STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOW: MCCGIRT READY TO ESTABLISH HIS SKILLS
Posted on | November 5, 2007 | No Comments
McGirt breaking out in 2008
VERO BEACH, Florida (November 5, 2007) – Slowly but surely, fight by fight, unbeaten super middleweight prospect James McGirt, Jr. (18-0, 9 KOs) is breaking from the long shadow cast by his father/trainer, former two-time world champion and 2002 Trainer of the Year James “Buddy” McGirt, and establishing his own identity in the ring.
The younger McGirt, fresh off of his workman-like win by unanimous eight-round decision (79-73 three times) on October 30 against Canadian light heavyweight champion Jason “Notorious” Naugler (17-7-1, 11 KOs), plans to breakout in 2008, capturing some regional titles, moving up in the ratings, and positioning himself for a future world title shot.
“I’m 18-0 now and will start fighting 10-rounders against ‘name’ fighters next year,” the stylish southpaw said. “It’s been a childhood dream for me to be fighting in big arenas and it’s coming true. I just beat a tough guy (Naugler) and now I have to take full advantage of the situation. You know, after the fight, he (Naugler) told me that he wanted to beat Buddy McGirt’s son. Even if my opponent is 1-99, he’s going to fight like he’s 99-1. My dad told me that before my pro debut. He said they’re trying to beat you and me.”
McGirt’s manager, Dennis Witherow, believes that James will make a name for himself in 2008. “He’ll definitely be fighting a 10-rounder after the first of the year,” he added. “We’ve been taking it slow. He’ll keep moving up, fighting better opponents, and we’re working to get him rated higher. James will be in the gym working on minor things, not major things anymore, and we want to keep him quick and strong.”
McGirt cracked the ratings and is gradually ascending, currently No. 32 in the WBC, as well as No. 10 by the USBA and NABF, No. 14 by the NABO and No. 15 by the NABA.
Despite fighting the likes of current WBA light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson and WBA junior middleweight title-holder Joachin Alcine, Naugler has never been stopped and he showed why against McGirt.
“I was very happy with James’ performance,” Buddy remarked. “He trained to do one thing but, when his opponent kept pressing and cutting off the ring, James had to switch mid-stream and fight. He averaged more than 100 punches a round for eight rounds. I thought Naugler was going to take a knee a few different times because James hit him with some vicious body shots.”
“Naugler wouldn’t let me box,” James admitted. “He really brought it and I had to stand and fight. I had to re-evaluate what I was doing against him. My father wanted me to box, but I told him (Buddy) that he (Naugler) was fighting, and I had to fight. I loved it because I’m learning and getting better in the process. I was fighting a guy who really came to fight.”
After the fight, Vernon Forrest (being trained by Buddy for a Dec. 1 fight) welcomed James to professional boxing, meaning everything doesn’t always go as planned in higher level fights, and James did a good job making adjustments during the fight.
“James is ready,” Buddy noted. “James has been in with different types of styles this year. Lou (James’ promoter Lou DiBella) has done a good job getting opponents. He’s gotten us veterans, punchers, boxers, guys that don’t hit too much, and others who put on non-stop pressure like Naugler.”
Team McGirt figures to parlay what James has learned in 2007 into a breakout year in 2008. “We thought Naugler would give us rounds and we got what we expected,” Witherow concluded. “James has been working with a strength and conditioning coach and it is beginning to show. I thought he had Naugler down a few times. He can really take a punch. James put together 5-6 punch combinations that rocked Naugler a few times. He just wouldn’t go down. It was a good fight.”
-JM-
MOSLEY VS. COTTO PREVIEW
Posted on | November 5, 2007 | 1 Comment
MOSLEY VS. COTTO
** In-Depth Preview and Analysis **
By Tony Penecale
Age vs. Youth. Speed vs. Power. Experience vs. Aggressiveness. It all comes together on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden as one of the best boxers of this generation, Sugar Shane Mosley, steps up to take on the Puerto Rican wrecking machine, Miguel Cotto. These are two of the best welterweights in the world. Ring Magazine ranks Cotto as the #1 contender and Mosley as #3, with the winner looking at a potential superfight with the winner of the welterweight championship match between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Ricky Hatton.
AGE, RECORD, AND STATS
Mosley: Age: 36 years old
Record: 44-4 (37 Knockouts)
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 147 ** Weight for last bout (2-10-07)
Reach: 74”
Cotto : Age: 27 years old
Record: 30-0 (25 Knockouts)
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 146 1/2 ** Weight for last bout (6-9-07)
Reach: 67”
RING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Mosley: IBF Lightweight Champion (’97-‘99)
WBC Welterweight Champion (’00-‘02)
WBC & WBA Junior Middleweight Champion (’03-’04)
#1 Rated Pound-for-Pound Boxer (’00-’02)
Cotto: WBO Junior Welterweight Champion (’04-‘06)
WBA Welterweight Champion (’06-Pres)
STYLE
Mosley: A well-schooled boxer with exceptional speed and power in both hands, Mosley boxes well from the outside, employing a strategy called “power boxing”. Is very effective with combinations and employs a solid body attack when in close. Is adept at controlling the pace, using angles and feints, forcing opponents into mistakes. Will roll his shoulders and use upper body movement to slip punches and freeze opponents.
Cotto: An aggressive and physical boxer who fights from the orthodox stance, Cotto comes straight ahead, and wears opponents down with a punishing body attack. Cotto favors hooks and uppercuts to straight punches and turns every bout into a war of attrition. Doesn’t have lights-out punching power but is very punishing in the mold of Rocky Marciano, landing strength-sapping bombs to the head and torso. Most of his stoppage victories have come late, after his opponent has been worn down. Will often leave himself open to counters when trying to unleash his offense.
STRENGTHS
Mosley: * Speed – Mosley has blinding hand and foot speed. He can land rapid combinations, move out of harm’s way, and land again before his opponent is even able to set.
* Experience – Mosley has been a championship caliber boxer for a decade now, tangling with top names such as Oscar De la Hoya, Winky Wright, Fernando Vargas, Vernon Forrest, among others. There isn’t a style that he hasn’t faced.
* Durability – Mosley has a solid chin. He has been down once in his career and hurt only on a handful of occasions, even though he has faced several heavy-handed punchers.
Cotto: * Body Attack – Cotto is quite possibly the best body puncher in the sport today. He wings hard hooks on the inside that make contact with whatever is available: ribs, shoulders, torso, chest, and arms, with punishing results. He scored a knockdown over Gianluca Branco with a left hook to the shoulder.
* Strength – Cotto is a strong and physical fighter. While he fights at welterweight, he has the physical stature and physicality of a super middleweight, which he uses to muscle and wear down opponents.
* Heart – Cotto carries a lot of pride when he steps into the ring. He has been wobbled on several occasions and has even touched the canvas a few times, but has always risen and fought back with fury.
WEAKNESSES
Mosley: * Can Be Discouraged – Against the two men to have beaten him, Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright, Mosley seemed to get discouraged when things were tough. Had a tough time cracking their difficult styles and showed frustration.
* Diminishing Power – Despite his impressive KO over Fernando Vargas in their rematch, Mosley’s punching power has diminished over the last several years. While still an impressive boxer, he doesn’t take his opponents out like he once did. Aside from the two stoppage wins over Vargas, his last win inside the distance came in ’01.
* Sizzle – At times, Mosley’s offense will contain more sizzle than steak. He will move and feint, and while his moves are slick and eye-catching; there is more style than substance which doesn’t score points.
Cotto: * Defense – Cotto’s best defense is a good offense and he often neglects the defensive part of his game. Cotto can be hit and that can be dangerous against a sharp puncher like Mosley.
* Chin – Combined with an offense that leaves him prone to counter punches, Cotto’s shaky chin can be a recipe for disaster. Cotto was wobbled against moderate punchers Demarcus Corley and Zab Judah, and was down several times and in serious trouble against Ricardo Torres.
* Foot Speed – Cotto has a tendency to plod when in the ring. Will often have difficulty when opponents use lateral movement against him.
3 BEST PERFORMANCES
Mosley: * Oscar De la Hoya (6/17/00) – Mosley had moved up from lightweight only nine months prior, skipping over the junior welterweight division, and challenged on of the sports top boxers. In a thrilling encounter, Mosley rallied down the stretch, out-punching the bigger champion in winning an exciting split decision.
* Fernando Vargas (7/15/06) – The first bout between these two warriors saw Mosley win when Vargas was unable to continue due to damage around his eyes. It was competitive enough to warrant a rematch. Mosley rendered the rematch a mismatch, keeping Vargas off balance, before flattening him with a homerun left hook in the 6th round, setting up the stoppage moments later
* Wilfredo Ruiz (6/27/98) – Mosley was originally set to defend against Ivan “Mighty” Robinson in Robinson’s hometown of Philadelphia. When Robinson was injured in sparring, Ruiz was brought in and while Mosley was expected to win, he stole the show. Ruiz was wobbled in the opening seconds and Mosley dished out a shellacking before finishing Ruiz with an impressive combo in the 5th round, wowing the hard-to-impress Philadelphia crowd.
Cotto: * Zab Judah (6/09/07) – Had to endure some difficult moments early, getting rocked and suffering a cut under his lip. Kept pressing Judah, sapping his strength, dropping him in the 9th before finally stopping him in 11 rounds.
* Mohamad Abdulaev (6/11/05) – Systematically broke down Abdulaev over 9 rounds, swelling his eye completely shut, and forcing him to surrender. An impressive performance against the highly-respected 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist.
* Ricardo Torres (9/24/05) – Little was known about the Columbian coming into the bout except for his sparkling 28-0 (26) record. Both boxers traded knockdowns and took turns having the other in serious trouble. Eventually, it was Cotto’s punishing body attack that sapped Torres’ strength and set him up for the stoppage.
QUESTIONS
Mosley: * Will Mosley’s 36 year-old legs hold up under Cotto’s relentless pressure and body attack?
* Will he survive if he gets drawn into a slugfest with the physically-imposing Cotto?
* Can he win a decision in a close fight in what will be surely a partisan Cotto environment?
Cotto: * Will Cotto be overzealous in trying to put on an impressive show and run himself into Mosley’s sharp counter punches?
* Will Cotto be able to cope with Mosley’s tremendous speed and boxing ability?
* Is the rapidly-growing Cotto already struggling to make 147 and weakening himself in the process?
PENECALE PREDICTION
This expects to be exciting from the outset. Cotto is going to try and press the action from the outset while Mosley will work from the outside, feinting, giving angles, and spearing Cotto with jabs from the outside. Cotto will keep pressing and Mosley will stop to exchange body punches with him, outlanding Cotto 3-to-1.
By the 3rd round, Mosley will be boxing well, jabbing and moving to his left to neutralize Cotto’s left hook. The ultra-aggressive Cotto will start to attack without caution. An advancing Cotto will be stunned with a lead left hook and a Mosley follow-up combination will put Cotto on the seat of his pants. He will rise and look to survive by any means necessary, even using rough-house tactics, which will enable him to get through the round and clear his head.
Cotto will be on the attack again in the 4th round but the pattern will resemble the bouts between Bernard Hopkins-Felix Trinidad and Marco Antonio Barrera-Prince Naseem Hamed, where the superior boxing ability of Mosley will allow him to score at will and move out of danger.
Behind on the cards, Cotto will unleash a furious assault in the 7th and 8th rounds. He will work on backing Mosley to the ropes and will have some success, landing body shots and outworking Sugar Shane.
Mosley will regroup in the 9th and start using his legs again and re-establishing his ground on the outside. Cotto will show the effects of the bout on his face, with bruising around the eyes and blood trickling from the mouth, but he will keep advancing forward.
Over the last three rounds, Mosley will use Cotto’s aggressiveness against him, hitting him as he advances and moving out of danger. The crowd will not be satisfied with Mosley’s unwillingness to engage Cotto in a toe-to-toe slugfest but in the end it will be a wise tactic as Mosley will coast to a unanimous decision victory by the margin of 117-110 or 116-111.
HEAVYWEIGHT MINI-TOURNAMENT ON TAP FOR BOXING
Posted on | November 5, 2007 | No Comments
BY: PATRICK MCELLIGOTT
A mini-tournament in the heavyweight division will decide who gets to challenge Wladimir Klitschko for his #1 position. Last weekend, Alexander Povetkin TKOed Chris Byrd in 11 exciting rounds, and this weekend, Eddie
Chambers took a dull decision over Calvin Brock. The fight between Povetkin and Chambers could be interesting.
Povetkin is a medium-sized heavyweight, by today’s standards, at 6’ 2″ and 226 lbs. He was among the top amateurs in the world from 2002 to ’04, when he won the Olympic Super Heavyweight championship.
His record was 13-0, with 10 KOs going into the Byrd fight. The most recognizable names on his record (for US fans) was Larry Donald (42-4-3), who he decisioned in 10 rounds. Povetkin has fought against a couple large
heavyweights: Donald came in at 245 lbs, and Povetkin TKOed 255-lb David Bostice in two rounds.
Byrd, at 6’ and 210 lbs, is small for today’s division. He is also 37 years old. It’s interesting to remember that when Chris was an amateur star, he was a middleweight, fighting guys like William Joppy.
In his professional career, the talented southpaw had captured the WBO and IBF “titles.” And there was a time when he could compete against almost any active heavyweight. But those days are long behind Byrd, who last really had an undisputed win in a big fight in August of 2001, when he decisioned David Tua.
Byrd was given a draw against Andrew Golota in April, ’04, and won a controversial split decision over Jameel McCline seven months later.
In April, ’06, he suffered a one-sided and violent loss to Wladimir Klitschko in 7 rounds. His only fight between this and his last TKO loss was against non-contender Paul Marinaccio.
Reports indicate that Byrd put up a valiant effort against his younger foe. But Povetkin was too much for him. Chris has since announced his retirement. He has been one of the most decent men in the sport, and had uncanny defensive skills when he had his reflexes.
Eddie Chambers is a wild card in the heavyweight division. He is only 25 years old, and at 6’1″ and 214 lbs, looks like he could comfortably make the cruiserweight division. But he is intent upon fighting for the bigger
paychecks in the heavyweight division.
Chambers has defensive skills that are not unlike a younger Chris Byrd’s, and he has done well against some big heavyweights. He TKOed 248-lb Derrick Rossy in 7 rounds in February, then decisioned Dominick Guinn in May.
Guinn, who has recently not been inspirational in the ring, actually seemed prepared for and focused on beating Chambers. But he could not land two clean shots in a row – something that one anticipated that Calvin Brock
would have seen when reviewing films as he prepared for Chambers.
However Brock, who like Guinn had seemed to be among the most promising of the heavyweight prospects in recent times, entered the ring weighing over 240 lbs. It is fair to ask if he had seriously prepared for the fight.
Brock, who was 31-1 with 23 KOs before losing to Chambers, had been impressive in working his way up the division in 2005-06. But he did not seem willing to risk his undefeated record against the top five contenders
in the division.
He did come off the canvas to decision McCline, and won an intense KO over Zuri Lawrence. In June ’06, he decisioned Timor Ibragimov, and then challenged Wladimir Klitschko. I felt he did good for three rounds against
Klitschko, but by the 5th round, he was unable to get out of the way of Klitschko’s powerful jab. Two rounds later, he was knocked out.
Brock did not seem to recover psychologically from the knockout loss. He had a one round knockout over Ralph West (17-10-1), and then an 8 round decision over Alex Gonzales.
Against Chambers, Brock looked overweight, under confident, and slow. He did not take advantage of his size, and allowed Chambers to walk at him with his hands at his hips. When Brock did throw punches, Chambers leaned back at his waist, then countered with fast but not particularly hard punches.
It will be interesting to see Chambers vs Povetkin. On paper, it is a pretty even match, but I expect Povetkin will take advantage of Chambers’ errors in the ring. The key for a mid-sized heavyweight is to bend at the waist, and jab to Chambers’ belly, and to put combinations together behind that. Slide your front foot in then, between his feet. What can he do? Lean backwards? He’s not particularly fast on his feel, or gifted with footwork like an Ali. Leaning backwards in that situation limits his options.
If Brock had done that, he would have been in position to throw body punches, lifting under Chambers’ exposed ribs. If Chambers moves his elbows down to protect his sides, rip punches to the head. Easier said that done,
of course, but it forces Chambers out of his comfort zone.
The best thing about Povetkin vs Chambers is it will give us a good measure of how good each of them are. At this point, they both have the potential to make their mark in the heavyweight division. It’s the type of fight that is good for the sport.
RONNIE SHIELDS WEIGHS IN ON JUAREZ/MARQUEZ
Posted on | November 5, 2007 | No Comments
RONNIE SHIELDS WEIGHS IN ON THE AFTERMATH OF JUAREZ/MARQUEZ, DIAZ/PACQUAIO, AND TRAINING JERMAIN TAYLOR
John Martinez
Boxingrealm.com
(05Nov07) This past Saturday, contender Rocky Juarez lost his bid to wrestle the WBC super featherweight title from reigning champion, Juan Manual Marquez. Leading up to this fight, many pundits and fans alike gave Juarez very little chance if any to accomplish his mission to be the next champion. People said that he was either too slow, not polished enough, or strong enough to go twelve rounds with the Mexican national. I wonder if by losing the way Juarez did, going twelve rounds and not touching the canvass and never giving up, has he earned himself some respect in the eyes of the critics. I asked Ronnie Shields, Rock’s trainer, to assess his charge’s outing and what he thinks is next for the Houston fighter.
JM: Ronnie, in your own words, please give us your thoughts on Rock’s outing against Marquez.
RS: After the first round, Ray Ontiveros told the doctor that it would be hard to stop the cut, but the doctor said just to put the medicine and see what happens. And then after the second round I told the doctor that this thing was bad, but the doctor said, “well, it didn’t open up anymore than it was so it’s OK” so I went ahead and gave Rock instructions to keep fighting.
You see, I couldn’t stop the fight because if I do, then the fights ends on a TKO so I was hoping that the doctor would stop the fight before the fourth round but he didn’t. So we were left to keep going and I told Rock to throw more combos but he didn’t do it.
JM: You kept imploring Rock to throw more combinations as the fight went on, but he wasn’t able to do that. Why do you think that was? Do you attribute this to Marquez’s defense and ring smarts, the cut, or maybe the cut changed the mental focus that Juarez had going into this fight?
RS: It was the cut that changed the fight. Rock told me that after getting the cut and hearing everyone saying how bad it was, he started thinking about the cut and he couldn’t think about throwing combinations only boxing. The blood really started going into his eye and he lost focus. I did think that Ray did a good job with working the eye though, but I tell you that I know Rock could’ve done a lot more had he not had that cut.
I spoke with Marquez’s manager after the fight and he told me that Marquez said that in the seventh round, Rock had hurt Marquez. Marquez told the manager that it was a body shot that did the damage, but that he was surprised that after Rock hurt him, Rock backed away. This is why I kept telling Rock to apply the pressure and throw combinations because I knew and everyone in boxing knows, that Rock can punch. but for whatever reason he had, he just couldn’t think about doing anything boxing from then on out.
JM: What would like to see Juarez do in the coming months career wise and whom do you think should be the next foe for Pacquaio, Marquez or Juan Diaz?
RS: Well for sure we’re going to have to go back down to 126 because that’s really his weight and take a few weeks off too. He got nine stitches for the cut, but he definitely wants to get right back into the gym and train harder now and I told him I support him 100 percent.
I think a fight between Juan and Manny would be a real good fight, but I think that Marquez will end up being the guy that faces Manny because everyone wants to see the rematch between these two and also because Oscar has the inside track on working with Bob Arum and setting stuff up between their fighters now.
JM: Switching gears here. I would like to ask for your opinion on Jermain Taylor. In his last fight, he fell victim via seventh round TKO to newly crowned WBC/WBO middleweight king, Kelly Pavlik. Prior to this fight, Taylor had won by split and unanimous decisions to overblown welter and junior middleweights. What do you believe has happened to Taylor and why do you think that so many critics and fans are beginning to abandon the Little Rock native’s bandwagon? And if you were his trainer, how and what would you do to bring him back to prominence? For starters, would you advise him to do as he has done and fight Pavlik immediately?
RS: I think that Jermain should’ve fought more in the center of the ring and should’ve out jabbed Pavlik. Everytime Pavlik jabs, Taylor should throw an extra jab. I also think that everytime Pavlik got close, Jermain should’ve thrown a combination and tied him up. Plus, I also would not have had him fight at a higher weight. I mean, I understand that he might be having trouble making weight, but you don’t go up in weight against a strong and tough big guy like Pavlik. I mean this is the time that you have to dig down deep and sacrifice and I just think that he should not fight at a higher weight because even if he wins, what’s he winning? He isn’t getting his title back and as for pride, pride comes and goes. This is a business. You got to think better about these things.
JM: Would you ever think about stepping in and taking over the trainer duties for the young Arkansas fighter if the opportunity presented itself?
RS: Well I think that Jermain has the right style to beat Pavlik and sure, if they ever called, I would. I think that Jermain has to fight the right fight and I would have to spend a lot of time in the gym with working him and getting him to do certain things, but yeah. I would.
John@boxingrealm.com
CUNNINGHAM VS. HUCK PURSE SET
Posted on | November 4, 2007 | No Comments
CUNNINGHAM-HUCK PURSE BID WON BY SAUERLAND EVENTS FOR $425,414
PHILADELPHIA (November 1ST, 2007)—Today in Orange, New Jersey the IBF held a purse bid for the IBF Cruiserweight title between champion, Steve “USS” Cunningham of Philadelphia and mandatory challenger Marco Huck.
Sauerland Events of Germany won the right to promote the fight with a winning bid of $425, 414 followed by Cunningham’s promoter Don King Productions of $404,000
More then likely the bout will take place in Germany most likely on December 29th.
“I am a world champion and the key word is world. I have fought in South Africa and Poland so fighting on enemy soil is something that doesn’t faze me.” Said Cunningham,. “My experience in the Navy has prepared me to fight abroad and this is something that is part of the business.”
“I know Marco is a good young challenger but I been to places inside the ring that he hasn’t been. I was told that hardest the work begins with trying to keep my title as everyone is now gunning for me and I have been working harder then I ever have. I am still getting better, so when this fight happens, the world will see the best Steve Cunningham.”
“I would like to congratulate Sauerland for winning the bid and I look forward to displaying my world champion talents in Germany.”
GODFREY VS. WILLIAMS SET FOR NOV. 24
Posted on | November 4, 2007 | No Comments
Matt Godfrey defends NABF title against Jeremy Williams
on “Pinnacle FiteNite: The Heat’s On In Hartford”
Nov. 24 at the Connecticut Convention Center
HARTFORD (November 1, 2007) – Unbeaten cruiserweight Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey defends his NABF title against former WBO heavyweight title challenger Jeremy “Half-Man, Half-Amazing” Williams, headlining “Pinnacle FiteNite: The Heat’s On In Hartford,” on November 24 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 aired at dates and times to be determined across the country on numerous Comcast regional stations and the American One Network, as well as internationally by KOTV. Pinnacle FiteNite is produced by 21 Lakes and distributed by Integrated Sports.
Providence native Godfrey (16-0, 9 KOs), rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Council, takes on Williams (42-5-1, 35 KOs), fighting out of Long Beach (CA), in the 12-round main event. Godfrey also is rated No. 4 by the International Boxing Federation and No. 6 by the World Boxing Association.
Williams, who was a trainer for the first two seasons on The Contender television reality series, campaigned as a relatively small heavyweight throughout his pro career until fighting this past August 18 as a cruiserweight, earning a win by eight-round decision against veteran Gary Gomez in Utah.
“I lobbied to bring this show to Hartford because of its rich boxing tradition,” CES president Jimmy Burchfield said, “starting with the great Willie Pep and continuing with Marlon Starling and so many others. We’re thrilled that these fights and fighters are going to be shown worldwide on Pinnacle FiteNite. Matt Godfrey is No. 2 in the world and he’s going to be fighting his most dangerous opponent, Jeremy Williams. We declined to fight in Germany for the mandatory No. 1 position in the WBC to take this fight.”
Undefeated Las Vegas 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 WBC rated No. 23 super middleweight Joey “KO Kid” Spina (20-1-1, 15 KOs), of Providence; Jackie Kallen-managed Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard (11-0, 7 KOs), of Manchester (CT), the former WBC Youth super featherweight champion; 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). Additional fights will soon be announced. All bouts and fighters are subject to change.
“We at Pinnacle FiteNite are excited to work with an experienced, respected promoter like Jimmy Burchfield,” Pinnacle FiteNite executive producer Ritch Danner commented. “We look forward to taking our television series to the East Coast and working with CES to showcase the talents from both companies – Matt Godfrey, Jeremy Williams, Aaron Williams and others. We plan on working with CES on future shows to feature other fighters with compelling stories like Marc Saggese, who’s fighting on this show, Shawn Hawk and Chuck Mussachio, to name a few.”
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 available for 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. Doors will open at 5:30 PM/ET, first bout at 6:45 PM/ET.
-CES-
CONTACTS:
Bob Trieger, Full Court Press, 978.664.4482, bobtfcp@hotmail.com
Katie Blint, Connecticut Convention Center, 860.819.2757, kblint@ctconventions.com
HARTFORD PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Matt Godfrey: “The other night at the gym I was telling John (Godfrey’s new head trainer, John Scully) that I was surprised somebody like Jeremy Williams with 15 years as a pro, longer than I’ve been boxing (in his entire life), with all of his accomplishments, called me out after only 16 fights. It says a lot about me. I’m going to blow Jeremy Williams’ mind and everybody else’s with my ring generalship and skills. I’m not going to be a nice guy. I wish he was still on the phone but he hung up. He got under my skin a little bit, shooting his mouth off. He can’t fight. I’m going to hurt him, humiliate him. I’m the wrong guy to make an example of. Nobody fights the same. I expect him to bring his A game and I’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t. It’s going to be great seeing him swing at air and getting hit. Beware of what you wish for, Jeremy, I’m not the guy to make an example of.”
Jeremy Williams (by phone): “I’m not terribly impressed with Matt ‘Too Smooth’ Godfrey. I saw his last three fights; he’s okay. It’s inconsequential what ESPN says about him. He has a good record but I have more knockouts that he has fights. I’m bringing the heat. I have Rico Hoye in camp.
(Godfrey interrupts: “Ha, ha, ha. I’m the wrong guy to reckon with. You’re making a big mistake. Nobody cares about you. You’re what, 37, and have been knocked out five times. You’re the one gunning for me and I’ve only had 16 pro fights. You’re going to see a big difference in styles. You’re ever seen anyone like me. You’re going to get hit more in 6-7 rounds than you’ve ever been hit in a 12-round fight.”)
Williams continues: “The most scared puppy does the most barking. There’s no easy win to become champion — if there is, somebody outline it and email it to me. Matt Godfrey is in my way, so be it. This isn’t going to be easy, but it won’t be the hardest fight I’ve been in. I’m glad he’s up to the challenge. I’ve had 35 knockouts in the heavyweight division. I’m ready to put myself on the line to become the Cruiserweight Champion of the World. This is a step towards that but all I’m focused on right now is beating Godfrey.”
Matt Remillard: “I’m excited to be on another big card in Hartford, headlined again by Matt Godfrey. I’ve had an amazing training camp with Paul (his trainer, Paul Cichon), a long one. I had an issue with my wrist and I’m ready to resume my career and have a big 2008. Addy and I are the two local fighters and we’re going to do our best. I love fighting here, where I won my title (WBC Youth super featherweight), and I hope to fight here a lot more. I expect a good show on November 24.”
Addy Irizarry: “I’m really looking forward to fighting in my hometown of Hartford. You won’t be sorry; we have some excellent fighters on this card.”
-CES/PFN-
MIGUEL ESPINO GEARING UP FOR NEXT BOUT
Posted on | November 4, 2007 | No Comments
North Hollywood CA
November 2, 2007
Fighting in Mexico for the first time in his career, WBC CABOFE middleweight champion, Miguel Espino (17-2-1 6KO’s) looks to shine in front of a sell out crowd at the “Gymnasio Tigre Garcia” in Ensenada, Baja California Mexico. November 23rd will be the date as the former “Contender” star faces up against Rosario Escalante (11-5 4KO’s) while looking to build on his WBC ranking which stands at #19.
Espino who is riding an 8 fight-winning streak expressed his thoughts on his training camp as he stated, “Everything is going as planned. I’m in the gym everyday sharpening up my skills. John Bray and I are working well together and I’m happy with the way he’s been handling my career, both as a manager and a trainer. My stamina seems to be at an all time high, as I can go hard for 12 rounds no problem. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m ready for everyone, anywhere.”
This bout is brought to you by Cota Boxing Promotions in association with I.M.U.R.E.R.E out of Ensenada, Baja California Mexico. Tickets are sold out.
GLEASONS BOXING NEWSLETTER: WE NEED BOXERS
Posted on | November 4, 2007 | No Comments
Greetings!
Welcome to November and a very busy Holiday Season.
We need boxers for our shows.
If you’re a White Collar Boxer and wish to compete on a White Collar Show, or if you’re a Professional Boxer and wish to compete on a Professional Show, or if you’re an Amateur Boxer and wish to compete on an Amateur Show all you have to do is call Gleason’s Gym.
We need pro fighters at 154 lbs. for 10 rounds and at 122 lbs. for 6 rounds.
We also need three more White Collar Boxers for our show in London, including a 150 lbs. female.
WHITE COLLAR BOXING SHOW!
The White Collar Show in London is December 11th. The team will stay at the Russell Square Hotel in Russell Square. You can book your room through hotel.com on their toll free number (1-800-346-8357) or directly through the hotel (011-44-207-837-6470).
I am departing JFK on Saturday, December 8th and returning Wednesday, December 12th.
So far we have fourteen (14) possible participants. Go to www.fightnight1112.com to get more information about the Gala Black Tie Event.
If you are interested in being part of the Team call me at 718-797-2872 or email me at bruce@gleasonsgym.net.
PRO SHOW NOVEMBER 21ST AT THE PLATTDUETSCHE PARK RESTAURANT IN FRANKLIN SQUARE
Celtic Gloves Promotions, LLC will promote the show and Angela Querol and I will be the matchmakers.
We still need pro fighters at 154 lbs. for 10 rounds and at 122 lbs. for 6 rounds.
If you have a professional boxer that is based in the Metropolitan Area, and you would like to have them on this card, call or email us immediately. (718-797-2872/ bruce@gleasonsgym.net)
The show will be on 11/21/07 at Plattduetsche Park Restaurant in Franklin Square Long Island and will headline James Moore, Vanessa Greco, Paul Hyland, and 17 other New York fighters.
(Angela Querol – NY’s #1 Matchmaker)
AMATEUR BOXING SHOWS
Amateur boxing shows are scheduled for December 22nd and January 12th. They will be the final shows before the start of the 2008 Golden Gloves.
Contact Angela Querol at 718-797-2872 to be on the pre-matched shows.
« go back — keep looking »SEARCH OUR BLOGS
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
