DE LA HOYA VS. MAYWEATHER PREVIEW
Posted on | May 1, 2007 | 2 Comments
DE LA HOYA VS. MAYWEATHER
** In-Depth Preview and Analysis **
By Tony Penecale
It’s the biggest fight of the year, the one the world has been waiting for. It’s a match-up that hardcore and casual fans alike are discussing, debating, and predicting a result for. The bout between Oscar De la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather is a bout right at the crossroads. It is the “Golden Boy,” the former Olympic Gold Medalist and six-division titlist going against “Pretty Boy,” the undefeated boxer that is touted the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet today.
AGE, RECORD, AND STATS
De la Hoya: Age: 34 years old
Record: 38-4 (30 Knockouts)
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 153 ½ ** Weight for last bout (5-6-06)
Reach: 72”
Mayweather: Age: 30 years old
Record: 37-0 (24 Knockouts)
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 146 * * Weight for last bout (11-4-06)
Reach: 72”
RING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
De la Hoya: 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist
WBO Junior Lightweight Champion (’94)
WBC Lightweight Champion (’95)
WBC Super Lightweight Champion (’96-’97)
WBC Welterweight Champion (’97-’99, ’00)
WBC Junior Middleweight Champion (’01-’03, ’06-Pres)
Ring Magazine Junior Middleweight Champion (’02-’03)
WBO Middleweight Champion (’04)
Pound-for-Pound #1 Boxer (’97-’99)
Mayweather: 1996 Olympic Bronze Medalist
WBC Super Featherweight Champion (’98-’02)
WBC Lightweight Champion (’02-’04)
Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion (’02-’04)
WBC Junior Welterweight Champion (’05-’06)
IBF Welterweight Champion (’06)
WBC Welterweight Champion (’06)
Ring Magazine Welterweight Champion (’06-Pres)
Pound-for-Pound #1 Boxer (’05-’Pres)
STYLE
De la Hoya: A natural left-hander who boxes in the orthodox stance, utilizing a high guard. Uses a jab to dictate the pace, backing up and sometimes cutting opponents. Right hand has improves over the years but main weapon is left hook, which responsible for most of his knockouts. Will also utilize the uppercut effectively, especially against shorter fighters. Is a tremendous finisher once an opponent has been hurt.
Mayweather: Arguably, he is the fastest boxer on the face of the earth today. A very relaxed boxer who does everything well with an arsenal that includes a snapping jab, accurate right hand, and left hook that can be doubled and tripled with tremendous effect. Uses feint moves to freeze opponents and open punching lanes. Tucks his chin well behind his shoulder to roll with punches. Even on the ropes, he is a difficult target to land a solid punch. He doesn’t have great punching power. Most of his stoppage victories come from outpunching and outclassing his opponents but rarely scoring clean knockouts.
STRENGTHS
De la Hoya: * Big Fight Experience – De la Hoya has been in this position on a number of occasions. Has been involved in 24 world title bouts and 16 PPV main events including bouts with legends and future Hall-of-Famers such as Julio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker, Shane Mosley, and Bernard Hopkins, among many others
* Left Hook – De la Hoya has a fine arsenal of weapons but nothing is as potent as his left hook. The punch can be delivered as a lead or at the end of a combination. Dropped several quality fighters with a single hook including Rafael Ruelas, Fernando Vargas, Ike Quartey, and Ricardo Mayorga.
* Passion – De la Hoya’s most impressive fights have been when he has come in with a burning fire in his stomach and a killer instinct. Opponents who have gotten under his skin (Ruelas, Vargas, Mayorga, Chavez) were battered and vanquished in impressive manner. Even when tested, he has shown the intangible to fight back with passion.
Mayweather: * Youth – Not just in age, but in terms of ring wear and tear, Mayweather is the much younger and fresher fighter. He has not been in as many tough bouts and will likely be the fresher fighter.
* Speed – Speed Kills. Mayweather has incredible hand and foot speed, which allows him to move inside, unload his offense, and dart out of range before his opponent can set himself.
* Ring Generalship – Mayweather knows every inch of the ring and how to control a fight. When to attack, when to box, and when to coast, Mayweather owns the ring when he is in there.
WEAKNESSES
De la Hoya: * Stamina – Ever since the Trinidad fight when De la Hoya danced the last three rounds and the bout away, he has always had a problem with stamina late. Both losses to Mosley along with his lackluster performance against Felix Sturm, saw De la Hoya fade in the later rounds.
* Tactical Errors – De la Hoya often fights the wrong fight. He tried to match hand speed with Mosley, which cost him those bouts. Even in his wins over Chavez (rematch), Quartey, and Vargas, he stood right in front of them and allowed them each to land punches against him.
* Frustrated – When things aren’t going well, De la Hoya has shown a tendency to get frustrated and will try to overcompensate, which leaves him open to counters. Against Whitaker, he even allowed his light-hitting opponent to score a knockdown when he lunged out of position.
Mayweather: * Brittle Hands – Mayweather has been plagued throughout his career with hand injuries. The soreness in his hands, especially the right hand, reduces Mayweather’s exceptional offense, often forcing him to rely on his foot speed to dance around and pitter-pat opponents.
* Lack of Complete Opponents – Mayweather has dominated every opponent he has faced with only one questionable decision in the first bout with Luis Castillo. But he has never fought a complete opponent. Gatti and Baldomir were too slow and too easy to hit. Zab Judah was fast but little power and unable to capitalize on early success. He has never fought a fighter of De la Hoya’s class and power.
* Punching Power – Most of Mayweather’s stoppage wins have come from an accumulation of punches. The usual result is the referee or opposing corner stopping the bout to prevent further punishment. It is rare to see Mayweather finish a bout with one punch dating back to his days as a 130 lb boxer.
TRAINING & PREPARATION
De la Hoya: This bout is De la Hoya’s first with trainer Freddie Roach, who is replacing former trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr. De la Hoya has set up camp with Roach, known as one of the best trainers in boxing, in Puerto Rico, and utilized former champion Shane Mosley as a sparring partner. Within one week of the bout, De la Hoya weighed in at 158 lbs.
Mayweather: Mayweather will be again working with his uncle and former world champion, Roger, who was serving a year-long suspension for the brawl during Mayweather’s win over Zab Judah last April. The Mayweather camp which was set in Las Vegas had a surprise visitor in Floyd Sr, who offered insight and tips before walking out earlier this week. Within one week of the bout, Mayweather weighed in at 150 lbs.
3 BEST PERFORMANCES
De la Hoya: * Fernando Vargas (9/14/02) – This was pure grudge match with a naturally larger opponent (with no love lost between them). Conventional wisdom said De la Hoya boxes from the outside but instead he slugged with Vargas, enduring some rocky moments before icing Vargas in the 11th round.
* Ricardo Mayorga (5/6/06) – It’s not because he beat the crude Mayorga, which was expected, but how he did it. De la Hoya crushed Mayorga, dropping his iron-jawed opponent three times and impressively finished him off in the 6th round.
* Rafael Ruelas (5/6/95) – De la Hoya’s shot at the IBF lightweight title came against a tough and experienced Ruelas. Many thought this bout was coming too soon. It wasn’t as De la Hoya bombed Ruelas and took him out in the 2nd round.
Mayweather: * Diego Corrales (1/20/01) – Experts were torn on who to pick in this one with many leaning towards Corrales to win by KO. Mayweather never let him in the bout, knocking him down five times before the bout was halted in the 10th round.
* Arturo Gatti (6/25/05) – Although Mayweather was a solid betting favorite, many expected Gatti to make things rough for Mayweather. It never happened as Mayweather dealt out a severe beating before Gatti’s corner stopped the bout after six one-sided rounds.
* Angel Manfredy (12/19/98) – This was Mayweather’s first defense of the WBC Super Featherweight Title and it was coming against a tough and skilled Manfredy. Mayweather staggered Manfredy with the first punch of the fight, kept composure throughout the remainder of the first and most of the second before hurting Manfredy against and unleashing a torrid offensive burst, prompting a referee’s stoppage.
QUESTIONS
De la Hoya: * Working with Freddie Roach for the first time, how much of an impact can the new trainer make?
* Will Mayweather’s pre-fight trash talk and antics get De la Hoya from his gameplan and force him to make mistakes?
* Will De la Hoya be able to cope with Mayweather’s tremendous speed?
* De la Hoya has only fought sporadically since 2004. Is he still hungry enough to unseat the best boxer today?
Mayweather: Mayweather was boxing at 140 lbs just two years ago? Will the rapid increase in weight class take away from his speed advantage?
Will the controversy in Mayweather’s camp cause a distraction when he enters the ring?
What is going to happen when a naturally bigger De la Hoya catches Mayweather on the chin?
Will the pressure of the bout be too much for the fragile-psyched Mayweather?
PENECALE PREDICTION
De la Hoya has fought best when his opponents have gotten under his skin. Mayweather has fought best when his opponents have come to him, allowing him the opportunity to unleash his feints and blistering counterpunches.
De la Hoya will try to pressure Mayweather early and impose his physical size and strength, even trying to rough him up on the inside. Mayweather will be in control in the first few rounds, utilizing his advantages in hand and foot speed. He will move around the ring, fire quick shots at De la Hoya, and quickly move out of danger. They will score points but not do a lot of damage.
With Mayweather winning the first three rounds, De la Hoya will work on slowing him down by touching him to the body with jabs from the outside. Mayweather will start to settle down on his punches a little bit more, standing in front of De la Hoya, feinting him and trying to land his right hand. The move will prove to be his undoing.
Unlike the others before him, De la Hoya will be able to withstand Mayweather’s offense. The tide will start to turn around the 6th round, as Mayweather will start to have problems with his chronically-injured right hand, and will have a harder time out-maneuvering De la Hoya as he did Carlos Baldomir. In the 7th and 8th round, De la Hoya will start backing Mayweather up with the jab, and while he will eat some jabs and hooks in return; he will keep pressing the action.
Mayweather will have a slight lead on the scorecards going into the 10th round, but the combination of De la Hoya’s physical strength advantage, body attack, and pressure of the event, will leave him worn. An explosive counter left hook from De la Hoya will stagger Mayweather in the 11th round and force him into a corner. De la Hoya is an explosive finisher and he will attack, firing rapid punches. Mayweather will try to block but a few of the punches will get through forcing the referee to come to his rescue and stop the fight.
IOWA MMA (MIXED MARTIAL ARTS) COMMUNITY UNITES TO PROVIDE EDUCATION REGARDING INCREASED SAFETY AND IMPROVED EVENTS
Posted on | April 27, 2007 | 2 Comments
Media Contact: Chris Arns (515) 274-0849 arns.chris@gmail.com
For Immediate Release
IOWA MMA (MIXED MARTIAL ARTS) COMMUNITY UNITES TO PROVIDE EDUCATION REGARDING INCREASED SAFETY AND IMPROVED EVENTS
Ames, IA- Hilton Coliseum, April 23. 2007- Some of the states top MMA promoters have extended personal invitations to key legislators and members of the media to attend an informational MMA demonstration during an upcoming Hilton Coliseum event. Attendees will receive a thorough explanation of the rules of the sport as well as a behind the scenes look at the high production levels employed in professional arena MMA shows.
Coliseum Carnage I, held on Saturday, April 28, is co-produced by Ft. Dodge based Extreme Contact Fighting, Bettendorf based Miletich Fighting Systems, and Des Moines based Title Fight Championship. “While MMA is enjoying mainstream media coverage and major financial backing, misconceptions regarding safety, regulations, and officiating have lead to a stigma regarding the sport” commented XCF’s Troy Waller. “MMA has grown into the largest venues and provides safety levels exceeding other professional sports. We want to make sure law makers and those who report on the sport do not have an unfair bias due to a lack of understanding” Waller went on to say.
Recently, proposed state legislation (S.F. 385) was introduced to increase state regulation of professional MMA. S.F. 385 was ultimately voted down, thus leaving the potential for deregulation of the sport. Lack of legislation regulating amateur and exhibition MMA events has allowed under capitalized events with inadequate officiating and has lead to misconceptions regarding large pro events like Coliseum Carnage I.
The UFC, MMA’s largest affiliation, weighed in on the subject. UFC VP of Regulatory Affairs, Marc Ratner stated “ One of the things we have to do is educate people and make them realize it’s not 1993 or 1994 anymore”. Former UFC World Champion, and current trainer and promoter Pat Miletich will be on hand at the Hilton Saturday night to provide education and to answer questions. Other UFC competitors, including Jens Pulver and Drew McFedries will provide information regarding training and the continued growth and success of MMA.
In a related story, another national MMA affiliation, the International Fight League (IFL) formed a strategic partnership with USA Wrestling, the National Governing Body of collegiate and Olympic wrestling. The partnership is intended to increase awareness of both sports, creating more branding opportunities, and to add viewers and fans. The partnership is generally considered a great vote of confidence for MMA and adds significant credibility regarding safety and regulating.
Coliseum Carnage I promoters will move to an even larger venue when Title Fight Championship and Extreme Contact Fighting co-produce Bad Moon Rising at Des Moines Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday, June 30.
SHOWTIME MAY 4 BOXING SPECIAL
Posted on | April 27, 2007 | No Comments
FACT SHEET
DATE: FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2007
SITE: PALMS CASINO RESORT
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
TELEVISION: SHOWTIME
11 p.m. ET/PT
(TAPE DELAYED ON WEST COAST)
PRINCIPALS: HEAVYWEIGHT SPECIAL ATTRACTION – 10 ROUNDS
Eddie Chambers vs. Dominick Guinn
28-0, 16 KOs 28-4-1, 19 KOs
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Houston, Texas
HEAVYWEIGHT SPECIAL ATTRACTION – 8 ROUNDS
Cristobal Arreola vs. Devin Vargas
19-0, 17 KOs 11-0, 5 KOs
Riverside, California Toledo, Ohio
ANNOUNCERS: Announcer Nick Charles and analyst Steve Farhood will be joined by former heavyweight world champion Chris Byrd lending his commentary to the special heavyweight edition of ShoBox.
PRODUCERS: The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing.
20 YEARS OF SHOWTIME BOXING!!
Posted on | April 27, 2007 | 1 Comment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: 20 YEARS LATER”
TO PREMIERE MAY 5, 2007, at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
America’s No. 1 Boxing Network Will Honor Its 20th Anniversary by Showcasing
Showtime Championship Boxing and “ShoBox: The New Generation” Highlights from 2006
NEW YORK (April 26, 2007) – Classic fights, career defining moments and hard-hitting action from the most compelling and unforgettable prizefights of 2006 are recapped in “SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: 20 Years Later” premiering Saturday, May 5, 2007, at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.
The 30-minute program features highlights from SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING’s 20th anniversary year with commentary from perennial play-by-play man Steve Albert and renowned color analyst Al Bernstein. In addition, “20 Years Later” will feature the top bouts from “ShoBox: The New Generation,” the network’s acclaimed prospect-oriented series, with fight call and commentary from Nick Charles and Steve Farhood.
Legendary ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. hosts as trainers Dickie Wood and Don Familton, and top boxing journalists Carlos Arias (Orange County Register), Steve Kim and Doug Fischer (Maxboxing.com), Tom Hauser (Secondsout.com) and Michael Woods (Thesweetscience.com) share poignant moments and recollections from the past year.
Featured bouts in the program include: “2006 Fight of the Year” candidate Lamon Brewster vs. Sergei Liakhovich; Shannon Briggs’ dramatic last-minute knockout of Liakhovich; the controversy surrounding the two James Toney-Samuel Peter showdowns; twin upsets of Carlos Baldomir over Zab Judah and O’Neil Bell over Jean-Marc Mormeck; Joe Calzaghe’s dismantling of Jeff Lacy; Vic Darchinyan’s three world title defenses; Roman Karmazin versus Cory Spinks; and Diego Corrales-Joel Casamayor III.
In addition to exhilarating highlights, the SHOWTIME boxing announcers and Lennon Jr. recap 2006’s most unforgettable moments and discuss a myriad of subjects and trends that have occurred throughout 20-plus years of SHOWTIME airing the best boxing on television.
After Lennon Jr. opens the show, “20 Years Later” will be divided into five segments that are interspersed with editorials from Albert, Farhood, Bernstein and Charles. The initial segment will highlight the rise of Soviet born and trained fighters, followed by first and second-generation families (Spinks, McGirt, Witherspoon, Marquez brothers) who have fought on SHOWTIME, the increasing size of today’s heavyweights, the smaller division champions and more.
In the midst of its 21st year, SHOWTIME has consistently provided viewers with meaningful, competitive fights, whose surprising outcomes have unveiled new champions, rerouted careers and gained SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING the distinction of not only offering the most important match ups, but the most unexpected results.
The popular, well-received “ShoBox” series debuted in July 2001. “ShoBox” features up-and-coming prospects determined to make a mark and eventually fight for a chance at a world title. It is pure, basic boxing on television, reminiscent of the golden days of the sport.
The creative director of “SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: 20 Years Later” is Jonathan Heaps. The program was produced by Eric Jones and Marc Youngblood. After its initial airing on May 5, “20 Years Later” will be repeated several times on SHOWTIME and available on SHOWTIME On Demand throughout the month of May.
For information on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and “ShoBox: The New Generation” telecasts, including fighter bios and records, related stories and more, please go to the SHOWTIME website at http://www.sho.com/boxing.
ABOUT SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING celebrated 20 years of hard-hitting, explosive programming in 2006. On March 10, 1986, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING was born when “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler defeated John “The Beast” Mugabi in a spectacular and unforgettable 11th-round knockout in Las Vegas. Since that time, the network has aired some of the most historic and significant events in the sport including both Holyfield-Tyson bouts. Always at the forefront of boxing, SHOWTIME has set itself apart by telecasting “great fights, no rights” on the first Saturday of every month. SHOWTIME is the first network to regularly deliver live boxing in High Definition. In addition, SHOWTIME continues to be a pioneer in sports television with a number of interactive features across multiple platforms making SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts the most enjoyable, immersive viewing experience for the boxing audience.
About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically-acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, “ShoBox: The New Generation” has featured young talent matched tough. The “ShoBox” philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. The growing list of fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes Leonard Dorin, Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz (interim) and Robert Guerrero.
Next for Kendall Holt: WBO Championship Bout!
Posted on | April 27, 2007 | No Comments
Duva Sees Bright Future for his “Rated R” #1 Contender.
Although his fighter Kendall “Rated R” Holt (22-1, 12 KOs) has already proven himself as one of boxing’s best super lightweights, promoter Dino Duva thinks it may be just the beginning.
“Kendall has now clearly established himself as the top mandatory challenger. The next step will be showing he’s the best 140 pounder in the world. Then he’ll continue on to show he’s one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing,” said a confidant Duva.
He has reason to be optimistic.
On Friday night at Bally’s Atlantic City, Holt cruised to a comfortable nationally televised 12-round decision over well-respected Mike Arnaoutis. The victory, a WBO Light Welterweight Title eliminator, earned Holt the right to challenge for a world title.
“The WBO has already mandated that the winner of their championship fight on April 28 between Ricardo Torres and Arturo Morua must fight Kendall. Immediately after that bout, I will go into negotiations with Top Rank and arrange Kendall’s first title shot for as soon as possible.”
Overall, Duva sees a very bright future for his New Jersey-based boxer/puncher.
“Kendall is rising rapidly and already nearing the top of boxing. He boxed masterfully against a very game, tough warrior in Mike Arnaoutis and he deserves recognition as one of the sport’s next big stars.”
Another Duva Family fighter scored a televised victory Friday night, as heavyweight Mike Marrone (18-0, 13 KOs) out-hustled Malachy Farrell, winning a majority eight-round decision.
While Duva says he’s pleased the 21-year-old Marrone was able to gut out a win over another undefeated prospect, his performance wasn’t all they had hoped.
“We’re happy that Mike got the win, but we’re looking for him to pick it up considerably in his next fight. We’ll chalk this one up to nerves and continue to build. He’s still very young for a heavyweight.”
Manager and co-trainer Lou Duva agrees. “I thought he would knock this guy out for sure. He had a plane load of fans from Vero Beach at the fight and he tried too hard to impress everybody. Gus Curren and I are taking him to the gym and we’re going to get that amateurish bologna out of him. Mike looks terrific in the gym and we’ve got to get him to bring everything he has into the ring with him on fight night.”
PROSPECT JAY PAYSO READY FOR HIS PRO DEBUT
Posted on | April 24, 2007 | 9 Comments
JAY PAYSO: FIGHTING HIS WAY OUT OF TROUBLE
By: Rich Bergeron
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There was a time when Jay Payso made all his moves on the New York City streets, but one chance meeting with a boxer in lockup completely altered his perspective. No stranger to fighting, having been involved in his share of street scraps already, Payso hit the gym and found a new talent. Now, he’s making his best moves in the ring, preparing for his Pro Debut this Thursday night at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
Payso doesn’t know much about his opponent, Jose Ortiz, but he’s aware Ortiz is from out of town and brings some talent and experience with him to New York. “He’s from New Jersey, and he won the Canadian Golden Gloves,” Payso said.
Plying his trade in the amateurs, Payso grew to appreciate the sport he once shunned for fear of ruining his good looks. “I’ve been fighting for about 6 years,” said Payso. “One day I just went to the gym with one of my friends, and I ended up loving the sport. Everything is a team: basketball, baseball, football, everything is a team, and you gotta do it all with a team, but boxing is you, yourself. It’s just you in the ring, and nobody’s there to help you in the ring. When you win in boxing, it’s something you accomplish by yourself, just you and your trainer. I think that’s a beautiful thing.”
He considers himself more of a boxer than a brawler and claims speed as his greatest strength. “Speed and power,” he said, “but, you know, it’s mostly speed.” He also points out that the left hook is his best punch.
Add to My Profile | JAY WORKING ON HIS SPEED AND TIMING
He also appreciates what both Tito Trinidad and Muhammad Ali have done for the sport of boxing. “Muhammad, he did some big things in boxing, but he’s not just about boxing, he was involved in politics and everything, and he stood out, and I respect that,” said Payso. “Tito is just a great fighter. He fought for his country and his people, and he never gave up striving for what he wanted.”
Payso keeps a rigorous training schedule. “Training’s been real good,” he said. “I wake up in the morning and run four or five miles, relax at home, and then I go to the gym around 2:00 PM, go home, relax for a little while again, and then I go back to the gym. Training’s been really intense, and I’ve had some great sparring, you know.”
Payso is trained by Kell Rich, who seems like part of his family to the young professional prospect. “He taught me much more than boxing, he taught me about life and opened up my eyes up about life. This is when I realized that I was never a boxer until I met my big brother, my trainer – Kel Rich,” he wrote about Rich on his MySpace page.
He did recall one of his favorite fights at the 2005 Empire State Games. “It was in upstate New York, and it wasn’t even the fight for the medal,” he said. “So many people at the fight were chanting my name, and there were people not even from New York cheering for me. The crowd was so intense, and the kid I was fighting at the time was number five in the nation. He was supposed to win the fight, but as soon as the bell rang, in the first round I came out and did my thing. I hit him with a left hook that sent him out of this world. It was a great fight for me for that day.”
Given a chance to speak his mind, Payso gave respect to those who helped him get ready for his first pro bout. “I’ve gotten in some great sparring with Gary “Kid” Starks and Juan Dominguez, who’s a great amateur from the Dominican Republic and is now professional,” he said. “GYMU Boxing has helped me out so much, and it’s a great boxing camp. I’m just trying to stay focused on getting my first professional fight out of the way and have many more victories to come after this one.”
To find out more about Payso, go to: WWW.MYSPACE.COM/GYMU
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Tags: amateurs > baseball > baseball football > basketball > basketball baseball > beautiful thing > boxer > brawler > Champ > chance > chance meeting > doesn > everything > fight > Golden > Golden Gloves > GYM > Hammerstein Ballroom > hook > jose ortiz > kid > left hook > lockup > nbsp > new york city streets > Nobody > opponent > payso > perspective > pro debut > ready > ring > Street > team > team basketball > Thursday > thursday night > time > way
FULL ARMOR CLOTHING PROFILE
Posted on | April 24, 2007 | 1 Comment
FULL ARMOR CLOTHING
By: Rich Bergeron
For someone who is legally blind, Full Armor Clothing President and CEO Shawn Migliaccio has an incredible vision. Incorporated in 2005, the company’s name came from a passage in the Bible, but their customer base is by no means confined to the Christian crowd.
“We don’t really push ourselves as a Christian line,” Migliaccio said. “It’s a wide variety, and right now we’re trying to get into the fight market, and we’re working deals with Victory Records and Immortal Records. There’s some guys into the urban industry wearing our stuff, some WWE fighters wearing our stuff and we’re also tied up with some TNA and AWA wrestling guys. We’ve been in talks with Kenny Florian’s people, too. We’re working with some other guys more on an indy level in MMA.”
Unlike some other clothing lines out there with only the basic staples available, Full Armor Clothing offers everything from baseball caps to a new line of boots they are working to establish. “We’re kind of building beyond what you see with a lot of guys with the basic t-shirts kind of line,” said Migliaccio. “We’re expanding out to jeans and jackets and hiker boots, which are being made right now. They’re Timberland kind of boots, and we’re working with a New York City company that will be branding our first sneakers soon. That’s the whole thing that’s set us apart to this point, more so just the universal appeal of it. We make clothing that’s something not only wear to the ring, but also out to the clubs and to events. We’re more on the fashion side maybe, for a lot of our line.”
Migliaccio is excited about the future and not ashamed to admit most of his connections came from the company’s MySpace site. “Everyday’s a new opportunity, and everyday’s been a new connection. A lot of stuff we’ve done through MySpace has been incredible, and we’ve connected with so many different guys there, and picked up on so many different opportunities, it’s pretty limitless. All our connections have honestly come off of MySpace,” he said. “Right now we’re talking with a couple pretty big lines, and we’re trying to get Full Armor set up as a subsidiary of some of the major, well-known lines.”
Full Armor is making some great progress already in MMA circles, and they are hoping to sponsor some influential fighters down the line. “We had a lot of interest to start with as far as MMA guys,” said Migliaccio. “It’s kind of a matter of finding the right fit for us. We’re looking for guys more on a positive side, guys who are serious about what they’re doing. If we’re going to invest our product and our money, we don’t want someone out there fighting once a year. It takes a certain passion, and we want fighters who are ready to push us as far as we’re willing to push them.”
The company has branched off into multiple categories for sponsorships and found that lots of artists and athletes tend to look for a one-shot deal. “We get a lot of guys looking for an endorsement deal for one event, but we’re trying to build stuff for a more long term basis,” he said. “We definitely want to build the brand.”
Full Armor started with the basic ball cap and T-shirt offerings and expanded as time went on. Decorative images and artwork add a flair to their products that is both unique and appealing. On top of the intricate designing, the company is always thinking for the future and constantly developing new gear and products. “We have a whole new line of hats coming out, and we’re moving a little more toward the fashion side with military caps and stuff, track jackets, outer wear, varsity jackets, and leather jackets,” said Migliaccio. “We also have oversized duffel bags, which is one way we connect with extreme athletes, by filling up duffel bags and shipping them out filled with stuff. Now we’re getting into jeans, sneakers, and boots. Pretty much, anything you can think of, we’re expanding into it.”
Name recognition is incredibly important to Full Armor, and the pinnacle for them would be to have their products worn and known worldwide. “The ultimate goal, we just want to see how far we can possibly take it,” Migliaccio said. “We’d love to see it go national, and we’re pursuing the retail and marketing side now. That’s something we’d love to see on a larger basis. Hopefully at some point we can be as recognizable as TapOut or anybody else out there as well-known.”
Full Armor is working with quite a few MX riders, snowboarders in X-Games, and other extreme athletes. They are looking to sign sponsorships with athletes in all sports. “We’re definitely looking to sponsor guys and pick up new sponsorships,” said Migliaccio.
Though he tries not to harp on his being legally blind, Migliaccio does admit that fact often brings a lot of attention to what he’s doing. “That obviously opens lot of doors, but it’s not like I can’t see at all,” he said. He certainly has not let his physical handicap define him or delay him from making serious progress.
To find out more about Full Armor Clothing visit their MySpace at: www.myspace.com/faclothing
And check out their traditional Web-site at: www.faclothing.com
IFO AND STEELECAGE PROMOTIONS PARTNERS WITH HDNET
Posted on | April 24, 2007 | 1 Comment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hall of Fame Boxing Referee Richard Steele to Broadcast Mixed Martial Arts on HDNet
——————————————————————————————–
Las Vegas, Nevada – April 23, 2007 – Hall of Fame Boxing Referee Richard Steele, who recently retired as arguably boxing’s greatest referee, will now take his legacy to the fastest growing sport on the planet, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), with the launch of his new promotional venture, Steele Cage Promotions, LLC (www.steelecage.com), in association with the newly formed sanctioning body, International Fighting Organization (IFO). Steele has formed the venture with Las Vegas businessmen Steve Oshins and Ed Swindle.
To kick off his inaugural MMA promotion, Steele will stay right at home in Las Vegas, the city that made him famous to fight fans around the world and will partner with The Orleans Arena, a place known for putting on great, competitive fights. Appropriately it will be held in Las Vegas on July 7, 2007 or 7/7/7, a lucky number in this gaming community. Look for fireworks to carry over from the fourth of July as the fight card includes such notable fighters as David “The Crow” Loiseau, Marvin “The Beastman” Eastman and Brandon Shelton. Eastman will be fighting for the IFO Middleweight title and Shelton will be fighting for the IFO Featherweight title.
And to raise the stakes, Steele Cage has teamed with Mark Cuban’s HDNet, the leader in high definition programming. Steele stated, “Steele Cage is extremely excited to work with a top notch organization like HDNet and we expect a long and prosperous relationship. I know Mark does everything first class and this partnership will allow our fans who can’t make it to the fights to get the next best thing right from their own home.”
“Mixed Martial Arts events are a key part of our Friday night line-up,”
said Mark Cuban, president and co-founder of HDNet. “We’re very excited
to bring all the intensity of this Steele Cage event to our viewers in brilliant
high def.”
About HDNet
HDNet (www.hd.net) provides viewers with the best in original comedy, drama, news, sports and music programming.
HDNet is your exclusive, high-definition home for popular, critically acclaimed original programming, including television’s only HD news feature programs “HDNet World Report”, “NASA on HDNet” (presenting live shuttle launches through 2010), and, “Dan Rather Reports” featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather. HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, NASCAR Grand National Division, boxing and Mixed Martial Arts; groundbreaking music programming with the HDNet Concert Series featuring leading artists and bands including U2, Eminem, Gwen Stefani and more, plus original music programs “Sound Off with Matt Pinfield”, and True Music w/Katie Daryl”; entertaining interview shows including“Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone” and “Higher Definition”, in addition to fun and irreverent lifestyle programming including “Geek to Freak with Dennis Rodman”, “Deadline!”, “Art Mann Presents”, and “Get Out!” HDNet is also the exclusive high-definition home to the critically acclaimed and award winning programs such as the Emmy Award winning “Arrested Development”, “Star Trek: Enterprise”, “Dead Like Me”, “Smallville”, “Joan of Arcadia”, “Boomtown” and “Andy Richter Controls the Universe”.
Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information visit www.hd.net.
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