Mixed Martial Arts Links (4-22-11)

Posted on | April 22, 2011 | No Comments

Couture leaves huge legacy USA Today He also left a lasting mark on mixed martial arts as a pioneer of close-quarters fighting and so-called “dirty” boxing. When two fighters clinch near a cage fence and start throwing short punches and elbows while keeping a grip on each other, … See all stories on this topic » USA Today

Simplified approach leads to Hominick’s success Yahoo! Sports There was little question then that Hominick was among the handful of the best mixed martial artsfighters in the featherweight division. But there was also just as little doubt that something wasn’t 100 percent right in his approach and whatever that … See all stories on this topic »

ESPN the Magazine report pegs Brock Lesnar as MMA’s top earner in 2010 MMATorch A report in the new edition of ESPN the Magazine looking at the highest paid athletes in 30 different sports reveals that former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar made the most money of any fighter in the sport of mixed martial arts in 2010. … See all stories on this topic » MMATorch

MMA: Trilogy Championship Fighting holds first event Saturday AZ Central.com by Odeen Domingo – Apr. 21, 2011 08:06 PM Richie Reyes knows what it’s like being a professionalmixed martial arts fighter, or at least what it was like trying to be one. He remembers the pittance he was paid. The lack of treatment he received before … See all stories on this topic »

MMA: Bam Bam braced for toughest test Swindon Advertiser ‘THE hardest sport in the world’ comes to Swindon tomorrow when hometown favourite Dave ‘Bam Bam’ Gregory defends his Sportfight MMA Heavyweight title at Liquid & Envy. Mixed martial artshas gathered global momentum as a sport since the turn of the … See all stories on this topic »

St. Pierre irritated by dismissal of Shields USA Today “People who doesn’t know the sport of mixed martial arts, they don’t have any grappling knowledge, they don’t even acknowledge what happened. But guys that really know mixed martial arts, they can appreciate that more.” The fact that St. Pierre shares … See all stories on this topic »

2011 lightweight division is best in MMA: Fan’s take Yahoo! Sports Over the years, each weight class in the sport of mixed martial arts has had their time as the best in the sport. When Tito Ortiz was dominating the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division, it was the best in the sport. … See all stories on this topic » Yahoo! Sports

MMA News: Nevada Not Planning On Giving Judges Monitors, Why Not? Bleacher Report One of the hottest topics in all of mixed martial arts is the judging and scoring system that is used in the sport. There have been a number of controversial decisions, especially in recent years, in which the knowledge of the judges has been called … See all stories on this topic »   Bleacher Report

ROBERT GUERRERO TO RECEIVE BILL CRAWFORD AWARD AT THIS YEARS BOXING WRITER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA DINNER

Posted on | April 22, 2011 | No Comments

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The Story of Bill Crawford: Crawford learned to defend himself by boxing in his home town of Pueblo, Colorado. As a soldier during World War II his fighting skills were put to the ultimate test. As the company scout, Army Private Crawford discovered three hidden German machine gun nests. Alone and unable to alert his fellow soldiers of the awaiting ambush — with only his rifle and grenades Crawford single handedly destroyed all three enemy emplacements. As his company advanced, he volunteered to stay behind and aid a wounded soldier only to be captured by enemy troops and endured nineteen months in a Nazi prison camp. His youthful golden gloves experience resurfaced when he took on a Nazi guard in a fist fight, – Crawford knocked the Nazi out cold.  Forty years after his heroic action Crawford was presented the Medal of Honor in person by President Ronald Reagan at the 1985 Air Force Academy graduation. Crawford died in 2000 and was buried at the United States Air Force Academy. “Robert Guerrero had put his career on hold to deal with his wife Casey’s health issues. With her Leukemia in remission, Guerrero made a successful return to the ring. How he coped with the situation impressed the BWAA electorate who voted him the Bill Crawford award winner for “Courage in Overcoming Adversity.” ~ BWAA   All award winners will be honored at the BWAA’s 86th annual dinner tentatively set for May 6, 2011 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand.  For more information on the Boxing Writers Association of America Dinner please visit www.bwaa.org.

FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES: VIC DARCHINYAN AND YONNHY PEREZ, JOSEPH AGBEKO & ABNER MARES

Posted on | April 22, 2011 | No Comments

Thursday, April 21,

ESPNZone L.A. LIVE, Los Angeles

Telecast This Saturday, April 23,

Live on SHOWTIME® at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT

From Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles;

Live Card Begins At 5 p.m. PT

LOS ANGELES (April 21, 2011) – Two-division world champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan and former International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight champion Yonnhy “El Colombiano” Perez will clash in the new main event onSHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING this Saturday, April 23, live on SHOWTIME® (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE.

The 12-rounder for the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) 118-pound title between Darchinyan (35-3-1, 27 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, by way of Armenia, and Colombia’s Perez (20-1-1, 14 KOs), of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., was elevated to main event status after a fight between IBF champion Joseph Agbeko and undefeated WBC Silver Belt champion Abner Mares was postponed after Agbeko suffered what doctors diagnosed as likely the sudden onset of sciatica earlier in the week.

A formal announcement was made today prior to a final press conference at ESPNZone. All four boxers were in attendance.

This marks the third time that a Darchinyan fight has been moved into the telecast’s top spot after a main event fell out. The other times came on March 6, 2010 (against Rodrigo Guerrero) and June 3, 2006 (against Luis Maldonado). It will mark the 13^th time Darchinyan has fought on SHOWTIME. He is No. 3 on the all-time list for network appearances behind Julio Cesar Chavez (17) and Evander Holyfield.

Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.com, via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines (800) 745-

3000 and at STAPLES Center Box Office.

Doors at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE open at 4 p.m. PT. The first non-televised undercard fight

starts at 5 p.m.

The event is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, Don King Productions, Thompson Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions, and is sponsored by Corona and DeWalt Tools.

What the fighters and their promoters/representatives said Thursday:

VIC DARCHINYAN

“I feel bad for Joseph Agbeko and wish him the best. It’s unfortunate but sometimes things just happen. What everyone should know is that they are going to get is a great fight. We will put on a great show.

“This is the third time I’ve been moved up to the main event. I won both and I’m very confident I’ll win again.

“Yonnhy is a gentleman. He’s a clean fighter who loves to come and fight and show who is better in the ring.

“But he will be standing right in front of me and will feel my power like never before. Yonnhy is a bigger guy than me, but everyone will see how powerful I really am.

“I am still upset with the way my last fight went. But I’m really looking forward to this fight and moving forward. I want a rematch with Mares or Agbeko very badly.

“I am sure everyone will enjoy this fight and everyone will see how focused I am.’’

YONNHY PEREZ

“Last night before I went to bed I said a prayer for Agbeko because he’s a champion like I was and I know he does this for his family. I know how difficult it must be to not be able to perform Saturday night.

“I can’t wait for Saturday. I know Vic has said a few things about me and how the fight will go and I really hope he can back those words up. It will be difficult to achieve the things he’s said.

“Whether I was fighting first or second, I was still fighting Vic. I am strong and ready for anything he has to offer. I expect him to come out aggressively, but if he decides to change and box, I am prepared.

“In the end, I will be the winner.’’

ALAN HOPPER (Don King Promotions)

“I want to apologize to all the fighters on the card.  Obviously, Joseph wants to fight.  Abner, we are so sorry for you.  We’re very serious about getting all the treatment we can so we can fight as soon as possible.

“The first words out of Joseph’s mouth were, ‘this can’t happen, this can’t be happening, I need to

fight on Saturday.’ ’’

JOSEPH AGBEKO

“Saturday was a night I really dreamed for.  I was set to make my country proud.  It was a very big blow to all of us.  I want to thank the doctors who took care of me.

“Obviously, Abner is a very good fighter that I have to beat to prove that I’m the best bantamweight in the world.  I can’t wait to get well so I can fight him.”

ABNER MARES

“I wish Joseph the best of health. I put myself in his position and it’s hard.  It’s not his fault – he’s a great champ. He’s a warrior.

“Everyone knows it would have been a great fight, but it’s only fair to give him his time to heal.

“He earned his spot in the finals, just as I did, so he deserves his time to get well to make this fight happen.

“I know that some of you are sad or mad that we’re not fighting, but you have to understand that health comes first.

“I trained hard and I’m disappointed. I know there were some names mentioned for possible replacements but we believe it’s only fair to give Joseph a chance to heal so we can fight in the finals of the tournament.”

CHRIS DEBLASIO (Director, Sports Communications SHOWTIME)

“On behalf of Ken Hershman and everyone at SHOWTIME Sports we are of course disappointed by the news that Joseph Agbeko will be unable to fight against Abner Mares on Saturday night. But the new main event between Perez and Darchinyan promises to deliver fireworks. They both always make for exciting fights.

“Vic Darchinyan is one of the most prolific fighters that have appeared during the 25 years of fights on our network. He’s fought a dozen times on SHOWTIME and always to the delight of the fans. He’s a huge draw and has an exciting style. Yonnhy Perez matches up very well against Darchinyan and both of these guys are former world champions and deserve their shot in the spotlight. For these guys to meet in a single-fight telecast is certainly the right thing to do.

“The bantamweight division is one that this network has been heavily invested in for years. Beyond Saturday night there are still a number of intriguing fights within this division that the fans want to see and which makes sense for us to explore the possibilities of making happen.”

RICHARD SCHAEFER (Golden Boy Promotions CEO)

“Obviously it was a huge blow for Abner. He trained very hard.

“I don’t know why the mood is so somber, guys. This is not a funeral. We have as our main event a barnburner between Yonnhy Perez and Vic Darchinyan. This is good news. This is great news for fight fans.

“When we had the press conference for the first round of this tournament, Gary Shaw said the main event tonight would be Vic Darchinyan vs. Yonnhy Perez and he was right.’’

GARY SHAW (Darchinyan’s Promoter)

“Joseph has nothing to be ashamed of. Injuries happen.

“Richard (Schaefer) and I spent all day yesterday going back and forth with Ken Hershman of SHOWTIME, trying to find Abner a fight because when you train that hard you want to fight.

“Can Vic fight Abner? Can Yonnhy fight Abner? In the end, we felt we should stick with the original plan and go with the showdown between Vic Darchinyan and Yonnhy Perez.

“I’m speaking as a promoter here: If Agbeko cannot fight in a timely fashion and defend his title, I will personally petition the IBF to let the winner of this fight for the title against Mares. Abner should have the right to get that title and nobody should have to wait an inordinate amount of time.

“These are two fighters I represent fighting each other. I’m not even sure I will stay in arena to watch. I have special feelings about Vic and Yonnhy and it’ll be tough.

“Vic gets great ratings on SHOWTIME. He is in for a helluva fight. Yonnhy is a great fighter. This isn’t the way I pictured the two of them fighting, but this is for the IBO belt, so one of them will walk away with a belt and a chance at becoming the No. 1 mandatory contender.’’

KEN THOMPSON (Perez’ Promoter)

“You have the best most dangerous bantamweight in the world fighting a living legend. But Yonnhy Perez has no fear. He left his fears in the jungles of Colombia fighting for his country.

“Yonnhy wants his world title back very badly. He’s on a quest. Saturday, he takes the first step.’’

ALL ABOUT THE BATTLE OF THE BADGES ON LAST NIGHT’S COMBAT SPORTS SHOW

Posted on | April 22, 2011 | No Comments

Rich and Tony spent last night’s Fight News Unlimited Combat Sports Show speaking with Denis Marrese, who is helping promote BATTLE OF THE BADGES III. This event, scheduled for April 30th in Boston, features FDNY Boxing team fighters facing off against New England Law Enforcement officers. Find out more about the event at WWW.BATTLEOFTHEBADGES.INFO, and listen to the show to find out how to get $5 off your ticket purchase.

Episode Two Preview: FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs Mosley – SHOWTIME Boxing

Posted on | April 21, 2011 | No Comments

INJURY FORCES JOSEPH AGBEKO OUT OF SHOWTIME® BANTAMWEIGHT TOURNAMENT FINAL AND WORLD TITLE DEFENSE AGAINST ABNER MARES

Posted on | April 21, 2011 | No Comments

Vic Darchinyan vs. Yonnhy Perez To Headline Saturday’s

SHOWTIME Telecast From Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE

LOS ANGELES (April 21, 2011)–An untimely back injury sustained by IBF Bantamweight World Champion Joseph Agbeko earlier this week has forced him out of Saturday’s scheduled title defense—and the SHOWTIME Bantamweight Tournament Final—against Abner Mares.  The co-main event bout featuring former world champions Vic Darchinyan vs. Yonnhy Perez will go on as planned for the vacantIBO Bantamweight Championship this Saturday, April 23, at Nokia Theatre televised live on SHOWTIME at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Agbeko and Mares plan to attend Thursday’s Bantamweight Tournament Final press conference to address members of the media—at ESPNZone L.A. LIVE at Noon local time.

The Bantamweight Tournament Final: Winner Takes All is promoted by Don King Productions, Gary Shaw Production, Golden Boy Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions and is sponsored by Corona and DeWalt Tools.

Boxing Links (4-21-11)

Posted on | April 21, 2011 | No Comments

Fighter pay: The downside of MMA Yahoo! Sports A week ago, MMA bad boy Nick Diaz, announced his plans to compete as a professional boxer in 2011. Diaz cited money as one of the reasons he was contemplating giving boxing another shot. Most MMA fans understand Diaz’s point, as full contact fighters … See all stories on this topic » Yahoo! Sports

Showtime boxing tournaments snakebitten Examiner.com This Saturday night was to be the finals of Showtime’s (American premium cable network, and producer of world-class boxing events) bantamweight tournament featuring Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles. … See all stories on this topic »

16 boxers head for Youth & Junior Women’s World Championship Times of India NEW DELHI: Sixteen Indians boxers flew off to Antalya, Turkey eyeing medals in the inaugural Women’s Youth and Junior World Championships starting April 24. The event will feature 264 boxersfrom 45 nations. Of these, 113 athletes from 28 countries … See all stories on this topic »

National pride is a big motivator for Manny Pacquiao Los Angeles Times The boxing superstar, who is a congressman in the Philippines, doesn’t want to let his countrymen down when he meets Shane Mosley in Las Vegas on May 7. Manny Pacquiao trains during a media workout at Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles on Wednesday … See all stories on this topic »

Why Is Strikeforce Champion Nick Diaz Talking About Going Into Boxing? Inside Fights The rationale for the change in sport put forward by Gracie is that Diaz is burned out by MMA and needs a change of pace, plus Diaz’s frequently expressed frustration at the amount he is paid to fight on Showtime when compared to the networks’ boxers. … See all stories on this topic » Inside Fights

From the Pressbox Campus Times Thirty-five years ago, boxing fans sat on the edge of their living room sofas to see the once indestructible “Big” George Foreman make his grand return against Ron Lyle, 15 months after falling prey to Muhammad Ali’s Rope-a-Dope tactics in Zaire. … See all stories on this topic »

Boxing Champ Promotes Upcoming Fight Night WBOY-TV By Kelly Rippin Former world heavyweight boxing champion James “Buster” Douglas met with fans and signed pictures and autographs. Douglas is best known for upsetting Mike Tyson back in 1990. He’s in town to promote an upcoming fight night and says … See all stories on this topic »

Breidis Prescott vs Bayan Jargal Live Boxing Highlights PR-USA.net (press release) Bayan Jargal vs Breidis Prescott Live Boxing Highlights: In their boxing match between Breidis Prescott and Bayan Jargal scheduled to play on Friday 22 April 2011. Watch Boxing Live matches at Sports Community. Earlier Amir Khan Conqueror Breidis … See all stories on this topic »

Boxing: ESPN brings ‘Friday Night Fights’ series to Reno Reno Gazette-Journal Josesito Lopez (29-3, 17 KOs) will make the first championship defense of his NABF light welterweight title against Steve Upsher Chambers (23-1-1, 6 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout on May 27 at the Reno Events Center. In January, Lopez, 26, … See all stories on this topic »

Andrade Ready for Bell fightnews.com He’s received great exposure on the national level, and I am also pleased that we have been able to showcase him right at home here for his fans on the east coast,” stated Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing. “Demetrius is moving along well and has a … See all stories on this topic » fightnews.com

Richie Boy Promotions Sues Tavoris Cloud & Don King

Posted on | April 21, 2011 | No Comments

MIAMI (April 21, 2011) – Richie Boy Promotions filed a lawsuit this past Tuesday (April 19, 2011) in the 11th District Judicial Circuit Court in Miami against International Boxing Federation Light Heavyweight Champion Tavoris Cloud, as well as his promoter, Don King Productions, and head trainer, Al Bonanni.

Richie Boy Promotions acquired contractual rights for Cloud from his original promoter, 8 Count Productions, in February, 2009 and then soon hired Bonanni, who had previously worked for Don King Productions (“DKP”), to run its boxing business and serve as Cloud’s head trainer. Cloud captured the IBF light heavyweight title on August 28, 2009 via a unanimous 12-round decision against Clinton Woods in a bout promoted by Richie Boy.

As Cloud’s promoter, Richie Boy Promotions negotiated and entered into an agreement for Cloud’s first title defense against mandatory challenger Glen Johnson, which was scheduled to take place April 10, 2010. During this negotiation period, however, Richie Boy Promotions terminated Bonanni, who then introduced Cloud to his former employer, Don King. DKP signed Cloud to another promotional contract despite knowing about Cloud’s exclusive promotional contract with Richie Boy Promotions.

Richie Boy alleges that Cloud breached his contract with Richie Boy Promotions by entering into another promotional contract with DKP as well as participating in his August 7, 2010 title fight against Johnson, which Cloud won via 12-round unanimous decision. Cloud (22-0, 18 KOs) defeated Fulgencio Zuniga by 12-round decision last December, and he now has a mandatory defense pending against IBF #1 contender Yusaf Mack.

Complaints filed in the aforementioned lawsuit by Richie Boy Promotions against the three defendants include Breach of Contract (Cloud), Unjust Enrichment (DKP), Tortious Interference with Contract (DKP and Bonanni), Tortious Interference with Business Relationships (DKP and Bonanni, Fraudulent Misrepresentation (Bonanni), and Breach of Fudicuary Duty (Bonanni).

Richie Boy Promotions has demanded a jury trial and judgment for monetary damages, and awarding such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper.

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