Wrestling Links (4-29-11)

Posted on | April 29, 2011 | No Comments

Schutta: New weights make wrestlers biggest losers NorthJersey.com The federation released a new set of weight classes to be used in high school wrestling for the 2011-12 season. They will be: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220 and 285. While keeping the same number of 14 weight classes, … See all stories on this topic »

World Wrestling Slashed Dividend 66% To Focus On Investment Wall Street Journal World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE) slashed its quarterly dividend by two-thirds, saying the decision strikes the right balance between investment and shareholder reward. Shares fell 5.1% at $10.85 in after-hours trading. … See all stories on this topic »

Broomfield jury gets sex-assault case against ex-wrestling coach Denver Post By Monte Whaley Travis Masse’s attorney says a former student made up stories of having sex with the wrestling coach. BROOMFIELD — Lurid text messages and photos exchanged between Travis Masse and his former student prove he sexually assaulted her … See all stories on this topic »

Girls’ wrestling gets MIAA OK Boston Globe By Bob Holmes Wrestling was added as an MIAA-sponsored girls’ competition yesterday in a unanimous vote by the Board of Directors. It’s the first new MIAA sport since girls’ hockey was added for the 2000-01 season and brings to 34 the number of school … See all stories on this topic »

Various News: Foley Not at Raw, Wrestling Movie News 411mania.com [Credit: Wrestling Observer] – Kurt Angle has a role in Dylan Dog: Dead of Night which comes out in theaters tomorrow, making three films featuring wrestlers that open this weekend (Fast Five and That’s What I Am). [Credit: Wrestling Observer] – That’s … See all stories on this topic »

Impact: Sting keeps defending CANOE Wrestling Tonight on TNA Impact: Sting is proving to be a fighting champion. After defending against Matt Hardy last week, Sting puts his world title on the line tonight against both Mr. Anderson and Bully Ray in a triple threat match. … See all stories on this topic »

Giamatti’s wrestling comedy is a ‘Win Win’ UM Maneater His business is hurting, the office’s water heater is in dire need of repair and his side job as a high school wrestling coach isn’t faring too well, especially considering the team’s losing streak. In order to alleviate the stress of these problems, … See all stories on this topic »

Notebook | Indiana wrestling rules undergo changes Louisville Courier-Journal It will really make us wrestle differently. Danny Struck Head Wrestling Coach Jeffersonville High School 812-282-6601 ext 15294 Indiana high school wrestlers and coaches will be grappling with rule changes next season. The National Federation of State … See all stories on this topic »

Maverick Wrestling On The Move KETV Omaha As KETV NewsWatch 7 first reported earlier this week, University of Nebraska Omaha Maverickwrestling is headed to Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo. The Missouri school made the transition official Thursday. The stories of success told by banners … See all stories on this topic »

Wrestling: Austin Pickering commits to N. Illinois Port Huron Times Herald The Port Huron Northern senior signed a national letter of intent recently to become a different kind of husky — a wrestler for the Northern Illinois Huskies. “It’s our same mascot, different colors,” Pickering said. “That’s kind of funny, … See all stories on this topic »

 

Blogs

Historical Thursday: Octopus Wrestling – There, I Fixed It … By Not-So-Handy Andy white trash repairs – Historical Thursday: Octopus Wrestling. There, I Fixed It – Redneck Repairs – http://thereifixedit.failblog.org/

Photoshop 6: Pro Wrestling Edition – Technabob By Lambert V. Drew Dernavich noticed that some of the tools and techniques in Adobe Photoshop are borderline violent – warp, flatten, slice – so he wasn’t that surprised with what he saw when he got his hands on an advance copy of Photoshop 6. Technabob – http://technabob.com/

 

Web

Broomfield wrestling coach gave gift of panties and handcuffs … BROOMFIELD — Former Broomfield High School wrestling coach Travis Masse had sexual contact many times with a high school student, but the only time he gave … www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_17931849?source=rss

Wrestling weight classes change – Philly.com High school wrestling will have a very different look starting next winter.The National Federation of State High School Associations on Tuesday announced … articles.philly.com/…/29474869_1_new-weights-classes-rules

 

BARKER READY FOR SPADA TEST

Posted on | April 29, 2011 | No Comments

Londoner gunning for European title at Olympia – launches new official website

Darren Barker takes on Domenico Spada on Saturday (April 30) at London’s Olympia for the vacant European Middleweight title – and is ready to re-launch his career after a year out of action.

Barker returns to Sky Sports for the first time since beating Affif Belghecham at Alexandra Palace on April 9 2010 to claim the title he fights for tomorrow night. A hip injury forced the 28 year-old to withdraw from a highly anticipated match with Matthew Macklin in September and vacate the belt.

The Barnet man has had an operation on the troublesome joint and is fully fit to face the tough Italian, where a win would see him reclaim the European strap, extend his unbeaten run to 23 fights and propel him into World title contention.

“I’m really excited to be back – it’s been a long, frustrating year for me,” said Barker – whose new website www.darrenbarker.co.uklaunched today. “I’ve been training really hard and I am looking forward to getting back in there.

“This is my breakthrough year now – Spada is a very experienced opponent and it shows what direction I want to be heading in and where I want to be, I’m chasing this World title shot and he’s who I need to fight.

“I’ve seen a lot of him now, he’s a come forward opponent who is aggressive and knows his way around the ring so he’ll definitely give me a few rounds to brush off any cobwebs that I’ve got.”

Much has been made of the rough year that Barker has endured, but the man himself is keen to look to draw a line under both the injury problems and concentrate on his future under new promoters Matchroom Sport.

“You either get on with things or sit in the corner, lock yourself away and whinge,” said Barker. “I had to have surgery – it’s been done and my body is better than it’s ever been so I’m looking forward to getting in there and showing the boxing public what I can do.

“The most important thing is to win – I’m not one to make predictions. I’ll stick to my boxing, go out there and do what I do best because this fight can catapult me into the world scene.”

DARREN BARKER v DOMENICO SPADA: UNDERCARD* AND SELECTED WEIGHTS

12 x 3 mins Vacant European Middleweight Championship
Darren Barker (11st 5lb 15oz) v Domenico Spada (11st 5lb 1oz)

8 x 3 mins Flyweight Contest
Ashley Sexton (8st 5lb 7oz) v Mike Robinson (8st 5lb 2oz)

6 x 3 mins Middleweight Contest
Patrick Mendy (11st 5lb 15oz) v Paul Samuels (11st 5lb 15oz)

4 x 3 mins Light-Welterweight Contest
Chris Evangelou (10st 2lb 5oz) v Ibrar Riyaz (10st)

6 x 3 mins Light-Welterweight Contest
Tyler Goodjohn v Mark McKray

6 x 3 mins Middleweight Contest
John Ryder v Lee Noble

6 x 3 mins Light-Welterweight Contest
Phil Gill v Scott Evans

4 x 3 mins Light-Heavyweight Contest
Andreas Evangelou v Jamie Norkett

* Card subject to change

 

SHO Sports Video – Fight Camp 360: Manny Pacquiao Bonus Clip

Posted on | April 29, 2011 | No Comments

Mixed Martial Arts Links (4-29-11)

Posted on | April 29, 2011 | No Comments

Couture faces Machida in potential swan song USA Today By Sergio Non, USA TODAY TORONTO — For what might be his final competition as a professional mixed martial arts fighter, Randy Couture will have a lot of catching up to do against Lyoto Machida, in more ways than one. By Gregory Payan, AP Randy … See all stories on this topic » USA Today

UFC takes over Toronto Toronto Sun By Chris Doucette ,Toronto Sun Fight fans are counting down the hours to the biggest mixed martial arts show in history as the UFC put a strangle hold on Toronto. Thousands of people from around the world converged on Yonge-Dundas Square Thursday for … See all stories on this topic »

UFC’s Tom Wright, he’s a knockout Ottawa Citizen Postmedia News: When the Canadian UFC office first opened last year, you and some other staff started taking mixed–martial–arts classes. So, with that experience under your belt, who wins a round-robin tournament between you, UFC president Dana White … See all stories on this topic »

Pioneer of UFC in town for Toronto show Toronto Sun (CHRIS DOUCETTE/Toronto Sun) Royce Gracie became known as one of the most dangerous men in the world as he dominated the early days of the UFC and put mixed martial arts on the map. But it turns out the hall of famer from Brazil is also a nice guy, … See all stories on this topic »

Lost time Metro Canada – Calgary The UFC could have had a champion from Ontario years ago — maybe even from Toronto — ifmixed martial arts had been legalized sooner in this province, according to a former fighter who says the sport has now passed him by. Peter Franchi had the last … See all stories on this topic »

HDNet’s “Inside MMA” to Feature Live Coverage of the UFC 129 Weigh-Ins PR Newswire (press release) DALLAS, April 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — “Inside MMA” sets the stage for a historic night in mixed martial arts with a special edition featuring LIVE coverage of the UFC 129 weigh-ins, and exclusive interviews with the event’s headliners. … See all stories on this topic »

14 Questions for Vladimir Matyushenko Sherdog.com by Brian Knapp (bknapp@sherdog.com) When Vladimir Matyushenko made his professional mixed martial arts debut on September 5, 1997, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was just two months removed from his 10th birthday. … See all stories on this topic »

UFC, CFL can help each other through cross-promotion Vancouver Sun Hominick will attend a Ticats game against Saskatchewan in July as part of mixed martial artsnight at Ivor Wynne Stadium. “I love it,” Tom Wright, the director of UFC Canadian operations, said when asked about the sponsorship agreement. … See all stories on this topic »

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: Finding spiritual strength Culpeper Star Exponent Hoback said he ran 84 miles in three weeks to make sure his cardio was in order before the WFC’s fifth amateur mixed martial arts show in Culpeper and its second at the Daniel Technology Center. But it was the 20-year-old’s power that earned him the … See all stories on this topic »

Fightville Director More Concerned About Stigma Against Louisiana Than MMA ChartAttack The film follows local Louisiana promoter Gil Guillery and fighters Dustin Poirier, Albert Stainback and trainer/UFC star Tim Credeur, and looks at the often grueling, sometimes beautiful and always fascinating world of mixed martial arts (MMA) on a… See all stories on this topic »

 

SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC SEMIFINALISTS & WBA WORLD CHAMP ANDRE WARD OAKLAND MEDIA DAY QUOTES & PHOTOS

Posted on | April 29, 2011 | No Comments

Thursday, April 28 at King’s Boxing Gym in Oakland, Calif.

OAKLAND, CALIF. (April 28, 2011) – Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinalists and WBA 168-pound champion Andre Ward hosted a media day and workout with his trainer Virgil Hunter and promoter Dan Goossen on Thursday in Ward’s hometown of Oakland as he gets ready for his Semifinals showdown against Arthur Abraham on Saturday, May 14 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., live on SHOWTIME®.

Ward will defend his WBA Super Middleweight title against the European superstar and former world champion to kick off the Semifinals of the groundbreaking tournament. The Ward-Abraham winner advances to the tournament Finals against the winner of the Carl Froch-Glen Johnson Semifinals showdown. The winner earns instant bragging rights as the world’s No. 1 168-pound fighter.

The talented Ward (23-0, 13 KOs), of Oakland, Calif., has emerged as the tournament favorite after impressive triumphs in Group Stage bouts over Mikkel Kessler and Allan Green, as well as Sakio Bika.

The event is co-promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Antonio Leonard Productions and Sauerland Event and sponsored by Corona.

Tickets are available for as low as $25, with VIP floor seats priced at $200. Other tickets in the 8,000-seat outdoor stadium at The Home Depot Center are available at $50 and $100. Fans can purchase tickets at all Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.Ticketmaster.com as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets by calling 1-877-234-8425.

In a non-televised undercard bout, heavyweight world contender and popular Southern California slugger Chris Arreola will try to stay on track for another opportunity of a world championship when he takes on Nagy Aguilera.

What Ward and Goossen had to say on Thursday:

In reference to Sauerland’s statement that the Ward-Abraham fight is in jeopardy:
WARD: “It’s news to me yesterday. That’s why I have my promoter with me today and I am sure that it is all going to get worked out. There will be a fight. There’s definitely going to be a fight. No fight, nobody makes any money. So I think they’ll get it worked out.”

On his belief that the original plan of neutral officials and judges will take place:
WARD: “Absolutely. “Dan has said it many times and I have said many times. I know people think that I have some dealing behind the scenes, setting everything up where it’s just right for Andre Ward but I have nothing to say about that, I have no say in that. That is why I have a promoter. That’s the promoter’s job to negotiate and deal and do whatever they are going to do. There should be fair judges, they’ll get it worked out.”

DAN GOOSSEN:
“If there were no California Officials Andre wouldn’t say anything. All we want is to get out there and fight. Even fighting at home, it’s never been a situation where Andre has said we have to fight at home. After the Kessler fight Green wanted to fight out here because he made a lot of money. Bika was the same situation, he made a lot of money fighting out here. These other guys didn’t have any homes so it wasn’t to protect Andre Ward and keep him at close quarters; it was just the way the situation evolved.

“In other words, we have done everything that we are supposed to do and lived up to and that is what we will continue to do. Now it’s just up to Sauerland and the Commission to work it out and that’s final.”

Ward on the Sauerland situation:
WARD: “They made a comment saying that King Arthur has no problem with coming into my backyard, and they should know that my backyard is about 5 to 6 hours away from Carson, California. Let’s not make Arthur Abraham out to be the hero where he is doing us the favor because he is coming here. They are allowing Arthur Abraham to come to this venue for a specific reason and I think we all know what that is – the Armenia population. They feel like they will have the advantage there and then it’s about the money. So they are not doing us the favor. This is a co-promotion; this is something that they’ve agreed to. There were other venues available on the east coast. I was excited about going there to Atlantic City, possibly Portland and a few others. So it didn’t have to be California, they wanted it to be here just as much as my side did.”

On Andre’s apparent willingness to fight globally judging from his Olympic days and his past fight record)
WARD: “People have to talk about something on the website and blogs. Me fighting at home is something that people continue to talk about , it’s not something I really pay a lot of attention to because I know how I got to this point and it certainly wasn’t fighting in Oakland. I have only had 4 fights out of 26/27 in Oakland and let’s not even talk about my amateur career. I am well schooled with fighting on the road, but again I think it was an awesome thing to be able to fight at home and we are looking to come back home and even make it bigger than it has been.”

On not changes his gameplan and the expectations for him to succeed:
WARD: “Absolutely. I have to stay like that because there is a lot of talk about what Arthur has left. Either they say his back is against the wall and he’s hungry so look out or they say this is going to be just a fight where that Ward is going to walk through him. I can’t believe that, I can’t believe either way. I have to prepare for each fight the same way, very methodically, mentally. I am expecting the best out of Abraham come May 14.”

On what Arthur Abraham will look like on May 14 and the problems he represents:
WARD: “The problems he represents remains to be seen, but his strengths are he believes in his punching power. They call him a puncher, they say that he hits hard and that he is physically very strong, but I believe that my physical strength is right up there with the best ever and I think he will see and notice that I hit a lot harder than what people perceive me to be. With that being said, it’s going to be the same Arthur Abraham, in terms of stylistically – he’s going to cover up and maybe open up a little bit earlier, but he is going to look for that one big shot, that’s what he does.”

On whether Arthur Abraham is similar to any other opponent that Ward has faced:
WARD: “Not really, but in terms of just being a big puncher and believing in his power, I can liken him to Edison Miranda. Not defensively, but in terms of looking for that one big shot all night long. He is probably the main guy that I can compare him to.”

On how Ward plans to approach Abraham knowing that he is waiting for an opening:
WARD: “We do what we gotta do. We don’t get caught up in his game. I know that if he lands a shot on me, I believe that I can take it.

“Also, we have been working for the last several months to not let him land anything, so we don’t change anything. We got the right sparring partners in here who fight as similar as they possibly can to Arthur Abrahams’ style. They’re wild, strong and coming and I am doing what I got to do to prepare for this kind of fight.”

On the probability of Ward not fighting the same way he fought his fights against Bika and Green:
WARD: “I don’t know. I think that you are going to see a little bit of everything. I have said that the last two fights because that is just my style. My style is adapting and doing what the other opponent doesn’t believe that I am going to do. We don’t have a fear factor in our camp where we’re going to be running away from Arthur Abraham, that’s not the case. He’s a 168 pound man and so am I. He’s a former world champion and I am the current world champion. He wants to get a world title again and I want to defend my title. I am going to conduct myself accordingly. So, in other worlds, I am going to be myself and do what I gotta do.”

Upon being asked if he is just as hungry to keep his championship status:
WARD: “I believe so. It’s just kind of the way I am wired. I love to win and I know that you just can’t love to win; you have to do what it takes in preparation to win. Unless I have done all that I can do, leaving my family, sacrificing, putting in the physical work and doing the mental work exercises – just everything that it takes to get ready for a championship fight. When we get out there we do what we do and we have fun and we let the chips fall where they fall.”

On his champion status and putting in the work to stay a champion:
WARD: “We don’t really have a championship training camp, I am not the center of attention here. My coach doesn’t pat me on the back everyday that I come in and tell me how great I am. You would think that I was still a young guy coming up in terms of preparation. Mentally and physically, if you listen to some of the things we talk about while doing the mitts and the drill you would think, ‘man, give this guy a little credit.’ But my coach is always asking for more and pushing me because he knows and he wants me to be a great fighter someday and in order to do that I can’t settle for just being good. This is always a camp where we are pushing, reaching and trying to do better.”

On ways he can improve:
WARD: “It’s hard to pinpoint one thing. I don’t like to pinpoint one thing because there are people reading these articles that I could possibly fight one day, but there is always something to work on whether it’s small, big, maybe something mental. There is just always something and that is something that Virg (trainer Virgil Hunter) is awesome at – he pinpoints it, he sees it, and he knows how to push that button to get me motivated in that area.”

On not getting complacent:
“That is the least of my worries. If anything, Virg is always pulling me back saying, ‘That’s enough. We still got three weeks left, we still got two weeks left. Hey, we’re not going to leave it all in the road or we’re not going to leave it all in the gym.’ He just wants me to continue to grow and not settle being a good fighter. I don’t feel like I am at my best, I feel like I am approaching my prime.”

On Abraham’s last two losses being a blue print for Ward:
WARD: “I think it is going to be similar in some ways but I think it’s going to have my own flair and my own special touch to it. I think Froch did an awesome job, I think Dirrell did an awesome job and believe that I am going to do an awesome job, but I am just going to do it my way. The way Froch and Dirrell did it is definitely a foundation and something to look at, study it and say this is somewhere to start.”

On the expecting the best out of Arthur Abraham:
WARD: “The only problem with that is that it’s a 12 round fight. If he tries that we have to have an answer, if he lays back and waits we have to have an answer, so when you have seven or eight weeks to sit down and prepare you’re supposed to go over every possibly scenario. But then it comes to a point where it’s not about what he’s going to do, it’s about what we’re going to do. That’s when the mind set shifts and two-and-a-half weeks before the fight is where I am at right now. It’s not about what Arthur is going to do or how many fans will be there in the arena. I am going to be mentally locked in. I wont hear anything that night. That’s all I am focused on.”

When asked if he is winding down since it is two weeks before the fight:
WARD: “Not quite yet, we’re still working hard. We have to be careful not to just leave it on the road and want to push harder when you run or push harder in the gym. You just have to really be sensitive and that’s why it’s awesome to have a coach that not only knows boxing but knows you, and Virg knows me extremely well. You know, there are days I get up mad and I am ready to push and he says we’re not doing that this morning, just meet me at the gym at this time. And those are the types of things that he brings to the camp and really allows me to peak at the right time.”

On the Andre Ward-Sugar Ray Leonard comparison:
WARD: “I appreciate the comparison but I feel that I got a lot of work to do to be in that company. I got a lot of work to do but I appreciate even the smallest comparison.”

On being able to adjust during a fight:
WARD: “That’s something that’s really evolving in my game is adjusting on the fly. We like game plans, but I am not really a game plan type of guy. We’ll have a general game plan but at the same time things happen so fast in a fight and you have to make split-second decisions and Virg allows me to make those decisions. I can give you an example: the Allen Green fight. We weren’t going to fight that type of fight that soon, it just happened. That was a fight that was going to happen on the other side of six but it happened starting in the second round. I thought, ‘Man, he’s letting me do this to him inside.’ So I stayed there and Virg adjusted and said, ‘If you are going to be there, this is what I need you to do.’ So, yeah that is something that is evolving as well is the ability to adjust.”

On the heavy Armenian population and the possibility of being the one that is booed on May 14:
WARD: “Just buy a ticket and tune in. It’s all good. Just buy a ticket. Tune in, that’s all we are concerned about. I could be but I feel like there will be a lot of Bay Area people in the house. I got fans in Southern California. I think it could be even. His fans could be there but I am going to be mentally locked in.”

About Virgil not taking it soft on Andre:
WARD: “It’s never been like that. I don’t think he knows how to do that and sometimes it can get to you. You know, we have our moments but that’s to be expected. At the end of the day it’s always love and we always understand each other, but you know, trust me, we have our moments in there where I am saying, ‘Hey Man, listen. What now?’ And he’ll tell me, ‘You can be one of the greatest fighters who ever did this and I am going to get that out of you.’ So I have to respect that and honor that.”

If Andre is trying to get Abraham on the defensive?
WARD: “Absolutely. The key is to remind him of all those fights that he had and all the ways that he felt after. He really didn’t believe that he put on a bad performance against Dirrell because of the way that it ended. He felt that that he was coming on and that Dirrell quit. Carl Froch, he couldn’t deny that. My job is to remind him of the Carl Froch fight as soon as possible. We’re gonna set the tone. We’re going to be smart about it and set the tone.”

On his power:
WARD: “Some guys talk about my power or lack of power before the fight but if you look at the top guys that I fought from Miranda on out, none of these guys have said anything after the fight and I think that is key because they were able to get in there and feel it for themselves.”

On his inclusion in the top 10 pound-for-pound Ring list:
WARD: “Unbelievable. I don’t have time to get caught up in it at the moment, but that’s just unbelievable. I’ve looked at that list for years and years and years and years and wanted to be at the very top of it. To be No. 10 is awesome and I thank everyone for their votes. Some people think that I shouldn’t be on there, some people believe I should. I just want to continue to work hard and show that I am worthy to be on there. It’s about putting in the work. It always goes back to Kobe, Kobe Bryant.”

WARD: “I love sports but what I watch, I like to watch the best and I like to watch their mindset when they’re winning, when they’re down. I just wan to follow these guys, I want to watch them and I want to read them. I have watched Kobe for many, many years. People say what they want to about him but the guy is a beast. He’s a competitor. The only time you see him smile is when his team has secured a victory and there’s about two or three minutes left or maybe a minute left and they’re up by 15 and the game is over. This guy has plenty of credentials, he’s got plenty of honor, plenty of rings, but he’s still got something to prove and I liken myself to him in that respect.

“It’s just something that, I don’t know if you’re born with it, I don’t know if you can teach it but I have always been like this. I want to win. I like to win. That’s my mind set. I don’t know if you can teach it, it’s just in me. I don’t believe that I am the most talented guy. Although, I have been boxing since I was 9 years old and there are thing that I can do in my sleep. Personally, I don’t feel like I am a Floyd Mayweather type that could do certain things without even trying. I feel like I work hard to accomplish certain things and I am always working on the basics. I just don’t want to be out worked. I do know that God has given me some internal attributes and I just want to tell him thank you by working hard everyday and giving it all I got.”

For more information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic including exclusive photos, fight highlights and interviews, plus to view all episodes of the acclaimed documentary series FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic, please visit the website at www.WorldBoxingClassic.com

ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC
The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a ground-breaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win – 2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss – 0 pts; Draw – 1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semi-Finals. The winners of the Semifinal bouts will advance to the Finals and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup.

Weights from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Posted on | April 29, 2011 | No Comments

These are the weights for tomorrow night’s ESPN2 Friday Night Fights broadcast from the deck of the Boulevard Pool at ultra-luxurious The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The event is promoted by Warriors Boxing.

Main Event
Carlos Molina 151 (second try) vs. Allen Conyers 150
First Televised Bout
Hylon Williams Jr. 134 vs. Marcos Herrera 135
Undercard
Ranches Barthelemy 132.5 vs. Rynell Griffin 135.5
Yuieski Gonzalez 188 vs. Carlos Reyes 196
Evgeny Gradovich 125 vs. Aalan Martinez 126
Glendy Hernandez 238.5 vs. Ken Frank 287
Tim Coleman 142.5 vs. Sergio Rivera 144

# # #

On fight night, doors will open at 4:30 pm. The first fight is at 5:00 pm and the main event will begin promptly at 6:00 pm.
The Cosmopolitan proudly presents another uniquely glamorous evening of world-class professional boxing; and this time, overlooking the heart of The Strip on the open-air multilevel deck of the city’s most fabulous luxury pool, The Boulevard Pool. Tickets are on sale now and are priced at $50, $150 and $250 for the VIP experience, which includes a private section with comfortable seating and complimentary cocktails. Special Cabana packages also are available. Tickets are available for purchase at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or by calling 877-551-7776 or 702-698-6880.

SHOWTIME ANNOUNCE TEAM CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

Posted on | April 28, 2011 | No Comments

A look at the television schedule preceding the Live Pacquiao Vs. Mosley PPV event:

Saturday, April 30

8 p.m. ET/PT: FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley – Episode 3 on CBS.
10 p.m. ET/PT: FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley – Episode 3 on SHOWTIME.

Friday, May 6

6 p.m. ET/PT: Pacquiao vs. Mosley Weigh-In Live on SHOWTIME EXTREME hosted by James Brown.
10 p.m. ET/PT: FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley – Episode 4 on SHOWTIME.

Saturday, May 7

2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT: FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley – Episode 4 on CBS.
7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT: Pacquiao vs. Mosley Red Carpet Show Live on SHOWTIME EXTREME hosted by Mario Lopez and Ines Sainz with undercard bouts, celebrity interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT: Pacquiao vs. Mosley on SHOWTIME PPV.

SHOWTIME Sports® held a media conference call on Thursday to announce the SHOWTIME PPV® telecast announce team for the upcoming marquee boxing event featuring global superstar and Philippine Congressman Manny Pacquiao and three-division world champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley on Saturday, May 7.

James Brown, the host of the popular weekly series Inside The NFL on SHOWTIME and THE NFL TODAY on CBS, will quarterback the May 7 SHOWTIME PPV four-fight telecast. The last boxing event he worked was between Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas in 2006. An enthusiastic mainstay on CBS and SHOWTIME, Gus Johnson will call all the action from ringside. Al Bernstein, a well-respected boxing historian who has called more than 2,500 fights during his 30 years behind the ringside microphone, will provide the fight analysis alongside Antonio Tarver, a former undisputed light heavyweight world champion who has taken to his television role as “third man in the booth.” The Emmy® Award-winning Jim Gray will serve as the back-stage, ringside and in-ring reporter for the event. (See attached document for more bio information on each announcer).

Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs), of Pomona, Calif., in the main event at the sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Sugar Shane Mosley Promotions, Tecate and MGM Grand, Pacquiao vs. Mosley will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV®.

Closed circuit tickets, priced at $50, are on sale and available at all Las Vegas MGM Resorts properties.

The Pacquiao vs. Mosley pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $54.95, will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV®. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. For Pacquiao vs. Mosley fight week updates, log on to www.sports.SHO.com or www.toprank.com.

Highlights of what the participants had to say on Thursday:

KEN HERSHMAN, Executive Vice President and GM of Sports Programming at Showtime:

“We think we’ve assembled the best announce team in all of sports for this event. SHOWTIME started in boxing 25 years ago and since then we’ve evolved and grown and are now covering five different sports. But boxing continues to be the rock and the foundation of SHOWTIME Sports and we are very proud of our history.

“As far as pay-per-view goes we have five of the top 10 most watched pay-per-view events of all time and we think that Pacquiao-Mosley will become number six. The promotion for May 7 is really humming along. We haven’t even seen the whole breadth of what is coming over the next few days and next week. We are bringing a broader promotional aspect to this event than ever seen before, especially with the help of our sister network CBS.”

JAMES BROWN:

“I am thrilled to be back in the boxing arena both figuratively and literally. I am just so thankful that Ken Hershman has drafted me to come back and host this and clearly to be accepted by the regular team anchored by Gus and Al and Antonio and, of course, Jim Gray, all of whom I have worked with over the years – that’s a good thing as far as the camaraderie to be associated with this fight.

“To me, of all the sports I’ve been blessed to cover there is nothing like a championship fight with the energy in the arena and to also be seeing one of the all-time greats in Manny Pacquiao. I’m just really looking forward to this.

Shane has already mentioned another fight with Mayweather and a possible rematch with Manny. How much longer do you think Shane Mosley can continue fighting?

Tarver: “As long as Shane can get in there and protect himself and show what’s he’s capable of doing then you know the sky’s the limit. If he sees in his heart that he can beat Pacquiao and would want to fight him again, that just shows that he still has the passion and still has the confidence in himself. As long as he can do it physically, God bless him. That’s my take on him.”

What challenges does he face in his late 30s than he had in his 20s?

Tarver: “Well, when we were younger we could do this in our sleep. There was really no competition when we were amateurs and we were both the best. Now it’s a business and you’ve got guys like Pacquiao and Mayweather on top. So now he has to climb those extra steps to solidify himself as the best. He has a great opportunity.”

Al, tell us a little bit about the WBO super bantamweight title fight on the undercard between Jorge Arce and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr.

Bernstein: “Obviously there has been a lot made recently of the fact that boxing has to do a better job on the undercards of these major events so that the casual boxing fan that comes can really see other great fights. Not just the main event. And I think this card will accomplish that. One of these fights is Arce-Vazquez. For the uninitiated, Wilfredo Vazquez’s father was a great, great world champion and he’s following in his footsteps. Jorge Arce was a former flyweight champion who is jumping up in weight to fight for the WBO super bantamweight title. The thing that makes this compelling, and I think more than anything is the part that people want to see on these pay-per-views, is that both these fighters will engage much like Pacquiao-Mosley will in a real shootout. Jorge Arce only has problems when he fights boxers who have hand speed and movement and all the rest. When they’re in front of him he makes for exciting and excellent fights. Fifty-six times he’s won so he’s a terrific fighter. What this fight also is about is Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. stepping up to center stage and seeing how he performs. He’s already won a championship but at 26 he could be in a general weight division with guys like Juan Manuel Lopez, Gamboa and the others, to maybe step up as a real star. So we’ll watch and see if he does.”

Gus, What is the difference in calling boxing play-by-play as opposed to the NFL or basketball or some of the others sports you’ve covered?

Johnson: “What makes boxing so special as compared to those others sports is the intimacy in the arena. It’s like we’re all connected more than the others. Certainly a college basketball game or an NFL game with 70,000 fans you feel that but with boxing the focus is on just two guys instead of 10. The two guys are in there and at the top of their game and taking risks. Everybody knows it and everybody can see it and feel it. And that’s what makes boxing so special; the anticipation and not only the anticipation but of the actual moment coming together for these two men who are in the ring. There’s nothing like a championship fight like James Brown said. As far as Pacquiao-Mosley, I’ve got to pinch myself to realize that I’m working this fight. I have a lot of friends and people who come up to me and say, ‘Hey, are you going to watch the Pacquiao-Mosley fight?’ I have to chuckle and say, ‘No, I’m not going to only watch it, but I’m going to call it.’ So I’m just so happy to be a part of this event.”

Jim, what do you expect to hear from the fighters just an hour before they go on?

Gray: “Well, we’ll have to see how things develop during fight week and at the weigh-in and to see the Fight Camp 360s and be able to determine from there. I think age is going to be a factor. Mosley is going to be a 40-year-old man in September and he’s 9-6-1 over the past 10 years. So I think people want to know: Could age be a factor? He’s been in 12 rounds fights five of his last six fights so he’s obviously been in good shape later on in his career. As for Manny, I think the big thing is expectations. I mean, ask Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan about expectations. Everybody always expects you to win and that’s a very difficult place to start from. So those are some things I think we’ll touch on and I think we’ll know a little bit more as the week goes on.”

How have the ratings been on CBS and SHOWTIME for Fight Camp 360°:

Hershman: “We’ve been working hard for a long time to make SHOWTIME boxing and SHOWTIME Sports the best that we can possibly make it and we think that we’ve put on some of the best boxing events of all time. Pay-per-view has never really been the primary objective. Pay-per-view has been an opportunity for us to make sure we continue to deliver to our subscribers the best boxing on television. But fighters of the caliber of Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley are not fighting on premium television, they are fighting on pay-per-view. So we are thrilled to move them over here for what we think will be the biggest boxing event in years. Through the synergies between CBS and SHOWTIME we feel we can promote and market this event like no one else can and that’s an important factor for us. We have what we feel is the biggest franchise there is in mixed martial arts with Fedor Emelianenko. Despite his two losses he remains a superstar and his ratings on SHOWTIME prove it. We have the best NFL show. We have the best NASCAR show on television by far and we have this new Major League Baseball show that we’re launching with the world champion San Francisco Giants. So Manny fits perfectly into that whole formula. He is the biggest name in boxing and he transcends the sport.

“To talk about Fight Camp 360°; it’s been well received by the critics and more importantly well received by the people who watch it. It’s not a fabricated or staged environment. It’s really what you see is what happens in the day-to-day lives of the fighters and their families and their camps. The ratings have been good. We expect them to grow as the episodes appear more over these next eight days. We’re in the process of assembling all the viewership data. We’ve aired it everywhere: on CBS, on SHOWTIME, on the web so we haven’t collected all that data yet, but we will and we’ll have some better answers for you. But so far the ratings have been strong and we expect them to get better.”

Is there anything Mosley can do that could result in an upset?

Bernstein: “As you know, boxing is all about the styles. And he and Floyd Mayweather in the younger days would have matched up better but Mosley as an older fighter had his moments with him because he did hurt him very badly in that one round. But Floyd Mayweather is a defensive genius and he was able to continue on in that fight and make it a one-sided fight. The difference is in the styles of the two fighters. Manny Pacquiao, while he has reinvented himself into being one of the best boxer-punchers in the sports in years, he still attacks. He will get hit with right hands from time to time. And Shane Mosley makes the case that Antonio Margarito landed more punches in the last fight than anyone else has in the last three or four years. And his point is that if Antonio Margarito can land those punches, I have better hand speed. And at 39 he probably does have better hand speed. His feeling is that he can still land punches and make them count. I think we’re going to find out about this fight over the first five or six rounds because Shane Mosley is going to land a solid right hand. And we’re going to see if it impacts Pacquiao. We haven’t seen Shane Mosley for awhile be really effective with his left hook, which is a hugely powerful punch. I think that’s the secret weapon or secret surprise that he and his trainer Nazim (Richardson) are working on. Everybody expects the right hand to land. I think that Shane Mosley is going to surprise us in his strategy and try to land all these left hooks to the body and to the head. I think they believe Pacquiao is not expecting that. Whether or not he’s successful at it or not remains to be seen. Either way this should be an action fight because of Pacquiao’s style.”

Antonio, you’ve seemed to really come into your own with your job as an announcer. Where do you see yourself taking it in the future?

Tarver: “When I look at this broadcast team I think of the camaraderie and this teamwork. It’s just made it really comfortable for me to work with such pros who are at the top of their game. I can’t say enough about how guys like Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein and Jim Gray and Steve Farhood have made this such an easy transition into what I’m doing and trying to find my niche. The preparation is the key. To work hard and really want to work at it to be the best that I can be. I don’t want to bring these guys down so I really try and work hard and be as good I can be. But these guys have really welcomed me with open arms and have made it somewhat of an easy transition.”

Do you think Pacquiao has remained the best fighter in the world over the past three years?

Bernstein: “I think Nazim said it best recently. Floyd Mayweather is the most talented in the world today and Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter in the world. I’ll go with that statement. Clearly, you can’t take anything away from Floyd Mayweather as a skilled boxer. He is just superb. He does just about everything right. But Manny Pacquiao has performed more. I’ve never seen a fighter reinvent himself like Manny Pacquiao. To me that’s an extraordinary thing. I have to say at this juncture it’s Pacquiao one and Mayweather two in the polls. That doesn’t mean Pacquiao would beat Mayweather in the ring. That’s a whole different debate entirely. It just means that because Pacquiao has been a little bit more active and a little bit more consistent and has fought just about every conceivable fight, I have to vote for Pacquiao.”

Do you have to put Pacquiao among the all-time greats in boxing?

Gray: “Having won eight titles I think you have to. It’s been remarkable what the guy been able to do. He’s fought everyone that’s been in front of him. Let’s see what happens down the road with Mayweather but the answer to that question is yes. Just go back and look at all these fights and see how he’s done it and I think you have put him right up there in that sentence. You could argue a lot of people but he would be in that argument.”

Johnson: “I think Mayweather and Mosley’s styles are very different. I think the great thing about Pacquiao, as Al and Jim have stated so eloquently, I think Manny has fought everyone and he’s always been able to adjust. I think that at 39 Shane Mosley is going to bring his best. I think he’s going to come out sharp and he’s going to be really prepared. He does have great hand speed and if he can pull the trigger like he did when he fought Margarito, then this could be something to really see. To me, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao getting into the ring, that’s a whole different mention. It’s something that we all obviously want to see and it’s something that has the potential to be a fight of the century type thing. So I wouldn’t necessarily compare Floyd and Shane but I think individually we’re going to see a great fight from Shane with Manny and if it ever happens with Floyd and Manny.”

How hard was it to put this all together with CBS?

Hershman: “Oh, like way hard (laughter). I think the interesting thing about CBS, to be serious, is that a lot of companies talk synergy and they buy all these assets and they talk about how they’re going to work great together and then they all internally fight with each other and nobody ends up doing anything. And I’ve been part of those organizations. But the real uniqueness with CBS is that when we presented this opportunity there wasn’t a push-back or resistance. It was really more excitement and encouragement and them saying, ‘OK, what can we do?’ We actually had to scale back some of the things their divisions wanted to do because we just weren’t ready to get there yet. But we will in the future. The company just works together really well and they get it and the priorities were met and exceeded and I couldn’t be more pleased. I wish I could sit here and say it was some monumental task that I was able to pull off and that we overcame but to be honest it really wasn’t. It was quite well received and handled really, really well and we’re excited to see it all come to fruition on May 7 and I think it’s going to be all pretty impressive.”

Antonio, what advice would you give Mosley?

Tarver: “I think he just has to stay mentally focused. He has to fight smarter and not harder. He’s not going to be able to just sit there and match Pacquiao power for power. He’s going to have to set some traps and hopefully he walks into them. I think he definitely has the boxing IQ to do that. And I think that’s what makes this fight so intriguing. I’m looking for a heck of a fight on May 7.”

“I think Mosley is coming in with a lot of confidence that he was able to knock out a guy (Margarito) that Pacquiao was unable to stop. I think Margarito also got some really good shots in on Pacquiao. I think the one punch that Pacquiao gets hurt with and which (Joshua) Clottey used very well was that uppercut. I think that Mosley is going to have to throw that a lot – and often and in close. I think that is the only avenue that they cannot protect is up the middle.”

Do you think Pacquiao can be the first one to knock out Mosley?

Bernstein: “I think he wants to. Freddie Roach has talked about it a lot. That’s the marketing goal here. When I interviewed Freddie at Wild Card he made it a big point in saying that if he knocked out Shane Mosley it ratchets up the marketing for Floyd Mayweather to come and fight them and in some fashion it makes that fight even more feasible. So I think they want to do that and will try and do that, but it’s not going to be an easy task. And I don’t think they will consciously go after it but I think it’s in the backs of their minds and they would like to do it. But if he does do it I think it will be because of the volume of punches.”

What about all the distractions Manny has going on in his life?

Bernstein: “I’ve never seen a guy compartmentalize life better than Manny Pacquiao. I mean, it’s actually staggering. When you’re around him there seems to be a stoicism that envelopes him. When you think about this announce team, we all have many different projects and things that we do and different people we answer to. When you think about Manny, he holds an elected office position, he’s a champion boxer, a singer, he’s been in movies in the Philippines and all his humanitarian works and somehow he seems to center himself for these fights. And I think it’s amazing how both he and Freddie have said that this is the best training camp they’ve ever had.”

Takedown Wrestling Media Weekly Interview Archive Update 04/28/11

Posted on | April 28, 2011 | No Comments

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