For Philadelphia middleweight Willie Gibbs, 2006 carried the highest of highs – a win for the USBA title in dramatic fashion – and the lowest of lows – a knockout loss on HBO to the highly touted Edison Miranda.

Last March, Gibbs ventured to Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket CT to outslug Lenord Pierre in a candidate for Fight-of-the Year. Trailing on two of the three cards, Gibbs rallied to floor and stop Pierre with only seven seconds remaining in the final round.

Gibbs later relinquished the belt and chose to face the dangerous Edison Miranda in an HBO showdown in December. Miranda, coming off a controversial loss in a world title challenge, caught Gibbs cold late in the first round. A follow-up flurry put Gibbs on the canvas with seconds remaining. Although dazed, Gibbs tried to pull himself up as the referee reached the 10 count. It was revealed after the fight that Gibbs suffered damage to his knee when he awkwardly fell to the canvas, an injury that was thought would sideline him for some time.

WG – My knee feels great. The knee twisted when I went down. I had trouble putting weight on it when I first got up. But after that, it was fine. My knee feels strong. I feel strong.

TP – How has training camp?

WG – Training has been excellent. I’ve been running with no problems. I’ve been sparring with “One Punch” (Philadelphia Light Heavyweight Simon Carr) and I feel great! I am ready to fight!

TP – Your fight with Lenord Pierre was a candidate for Fight-of-the-Year. Congratulations! Tell me your thoughts on that bout.

WG – It was a tough fight. Pierre came to fight. It was definitely a big win for me.

TP – The loss to Miranda was an obvious disappointment. What happened?

KEA BOXING AT THE CITADEL ON APRIL 11th Featuring Former Heavyweight Champion Bruce Seldon, Rogers Mtagwa, Antonio Espinoza, TOMMY RAINONE, CHRIS ARCHER, Dyah Davis and Kevin Burnett .

Press Release – 3/23/2007

KEA Boxing is coming to South Carolina! After establishing a solid reputation for displaying world-class talent at top-notch venues in New Jersey for the last several years, KEA has decided to take the show on the road. The April 11th show will feature an exciting night of world-class professional boxing at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. KEA plans on doing consistent shows this year, and to start doing them all over the country.

A sellout is expected at the Citadel’s McAlister Field House, which provides seating for approximately 6000 fans. KEA ‘s commitment to deliver competitive fights to boxing fans for very reasonable prices will continue. When people attend a KEA boxing show, they will always get their money’s worth in an impressive atmosphere with an action packed night of entertainment that the whole family can enjoy.

KEA will be featuring former heavyweight champion, “The Atlantic City Express” Bruce Seldon, 36-6, 32 KO’s. Seldon has started a come back in the hopes that he will regain the form that lead him to the heavyweight championship of the world. After losing his title to Mike Tyson and retiring for seven and a half years, Seldon feels that he still has a lot left. At this point he truly believes that he still can compete with the best the heavyweight division has to offer.

Featherweight contender Rogers “The Tiger” Mtagwa, 22-11-2, 16 KO’s , lost his USBA title in his last fight by split decision. The crowd-pleasing Philadelphia slugger has a deceiving record and is determined to put on a good show for the fans and get back on track.

Undefeated New Jersey prospect, light welterweight, Antonio “Tony the Tiger” Espinoza, 8-0, 1 KO will be fighting in his second 6-round bout on the card. The impressive prospect from West New York , New Jersey is looking forward to picking up his third win in the last three months.

The son of 1976 Olympic gold medalist Howard Davis Jr.- light heavyweight, prospect Dyah “Ali” Davis, 9-0, 5 KO’s and heavyweight prospect Kevin “Big Man” Burnett, 5-1-1, 3 KO’s will both be featured on the card. The remainder of the card will consist of top local talent.

As an added bonus, former light heavyweight, cruiserweight and super cruiserweight champion, Bobby Czyz will be the ring announcer for the evening. Further information is available on www.kea-boxing.com and www.brickcityboxing.com . As always, between the rounds the fights will feature the beautiful girls of www.roundcardmodels.com . Tickets can be purchased on www.etix.com or by calling 843-847-1986 or 973-222-2273.

Tickets and Sponsorship Opportunities : South Carolina- Kris Kut 843-847-1986 kutk@citadel.edu, Alex Kut 973-222-2273 kuta1@citadel.edu,

New Jersey- Andre Kut 973 903-2907 keaboxman@aol.com , Danny Serratelli 973-931-8812 thefightlawyer@gmail.com

It was billed as “Night of the Undefeated” as three local prospects were taking their perfect record into bouts at the Legendary Blue Horizon, in the heart of North Philadelphia. And when the smoke cleared, the 0s of Chazz Witherspoon, Max Alexander, and Charles “Chucky” Cavallo were intact.

In the main event, Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon, 231, Philadelphia, methodically took apart Charles Davis, 204, Tucson AZ, dropping him twice for a TKO in the seventh round. Witherspoon, who is a normally a slow starter, was cautious early as he tried to figure out his opponent’s southpaw stance. Witherspoon used his jab well in the second and third rounds, backing Davis to the ropes, and looking to unleash the overhand right, which had served his famous uncle, “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon, so well during his championship career.

Witherspoon broke through and hurt Davis in the fourth round but the courageous Arizona fighter fought back with straight lefts, a few which knocked the sweat flying from Witherspoon’s head. Late in the fourth stanza, Witherspoon landed a hard right while their legs were tangled and sent Davis sprawling to the canvas for a knockdown.

The tempo slowed a bit in the fifth but Witherspoon electrified the crowd in the sixth round, landing a series of uppercuts that hurt Davis, and then floored him with a follow up barrage. Davis barely beat the count and was rescued by the bell. Witherspoon picked up where he left off in the seventh, landing another uppercut seconds into the stanza, which forced Davis to a knee, where the bout was halted by referee Steve Smoger.

Witherspoon’s perfect record now stands at 17-0 (11) while the veteran Davis falls to 17-13-1 (4).

Camden’s Max Alexander was looking to build on his impressive February win over Marty Linquist, when he dazzled the crowd with a blend of speed and power, dropping Linquist four times for a decision win. Alexander was pitted against Detroit’s tough and experienced Demetrius Jenkins, who has been in with a resume of opponents that included several world titlists or world title challengers.

Unfortunately for Alexander, 179, his hopes for a breakthrough performance were quickly dashed when he re-injured his right hand only seconds into the bout. He was forced to switch his tactic to a “matador” style, keeping Jenkins at bay, avoiding his wild rushes, and picking his shots to win the rounds.

Alexander’s style not only frustrated Jenkins who several times fell to the canvas after missing wild shots, but also frustrated the fans, who voiced their displeasure as early as the second round. By the sixth rounds, Jenkins was so frustrated; he started walking around the ring and straight to Alexander with his hands at his sides, hoping to draw Alexander into a slugfest. The unanimous decision went to Alexander by scores of 59-55 and 60-54 twice, and was met by loud boos from the displeased audience. The most entertaining moment came after the bout when Alexander and Jenkin’s trainer had a brief verbal altercation in mid ring.

With the win, Alexander ups his record to 14-0-1 (2) while Jenkins now slips to 21-15-1 (16). It is anticipated the Alexander will have to take time off to recuperate his injured hand.

The third member of the undefeated trio was Trenton’s Chucky Cavallo, who immediately endeared himself to the Philadelphia faithful by wearing an Eagles hat and Jeff Garcia shirt to the ring. Cavallo, 179, was originally slated to face Marty Linquist, but Linquist was literally knocked out of the bout by Mike Word, who parlayed the victory into this opportunity.

Cavallo, a tall and lanky boxer, took the fight right to Word, 180, Milwaukee WI, a much shorter and powerfully compact opponent. While the decision to fight Word in close looked dangerous, Cavallo made the best of it, landing jabs and strong right hands on the way in and uppercuts and body shots on the inside. Word remained dangerous through the first few rounds, but as the third round started, he was visibly tired and bleeding from the nose.

Cavallo took full advantage in the fourth round, snapping Word’s head back with a series of punches. Word was so battered and spent, that he did a 360 turn and stagger after missing a haymaker right hand. Cavallo punished Word as the round ended, where on the advice of the ringside physician; Word’s corner stopped the bout.

Cavallo improves to 14-0 (5) while Word drops to 4-8-3 (4). Cavallo returns to the ring on May 4.

In other bouts:

Elad “The Kosher Pit Bull” Shmouel was victorious by unanimous decision over the tall and slippery Jason Jordon. Shmouel, 140, Tel Aviv Israel, took the fight straight to Jordan with his trademark aggressive body attack. Jordan, 140, Akron OH, was content to move around the ring and frustrate Shmouel with a passive and unorthodox style.

Shmouel easily won the first 5 rounds before coasting in the sixth and final round, smiling and taunting Jordan, which elicited jeers from the crowd. Jordan landed his best punch of the fight, a straight right hand the knocked Shmouel’s mouthpiece to the canvas in the final seconds. For Jordan, it was too little too late, and Shmouel took home the decision by scores of 58-56 and 59-55 (twice).

With the win, Shmouel improves to 17-1 (8) while Jordan slips to 3-7-1.

In the bout dubbed “What Can Brown Do For You?” it was Salem NJ’s Mark “Oak Tree” Brown with an exciting and impressive third round KO over “Sgt” Sam Brown. M. Brown, a lean 225, brought the heat to S. Brown, 230, Ft. Campbell KY, in the first round and muscled him on the inside. The body attack by M. Brown paid dividends in the second round as S. Brown was visibly worn, leaving him open to a booming right in the third which dropped him hard. S. Brown rose on unsteady legs and was met by a furious barrage of punches before being hammered to the canvas again, where referee Steve Smoger waved the bout off.

Mark Brown improves his record to 9-1 (4). Sam Brown sees his record fall to 3-2. M. Brown was not only entertaining in the ring, but also afterwards as he greeted fans in the crowd, tipping his hat and dancing around to the chants of “Oak Tree.”

The opening bout of the evening saw “Slick” Simon O’Donnell punish tough veteran Joe Christy over four rounds. O’Donnell, 161, Galway Ireland, who now fights out of West Philadelphia, took the fight to Christy, 159, Philadelphia, throughout the entire contest, forcing Christy to retreat early. O’Donnell, a straight up technical boxer, landed good right hands and hooks to the body, but didn’t have enough power to seriously hurt Christy. All three judges scored the bout 40-36 in favor of the Irish fighter.

O’Donnell improves to 4-0 (2) while Christy drops to 7-11-1 (2).

Several boxing personalities were in attendance including former heavyweight contender and movie star Randall “Tex” Cobb, cruiserweight Steve “USS” Cunningham, who is preparing for a title rematch in Poland later this month, former super middleweight champion Charles “The Hatchet” Brewer, popular junior middle weight “Lightning” Harry Joe Yorgey, and the popular and always entertaining Simon “One Punch” Carr who greeted fans as they left the area promoting his upcoming bout on April 26 at the Klein Jewish Center.

The next card at the Blue Horizon is scheduled for Friday June 1.

Kimbo is an equally formidable, even ominous figure, whose renown is a product of the Internet Age. In a series of videos that countless hundreds of thousands have downloaded online, Kimbo is shown in action straight from the pen of a Hollywood scriptwriter, except this could not be more real. In one fight after another Kimbo rains catastrophe on a series of contenders in bareknuckle bouts with thousands in cash on the line. The weaker ones are lucky – they go out early. The tougher they are, the deeper the damage. The truly tough go to the hospital, and stay.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship was created to determine the superior form of fighting, in front of the eyes of the world. It has since evolved into a hybrid sport, with only subtle differences in style. In a throwback to the Golden Age of MMA, this epic contest is the street versus the ring, in a cage, answering who wins, the street fighter or the prizefighter? You would have to go back to the 19th Century, to The Great John L.Sullivan, the founding figure of boxing in the USA, to find a real fight of this stature.

The card will also feature two title bouts, and six other exciting matchups. If you love fighting, and want to be a part of history, be there on June 16 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey as the referee says “You ready? You ready? LET’S RUN THIS!”

RAY MERCER:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Mercer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimbo_Slice

John Bray: Giving Back to Boxing

Boxing Trainer John Bray is right at home in his new San Fernando gym and grateful to be working with new talent with the hope of someday producing the kind of world champion he could never muster up the focus to be himself. Through a fantastic career as a young prospect, Bray always had the talent, but he admitted that the drive just wasn’t there to go all the way with it. Now he is fully committed to making sure the next generation of new recruits has an easier time learning all the lessons he had to figure out the hard way.

Partnered with Promoter Manny Cota, Businessman Sam Larios, and Promotions Coordinator Manny Rabago, Bray jumped at the opportunity to take charge of the gym as head trainer. Already the buzz is spreading and everyone from aspiring amateurs to seasoned professionals are working out there.

“I’m in it right now as we speak,” said Bray in a recent phone interview. “It’s a beautiful gym. I started out making a partnership with Manny Cota, the boxing promoter. It’s just beautiful here. We got 9 heavy bags, 6 double-end bags, 4 speed bags, a ring, a weight room, and an office. Sam Larios, who is a San Fernando businessman, owns the building, and he’s a huge boxing fan.”

It was only a few days after the gym opened, and Bray was ecstatic. “I can’t ask for anything better, and a lot of these guys here now are a little better than I expected. We have a schedule that gives some of our pro guys who want privacy a little more exclusive arrangement to work out. It’s set up so they have private time each day, and then it opens up to the public all night,” he said. “It’s the third day, and it’s been packed. I been here since 7 in the morning, and I been here doing 13 hour days. It doesn’t feel like work, though. I’ve been boxing since I was 7. I grew up around this stuff, and I love it.”

Bray was a product of the 80s when boxing experienced unprecedented exposure and attention. The sport was also peppered with some amazing characters at the time. Bray was able to work with some of the best in the business.

“My next door neighbor was a guy named Larry Lloyd. His cousin was Louis Lloyd, and he fought Hector Camacho back in the early 80s. He worked in a gym in Van Nuys named Goodman’s Gym. They had a guy there named Mike Solis out of Franklin Park, and he went to the Junior Olympics at 16,” Bray explained about how he wound up getting involved in boxing. “Shelly Finkel and Lou Duva were working with him, and I started working with them. I was a sparring partner for Evander Holyfield, and my amateur career really blossomed. I went on in ‘88 to lose a split-decision to Tommy Morrisson.”

Bray points back to his spectacular amateur career to select his greatest personal accomplishment in the sport. “I would have to say winning the 1989 US Olympic Sports Festival title,” he said. “I felt so patriotic. It was in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it’s just a beautiful city. There were all great people out there cheering me on in the crowd, and I felt so proud to be an American. It was so Olympic-like with the medal and the torch, and the whole thing was beautiful. I always loved representing the U.S.”

The early 90s proved to be a tough period for Bray. He participated in the box-offs for the Olympic trials, but things didn’t work out for him to be included in the 1992 games. “I started wandering off, not taking care of myself, and I just fell apart,” he said. “Angelo Dundee then picked me up, and I turned pro, moved to Miami, and he really helped me out. I was a hard headed kid, and I didn’t want to listen, but Angelo gave me the best advice on how to live and train. Angelo sees me now on TV sometimes working with guys, and he tells me, ‘Oh kid, it’s great to see you got it together and you’re doing really well.’ I’ve been on road trips and worked opposite of Angelo and Lou Duva. They’re both legends and great guys.”

Bray is completely committed to helping other kids just like Dundee helped him. “I grew up in the game, and I plan on spending the rest of my life in the game,” he promised.

The John Bray Boxing Club will be his legacy. Located in the city of San Fernando, the gym is in an ideal spot to attract kids who could use a place to go to get off the streets. “We’re in a great area, and immediately we saw a lot of interest,” said Bray. “All the kids in the neighborhood saw the banner go up when we opened, and we’ve just had a stream of kids coming in. That’s not only good for me, it’s good for boxing, and it’s good for the community. It helps get kids off the street, and maybe one of these kids will develop into the next De La Hoya. It’s the gyms in the barrios and ghettos, that’s where the superstars come from, and I’m hoping something like that happens for us.”

With only about 3 or 4 amateur gyms in the vicinity, Joe Goosen’s gym is the only other really major gym Bray will have to compete with. “It’s gonna take time, but we’re gonna do it,” he said. “We’re twice the size of Joe’s now, and we just have to attract fighters and bring ‘em in here.”

Boxing has plenty of ailments holding the sport back from living up to its potential, but Bray’s perspective as a former fighter is certainly beneficial. “There’s not enough teachers. How many ex fighters become trainers? The ones that do end up at the top in the business, because they know what they’re teaching,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have 136 amateur fights. My record was 124-12. From 1987 to 1992 I was on the national team. I had 20 pro fights and went 15-3-2. I worked in camps with Mike McCallum, Evander Holyfield, and Mike Tyson. I learned a lot.”

Bray is also aware of the influx of MMA and the need for boxing to learn some lessons from that sport. “Boxing is dying, and I saw that when I worked with the IFL and went to an event to wrap hands,” he said. “I saw how much organization those people have, and I saw the crowds. I thought to myself, no wonder it’s kicking boxing’s butt. The boxing managers and promoters have a lesson to learn. Hopefully I’ll be one of the guys to shake it up.”

He remains devoted to sharing his expertise and knowledge with all those youngsters out there just as anxious as he once was—kids who just need some guidance and a push in the right direction to become great champions someday. “I didn’t take my pro career seriously,” he confessed. “I thought I was on vacation. When I finally woke up, it was too late. It’s not too late for me to teach kids and let them learn from my mistakes. That’s what I plan on doing.”

Above all the moments of glory he’s experienced over the years, he ranks the fostering of lasting friendships as his favorite aspect of the sport. “Just the whole brotherhood of being in the gym and being part of that boxing brotherhood,” he said about what he loves most about boxing. “I just enjoy working with guys and seeing guys grow as fighters and as people. It’s like going to college and having a roommate, but it lasts a lot longer than four or eight years. I was always meeting guys in Duva’s camp, and over the years I’ve been bumping into them, and we always stop and say, ‘Hey, how ya’ doing?’ It’s a hard sport, a hard lifestyle. You make a lot of connections among fighters. You can sympathize, empathize, and relate to one another, and we all think the same. It doesn’t matter what color you are or what religion you are. All that b/s goes out the window. We’re fighters, and I love being part of that brotherhood.”

Bray eventually wants to get to a point in his career where his adversaries actually get bent out of shape when they find out he’s working in the opponent’s corner. “My ultimate goal is to be a dominant trainer,” he said. “I want to be so well known that the other trainer in the ring gets nervous when he sees me across the ring and says, ‘Uh oh, that kid’s being trained by John Bray.’ I’d just like to have the level of respect of guys like Dundee and Duva, and if I can have a fraction of their success, I’ve succeeded. If I can impact kids’ lives the way Duva and Dundee impacted my life, then I did it.”

Bray certainly has the right philosophy and work ethic to attain that status as a premiere trainer. “I’m doing all the extra things, and I’m gonna put in the extra time,” he said. “I work from 7 in the morning until 9, 10, or 11 o’clock, until the last kid in the gym is done doing my regimen, it’s a priority. I believe in counter-punching, whether passive or aggressive, I believe in counter-punching, and I teach my fighters to hit and don’t get hit.”

Bray is currently working with a host of amateurs and about 6 or 7 different professional fighters in his camp. “Guys fly in from out of town to work with me a few weeks before they fight,” he explained. “As far as amateurs, there’s at least 20 in here today. Robert Herrera is our key amateur guy. He’s a 16-year-old PAL National Champion, and he’s making the move up to the seniors now, He’s got a bye straight to the finals, and he’s looking great. He’s a heavyweight, and right now he weighs about 190. Then there’s Miguel Espino from the first Contender. We’re working with him, and Robert is learning a ton with Miguel. We got high hopes for Herrera. He’s 6 feet tall, in good shape, and he’s totally committed and dedicated. It’s his life.”

As far as elevating other young prospects to champion status, he knows he can help, but he also realizes a lot depends on the particular fighter. “I think I’ve proven I can get a fighter past the finish line,” he said. “I’ve worked with World Champ Robert Guerrero and helped him get where he is. They just have to make the commitment.”

What really shines about Bray is that he’s not just out to improve the boxing skills of the kids he works with. For him, it goes beyond the ring and the gym. “You know what, the greatest accomplishment in boxing I’ve had as a trainer had nothing to do with competition. Trainers have to be teachers and mentors, and I had a kid hooked on dope once: Crystal Meth,” he explained. “I’d talk to this kid every day until he kicked it. Now he’s working hard, he’s got a great job, and the kid’s been coming to the gym every day. He’s been clean and sober for four years and he’s in the Teamsters Union as a carpenter. That was my proudest moment, helping that guy out. He made a huge turnaround, and now he’s a guy who goes to church every Sunday, holds down a 9 to 5, and has his own place. That’s my greatest accomplishment.”

Bray’s short-term goal now is to help get Miguel Espino a world title. “I’ve been with Miguel for 7 years, and he’s worked real hard through lots of manager problems, but now that he’s been relieved of all that, he’s working with Manny Cota,” said Bray. “That gives me a really good feeling that Miguel’s gonna do something really big this year and next year.”

The bottom line for Bray is that he can only move forward. He simply can’t go back and change his own past, but he can make sure the next kid with talent doesn’t let it slip away. “I’m doing everything I didn’t do as a fighter,” he said. “That’s what I’m doing as a trainer. I’m trying to make up for what I didn’t do and trying to give back to boxing what they tried to give me. Everyone in the community was helping me, but I wasn’t focused. Hopefully kids will be able to learn from that and I’ll be able to give something back to the sport and back to the community.”

Manny Cota, the Promoter of Cota’s Boxing Promotions, Inc., also took a moment to talk about the new gym. “Me and John met about 2 or 3 years ago,” said Cota. “I started helping Miguel, one of our fighters, and I had a boxing gym, too, but it closed down. I ended up meeting Sam Larios, the owner of the new gym, and the three of us partnered up. John works as head trainer with the fighters there, and I promote.”

Cota is excited about the prospects of the new enterprise. “It’s going well, and we’re up and running going into the second week, and we got over 35 kids already,” he said. “We’re on a main street, and I think it’s gonna turn out really good.”

As far as how he wound up involved in the sport, it’s sort of a family business for Cota. “I was pretty much born with it, and my dad was a fighter from Tijuana, Mexico,” he said. “I grew up watching it, and I started at 12 as and amateur. I had four professional fights, and then I had an accident. I ended up with a detached retina, and I retired. Ten years later I decided to help youngsters meet their dreams and I started promoting.”

Since taking on the new role, he’s never looked back. He still enjoys working out in the gym, and he gets a thrill out of watching other prospects improve. “I just try to help out in any area and do what I can,” he said.

He holds Bray in high regard and mentioned the trainer’s many accolades. “He was on the USA team, he sparred with Evander, Tyson, and he fought Briggs,” said Cota. “He’s a great trainer, and he puts the effort and time into it. He worked with Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero and made him a champion, and now he’s working with Lance Whitaker and Miguel Espino.”

Cota is optimistic about the neighborhood where the gym is located. “The area is really well set, and we’re in like the middle class type of area of the city,” he said. “It’s not very high income. There are a lot of hungry people, hungry kids with dreams. There’s a lot of kids around, and we can probably recruit them and keep them active instead of having them out there causing problems.”

He went on to explain that the gym is open at night for the public, and in the morning it’s open for private training sessions. To conclude the interview he put on his promoter’s hat. “For any professional fighter that needs management or training, they’re more than welcome to come out here,” he said.

Cota’s Promotions Coordinator Manny Rabago helped connect us with Bray and Cota and is also helping out with the gym. Everyone involved is ready to breathe life into a beaten sport by inspiring the next generation to stand up and show their skills. John Bray’s professional approach and unique personal attachment to the sport along with his passion for providing a positive example for youth will give each kid he trains the best chance to persevere and come out on top.