremely upset.
9. Israel Vazquez {Super Bantamweight}
After being stopped by Rafael Marquez in their first fight, Vazquez returned with a vengeance. Vazquez dropped Marquez in the 6th round and stopped him shortly after in the second straight fight of the year candidate between the two. Vazquez, who regained the WBC and Ring Magazine Championship showed the warrior he is and shocked the fans in a fight many predicted him to lose. A third fight is tentatively scheduled for March, 2008.
10.Winky Wright {Middleweight}
Wright fell just short against legend Bernard Hopkins for the Light Heavyweight World Title. I scored the fight a draw {as did Harold Lederman of HBO} but the three judges came up with the ludicrous scores of 116-112 and 117-111 twice for Hopkins. With Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor set for a rematch, Winky will probably have to wait for something to develop or take a tune up with nothing significant scheduled for the time being.
Honorable Mention: Rafael Marquez, Chris John, Jermain Taylor, Cory Spinks, Wladimir Klitchko, Juan Diaz, Mikkel Kessler, David Haye, Ivan Calderon, Christian Mijares
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