MMAAGENTS.COM SIGNS RENATO “BABALU” SOBRAL AND FIVE OTHER MMA STARS

Posted on | October 2, 2007 | No Comments

MMAagents.com Signs Babalu, Cyrille Diabate, James Thompson, Carlo Prater, Carmelo Marerro and Todd Moore

MMAagents is proud to announce the addition of six elite athletes to our current roster of fighters. With the addition of Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Cyrille “Snake” Diabate, James “Colossus” Thompson, Carlo Prater, Carmelo “The Fury” Marerro and Todd Moore, the MMAagents roster grows to 47 fighters, including 37 current or former Zuffa and Pride fighters.

A nine time UFC veteran, Renato “Babalu” Sobral holds noteable wins over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua”, Trevor Prangley, Jeremy Horn, Maurice Smith, Travis Wuiff, Chael Sonnen, and most recently David Heath. Never one to back down from a challenge, or shy away from an opponent, Babalu was recently granted free agency status and seeks to bring his heavy hands and ground game to an organization where he can pursue a title opportunity. A native of Brazil, Babalu has a US work visa, but is also interested in fighting abroad in the 205 weight class.

Cyrille “Snake” Diabate is a highly decorated, Muay Thai world champion who has shown slick ground skills in recent fights as well. Snake is a Pride veteran who answered the call to fight Shogun and gave him everything he could handle. At 6’6” he is an imposing figure for anyone that is matched up against him in the 205 weight class. Look for Diabate to bring his game and vicious stand-up skills to the US in the near future.

A look in the Wikipedia under “imposing figure” may well turn up a picture of former debt collector James “Colossus” Thompson. Colossus sported a 5-2 record in Pride and has notable wins over Dan Severn, Hidehiko Yoshida, and Don Frye. At 6’5” and a jacked 260lbs of intensity, Thompson always brings it from the opening bell, and is not afraid to stand and bang. Colossus has moved from his native England to Las Vegas where he has rededicated himself to train at Extreme Couture. Look for appearances on the domestic as well as international stages.

With a 21-4-1 record and notable wins over Melvin Guillard (first round sub), Spencer Fisher, Carlos Condit (first round sub), and Thomas Schulte, Carlo Prater may be the best Welterweight that the mainstream fans have not heard. However, with his eyes set on a title shot in the near future, Carlo Prater will soon be a household name in the MMA community. Carlo splits his time training in Brazil and Texas and has dual citizenship. Look for him to challenge for a belt in an organization that dare expose their champ. Prater is a bad bad man.

Who handed Cheick Kongo his only loss in 5 fights in the UFC? That would be Carmelo “The Fury” Marerro. Bringing a solid wrestling base and improved striking skills to the cage, a three time UFC veteran, The Fury just relocated to Florida where he is now taking his game to a new level at American Top Team. With a new found team to match his unparalled dedication, drive, and willingness to sacrifice, Marrero looks to make his mark in the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight classes.

The question of just how good is Todd Moore will soon be answered. Todd brings his unblemished 9-0 record out of Texas were he fights under the watchful eye of trainer to multiple World Champions Sol Soliz. He now looks to test his skill on the national level in the 170 division. Todd is an exciting well rounded fighter but prefers to stand and trade giving the crowd what they pay to see. Don’t doubt Todd Moore, nine guys have already made that mistake. Look for Todd in his WEC debut December 9th.

Also look for the grand opening of the new MMAagents.com website due to open October 3rd.

MMAagents is a full service sports agency specializing in the representation of Mixed Martial Artists.

Please contact us at the addresses listed below with any further questions or inquiries about these fighters or any of our other clients.

“HAMMERING” HANK LUNDY ROUNDS OUT OCTOBER 12 BLUE HORIZON BOXING UNDERCARD

Posted on | October 2, 2007 | No Comments

“Hammering” Hank Lundy to take on former three-time world title challenger, John “The Eastern Beast” Brown on October 12th at The Legendary Blue Horizon

Philadelphia (October 2, 2007)—Undefeated Jr. Welterweight, “Hammering” Hank Lundy takes a major step up in competition when he battles former three-time world title challenger John “The Eastern Beast” Brown to highlight an exciting undercard on Friday October 12th at The Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia.

In the main event on October 12th, undefeated Jr. Middleweight, Harry Joe Yorgey will take on Jose “Macho” Medina in a ten round battle.

Lundy, 23 years-old of Philadelphia has a record of 8-0 with five knockouts and is coming off four round unanimous decision over Andre Baker on August 3rd in Philadelphia.

Back on June 1st, Lundy made his Legendary Blue Horizon debut with a unanimous decision over fifty-five fight veteran Reggie Sanders.

Brown, 39 years-old from Atlantic City brings in a record of 23-14-2 with eleven knockouts and has been in with many of the biggest names in the sport.

Brown won the USBA Super Featherweight tithe with a ninth round stoppage over Santos Lopez in 1996.

On October 24, 1998, Brown scored a stunning eighth round stoppage of former world champion Gabriel Ruelas which catapulted Brown into a world title opportunity.

That shot came against the great “Sugar” Shane Mosley on April 17, 1999 in a fight for Mosley’s IBF Lightweight title.

In that bout, Brown was stopped after eight rounds.

After one win, Brown challenged knockout artist Diego Corrales for the IBF Jr. Lightweight title.

Brown was very competitive in dropping a unanimous decision in that December 4, 1999 bout.

Two victories later, including one over former Super Featherweight champion Robbie Pedan pushed brown into one more shot at a world title against Steve Forbes for the vacant IBF Super Featherweight crown.

In a nip and tuck battle, Forbes stopped Brown in the eighth round to once again foil the Atlantic City native’s dreams.

Since then, Brown has dropped fights to world champions, Alejandro Gonzalez and Miguel Cotto. In his most recent bout, Brown was stopped in eight rounds to highly touted prospect, Lamont Peterson in eight rounds.

Besides Yorgey-Medina & Lundy-Brown, a packed card has been assembled:

Elad Shmouel (17-1, 8 KO’s) of Tel Aviv, Israel will take on a fighter to be announced in an eight round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Aaron Torres of The Contender, (14-6, 6 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on Manuel Guzman (3-4, 2 KO’s) of Lancaster, PA in a six round Welterweight fight.

Olivia Fonseca (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia takes on the debuting Ivy Rivera in a ladies four round welterweight attraction.

Undefeated featherweight, Jules Blackwell (5-0, 2 KO’s) gets it on with Arthur Parker (1-3, 1 KO) of Lancaster in a scheduled four round affair.

Bryheim Douglas (2-0-2) of Philadelphia will fight twenty fight veteran, Jason Jordan in a four round Lightweight bout.

Undefeated Tommy Rainone (8-0, 2 KO’s) treks down from New York to take on the tough Jaime Morales (4-4, 2 KO’s

Philadelphian, Louis Castro will make his pro debut in a four round Jr. Lightweight bout against an opponent to be named.

This great night of boxing is being promoted by Vernoca L. Michael and Blue Horizon Boxing Promotions

Ticket prices for this great night of boxing are $125 for Presidential seats, $60 for VIP, $47 for Ringside, and $40 for General Admission and can be purchased by calling The Legendary Blue Horizon at 1-215-763-0500 or by logging on to www.legendarybluehorizon.com. Doors open at 6:30 PM / 1st bout begins at 7:30 PM

There is now queen seating available for $200

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

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

There will be a press conference on Wednesday October 10 at The Legendary Blue Horizon at 11 am

Credential requests by October 10, 2007

Contact: Marc Abrams (856) 287 7611….mabrams@15rounds.com

THIS WEEK ON TAKEDOWN RADIO

Posted on | October 1, 2007 | No Comments

America’s Wrestling Radio Talk Show is now heard around the world. From our Brute Adidas Studios now broadcast on the following internet outlets: Takedownradio.com, KXNO.com, Matchannel.com,
Mat-magazine.com. Please be sure to join our live broadcast each and every Saturday as we talk to the worlds greatest athletes. Wrestlers and MMA competitors alike join us each and every week. You should too! TDR is available LIVE, Archived and Pod Cast as well. Check out Takedownradio.com for more details.

This week on TDR-

UFC Champion “The Muscle Shark” , Sean Sherk joins us to discuss his title, his plans for defense, his training and what its like to be a champ!

Wrestler, Trainer to the stars, MMA guru, Coach Sean Bormet of the Overtime School of Wrestling. Talk about credentials, Sean has Coached at the Universities of Wisconsin and Michigan, 4 Big Ten Champions
12 NCAA All-Americans, 2 NCAA National Champions, 1 FILA Junior World Champion
His Post-Collegiate Coaching includes: N.Y.A.C. Club Coach (2005-present),2007 U.S. Freestyle World Cup Coach, 2006 USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year, 2006 U.S. Senior World Team Coaching Staff
2005 FILA Junior Men’s Freestyle World Team Coach, 2004 USA Wrestling Developmental Coach of the Year, USA National Coaching Staff
While wrestling for Michigan he earned the following: Two-time NCAA All-American: 1994 (2nd), 1993 (3rd) Two-time Big Ten Champion: 1994, 1993, Midlands Champion: 1993, 1994 “Bob Uffer Award” recipient (awarded annually to best Senior athlete at U of M), University of Michigan Outstanding Wrestler Award: 1993, 1994, University of Michigan Team Captain: 1993, 1994, 1993 “Gregorian Award” NCAA Championships. http://www.overtimewrestling.com/seanbormet.html

Jay Roberts- Attorney, Wrestling Historian and good guy to know. Jay is “inside” of the circle of Gables friends and looking out. His tales and stories are first hand. His wrestling knowledge is staggering. He joins us for a fond look back at Coach Gable, a young Tom and Terry Brands and others.

Tom Shifflet- Coach of the Hofstra Pride joins us to discuss his season, his teams rankings, recruits, fund raising and the eastern teams he must face this season to get to the big dance. SID Jim Sheehan, one of the BEST SID’s in the business has an easy go of it these days. It’s not a tough sell when you have an honest Coach to work with and to promote.

Milt Sherman- Writer, contributor to Coach Greg DeMarco’s WrestlingAssistant.com (Long Island HS when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and then wrestled at Rutgers) he Coached for 30 years in Northern NJ. The purpose of this web site is to share ideas and information on wrestling at no charge. Its designed to help young coaches in practice, tournaments, wrestlers who might need help. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed. Milt wrestled in HS in Arlington Virginia then at East Carolina University, Coached for 29 years at the HS level. Outstanding! Thank you.

BOBBY CZYZ INTERVIEW

Posted on | October 1, 2007 | 3 Comments

Part One: Don’t Quit!

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.

When Bobby Czyz was a little boy, he tacked a copy of this poem to his bedroom wall. He read it every morning when he got out of bed, and every night before he went to sleep. The identity of the poem is disputed, though
it is frequently attributed to Edgar A. Guest. In a very real sense, it may have been written about Bobby Czyz.

Bobby was born into a working class Italian-Polish family in Orange, NJ, in 1962. Like many boys from that generation, he grew up with a father who was a strict disciplinarian. But by the time he was a teen-ager, Bobby had figured out that the sole purpose of discipline should be to instill a sense of self-discipline. And that self-discipline is what allowed Czyz to win three world’s titles in professional boxing.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to interview a wide range of people, from the top environmental attorney in the United States, to one of the last traditional chiefs of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy. I
recently had a chance to speak with Bobby Czyz for an exclusive for UnlimitedFightNews.com, and it ranks with the most interesting conversations I’ve had the pleasure of participating in.

I could easily picture this man as a college professor, or a politician, as he effortlessly included poetry, astronomy, biology, history, politics, and religion into our conversation. In this article, I will focus on the topic
of boxing. I hope that the readers enjoy this:

Q: How did you become interested in boxing?

A: I was mainly interested in football from the time I was 5. But at age 10, my father brought me to a gym in Paterson. He wanted to “forge the steel” in his sons. And it worked, because by the time I was 15, I could go toe-to-toe with the toughest 25 year olds there.

My nose was broken one day, and I needed surgery. My father said I didn’t have to go back to the gym any more. But I told him that guys I was beating in the gym were making $15,000 per fight. That was real money. And even more than that, I wanted to be someone special – and becoming a world champion was a way to make my mark.

Q: What are you favorite memories of amateur boxing?

A: I fought amateur from the age of 10 to 18. I won the New Jersey Jr. Olympics, and fought on the US team in Canada, and in North Carolina against the Irish team. One of the things that really meant a lot to me was after I got put in over my head in the Nationals, and lost to one of Manny Steward’s fighters. Afterwards, he came over and told me that even though I lost, he could see that I had more talent than his fighter. He encouraged me to stick with boxing.

Things like that stick with a kid. Any kid. Adults need to tell them that they are capable of success. If you think you are someone special, you become special.

Q: Describe the transition of turning professional.

A: On one hand, a round is still a round. But the focus is different. In the amateurs, it’s numbers, numbers, numbers. In the pros, it’s presentation. And preparation. You start out at 4 rounds, then 6, then 8, and eventually 10 and 12 rounds. I was boxing when title fights were still 15 rounds.

Anyone can have a bad day. So you learn enough about yourself to where you can prepare yourself where, at the end of training, you will have your best hour when you get in that ring. If you are well-prepared, then it’s a hell of a ride.

I turned pro with a class of fighters that included Tony Ayala, Rocky Lockridge, Mitch Green, and Tony Tucker. Those guys started off making more money than me – I only made $200 in my debut – and they all had a lot of potential. But I was more serious about being prepared, and I went on to accomplish more than any of them.

Q: In your 17th fight, you were matched with Robbie Simms, in a battle of undefeated young contenders. What was it like to reach the top rankings in your division?

A: It was a “coming of age” experience. People said that I couldn’t go 10 rounds, and that Simms was too strong. But I decked him in the 10th, and finished stronger. I imposed my will on him.

Part Two: Champion

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.

Q: A few fights later, you met Mustafa Hamsho for the right to challenge Marvin Haglar. It was your first loss. Some fighters are destroyed by their first loss, and others come back stronger. What process did you go through after that fight?

A: I had to answer the question: How do I make myself better? There were two parts to that process. The first was the mental part. After Ray Leonard said that after losing to Duran, he came to realize the experience taught him how to beat Duran. So I focused on how to improve my boxing skills.

The second part had to do with my out-growing the middleweight division. I was 20 years old, taking water pills to lose weight. When you weaken yourself doing things like that, you can get injured. I broke my hand in the
Hamsho fight. I knew that I would be stronger in the higher weight class.

Q: What are your thoughts on fighters cutting weight?

A: It can be dangerous to play games with your body. You want to be in great shape, but some fighters put on 14 pounds between the weigh-in and the fight. You have to be careful how you re-hydrate your body..

Weigh-ins really shouldn’t be the day before the fight. It doesn’t matter for heavyweights, of course. They could weigh-in a month before they fight. But the weigh-ins should be the day of the fight.

Q: After moving up, you won the light heavyweight title, at the age of 24. How did that feel?

A: I was so happy that I started to cry. I thought of a poster in the gym that said the victories in life that come quick and easy don’t last. I had just reached the status of being in the elite group of men who held a
world’s title. A lifetime of struggle had helped me reach my dream.

Q: Before you won the title, your last fight had been tough Murray Sutherland, a battle between two guys that no one really wanted to fight. Suddenly, all those guys who avoided you as a contender want a shot at your
title. How hard is it to keep the title?

A: Once you are the champion, you have a bull’s eye on your back. Everyone is gunning for you. Everyone will be at their best when they fight you. They know that second place in boxing is last place, and they want what you’ve got.

Listen, I understand why people would say that I couldn’t have beaten Haglar. He was the Keeper of the Gate, one of the greatest champions in boxing history. But I really wanted a shot at him.

Q: How did you prepare for 12 round fights?

A: Remember, I was preparing for 15-rounders, too. I’d move up the amount of round work. I increased the endurance drills, especially on the bag. And lots of sparring.

I also did serious research on things such as nutrition, and how to prepare myself to hold off muscle fatigue in the later rounds. I had shorter arms than most of the guys that I was fighting. So I had to find ways to be in
good enough condition to impose my will in the later rounds.

Part Three: The Golden Crown

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Q: My favorite Bobby Czyz fight was when you were matched with Andrew Maynard. He was an Olympic Champion, and an undefeated prospect. You were at a stage in your career when his people considered you a stepping-stone for him on his way to the title. But you set a pace he couldn’t keep up with. Describe that fight.

A: It wasn’t just the pace. We had watched tapes of his fights, and Tommy Parks said that he wasn’t man enough to beat me. He was a better boxer technically, but he had been dropped in his last fight. I saw mistakes that I could exploit.

Early in the fight, I knew that my punching power intimidated him. As I pressured him, I could tell that I was breaking his will. If you look at the film, you’ll see that after I drop him, he stays down until the count
reaches “ten and a half.”

Q: You won the cruiserweight title at the age of 29. How was that different than being champion at the age of 24?

A: It was a great experience. In ways, it was really more gratifying than winning the first title. It proved that the first one wasn’t a fluke.

Then I went on to win the WBU Super Cruiserweight title. I was fighting another undefeated guy, Richard Jackson, who was expected to beat me. He totally dismissed me. I broke his jaw and knocked him out.

Q: Do you think boxing needs to have a weight class that divides the heavyweight division?

A: Sure. Guys who are 6’2″ and 210 pounds shouldn’t be in the same weight class as guys who are 6’5″ and 250 pounds. The size difference is just too much.

Q: Looking back, other than not fighting Haglar, what else would you have changed?

A: Sugar Ray Leonard moved up and beat Donny Lalonde, someone I beat. I wish that he had challenged me. But I’m proud of my career. I made my mark in boxing history.

Part Four: You Must Not Quit

Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

In April, 2007, Bobby Czyz was a passenger in an automobile that was involved in a serious accident. While the others in the car escaped injuries, Bobby was knocked unconscious, and was in the burning car for over 9 minutes before being rescued. He had a serious concussion, 3rd degree burns, and damage to both lungs. Doctors told his family and friends that he was not expected to survive.

Bobby Czyz has survived. Today, he is involved in a struggle that is more important to him than any boxing match. He is fighting for something far more valuable than a boxing title. Bobby has a daughter, Mercedes Czyz, who means the world to him. Her mother, Kimberly, died of cancer. Czyz is a single parent, who is faced not only with the continuing process of recovery from his injuries, but with some huge medical bills.

I did an article on a September fund-raiser, hosted by former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes and former contender Chuck Wepner. The event was a success. But he has a long way to go.

Interviewing Bobby Czyz was a real pleasure. He accomplished his goals in the ring, and I am confident he is going to accomplish much more in life.

Boxing fans who wish to help Bobby with his ongoing and enormous medical bills can send contributions to: Bliss Lounge; 955 Allwood Road; Clifton, NJ, 07012; c/o Joey Barcelona.

EUROPEAN BOXING NEWS

Posted on | October 1, 2007 | No Comments

WBA middleweight challenger Randy Griffin have arrived in Germany for final preparations for the fight against champ Felix Sturm October 20 in Halle / Westfalen. Griffin will be training at the Arena gym in Hamburg and spar with Alpaslan Aguzum and Kofi Jantuah. Aguzum is in full training for a showdown with WBC Int´l ruler Domenico Spada October 19 in Berlin.

It´s official: Mariano Carrera and Javier Castillejo, both former WBA middle champs, will clash in a WBA eliminator November 13 in Goppingen on a Spotlight Boxing promotion. Also on the bill are Maurice Weber, Marcos Rene Maidana and Karolina Lukasik. Part of the show will go out live in Europe on EuroSport.

WBA and WBC supermiddle king Mikkel Kessler is sparring with Brian Magee at the CIK gym in Copenhagen.

Female jr welters Ramona Kuehne and Luli Munoz clash for the WIBF title in the co-headliner to SES´ show in Magdeburg October 13. Supermiddle Robert Stieglitz take on William Gare in the other mainbout. Slovenian welter Jan Zaveck is featured on the undercard.

Undefeated prospect Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye and veteran Lorenzo Di Giacomo will square of for the vacant EU supermiddle title. The EBU have set October 15 as deadline for pursebids or agreement.

EuroBoxe headed by Alain Vanaeckere, staged a successful promotion this weekend in Soumagne. In the headliner local cruiser Geoffrey Batello knocked out Jean Claude Bikoi in the first round. Coming up on November 17 in Andenne jr light Ermanno Fegatelli go for the vacant EU title against Spaniard Jesus Garcia Escalona.

WBA I/C supermiddle champ Stepjan Bozic defends the title against Belgian Michel Henrotin November 23 in Zagreb, Croatia, on what will be a mixed proboxing / martial arts event.

Heavyweight Oleg Platov, promoted by Sauerland Event, will go for the IBF I/C title October 27 in Erfurt.

Italian veteran Silvio Branco return on Arena´s big show in Berlin October 19 and fight Brazilian Peter Venancio.

German lightweight Rene Mahling defends the IBF Youth title October 14 in Senftenberg. Mahling fights with a GBA license.

KEN SHAMROCK PRESENTS STACKED MMA FIGHT CARD

Posted on | October 1, 2007 | No Comments

KEN SHAMROCK PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

MMA Xtreme Cage Fighting

October 5th, 2007

At the Redding Rancheria WinRiver Casino in Redding , CA

The most talked about fight production in 2007 featuring famous fighters and incredible action!

Autograph signing and pics with Ken Shamrock

THE MOST ENTERTAINING SHOW OUT THERE – YOU HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT!

Fight Card To Be Announced Shortly

On Sale Now!!!

1-800-280-UWIN

Category: Blogroll, Fight Previews, Mixed Martial Arts, MMA

GLEASON’S GYM HEADS UP

Posted on | October 1, 2007 | No Comments

Greetings!

I hope your summer ended well.
Below is some information about temporary gym closings and the events that Gleason’s Gym will host this month.
GYM CLOSINGS:
First off, the gym will close from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. this Thursday, October 4th, for the filming of a Law & Order Criminal Intent episode.

We will be open from 5 a.m. till 1p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Next, the gym will close at 2:00 pm on Sunday, October the 14th, for our own Fire Mcleod’s wedding.

OCTOBER EVENTS

On SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13TH, we’ll have two rings going at once as we host the opening round of the Metros and hold our usual monthly amateur show at the same time. You may still participate in for our monthly club show by contacting New York’s Premiere matchmaker Angela Querol at 718 797 2872.
Admission is $20 to the general public and $10 for registered amateur fighters who have their books in-hand.
Weigh-in is at 5 p.m. and the first bout starts at 7 p.m. sharp.

On SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20TH, we’ll host Devon Cormack’s Battle of Brooklyn VII, a night of kick-boxing, Muay Thai, San Da, No Gi Submission Grappling, and much, much more. General Admission tickets are $35, ringside seats are $55, and V.I.P tickets are $75. (Advance tickets can be purchased by calling 212-239-1194.) Doors open at 7:30 p.m., first bout at 8 p.m.

Finally, on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH, we’ll host another Johnny Rodz School of Wrestling Professional Show. General Admission tickets are $15. Kids 10 and under get in for $10. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., the entertainment begins at 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Category: Blogroll, Boxing

“Ding-A-Ling Man” Hopes to Ring Maccarinelli’s Bell

Posted on | October 1, 2007 | No Comments

“Ding-a-Ling Man” Calls out Maccarinelli!

KO King Wilson willing to step in and face WBO Boss

Cruiserweight knockout artist Darnell “Ding-a-Ling Man” Wilson (22-5, 19 KOs) is publicly inviting WBO Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Maccarinelli to prove to the world he is truly “in it for the glory” by facing him. Maccarinelli (27-1, 20 KOs) is reportedly looking for an opponent for his November 3 title defense at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Wilson, and his co-promoters, Dino Duva of Duva Boxing and Sal Musumeci of Final Forum, think he’s the perfect man for the assignment.

“He has a title and I’m going to take it,” promised Wilson.

“The ‘Ding-a-Ling Man’ is the most exciting fighter in the division and one of the most exciting in all of boxing,” added Duva. “He’s also the hottest fighter in boxing, coming off a streak of fantastic knockouts. If Enzo Maccarinelli is looking to make a worldwide name for himself on the Calzaghe vs. Kessler undercard, let him face the number-one challenger in the world on a high-profile stage.”

Eager for a title shot, Wilson says it doesn’t matter if he has to travel to Wales to realize his dreams. “It’s going to be a giant and rowdy crowd, but it boils down to just him and I in the ring. Whether it’s there, or in my backyard, or wherever, he’s going to sustain the same type of beating, no matter where it is. I’m so hungry for the title I can taste it!”

Duva says he and Musumeci also have no reservations about taking their man to Europe. “Darnell knows he’ll knock this guy out, regardless of where they fight, so we’ll fight him anywhere. Darnell is a true warrior who will fight anyone. He’s been clamoring for a title shot for a very long time and now we have a champion looking for an opponent. Who better than Darnell? He’s been a human highlight reel his entire career and now he’s the most legitimate challenger to any of the belt holders.”

Wilson was last seen scoring the “Knockout of the Year”, according to ESPN, over Emanuel Nwodo in June. Maccarinelli’s last appearance was a 12-round decision over former champion Wayne Braithwaite in July.

Wilson concludes by saying he hopes Maccarinelli is a man of his word when it comes to his pride as a champion: “Enzo said in an interview that he’s in it mostly for the glory; well this is his chance. I’m a highly revered cruiserweight with some big wins. He’s talking about fighting some old washed up guys; fight the hungry, strong fighter. That’ll be a true fight for the glory.”

Category: Blogroll, Boxing

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